Garden of Secrets

by Barbara Freethy

  He took the kiss deeper, sliding his tongue into her mouth.

  Burning need ran through her soul. Why was she fighting him? This was wonderful, incredible. As their hot breaths mixed in the chill air, a cloud of desire surrounded them. Then it wasn’t nearly enough just to have his mouth. She wanted the rest of him, too.

  She pulled on his loosened tie and yanked it over his head. He shrugged out of his coat as she pulled his dress shirt out of his slacks, then ran her hands over his hard abs. He was all man. And she’d never felt more like a woman in her life.

  His fingers worked the buttons of her top until it fell open, and then he flipped open the clasp of her bra, and his hot hands palmed her breasts as his mouth slid down her neck. He backed her up against the wall, and the cold roughness of the cement barely registered.

  “We can’t do this here,” he said hoarsely, yanking his head away. His eyes glittered as he stared down at her. “Can we?”

  “Maybe. I want you, Joe.”

  “I want you, too.” His head swooped down for another heated kiss, and she reached for his belt buckle, wanting no more barriers between them.

  Then her mother’s voice hit her like a cold shower.

  “Charlotte?” her mother called. “Charlotte, where are you?”

  “Oh, my God,” she said, pulling Joe down to the tower floor. “That’s my mother.”

  “Just stay down. Maybe she won’t know we’re up here.”

  She grabbed the edges of her bra and clasped it, buttoning up her blouse as quickly as possible. “It’s like she has some sixth sense for when I’m doing something wrong.”

  “I thought it felt exactly right.”

  “Button your shirt,” she hissed, wondering why he wasn’t getting dressed.

  “She might leave,” he said hopefully.

  “Or she might come up here and find us half-naked.”

  “Andrew, have you seen Charlotte?” her mother demanded. “I swear that girl is always disappearing.”

  Great, now Andrew was there, too. She looked over at Joe, who appeared amused. “This isn’t funny.”

  “I’m tempted to blow your cover. I’d like to see Andrew’s face, and I’d love to hear your explanation.”

  “Shh,” she said, putting her hand over his mouth. “They’re right below us.”

  “I don’t know what’s gotten into Charlotte lately,” her mother complained. “She keeps disappearing on me, and now she’s caught up in that terrible mess at the mayor’s house.”

  “I’m sure that will all get straightened out,” Andrew said. “Maybe Charlotte got called to the hospital.”

  “Her car is in the parking lot. She’s out here somewhere—she always loved wandering these grounds. She used to come over here and make up games with some imaginary friend.”

  Charlotte frowned. She didn’t remember telling her mother about Mary Katherine.

  “Imaginary friend?” Joe whispered.

  “Shh,” she said again.

  “It’s cold out here,” Andrew said. “Let’s go back into the auditorium. If Charlotte doesn’t show up, I’ll give you a ride home.”

  “You’re so thoughtful, Andrew. And much wiser than you used to be. Charlotte needs someone like you to keep her grounded and on track. I know she’s a smart girl, but she doesn’t always use her head when it comes to anything besides medicine. She’s a brilliant doctor, but her personal life is a mess. I didn’t always like you. You and Charlotte got way ahead of yourselves in high school. But I respect the way you’ve turned your life around.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “I hope Charlotte doesn’t let her resentment of me, or the way she grew up as the daughter of a minister, get in the way of a potential relationship with you.”

  “I share that hope,” Andrew said. “Let’s go back inside.”

  Charlotte let out a breath of relief as they walked away.

  “So your mother wants Andrew for a son-in-law,” Joe mused.

  “Of course she does. If I marry him, I’ll be living her life, which she always wanted for me.”

  “You need to tell Andrew you’re done with him,” Joe said as he grabbed his tie and stood up.

  She didn’t like his commanding tone. “It’s none of your business. Just because you and I made out a little—”

  “A little? We would have had sex if your mother hadn’t come looking for you.”

  “Well, we didn’t,” she said, not wanting to think about how far they would have gone.

  Joe put on his coat and stuffed his tie into the pocket as she stood up and rearranged her clothes. The silence between them grew tense.

  “Why don’t you go down first, and I’ll follow in a bit?” Charlotte suggested.

  “I’m not leaving you up here alone.”

  “I’ve been alone up here many, many times.”

  “Well, it’s not happening tonight,” he snapped.

  “Joe, I realize that you’re used to ordering people around, but that doesn’t work for me,” she said, frustrated with far more than just his tone. Her body was still tingling with the heat of his kiss, she was irritated with her mother for talking to Andrew about her, and now Joe was getting into her business.

  “You don’t want him anymore,” Joe said decisively.

  “How could you possibly know that, when I don’t even know that?”

  “You do know—but for some reason, you don’t want to let him go.”

  “Even if I do, it doesn’t mean you and I will end up together.”

  “You should go find your mother,” he said coolly. “I’ll wait here and make sure no one sees us together. Does that work?”

  “Fine. Have it your way.”

  He caught her by the arm. “My way would be the two of us in bed together. No interruptions, no excuses, and no pretending that what’s happening between us isn’t happening. And that will happen, Charlotte. You can count on it.”

