When Noonday Ends: A Southern Romantic-Suspense Novel - Nantahala - Book Two Page 3

“Baby, you know I didn’t mean to hit you.”

  “You carried a phone book into the kitchen and then hit me in the head. Now how did you not mean that?” she whispered as menacingly as she could, peering down at her sleeping baby.

  “I just couldn’t stand the way you let our hired-help paw you.”

  “Wait! What? Hired-help?” she asked louder. “First of all, they’re not ‘hired-help’; they’re employees. They work for a living, something you wouldn’t know anything about. And what person are you talking about?”

  He eyed her in the rearview mirror again, rolling his eyes in a childish gesture. “The gardener. The young one. I saw the two of you in the backyard.”

  “Oh, my God! You are preposterous.”

  “Don’t throw your big college words at me, Shelby.”

  She sighed in disgust. What had she ever seen in him? “Preposterous isn’t a big word; it means you are senseless and unreasonable. Next time I’ll use simple words to describe your ridiculous actions. And for your information, I simply asked your parents’ gardener what to use on my plants. The bugs—you know what…I’m not having this conversation with you again.”

  Shelby rested her head against the seat and closed her eyes, wanting to fall asleep and never wake up. But that was a coward’s way out; she would never hurt her baby.

  When they got home, she carried Justin inside and lowered him into his crib. He stirred a bit, opened his eyes, and then shut them again with a soft smile on his lips. He must not have slept in the last few days.

  She layered the blanket over his tiny body. “It’s okay, sweetie. Momma will figure out how to fix this.”

  She turned to walk out of the room and bumped right into Carlin. He reached out to steady her, then pulled her against his chest.

  She cringed, but allowed him to wrap his arms around her. She’d refused to have sex with him since she’d moved in, insisting that he had to prove that he wouldn’t abuse her anymore. Of course, the first time he got jealous he was beating her again. Or trying. She would never let it happen again without fighting.

  What had she been thinking? She knew he would never change, and she didn’t even love him. She’d just gotten lazy at trying so hard to make it as a single mother.

  Carlin was always sorry afterward, but that’d wear off next time he got drunk or assumed she was having an affair. Why he always accused her of cheating, she never understood; she’d never given him cause to believe she was cheating. Nor had she ever cheated on him. She didn’t want or need a man. Even when they’d separated, she hadn’t dated.

  Yeah, she recognized a cute guy when she saw one—like that lawyer. But he was a rich kid too. He’d probably be the same way.

  As Carlin stroked her hair, she could hear his soft sobs. He was so weak. Probably the reason he hit her. The strength he didn’t have inside came out through his fists, as though he had to prove he was a man.

  In some sick, demented way, he probably loved her, but she couldn’t trust him anymore. He’d turned a vicious hand on her too many times. She needed to get away from him for good, and she knew only one way.

  Chapter Five

  Tom didn’t feel like yapping with Chad or Mark, so he lifted his yak out of the water and headed to the main road, which was across the bridge from the pullout.

  He’d only been walking a few minutes when an old Chevy Truck with a bulbous body pulled off the road in front of him. He trotted up to the truck, threw his kayak in the bed, and then opened the passenger door and jumped in. Anywhere else in the nation, he’d take pause at hitching, but not Nantahala. The town was almost completely rural, boasting only about a thousand year-round residents.

  He’d barely settled into the front seat when the driver grabbed his arm, causing him to jump.

  “Hey…you ’r that lawyer man.” The young man’s drawl was as thick as he’d ever heard.

  Tom had lived in North Carolina for the last nine years, but since he was from Florida originally, he didn’t have a country accent. The drawl on some folks still threw him sometimes, and he’d have to ask them to repeat.

  He squinted, wondering how the man knew him. He hoped he wasn’t involved with the one case he’d taken on with the rabbit farm. He’d never live down that case. “Umm, yeah. Have we met?”

  “You ’r gonna d’fend my sister, Shelby.”

  Tom almost choked. “Shelby’s your sister?” Now that he mentioned it, he could see the resemblance. The same pale blue eyes and almost white hair. If he ignored the dirt-smudged skin and overalls, the man was okay looking, he guessed. But his education certainly wasn’t near what Shelby had. Shelby was country, even had the country drawl, but her words had been intelligent.

