Page 107 of Family Jewels

“So the necklace is still missing?” Neely Kate asked.

“Yeah. Although I’m not sure what it matters anymore. Raddy’s dead and it belonged to Buck Reynolds all along.” Then I thought about my conversation with Buck at One Eyed Joes. Would he still expect me to find it?

“When’s Skeeter gonna spring you loose?” she asked.

She was being so short with me, I sucked in a breath. “What bee’s crawled up inyourbonnet?”

“Because I think it’s one giant coincidence that Skeeter Malcolm was out in your barn talkin’ to Raddy Dyer right after Rayna was murdered. Other than that one time we were working with him to bring down J.R. Simmons, when has Skeeter ever been in your barn?”

“As far as I know, only that once.”

“And Raddy Dyer happened to be out there the only other time he made an appearance?”

Irritation prickled the hairs on the back of my neck. “What are you suggestin’, Neely Kate?”

“It’s nothing I haven’t already told you. I think Skeeter knows all about that necklace, and he wants it for himself.”

“And you think he’s usin’ me to get it?” I asked in disbelief.

“It’s a twofer for him. He makes sure you’re safe, and he gets to keep the prize. He knows you never wanted it for you. We were gonna hand it over to Raddy.”

“You’re forgettin’ something,” I said in a curt tone. “Raddy calledme. He threatenedme, Neely Kate. The only reason James met us was to protect me, and he let Raddy go because he knew I wanted him to.”

“Are you sure that was his plan? Maybe he just let Raddy—and you—think they’d worked out a deal. You have to know that Skeeter Malcolm is not widely known for negotiating tactics. How do you think he got where he is now? Besides, some people think he’s gone soft. With all those guys makin’ a run at him, he might have been trying to set an example.”

Could she be right? Was that the reason he’d refused to let me force a vision? Because I’d see that Raddy was dead? Did James have Raddy killed?

Her voice was softer when she continued. “You said Skeeter was tryin’ to keep Raddy from tellin’ people you two are friends. Is that all you two are?”

“What does that mean?”

“Mason’s gone, so there’s nothing holding you back from starting something with him. You disappear every Tuesday night. We both know who you’ve been meetin’.”

I didn’t say anything, but my silence was statement enough.

“I’m not judgin’ you, Rose. You deserve a fling. Just make sure it’s not something more.” She paused. “But I know you. You don’t do flings. You’re a relationship kind of girl, and Skeeter Malcolm doesn’t do long term. He’s not a safe bet. At all. You’re gonna get hurt, and I’m worried it’s gonna be more than just your heart.”

What could I say to that? She wasn’t saying anything I didn’t already know. “I’ll let you know when I’ll be in,” I said with resignation.

I hung up and quickly got dressed, then headed downstairs. My stomach twisted with nerves. Doubts over Raddy were floating around in my head, but I felt guilty for even entertaining them. James would never lie to me. Our entire relationship was founded on truth, which was ironic considering his position. But one thing I could count on was the fact that I could be entirely honest with him without worrying about judgment or recrimination, and I counted on him being one hundred percent honest with me. Sure, he still held lots of secrets, but he told me what I needed to know.

Even as I assured myself, I knew that wasn’t entirely true. We were both lying about our feelings for one another. But that was different, wasn’t it?

As I landed at the bottom of the staircase, memories of his kiss the night before filled my head, making my stomach flutter. How was I going to face him?

After James’ speech about running from domesticity, I wasn’t sure what I’d find waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. It sure wasn’t big, bad James Malcolm sitting in a chair on his deck with his feet propped up on an ottoman. He was drinking a cup of coffee, and his laptop was resting on his thighs.

I stopped and stared at him through the set of the French doors that opened to the deck. As I watched him, I realized I had two choices—I could cut him out of my life completely, or I could try to go back to the way things had been before. The choice was obvious. I’d lost too many people lately. I didn’t want to lose James too.

Taking a breath to steady my nerves, I said, “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“You thought I’d just leave you here alone?” he asked, setting the coffee on a table beside him.

“No. I might go snoopin’ into your secrets if you did that.”

“Other than the house itself, there’s not a single secret here.” He shot me a quick glance before turning back to his screen. “I can’t risk Sandra finding out who I am.”

“So there’s nothing personal here?”