  TEN

  Charlotte hit the gym early Wednesday morning. She had a lot of frustration and energy to burn off, and she didn’t want to run into another crime scene inadvertently. The two-story health club was a fairly recent addition to Angel’s Bay and offered a vast array of exercise equipment, as well as classes in yoga, Pilates, kick-boxing, and spinning.

  After working up a sweat on the elliptical, she toweled off, grabbed some water, and walked down the hallway to make an appointment with one of the personal trainers. She wanted to work with some weights and needed to have someone set up a program for her. The door to the office was closed. She lifted her hand to knock, pausing when she heard a man and a woman having a heated argument.

  “Do you think I’m stupid? I know what’s going on, Larry. You were doing a lot more than training her.”

  “You’re paranoid.”

  “No, I’m not. She had a thing for you.”

  “So what? Most of my clients do.”

  “Most of your clients don’t have a lot of money.”

  “Baby, relax. She’s not going to be needing my services anytime soon. She’s in the hospital.”

  “Well, when she does, you’d better say no, or I’m going to have a little chat with her husband.”

  “Don’t threaten me.”

  “That’s not a threat. It’s a fact.”

  The door flew open, and Charlotte jumped back as an angry brunette flew out of the office.

  She stopped when she saw Charlotte. Then she glanced back at the head trainer. “What is it with you and blondes?” Without waiting for an answer, she stormed down the hall.

  “Sorry about that,” Larry said, clearing his throat. “Were you looking for me?”

  Larry was a tall, tanned, muscled man with very short blond hair and several tattoos across his shoulders and down his arms. He had offered to set up a program for her when she’d joined.

  “I wanted to schedule my fitness-program evaluation,” she said.

  His gaze drifted down the hall, and she saw worry in his eyes.


  “Do you need to go after her?” she asked.

  “I think I do. My girlfriend gets a little jealous. Why don’t you wait in my office? I’ll be right back.”

  “Sure, no problem.”

  She walked into the office, wondering if she wanted to work with a trainer who had a very jealous girlfriend. She didn’t need to get in the middle of yet another volatile situation. Maybe she should ask for Anna, the female trainer.

  Wandering over to the bulletin board, she perused a series of articles on nutrition and fitness. Then her gaze moved to the glass case of photographs taken around the club, and caught on one in particular. It looked as if it had been taken at a club Christmas party. The main focus was the manager dressed up as Santa, but in the background was Larry whispering into the ear of a skinny blonde—Theresa Monroe.

  Her pulse leaped as her mind flashed back to Larry telling his girlfriend that the woman he’d been training was in the hospital. Was Theresa Monroe the blonde his girlfriend had referred to? Her gaze lingered on the photo, on Larry’s hand resting on Theresa’s hip. She was on to something; she could feel it.

  “Sorry about that,” Larry said, startling her again. “You were looking for an appointment?”

  “Yes, in the evening, preferably.”

  He moved around the desk to look at his planner. “We’re pretty booked this week. Since it’s the first of January, everyone is working on their New Year’s resolutions.”

  “Next week is fine.” She paused. “Do you ever train off the premises? I was thinking about having someone come to my house.”

  “That could be arranged, but it will cost more.”

  “And who is available to come?”

  “I am,” he said with a smile. “Anna only trains here at the club.”

  “Would that upset your girlfriend?”

  His smile dimmed. “You overheard?”

  “She was yelling pretty loudly.”

  “She’s possessive. I found it attractive at first; now it’s getting to be a little much. But she’s not a problem. If you want a personal session, we can do it. How’s a week from Wednesday night?”

  “That sounds good,” she said. “Let’s do the first session here and then see how it goes.”

  “All right. Seven o’clock work for you?”

  “Yes. I’m Charlotte Adams,” she said.

  He jotted down her name. “You’re all set. I’ll see you then, if not before.”

  “Thanks.”

  After leaving the office, she headed straight to the locker room. She showered and dressed quickly, then drove across town to the police station.

  Charlotte intended to speak to Jason but he wasn’t in yet. She only had about ten minutes, before she had to be at the office, so she asked if Joe was available. She would have liked a little breathing room before seeing him again, but this was too important to wait.

  A few minutes later, she entered his office. As he stood up, her body reacted with a fluttering stomach and a racing heartbeat.

  Joe gave her a wary look. “I thought after last night, you’d be avoiding me for a while.”

  Clearing her throat, she said, “That was the plan, but something has come up. At the gym this morning, I overheard an argument between the trainer, Larry, and his girlfriend. She accused him of cheating on her with one of his clients. I saw a photo of him with Theresa, and I think there’s a possibility she was having an affair with him.”

  She was so excited about her theory that it took a moment for it to register that Joe looked less than enthused. “This could be important,” she said. “Why aren’t you excited?”

  “First of all, you’re supposed to stay out of this case.”

  “I can’t help what I overhear. And you’re missing the point.”

  “I’m not missing anything. You heard an argument. Was Theresa’s name mentioned?”

  “No, but the girlfriend called the client a skinny blond bitch, and that fits.”

  “That’s all you’ve got?”

