could pretend to believe that anyway, until he got caught. Sam had a temper, and he’d been clear that he wanted Nick to stay away from Macy Douglas. Which was harder to do than he had expected. Something about her kept calling him back.
And he didn’t know how to deal with it.
SIX
A bout mid-afternoon Macy decided if she didn’t want to live on TV dinners she needed to go to the store. Of course, there was a possibility she would run into someone who resented her being here, but that was a chance she had to take.
Macy drove to Anderson’s Market and went inside. She pushed her cart down the aisle, trying to decide what she wanted. After choosing fresh fruits and vegetables from produce, she headed for the meat department when a man who looked as though he was in his late sixties or early seventies stopped her.
“I hear you’re the Douglases’ daughter. I’m Garth Nixon.”
He eyed her as if he expected her to recognize the name, and after a moment she did. This was the man whose career her father was supposed to have ruined. From his expression, he still resented it.
She nodded. “Mr. Nixon, how are you?”
“I’m fine. But I want to know what you’re doing in this town. I hoped we’d seen the last of the Douglas family in Walnut Grove.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way. But whatever my father did or did not do to you has nothing to do with me.” Unless of course he was the one who had killed her mother.
His eyes bored into hers. “It has everything to do with you. I hear you’re hoping to nail someone else for wiping out Megan. Well, you’re wasting your time. Steve Douglas was a vicious piece of trash who wouldn’t hesitate to destroy anyone who got in his way—including his own wife.”
“The way he is supposed to have destroyed you?” The words slipped out before she could stop them, and as soon as they left her mouth, she knew she’d made a mistake. His face flushed so bright Macy wondered if he was going to have a heart attack right there in the grocery store, or if he would choke on what he was trying to say before he could get it out.
“Supposed? Supposed to have destroyed me? He ruined me, and for no reason other than he belonged to a different political party. He got just what he deserved, and from what I’ve heard, you’re just like him. We don’t need another Douglas in this town.”
He whirled and strode away, leaving her staring after him. She wouldn’t have believed the hatred he had for her father if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes. Could he have been involved in making sure Steve Douglas went to prison? But his words haunted her. Anyone who got in his way, including his own wife? What could her mother have done that would have caused a problem serious enough to get her killed?
When she got home from the store, Macy decided to skip evening worship service. No way was she coming back to this house after dark. She had at least one enemy in Walnut Grove: the man who had called her. And Sam Halston wasn’t too thrilled with her being here. Neither were Raleigh Benson, her grandmother’s attorney, or that blonde at church this morning. Add whoever had been staring at her at the end of the worship service and Garth Nixon, and the list was growing.
She didn’t care how long the list was. Well, that wasn’t true. Of course she cared. She was scared stiff about half of the time, but no matter how people felt about her being here, she had things to do, and she needed to get busy. Since she had a couple of hours before dark, she’d spend the time going through the house, trying to find something that might stir some hidden memory, no matter how elusive.
Macy started with her parents’ bedroom, ready to tackle it in daylight, but a diligent search through the dresser and bedside tables revealed nothing. She stood for a moment, glancing around the room at the burgundy, blue and green floral queen-size bedspread and the walnut tables holding elegant lamps with
And he didn’t know how to deal with it.
SIX
A bout mid-afternoon Macy decided if she didn’t want to live on TV dinners she needed to go to the store. Of course, there was a possibility she would run into someone who resented her being here, but that was a chance she had to take.
Macy drove to Anderson’s Market and went inside. She pushed her cart down the aisle, trying to decide what she wanted. After choosing fresh fruits and vegetables from produce, she headed for the meat department when a man who looked as though he was in his late sixties or early seventies stopped her.
“I hear you’re the Douglases’ daughter. I’m Garth Nixon.”
He eyed her as if he expected her to recognize the name, and after a moment she did. This was the man whose career her father was supposed to have ruined. From his expression, he still resented it.
She nodded. “Mr. Nixon, how are you?”
“I’m fine. But I want to know what you’re doing in this town. I hoped we’d seen the last of the Douglas family in Walnut Grove.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way. But whatever my father did or did not do to you has nothing to do with me.” Unless of course he was the one who had killed her mother.
His eyes bored into hers. “It has everything to do with you. I hear you’re hoping to nail someone else for wiping out Megan. Well, you’re wasting your time. Steve Douglas was a vicious piece of trash who wouldn’t hesitate to destroy anyone who got in his way—including his own wife.”
“The way he is supposed to have destroyed you?” The words slipped out before she could stop them, and as soon as they left her mouth, she knew she’d made a mistake. His face flushed so bright Macy wondered if he was going to have a heart attack right there in the grocery store, or if he would choke on what he was trying to say before he could get it out.
“Supposed? Supposed to have destroyed me? He ruined me, and for no reason other than he belonged to a different political party. He got just what he deserved, and from what I’ve heard, you’re just like him. We don’t need another Douglas in this town.”
He whirled and strode away, leaving her staring after him. She wouldn’t have believed the hatred he had for her father if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes. Could he have been involved in making sure Steve Douglas went to prison? But his words haunted her. Anyone who got in his way, including his own wife? What could her mother have done that would have caused a problem serious enough to get her killed?
When she got home from the store, Macy decided to skip evening worship service. No way was she coming back to this house after dark. She had at least one enemy in Walnut Grove: the man who had called her. And Sam Halston wasn’t too thrilled with her being here. Neither were Raleigh Benson, her grandmother’s attorney, or that blonde at church this morning. Add whoever had been staring at her at the end of the worship service and Garth Nixon, and the list was growing.
She didn’t care how long the list was. Well, that wasn’t true. Of course she cared. She was scared stiff about half of the time, but no matter how people felt about her being here, she had things to do, and she needed to get busy. Since she had a couple of hours before dark, she’d spend the time going through the house, trying to find something that might stir some hidden memory, no matter how elusive.
Macy started with her parents’ bedroom, ready to tackle it in daylight, but a diligent search through the dresser and bedside tables revealed nothing. She stood for a moment, glancing around the room at the burgundy, blue and green floral queen-size bedspread and the walnut tables holding elegant lamps with
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