Page 47 of Exposure of Murder

“Yes, why not? You’re part of this farm.”

Bucky paused. The trust Jane put in him was overwhelming. He cocked his head, unsure how to respond. “Are you sure? The Feed & Grow may not accept my order.”

“Of course they will. During my last visit, I signed you up to order for the farm.”

“I’m honored that you trust me.” Bucky’s mouth felt dry. It’d been a long time since he had any responsibility like this. “Thank you.”

“Pshaw, don’t thank me,” she said. “You’re important to the farm, and you’re helping me.”

“Okay then.” Bucky turned to leave. A tall, dark-haired man was standing in the doorway. The atmosphere changed abruptly. The man’s eyes were cold and glaring at him.

“Victor! Come in,” Jane said.

The man strode over to Jane and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You look beautiful.”

She gave him a big smile and blushed. “Thank you.”

Victor stared at Bucky but didn’t say a word. The silence stretched for a moment until Jane broke it.

“Oh, Bucky, I’d like you to meet Victor. Victor, this is Bucky.”

Bucky extended his hand to shake. Victor hesitated but finally shook it. His grip was firm. Bucky immediately recognized the look of a wiseguy—someone who had done things most people couldn’t imagine. He didn’t have to know Victor to know what he was. He met plenty in prison. But then again, he could be wrong. Didn’t people make snap judgements about him?

What in the hell was Victor doing here? And dating Jane? How did they meet? Something weird was going on. He wasn’t about to let Jane get hurt. Mike would never forgive him, and he would never forgive himself. He’d keep his eyes open until he had some sort of proof that Victor was really interested in Jane or that there was another reason he was seeing her.

Twenty-Six

Bucky left a moment ago, and Victor was standing in the front hall looking handsome in a black tailored suit.

She wasn’t sure what had just transpired between the two men but figured it was some kind of pissing contest that guys liked to engage in, so she ignored it.

Victor let out a low whistle. “Have I told you that you look beautiful yet?”

Jane blushed. “Why yes. I believe you mentioned it.”

“Good.” He glanced into the living room. “Did you have to do a lot of renovations?”

She nodded. “Everything is new except for the floors, which we cleaned and buffed. Would you like to see the rest of the house?”

“I’d love to.” He looked at his watch. “However, our reservation is in a half hour. Perhaps another time. During the day would be great because I’d like to see the entire farm.”

Jane gathered her coat. “It’s a date.”

Victor helped her with it and put his hand on her back, guiding her out. She turned to lock the door, and then they walked to his car.

“What a perfect evening,” Jane said. She gazed at the sky and took a breath. “The scent of wood burning in a fireplace feels like home.”

“Do you have a fire often?” Victor asked.

“Only on really chilly evenings.” Jane thought back to her last evening with friends sitting around the fire, talking, laughing, bonding over wine and food. Perfect night.

They drove to the Rustic Table, making small talk. Victor found a parking space that someone had just pulled out of near the front door. Otherwise, it would have been a walk. The lot was packed with cars.

“Wow. This place is popular.” Jane looked over the wooden exterior, which originally had been a barn. Twinkling fairy lights lit up the trees. Laughter and conversations flitted through the air. The charred scent of beef and the yeasty smell of freshly baked bread permeated the air.

The maître d’ guided them to a white-clothed table in front of large floor-to-ceiling windows and left them with menus. Soft jazz played in the background. Almost every table was taken.

“I asked for a table overlooking Beaver Lake,” said Victor. He laughed. “Although there isn’t much to see right now.”

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