Twin Pines Read online

  A flash of embarrassment burned through her flesh. Reaching into her pocket, Bella felt the keys, warm from the temperature of her body. Clutching them for a moment, she hauled them out, dangling them in front of her.

  Amanda snapped them from her grasp. "Let's go get this over with."

  Bella followed the nurse out the door and through the walkway not saying a word, but silently cursing Judd with each step she took. It seemed to take an eternity to reach her office. Garrett was sitting near the piano reading a large print magazine when they entered the area. He tossed his reading aside and stood, his smile mesmerized her; he seemed to fill the room with a masculine aura and vitality. She swallowed back the desire that inflamed her.

  "Welcome back. Are you ready to go?" he asked, walking toward her.

  She held out her hand, motioning him to stop, and bit down hard on her bottom lip to stop the quivering. Stinging tears threatened at the back of her eyelids.

  Tipping his head slightly at her bleak expression, he asked, "Is something wrong?"

  She nodded. "Don't come in here. Just wait for me out there." The words came out as a raspy whisper. She turned her back to him, entering the office, but she felt him follow them in anyway.

  With fists on his hips, his voice tainted with emotion he asked, "What's going on here?"

  Bella wrapped her fingers around his muscular arm, drawing him toward her. "She's searching in here for the jewelry from Gladys' room." Pure rage burned within her, hotter than a fire.

  "She thinks you took it?" he uttered incredulously, surprise flooded his face.

  She shrugged. "I guess so--and so does Judd. He insisted the office be searched."

  They stood there watching Amanda open the file cabinet, scavenge through the individual folders and around the bottom of each drawer. Finding nothing, she re-locked the cabinet. Turning to Bella's desk, she ransacked the drawers, displacing the neatly placed items.

  "To be safe," Amanda said with heavy sarcasm, "I'd better check the cupboards over there."

  "Search, but don't be such a slob about it!" The words slipped out before she could stop herself.

  Amanda raised her eyebrows, looking down her nose at her, but she didn't comment. She moved puzzles, opened them, and then replaced them haphazardly on the shelf. When she reached the small door with the lock, she pulled on the handle. It wouldn't open. Amanda spun around her mouth fell agape. "I thought all you locked in here were the files?"

  "Th-that's right. I never use this cabinet!"

  "Is the key on this ring?"

  "I would suppose so, but I've never needed it." Bella's stomach lurched. She had a bad feeling about this.

  Sliding the small key in the lock, it fit perfectly. When Amanda twisted it in the lock and pulled on the handle, the door came open.

  Bella nudged Amanda making room for herself in front of the cabinet. Gathering up her courage, she looked inside. What she saw there told her she was in trouble as deep as she'd ever been. The missing jewelry gleamed in the reflected light.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  "GLADYS, DO YOU WANT TO PRESS CHARGES?"

  The room filled with the angry voices, everyone talking at once. The shrill sound of Sheriff Tucker whistling with two fingers in his mouth quieted the pandemonium. "That's better! I couldn't hear a damn thing. I need some answers." Once again, the sound of near hysterical voices drowned out his voice." Shaking his head, he walked toward Bella. "Maybe I'll take you down to the jail. I won't have this problem there."

  "Wait a darn minute." Garrett walked up to the Sheriff, Amanda following him so closely that if he'd stopped suddenly, she would have careened into his backside. "I don't know what Miss Howard's trying to pull here, but I looked in that cabinet not more than an hour ago. It was empty. But when she unlocked it," Garrett nodded his head toward the nurse, "taa-daa--jewelry! Now, I don't recall seeing anything but her back as she opened the door."

  Bella's heart did an erratic dance. Twisting around she stared at Garrett, her eyebrows raising with shock. "You think Amanda slipped the items into the cabinet?" she asked, her voice sounded hollow. An oppressive silence filled all the corners of the room like a thick fog, and encapsulated Bella in the indistinct mystery of the situation.

  "You're telling me someone, uh...Miss Howard planted the watch and rings?" The Sheriff asked, his bushy eyebrows elevated his baggy eyelids, the look screamed amazed.

