Vows of Silence. Debra Webb

isn’t just like old times.”

      The deep male voice vibrated through Lacy like a lightning bolt.

      Rick.

      Her head went up. She couldn’t help the way her greedy eyes lingered on him in the seconds that followed as greetings were exchanged by all around her. There was no way Lacy could be in the same room with Rick Summers and be unaffected.

      He had matured into a heart-stopping, handsome man. But then he’d always been extraordinarily good-looking. All the girls had thought so. His black hair was shorter than before, but it suited him. His body looked lean and hard still. Lacy remembered how the taut muscles of his chest had felt beneath her inexperienced fingers. And the way he’d gentled his eager hands so that his touch had been tender despite the lust raging through his young body. No other man had ever touched her quite that way.

      “Lacy.” He was looking at her now and she couldn’t ignore him. Not then…not now…probably not ever.

      “Hello, Rick.”

      “It’s good to see you.” His voice was deeper, huskier than before, but there was no mistaking the underlying tension there. His expression grew harder, more intense the longer he looked at her. Was he remembering as she was?

      “It’s nice to see you, too.” Lacy broke away from those disturbing gray eyes and sipped her warm beer.

      “Is there anything I can do for you, Melinda?” he asked, his tone sincere.

      Melinda managed a decent attempt at a smile. “I don’t think there’s anything anyone can do,” she offered listlessly.

      Had the question come from any other cop on the force, Lacy would have been certain an ulterior motive existed. But Rick genuinely meant what he asked. He wouldn’t beat around the bush. He would say what was on his mind.

      “In a few days we’ll talk,” he went on. “But not now. I know you have your hands full dealing with all this. In the meantime, you be sure and let me know if you need anything at all.”

      “We’re here, Chief Summers,” Cassidy said bluntly. “If Melinda needs anything, we’ll take care of her.”

      He nodded, acknowledging the game point to Cassidy. “Of course. I’ll keep you informed of our progress on the investigation.”

      He looked at Lacy one last time before he turned and strode away. She inhaled sharply, almost gasped.

      “You okay?”

      Lacy met Cassidy’s concerned gaze. “Yeah, sure.”

      “This won’t be the last time the chief or one of his deputies wants to talk to us.” Cassidy’s focus moved from one to the other. “We have to be prepared to hold our ground. No one, and I mean no one, is to be caught off guard. Don’t allow anyone—not even your own family—to question you alone. We’re in this together. We’ve all known this day might come. We’ll take each necessary step together. As long as we’re united, no one and nothing can touch us.”

      “Thank you, Cassidy,” Melinda said, tears glistening in her eyes. “I don’t think I could get through this without you—without all of you.”

      “Right now we should all go home and get some rest. We need to stay on our toes. But we have to keep each other informed of our whereabouts. And Melinda—” she turned her full attention back to her “—I don’t want you left alone at all.”

      “I’ll take her home and stay with her,” Lacy offered, anxious to be away from all this subterfuge.

      “All right.” Cassidy dropped a bill on the table for the beers and a tip. “I’ll relieve you at ten tonight.”

      Melinda heaved a tired sigh. “Really, Cassidy, I’m not a child. I can be alone.”

      She shook her head. “It’s too risky. They’ll target you, Melinda. They’ll consider you the weak link.”

      She looked confused and uncertain, then with a nod relented, “You’re right, I suppose.”

      “Hey,” Lacy interjected with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. “It’ll be like old times. Remember how we loved sleeping over?”

      Melinda smiled weakly.

      But it wouldn’t be like old times, Lacy admitted to herself. Nothing would ever be the same again.

      Charles Ashland, Junior, was dead.

      And now the whole world knew.

      Lacy followed Melinda into her house. She would rather walk on broken glass and then tread across hot coals than come back to this house, but she had to. If Cassidy said it was necessary, then it was. They had to pretend that everything was normal—appearances were important right now. And Melinda definitely didn’t need to be alone. She looked like hell. Lacy caught a glimpse of herself as she passed a hall mirror, not that she looked any better.

      “Are you hungry?” Melinda led the way into the kitchen. “I’m suddenly starved.”

      “When did you eat last?” Lacy had a bad feeling that it hadn’t been today.

      Melinda washed her hands in the sink and reached for a nearby towel. “I can’t remember. Sometime yesterday, before the call.”

      “That’s what I thought.” Lacy opened the fridge door and surveyed the contents. “How about I make a loaded chef salad?”

      “You don’t need to do that,” Melinda protested. “You’re a guest. Let me take care of dinner.”

      Still standing in the vee created by the open door, Lacy lifted a skeptical eyebrow at her friend. “A guest?” She harrumphed. “Get real, Mel.”

      “God.” Melinda dropped into a chair at the table. “I’m not sure I can get through this, Lace.”

      Lacy shoved the door shut, and crouched down in front of her friend. “Look, we’ll get through it. No one has to do this alone.”

      “But what if Cassidy’s wrong? What if they have that stupid inquest my attorney told me about and something goes wrong?”

      Lacy shook her head adamantly. “Nothing is going to go wrong. Cassidy knows what she’s talking about.”

      Melinda ran a hand over her face and then smoothed back her hair. “I know you’re right. It’s just so hard. I’m so afraid.”

      Lacy took Melinda’s hands in hers. “We all are, Mel. But we’re going to be all right. Cassidy wouldn’t be so sure of herself if she had any doubts at all. You know her better than that. She’s a tiger when it comes to the law, and she’s totally honest and irreverently blunt.”

      “What about Rick?” Melinda moistened her lips and blew out another breath of worry and helpless frustration. “I’m scared to death he’ll suspect something.”

      Lacy managed a halfhearted laugh. “That’s his job. He’s supposed to suspect everybody until he solves or closes the case.”

      An old anger and hurt turned Melinda’s hazel eyes as hard as granite. “The son of a bitch deserved to die. He’s not worth all the worry he’s causing now. The only good that came of him are my two kids.” She closed her eyes to fight the tears brimming. “I couldn’t live without my kids.”

      “I have an idea,” Lacy offered, desperate to relieve her friend’s hurt. “Why don’t we go pick up Chelsea and go out to dinner in Huntsville. It’s only an hour or so from here and we won’t have to worry about running into anyone who might say the wrong thing. Hey, we could drive all the way to Marion and have dinner with Chuckie.”

      Melinda smiled. “That’s a good idea, but I think we’d have to call in advance to have dinner with Chuckie.”

      The telephone rang, making them both jump.

      “Christ.” Melinda