The Bridesmaid's Gifts Read online

  “Hell, yeah.”

  Her sputtered laugh was smothered beneath his mouth when he lowered his head to hers.

  Aislinn’s slender body arrowed neatly into the water of the swimming pool, creating hardly a splash. Standing in the shadows of the motel building, Ethan watched her begin to swim laps, her strokes steady and strong. She seemed to be working off some sort of tension.

  He knew the feeling.

  She was the only one in the pool. Technically it was after hours, and the pool was closed, though no effort was made by management to stop late swimmers. She shouldn’t be out alone at night like this. He supposed she felt relatively safe because of the motel rooms surrounding the pool, but it still wasn’t a good idea. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned against the wall, silently standing guard.

  Watching over her was hardly a hardship. He didn’t think he’d ever seen anything more beautiful than Aislinn moving so sleekly through the glistening, softly lit pool water. She was modestly dressed in a one-piece black bathing suit—another example of her habit of dressing to fade into the background. He could have told her she was wasting her time. Aislinn could wear a sheet of burlap and still catch the eyes of every man within sight of her.

  He understood now why she worked so hard to blend into the crowd. She had been abandoned by her mother and raised by aging relatives who’d done their best to drill the uniqueness out of her. Different was a pejorative to her. Average a compliment.

  She did a practiced turn at the deep end of the pool and swam in the other direction. He’d heard her leave her room earlier, an hour after he’d surprised them both with a good-night kiss. He had been tempted to follow that kiss up with more…and then some…but a remaining shred of common sense had given him the strength to pull away, to tell her good-night and walk out of the room. She hadn’t tried to detain him.

  This wasn’t a woman he wanted to get involved with. For one thing, Aislinn wasn’t the no-strings-dalliance sort. She came with complications he had assiduously avoided during the past few years. Not to mention the complications that had to do with Aislinn herself.

  He was giving her a few more days to show him any evidence that Kyle was still alive, and then he was putting both her and her psychic claims out of his mind, he promised himself. That was the best he could do—even if it was taking every ounce of self-control he possessed to keep himself from taking her slim, wet body into his arms and making them both forget about anything beyond tonight.

  Wrapping herself in a large towel, Aislinn slid her feet into sandals and shook her dripping hair out of her face. The grounds of the little, out-of-the-way motel were quiet, pretty much deserted at this hour, but she wasn’t concerned for her safety. Her room was only a few steps away.

  She had needed the exercise of swimming. Maybe she’d slept too long that afternoon or maybe she was still keyed up from her talk with Ethan. Or from something else with Ethan. But after he’d left her, she’d been filled with pent-up energy that no amount of pacing the small confines of her room could burn off. Looking out her window, she’d seen the pool and had impulsively changed into the bathing suit she had packed at the last minute.

  The swim had helped. A little. Maybe she would be able to sleep now. If she could find a way to prevent the memory of Ethan’s kiss from keeping her awake all night.

  Fat chance.

  She moved toward her room, resigned to a restless night. Her breath caught when someone moved out of the nearby shadows.

  “You really shouldn’t be out here by yourself at night,” Ethan said, his expression grim when the light fell on his face. “Especially since you’re no good at seeing your own future.”

  Trying to steady her racing heart, she cleared her throat. “You startled me. But I was ready to run and scream if I had to.”

  “If I’d been someone who wanted to hurt you, I wouldn’t have given you a chance to run or scream,” he pointed out.

  He stood between her and her door. She took a step toward him. “Then it’s a good thing you don’t want to hurt me, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah.” His voice was rougher now. “I guess it is.”

  The same restless energy that had driven her into the pool impelled her forward. He remained where he stood until she stopped, inches away from him. The cool water still dripped from her hair and slid down her body. She could almost fancy that it evaporated in the heat of Ethan’s gaze.

