Die Before Nightfall Read online

  “Now this is more what I’m use to.”

  “What? Messy hair?”

  “No, the flower child look. Wild hair and long, flowing dress.”

  “I was in a hurry.”

  “There was no rush. Abby doesn’t keep track of time.”

  “Next time I’ll be sure to put my hair up.”

  “Hopefully not on my account. I like it this way.” He put a hand on Raven’s arm, stopping her when she would have slid past him. “Were you rushing to get to Abby? Or were you running from whatever it is I see in your eyes?”

  Startled, Raven pulled back, uncomfortable with how easily he could read her, wanting to walk away before he could see more of who she was.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t ask any more questions. Come on in. Abby’s in the parlor with her caregiver.” Then he stepped aside and let her move past.

  Broken glass littered the floor. Bits of food and spilled milk pooled beneath the table. A loaf of bread had been ripped to shreds and lay in wet lumps.

  “What happened?”

  “Abby thinks she’s being poisoned.”

  “Does she realize what she’s done?”

  “I don’t think so. That’s why she’s in the parlor. I want to get this cleaned up before she bakes her bread.”

  “I’ll help.”

  “No. Go see Abby. I’ll finish up in here.”

  “Four hands are better than two.”

  “I thought it was two hands are better than one?”

  “Not in this case.” Raven grabbed a broom that had been abandoned against the refrigerator and began sweeping clumps of food and muck into a pile.

  Shane thought he should argue. After all, Raven was a nurse, not a maid, but she worked so much more efficiently than he did, sweeping in smooth productive motions, her arms toned and capable despite her thinness, that he decided it might be better to let her help.

  “I thought we were going to work together?” She’d paused in her sweeping, and eyed him with a mixture of amusement and frustration.

  “Sorry. Bad habit.” Shane grabbed a plastic trash bag and began throwing pieces of broken glass inside.

  “Staring at people is a bad habit? Or letting other people do your work?”

  “Staring at people. I usually don’t like people around when I’m working. Complicates things.” Shane spoke as he reached down to grab the broken teacup. His arm brushed Raven’s calf.

  Raven must have noticed. She’d stopped sweeping again and was staring down at him, her eyes wide with surprise and the same fear Shane had noticed before. He wanted to ask what had put it there, but he didn’t have time. A flurry of activity in the hall warned him a moment before Abby burst into the room with Kaylee right behind her.

  “I’m sorry, Shane. She—”

  “Shane Montgomery, what have you done?”

  “Just a little accident, Aunt Abby.”

  “An accident?” Then her attention drifted away and she was looking at Raven, a wide smile creasing her face. “Oh, you came. I thought you’d forgotten. We’re making toast today.”

  “I’m looking forward to it, Abby. First I’ll help Shane clean up this mess.”

  “Mess?” Abby glanced around the room. “Oh dear, what happened?”

  Raven was sure she heard Shane sigh, but he hid his exasperation well.

  “Just a little accident, Aunt Abby. Why don’t you sit down here while we finish up?”

  “Yes. I think I will.” She allowed herself to be helped into the chair. “I wonder if I could have some tea.”

  “I’ll get it for you, Abby.” The fair-haired woman who’d followed Abby into the kitchen hurried to the stove and started the burner, then turned to smile at Raven. “I’m Kaylee, by the way, since Shane’s head is too far in the clouds for him to bother with introductions.”

  “Raven Stevenson.”

  “I heard you moved into the Freedman property.”

  “You and everyone else in town.” Raven grinned to take the sting out of the words, and Kaylee nodded.

  “That’s part of life here. How do you like Lakeview so far?”

  “It’s nice.”

  “And will you be staying long?”

  “For a while. I’m here to visit my brother. Ben Avery.” Raven began sweeping again, aware that Kaylee wasn’t the only one listening.

  Shane was picking up large pieces of glass and food and dropping them into the bag, but his focus was on her, not the job. He met her gaze and smiled. “Don’t stop talking on my account.”

  “Don’t stop working on mine.”

