She snorted. “Now you’re pandering, trying to make me feel better. I preferred it when you were being brutally honest.”
“Brutal? Ouch again.”
“If the truth fits.” She shrugged, then winked as if to soften her criticisms.
“This isn’t going at all the way I’d planned when I flew down here late last night.”
“You thought I was in Georgia. You didn’t plan on running into me.”
“No. I didn’t. But now that I have, I’m wondering why I did. After being so intent on finding information on the Ripper, why would you come back to Jacksonville? Are you taking a break from the investigation? Returning to school to finish your master’s?”
She straightened her shoulders. “No break. I’m digging in harder than before. And I’m taking your advice. I’m starting at the beginning. And this—” she waved her hand toward the trees and bushes around them “—is where it all began.”
CHAPTER TEN
The look on Bryson’s face had Teagan stiffening. “Why are you so surprised? I went to you for help and advice because I respected your experience and expertise. Did you think I’d completely ignore your suggestions?”
He nodded, surprising her with his honesty. “I assumed anyone stubborn enough to work past my annoyance over the mistaken identity thing and then pretend they liked tequila enough to make themselves sick would be far too one-track minded to give up over a year of research to essentially start over.”
“Yeah, well. Maybe you shouldn’t judge people so fast when you meet them.”
His mouth quirked up in that sexy half-smile that had her practically drooling again just like the first time she’d seen him. Good grief he was dangerous, the kind of danger that had her wishing she’d worn shorts instead of jeans. She was actually sweating now, and it couldn’t be more than eighty degrees. A mild spring day around here.
“Looks like my profiling skills are even dustier than I’d realized,” he said. “My apologies for making assumptions.” He shifted on his feet, and she didn’t miss the telltale wince as he rested both hands on the top of his cane.
“Your hip is bothering you.”
“Are you playing Watson to my Sherlock now?”
“Oh heck no. I’ll never be the sidekick. If anything, I’m Wonder Woman and you’re Steve Trevor.”
“Doesn’t he die in the end?”
“Everyone dies in the end.”
His grin faded. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories again.”
She shook her head. “Trust me. You didn’t. They’re always there, in the back of my mind. That’s why I’m doing this investigation. When I escaped that day, I got out of the shack. But I didn’t escape him. He’s still out there. Until he’s put away for good, I’ll never be able to move on. Not really.”
He sighed heavily. “I was worried that might be a big part of this for you. What happens if you never find him?”
Zeus whined beside her and she realized she was unconsciously tugging his leash, transmitting her agitation to him. She forced her hand to relax and rubbed his head. “That’s a problem for future Teagan to worry about. Right now, I’m on the case, determined to do everything I can to bring this guy to justice. The real question is, now that we’re both committed to this endeavor, do we work on it together or go our separate ways again?”
He subtly shifted, resting his back against one of the live oaks lining the path. This was the longest that she’d seen him standing without giving in to his wheelchair, and he’d been out here before she’d arrived. He had to be about ready to collapse.
“How about we discuss it over dinner?” he asked.
She blinked. “Dinner? Did I miss a signal somewhere?”
He laughed. “It’s just dinner. I’m hungry, and to be honest my hip is going to give out soon if I don’t sit. Rather than fall down in an embarrassing heap on the concrete, I’m inclined to head to my car then off somewhere to eat before my next appointment which isn’t for—” he glanced at his watch “—another two hours. What do you say? Want me to drive you home so you can put up Zeus and then go eat with me?”
“What appointment?”
“It was too much to hope you’d let that pass.” He pushed away from the tree and leaned on the cane. “I’m interviewing the Brodericks tonight, a couple who used to own one of the homes that backs up to this spot on the path. They moved shortly after everything happened, to one of the homes in the back of the subdivision, on Beautyberry Circle. Tomorrow I’m interviewing some other people who live along this path to see if they’ve remembered anything in the years since your attack. But also to get more of a lay of the land, try to get more of a sense of what your abductor may have been thinking back then.”
She stepped toward him, not stopping until she had to crane her head back to look him in the eyes. “Don’t tease me, Bryson. You’re mentioning these interviews because you’re offering to let me participate. Is that right? You wouldn’t be cruel enough to bring them up otherwise, would you?”
He smiled sadly and feathered a hand across her cheek. The touch was so unexpected, so soft and gentle that she’d swear her heart skipped a beat. Even more of a surprise, he leaned down and pressed an equally soft kiss against her forehead before straightening. But he didn’t drop his hand. Instead, he left it there, cupping her cheek, his thumb gently stroking her skin as if he didn’t want to break the connection between them.
“I’m not teasing,” he said, his voice a strained whisper. “And I would never deliberately be cruel to you. I shouldn’t have been so harsh, so short with you in Gatlinburg. I thought I was being noble, protecting you. But I had no idea that instead of influencing you to go off in an innocuous direction where you’d be safe, you’d come back here to start over on your own. If the man who hurt you is still around here, and he realizes you’re back in town trying to find him, then you’re putting yourself in danger.”
