Home Before Dark (Christian Romantic Suspense) (Carolina Moon Book 1) Read online

  The conversation turned to church and small-town politics and if the city was ever going to repave one of the streets through town.

  Daleigh’s gaze roamed the faces in line around her. Was one of them responsible for killing her father? It seemed as if the whole town gathered at this restaurant, from several familiar faces from church, to the gray-haired waitress from Have a Nice Day, to Officer RJ, the one who’d come over last night. Daleigh couldn’t help but notice his gaze still held a touch of that “I think you’re crazy and a bit paranoid” that she’d experienced last night.

  The murderer could be here, Daleigh mused. He could have been in her house last night. And he could still be interested in Dad’s journal. She tightened her hand on her purse, the pages she’d tucked there nearly burning through the leather, and inched closer to Ryan.

  Maybe it was the man with the long sideburns ahead of her, who kept glancing her way. Or the young man with baggy jeans, a ripped T-shirt, and work boots. Maybe it was someone who looked innocent, like the grandfatherly gentleman only feet away. He seemed to linger close by. Maybe to eavesdrop on their conversation—

  “Daleigh? Hello?” Hannah’s high voice called out.

  She snapped her attention to her family. The line had moved, leaving her behind. Plastering on a smile, she stepped forward.

  “Everything okay?” Ryan eyed her with open curiosity.

  Daleigh opened her mouth to answer, but Hannah beat her to it. “Oh, don’t mind her. She likes to escape to this place called ‘Daleigh’s world.’ Who knows what she does there? Probably composes songs and ponders the deep, profound mysteries of life.”

  “Daleigh’s world is actually a pretty nice place, most of the time.” She’d learned to measure her words and to not let her sister affect her as she had at one time. She tried to take the high road—not that she always succeeded.

  “You’ve got to love sisters, don’t you?” Bruce said with a laugh, nudging Ryan. “Especially these two. They’re always picking on each other.”

  They moved forward in line. They were almost to the hostess desk, Daleigh noted with relief. At least after they sat down, they’d have food to occupy themselves.

  “So,” Ryan cleared his throat. “I’ve always wanted to know, where did the name Daleigh originate? Is it a family name?”

  Hannah started to speak, but Daleigh cut her off. “There’s no story behind it.”

  “It’s not her real name,” Hannah quipped, a look of satisfaction on her face.

  With family like this, who needed enemies?

  Ryan looked at her, waiting for a response. “It is my real name. A variation of it, at least,” Daleigh finally offered.

  The corner of his lip curled. “What’s your real name?”

  “It’s a secret.” Daleigh hadn’t told anyone her real name in years. She even had it changed on her birth certificate. That’s how much she hated it.

  “I don’t understand why you hate your given name so much.” Hannah fluffed her hair with her manicured fingertips.

  “You have no idea what it was like to grow up with that name or what kind of variations middle school kids can come up with from it.”

  “How many are in your party?” A fresh-faced hostess looked at them with wide blue eyes. The teenager stood poised with menus on her hip and a white apron at her waist.

  Grateful for the interruption, Daleigh sighed with relief. Minutes later, they were seated at a corner table with a red-checkered tablecloth, a chrome napkin dispenser, and an assortment of condiments piled into a lace-trimmed basket. The inside of the restaurant had plain white walls and a well-worn vinyl floor. The smell of bacon, fried catfish, biscuits, and cobbler made Daleigh’s stomach rumble.

  The waitress appeared, and Daleigh ordered fried chicken and barbecue from the laminated menu. It wasn’t something she normally ordered, but when in Rome . . . To top it off, she ordered sweet iced tea.

  Hannah’s mouth sank into a tight line as soon as Daleigh placed her order.

  Great. What did I do now?

  “That’s exactly what Dad always ordered when he came here,” Hannah said, her voice soft. Daleigh’s heart warmed for a minute. “Of course, you wouldn’t know that because you never came to visit.”

  Stifling a groan, Daleigh wondered if Ryan thought they were the most dysfunctional family ever.

