Thirty-One and a Half Regrets (Rose Gardner Mystery #4) Read online

  I put the can down and pulled her into an awkward hug. “Then let me help you. We’re friends, right? Friends help each other. You’ve helped me plenty of times with Muffy.”

  “I guess.”

  I smiled. “Then ask me, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  But I knew she wouldn’t. She was too stubborn. I just needed to remember to offer my help more.

  I carted her cans out to the curb and Miss Mildred, my eighty-two-year-old neighbor across the street, came out her front door wearing a housedress and curlers in her hair.

  “Good morning, Miss Mildred.”

  “There ain’t nothing good about a morning when women are strutting around in skimpy clothes only hours after the sun has risen.”

  I sighed. My robe hit mid-thigh. “Would you rather I wait until lunch time to prance around in my skimpy clothes?”

  A scowl puckered her face. “Don’t you get fresh with me, young lady. Your mother’s probably rolling over in her grave right now.”

  I shook my head. I had no doubts about that, but I was sure some much bigger grievances were causing all that rolling around.

  As I suspected, the job site was too muddy for more work, which was just as well. Our next task was to build a three-foot-tall retaining wall. And while I could have done it on my own, it would save time if Bruce Wayne was around to help me cart the stones.

  I spent the rest of the morning at two other houses, creating landscaping plans and promising estimates within the next couple of days. The last house belonged to Mary Louise Milligan, one of Violet’s friends from high school. “I saw what you did at the Murphy’s. I loved the fountain, but I really have my heart set on a water garden. A little pond in the back with some of those big-eyed fish. You know the ones. What are they called?” She tilted her head to the side, a perplexed look on her face.

  “Koi?”

  “Yeah, them.”

  We’d never made a water garden before, but I was thinking about putting one in my own backyard and had been studying the logistics of building one. It didn’t seem difficult. “Sure, we can definitely do that.”

  Her face lit up with happiness and she started listing what else she wanted, ticking off each item with a finger. “I want those flowers that float on the water and a waterfall. And also some rocks stacked around to make it look artsy like Betsy’s pond.” Her hands made a somewhat pornographic shape. “Only nicer.” Her eyes widened as she nodded to stress this point.

  I watched her as she continued to mime phallic shapes that were nicer than Betsy’s. “Okay,” I finally said, jotting down notes.

  My head felt cloudy and my vision got fuzzy. I cringed at the familiar sensation, preparing for the awkwardness that would hit within a few seconds.

  “You’re going to have a baby.”

  Her eyes flew open, her face turning pale. “How did you know that?”

  I forced a smile. “How could I not, Mary Louise? You’ve got a glow that’s hard to miss.” But that wasn’t the reason. Ever since I was a little girl, I’d known things about people. Things I shouldn’t have known. The information came from visions. I couldn’t control my ability, and the visions were always for the people next to me. They were usually mundane, about an unexpected visit from an in-law or the color so-and-so was going to paint her bedroom. But they were almost always awkward, especially since only a few people knew about them.

  She twisted her hands in front of her, biting her lip. “But my husband Brian doesn’t know yet.”

  “He’s going to be thrilled, Mary Louise.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  I’d seen his bright smile when she told him in my vision. “I just am.”

  When I finished my drawings—although I couldn’t bring myself to draw the anatomical rock structure—I checked the time and realized I only had ten minutes to get back downtown and meet my best friend, Neely Kate, for lunch at Merilee’s Café .

  I parked my truck a block from the county courthouse where she worked and was putting change in the parking meter when I heard someone say my name from behind me.

  “Rose.”

  I spun around, my heart in my throat. “Mason.”

  He stopped in front of me, wearing a dress coat over his grey suit. The wind blew his dark blond hair around his face. His cheeks were tinged with pink, making his hazel irises even greener than usual. I hadn’t seen him in almost two weeks, and I was surprised by how nervous I felt.

  “How are you?”

