Nikki finally set the wine bottle next to the pistol and asked, “Where is Archer?”
“Oh. He just went out to get some takeout. There’s thisincrediblesushi place here, and they have, like, the mostincredibleavocado rolls and vegan California rolls. To die for.”
“So he’ll be back.”
“Yeah. Any time now. In fact, I thought you were him. I was in the shower and thought I saw someone out of the window. Then I realized it wasn’t him, so I grabbed the gun and came out.”
“You should be careful about that. Pointing a gun at people, you know.”
“But you were out here prowling around.”
“You could wait for the police,” Nikki suggested, though she cringed inside at the thought of someone from the department coming by and Pierce finding out that she’d been here. Worse yet, she might be arrested and he’d find out that way. Maybe it was better to change the subject, find out what she could, hopefully talk to Archer and leave. “You said you live here?” Nikki clarified. “You called this place your house.”
“Uh-huh.”
“With Archer?” Just to be sure.
“We’ve been kinda seeing each other,” she admitted with a little shrug. “And before you get all he’s-old-enough-to-be-your-father on me, I already know that.” She folded her arms under her breasts a little defensively. “I’ve already heard that enough,” she said under her breath.
“So people know about the two of you?” How long had this been going on?”
“I guess. Maybe some people Archer knows.” Another shrug and Nikki felt the wind pick up. The stars overhead were beginning to be shielded by gauzy clouds. “And my parents. My dad is pretty butt-hurt about it, and Mom, geez, she’salwayspointing out that Archie is older than Daddy, but”—she sighed wistfully and looked past the pool to the beach and inky ocean beyond—“we love each other.”
“You do?” Nikki said and withheld judgment. Annabelle was more likely to give her information if Nikki went along with the girl’s perspective, even though she couldn’t imagine this young, vibrant woman with Mavis Greenlee’s widower. “So, how long have you two been seeing each other?”
“Three months!” Annabelle announced proudly. “We’ve been together three months and eleven days … well, not really together-together, you know, because he was married and all.”
So she did understand.
“Hey, wanna go for dip in the tub?” Annabelle asked, as if the conversation had grown a little too uncomfortable. She padded quickly over to the hot tub, where she pressed a button for the jets and the water started bubbling and swirling, frothy waves appearing on the surface. “It’ssocool at night. We come out here all the time. Archie and I love it.”
Nikki eyed the wine bottle and glasses, evidence of a private party, and one of the participants was underage. “I’ll pass.”
Annabelle was already stepping into the tub. “You can borrow one of my suits or, you know, we can skinny-dip.” To prove it, she dropped her robe, displaying a young, supple body with smooth muscles, taut skin, and full breasts between which a small cross nestled. It hung from a tiny gold chain, catching in the light from the pool and glittering against her tanned skin as she settled into the water. “Oooh, I’d better warn you, it’s pretty hot in here. Yikes!” She sucked in her breath.
“I can see that.” Steam was rising from the water’s shimmering surface.
“But, seriously, it’sincredible. I love to come out here after a long day of riding or working at the horse barns and just soak, you know.”
Surreal, Nikki thought. But she stepped closer to the tub so she could continue the conversation over the noise of the Jacuzzi’s motor and the churning water from the jets. Balancing on the tub’s rim, where the scent of chlorine wafted from the water, she asked, “How did you and Archer get together?”
“It was fate!” Annabelle vowed, twirling in the water. “I swear! He, um, dropped his granddaughter off for riding lessons when school started last September, and we just like started talking, you know, about the girl and her riding skills and what horse would be best for her, stuff like that.” She floated to the middle of the tub, her braid snaking out behind her. “We really didn’t hook up until after Christmas. Because, you know”—she wrinkled her nose and wobbled her head from side to side like a silly little girl caught in a naughty act—“he was married and all.”
“That was a problem?” Nikki asked, though, of course, she knew the answer.
“Yeah. Kinda. For me, but not for him. But he was really unhappy, so they were divorcing.”
“Ah.”
“And it just happened. We fell in love.” She chased around some of the bubbles and tried to capture them.” It doesn’t matter how old you are,” she went on. “Love isn’t like that.” Submerging her chin, she blew some of the frothy bubbles out of the way just as, over the rumble of the Jacuzzi’s jets, Nikki caught the sound of a car’s engine. A quick wash of illumination splashed across the front of the house and down the side yard. A car turned into the drive.
Annabelle noticed it, too. As the car’s engine was cut, she cried, “He’s back!” She jumped up and down a little in the tub. Like the kid she was. “Oooh, I’d better not let him catch me like this.” She pulled a worried face, then grinned a little wickedly. “Archie doesn’t like it when I’m naked around other people. Especially other men. He gets jealous.”
“Okay.” Sometimes the best plan was to just let the person talk.
She started to step out of the hot tub, when a male voice cut through the night. “Annie?”
“Oops, busted!” Annabelle said under her breath the second Archer Greenlee rounded the corner of the house. He was carrying a whitesack in one hand and pocketing his keys with the other. He stopped dead in his tracks at the edge of the deck when his gaze landed on Nikki. “What the hell?”