  Sliding a hand up his arm and around to the back of his neck, she lifted herself onto tiptoes and pressed her wet body against his dry one. Her lips only a breath from his, she asked, “How are you at telling the future, Ethan?”

  “Not worth a damn,” he muttered hoarsely.

  “So I guess you weren’t expecting me to do this,” she murmured and pressed her mouth to his.

  “No,” he said when she gave him a chance to speak a few moments later. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

  “Then this should come as a real surprise to you.” She wrapped both arms around his neck and kissed him again.

  With a low laugh deep in his chest, he pulled her closer, smothering her mouth beneath his.

  “I wasn’t going to do this.” Ethan’s voice was low, his expression rueful as he loomed over her.

  Lying on her back on her bed, she reached up to him. “Neither was I.”

  He slid the straps of her bathing suit off her shoulders, lowering his lips to her still-damp skin. “Probably not a good idea.”

  Arching her neck to give him better access, she sighed. “No, probably not.”

  “There’s still time to come to our senses.”

  She nuzzled her cheek against his soft brown hair. “You first.”

  He pushed her suit farther down and groaned. “Maybe it’s too late after all.”

  Offering herself to him, she closed her eyes. “Definitely too late.”

  Drifting in a haze of satisfaction, Aislinn forced her eyelids open when the bed shifted. “Where are you going?”

  Reaching for his clothes, Ethan replied, “I’m heading for my room. Get some sleep. We’ll get an early start in the morning.”

  Lifting herself to one elbow, she pulled the sheet across her and watched him dress. “Second thoughts?”

  “Second. Third. Fourth.”

  She couldn’t be offended since she felt much the same way. “You don’t have to worry about it, Ethan. I’m not going to cause any scenes when you ride off into the sunset.”

  He looked down at her. “Suddenly you know the future?”

  Chuckling wryly, she murmured, “I think pretty much any woman could tell what you’re thinking now.”

  Looking annoyed, he shrugged into his shirt. “That’s bull.”

  “Maybe.”

  “So you’re not having second thoughts?”

  “Second. Third. Fourth.”

  Her dry repetition seemed to ease some of his tension. He paused by the side of the bed. “Sorry. I guess I’ve just had a lot to process today.”

  “I know. It’s been a long day for both of us.”

  He leaned over to brush a surprisingly gentle kiss against her lips. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “All right. Sleep well.”

  He paused again at the door, one hand on the knob. “Aislinn?”

  “Yes?”

  “No matter what happens, I’m not really sorry.”

  She smiled. “Neither am I. No matter what.”

  He let himself out the door, closing it firmly behind him.

  Aislinn fell back against the pillows. Okay, maybe that had been a mistake. And she was well aware that she was the one who had initiated it, though Ethan had certainly been a willing participant. And maybe her heart was going to be bruised, if not broken, before this rather quixotic quest was over.

  But whatever happened, she wasn’t sorry. For once, she had done something bold, reckless, a little wild—and while she had no intention of radically changing the quiet, rather conservative life she had led to this point, it
had felt good to step out of her rut for just this one night. Amazing, actually.

  Maybe there was a tiny bit of her mother in her, after all.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Little Ethan Brannon. I can’t believe it.”

  Ethan forced a smile, though he was more tempted to grimace.

  Eighty-year-old Odessa Hester folded her hands across her large stomach and beamed at him and Aislinn as they sat side by side on the afghan-draped and pillow-crowded sofa in her overfurnished living room. There was barely room for their knees between the sofa and the knickknack-covered coffee table. The big recliner that supported Odessa’s substantial weight was wedged between another table and a three-light floor lamp.

  The smallish room also held an entertainment center with a medium-size television set, two packed-full curio cabinets, a wing chair, a rocking chair and a large leather ottoman. Every flat surface was covered in bric-a-brac, most of it of the inexpensive, dollar-store variety, but there wasn’t a speck of dust in sight.

