Authors: Rachel Hanna
“Unfortunately, he’s got all the money. I can’t afford a long, drawn out process…”
“Here,” he said, reaching into his pocket and handing her a business card. “This is an old friend of mine. He’s an ex-police officer turned private investigator who specializes in things like this. Tell him I sent you. He’ll give you a deal, I promise.”
“Thank you,” she said, looking down at the card. The name was Harrison Gibbs.
“He can help you,” the old man said as he took his coffee and bagged muffin. “See you tomorrow!”
Rebecca waved as Mr. Linden left. Addison had a twinkle of renewed hope. Maybe this Harrison Gibbs could help her make sure that Jim didn’t win in the end.
***
Addison reached down into the big box, struggling to pull out the last of the ribbon. Her mother’s over-decorating at the holidays was exhausting her today. After working at Jolt, she’d been immediately recruited to help get everything ready for the big Christmas festivities that were coming in just a few days.
“I can’t believe I’ve got so many presents to wrap. All these new kids in the family this year have really put me behind,” Adele said with a smile. “I can’t wait to see Tyler open his building set. I hope Leo likes those jeans. Rebecca said they were his favorite kind. And giving Kaitlyn the circus tickets is going to be a big shocker for her!” Adele was simply giddy with Christmas cheer.
“You really love the holidays, don’t you, Mom?” Addison said, laughing as her mother went crazy curling the ribbons.
“Oh, sweetie, I adore this time of year! And this year all of my kids are together which makes it even more special. Of course, next year we’ll have your little bundle and maybe we can get Brad a date,” she said.
“Hey!” Brad called from the kitchen where he was hanging garland across the breakfast area. “I heard that!”
“I was hoping you did,” she said sweetly as she continued wrapping. Brad had been the only one she could rope into helping on this day.
“Listen, Mom, I hope you don’t mind but I invited someone over for tea today. He’s a private investigator that a customer at Jolt recommended. He might be able to help me with my divorce case.”
“A private investigator? What’s he going to do?” she asked as she stopped wrapping and looked at her daughter.
“Well, I need to prove that Jim cheated first basically. Otherwise, I’m sunk. He’ll get everything because he knows I don’t want him spreading rumors all over town about me. Although I don’t know why I even care. I guess it’s the principle of the thing.”
“Then we’ll do what we need to do. If a P.I. is what you need, then I support that. Let’s sock it to him!” she said, holding her scissors in the air as if to signal the beginning of a battle.
Addison laughed. Her mother had always been her biggest cheerleader.
The doorbell rang about a half an hour later just as Addison finished helping her mother. She asked Adele to start some tea and opened the door to find a very handsome older man standing there. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected. Maybe some guy in a trench coat. But this guy was “dapper” with a nice suit and thick brown hair with specks of gray in it. He was broad shouldered and looked more like an elegant news anchor or Hollywood celebrity than he did an ex-cop.
“Addison?” he said, his voice as smooth as his appearance.
“That’s me. Nice to meet you,” she said, reaching out and shaking his hand. “Come on in.”
He entered the home and followed Addison into the breakfast area.
“Mom, I want you to meet…” Addison started.
“Harrison? Is that you? Harrison Gibbs?” Adele said, staring at him like she’d seen a ghost.
“Adele Parker? I thought you used to live around here, but I had no idea this was your house! I should’ve put two and two together, I guess,” he said laughing. Adele came from around the breakfast bar and embraced him tightly.
“It’s so good to see you!” she said looking up at him. “And how’s Elaine?”
“Oh, Elaine and I divorced years ago. It’s one of the reasons I like to help ladies in Addison’s situation. I hate cheaters,” he said, raising his eyebrow.
“I’m so sorry, Harrison,” Adele said frowning. “I always thought Elaine was a lovely woman.”
“I did too, and so did several other gentlemen,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s been many years ago, and I understand she’s on her fourth marriage now.”
“Wow,” Adele said, making a tsk tsk sound with her tongue. “I just can’t believe what a small world it is!”
“Um, excuse me, folks, but can someone explain… this?” Addison asked. Harrison and Adele laughed.
“Sorry, sweetie. Harrison and your father were dear friends a long time ago, but we haven’t seen each other in many, many years. When was the last time we saw each other?” she asked.
“I think it was about a year after he died. Elaine and I ran into you at Seewald’s before we moved,” he said, referring to the old grocery store that used to be in January Cove.
“That’s right. Wow, that’s a long time.”