  Maybe Daleigh should go back to Nashville. Or take a vacation to Cancun. Or take her drummer up on his offer to let her use his timeshare in the mountains.

  Anywhere seemed a better option than here, with Hannah.

  But she planned on sticking around for a little while longer. She had a murder to unravel still.

  Chapter Eight

  Ryan sensed Daleigh’s discomfort, her desperation to escape her sister’s criticisms. He pushed his chair back and extended his hand to the beautiful woman wearing a pale blue dress.

  “Can I show you something?”

  Her slim shoulders visibly relaxed. “Absolutely. Excuse us.”

  Daleigh’s delicate hand grasped his as she stood. It felt just as he imagined—feminine and soft. Reluctantly, he let go and instead placed a hand on her back. His fingers tingled as they brushed the thin cotton of her outfit. Maybe touching her wasn’t such a good idea, he decided as he guided her to a bulletin board at the far side of the restaurant.

  “Thanks for getting me away.” Daleigh leaned in close enough for him to see a light smattering of freckles across her tiny nose. He caught a whiff of her flowery perfume. He could get used to being around Daleigh, he had no doubt about that.

  He pulled her around the corner, dodged a waitress holding a tray over her head, and faced Daleigh. “Everything okay?”

  A frown pulled at her glossy lips. “My sister and I have always been at odds. You’ll have to excuse us. I know we’re not fun to be around sometimes.”

  “Don’t worry about me, sugar. You’re the one I want to know about.” He couldn’t resist tucking a hair behind her ear.

  She smiled, warm and sincere. “I appreciate that.”

  “I know it’s probably hard to see, but I think she’s just trying to look out for you.”

  “You think?”

  “I do.”

  Daleigh raised her gaze to his and studied him a moment. “I like you, Ryan Shields. I don’t know if I agree with you, but I like you.”

  The smile she sent him made his spine turn to jelly. Why did he let Daleigh have this effect on him? He forced his gaze away, ready to change the subject when Daleigh’s fingers cut into his arm. She leaned into him close enough that her breath tickled his cheek.

  “They’re gone.”

  He glanced around the corner at her family, who still sat around the table chatting. “Who’s gone?”

  “Dad’s journals.”

  The muscles across his back tightened. “What do you mean?”

  “Someone did break into the house yesterday. And they did it with a specific purpose—to take whatever evidence was there on those pages before we could find out what was going on.”

  So there was some kind of cover-up. Something big enough that someone had risked getting caught breaking into the cottage. His apprehension squeezed tighter.

  “I don’t like the way things are looking, Daleigh. Maybe you should stay in the main house with your family.”

  “I’ll go certifiably insane if I do.” She shook her head. “No, I should be fine. I’ll just keep my theories quiet until I know something for sure.”

  “Wait—you’re not going to snoop around, are you? You should let the police handle it.”

  “That’s my first option. But if the police fall through, what other choice will I have?”

  Ryan caught a glimpse of the waitress setting their food on the table and saw Hannah motioning for them to come back. He placed a hand on Daleigh’s arm. “Listen, let’s talk about this some more later. They’re going to wonder what we’re talking about if we don’t get back soon.”

  He could se
e the strain in Daleigh’s eyes, the turmoil over everything that had happened. He wished he could make it disappear, that he could ease her worry. But he was practically a stranger.

  “You’re right. We should get back.” She sent him a withered smile. “Thanks for everything, Ryan. Really.”

  He cupped her elbow as they made their way across the restaurant and sat at the table. Bruce began talking about his work schedule for the upcoming week, and Hannah listed all the practices the girls had to go to. Daleigh remained quiet, except for a few comments to her nieces.

  “So, Ryan, are you a fan of that whiny, twangy country music?” Hannah took a sip of her water, her eyes never leaving Ryan’s.

  He nodded, taken back at her open criticism of the style. “As a matter of fact, I am.”

