Chapter 21 #2
Addison groaned. “Seriously, how many visitors do you get?”
“Not this many, but I’m sure it’s the ladies.”
Sure enough, Laney and Marti walked in carrying a bag in each arm. “What’s all that about? Are you moving in?”
Marti chuckled. “Nope, just provisions,” she said as she pulled a bottle of wine out of the top of the bag.
“Drinking with a concussion and pain meds?” Nash said.
“Oh, this is for Laney and me. We brought Diet Coke for Addison.”
“I’ll let you ladies get to it.” He grabbed his keys off the counter, gave Addison a stern “be good” look, and scooted out the door.
Lucifer jumped onto Addison’s lap. Absently, she stroked his fur. “Seriously, ladies. I don’t think I need a babysitter.”
Laney shrugged. “Probably not, but it’s a perfect time to go over wedding stuff.” She plopped a bag down and pulled out books full of bridal and wedding ideas.
Well, there could be worse ways to spend the day.
Nash pulled up in front of Jillian’s house, a big two-story with a three-car garage.
Part of him couldn’t believe that Jillian would do something like this.
She’d made advances on him before, but never came across as obsessed.
This was Jillian he was talking about. Knowing how determined she was, he couldn’t discount the possibility that she could be behind this.
Now to figure out how to approach the situation without entering like a bull, accusing her of a felony.
He rang the bell, which had one of those camera things.
No turning back now. She knew he was there.
He shoved his keys into his pocket and waited.
It wasn’t long, and the door opened. She stood there in a T-shirt and yoga pants, her hair in one of those scrunchie buns, no makeup on her face. A couple of cuts marked her cheek.
“What a surprise! Davey isn’t here today.”
“I know. Beth just picked him up a little while ago. I’m here to talk to you.”
“Oh.” She ran a hand lightly through her hair, touching, smoothing, before she opened the door wider. “Can I get you something to drink? Water? Beer?” She fluttered her eyelashes.
“No, I won’t be staying long.”
Direct and to the point. He wasn’t normally someone to stir up conflict, but when someone he loved was in danger, all those instincts flared. Besides, this was not the time for subtlety or niceties.
“I heard you were in a car accident,” he said as he stepped over the threshold.
“Oh, yes.” She ran a hand lightly over her cheek. “Thank you. You did a wonderful job fixing my car. It had nothing to do with that.” She crossed to the couch and sat gently on the edge.
Nash remained standing, arms hanging loosely at his sides. He flexed his fingers and relaxed them. He didn’t think the confrontation was going to turn violent, but it was good to be prepared.
“Where did your accident take place?” he asked.
“I was on my way home. I had stopped to do a little shopping and ended up in rush-hour traffic.” She hesitated as she spoke, as if she was piecing together her story right there in front of him. “Are you sure I can’t get you something?”
“No,” Nash said, scanning the room before coming back to her. Might as well just spit it out. “Jillian, did you run Addison off the road?”
“What?” She jumped up from the couch, then groaned as if her whole body ached from the movement. “Why would you say that? Of course not!”
“Well, it’s mighty convenient since you were looking into her and you were down in our area. Then I hear you both had an accident that evening.”
“I—I don’t know what you’re getting at.”
“I’m not getting at anything. I’m coming right out and asking you. Did you make a threat on Addison’s life?”
He shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from shaking her.
She dropped back onto the couch. Her head shook from side to side, but her eyes never left his. “No. And I cannot believe you asked me that. I think it’s time for you to leave.”
“Well, if you didn’t have it in for Addison, then why were you researching her? You called her a pageant princess.”
Jillian’s face flushed. A rosy color crossed her cheeks. Her focus dropped to the carpet, and an audible breath rushed from her lips. “I searched her on the internet, but it’s a far leap from that to thinking I want her dead.”
When he didn’t move, she raised her arms and dropped them. “Do you need to see the police report? I was rear-ended on Highway 35.”
Everything in her screamed the truth. Her body language. The way her voice shook. Either she was a world-class actress, or she was telling the truth. Fuck.
Nash rubbed his brow.
Jillian crossed to him. Gently, she placed a hand on his arm, as if touching him might set him off. “Is she okay?”
He nodded. “She will be. I gotta go.”
Jillian nodded as he walked across to the door.
Nash stopped and turned back. “I’m sorry, Jillian. For everything.”
She nodded, and he left.
How could he have jumped to such a conclusion? Honestly, pretty easily. After watching that other woman go apeshit at Addison, he realized people did absurd things when they felt they had no other choice.
He knew Jillian was attracted to him. She’d thrown out every hint, feeler, move at him, and he’d dodged them all. But had he really? Had he just come out and said he wasn’t interested? Sure, he’d brushed her off, but not once had he said “no, not interested” in those words.
The one thing he had accomplished was making things really awkward the next time Davey hung out with her son.
Even more awkward than it was before. Nash sighed, climbed into his truck, and started the engine.
If there were the slightest chance she had been involved in what happened to Addison, he would do it all again.
As he drove out of town, he hit the call button and instructed his phone to call Addison.
“Hello?”
Nash exhaled. Stress he hadn’t realized he held dissolved at the sound of her voice. She was okay.
“Hey, how’s it going?” No need to tell her about his embarrassing tirade at Jillian’s.
“Oh, Marti had to go. She got a call from her mom that they had cows out at the farm, and I told Laney that I was tired, so she could take off.”
“So you’re there alone?” His grip on the steering wheel tightened.
“No need to worry. I have fearless Max and the killer cat here with me. I will be fine.”
“I should be there in a little over an hour and a half.” In his head, he was calculating if he sped, he could knock fifteen minutes off his time.
“You worry too much—”
“Addison?”
The line clicked, cutting off her last word.
Panic shot through his veins. He stabbed the button for the phone and recalled her.
It went straight to voicemail. He wasn’t in a dead spot.
The only reason he could think that she couldn’t answer the call made his blood turn ice cold.
He stomped on the gas pedal at the same time as he stabbed the phone button again.
If he used any more force, he would break it.
“Yeah, buddy?” Cade’s voice flowed casually through the phone.
“Get over to my house now!”
“Whoa. On my way. What’s going on? Do I need to call the police?”
“Maybe. But get there now. I was talking to Addison, and we got cut off. She’s not picking up.”
Nash’s mind scattered as he flew past cars, ten, twenty miles over the speed limit on the straightaways. Once he hit the edge of the metro, he pushed his truck to its max. Only one thing ran through his mind… Get to Addison.