THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

been the last Saturday in August. Right before the hurricane.”
    Her jaw went slack. “I bet you were the last person to see Nick.”
    “Oh, my.” His voice was low and quiet.
    “Nick died on Route 58. They were supposed to have been on the Eastern Shore. At least that’s what he’d told me. But now it’s all starting to make sense. He was up there at that house.”
    “Probably,” Huckaby said. “No. Not probably. He was here. I remember.”
    “Mr. Huckaby, let me get my thoughts together and call you back. I do want to meet with you. I want to talk to you about that day and see what Nick was up to, but my head… well, I don’t know…this is just too much for me to absorb right now.”
    “Take whatever time you need. I’m here whenever you’re ready. You just let me know what I can do. All right?”
    “Thanks. Goodbye.” Kasey hung up the phone. The news made her shiver. She reached for the throw on the back of the couch and spread it across her legs to chase the chill—it smelled of Nick’s cologne. She breathed in the familiar scent. “Nick, what were you up to, you sneak?”
    At first, she felt angry, even a little betrayed. She and Nick didn’t have secrets. At least she didn’t. But then she thought about the times they had sat outside, she leaning back between his legs, taking in the starry view and dreaming of a quieter place. The beautiful farm was Nick’s heritage, but the green line of Virginia Beach encroached a little more each year. Now the once peaceful and serene countryside was often disturbed by the blazing sound of jets from nearby Oceana Naval Air Station practicing maneuvers.
    The pleasant memory of those dreams made her smile. They’d talked about what their home would look like. What it would be like. They’d looked at a farmhouse the summer before last, but a change in Kasey’s schedule kept them from making an offer on it and someone else had snatched it up. Nick wouldn’t have wanted to lose another perfect place. But how had he kept it a secret? It must have been torture for him. How sweet that he’d planned to surprise her for their anniversary.
    Had Nick not been thinking of her, trying to surprise her, maybe he would still be here today.
    She wished she could turn back time and change the events that had landed her in this terrible place.
     

 
    Chapter Fifteen
     
    Kasey pressed redial on Nick’s cell phone. His voice was a comfort. “Hey now. This is Nick. You just missed me, but leave a message and I’ll get right back to ya. You can count on it. Later Bye.”
    Like a junkie when it came to his voice, she needed to hear it, yearned for the soothing sound of it. At least now the tears didn’t flow every time she heard him; instead she felt warm inside. She missed him like crazy. She tugged Jake’s little denim jacket off the coat rack and breathed in the smell of Fruit Loops that still filled the pockets. Jake loved the green loops best. They matched Daddy’s tractor.
    Dutch walked over and pushed his nose under her hand, licked the salty tears from her cheek, then snagged a couple of the stale Fruit Loops from her hand.
    She glanced at the clock. It was close to seven, but she had a feeling that Chaz Huckaby would answer no matter what time she called. She punched in his number.
    “Mr. Huckaby?” Kasey asked.
    “Yes, ma’am. Who’s calling?”
    “This is Kasey.”
    “Well, hello there, Ms. Kasey. I was hoping you’d call back. Your husband put a lot of love into that property for you. I know he’d want you to see it.”
    “I’d like to. Can you give me directions?”
    “I can. But why don’t you meet me in Emporia at the shop here, and I’ll drive you over?”
    “If it’s no trouble…”
    “None at all. It’d be my pleasure. When would you like to come?”
    “I’d like to come right now, but I guess morning will have to do. Can I call you when I’m on my way?”
    “You bet.” He gave her the address of his store. “I look forward to talking to you in the morning.”
    Kasey felt close to Nick and Jake as she hung up the phone. She called Dutch, who came running to her. They went outside. She sat on the back porch, and Dutch bounded out into the yard.
    Frogs and crickets chirped in the night. She pulled a tissue out of her pocket and blew her nose. She must have scared Dutch because he came bounding back up the stairs.
    “Come on, boy, let’s hit the sack.”
    She went back inside and locked the house. Dutch followed her