Carol Ericson - Circumstantial Memories

“That’s what parents do. God knows, my mom tried it with me. I don’t know what you’re complaining about. If I had a parent who smothered me with attention, maybe I never would’ve been lost all those years. Maybe someone would’ve come looking for me.” Julia’s eyes grew bright.

“I should’ve come looking for you.” He traced a finger along her soft earlobe.

“Why didn’t you?”

Ryder blinked. He didn’t want to go through this with her again, especially now when he hadn’t received orders about his next assignment. “Do you remember we had a…disagreement before I left for Somalia?”

“We had a fight.” Her jaw hardened. “And I didn’t even know you’d gone off to Somalia. You wouldn’t tell me where you were going, remember that?”

“Top secret orders.”

“Yeah, I know. That’s why I didn’t tell you about the pregnancy. I didn’t want to force you to change your plans or force you into a commitment you obviously weren’t ready to make.”

“I understand and I don’t blame you for it.”

Julia’s eyes, soft with tears a moment ago, glittered dangerously. He knew that sign.

“You don’t blame me? How thoughtful and caring of you because you’re the one who ran away.” She drew away from him and folded her arms over her chest. “Are you going to run again?”

Damn. Exactly where he didn’t want to go.

“It’s called a job. It’s not running.”

“It’s called cowardice.” Julia spun around and stalked toward the food-laden table, tears blurring her vision.

She grabbed a chicken leg and tore into it with her teeth. She recalled those discussions all too well. Ryder wanted her in Paris, and after her separation from Jeremy, he got her. They’d reveled in two months of joy and passion and love in a city made for romance.

Then one day he just started making arrangements for his departure. The love she’d nurtured in her heart meant nothing to him. How could he just walk out of her life for two years, correspondence between them screened, blacked out if necessary, and delayed for months?

Now here they were four years later in the same spot, but instead of a pregnancy, she had a four-year-old daughter. And it didn’t matter. He still planned to leave them.

Her cell phone buzzed in the pocket of her skirt and she grabbed a napkin to wipe off her greasy fingers. She plucked the phone from her pocket and flipped it open. A text message.

News on the doc meet me at the end of the drive Z.

Biting her lip, still salty from the chicken, she snapped the phone shut and dropped it back into her pocket where it clicked against her car keys. Did Zack have something on the autopsy report?

She scanned the room for Ryder and spotted him in deep conversation with Rod. As his head dipped toward his brother, the light from a nearby lamp caught the gold highlights in his hair and her fingers itched to comb through it.

She pursed her lips. He didn’t deserve to know. Besides, she’d better get used to handling stuff on her own. Pretty soon she wouldn’t have Ryder McClintock to run to for comfort anymore.

Pam was still holding Shelby, while she chatted with her friends. Julia shuffled through the crowd.

“Pam, could you please watch Shelby? I’m going out front.”

“What?” Pam cupped her ear.

“Could you please keep an eye on Shelby? I’m…”

Pam waved her hand. “You go right ahead.”

On her way to the front door, Julia squeezed past Rafe. “Excuse me.”

“Anytime, pretty lady.”

She rolled her eyes. Did that crap really work in L.A.? She slid through the door and pulled it closed behind her. The buzz from the party filtered into the cool evening, and she inhaled the fresh mountain air and her momentary solitude.

Lights illuminated the McClintocks’ drive, but it curved so she couldn’t see the gateway at the end. Did Zack park his squad car down there?

Her low heels crunched on the gravel of the drive. Birds twittered and rustled in the thick foliage that ringed the McClintock ranch. Her eyes darted toward a clump of bushes. At least she hoped birds were making those noises and not a skunk.

She glanced backward. She could still hear a hum of voices and see an aura of light, but she could no longer see the house.

Peering into the darkness at the end of the drive, she called out, “Zack?”

Had he parked his car outside the gate? A breeze lifted the edge of her skirt and a chill stole across her flesh. Julia stepped through the gateway. Most of the party guests had parked their cars on the road, but she couldn’t see a squad car. Why was it so dark out here?

Her shoe ground into something hard and she looked down. Broken glass littered the dirt. The two lights on either side of the McClintocks’ wide gate to their property lay shattered on the ground.

A cold fear gripped the back of her neck and she pivoted on her toes, turning back toward the house.

Too late.

Strong arms pinioned her from behind. She gathered her breath to scream, but a large, gloved hand clamped over her mouth, smashing her lips against her teeth.

One thought thumped in her chest along with the fear: her stalker wasn’t dead.

But she might be.

“Another slice of heaven?” Gracie Malone extended a plate under Ryder’s nose.

His mouth watered at the scent of warm cinnamon apple pie piled high with vanilla ice cream, but he held out his hands, palms up. “No, thanks, Gracie. I had a piece.”

“Just one?” She clicked her tongue. “My Charlie can polish off half a pie.”

“Go ahead and give him mine.”

“I would, but I don’t know where he is.” Her brow furrowed.

“Me, please.” Shelby had squirmed in between them and now held her hands up toward the pie, wiggling her fingers.

“Isn’t she just the cutest little thing?” Gracie chucked Shelby under the chin.

Ryder crouched down on one knee. “Nice manners, Shelby, but you are not having another piece of pie. You already had a piece of pie and two of Millie’s homemade cookies. You’re done, kiddo.”

Gracie beamed. “Well, look at you, acting like a father already. Are you going to make an honest woman of Julia or are you going to take off for some foreign hellhole, like you usually do?”

God, the woman had a big mouth. He grabbed the pie plate and handed it down to Shelby, while he scowled at Gracie.

She continued, oblivious. “Because if you and Julia aren’t going to tie the knot, I don’t mind telling you that she and Charlie were quite an item last winter-skiing together, sharing hot cocoa by the fire, he even shoveled her driveway.”

He opened his mouth to deliver a sarcastic comment, but his cell phone saved him. He put up a finger and dug his phone out of his pocket, checking the display.

“Hey, Sheriff, you got anything on Brody’s autopsy?”

“Hello, Ryder. Yeah, that’s why I’m calling. I tried Julia’s number first, but she didn’t answer.”

“It’s noisy in here.”

“I’ve got some interesting news for you about Brody, interesting and disturbing.”

“Disturbing?” Ryder’s pulse thrummed in his throat.

“Seems Dr. Brody was intoxicated at the time of the car accident. Way over the legal limit.”

“So? He still could’ve climbed that trail and dumped the boulder on Julia. Maybe he got drunk later.”

“That’s just it, Ryder. There was no later.”

“Damn it, Ballard. Spit it out.” Ryder’s heart hammered in his chest and he took a swig of his beer to moisten his dry mouth.

“Dr. Brody’s car went off the road on Tuesday night. He couldn’t have pushed that rock over the cliff. He was already dead.”