Life Rewritten Page 15

  “Anything.” He tightened his hands on her waist, imagining what he would find. “Name your price.”

  “I think I like this game.” She ran her foot up and down his leg, and his knees went weak. Her smoky, sensual voice made his heart flutter, and turned him to stone. He’d been astonished by the playful, sensuous, tender woman hiding beneath her tough exterior.

  He was besotted. Crazed with need for her. The hours after he dropped Leo and Rennie off at school had become the focal point of his life.

  “You can have whatever you want,” he said, “but later.” He eased the lapels apart and sucked in a breath. Red silk. A sheer, filmy teddy. Matching tap pants that fluttered around her thighs. “Much later.”

  Laughing, she dashed into her bedroom, the robe floating behind her. Like a sailor spellbound by a siren, he followed.

  Later, he lay beside her, panting. Something soft fluttered onto his face. It held her scent, and he inhaled deeply.

  Her giggle made him open his eyes. All he saw was red.

  She drew the tap pants away from his face. “They must have landed on top of the headboard.” She tossed them to the floor, then snuggled into his side. “Let’s talk about my price.”

  He turned to face her. The radio was still on in the kitchen, and as he bent to kiss her, she stiffened. She grabbed his hand, and he felt her tremble.

  “What?”

  “Shhh. Listen.”

  As he focused on the radio, he heard, “…Chantal… Wisconsin.”

  Everything inside him turned to ice. They knew where she was. He held her more tightly and felt her slipping away.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  SHE JERKED UPRIGHT, clutching the sheet to her chest. “How did they find out? Who did you tell?”

  “How do you know it was me?” He reached for her, but she scrambled out of the bed.“Who else could it be? No one else knows. You must have told someone.”

  He stepped out of bed and pulled on his pants. “Maybe I did mention Wisconsin to Heather without realizing it.”

  “Heather.” Delaney fumbled for her clothes, then threw them on. She needed a shield. “And Heather told the world.”

  “I’m sorry, Delaney.” He started toward her, and she backed out of the bedroom.

  “I agreed to give you the demos. All I wanted was my privacy. But you took that, too.”

  “Not on purpose.”

  “No?” She remembered their conversation in her barn the other day. “When you came over after you enrolled Leo and Rennie in school, you knew, didn’t you? You knew Heather had told someone.”

  “I suspected. But I hoped it wouldn’t go any further.”

  “You could have been honest with me. Let me prepare myself. But you didn’t.” His betrayal cut deep. “You wanted this to come out. It’s going to boost the sales of the new CD.”

  He paled. “You can’t believe I was that devious.”

  “You write thrillers, Sam. With convoluted plots. It sounds exactly like something a writer would come up with.”

  “It was a mistake, Delaney. A slip of the tongue. I didn’t tell Heather where we were in Wisconsin.”

  Her hand trembled as she threw the door open. “The sex was great. Thanks for that. Now get out.”

  “Delaney…”

  When he reached for her, she shoved him backward out the door. He stumbled on the first step, and she slammed and locked the door.

  THEY DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT Otter Tail.

  A few hours after hearing that story on the radio, Delaney set the piece of sandpaper on her workbench. They’d look for Chantal in the big cities first. Milwaukee. Madison.Why would they think she’d be in a tiny place like Otter Tail?

  But the voice on the radio announcing that Chantal’s location had been narrowed down had crushed her illusion of safety.

  Sam had been responsible for that. So much for the stupid fantasy she’d been living for the last few days. This hadn’t been about some laughable dream of happily ever after for her and Sam and the kids.

  It had been about the money, pure and simple. The money Sam needed to throw Leo and Rennie into a boarding school and forget about them.

  Sam and the kids were in the past. Later, she’d focus on the pain of losing her last connections to Diesel. Of letting herself fall for Sam. Right now, she had to plan, because sooner or later, the reporters would find her. It was only a matter of time.

  She had to tell Jen and Maddie. She pressed a hand to her churning stomach. She’d thought she could get away without saying anything to them. It would be months before the CD would be released. And why would anyone in Otter Tail connect it with her?

