“I’ll find out tonight. He has something planned.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not crazy about the idea of you spending the night with him. And even less so with Kate on the loose.”
“Since you were listenin’, you know he’ll keep me safe. Just like he knows you’ll make sure I’m safe. And besides, he’s right. Changing our plans gives her power over us. I’m done giving Kate power.”
“We’ll revisit your plans tonight later,” he said with a frown. “Go pack a bag for a few days, and we’ll head over to my place.”
After I packed, I lugged my suitcase down the stairs. When I was a few steps from the bottom, Joe walked through the front door with Muffy hot on his heels.
He reached up and grabbed my bag, swinging it to the floor by the front door. “I packed up some food for Muff and put her dog bed in my car. She’s never stayed with me before, so I want her to be comfortable.”
I grinned. “You’re a total softie where that dog is concerned.”
He gave me a half-hearted smile. “I was there when Rose adopted her. I fell hard for this little mutt and considered her mine when we were together.” He glanced down at her. “Part of me still does.”
She looked up at him so adoringly, it nearly brought tears to my eyes. I’d never considered that not only had he lost Muffy when he broke up with Rose, but she’d lost him too. I knew he liked her, but I never realized how deeply and vice versa. But now that I was seeing it with open eyes, I realized it had been there all along. I’d just missed it. “She loves you too.”
His mouth lifted into a half smile. “I’ve considered getting a dog of my own, but I feel like I’d be cheating on Muff… and my work hours aren’t conducive to havin’ a dog. I’d hate to leave him or her alone for hours on end.”
I was certain he was capable of loving two dogs. The more I considered it, the more the idea of Joe getting a dog sat well with me. Especially if it gave him enough love and attention to encourage him to dump Dena. “If you stay in the farmhouse, I can run over and check on your dog when you get tied up with your job. I think it’s a great idea. And Muffy would love having another dog to play with.”
A spark lit up his eyes, then quickly faded. “We’ll discuss it after this mess with Kate is taken care of. Ready to go?”
“Yeah. But what about the laptop?”
“Already in the car. You head on out and I’ll make sure the house is locked up.”
Like that would keep Kate and her cronies out.
“Okay. Come on, Muff.” I grabbed the handle of my suitcase and rolled it onto the porch as Joe headed to the kitchen.
“I’ll get that, Neely Kate,” he called after me.
“I’m perfectly capable of carryin’ my own daggum suitcase, Joe.”
Since I hadn’t come up with what to wear tonight and I didn’t know what I was wearing tomorrow night, I’d packed multiple dresses and pairs of shoes, which added to the weight. I heaved the luggage into Joe’s open trunk and was about to get into the car when my phone rang.
I tugged it out of my pocket, and my heart began to race when I saw the name on the screen.
Evil Half Sister.
“Hello, Kate,” I said in a neutral tone when I answered. “I hear you took a little break from the psych ward. Since you’re free, how about meetin’ me for lunch? We can go for mani-pedis. Some sister bonding time.”
She laughed. “I think that might actually be fun, but I have some other plans for our bonding time. Did you find my present?”
“You left me a present?” I asked. “I haven’t seen it yet.”
“Don’t play cute with me, Neely Kate. I know you found it. And so did Joe. That’s the only reason you’d suddenly introduce your hottie boyfriend, aka Skeeter Malcolm’s right-hand man, to our brother.”
Kate was watching the farm, or more likely, having someone else do it and reporting to her. Were they watching me now?
“Why didn’t you call 911?” Kate asked.
“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”
Her voice acquired a slight edge. “Come on, sister dearest, cut the bullshit. I have another surprise for you. At noon. I’ll let you know where when the time gets closer, but be ready for it. Have a good rest of your morning, little sis.”
I heard Joe’s footsteps on the porch, and I turned to face him. The look on my face must have alerted him that something was wrong.
“What’s the surprise?” I asked Kate. When she didn’t answer, I pulled the phone away and realized she’d hung up. “Dang it.”
Joe hurried down the steps looking worried. “Who was on the phone?”
“Kate.”
His eyes flew wide. “Kate?” He put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “Dammit. What’d she say?”
“She asked if I’d found her surprise. I pretended to be clueless, but she knows we found him. She said that was the only way I’d introduce you to Jed.”
“Shit. All the more reason to get the hell out of here so we can play dumb if she calls in an anonymous tip and the sheriff’s department comes out to investigate.”
“Won’t they check with you first?”
“More than likely, but I won’t stop them from checking; otherwise it would look suspicious.” He held my gaze. “We need to be prepared for that.”
I nodded. “I’ll never knowingly get you into trouble Joe, but she said something else. She said she had another surprise. At noon. She said to be ready for it.”
“Shit.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Franken was supposed to meet someone at noon. I wonder if the two are the same.”
“Good question.” If it was the same, how much did Kate really know?
Joe must have been thinking the same thing, because his face softened as he quietly asked, “Where’s the tape, Neely Kate?”
I hadn’t been prepared for that question, and I stumbled backward in shock and dismay. Joe could never see that tape. I didn’t answer, merely shook my head, then walked over to the passenger door as I called Muffy. I got in and she hopped on my lap as Joe got in and started the car.
We were silent during the short drive to his small house, but as soon as he parked in front of his house, he let the engine idle and said, “I’m not tryin’ to hurt you, Neely Kate. I’m tryin’ to help.”
“I know,” I said in a tight voice.
“Can you tell me where it is? Is it somewhere where Kate can find it?”
I wrung my hands in my lap, and Muffy leaned down to nudge them apart. “Not unless she robs a bank. It’s in a safe-deposit box at the Henryetta Bank.”
He closed his eyes and pushed out a breath. “Thank God.”
“You can’t see it, Joe.”
“It’s our Hail Mary, okay, Neely Kate? If we’re backed into a corner, we’ll use it then. And only then.”
I didn’t want to use it at all, but Joe and Jed were in this now. I’d be humiliated for anyone else to see it, but I’d pull it out to save them. “Only if there’s no other way.”
“I promise,” he said, then turned off the engine and got out.
He already had my suitcase on the front porch by the time Muffy and I joined him. I turned and stared out into the corn field in front of his rental house, listening to the soft rustle of the corn leaves blowing in the wind.
“How can you think about leavin’ here?” I asked. “It’s so peaceful.” He’d rented the house from the farmer, who rented the land to someone else. Joe had gotten the place for a steal, and the landlord was reducing his rent each month as payback for renovating it. Joe was really good at it, so the landlord was really the one getting the steal.
“I’m almost done restorin’ the house,” he said as he unlocked the door. “Time to move on.”
Time to move on. Everyone moved on from me eventually. When would Joe move on? When would Jed? I couldn’t think about that now.
We went inside, and Joe put my suitcase in the guest bedroom. When he came out, he pulled his laptop out and set it on the kitchen table, then pulled out a towel that was folded around something rectangular, presumably Chad Manchester’s laptop.