  Shane laughed, the sound deep and full. It shivered along Raven’s spine and made her wonder what her reaction to him would be like if she hadn’t married Jonas. If she didn’t have so much in her life to regret.

  “Here’s your tea, Abby.” Kaylee’s voice cut through Raven’s thoughts and she forced her mind back to cleaning.

  It didn’t take long to finish the job. Kaylee pitched in, mopping the floor while Raven wiped the table and Shane carried the garbage bag outside.

  “I’ve got to head out. Can you tell Shane I’ll be happy to fill in again if he needs me?”

  “I’ll tell him.”

  “Are we going to can the beans now?”

  Raven glanced at Abby, saw that she’d finished her tea and was staring into the distance. “Beans?”

  “Or is it baking day? I’ve forgotten.”

  “Baking day. Shall we make some bread?”

  “What a wonderful idea. There’s yeast in the refrigerator, I think. Would you mind checking…I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten your name.”

  “Raven.”

  “That’s right. Raven. You look a lot like an old friend of mine. Thea. She had the same curly hair and the same thin frame. I always envied that about her.”

  “You were good friends?”

  “Oh, yes, the best. Father didn’t like it, but Mother was a sweet woman, way ahead of her time. She didn’t care that Thea was black, or that her mother wasn’t married.”

  “She sounds like a great lady.”

  “Who?” Shane asked as he stepped back into the room.

  “Abby’s mother.”

  “From what I heard, she was. I never met her. She died when Abby was in her early teens, I think. Is that right, Abby?”

  “I’m the only one left now. Sometimes it seems like a dream, and I wonder if I just imagined it all. I need to find the book, but I can’t remember where I left it…” Her voice trailed off and she stepped toward the back door, tears sliding down her cheeks.

  “Where are you going, Aunt Abby?” Shane slid an arm around her shoulders, his expression somber, his voice gentle.

  Raven’s heart broke a little at the sight they made—the tall, sturdy man and the fragile, fading woman.

  Tears pricked her eyes, and she turned away, reaching for the flour and sugar she’d placed on the counter. “Maybe we should put this away for now.”

  “You still up for baking bread, Aunt Abby? Or do you want to do this another day?”

  “That’s right, we were baking. Do we have raisins?” She stepped back to the counter, forgetting for the moment, it seemed, whatever had upset her.

  “Top shelf on the left.”

  Raven opened the cupboard and found the unopened box just where Shane had said it would be. “Here we are. Raisins.”

  “Good. Looks like we’re ready to bake.”

  “Abby and I are ready. You can go write.”

  “No way. Abby’s caregiver won’t be here until five. I’m here until then.”

  “I’ll stay with her. Go write.”

  “Yes, Shane. Go. You’re very irritating in the kitchen. And clumsy. Look at the mess we just had to clean up because of you.”

  Shane snorted at that, and opened his mouth to argue. Raven didn’t give him the chance.

  “You’re wasting writing time.”

  “I’m beginning to think I’m not wanted around here.” He smiled and kissed his au
nt on the cheek. Then he tugged one of Raven’s curls. “Keep her out of trouble. If you need me, call me at the office. The number is by the phone.”

  He left then, and Raven set to work, trying not to notice how empty the room felt without him.

  Chapter Nine

  Half an hour later a ball of sticky, raisin-studded dough sat in a covered bowl on the counter. According to the recipe it would need to rise for another forty minutes before it could be shaped. If it rose at all.

  Raven wasn’t sure it would, as Abby had added a few ingredients that weren’t listed in the recipe. She didn’t share her misgivings, just smiled at Abby who sat sipping tea and looking quite pleased with their accomplishment.

  “Well, that’s that. Maybe we should take a walk while we wait for it to rise.”

  “That would be lovely, dear.”

  “I’ll call Shane and let him know where we’re going.”

  It took only a moment to check with Shane and get Abby ready for the stroll. “Shall we go to the road? Or walk through the field.”

  “Are we going to the cottage?” Abby asked.

  “I hadn’t thought of it, but if you’d like to, we can. I need to let my puppy out anyway.”