  She shrugged. “I can’t take it. All that singing about lost dogs and watermelons and tractors. No thank you.”

  “Not all country music is like that,” Ryan said. “Daleigh’s music is a mix of folk and country and acoustic rock. I don’t think she’s ever mentioned a dog, tractor, or watermelon once.” He smiled at Daleigh, trying to erase some of the unease from her face. He’d never seen Hannah be this brutal or rude.

  “Call it what you want. It’s not my thing.”

  “Hannah’s embarrassed to tell people we’re related,” Daleigh said quietly beside him. “That’s how much she hates country music.”

  He waited for Hannah to deny it, but she didn’t. Instead, she glanced at her fingernails and shrugged.

  Ryan wanted nothing more than to squeeze Daleigh’s hand under the table or put his arm along the back of her chair. He knew it wouldn’t be appropriate, though. Instead he finished his barbecue and tried to appear interested in the conversation around him.

  When Hannah got up to take Clara to the bathroom, he stole a glance at Daleigh.

  Her napkin was shredded in her lap.

  ***

  Hannah would come back, they’d pay the bill, then it would be time to go. Daleigh could end this torturous experience once and for all. If she was smart, she’d pack her bags and go far away from this town, from Hannah. She could leave here and never see her sister again.

  At the moment, it sounded oh-so appealing.

  Ryan caught her eye, and Daleigh stopped tearing the napkin. Ryan would be the only thing she’d regret about leaving here. She’d enjoyed their time together, getting to know him. He’d been a real godsend.

  She broke her gaze as Hannah glided back to the table. “Daleigh, whatever happened to that crazy man who followed you everywhere?”

  Now there was a happy subject to chat about around the dinner table. Where had that question come from? She shrugged. “The Thin Man?” Nicknamed that because of his painfully thin physique and his ability to disappear into “thin” air. “Nothing. He started leaving me alone. The restraining order expired. And that’s that.”

  Hannah grabbed her purse and shook her head as she flung it over her shoulder. “Creepy. I guess that’s the price of fame, huh?”

  “Some would say,” Daleigh muttered.

  Ryan turned toward her. “You had a stalker?”

  Her muscles tightened as she remembered the apprehension she’d felt during that time of her life. She remembered the fear she’d experienced. The way she had to constantly look over her shoulder. The feeling of unseen eyes watching her.

  But that episode was over now.

  “Or a crazed fan.” Daleigh shrugged. “It was pretty intense there for a while, but I haven’t seen him in a few months now. Thank goodness.”

  A strange expression crossed Ryan’s face. Was it worry? Yes, she decided. That’s what it had to be.

  After they’d paid their bills, they pushed past the throngs of people still waiting to be seated. The warm spring sunshine greeted them as they stepped into the gravel parking lot.

  “We need to drive into Elizabeth City to pick up a few things,” Bruce said, in reference to the neighboring town. “Do you want us to drop you off first?”

  Ryan touched her elbow and electricity coursed up her arm. “I can give you a ride home.”

  Relief filled Daleigh. “You wouldn’t mind?”

  “Not at all.”

  Hannah shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

  Daleigh climbed into Ryan’s F-250. As soon as Ryan closed her door, she shut her eyes and shoved her head into the seat behind her.

  Ryan’s door opened and she smelled his leathery cologne as he climbed in. Keys jangled and his door slammed. She waited for the engine to roar to life. Silence fell instead.

  “You okay?” Ryan asked. The earnestness in his voice soothed her frayed nerves.

  “I’ve got to get out of here.”

  “Out of where?”

  “This town. Away from my sister. I thought I could stay, but obviously it’s a bad idea.”

  “So, you’re going to run away?”

  She opened her eyes. “Not run away. If I stay here I’m running away—from my career, my life in Nashville. No, staying here just isn’t a good idea. I don’t know why I thought it was.”

  “What about your dad? What would he want you to do?”

  Her dad . . . how could she have forgotten about him?

  “He would want my sister and me to be friends. It seems near impossible sometimes. He was the only thing holding us together and now that he’s gone . . .”