  But everything had changed now.

  Before she lost her nerve, she picked up the phone, dialed Jen and arranged to meet her and Maddie at the Harp. It wasn’t open for lunch, but the three of them got together there once in a while, fixing themselves sandwiches and catching up.

  She wouldn’t be eating anything today.

  As she was walking out the door, her phone rang.

  Sam.

  She turned the phone off and shoved it into her bag. Tried not to think about him as she got into her truck and headed toward town.

  As she drove into Otter Tail, she watched carefully for a sign the press had tracked her down—vans with television cameras on top, RVs full of antennas, crowds of people on the sidewalks. There was nothing.

  She saw Jen’s and Maddie’s cars in the parking lot as she pulled in. Thank goodness. Small talk would be impossible today.

  The pub was dim and cool. Her friends were sitting at a table in the middle of the room, talking. Quinn was working on his laptop at a table next to the front window.

  “Hey, guys,” Delaney said, hesitating at the door. Why had she wanted to do this in person?

  She was ashamed at her cowardice when Jen jumped up and hugged her. Maddie started to rise, as well, but Delaney pushed her back into the chair. “Pregnant women don’t stand up,” she said, bending to hug her friend.

  She got herself a soda from behind the bar, then pulled out the chair between Jen and Maddie. She’d barely sat down when Maddie leaned forward. “Okay, Del, prepare to be grilled. We want all the details about the hunky guy with the two kids who was here last week.”

  Oh, God. Of course they’d want to know about Sam. “I don’t—”

  “Don’t bother trying to say you don’t know what she’s talking about,” Jen warned. “Maddie said the two of you watched each other all night.”

  If only this could be as simple as a hot guy at the pub. Delaney’s hand tightened around the cold glass, and a little lemon-lime soda spilled when she picked it up.

  “I’ll tell you about him, but there’s something else I need to tell you first.” In spite of the soda, her mouth was dry. “There are going to be reporters in Otter Tail soon. Looking for me.”

  “Yeah?” Maddie’s eyes twinkled. “How come? Did you win the lottery?”

  “No!” She closed her eyes for a moment. “God, Maddie, this isn’t a joke.”

  Her friend’s smile disappeared, and she leaned forward. So did Jen. “What’s wrong?” Maddie asked.

  This was so hard. Delaney’s heart thudded painfully, and her hand cramped on the glass. She set it down and tucked her fingers beneath her thighs to keep them from trembling. “I used to be…famous.” Notorious, really. They’d realize that soon enough. “I was running away when I came to Otter Tail. But they’re going to find me.”

  “Famous? Running away?” Jen stared at her as if she was looking at a stranger, and Delaney shriveled a little. “Who are you, Delaney?”

  Delaney Spencer. Your friend. “I used to be in a band called the Redheaded Stepsisters. I was the drummer.” She swallowed. “My name was Chantal.”

  Jen’s eyes widened. “Oh, my God.” She sucked in a breath. “I listened to your music. I loved Diesel. I…”

  Her expression became more guarded. Clearly, she’d remembered the gossip.

  “Y
es. That Chantal. And just to get it all on the table, the gossip was true. I had an affair with Diesel. He died in my bed.”

  A horn blared in the distance, and close by, a car door slammed. No one in the pub spoke. Delaney felt Quinn watching, but he didn’t say anything. Neither did Jen or Maddie. She had the sensation that all three were drawing away from her. Distancing themselves.

  “Wow,” Maddie finally said. “That’s a pretty big secret.” She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her huge belly.

  Delaney’s throat tightened. “I should have told you a long time ago. I just…I was ashamed. Afraid to let anyone find out.”

  No one rushed to assure her she had nothing to be ashamed about.

  “There’s more,” she said, her foot jiggling on the floor. Say something. Don’t stare at me like I’m a freak show. “The two kids who were here last week? Those are Diesel’s kids. Leo and Rennie. And Sam? He’s Diesel’s brother.”