  The day had warmed a bit, the sun streaming through tall trees and bathing the ground with gold as they walked.

  They reached the cottage easily and Raven helped Abby up onto the porch steps. Then she opened the door to let Merry out. The puppy was ecstatic, leaping and bounding across the yard, and only returning to the house when Raven picked her up and carried her there.

  Abby didn’t respond to the puppy, nor did she speak when Raven helped her to her feet and led her back toward the Montgomery property. They were almost to the mailbox when they heard an engine roar. Raven turned toward the sound and saw a car careening around the curve in the road.

  “Watch out, this car’s coming fast.”

  And straight toward them!

  Heart thundering, mouth dry with fear, Raven leaped to the side of the road, pushing Abby behind a tree and scrambling to follow. Tires squealed, brakes screeched. Then the world exploded.

  Someone was screaming, Shane could hear it through the open window. He bolted out of his chair and raced from the office. He took the steps two at a time, adrenaline pumping through him as the screams continued. It sounded like Abby.

  He’d almost reached the road when she stumbled into view, still shrieking, terror making her eyes wide.

  “Hurry! Hurry!”

  “What happened? Where’s Raven?”

  “Hurry!”

  They moved as quickly as Abby could. Much too slowly for Shane, clearing the driveway, stepping onto the road. That’s when he saw the car. Bright red, gleaming in the fading light, it was half on, half off the road, its hood crumpled against a tree. The engine was still running, the door left opened.

  “Raven!” Shane shouted as he sprinted toward the wreck.

  “I’m okay.” The words were barely audible to Shane above the sound of his pounding heart. He might have thought he’d imagined them if Raven hadn’t stepped into view.

  Blood dripped from a wound on her head. Her hem was torn, the fabric ragged and hanging open; both her knees were raw and weeping blood.

  “Don’t move.” Shane barked the order as he ran toward her, praying she’d listen.

  She did, standing still until he was beside her; staying quiet as he lifted her into his arms. He turned to his aunt, saw that she was pale and shaken, but still upright, still aware.

  “Come on, Abby. We need to get her back to the house.”

  Raven meant to protest, meant to tell Shane she’d been hurt a lot worse in her life, but her mouth wouldn’t cooperate with her mind. Worse, her body had betrayed her, leaning into Shane’s warmth, gathering strength from the fast, steady beat of his heart. She closed her eyes, then opened them again and found herself lying on a couch, Shane and Abby standing over her.

  “I’m fine.” But even as she spoke the words, Raven was cataloguing her injuries, trying to decide how hurt she really was.

  Shane pressed a hand against her shoulder. “Lie back. You’ve got a head injury.”

  “Just a cut, I think.” Raven raised a shaky hand to her head, fingering a jagged tear near her hairline. It wasn’t bad. Not nearly as bad as it could have been. “Nothing that won’t heal on its own.”

  “The ambulance will be here in a few minutes. I called the sheriff, too.”

  “Good, but I don’t need an ambulance.”

  “Let’s let them decide.”

  Shane was running roughshod over Raven and she didn’t like it. She’d lived too many years under Jonas’s thumb to ever let another man tell her what to do. She sat up, ignoring a twinge of pain in her side.

  “How about Abby? Is she all right?”

  “There’s not a scratch on her.”

  “Guess we were both pretty lucky, weren’t we, Abby.”

  But Abby was sitting in the reclining chair, staring toward the window. She looked lost and lonely, her white hair in disarray, her sweater covered with grass stains and twigs. Raven wanted to go to her, to put an arm around her shoulder, ask where she’d gone and try to find a way to pull her back.

  “Abby—” She tried to stand, but Shane pressed a hand against her shoulder again.

  “For crying out loud, Raven. You were hit by a car. Lie back.”

  “I’m okay.” But the world was spinning, rushing toward her in a hodgepodge of color.

  “Sure you are.” Shane eased her down against the cushions as he spoke, and Raven allowed him to do it.

  “I am. The car didn’t hit me. It hit a tree.”

  “Yeah? Then how’d you end up with a cut head and wrecked knees?”