  “Yeah. We didn’t see Shelby much when she left fir college and then married that no-good S.O.B.” The man shifted the gear into first and pulled out onto the highway. “She’d come home to us a couple of times, but every time, that loser tracked her down at Momma’s, whispering sweetly and making promises.” He shook his head and then lifted the Styrofoam cup between his legs, spitting out some of the tobacco he’d been chewing. “We begged her not to go back to the likes of him. He’s as useless as teats on a boar hog if you know what I mean.”

  Tom snorted. He didn’t know what he meant, but he got the gist. “Well, sir—”

  “Name’s Andy. Andy Montgomery.” Andy shoved his right hand toward him.

  Tom smiled and accepted, making a mental note not to scratch his nose or rub his eyes. He wasn’t a prude, but based on Andy’s Farmville attire, no telling where that hand had been today.

  “Nice to meet you, Andy. Though, I’m not representing your sister. The state attorney dropped the charges, and her ex-husband picked her up at the jail this afternoon.”

  “What? I’ll kill that no good—I swear if he ever lays a hand on Shelby ’gan, I’ll kill him.” Andy slammed his fist against the steering wheel, then shot a fiery gaze at him. “We didn’t know he’d been beatin’ her. She said she lost the first baby, but we didn’t know it was cuz of him.” The man spit into the cup again. “I may be poor, but I’d never lay a hand on no woman. Cuz he’s rich he thinks he can do as he pleases. Well, I got news for that puck. He’s gonna see how a country boy takes out the trash—”

  “Um, Andy. I understand your frustration, and I don’t know you, but that probably wouldn’t be a good idea.”

  Andy answered him with a grunt, and Tom couldn’t help but laugh. The man didn’t look big enough to hurt a fly. As it was, Andy had the seat so close to the steering wheel that Tom’s legs were almost touching the dashboard. Of course, he had that problem in most vehicles with his six-two frame. Shelby’s brother couldn’t weigh more than 160 pounds at best. He had Andy by at least fifty pounds, he figured.

  “Andy, your sister refused my help, but I’m going to see what I can do. And so I don’t end up having to defend you in court, could you hold off on your country boy punishing?” Tom had seen Next of Kin; he could only imagine what Andy was dreaming up.

  Andy turned to him and grinned. “You wouldn’t have to worry ’bout d’fending me. They’d never find ’em if I took care of business.”

  Tom couldn’t help but cringe at the gleam in the man’s gaze. His pale eyes weren’t so light at the moment; there was a burning passion in them. “I’m right off here, Andy.” Tom pointed to the put-in where he’d left his truck. “I don’t have any business cards on me, but I’m listed if you want to talk some more about Shelby’s situation. Look up Thomas Turner Esquire in Ashville.”

  Andy nodded, resting a heavy hand on Tom’s shoulder. “I’ll do that, Tom.” The man may be small, but there was power in the squeeze he’d given him. “And please help my sister. I don’t want her to be the one goin’ to jail. And if I don’t take care of him, Shelby will.”

  Those were not words Tom wanted to hear. He opened the door and jumped out.

  After pulling his kayak out of the bed, he smacked his hand on the tailgate, letting Andy know he’d f
inished and then waved the man off.

  Tom threw his kayak in the bed of his truck, then slumped into the driver’s seat, not wanting to move. He knew Nantahala was a small town, but what were the chances of him running into Shelby’s brother.

  It felt like serendipity, as though this was supposed to have happened. His sister would laugh at his sensitive side, the reason he’d always hidden it from her. Michelle was rough and tough. More times than not, she’d pinned him as a teenager. He’d never been a fighter.

  He adjusted the temperature controls, turning on the heat. He’d been freezing in Andy’s truck, but didn’t dare mention it. Heck, the man had been talking about killing people.