  “Your relationship seems like something that’s easier to avoid than actually deal with?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, I guess.”

  Ryan nudged her chin toward him. “Do what you have to do, Daleigh. Only you know what’s best for you.”

  “Believe me, I have no idea what’s best for me lately. I don’t know where to go with my music, what to do with my life. It’s amazing how quickly things can go from good to a total mess.” She shook her head. “Every time I’m around you, I start pouring out my problems. I don’t know what gets into me.”

  “I don’t mind listening.”

  “You’re kind.”

  “I mean it.”

  She smiled. “Thanks.”

  Ryan started the truck, and they took off down the road.

  “So, your dad’s journals are gone?”

  “Yeah. I have to find someone who might know what he was studying, what might have been in those journals.” She leaned her head against the window.

  The truck rumbled to a stop at a red light. “Look, Daleigh, I can’t even imagine how hard this has been on you. It’s hard enough to lose a loved one, but on top of that . . .”

  “I just don’t think I’ll have any peace until I have some answers.”

  “Give yourself time. You’ve had a rough week.”

  They started down the road again and a few minutes later sleepy, winding downtown Hertford came into view. Daleigh knew her house waited around the corner. Her stomach knotted as she thought about sitting there with only her thoughts for the rest of the afternoon. That’s when she made the decision to do a little more research.

  “How hard is the university in Elizabeth City to find? Benjamin Nelson University, if I remember correctly.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Not too hard. Just a few turns off the highway. Why?”

  “I want to go look through my dad’s things there.”

  Ryan nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “How about if I take you?”

  “I hate to impose on you anymore than I already have.” They hardly knew each other, and Daleigh had already taken up too much of his time. Certainly he had better things to do than be her escort for the day.

  “You’re not imposing. The shop is closed today, and I don’t have any plans.” His gaze held hers, and she saw the sincerity in his baby blues.

  Finally, she nodded. “I’m not going to lie. I’d appreciate the company.”

  “What exactly are you hoping to discover there?”

  She shook her head and absently straightened the hem of her dress. “I have no idea. But it’s a place to start.”
<
br />   A grin tugged at Ryan’s lips. Daleigh caught herself watching him, his expressions, his boyish manners. Her heart sped for a minute as she drank in his half smile. What was behind that expression? Did he think she was crazy for trying to find the answers herself?

  He caught her staring and did a double take. Daleigh quickly looked away, trying to hide her own smile. Why did she suddenly feel like she was on her first date, jittery and inexperienced?

  The smile slid off her face when she remembered Vince. They’d only broken up yesterday, but, if she was honest with herself, things between them had been over for much longer. Was she even ready to play with the idea of being in another relationship?

  Or was it even smart to let herself think about another man when her father may have been murdered and her career was on the rocks?

  Chapter Nine

  “So this is Elizabeth City?” Daleigh glanced around the various buildings they passed as they traveled down the highway. Even though Ryan had told her there were two colleges and one university within the city limits, the town would still be considered by most to be small. From what Daleigh had seen, there appeared to be a mall, several restaurants, and a couple of big box stores.

  Ryan’s hand was draped casually on the steering wheel, yet he maintained an aura of total control of the vehicle as they cruised down the road. “It sure is. It’s the big city. We come here from Hertford when we want some excitement.”

  She chuckled, already liking Ryan’s sense of humor. “Hertford’s a great little town. There’s nothing wrong with moving at a more relaxed pace.”

  “I like it there.”

  She glanced his way, curious about the man beside her. “You said you’ve lived other places? For a short while at least?”

  His hands lightly gripped the steering wheel as they turned at a stoplight. “That’s right. I went to college at Duke. Then I lived up in New York for five years.”

  “New York? It’s a beautiful state. Where exactly did you live?”

  “Manhattan.”

  She did a double take. She would have never guessed him as the Big Apple kind of guy. “No . . .” She didn’t even try to hide the disbelief from her voice.