Lynda Sandoval – You, And No Other (страница 4)
His gut cramped.
As things stood, the school could send him his diploma, or keep it, for all he cared, because he never wanted to see any of his fellow students again, and that included Cagney. The only good thing about Troublesome Gulch had been her, and unbelievably, even their relationship turned out to be a lie.
Pain unlike any he’d ever felt seared through him. He needed to escape this hellhole as soon as possible. That was the benefit of living in a minuscule month-to-month rental, though. Not much to pack. If he had anything to say about it, he and his mother would be boxed up and out of this nightmare town tonight, and he’d never look back. He’d find a place for them to live where people judged you for what was in your heart, not your bank account. He’d work and he’d study and he’d show them all just how wrong they were about him.
One day, so help him God …
Jonas chucked the orchid corsage out of his window, clear plastic container and all, then spun gravel leaving the Bishop property. Who cared if doing so meant another point against him with Chief? None of that mattered anymore.
The prepaid cell phone he’d scrimped and saved for rang, and a stupid spark of hope had him wrestling it from his jacket to check the caller ID. Maybe, just maybe—
Tad Rivers.
Betrayal lanced through him, stealing his breath.
He ignored the rings and waited until the secondary tone told him he had a new message, then dialed in to listen to it.
Cagney.
From
Stars swirled in his head. So, it was true. All of it. She’d gone with Tad and didn’t even tell him. She’d let him waste money on a tux and flowers, then humiliate himself in front of Chief. How could
“Jonas,” the message said, “please, please answer your phone. I want to talk to you about this. To explain. I’ll call you back. Okay? Please answer.”
Yeah, she’d call him back. Sure she would.
From
With his temples pounding, he glanced down at the letter that had nearly ripped the heart from his chest. Tears blurred his vision, and he wiped angrily at them with the back of one hand.
Done. Finished. Finito.
The words on those pages were all the explanation he needed from Cagney Bishop, now or ever.
Hadn’t his mom always told him love couldn’t be trusted?
Present day …
Cagney glanced around the large parking area of High Country Medical Center at the snaking vehicles and foot traffic slithering slowly in. She couldn’t believe how many people were showing up for a stupid press conference. Then again, this
She adjusted her gun belt to rest more comfortably on her hip bones, waved at one of her fellow officers who’d been assigned to work the event, too, then checked her watch. Barely nine o’clock in the morning, and she was already bored out of her mind. Go figure. Just another day in the life of Officer Cagney Bishop.
She hated crowd control almost as much as she hated traffic duty. In fact, she hated most of her duties, unless they included dealing with disadvantaged kids or truly helping people, and honestly, how often did that happen?
Inside, she groaned. How many years until she could retire? She began calculations in her head, just to pass the time.
As if sensing her need for a break in the monotony of a job that fit her like a cheaply-made dress, Cagney’s cell phone rang. She freed it from the pouch on her duty belt, checked the caller ID, then smiled and flipped it open. “Hey, Faith. How’s the baby?”
Faith Montesantos Austin had given birth to her and Brody’s first daughter three months earlier and was riding out the tail end of leave from her job as counselor at Troublesome Gulch High School. They’d named the baby Mickie, after Faith’s late sister who died in the prom night crash along with Tad, Kevin and Randy.
“She’s perky and great, as usual. Woke me up three times last night, though, so she’s fat-bellied and chipper, while I’m beat, bloated and bitter.”
“Ugh.”
“Tell me.” Faith groaned. “It’s why they have to make babies cute, you know.”
“Puppies, too.”
“So true. Huh, Hope?” The scruffy puppy Brody had given her during his marriage proposal barked once in the background. Faith laughed, then asked, “What are you up to? Are you coming by?”
When duty allowed, Cagney stopped in for a morning coffee visit to keep Faith sane during her extended maternity leave.
Faith’s tone turned plaintive. “I need adult contact, Cag. Girl talk, someone to reassure me that the baby weight really
“True, but remember, she only gained nineteen pounds with her pregnancy and she’s a workout maniac.”
“Casey Laine Bishop, are you calling me a slug?”
Cagney laughed softly. No one ever called her Casey anymore. “Not at all, hon. Erin’s just in a different physical class than most of us. We have to accept it and move on, or we’ll fall into the body image self-loathing pit and never scratch our way out.”
“Lucky wench, that Erin. It’s a good thing I love her so much, or I’d hate her.”
“Don’t hate her because she’s bionic,” Cagney teased.
“Seriously, I’m regretting every single time I uttered the word
“Can’t. Sorry. Chief assigned me to crowd control at the hospital, oh, joy.” She rolled her eyes.
“The hosp—Oh! I’d forgotten that hoopla was today.” Mickie started fussing in the background, and Faith shushed her gently. “What’s up with the new wing anyway? Any insider info?”
“None.” Cagney raised her chin to acknowledge the hand signal from the cop working traffic control at the entrance about fifty yards away from her, then waved a sleek, black limousine past the barricade she guarded. The mystery guest of honor, of course. Who else rode around in a stretch limo in Troublesome Freakin’ Gulch?
She strained for a peek through the heavily tinted windows but saw nothing. Her hat brim and dark sunglasses didn’t help. “Cops don’t rate insider info. Not this cop, at least. Anyway, surprise benefactor, surprise wing, blah blah blah. Supposedly something that will put Troublesome Gulch on the map.”
“Ooh,” Faith mocked. “I swear, they’re always trying to put Troublesome Gulch on one stupid map or the other, and yet our claim to fame remains being ‘that mountain town with the horrible prom night tragedy from way back when.’ Sorry for the ugly reminder,” she said quickly, “but really, all this municipal social climbing is futile and annoying.”
“Believe me, I agree. But you know how old Walt loves his publicity,” Cagney added wryly, referring to the camera-loving city manager. “I’ll fill you in as soon as I get any kind of scoop whatsoever. It’ll probably be anticlimactic after all the buildup, though.”
“I don’t know why they’ve been so secretive,” Faith said, her tone peevish. “Don’t they grasp the fact that this is a small town? We’re supposed to know everyone else’s business. It’s part of the benefits package.”
Cagney snickered. “I guess the moneyman—or woman—wanted it this way.”
“Yeah, but why?”
“Who knows? Rich people can be freaky and demanding. And when you’re donating an entire wing to a hospital, you get whatever you ask for. We’re talking millions.”
“I wonder how much, exactly?”
“No clue. More than I’ll ever see in this lifetime, that’s for sure.” She paused to watch the tail end of the limo disappear into the underground garage that had been secured for its private use, as if the First Lady herself had donated the wing. “You have to admit, all talk of maps aside, this
“But that’s not saying much.” Faith sighed again. “Well, call me as soon as you know something juicy. All I have on my agenda is laundry, laundry and more laundry. Who knew a baby would go through so many clothes?”
“You have my sympathy. Just wait until she’s a teenager.”
“Hush your mouth. She’ll always be my precious baby.”
A pang of envy struck Cagney’s middle. “You know I’d switch places with you in a minute.”
“I’ll call you at 3:00 a.m. and remind you of those words,” Faith said, her tone wry.
“Okay, never mind.” Cagney chuckled. An electric excitement rippled through the press area, and at the same time her radio crackled with conversation. She tilted her ear to her shoulder mic to listen; the dog and pony show was about to get started. “Gotta go. Kiss that little sweetie for me.”
She hung up without waiting for an answer, then slipped the phone back into its holder. After securing her barricades, she moved closer so she didn’t miss anything. Faith would kill her if she didn’t memorize every single detail for later.