“It is. You look wonderful, Adele. The years have certainly been kind to you,” he said, and Addison couldn’t help but feeling like the third wheel even though she’d invited him over. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air.
“Well, I don’t want to hold you up any longer than necessary, Mr. Gibbs,” Addison said, pointing to a chair at the table.
“Please, call me Harrison,” he said with a warm smile as he took a seat. “Are you going to join us, Adele?”
She smiled. It was a smile Addison had never seen on her mother before. Was that a flirtatious smile she just saw?
“Sure. If Addison doesn’t mind…”
“I don’t mind,” Addison said, feeling more like she was chaperoning two high school kids than sitting with a private investigator.
“Now, Addison, you told me a little about your husband, but what I need to know is all the places you know he traveled during the time period he was with Tiffani. The earlier the better.”
“Well, I don’t know if he was where he said he was…”
“Come up with a list of places that you know he likes to frequent. Restaurants, coffee houses, offices, parks, vacation spots, and so forth. I have lots of contacts in Atlanta who can help me comb over surveillance video to see if we can catch anything untoward that will help your case. Given what you’ve told me thus far, I bet we can catch him in enough of a compromising situation to get the leverage you need.” He took a sip of his tea and winked at Adele. What was that?
“Really? So there’s hope?” Addison asked.
“There’s always hope,” he said with a smile. “Trust me. Guys like him think they’re above the law, so he probably got sloppy somewhere along the way. He thought he had you snowed, so I doubt he was very careful.”
“He did have me snowed.”
“No. You were a caring, devoted wife who trusted her husband. You did nothing wrong.”
“Actually, I did do something wrong.”
“Well, maybe not the best decision ever made, but you reacted to something very upsetting, Addison,” Adele interjected.
They sat and talked for another twenty minutes or so, and Addison really liked Harrison Gibbs. He seemed kind and cordial and laid back. And Adele seemed interested. Very interested.
“Listen, I’ve got to run an errand, but it was so nice meeting you, Harrison. I can’t wait to see what you find. Mom, you’ll see him out?” she asked, smiling slyly behind Harrison’s head.
“Of course, dear,” Adele said pursing her lips and trying not to smile back.
***
Addison walked with purpose as she headed toward the ferry. Maybe she would get some money out of her divorce settlement after all. At least she had some renewed hope because Harrison Gibbs seemed to think there may be evidence somewhere. And she hoped with everything she had that he’d find it.
Thoughts of the Mallory house danced through her head, and she made sure to spot the for sale sign still sitting in the yard as she passed it on the way to the ferry. She had to tell Clay the good news. He was becoming her best friend in town, and he understood her dream of owning a B&B.
“Hey!” she called as she walked down the dock. He was typing up the ferry and smiled as he waved at her. He looked especially hot today with his gray Henley shirt and form hugging jeans.
“Hey yourself! What are you doing down here so late in the day?”
“I have some good news. Well, actually I just have news, but I wanted to share it with someone.”
“And you picked me? I feel so honored,” he said grinning with his hand over his heart. “What’s up?”
“Well, I met with a private investigator today and he thinks he might be able to get enough dirt on Jim to get him to back down a little. If that happens, I might get enough money to open my B&B!” she said smiling, being careful to keep her sweater tightly pulled over her belly.
“That’s great, Addison!” he said walking over and hugging her tightly. Could he feel her expanding stomach? She sure hoped not, so she pulled away quickly and readjusted her sweater.
“You closing up for the day?” she asked.
“Yep. Didn’t have any passengers after lunch, so I figured I was wasting my time. But I’m so glad you came before I left.”
“Well, thanks for listening. Have a good night,” she said as she started to turn.
“Hey…”
“Yeah?”
“You want to have dinner with me?”
Addison had never been to Clay’s house before, only his parents’ house. He lived just a few doors down from them even now, probably to help his mother with his father’s health issues.
He lived in a small cottage style house right off the main road. It looked like a dollhouse and not nearly as manly as Addison would’ve expected. Of course, what does a “manly” house look like anyway?
Sometimes she was thankful that January Cove was small enough to walk most places, but today she hadn’t worn the proper shoes for such a long walk. Pregnancy was doing a number on her feet as it was. She was petite in build anyway, so the little bit of added weight was wreaking havoc on her arches. Of course, she wasn’t quite ready to let the cat out of the bag to Clay just yet.
It wasn’t that she was intentionally trying to hide it. She just liked having someone to talk to who would listen and not look at her as some kind of charity case single mother-to-be.