  “Holy Mother of God!” Jen stared at her, her expression horrified. “You’re involved with Diesel’s family?”

  She had to get out of here. She shoved away from the table. “I’ll tell you everything. Just not right now, okay?” Not while she felt like an exposed nerve. She grabbed her purse and headed for the door.

  “Wait, Delaney,” Maddie called after her, but she pushed the door open and fled into the sunshine.

  Her hand shook as she tried to unlock her truck. The key slipped and gouged the paint, but she got it open. Eyes blurring, chest aching, she pulled into the street. She didn’t look at Jen, who’d run into the parking lot.

  It would be a long time before she forgot Jen’s horrified expression. Or the way Maddie had leaned away from her, as if Delaney had some contagious disease.

  What had she expected? Her friends had shared the most intimate parts of their lives with her: Maddie had told her about her teenaged humiliation, and Jen had confided what she’d done in high school—but Delaney had kept her own secret. She hadn’t trusted them, the way friends trusted one another.

  She had no right to expect their unquestioning support.

  She was halfway through town when she saw the first van with a camera mounted on the roof. By the time she reached the highway, she’d seen another one.

  No. Not yet. I need more time.

  She gripped the steering wheel tightly as she watched them in the rearview mirror. It was too soon. They weren’t supposed to be here yet.

  Suddenly a horn blared and she jerked her attention back to the road. She’d begun to drift over the center line, and an RV was lumbering toward her.

  Heart pounding, she wrenched the steering wheel to the right and rolled onto the shoulder as it passed her. What was she going to do? She hadn’t even stocked up on groceries yet.

  Make a plan. The Piggly Wiggly was just ahead. She’d stop there before she went home.

  When she walked in, one of the clerks waved. “Hey, Delaney. How’s it going?”

  “Good, Shelley.” She grabbed a cart and started down the aisles. Would Shelley be as friendly once she knew who Delaney really was? Feeling sick, she stared blindly at all the food, seeing only Jen’s and Maddie’s faces.

  She had to get home. Where she’d be safe. She began throwing things into the basket. Bread. Coffee. Tea. Pasta. Canned tomatoes. Frozen pizzas. Any fruit or vegetables that looked fresh.

  As she passed the liquor section, she slowed. She dug her hand into the pocket of her jeans and fingered her token. Move. Get out of here.

  Instead, she stopped in front of the vodka display. Her fingers touched the etched glass on a bottle of Grey Goose. Liquid courage.

  She dropped the bottle into the cart. It fell on top of the bread, crushing it.

  She made stilted small talk with Shelley as she paid for her groceries, then rushed out of the store. Throwing the bags into the front seat of the truck, she raced home.

  Putting the groceries away gave her a job to focus on. Steadied her. But when that was done, she stared out the window, wondering how long it would take for the reporters to show up.

  SHE WAS SANDING THE spindles for the headboard, the vodka bottle on her workbench, when she heard the rumbling of a large truck in the driveway. She peered out the window and saw an RV squatting in her driveway, the engine idling. The same RV that had passed her on the road. A woman jumped out of the passenger side and walked up to the house.

  Delaney shrank back into the shadows. Her hands trembled as she made sure the door to the barn was locked. Then she reached into her pocket for her phone.“Sheriff’s office,” a female voice said.

  “I need to speak with one of the deputies.” Delaney edged closer to the window. The RV was still there. The woman was walking down her front steps and heading toward the barn. Delaney darted into the workshop.

  “This is Deputy Salerno,” a male voice said. “How can I help you?”

  “Deputy, this is Delaney Spencer.” She tried to keep her voice low. “I live on County M. My RFD number is 806. There’s an RV in my driveway. Trespassing. Could you send someone out here to get rid of them?”

  “Did you ask them to leave?”

  “No.” She gripped the phone more tightly. “They’re looking for me, and I don’t want them to see me.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “They’re reporters,” she whispered as the woman knocked on the barn door. “I don’t want to talk to them.”

  “Tell them to leave, then.” The deputy sounded impatient.