  “Good. And you?” I brushed my hair back, suddenly very aware of how bad I had to look. I didn’t have on any makeup and my hair was in a messy ponytail. The knees of my jeans were muddy from the first job site and my tan sweater had a coffee stain.

  Why on earth was I worried about how I looked around Mason? I’d never thought about it before. But I knew why. The last time we saw each other, we’d admitted that our feelings were more than just friendly. I’d told Mason I wasn’t ready for a relationship yet, that I was working with Jonah to figure out who I was now. Mason had said he’d wait.

  His eyes softened. “I miss you, Rose.”

  “I miss you too.” But I still wasn’t ready, and I could see in his eyes that he knew that. “I’m meeting Neely Kate for lunch at Merilee’s. Would you care to join us?”

  He looked over his shoulder at the café. “I’d love to, but I’m meeting my friend Jeff for a working lunch. Can I get a rain check?”

  “Do you really have another lunch date or are you avoiding me?”

  “Rose.” Several people walked by and Mason grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to the entrance of an antique shop. “I’m not avoiding you. I’m giving you space. Do you really think I don’t want to be with you?”

  I stared at the button on his coat before looking up into his eyes. “No. But I’m worried you’ll get tired of waiting for me.”

  He released a soft laugh. “It’s been thirteen days since I last saw you. I’ve been waiting for you since the day you ran into me at the courthouse in July. Thirteen days is nothing.”

  My heart stuttered. He’d been counting days. “Not that day. You couldn’t stand me that day.” I’d showed up late for jury duty and literally ran into Mason, making him drop his papers all over the hallway. He’d been furious.

  “Okay, maybe not that day, but you definitely piqued my interest. It was soon after that.”

  “But I was with Joe.”

  “I know. And I’d never put you in a difficult situation, which is why I kept my feelings to myself.”

  “If you’ve really waited that long, aren’t you frustrated?”

  “No.” His eyes burned with an intensity I’d never seen before. “I know what I want, and I’m a patient man.”

  My face flushed at his bluntness. “I’m sorry.”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

  “But I hate not seeing you. Can’t we just be friends until I’m ready?”

  His face lit up. “Of course. I just wanted to give you some time. And now that my feelings are out in the open, I’m sure I’ll do a terrible job of keeping them to myself.”

  “I’m making great progress with Jonah.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “I’m considering selling my birth mother’s farm, but Jonah thinks I should go visit it first.” Before I could stop myself, I blurted out, “Would you be interested in going out there with me?”

  His mouth dropped open in surprise.

  “Oh, you don’t have to. It’s just that Violet and I aren’t on the best terms right now and I don’t want to go alone, although I’m sure that Neely Kate—”

  “Rose, yes.” His voice softened. “I want to come.”

  “You do?”

  “Of course. I’m honored that I’m the one you asked. Do you want to go this weekend?”

  I nodded. “If you can swing it.”

  “How about Sunday? I know you work at the nursery on Saturday.”

  “Yeah, that sounds
good.” But my stomach was in knots thinking about it.

  “Great, we’ll work out the details later in the week.”

  “Okay.” I paused. “But can we see each other before Sunday?” Now that we’d established he wasn’t avoiding me, I was eager to spend more time with him. Mason was one of the few people who made me feel at home with myself.

  He laughed. “I have court tomorrow, but the case should be wrapped up by the end of the day. How about lunch on Thursday? At Merilee’s. You can have Neely Kate join us if you’d like.”

  My chest warmed. “Lunch on Thursday. Sounds good.”

  Mason pulled me into a hug, lingering for a moment before dropping his arms. “It was good seeing you, Rose.” He smiled then walked down the sidewalk to his car.

  Neely Kate was already at a table when I walked into the restaurant. Her long blonde hair was curled and very full, and she was wearing a burnt orange cardigan sweater with rhinestones around the collar and a jack-o-lantern pin. Underneath was a beige button-down collared blouse. I did a double-take. I had never seen her in any shade of beige before. Neely Kate believed in living large and that included bright colors and bling. I sat down and shrugged off my sweater, feeling happier than I had in weeks.