“Come on in,” he said as he unlocked the door and flipped on a lamp on a table by the front door.
“Wow. This is a beautiful place. Did you remodel it yourself?” she asked, looking around at the intricate woodwork and shiny hardwood floors.
“I did about three years ago. I love working with my hands,” he said. “Please, sit down.” He pointed to an overstuffed arm chair that sat by the mostly useless fireplace. January Cove got chilly, but usually not cold enough to warrant a fire.
Clay disappeared into the kitchen for a few moments, but came back with two glasses of iced sweet tea, a Southern staple. Any good Southern girl had better know how to make proper sweet tea. Addison had once traveled up north with Jim and asked for sweet tea in a restaurant. The server looked at her like she had two heads, and it was the first time she realized that the South was the only place she’d get her favorite beverage.
“Oh, thank you,” she said, taking a sip. “Hey, you make fantastic sweet tea for a guy!”
“My momma taught me right, Addy,” he said with a wink as he sat down on the sofa across from her.
“This place really is amazing. I love this table,” she said, running her hand over the carved wood coffee table. “Where’d you get this?”
“I made it,” he said, taking a sip of his tea.
She almost choked on her tea. “No you didn’t!”
“Yes, I did,” he said smiling. “I have a shop out back where I tinker around.”
“You are so talented, Clay. You should be selling this stuff down on Main Street. Maybe you could get some space in the hardware store…”
“Oh, it’s just a sideline, really. I don’t have much time between my websites and the ferry business. It just gives me something to do as a hobby.”
“Well, if I ever get to open my B&B, I want a custom piece made by you! You just name the price,” she said.
“The price for you will always be free, Addy,” he said with a soft smile. There seemed to be some hidden meaning in it, but he quickly changed the subject before Addison could think too much about it. “So, tell me, do you still have an obsession with all things Gone With The Wind?”
Addison smiled. How had he remembered that about her? She was the only girl who, in eighth grade, redecorated her bedroom in every GWTW memento she could find. She even had a six foot Rhett Butler poster on her wall that would scare all of her friends when they woke up at her house after a sleepover.
“Of course! Rhett was my first love, after all. How did you remember that anyway?”
Clay shrugged his shoulders, brushing it off. “Good memory, I guess. Hey, what kind of music do you like?”
“I like anything really. Some new country, pop… Why?” she asked. His questions were pretty random.
“I like to cook and dance, so I wasn’t sure what music to put on,” he said as he stood and turned on the TV, searching for the Pandora app.
“You like to cook and dance?” she laughed. “That’s… interesting….”
“It makes the tedious work of cooking more fun. You should try it!”
“I think I’ll watch you, and that might be more entertaining,” she said.
“Oh no… Not at my house,” he said. “You must participate in the rhythm of the music,” he said, laughing as he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the kitchen with country music blaring on the TV. “Do you know how to two step?”
“Um, no….” she said, unsure of what had overtaken her normally subdued friend.
“It’s like this,” he said as he put one hand on her waist and held her other hand. Before she knew it, they were moving around the kitchen floor and she was having fun. Surely, the baby was wondering what the heck was going on, but at least this dance didn’t require close proximity where he could feel her secret baby bump.
As they danced, she was struck by his smile. Clay’s teeth were perfect, but it was the emotion behind the smile that got to her. He was so genuine and good that it almost took her breath away. And his eyes twinkled, which reminded her of Santa Claus and almost made her laugh. She felt his hand on her waist and worried that he might feel her baby bump, but he kept it firmly in place. And then she felt her hand holding his hand and something about that felt very right and very scary at the same time.
When the song ended, Addison sank down onto a bar stool and smiled. “Why don’t I remember us having fun like this when we were young?”
“Because you were always too young,” he said with a sly smile. “There might be just a few years difference in our ages, but your brothers would’ve taken me out behind the wood shed if I’d even looked cross eyed at you, Addison.”
“True, and they aren’t much better now. I’m holding them off from killing Jim at the moment.”
“Well, I’d have to agree with them on that one. In fact, if they form a posse, I’ll join up.”
She laughed. “No posse forming, please. I’ve got enough stress as it is.”
“You like hamburgers?” he asked as he stuck his head in the refrigerator.
“Of course.”
“Then, let me go start the grill,” he said.
She observed him as he flipped the burgers, cut up potatoes and moved around the kitchen like a pro. She and Jim had never cooked together. Not even once. Jim considered cooking to be “woman’s work”, so Addison spent her time alone in the kitchen trying to please his palate.