  He vaguely remembered this house. Every room was like this one, filled almost to bulging with furniture and decorations. When he was little, he’d found it fascinating, with so many things to see, so many nooks and crannies to explore. Odessa had happily invited him and his brothers to explore as much as they wanted. To make it more fun, she’d hidden candy and small toys before they’d arrived to keep them entertained while she and his mother visited. Funny how he’d forgotten that until today.

  “How is your dear mother, Ethan?”

  “She’s fine, thank you, Mrs. Hester.”

  “Oh, honey, you might as well call me Odessa now. Everyone does. Are you sure I can’t get either of you some pie? A soda?”

  Both he and Aislinn politely declined. He could tell Aislinn was captivated by the large, friendly woman in the colorful clothing.

  “So tell me why you’re here, Ethan. Are you showing your girlfriend where you lived when you were a little boy?”

  He didn’t bother to correct her about Aislinn’s identity, though the term made him vaguely uncomfortable. “Something like that,” he said instead. “I haven’t been back here since we moved away, you know.”

  His former next-door neighbor sighed lightly. “I know. I’d hoped your folks would come back to visit sometimes, but I guess it was just too painful for them, bless their hearts.”

  “They’ve made a good life for themselves in Alabama,” he assured her. “Dad stays busy in his orthodontics office and Mom’s involved in a half dozen charities, of course.”

  “She always did love to stay involved in the community.”

  “Still does.”

  “And your brother? How’s Joel doing? I know he’s a doctor, because your mother still sends me a Christmas card every year and tells me family news. He lives in Arkansas, doesn’t he?”

  “That’s right. Did you know he got married again two weeks ago?”

  “No, I didn’t. Good for him. Do you like your new sister-in-law?”

  “Very much,” he said sincerely. “I think she and Joel will be happy.”

  “That’s nice to hear. Your family’s suffered enough loss. It’s time for you all to be happy.” She beamed at Aislinn, who squirmed a bit self-consciously on the couch. “How long have you known Ethan, hon?”

  “Not very long,” Aislinn replied. “I met him through Joel’s new wife, Nic, who’s been my best friend for years.”

  “Well, isn’t that nice? Do I hear more wedding bells in store for the Brannon family? You aren’t getting any younger, you know, Ethan. What are you? Thirty-three? Thirty-four now?”

  Tempted to squirm himself, Ethan said lightly, “I’m thirty-six. I’ll turn thirty-seven in a few weeks.”

  “Thirty-six,” she repeated with a slow shake of her head. “Can you imagine that? I’ll have to tell Vic when he gets home from visiting his brother out at the nursing home. He’ll be sorry he missed you. He always thought the world of your dad, you know.”

  Ethan barely remembered Odessa’s husband. He had a faint memory of a large, quiet man who always carried sticks of gum that he liked to hand out to the neighborhood kids. Odessa and Vic had never had children of their own, but they’d taken pleasure in being honorary aunt and uncle to dozens.

  More than ready to change the subject, Ethan got to the point of their drop-in visit. “Odessa, do you remember Carmen Nichols?”

  “The nanny who died with poor little Kyle? Of course I remember her. She used to have coffee with me sometimes while Kyle took his nap. Nice woman, if a little reserved.”

  “Reserved in what way?”

  “Oh, you know. Didn’t talk about herself much. Wouldn’t really share details about her life. She’d talk about you kids and about movies and television programs she enjoyed, books she’d read, that sort of thing…. But getting her to talk about herself was like pulling teeth.”

  “So you don’t really know anything about her.”

  “Well, you know I’m pretty good at drawing people out. I learned a few things.”

  Sitting up straighter, he asked, “Like what?”

  “Mind if I ask why you want to know?”

  “Aislinn and I are looking into the accident,” he said candidly. “My family still has a lot of questions about exactly what happened that day, and I decided it’s past time one of us tried to find some answers. Like why Carmen took Kyle out that day and where she was going when she left the house with him.”