  “Does the smile on your face have anything to do with the fact I saw you talking to the Fenton County assistant DA just now?”

  I blushed. “Maybe.”

  “And…?”

  “And what?”

  “Are you going to go out with him or what?”

  “I’m still not ready, Neely Kate. I’m working through things with Jonah.”

  “Rose.” Disappointment was heavy in her voice. “Are you sure you’re not just holding back because you’re scared?”

  She had a point. I’d let fear hold me back from living my life until Momma’s death. Then as I waited to be murdered or arrested for her murder, I worked my way through a list of twenty-eight things I still wanted to experience. That list changed my life. But I knew it wasn’t fear holding me back this time. I hadn’t sorted me out yet. “No. I promise. I just want to take it slow and Mason understands that. If it makes you feel any better, we’re having lunch on Thursday and he’s going with me to visit my birth mother’s farm on Sunday.”

  Her smile fell. “You’re kidding.”

  “I thought you’d be happy.”

  “I am, but I’m stuck on the fact that you said you’re going to your birth mother’s farm.”

  “Jonah thinks I need to confront my past. And her farm is part of it.”

  “It’s not a very romantic date. The last time I forced you to talk about the farm, you said it’s run down and no one’s lived there for years.”

  “It’s still run down, but it’s not a date, Neely Kate, not really.”

  “That’s obvious.”

  “Mason seemed happy to go with me.”

  “The man would tie your shoelaces if you let him just so he could be with you.”

  “Neely Kate.” The way she said it made me reconsider asking him. I didn’t want to take advantage of his kindness. He’d done enough for me.

  “I’m kidding. Kind of. I’m sure he’s happy to go with you. And it could be romantic, just bring lunch and—”

  “It’s not supposed to be romantic, Neely Kate. It’s supposed to be about me connecting with my past.”

  “And doing it with the man of your future…” Her face lit up. “I changed my mind. It is romantic.”

  “You’re hopeless.”

  A dreamy look filled her eyes. “Yes, a hopeless romantic.”

  We ordered lunch, but Neely Kate only took a few bites of her sandwich before pushing it away.

  “I’m not feeling very well. It must be all that Halloween chocolate Tiffany brought into our department. I’m a sucker for those mini Snickers bars, but even those have been turning my stomach.”

  “That’s not like you.”

  She inhaled and sat back in her seat. “I know. I’d call it a stomach bug, but it’s lasted for days. I’m so exhausted every night that I’ve been falling asleep before ten.”

  “Bruce Wayne hasn’t been feeling well, either. He says it’s just a bad cold, but he’s missed three days of work, which means he’s been sick even longer because today is Tuesday and he doesn’t work on the weekends. I’m really worried about him. And what’s even weirder is David was up before seven this morning. He called me to tell me that Bruce Wayne wouldn’t be in.”

  “That pothead was up before the sun rose?”

  “Well…it was after the sun rose, but obviously much earlier than he usually gets up. According to David, Bruce Wayne was up coughing all night, but he refuses to go to the doctor because he doesn’t have insurance.”

  “Oh, dear. I can see why you’re worried.”

  “Maybe I should check on him myself. I can bring him some chicken soup so I don’t look so obvious. He hates attention.”

  “That’s a great idea.”

  “And if he’s really sick, maybe I’ll kidnap him and take him to the doctor myself, like it or not.”

  “Well, if anyone can pull it off it’s you. You have an influence over that man that no else seems to have. It’s a good thing you use it for good instead of evil.”

  I laughed, but I could see how easy it would be for someone Bruce Wayne trusted to control him. I was just glad he was trying so hard to stick to the straight and narrow path.

  After ordering Bruce Wayne’s soup to go, along with a slice of apple pie, I said goodbye to Neely Kate and headed over to his house.