  “I think I tripped.”

  “Right. I hear the sirens. Stay put.”

  It wasn’t a request, and Raven had no intention of complying. But her head felt heavy, her eyes tired, and a slow throb was working its way up her leg. She bit back a groan and settled back on the couch.

  Commotion near the door drew Raven’s attention away from the pain. She glanced toward the sound, watching as Shane walked back into the room, a tall, heavyset man beside him.

  “Raven, this is Ted Marshal. He’s from the Sheriff’s Department. Ted, Raven Stevenson.”

  The officer stepped forward, his gaze traveling from Raven’s blood-soaked hair to her torn knees. “Already checked out the accident site. Looks like you had a close call out there. Did you see the driver of the car?”

  “No. Everything happened too fast.”

  “Not even a vague impression?”

  Raven thought back and could remember only blurs of color and motion. “Nothing.”

  “Too bad. The car went missing from a car dealership in Lynchburg last night or early this morning.”

  “You think it’s a kid?” Shane spoke as he leaned toward Raven and wrapped a hand around hers, smoothing his thumb over her clenched fingers and knuckles.

  The officer didn’t seem to notice, and just went on with his thoughts. “Probably. It happens all the time. Kid gets dared, steals a car, drives it around for a while and leaves it on a back road for the police to find and return.”

  “Only this time he didn’t know how to drive and wrecked it?”

  “Like I said. It happens. And this time the kid was lucky. Lots of times it isn’t just the car that’s damaged.”

  “And it isn’t just the car this time.” Shane’s voice was quiet, though his anger was obvious.

  A look passed between the two men, a lifetime of hostility exchanged without a word.

  Raven spoke into the tension. “Luckily no permanent damage was done.”

  Shane shot her a look, squeezed her hand lightly. “You’re right. I hear the ambulance. I’ll go show them in.”

  He released Raven’s hand and stepped away. She thought of calling out to him. Of telling him she’d rather he stay and let the officer take care of the ambulance. She didn’
t. That would have made her feel weak and needy—two character flaws she’d worked hard to overcome. Instead she forced herself up and walked over to Abby, wincing only a little as the movement jarred her head.

  “Are you okay, Abby?”

  The older woman turned as Raven spoke. There were tears on her cheeks, drying but still obvious. “Oh, you poor thing. How could I have let this happen?”

  “You didn’t let anything happen. It was an accident. Some kid taking a joyride.”

  “Was it? I wasn’t sure.”

  “Of course it was.”

  But something nudged at the edges of Raven’s mind. Something that didn’t fit but that was too vague to put her finger on. Now wasn’t the time to think about it, not with Abby so clearly upset.

  Raven put a hand on her shoulder. “Nothing that happened today was your fault.”

  She might have said more, but Shane walked back into the room, the ambulance crew behind him. His gaze went from the couch to Raven and he quirked a brow.

  “Why did I know you would be up taking care of Abby instead of lying down taking care of yourself?”

  “I just wanted to be sure she was all right.”

  “Now it’s your turn.” He put his hand under her elbow and led her back to the couch.

  “This is silly. I’m shaken, but not badly hurt.”

  “Why don’t you let us take a look, ma’am?” A young man, no more than twenty-two, stepped toward her and Raven decided not to fight the inevitable.

  She allowed herself to be poked and prodded, cleaned and bandaged, but refused to go to the hospital. She’d spent too much time in one after Micah’s birth and again at the end of Jonas’s illness. She had no intention of being in one again. Not if she could help it.

  “You won’t need stitches.” The attendant swabbed her forehead one last time. “But see your doctor as soon as possible.”

  “I will.”

  “And go to the emergency room if you have shortness of breath, dizziness or blurred vision. You said you were a nurse, so I’m sure you know the drill.” He packed up the medical kit he’d been using and smiled at Raven. “You’re new in town, right?”

  “I moved in a week ago.”

  “I didn’t think I’d seen you before. I’m Rick. It’s nice to meet you. Too bad it wasn’t under better circumstances. We’ll have to try this again when you’re feeling better.”