  “I don’t blame you for wondering,” Odessa said with a sigh. “I’ve asked myself those same questions many times during the past thirty years.”

  “You were the one who saw her leave the house that afternoon, weren’t you?”

  Odessa nodded. “I was looking out to see if the rain was letting up. I saw her putting Kyle in the toddler seat she kept in her car for him. Never was a very good seat,” she added with a shake of her head. “But she didn’t take him out very often, so your mama wasn’t too worried about it, though I know she planned to buy a new one when she got the chance.”

  “Did Carmen see you watching her? Did she look upset or anxious?”

  “I don’t know if she saw me. I don’t think so. I was too far away to see her expression, exactly. And she had a hood over her head to protect her from the rain. One of those yellow slicker-type raincoats. She was very fond of that coat. She wore it every time it even drizzled a little. Your daddy used to tease her about it, call it her banana coat.”

  “You said you drew a little out of her about her private life. Can you remember anything in particular?”

  Odessa waved her pudgy hands in a vague gesture. “She told me she’d married young but that he’d died. She said she’d grown up in Mississippi but that she was an orphan.”

  Ethan frowned. “Mississippi? Not Florida?”

  “No, I’m pretty sure it was Mississippi.”

  “She told my mother she was from Florida and that her family disowned her when she married.”

  “That’s odd. It’s not at all the story she told me.”

  “Did she have any special friends around here? Anyone she dated or just hung out with?”

  Odessa nodded. “There was one woman about her age. They used to go to movies and stuff together. Sometimes the other girl would come over to your house while your mama was off volunteering, and she and Carmen would watch soap operas together in the afternoon.”

  “Do you remember her name? Do you know if she’s still in this area?”

  “Oh, yes, I still see her occasionally. She works over at the Kroger store on Maple Street. Her name is Natalie, but I can’t recall her last name, if I ever knew it.”

  “That’s fine. You’ve given us quite a bit as it is.”

  “I wish I could tell you more. I can understand why you’d be struggling with this. It has bothered me for thirty years that I didn’t try to ask Carmen where she was going on such a stormy day.”

  “No one would have expected you to do so, Odessa. Just one more question, if I ma
y. Does the name Mark mean anything to you in connection with Carmen?”

  Aislinn looked at him thoughtfully while Odessa gave the question a moment’s consideration. And then Odessa shook her head. “Not that I know of.”

  Ethan couldn’t think of anything else to ask. Though he was impatient to move on, it took another twenty minutes for them to take their leave of Odessa. She wanted to reminisce a bit more about the years when his family had lived next door, and Ethan didn’t want to be rude when she was being so nice and helpful.

  “Thought we were never going to get out of there,” he said when he and Aislinn were on their way.

  “Mmm. She was nice.”

  She sounded distracted, distant. She’d been rather quiet all morning—and he supposed he couldn’t blame her for that, considering the way he’d run out on her last night, but this was different. He was beginning to recognize this tone.

  “What did you pick up in there?” he asked.

  “Carmen wasn’t from Mississippi. Not from Florida, either.”

  “So where was she from?”

  “I’m not sure. But it was somewhere in the South,” she suggested tentatively.

  “Have you ever figured out what connection the state of Georgia has to all of this? Do you think that’s where Kyle is now?”

  “Maybe.”

  “You’re full of maybes today.”

  “Sorry. It’s the best I can do.”

  “It does seem suspicious that Carmen told my mother and Odessa different stories about her past,” he conceded. That was hardly proof that she had snatched his brother, of course, he reminded himself.

  He didn’t have to express his lingering reservations. Aislinn merely nodded. “She had a lot to hide.”

  “Did you sense anything else while we were talking to Odessa?”

  Her face was somber when she nodded. “Only that it’s a good thing you had a chance to visit with her today. You’ll appreciate that memory soon.”

  Startled, he tightened his hands on the steering wheel. “You think she’s ill?”