  Garrett's crooked smile took on a sarcastic twist as he looked down at the top of the nurse's head. "I don't know who did this, but it's quite apparent someone did."

  "I told you that Bella would never steal from me," Gladys Fortney declared, poking a thick finger into Judd's chest. "Now, you've got everyone upset."

  "Me? What'd I do?"

  "Why didn't you go home? Are you in cahoots with that nurse? And you called Sheriff Tucker after I asked you not to. Now, quit acting like an idiot."

  "Mrs. Fortney, please!" The Sheriff slammed his palms down on the tabletop in front of him. "I'll ask you again--do you want to press charges against Mrs. Mann?"

  Gladys closed her white-fringed eyes, shaking her head. "Of course not. How many times do I have to tell you this?"

  Becky walked to Bella, giving her a friendly hug of triumph, and glared at Judd. "Mr. Fortney," Becky said, "I think you should work with Sheriff Tucker here to find out just who is responsible for these thefts." Her gaze switched to Judd Fortney. "You do think Bella is innocent, don't you Judd?

  His lips curled in a sneer. "Hardly. I know she's behind this, and I'll prove it, too." He took Gladys' arm, pulling her toward the door. "Come on Gram. You're probably exhausted."

  She shook her arm out of Judd's hand, glaring at him. Then she walked over to Bella. "I'm sorry for all this, darling." She leaned forward, kissing Bella on the cheek and whispered, "Don't worry about Judd. I'll take care of him."

  "Thanks," Bella said, a windy sigh gusted through her lips.

  "Well, I can't do any more around here," the Sheriff said. "Call me again if you need my services."

  Amanda's eyes raked over the Sheriff with contempt and disbelief. "You can't be serious. I want Bella arrested!"

  Sheriff Tucker shook his head. "Not if Gladys won't press charges."

  "But, but someone took the jewelry!"

  "That's true, but it wasn't Mrs. Mann. Mr. Brooks here says he saw the cabinet unlocked and empty tonight. He was with Bella here in this office, or just outside the door in the activities room. She didn't have the opportunity to hide the jewelry without being seen."

  "No, Sheriff, that's not quite right. I did leave for say thirty minutes. There was a big scream fest down the hall when Judd arrived. I went down there to see what was happening."

  "So…someone could have planted the stuff…"

  "Sheriff, I need to speak to you," Amanda said, then took the Sheriff's arm and guided him out the door and toward her fish bowl office.

  Bella, Becky and Garrett stood speechlessly in the middle of the room staring at each other. Bella's lips thinned in irritation. "God, Garrett, I don't understand what's going on. If you hadn't looked through the cabinets and found the little door unlocked and empty, I'd be in jail right now. Thanks!"

  "I felt quite guilty pawing through those cabinets without you in the office, but, you're right, it was a stroke of luck. The way I figure this, someone had to plant the jewelry when I was out of this area. It happened at the same time Judd was hollering in his grandmother's room."

  "That'd be a good distraction," Becky said. "I'm sure everyone in the building heard him and came running. The hall was full of residents and staff for a while."

  "God, I thought it was bad around here before, but now, everyone will think I'm a thief!" The realization stabbed at her heart. All she'd ever wanted was to help these wonderful elderly people adjust; give them a home-like environment where they could spend the end of their lives being as productive as in their younger years.

  She'd always treated the individuals who lived at
the care center as she expected her parents to be treated if they were in the same situation. Now, she had to wonder about the security of her position.

  "I think we'd better get out of here before something else happens." Garrett said. "You look tired."

  Bella nodded her agreement. "I am, a little."

  "And I should have been outta here an hour ago," Becky added, "my son will wonder what happened to me. And heaven forbid, he'll have all the groceries in the house devoured. When he gets home from basketball practice, he's famished."

  "When is his first game?" Bella asked.

  "The first Friday in January. Then I'll be busy following the team around on Friday and Saturday nights!"

  "I'm planning on catching as many games as I can this year." Bella said.

  "I'm glad to hear that. We need everyone we can get in the cheerin' section. That really helps."

  Bella smiled and told Garrett, "I was the sports jock and Becky was the cheerleader."

  Becky ducked her head and said, "Yeah, but you didn't get knocked-up and have to quit school."