She frowned, ready to argue. “But I can—”
“Let me finish. While I’m not trying to send any signals…” He dropped his hand, his face reddening slightly as if he just realized that he was still touching her. He cleared his throat. “I’ll admit that there’s something about you, something special, that has me thinking about you far more than I should in ways I really shouldn’t be thinking, not when I’m working a case. It’s hell on my focus.”
She blinked up at him. “You think I’m special?”
His gaze dropped to her lips. “No question.” He shuddered as if waging some kind of internal war with himself. Then he moved back a step. “The point I’m trying to make, and not doing very well, is that it would be really hard to work this case with you and to also stay objective the whole time and not get…sidetracked. But it would be even more impossible to work the case alone, knowing you were somewhere out there potentially putting yourself in danger with no one to watch your back. I’d worry about you the whole time and wouldn’t get anything done. So, I guess you’ve won this particular battle. To be crystal clear, no misunderstandings, I’m inviting you to work with me on your case, starting with the homeowner interview this evening. But only if we agree to keep our relationship professional.” His gaze dropped to her lips again. “At least until the case is over.”
Her stomach jumped at his last statement. She couldn’t stop smiling. But not just because she now realized he was as interested in her as she was in him. Far more important was that he was going to help her find and put away the monster who haunted her dreams at night, who cast a pall of fear over her every waking hour no matter how hard she tried to pretend that he didn’t. Bryson was the answer to her prayers. And she was going to enjoy every single minute that they were together, because the man was hopelessly fun to tease. Keep their relationship strictly professional? Pfft. Not a chance. But, of course, she wasn’t going to admit to that. He’d figure it out eventually and by then he’d be so hooked on he
r that he’d be helpless to do anything about it.
That was her hope at least.
“I’ll be crystal clear in my response.” She hooked her right arm around his left one as if to flirt, when really she could tell he was struggling to remain upright and was probably too proud to ask for help. “I would love to work with you, starting with dinner, and then conducting the interview tonight. But first, as you mentioned earlier, we need to drop Zeus off. Like I said, he’s my mom’s. I just borrow him when I visit.”
They started down the path together, him leaning heavily on the cane, her holding on to his left arm to keep him from falling over, and Zeus happily sniffing and following along at the end of his leash.
When they reached his rental car, she was surprised and a little disappointed to see that he’d chosen a luxury BMW sedan. Its dark blue color and the four doors gave it a decidedly mature, boring appearance even though it was definitely a nice car. Bryson Anton was still a young guy, in spite of his teasing her for being several years younger. And he really was hot. He’d look much better sitting in a red, sporty convertible with the top down than a glorified grocery-getter. Or maybe even a jacked-up four-wheel-drive truck with a gun rack in the back, although that seemed a little too country for him. He was refined, but not upper-crust. Definitely the convertible sports-car type.
But after he insisted on holding the door open for her, then slid into the driver’s seat, his deep sigh and the look of relief on his face explained why he’d chosen this car. He needed the plush seats and comfort of a vehicle that would smooth out a bumpy road because of his bad hip.
“Have you thought of getting a second opinion on your hip?” she asked. “I mean, there has to be a way to fix it so it doesn’t hurt so much all the time.”
“I’ve had second, third and fourth opinions. The bullet is lodged close to my spine and presses on a nerve that makes the hip ache. Surgery isn’t an option. I’m told there’s a fifty-fifty chance that it will loosen on its own one day and then be removable and I’ll be good as new, or it will loosen on its own one day and nick my spinal cord, putting me permanently in a wheelchair.”
She pressed a hand to her mouth. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged. “I’m learning to live with it. Partly thanks to you. I admit to wallowing a bit in self-pity before you came along. Now, if the bullet shifts and I can’t walk anymore, at least it will happen while I’m trying to do something good rather than sitting around my house all day drinking tequila.” He put the car in drive but kept his foot on the brake. “Enough about me. Where to, Ms. Ray?”
“Do a U-turn, Mr. Anton.”
With Zeus taking up the tiny space behind the seats and lolling half-across the console that separated them, Bryson followed her directions to her parents’ home, at the end of a long pond on Birch Bark Court, and pulled into the driveway. Beautiful mature crape myrtles dotted the sides of the yard, their hot pink flowers waving in the warm spring breezes. And standing out front on the walkway between the garage and entry were both of her parents, currently in the process of planting a batch of white and pink periwinkles in one of the flower beds.
“Give me a minute to get your door,” he said as he popped open the driver’s door. “Please don’t embarrass me by getting out first. My mother would never forgive my poor manners if you do.”
She grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. Of course she didn’t need him to get her door. But she didn’t mind the show of chivalry and old-fashioned manners, especially since he thought that she was special and made it hard for him to focus. She couldn’t help chuckling at that declaration as he leaned on his cane, obviously struggling not to limp very much as he rounded the car to her side. Behind him, her dad and mom were staring with unabashed curiosity at the gorgeous white guy who’d brought her home, no doubt wondering what was going on.