A little while later, they were finished up with an amazing dinner of hamburgers and fresh cut fries followed by a chocolate pie he had in the freezer. She could tell he didn’t entertain much since he had little food in the refrigerator, and there weren’t any feminine touches around the house.
When they retired to the living room, Addison decided to find out more about Clay and what his life had been like since she’d last seen him.
“I don’t understand something,” she started.
“What?”
“Well, you’re a good looking, smart guy who can make furniture like this, drive a ferry and run businesses. You own your own home, you love your mother and you’re a pretty good dancer.”
“Where are you going with this?” he asked chuckling.
“Why hasn’t some woman snagged you yet?”
The look on his face was a mixture of shock and uncertainty, as if he was biting his tongue. She couldn’t place just what it was, but she knew it was there and it confused the heck out of her.
“Just haven’t found the right one yet, I guess,” he said softly.
“No, that’s too simple an answer, Clay Hampton. Do you even date?”
“Occasionally. Not a lot of choices in January Cove, Addy.”
“What about that Samantha chick?” she asked, a strange feeling of jealousy brewing in her stomach. Or was that the hamburger? Either way, an uncomfortable feeling.
“It was okay while it lasted, but Samantha just wasn’t my type in the end. She wanted a different kind of life. A ‘big life’ as she called it. Not interested in building a family with me here, and I wasn’t interested in jet setting across the world with her.”
“I hope you find the right woman for you soon, Clay.”
“I do too,” he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. Just enough to show one dimple. Why did she want to stick her tongue in that dimple so badly?
“Well, thanks for dinner. I really better get home. I have to go shopping with the girls tomorrow,” she said.
“Shopping, huh? Sounds terribly boring.” She laughed.
“We girls like that kind of thing.”
“Come on, I’ll drive you home,” he said as he stood and pulled the keys out of his pocket.
“No, you really don’t have to. It’s not a long walk.” Her feet were screaming at her already.
“Addison, do you not know me any better than that?”
“What?”
“I’m a Southern gentleman, and even Rhett Butler wouldn’t let a lady walk home at dark. Now, your carriage awaits!” he said in his best thick Southern accent as he jutted out his elbow toward her. She linked her arm through his, a rush of electricity shooting through her.
They drove up in front of the Parker house and Addison turned to him. “Thanks so much for dinner and for driving me home. It’s been so nice getting to know you as an adult, Clay.”
His expression was soft, and she found herself staring at his incredible lips. She really needed to ask her doctor about those pesky pregnancy hormones as soon as possible, she decided.
“It was my pleasure. Have a good night’s sleep and enjoy your shopping tomorrow,” he said. Shopping. The trip was to buy pregnancy clothes. Jenna and Tessa were taking her.
Addison climbed out of the truck and smiled and waved before disappearing into the protective confines of her home. She needed to put some distance between her and Clay before she lost control of herself. The last thing she needed was to fall for her childhood friend right now. She wasn’t even divorced yet, was carrying another man’s baby and fantasizing about her friend.
Note to self: Google about pregnancy hormones. Stat!
***
Clay Hampton was tied up in knots. On the one hand, he’d promised his friends that he wasn’t going to pursue their sister. On the other hand, he’d been vexed by her since they were young. There was always a brick wall in their path. She was too much younger than him. She was dating someone else. She got married. Clay had never had a chance, and he couldn’t help but wonder whether his chance was right now.
He sat at the Jake’s Bar staring into the glass of beer, already missing his time with Addison. It was crazy. He hadn’t seen her in years, but he’d never forgotten her and asked about her every chance he got. He tried to do it nonchalantly, but he was pretty sure at least Jackson knew something was amiss.
“Drinking alone?” he heard Jackson say from behind him. His ears must have been burning.
“Just chilling out,” Clay said without turning around.
Turns out, Jackson wasn’t alone. Brad slapped him on the back.
“We need to talk,” Jackson said as the two men sat on both sides of him. This wasn’t going anywhere good.
“What’s up?” Clay asked, taking a swig of his beer.
“At the risk of sounding like a gangster, I thought I warned you,” Jackson said as he pointed at the bartender and ordered two more beers.
“Warned me about what?” Clay said trying not to make eye contact.
“You know what, Clay. Don’t try to BS me, man. We know you spent the evening with our sister.”
“Don’t make it sound raunchy, dude. We had dinner at my house. And then we had a sex party.”