  Concern darkened Bella's eyes. "You're not still dwelling on that are you?"

  Becky shrugged. "I feel somewhat beneath you. I'm a nurse and you're--"

  "Wait one darn minute!" Bella interrupted. "You've worked hard, getting your GED then going on to nursing school. Your handsome son is one year from graduation. I'd say you've done quite well as a single mother."

  "Yeah, you're right, but sometimes, I wonder what I could have been if I hadn't quit."

  "Probably a nurse." Bella sat quietly, trying hard not to preach to her friend. Becky lacked self-confidence. Maybe the reason really was the circumstances of high school, but should one episode rule her whole life? Bella wanted to holler the well-used cliché, 'get a life,' but didn't. Right now, Bella was Becky's best, possibly only, friend.

  It was dark and cold when she and Garrett walked outside. Snow covered the parking lot and wind whistled through a thick grove of evergreen trees, stinging their eyes with piercing flakes of snow. The whole town sat on the side of mountain. Houses and businesses alike lined the main street running through the town. A few massive, expensive homes sat higher on the peak, but much of Evergreen followed along three miles of highway twenty-five. Garrett opened the door for Bella then hurried around to the driver's side, sliding into the cold interior of the vehicle.

  Bella leaned back into the contoured seat of Garrett's vehicle. She didn't feel like talking, so many thoughts rolled through her mind. Why had Amanda been so quick to think her guilty of stealing? Didn't she know by now that Bella wouldn't hurt nor compromise the residents?

  Not only was this situation at work bothering her, Garrett Brooks was complicating her life, too. She hadn't thought, romantically, about another man since her husband's death. She couldn't tell him about her mixed-up feeling; feelings that she'd kept hidden for a long, long time. One moment she missed her husband like crazy and the next, she nearly hated him.

  Bella scrutinized Garrett's profile. The light from an oncoming car illuminated his chiseled features making his face a study of sharp planes and deep hollows. A pang of guilt twisted painfully in her stomach. Surely, she wouldn't spend the rest of her life feeling guilty each time she felt attracted to a man. Gathering her courage she realized, where this man was concerned, she was in deep trouble. Garrett was far too perceptive for her peace of mind.

  "You're so quiet. What are you thinking about?" Garrett quizzed. He navigated the snow-packed streets without turning his head in her direction.

  Shrugging slightly she said, "Nothing in particular. It's been a long week and…and I dread returning to work Monday."

  A fine skiff of snow whipped through the air causing the streetlights to look hazy. She shivered, pulling her coat closer to her. The icy spectacle matched the feeling in her bones. Numbing fear. She was afraid about the problems at work and she was terrified to let Garrett close to her. Would she have felt different if her whole relationship with Scott hadn't been a lie? If he hadn't wiped out their saving account leaving her nearly destitute after his death. The old women living at the care center talked about their late husbands with such fondness, and she prayed she could be like that...someday.

  Sharply turning the steering wheel, Garrett maneuvered the long driveway, his destination the garage. Once there, he killed the lights and switched off the ignition. "Hell of a day, huh?"

  She flashed him a grin. "I wouldn't call it normal. This day has felt more like a week long."

  Garrett walked around the front of the vehicle, then opened Bella's door. Taking his hand, she stepped out onto the aluminum running board and down onto the ground landing only inches from him. "You are a gallant gentleman, sir."

  "And you are a sumptuous woman." Garrett reached out for her, pulling her into his arms.

  "It feels ridiculous to be here laughing when I should be wailing about at work." Her mood took a sharp drop, but when she looked at Garrett, she felt her face pull into a silly perky smile. Oh geez…the way he was looking at her…would he kiss her? Her body tensed in anticipation. They looked at each other for the longest time, their smiles fading as the moment became serious. Her gaze dropped to his mouth. She wanted to lean forward and touch her lips to his just to ease the agony of the tension between them. Instead, she tilted up her face, feeling a strange tightening in her middle.

  His mouth moved over hers; gently coaxing, filled with hunger. The tension of the day fell away, and she forgot everything except how to respond as a woman. She'd never thought of herself as an experienced kisser, and now...? The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention.

