Out Of Focus: An Adams Grove Novel Part 14

"I'll probably do the same thing when I see you. Be ready."

"Thanks for the warning." Kasey laughed.

"Why don't you come over for dinner tomorrow and fill us in?"

"Sounds good." It was weird to have no schedule. No calendar to check. Kasey hung up and carried the mail into the living room.

The rugged maleness of Nick filled the s.p.a.ce. Being away must have been healing, because it was easier now to be around his and Jake's things. More comforting than painful to touch them, to be close to them.

Nick's cell phone lay on the end table where she'd left it. Kasey had kept the account open just so she could hear him on his voice mail. She dialed it, and listened:"Hey now. This is Nick. You just missed me, but leave a message and I'll get right back to ya. You can count on it. Later. Bye."

Short and to the point. Good thing, too, because every time she listened to it, she held her breath. If the message went on any longer, she might pa.s.s out.

There were several new voice mails. She held the cell phone to her chest. It was true. You couldn't hide from grief. All she'd done was postpone it.

Kasey took a deep breath, then went back to flipping through the mail. She tossed the trash into one pile and made a 'keeper' pile that was much smaller. She caught herself in mid-toss, looking at an envelope that stood out from the rest. It wasn't a slick window envelope and wasn't metered bulk mail.

The return address was Emporia, Virginia. Handwritten addresses, not in a scrolling script but in a man's rushed scribble.

She ran a manicured nail under the edge of the flap and pulled out the letter.

Chapter Fourteen.

Kasey read the letter twice. She recognized the name of the sender. Riley had taken down messages while she was away, and his name was among the callers. He hadn't specified what he wanted, so Kasey hadn't returned his calls. The letter was as cryptic as the phone messages. Chaz Huckaby wanted Nick to call him.

She picked up the phone and punched in the long distance number. The call was long overdue.

"Huckaby, can I help ya?" the man answered with a southern tw.a.n.g.

"Um, h.e.l.lo. Is this Chaz Huckaby?"

"It is indeed," he replied with enough energy to charge a battery.

"I'm returning your call, and responding to a letter you sent my husband. I'm married to Nick Rolly. You've left a couple of messages for him." She stalled, not wanting to get to the part where she had to say the words-that Nick was gone.

"Oh, uh...yeah. Just need him to give me a ring, princess." His voice held a rasp of excitement.

"Yes." She cleared her throat. "About that. Mr. Huckaby, he won't be returning that call. He..." The words caught in her throat.

"It's Kasey, right?"

How does he know my name?

"Yes. How did you know?"

"Nick talks about you all the time. Is he okay?"

"No. He was in a car accident." She heard the squeak of a chair on the other end of the line. "He didn't...."

"Oh."

She heard the gasp of realization-thankful she didn't have to finish the sentence.

Chaz said, "I am so sorry."

"Me, too."

"I wondered why he hadn't returned my calls. I just figured he was busy. I didn't know."

She couldn't respond.

"Nick is a good man, and that little Jake is the apple of ol' Nick's eye-no question about that. Yours too, I'm sure. How's he taking it?"

"You know my son?"

"Yes, ma'am. I got to know Nick and Jake pretty well."

Who is this man?

"May I ask how? I'm sorry, but your name isn't the least bit familiar. And the letter you sent doesn't make sense."

"I guess it can't hurt to tell you now. Under the circ.u.mstances, I guess it's time the secret was shared."

"Secret?" The word stabbed her heart. "Nick and I didn't have secrets."

A hearty chuckle came over the line. "Yes, yes. Maybe secret was the wrong word. Surprise. Yes, a surprise is a better way to say it."

"You're confusing me."

"Your anniversary is week after next, right?"

Kasey blinked in surprise. She hadn't even thought about that, but he was right. "Yes, sir. It is...would have been." Tears balanced on her lashes.

Who was this stranger who knew Nick, Jake, and even her anniversary date?

"While you were doing those photo shoots, your husband and son were trekking out here to work on a surprise for you."

"I dialed a long distance number. Where are you?"

"Near Emporia. The town's called Adams Grove. Nick bought a house out here last year. Beautiful land, but it needed a lot of work and fencing. Anyway, Nick and Jake loved it. They decided that it was the right thing to do."

"What was the right thing to do?"

"Surprise mommy, of course." His laugh carried a unique force, like a riptide tugging you in.

"Nick wouldn't make a major purchase like that without telling me."

"I don't know about all that. What I do know is that Nick did a lot of talking about living in the moment. He said y'all had dreamed about property further out from the hustle of Virginia Beach. Said he thought this one was perfect. He loved you a lot, said you worked too dang hard. He was excited about surprising you-said this house would be your dream home."

His warm laugh and deep southern accent were comforting, but what he was saying just didn't make sense.

Kasey asked, "Do we owe you money? Is that why you're calling?" She wondered how many more things she'd have to figure out on her own.