  Tom shook off the chill that swept through his body. He couldn’t defend Andy if he did. No way could he ever represent a person knowing they were guilty. Besides, his parents would be disappointed in him if he did. His father was an attorney, but he practiced family law. He hadn’t been too happy when Tom informed him that he wanted to be a criminal defense attorney. Some assumed it was for the money, but that wasn’t his motive. He had plenty of money. His grandmother had left Michelle and him a substantial trust fund.

  He pulled the truck into his garage, sliding next to his dirt bike, rock-climbing gear, hiking equipment, and the rest of his toys he no longer had time to enjoy. Sometimes he wondered what good a career was if he didn’t have time to enjoy the finer things in life.

  He hung his jacket to dry, stood the paddle in the corner, and lifted the kayak into the harness he’d made for it, since he probably wouldn’t be kayaking again anytime soon.

  Pulling out his phone, he checked for messages. He hadn’t been able to check in Nantahala, as the service was touch-and-go, and he refused to look at his phone while driving. No text or email was worth a head-on collision.

  The two-lane road through Nantahala not only had sharp turns, it had steep cliffs off one side and a wall of rock on the other in many places. He liked paddling in the Nantahala River, but he didn’t want to drown in its icy water.

  He pressed ‘play’ for the one and only voicemail, an unknown caller.

  “Umm. Attorney Turner. Umm…is that what I call you? Umm…anyway. I have information about your case. Well, no, that’s not right. I have…umm…” A few beeps blared in his ear as the woman was obviously fiddling with the phone. “I am... It’s a machine—” Low muffled bass sounds came through the line next, as though the woman had covered the phone with her hand. “Not about Shelby, but Carlin. Carlin’s—I gotta ’nother call. I’ll call back.”

  The line went dead and Tom stopped in his tracks, leaning up against the side of his apartment building. “What the heck have you gotten yourself into this time, Tom?”

  Chapter Six

  Shelby waited until Carlin was deep asleep on the couch.

  It hadn’t taken long after he downed the Benadryl she’d put in the milk jug. She’d left just enough milk in the container so that when he went for cereal, he’d drink every drop of the antihistamine, which he normally used as a sleeping pill.

  It wouldn’t hurt him; he’d simply stay sound asleep, giving her enough time to pack and get out of this house.

  Last time, she’d gone to her mother’s house, thinking he’d never come looking for her there. Especially after her brother had threatened him within an inch of his life when he’d learned she’d lost the baby because of Carlin.

  She hadn’t said anything to her brother because she’d been embarrassed, but Carlin had opened his big mouth, assuming she had.

  Watching her brother bow up against Carlin had been one of the greatest days of her life. Her brother only had about an inch on her five-nine, but he was like a stick of dynamite, a lot of power in a small package.

  Shelby figured she’d inherited many of her father’s genes because her mother was only five-two with auburn hair and golden brown eyes, as opposed to Andy’s and her blond hair and blue eyes.

  Carlin was a big man. He topped six-foot tall and weighed about two-fifty. But when her older brother came off the couch like a bullet, Carlin had shrieked backward, nearly falling.

  Andy had pushed his fingers into his chest and warned him he’d kill him if he ever touched her again. Obviously, Carlin had forgotten that warning, and Shelby would never tell her brother, in fear he would do something and end up in prison.

  Already, he had little life to live. He’d been so busy raising her and taking care of their momma that he’d dropped out of high school in the ninth grade. He made sure Shelby was up every morning, though. He’d wake her up, make her eat breakfast, and then drop her off at school on the way to work.

  She didn’t know where she could go, but she grabbed all the money out of Carlin’s wallet, emptied her jewelry box along with Carlin’s watches into her purse, and shoved the two guns she could find into the bottom of her suitcase. She knew he had more, but she didn’t have time to figure out where he’d hidden them.

  As an afterthought, she removed every credit card out of his wallet. She’d buy everything she could of value at the twenty-four hour Wal-Mart, so she could pawn some things if she needed. She’d pull the most she could out of the ATM tonight, but then that would be it. She’d cut up the cards and throw them away; she couldn’t use them again.

  After stuffing as much of her life as she could into her car, she ran inside to get Justin. Her baby squealed with joy as soon as she picked him up. She squeezed him to her chest and hushed him as she crept into the living room. Her heart raced as she opened the door again.