  She closed her eyes to steady herself and keep from yelling at him. “That would defeat the purpose, since I don’t want them to see me. Please. I need your help.”

  “Wait a minute,” Salerno said. “You’re Delaney Spencer? The woman who plays in the band at the Harp?”

  “Yes, that’s me.”

  “And you have reporters looking for you?” His voice sharpened.

  “Yes.” She knew what was coming next.

  “Are you her? Chantal?” The tone of his voice changed. It went from bored bureaucrat to salacious male. If she could see the guy, she was sure he would be leering.

  He was only the first. There would be more.

  “Does that matter? I don’t want to deal with these reporters.”

  “You used to like publicity.”

  “Not anymore.” She closed her phone before he could answer.

  Moments later, it rang. The sheriff’s office. She pressed the button to disconnect the call. When she did, she saw that she’d missed several calls. She turned off the phone.

  It took only ten minutes for a deputy to arrive. She heard him talking to the people in the RV, his voice rising. Eventually, the huge vehicle backed down her driveway.

  “Ms. Spencer?” He rapped on the barn door. “This is Deputy Salerno. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine, Deputy. Thank you.”

  “I need to see you to make sure.”

  No, he didn’t. He just wanted to catch a glimpse of Chantal. “I’m fine,” she repeated. “Please keep them off my property.”

  “You need to open the door, Ms. Spencer.”

  “I know damn well I don’t have to open the door,” she yelled. “Now get out of here.”

  There was silence for a moment, then he muttered something in a low voice that sounded like “bitch.” Finally, she heard his footsteps walking away. She hurried to the window and saw his car disappearing down her driveway. When she was sure he hadn’t turned around and come back, she grabbed the bottle of vodka from her workbench and headed toward her house.

  She had no idea how long she’d been sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the vodka and her AA token, when someone knocked on the front door. “It’s Sam. Let me in, Delaney.”

  She looked down the hall and saw him staring in the window. Something moved in the undergrowth in front of her house. The reporter who’d been outside her barn? She yanked open the door, dragged Sam inside, then slammed it behind him.

  “What do you want?” she demanded.
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  “To apologize. See if there’s anything I can do.”

  Reporters wouldn’t have been staking out her house if Sam hadn’t come to Otter Tail. “You’ve done more than enough.”

  You were only half-alive before he showed up. She pushed the thought away. “You need to leave, Sam. Someone already saw you here.”

  “No, they haven’t. I drove over, but kept going when I saw the circus out front. I went back home and cut through the woods.”

  The reporter who’d been in front of her house had seen him. Once Sam was identified, it would be a short step to Leo and Rennie.

  The tabloids would have a field day with Diesel’s lover, his children and his brother.

  The vodka was on the kitchen table. Oblivion was beckoning, and it was hard to resist.

  “Was it always like this?” He took a step toward her, stopping when she backed away.

  “More or less.” She’d always hated the invasion of privacy. But back then, alcohol had helped to blur her vision.

  “How did you handle it?”

  “I drank. And when they caught me, I’d give them their sound bites, their photo ops, and try to ignore them.”

  “Was it worth it?”

  “I thought it was.” She noted the regret in his expression, and felt it echo inside her. Sam could never be part of her life. Neither would Leo and Rennie. “I’ll let you out the back door,” she said. “There’s more cover there.”

  He glanced out the window, then shoved his hands in his pockets. “I know you blame me for this. I want to make it better.”

  “How would you being caught here with me make it better, Sam? They’ll find out you’re Diesel’s brother—Leo and Rennie’s guardian. You all need to stay away.”

  “I’m responsible for this. And you want me to just walk away?”

  “Yes. It would be easier for all of us if you did.”

  He shook his head and pushed himself from the wall. “It’s dark in here. And cold. I’ll make you some tea.”

  “I don’t want any tea,” she said, but it was too late. He’d stopped in the door to the kitchen. The vodka bottle was sitting on the table.

  “Aw, hell, Delaney. What did you do?”