  “Larry mentioned that his client was in the hospital. And there was a photo of him with his hand on Theresa’s hip. You said that the crime was personal. Maybe Larry went after Theresa. Or maybe his girlfriend did,” she said, the idea gathering steam. “It was obvious that she hated her. Maybe the girlfriend went to the party to confront her. They fought, and she ripped off Theresa’s jewelry.”

  “It’s a theory,” Joe conceded.

  “It’s a good theory,” she said with a proud smile.

  He reluctantly smiled back. “I’ll have Jason look into it. But Charlotte, I have to warn you again: this isn’t one of those mystery party games. Someone almost killed Theresa. Leave the investigation to us.”

  “I came straight to you, even though I was planning on avoiding you for a few days. So that should tell you how important I thought my information was.” She got to her feet. “I’m off to work.”

  He stood up and walked around the desk. “You have to promise me something.” Her heart beat a little faster as he drew closer. “Stay away from Larry until we can clear him.”

  “I already made an appointment with him for a training session.”

  “Cancel it.”

  “You really need to work on this autocratic thing you have going on.”

  “I’m sorry. Would you please cancel your appointment until we know if Larry was involved in Mrs. Monroe’s assault?”

  “That’s better.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  “Yes. I’d rather train with Anna, anyway. At the gym, Larry seems to spend as much time looking at himself in the mirror as he does watching what his client is doing.” She drew in a breath. Joe was so close to her; it would be so easy to jump back into his arms. “I’d better go back to avoiding you now.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her mouth. “Don’t stay away too long. I’ll miss you.”

  She’d barely left his office when she started missing him. She really did need to keep her distance.

  Halfway to her car, her phone started to ring. She had the crazy thought that it might be Joe, but Andrew’s name flashed across the screen.

  She let it go to voice-mail. The men in her life were on hold—at least until the end of the day.

  Andrew frowned as Charlotte’s voice-mail picked up. He could never get hold of her. He’d thought he’d have a chance to talk to her last night, but Pamela’s appearance at the meeting had sent her into hiding. And when she’d returned from her walk, she’d grabbed her mother and headed home with barely a glance at him. He was getting a little pissed off. He was willing to give her time, but he didn’t want to be stupid. Maybe he needed to stop letting her call all the shots. He’d certainly never let her do it the first time around.

  When they were teenagers, she’d adored him. She’d drop everything to hop into his car and go for a ride at a moment’s notice. He remembered long phone calls after midnight, when he’d talked about his dreams and she’d always listened. But she hadn’t done much talking, he realized. It had always been about him, back then.

  Now it was all about her, what she wanted, what she needed. Only he didn’t know what that was, and she still wasn’t talking. He had to find a way to get her to open up, to tell him what she was really afraid of. Then he could reassure her that the future would be a lot different from the past.

  A knock at his door interrupted his thoughts. He set down his phone. “Come in.”

  “Andrew, are you busy?” Tory asked as she stepped into his office.

  “Not too busy to see the woman who saved me a trip to the auto shop. How are you?”

  “I’m good, but I’m looking for a little advice. I’m hoping you might be the man to give it.”

  “Of course.” He got up from his desk and waved her toward the more comfortable couch along the wall. “Do you want some coffee? A soda?”

  “I’m fine, thanks. Last night’s meeting went well, I thought.”

  “We made some progress. Mrs. Adams has a strong will.”
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  “That’s what it takes to get things done. Believe me, I know. I’ve spent most of my life bringing in funding for our family theater.”

  “Which makes your willingness to help out here at the church even more impressive.”

  “I’m just trying to fill up my days.”

  “What’s on your mind?”

  She gave him a worried look. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”

  “I doubt that.”

  Clasping her hands together, she breathed deep. “I’m thinking about having a baby on my own.”

  “Okay,” he said slowly. “That’s a big decision.”

  “I’m sure everyone will think it’s too soon, since I’m just in the process of divorcing Steve, but wanting a baby isn’t new. I’ve been thinking about it for years, and I don’t want to wait anymore. The thought of having to meet someone and fall in love and then plan a wedding and figure out when to have children is overwhelming. Who knows how long it will take even to meet the right person? I don’t have years.”

  “Or it could be weeks,” he suggested. “You don’t know what’s around the corner.”

  “But I do know that I want to be a mother.”

  “Raising a baby alone is a huge responsibility.”

  “Don’t you think I’m up to it?”

  “I didn’t say that. I just want you to think about it. It also may not be as easy to adopt, as a single woman.”

  “I know. I’ve thought about that. I could try to adopt a child from another country, which would probably be more expensive.” She drew in a big breath. “Or I could maybe ask someone to give me their sperm and try to carry the baby myself.”

  He swallowed hard, suddenly feeling completely out of his depth. They’d never covered the topic of sperm in seminary.

  “Andrew?” she prodded. “You still with me? You look a little pale.”

  He cleared his throat. “You surprised me.”

  “I just want a baby. I don’t need a husband or someone to give me financial support. I have enough money to raise a child on my own. And I have my parents, my grandparents, and Nick to share with a baby, so there will be a family.”