  Bruce Wayne and David lived in a rental house in an older part of town. The first time I saw their house, the paint was peeling off the siding and the yard was overgrown. But when I stopped by again after Bruce Wayne started working for me, the bushes had been trimmed and all the weeds pulled out. Bruce Wayne had begun taking pride in his work, his life. I felt lucky to be a part of his transformation.

  I wondered if Joe had felt the same about me?

  The thought shot a stab of pain through my chest, but I took a deep breath and walked toward the front door. Joe was in my past. It was time to let him go.

  I knocked and waited for someone to answer. After about ten seconds, I knocked again and called out, “Bruce Wayne, it’s Rose. I brought you some chicken noodle soup and a piece of apple pie. It’s from Merilee’s. Your favorite.”

  When he didn’t answer, I tried the door knob, surprised to find it unlocked. Pushing the door open, I looked around the tiny living room. “Bruce Wayne?”

  I stepped inside, leaving the door cracked behind me. The living room was messy; the secondhand furniture had seen better days. I looked around the corner and saw dishes piled high in the kitchen sink.

  “Bruce Wayne?”

  Heading down the hall, I peered into the bathroom. The trash can caught my eye and I realized that there weren’t any used tissues in it. Unless David had suddenly developed a type-A personality when it came to taking out the bathroom trash, it seemed strange.

  Continuing down the hall, I peered into both empty bedrooms. One was generically messy, but it was the other that grabbed my attention. Several of the dresser drawers hung open. I walked in and found a photo of Bruce Wayne and his parents on the nightstand that looked like it dated back to his high school days. A silver necklace with a medallion lay on the dresser. I picked it up and recognized St. Jude. I’d seen him wear it a few times. But what concerned me the most was that two drawers were empty and there were multiple empty hangers in his closet.

  Bruce Wayne wasn’t sick.

  Bruce Wayne was gone.

  Chapter Three

  I ran to my car and pulled out my cell phone. “He’s gone, Neely Kate! Bruce Wayne’s gone!”

  “Oh, my God! He’s dead?”

  “What?” I shook my head. “No! He’s gone. As in he packed up his clothes and left.”

  “What? Why?”

  “I don’t know.” My voice broke. “But if his parole officer finds out, th
ey’ll put him back in jail. And he might not get out this time.”

  She sighed. “So I guess telling Mason is out.”

  “Definitely.” I fought to keep from crying. “I don’t understand. Why would he take off? He was doing so well.”

  “I don’t know, Rose. What’re you goin’ to do?”

  “David wasn’t at their house, so he must be at work. I’m going to swing by the Piggly Wiggly. Ten cents to the dollar he covered for Bruce Wayne this morning.” Which meant David had lied to me. My hand gripped the steering wheel. “I’m going to make him tell me what he knows.”

  “Good luck. And keep me updated.”

  “Okay.”

  While Bruce Wayne had been making progress at becoming a productive member of society, David had been making strides of his own. He’d been working at the Piggly Wiggly since Bruce Wayne’s trial for murder three months ago, longer than most jobs he’d held.

  Sure enough, I found him stocking a shelf with cereal. He stood bolt upright when he saw me, a box of Cap’n Crunch shaking in his hand. “Rose, what are you doing here?”

  “I’m looking for you.”

  The color drained from his face. He put the box on the shelf.

  “I stopped by your house a little while ago to bring Bruce Wayne some chicken soup and apple pie. Imagine my surprise when he wasn’t home.”

  David picked up another box, his hand shaking so badly the cereal inside rattled. “Maybe he went to the doctor after all.”

  I put my hand on my hip. “Was he plannin’ on spending a really long time in the waiting room? ’Cause it looks like he took most of his clothes with him.”

  He threw the box down and took off running.

  “David! Wait!”

  He headed for the back exit and I followed him out the door, cornering him on the loading dock.

  He turned to face me, wide-eyed. “I didn’t want to do it.”

  “Do what?” I took a breath and held up my hands in surrender. “It’s okay, David. Just tell me where he is. I want to help him.”

  He shook his head. “The best way you can help him is to let this go.”