After she and Zeus got out and he closed the door behind her, she gathered the dog’s leash to keep him from taking off and looped her arm around Bryson’s left one again.
He arched a brow in question. “That’s probably not a good idea. You might give your parents the wrong impression about our relationship.” He kept his voice low even as he nodded in answer to her father’s wave.
Instead of letting go, she tightened her hold. “Did I ever mention that my dad has a bad heart?”
His eyes widened as they started up the driveway toward her parents. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
“Oh, it’s under good control. But it would probably make his heart go into palpitations if he realized that I’m investigating the killer again.”
He stopped beside her. “They don’t know?”
“Nope. And I aim to keep it that way. To protect Daddy.” She tugged his arm to get him going again.
“Then what are you going to tell them about why I’m here?” he whispered harshly before passing his cane to his left hand so he could do the expected handshake with her father. Her mother hung a few feet back, glancing curiously between the two of them.
“I’m Nick Ray, Teagan’s father. That’s her mom, Sylvie.”
“Nice to meet you both. I’m—”
“Bryson Anton, from Gatlinburg.” Teagan flashed her best smile at her parents before dropping a bombshell. “My boyfriend.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Your boyfriend?” Bryson hissed almost two hours later as he was finally driving Teagan away from her parents’ house. “And after telling that zinger you left me at the mercy of your very curious mom and dad while you disappeared to take a shower. I haven’t had to dance that loose with the truth or change the subject so many times to avoid being pushed into a corner in, well, ever.”
“But you did it. You managed to get through the inquisition and dinner while spinning the truth like a practiced politician—minus the lies. I especially liked it when my dad asked how long it had been since we’d first met and you said it felt like only yesterday.” She flashed her magazine-cover smile at him.
He swore beneath his breath. “Why did you do it, Teagan? Lying by omission, or by not correcting what someone else said, is still a lie. And why trap me there for dinner when we were supposed to be there just long enough to drop off Zeus?”
Her smile faded and she looked out the window as he wove through the maze of streets toward the back of the development where the newer houses were built, where the Brodericks now lived.
They didn’t want to be reminded of what had happened any more than Teagan did. It had taken quite a bit of cajoling to get them to agree to talk to him tonight. Thankfully, when he’d stepped outside of the Rays’ home to make a call to ask them whether it was okay to bring Teagan, they’d said it was. He didn’t want to surprise them by showing up with her. And he hadn’t wanted to disappoint her either, since she was so set on going.
“Teagan?” he pressed, when she didn’t answer.
She finally sighed and turned in her seat to face him. “I’m not going to apologize for doing it. Because I’d do it again if given the choice. But I do regret that I didn’t warn you, and that it was so difficult for you. Honestly, I was selfishly focused on myself. I love my parents and assumed you’d enjoy their company. And my mom is a terrific cook. I hoped you would love her zucchini lasagna as much as I do and have a fun couple of hours before we—” she waved her hand toward the road as he made the last turn “—dove back into…this. I needed that break, that moment with my parents to prepare for the interview.”
The sound of dejection in her voice had him feeling like a jerk. He pulled to the curb a few houses short of their destination, but left the air conditioner running to beat back the heat. He didn’t know how people lived here in the summer. The humidity in March made it feel like he was stepping into a sauna every time he went outside.
“I liked your parents very much. Or, I would have, if I wasn’t working so hard not to tell a bunch of lies that I’d have to ap
ologize for later. And your mom is a fabulous cook. We couldn’t have bought something at any restaurant around here and had better. But that’s not the point. I’m already getting over my anger. But I deserve the truth. Why tell them I’m your boyfriend when I could have just been a friend or a friend of a friend? Now, when they ask you about me later and you tell them we broke up—or whatever your cover is going to be when I don’t come back around—it will be that much harder. And it will probably make me look like a heel, thank you very much.”
She clutched her hands together in her lap, and he suddenly felt like the heel he’d just described. After everything she’d been through, and the upcoming interviews about her ordeal, here he was dumping on her. Regardless of the little drama that had just played out, it was nothing compared to what she’d endured.
He placed his hand over the top of hers. She glanced at him in surprise.
“I’m sorry, Teagan. I’m making it out to be far more important than it was. Let’s just drop it and—”
She shook her head. “No. I owe you an explanation. And it was far more important than you realize. Yesterday, at your house, you mentioned that your girlfriend left after your injury. Well you’re not the only one. Except it was my longtime high school sweetheart. It wasn’t official yet, but we’d always assumed we’d get married after we both graduated from college and got our careers going. He couldn’t…he couldn’t handle knowing what happened to me. Or how messed up I was for so long afterward.”
He took her hand in his and entwined their fingers together. “You don’t have to do this. It’s okay. I understand—”
“No. You don’t. Look, I’m over him. Way over him. Anyone who can’t stick around through the bad isn’t the one you want with you during the good. It was a blessing that I found that out before vowing to spend the rest of my life with him. The breakup was just a few months after the attack. I barely even think about him anymore. But I’ve never…since then I haven’t…well, it’s been hard to—”
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