Ripple of Secrets: Rose Gardner Mystery Novella #6.5 (Rose Gardner series Book 3) by Denise Grover Swank Page A
Authors: Denise Grover Swank
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desk.
He gave several last hard shoves against her, making her cry out again, and he let out a loud groan before grabbing a handful of her short blonde hair and lifting her head slightly off the desk. “Is that what you had in mind when you offered to repay me for your husband’s transgressions, Della?”
She didn’t answer, only whimpered softly.
He released her hair and her face fell onto the desk. His hands palmed her ass and a wider grin spread across his face. “Yes, I do believe we can work something out.”
I gasped. He was going to hurt her again.
I shut the door as quickly and quietly as I could, but it wasn’t fast enough. J.R.’s face turned toward the door as I closed it, and I couldn’t be sure if he’d seen me or not. I ran down the hall and into the kitchen, unable to face Joe and Kate but unsure of where else to go. I opened the pantry door and huddled in the back for several minutes before the door started to open. Terrified that J.R. had found me and would hurt me too, my eyes burned with tears. Momma had told me strong Southern women do not cry in public, so I swallowed them down.
But it was Roberta’s warm mocha-colored face that filled the doorway. She took one look at me and knew something was up. “What on earth are you doin’ in here, girl?”
I jumped to my feet and ran to her, wrapping my arms around her wide waist and burying my face into her breast.
Within less than a second I was cocooned in her arms. “Baby girl, you’re shakin’ like a leaf. What’s got you so scared?”
I shook my head against her, fighting back tears again. “Don’t tell him. Please don’t tell him.”
“Who you talkin’ about?” she asked, but even as the words escaped, a certain knowing crept in at the end. She grabbed my arms and pulled me away from her, trying to mask the fear in her eyes. “Tell him what?”
I never considered the possibility that she might not know whom I was talking about. Only one man could induce such fear. “That I saw,” I whispered.
She took a step back, her hands shaking, but then she bent to look into my face. “Saw what, baby girl?”
I squeezed my eyes shut and violently shook my head. I couldn’t repeat it. I wouldn’t.
“Did you look into Mr. J.R.’s office?”
I nodded, my chin quivering, and the tears finally began to fall.
She pulled me back to her chest, rubbing my back in sweeping circles. “Ain’t nobody tellin’ nobody nothin’, ya hear?” She squeezed me tight to her and her heart raced in my ear. “Nobody’s tellin’ nothin’.”
“Okay.”
“Roberta.” J.R.’s voice boomed in the kitchen.
Roberta’s eyes flew open wide and she glanced over her shoulder, then back down at me. “You act normal. You understand?” She spoke in a whisper, but her tone was stern and absolute.
“Yes, ma’am,” I whispered back, wiping away my tears.
“In here, Mr. J.R.,” Roberta said in a cheery voice. “Miss Hilary is helping me make cookies.” She grabbed a container of flour and shoved it at me before grabbing sugar and chocolate chips.
I reluctantly followed her out of the pantry, leaving my damp towel on the floor where it had fallen when Roberta hugged me. I started to avert my eyes from J.R., but then I remembered hearing Daddy tell someone that he always knew when the people in his courtroom were guilty because they couldn’t look him in the eye. So I lifted my gaze to his and forced a smile. “Hello, Mr. J.R. I didn’t know you were home from work already.”
I set the flour on the island, trying not to shiver from the cold.
“Why aren’t you out swimming with Joe and Kate?” he asked, an edge of suspicion in his voice.
“Oh, you know those kids,” Roberta grumbled. “They always spattin’ about somethin’. Kate hurt Hilary’s feelings, so I told her to come in here and help me make some cookies.”
He watched us both carefully, then turned his gaze to me. “Hilary, were you outside my office door just
He gave several last hard shoves against her, making her cry out again, and he let out a loud groan before grabbing a handful of her short blonde hair and lifting her head slightly off the desk. “Is that what you had in mind when you offered to repay me for your husband’s transgressions, Della?”
She didn’t answer, only whimpered softly.
He released her hair and her face fell onto the desk. His hands palmed her ass and a wider grin spread across his face. “Yes, I do believe we can work something out.”
I gasped. He was going to hurt her again.
I shut the door as quickly and quietly as I could, but it wasn’t fast enough. J.R.’s face turned toward the door as I closed it, and I couldn’t be sure if he’d seen me or not. I ran down the hall and into the kitchen, unable to face Joe and Kate but unsure of where else to go. I opened the pantry door and huddled in the back for several minutes before the door started to open. Terrified that J.R. had found me and would hurt me too, my eyes burned with tears. Momma had told me strong Southern women do not cry in public, so I swallowed them down.
But it was Roberta’s warm mocha-colored face that filled the doorway. She took one look at me and knew something was up. “What on earth are you doin’ in here, girl?”
I jumped to my feet and ran to her, wrapping my arms around her wide waist and burying my face into her breast.
Within less than a second I was cocooned in her arms. “Baby girl, you’re shakin’ like a leaf. What’s got you so scared?”
I shook my head against her, fighting back tears again. “Don’t tell him. Please don’t tell him.”
“Who you talkin’ about?” she asked, but even as the words escaped, a certain knowing crept in at the end. She grabbed my arms and pulled me away from her, trying to mask the fear in her eyes. “Tell him what?”
I never considered the possibility that she might not know whom I was talking about. Only one man could induce such fear. “That I saw,” I whispered.
She took a step back, her hands shaking, but then she bent to look into my face. “Saw what, baby girl?”
I squeezed my eyes shut and violently shook my head. I couldn’t repeat it. I wouldn’t.
“Did you look into Mr. J.R.’s office?”
I nodded, my chin quivering, and the tears finally began to fall.
She pulled me back to her chest, rubbing my back in sweeping circles. “Ain’t nobody tellin’ nobody nothin’, ya hear?” She squeezed me tight to her and her heart raced in my ear. “Nobody’s tellin’ nothin’.”
“Okay.”
“Roberta.” J.R.’s voice boomed in the kitchen.
Roberta’s eyes flew open wide and she glanced over her shoulder, then back down at me. “You act normal. You understand?” She spoke in a whisper, but her tone was stern and absolute.
“Yes, ma’am,” I whispered back, wiping away my tears.
“In here, Mr. J.R.,” Roberta said in a cheery voice. “Miss Hilary is helping me make cookies.” She grabbed a container of flour and shoved it at me before grabbing sugar and chocolate chips.
I reluctantly followed her out of the pantry, leaving my damp towel on the floor where it had fallen when Roberta hugged me. I started to avert my eyes from J.R., but then I remembered hearing Daddy tell someone that he always knew when the people in his courtroom were guilty because they couldn’t look him in the eye. So I lifted my gaze to his and forced a smile. “Hello, Mr. J.R. I didn’t know you were home from work already.”
I set the flour on the island, trying not to shiver from the cold.
“Why aren’t you out swimming with Joe and Kate?” he asked, an edge of suspicion in his voice.
“Oh, you know those kids,” Roberta grumbled. “They always spattin’ about somethin’. Kate hurt Hilary’s feelings, so I told her to come in here and help me make some cookies.”
He watched us both carefully, then turned his gaze to me. “Hilary, were you outside my office door just
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