The Bourbon Thief(85)

“About that...”

“About what?” he asked, putting all their papers in a file.

“About my uncle.”

“Eric? What about him?”

“You were at his going-away party the night he shipped out, right?”

“Well, now, let me think back. Yes, I was for a bit. Why do you ask?”

“Just wondering. I heard it was a wild party.”

“I wouldn’t know. I was there ten minutes before I had to get back home again. My mother picked that night to fall on ice and bust her head open. She called over to Arden and I had to leave right then and take her to the hospital. I hadn’t even taken off my jacket yet.”

Tamara stared at him. “You sure it was that night?”

“Sure as a man can be. I remember cursing my mother from one end of the state to the other—not to her face, of course—for her terrible timing. She cried so hard at Eric’s funeral you would have thought it was her son who’d died. She felt bad dragging me away from his party, since that was the last time any of us saw him alive. Only your daddy cried harder.”

Tamara sank down into the chair.

“Tamara? You all right?”

“I’m fine,” she said. “Just got a little dizzy there.”

“It happens,” he said. “Maryanne was dizzy all the time with our first. You know, I thought you’d be starting to pop by now. Must be your dress.”

Tamara looked down at the loose sundress she wore. It had settled onto her stomach, which was, as Levi had said, flat as a pancake. For now.

“Just the dress,” she said. “I can’t wear my jeans anymore.”

Judge Headley put his hand on her forehead. His skin was soft, not calloused, not like Levi’s.

“You feel a little clammy, sweetheart. Maybe take it easy for the rest of the day.”

“I’ll do that.” Tamara was clammy. She felt a cold sweat and she shivered inside all the way to her bones. Her lips trembled and her mouth went dry. She wanted water, lots of it and ice-cold.

Judge Headley glanced up at the window. “Come on. I’ll walk you out. Your husband’s probably wondering about you.”

He took her arm and escorted her to the front door. Levi pulled up right to the curb and the judge started toward the door to open it for her.

“Wait.” Tamara took Judge Headley’s hand in hers. “You said you didn’t trust Momma. Why don’t you? I thought something happened at the party that night.”

“Something must have. The day before the party your mother told me she was in love with Eric. Then two days later she announced she was getting married to Nash. Hard to trust a woman who’d tell one man she loved him and then marry his brother two weeks after he joins the army. But we were all young and stupid. Who isn’t, at that age? She’s not a bad woman. Just...maybe not a good woman.”

He kissed her forehead and opened the door to the truck.

“Ready to find a hotel?” Levi asked. “You think there’s rooms at the Galt House? Maybe we could get a honeymoon suite.” He winked at her.

“Arden,” she said. “Let’s go to Arden.”

“Arden? You sure about that?”

“Momma’s gone. Why shouldn’t we go?”

“No reason,” Levi said, pulling out into the street. Tamara saw the river in the distance, brown and shining. “No reason at all.”





29

They pulled into the circular driveway at Arden an hour later.

“Well, look at that,” Levi said.

“Oh, my gosh. That’s my car.” Tamara leaned forward. Her blue Triumph Spitfire sat parked in front of the house. “I guess I was right. The police must have found it and called Momma.”

“Looks in good shape.” Levi pulled the truck in right behind it. “Doesn’t look like your mother took a baseball bat to it.”

Tamara hopped out of the truck before Levi could open the door for her. She ran to the car and found the doors unlocked and the keys in the ignition.

“Nice of her,” Tamara said. “I wonder if the car will blow up the second I turn it on.”

Levi grinned. “You been watching too many James Bond movies. But just in case, I’ll start the car the first time. You ready to go in?”

“Can I go in alone? Just for a while?”

Levi looked at her long and hard. “You think that’s safe?”

“I do,” she said. “Do you mind? I just want a few minutes.”

“You go in and I’ll go pick us up some supper somewhere and bring it back. If there’s any food in that house, it’s probably poisoned.” He winked at her. Tamara smiled because she knew she was supposed to.

“Right. That’s perfect. Thank you.”

Levi leaned down and kissed her on the lips.

“I’ll be back soon,” he said.

Tamara nodded. She’d packed only one small suitcase and her purse, so she carried them to the front door. The keys were in her purse, and even though this was legally her home in every way, she felt like an intruder opening the door. Tamara looked over her shoulder at Levi waiting and she waved at him. He waved back and drove off.

The air in the house smelled stale but clean, as if someone had used a whole bottle of lemon furniture polish two weeks ago and the scent still polluted the air.