  Garrett pulled his lips from hers. His expression, eyes half closed, lips full and pouty looked lusty then suddenly, he grinned devilishly at her. The nearness of him caused the sounds of the night to amplify; the wind whooshing through the trees sounded deafening. Could he hear her heart hammering in her chest over that sound?

  Then, Garrett lowered his head again. His lips were soft, yet demanding as they captured hers. The light pressure of his mouth on hers was pleasant, but not overwhelming. Bella's back stiffened and she started to pull away, but Garrett, reached around her, took her by the shoulders pulling her deeper into his embrace. The movement pushed all thoughts from her mind. The taste of his tongue as it swept over her lips tantalized her to the very core. She surrendered into an explosion of desire camouflaging her fears and erased thoughts of anything except him. Bella became a quivering ball of desire. She wanted him to lift her to that secret realm where lovers liquefy into a pulsing pool of sensation.

  Suddenly, she found herself at the imagined boundary that separated her from happiness. She felt her body freeze over and tighten. The pleasant feel of the kiss was over, and in its place-- no sensations at all.

  Ever so slowly, Garrett separated his lips from hers and gently stroked her flushed cheek. He tilted his forehead against hers and said, "You aren't the only one who is afraid, you know. I'm afraid you'll capture my heart, and that might mean I could hurt you badly...very badly. Be careful Bella."

  The threat in his words caused her throat to tightened making it difficult to swallow. She was afraid to ask him what he meant.

  Garrett took her cold hand and led her into the warm entry. They walked together up the steps and stopped on the landing between the doors to their apartments. Garrett brushed a long strand of hair from her thick lashes then pulled her close. The embrace was more like a friend's comforting shoulder, than a romantic overture. "You have beautiful hair."

  Bella shrugged. "Thanks." And nervously added, "It's the same color as my mother's." The thick wave of mahogany hair fell to her waist like a giant satin ribbon. The mane disguised Bella's thirty years. Her mother had urged her, repeatedly, to cut it and add a bit of class to her life. Bella had even arranged appointments at a local salon. But she wasn't ready to let go of it yet. Ever since her parents had moved to Arizona for the winter, Bella had missed her mother's nagging.
Here it was, nearly Christmas and she missed them terribly. If she weren't so busy at the care center during the holidays, she would take a vacation to her parent's winter home.

  Picking up a lock of hair, Bella pulled it toward her face and scrutinized it thoughtfully. Maybe her mother was right. "This mop has gotten out of hand. Ever since my husband died, I haven't thought about such things."

  "I'm going to break through your pain, you know," Garrett said, his voice husky with desire. "Then I'll teach you how to feel again." He touched her cheek gently and smiled. "Have a good rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

  He closed his door softly leaving Bella standing there shaking. Why did she have to find this man now? Her life was a complete mess and she was afraid Garrett was right when he said he could hurt her. Would he open the floodgates of her feelings then show her how it really felt to hurt?

  * * * *

  The next week crept past slowly. She hadn't seen anything of Garrett, and his apartment was silent every time she switched off the stereo. Each morning she dressed carefully in the event she came across him on the landing.

  She stood in front of the oak-framed mirror beside her dresser. Her reflection showed a frightened look in her almond-shaped hazel eyes. She forced herself to narrow her gaze to regain that stern look to her appearance. This was her normal work expression, and it seemed to help her conceal the pain that tore at her daily. Try as she might, this week, her lips, full and pouting, betrayed the stern demeanor, and the harder she tried, the more beautiful her reflection became.

  Bella wanted a slim, waif-like body, but she could never diet long enough to achieve that look. She was large-framed with long, gently rounded legs that accentuated the curve of her hips and in conjunction with her full bust line, only emphasized her narrow waist.

  Bella tossed on her coat and opened the front door hoping to catch a glimpse of Garrett as she left for work, but he didn't appear. Maybe tonight she would knock on his door and offer him more cookies.

  * * * *

  Bella rushed down the corridor toward the staff dining room. Her cream-colored silk blouse moved softly across her tension knotted shoulders as the words Judd had spoken on the weekend played in her head. How could a man as attractive as Judd be so cantankerous?