His hearty chuckle boomed across the line. "No. No, ma'am. This property is paid for lock, stock and barrel. He's got the deed somewhere. In fact, the renovations were all paid up front, too. I've been trying to get to Nick because we had a deal that I would get all the renovations done for him before your anniversary. It was going to be a surprise."

"I'm surprised all right."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Kasey. It's okay if I call you Kasey?"

"Yes. Of course."

"Nick was an easy partner, and I considered him a friend. And that little boy of yours..." he choked on the words, "...he was a little bundle of energy, cute as a b.u.t.ton in those boots and hat. I'm sure it's been hard on him-losing his daddy."

She swallowed hard, thankful that Chaz rambled on so she didn't have to address the comment about Jake.

"They both loved you very much. They talked about you all the time."

"Thank you, Mr. Huckaby."

"I'm sure Nick would love for you to see what he'd been working on. When would you like to come?"

"I don't know. Can I call you back? I'm afraid I'm a bit overwhelmed."

"Of course. Tell you what. I'll keep an eye on the place for you. That's no problem. You take your time. Call me when you're ready."

"That would be great. Thank you. Where did you say it is again?"

"It's out past Emporia-not far off of Route 58."

"Now it makes sense." It came out as almost a whisper. This explained why Nick had been on Route 58 that day.

"Are you okay?"

She held the phone with both hands. It suddenly weighed a ton. She knelt to the floor to keep herself from falling. "Mr. Huckaby, when did you last see Nick and Jake?"

"Let's see. I left that afternoon for my daughter's wedding. Would've been the last Sat.u.r.day in August. Right before the hurricane."

Her jaw went slack. "I bet you were the last person to see Nick."

"Oh, my." His voice was low and quiet.

"Nick died on Route 58. They were supposed to have been on the Eastern Sh.o.r.e. At least that's what he'd told me. But now it's all starting to make sense. He was up there at that house."

"Probably," Huckaby said. "No. Not probably. He was here. I remember."

"Mr. Huckaby, let me get my thoughts together and call you back. I do want to meet with you. I want to talk to you about that day and see what Nick was up to, but my head... well, I don't know...this is just too much for me to absorb right now."

"Take whatever time you need. I'm here whenever you're ready. You just let me know what I can do. All right?"

"Thanks. Goodbye." Kasey hung up the phone. The news made her s.h.i.+ver. She reached for the throw on the back of the couch and spread it across her legs to chase the chill-it smelled of Nick's cologne. She breathed in the familiar scent. "Nick, what were you up to, you sneak?"

At first, she felt angry, even a little betrayed. She and Nick didn't have secrets. At least she didn't. But then she thought about the times they had sat outside, she leaning back between his legs, taking in the starry view and dreaming of a quieter place. The beautiful farm was Nick's heritage, but the green line of Virginia Beach encroached a little more each year. Now the once peaceful and serene countryside was often disturbed by the blazing sound of jets from nearby Oceana Naval Air Station practicing maneuvers.

The pleasant memory of those dreams made her smile. They'd talked about what their home would look like. What it would be like. They'd looked at a farmhouse the summer before last, but a change in Kasey's schedule kept them from making an offer on it and someone else had s.n.a.t.c.hed it up. Nick wouldn't have wanted to lose another perfect place. But how had he kept it a secret? It must have been torture for him. How sweet that he'd planned to surprise her for their anniversary.

Had Nick not been thinking of her, trying to surprise her, maybe he would still be here today.

She wished she could turn back time and change the events that had landed her in this terrible place.

Chapter Fifteen.

Kasey pressed redial on Nick's cell phone. His voice was a comfort. "Hey now. This is Nick. You just missed me, but leave a message and I'll get right back to ya. You can count on it. Later Bye."

Like a junkie when it came to his voice, she needed to hear it, yearned for the soothing sound of it. At least now the tears didn't flow every time she heard him; instead she felt warm inside. She missed him like crazy. She tugged Jake's little denim jacket off the coat rack and breathed in the smell of Fruit Loops that still filled the pockets. Jake loved the green loops best. They matched Daddy's tractor.

Dutch walked over and pushed his nose under her hand, licked the salty tears from her cheek, then snagged a couple of the stale Fruit Loops from her hand.

She glanced at the clock. It was close to seven, but she had a feeling that Chaz Huckaby would answer no matter what time she called. She punched in his number.

"Mr. Huckaby?" Kasey asked.

"Yes, ma'am. Who's calling?"

"This is Kasey."

"Well, h.e.l.lo there, Ms. Kasey. I was hoping you'd call back. Your husband put a lot of love into that property for you. I know he'd want you to see it."

"I'd like to. Can you give me directions?"

"I can. But why don't you meet me in Emporia at the shop here, and I'll drive you over?"

"If it's no trouble..."

"None at all. It'd be my pleasure. When would you like to come?"

"I'd like to come right now, but I guess morning will have to do. Can I call you when I'm on my way?"