  “I’m sorry, baby,” Carlin’s deep voice startled her, and she whirled on him. “I didn’t mean it, Ti…” The rest of the word was slurred. He was still sleeping. Ti? What was he about to say? she wondered. She tried to think of anything he called her that would begin with Ti, but she was at a loss. She didn’t care what woman he was calling for or apologizing to this time; it wouldn’t be her ever again.

  She pulled the door closed behind her and raced toward the Explorer as fast as she could with Justin in her arms. As she buckled Justin in his seat, her pulse slowed and her breathing returned to normal.

  “Where’re you goin’, Shelby?”

  “Oh!” She spun around to see her father-in-law standing behind her. “Oh, God! You scared me, Clayton.”

  “So you’re taking my grandson away again?” Clayton Castle had always been kind to her, but he didn’t sound happy.

  “I can’t stay here. You know that, don’t you? I know y’all don’t want to believe me, but he’ll end up killing one of us if I stay.”

  “PaPaw!” Justin squealed.

  Clayton bent his head around the door. “Hey, Jus. How ya doin’, buddy? You and your momma goin’ for a ride?”

  “Mm-hmm…” Her son giggled.

  Shelby hated taking Justin away from his grandparents. They were good people. She’d never had grandparents or anything close to a family other than Andy. Momma was there, but she wasn’t. She’d pulled so far into her shell that there were weeks when they didn’t even see her. She’d just stay locked up in her bedroom.

  “Shelby…” Her father-in-law focused his bright blue eyes on her, and for an instant, he appeared to understand her dilemma, but then he shook off his compassion. “I can’t let you take him, honey. I’ll fight you for him. I’ll fight both of you. And you know I’ll win custody after your recent arrest. I’ll even testify against Carlin. But I won’t let you take my grandson away.”

  Shelby’s throat constricted and tears rushed to the surface. Tears she’d restrained for years poured down her cheeks. She knew Clayton meant his words. Carlin was weak; his father wasn’t.

  “He’ll kill me, Clayton, or I’ll kill him. I can’t stay here anymore. I have to escape him.”

  “Then we’ll figure out something, but you can’t leave.” His words were adamant. She knew there’d be no way to argue with him.

  She sucked in a breath, rolled her shoulders, and turned toward her vehicle. Slamming the rear door closed, she ran
around the front of the SUV to the driver’s door, and jumped in.

  Clayton’s image filled her rearview mirror, blocking her exit. “If you want to leave, Shelby, you’ll have to run me over.”

  “You can’t stand there all night, old man,” she screamed. She loved Clayton, but he couldn’t protect her and her son. Only she could do that.

  “I swear to you, Shelby. I’ll protect you. He’ll never hurt you again, I promise. But if you leave, I’ll call the judge and have you arrested. I already filed the child custody hearing when they arrested you, which means you can’t take Justin away legally. If I couldn’t get you released, I had to make sure I got custody of my grandson.”

  Shelby rested her head against the steering wheel. She’d always known that. She’d always known that if she went to prison, they’d protect her son. The thought that that was the only way rushed through her mind again. Would she be able to kill Carlin if it meant saving her son?

  Chapter Seven

  Tom’s shrill ring tone jerked him out of a delicious dream. It’d been too long. Lately the only action he got was in his dreams.

  He rolled over and glared at the bright-white numbers on his phone: 7:23. He punched his pillow up under his head and ignored it. A couple seconds later, the annoying screech he’d programmed, jolted him out of the blanket of darkness again.

  “Who in the world?” he growled. He snatched his iPhone off the nightstand and tried to bring the number into focus. Another unknown caller, this one a blocked number.

  He touched ‘accept’, even though he wanted to press ‘decline’. Maybe the strange lady who’d left a message yesterday was calling back.

  “Tom Turner,” he choked out his name; though, it probably wasn’t intelligible because his mouth was so dry.

  He took a sip out of the water bottle he’d left on the table last night that he’d used to wash down the sleeping pill. He hated taking the stuff, but he’d needed sleep.

  “Mr. Turner…” A tear-filled voice came through his phone, but then an operator spoke over her, asking if he’d approve the call.