Where Shadows Meet(12)

“No, no, I’m sorry. Of course you do.” She was doing this all wrong. “You are my husband. I always plan to obey you. But so many things are foreign to me. Be patient, please, Reece.” Her rebellion was what had killed her parents. She needed to be more submissive.

His gaze softened. “You’ll learn everything, sweetheart.” He gestured at her plate. “It’s obvious the food is not to your liking. Let’s go see our new home.”

She stood so hastily she nearly knocked over the chair. Staggering a little in the unfamiliar heels, she held on to his arm all the way out to the curb. Quaint Victorian buildings lined the street. Knowing the name of the town—Wabash—made her feel still connected to her roots in the Wabash Valley three hours west of here. Dodging the cars coming down the one way street, he helped her across to the other side. She stepped onto the curb beside the stone elephants.

He led her to the left to a set of glass doors.

He stopped to dig in his pocket. “I’ve already got the key.”

She went past him through a large glass door at the end of a store called Modoc’s. Inside, the entry was spacious, and a wide staircase ascended to the next floor. The Victorian woodwork looked freshly refinished. “I like this,” she said.

“Finally, something meets the approval of the princess.” He was smiling, but there was an edge to his tone.

She tried to push away the hurt as she hurried up the majestic stairway. It would take time for them to adjust to one another. They were practically strangers, even taking into account their snatched moments together. It was the pressure of the past few days that had changed things. Once they settled in, he would be the sweet Reece with whom she’d fallen in love.

Reece caught up with her at the top of the steps and pointed to a doorway on the right. He unlocked it and swung it open for her to enter. She glanced around and smiled. “The sitting room is small, but it’s cozy.”

“Living room,” he corrected. “You need to start getting the terminology right.”

“Living room.” She walked through the furnished space to the tiny kitchen. No window at all, but she kept a smile on her face. “It’s all new.”

“So’s the bathroom.” He showed her the miniscule bathroom just past the kitchen.

She spied another small room off the hall. “A nursery!”

He frowned. “A computer room. Let’s get one thing straight right now. I don’t want any kids, hon.”

Her smile faltered. “Oh, Reece, you don’t mean it. I want lots of babies.”

“I’m serious. If you get pregnant, you can have an abortion.”

Her limbs turned to ice. “It would be a mortal sin. That’s taking a life.”

“That’s a matter of opinion. Enough about sin, Hannah. I’m sick of hearing the word. We don’t need children. All we need is you and me, happy together.”

“Why don’t you want babies, Reece?” She edged closer. “They bring so much joy to a house.”

His expression turned stony. “I was a foster kid with nothing that was sacred, nothing that belonged to me. I was always the last person anyone cared about. I knew someday I’d find a woman who would love me only. Aren’t I enough for you, Hannah?” His gaze searched hers.

“Of course you are, Reece!” She cupped his cheek in her palm. “I love you. We won’t talk about it now.”

“I won’t change my mind, hon.” He turned his head and kissed her palm. “But we’ll have a good life without kids.” His smile turned tender. “Let me show you the bedroom.”



A DREARY GRAY day held Rockville in its grip. It was a shock after the sunshine in Hawaii. Matt glanced around the room of assembled deputies. “What do you mean Reece is gone?”

“He ran off with the Amish chick,” one of the men said. “After the funeral.”

Matt sank onto a chair. That’s what he got for taking off two weeks for his honeymoon. “What about the investigation?”

“The poison was in the cookies. Long was seen making the cookies, and he’s dead.”

It seemed too easy to Matt. “Motive? And if he knew the cookies were tainted, why would he eat one?”

“According to the coroner, he likely either inhaled the strychnine or absorbed it through his skin during the baking of the cookies. It was accidental.” Captain Sturgis cleared his throat. “The motive is unclear, but that’s the way it is sometimes. People do crazy things and we never figure out why.”

Matt had seen plenty of that over the years. “You find the quilts?”

“We dredged the lake, but nothing turned up.”

“Then he had an accomplice.”

“Probably, but we have no leads. No one saw a thing. It’s been a frustrating case. It’s your baby now, with Reece gone. If you can find anything, you’ll be a hero. How was the honeymoon?” A sly grin crept out.

“Great.” He left the other deputies and went to his office. Maybe Reece had left him a note. It was unlike his partner—his foster brother, in fact—to take off without a word. Matt rummaged through his desk but found nothing but a new report on a burglary of a local convenience store. Maybe Reece had left something with Trudy, their grandmother. Matt dialed her number.