Gilt by Association

by Karen Rose Smith

  In fact, Nikki asked, “Who is this woman? I don’t recognize her.” She tilted her head. “Except I think I recognize those brown eyes, that wide mouth, that long neck. That must be my sister.” Then she leaned in and gave her a hug. “You’re looking absolutely fabulous.”

  “I can’t tell how you look under the apron.”

  “The apron will go once Drew and I have everything set up for the servers.”

  Speaking of that particular man, he came in the back door, carrying another silver chafing dish, and set it on the table. He was wearing slim black slacks and a black shirt with a bolo tie.

  “He looks good in that outfit,” Caprice noted in a low voice.

  Nikki gave a little sigh. “Yeah, he does look good, doesn’t he?”

  “Uh oh, chemistry as well as cooking expertise?”

  Nikki gnawed on her lower lip. “I’m not sure. We’ll see how this goes tonight. We’re trying out a working arrangement. For now, I’ll pay him a salary. He’s willing to work for me until we both decide if we want to be partners.”

  Drew crossed to them and said hello to Caprice. With a hiked-up brow, he said, “I’m on trial tonight. But I don’t think Nikki’s sure she wants a partner. She’s not sure she wants to give up control.”

  “I can give up control,” Nikki protested. “I grew up with a domineering brother, and a younger sister who had all the answers.”

  Drew stared at Caprice.

  “No, not her,” Nikki was quick to explain. “My other sister, Bella. Caprice and I . . .” She shrugged. “I guess the two of us were always like partners.”

  “So I have to fill her shoes.”

  He looked down at Caprice’s shoes, which were fuchsia and high-heeled with an ankle strap, and she was suddenly glad she was wearing them. If they made Drew take a second look, would they make Grant take a second look?

  “I simply need the right partner,” Nikki insisted.

  “You need a partner who can help you set your limits,” Drew offered with confidence. “You cook wonderful food, Nikki, but you shouldn’t have to add every sprig of parsley yourself, or taste every piece of sautéed onion. Know what I mean?”

  Nikki nodded. “I’m beginning to. Just look at these scallops in cream sauce that you made, and the sweet and sour pork. It’s perfect.”

  “We work together well,” he murmured, gazing into her eyes.

  There definitely might be more than chef and sous chef going on here, Caprice thought. She knew chemistry when she saw it. But then again, maybe the hearts dangling overhead and the Valentine’s Day mood tonight had turned her into a matchmaker.

  Knowing Nikki had food to set up with Drew, Caprice smiled. “I’ll see the two of you later.”

  As she glanced around to find the table where Vince and Roz were sitting, Denise Langford, the luxury property real estate agent, approached her. Denise was all prettied up tonight, too. Her hair bounced in tighter waves. Her slim figure was accented by one of those little black dresses that Caprice could never seem to find.

  Denise said, “I was going to call you tomorrow. Then . . .” She waved her hand over the way Caprice was dressed. “Who could miss that gorgeous color?”

  Caprice wasn’t sure if that was a subtle dig or not. Trying to stay on the optimistic side of life, she decided Denise’s comment was a compliment. “Thank you. Why were you going to call?”

  “Chet Downing is going to sell his house, but . . . He’s postponing his own house-hunting because he’s taking a prolonged trip to Europe in a few weeks.”

  “Europe? I know Louise wanted to travel to Italy after he was retired, but I didn’t think they’d planned anything yet.”

  “I get the feeling he just wants to get away.”

  “Are the police going to let him do that?”

  “I think that’s why he’s waiting a few weeks. Maybe he thinks they’ll solve his wife’s murder in that amount of time.”

  That was naïve thinking. “I don’t believe Louise had planned to take a trip yet. She’d been looking forward to finding a smaller place and moving in. I don’t suppose he mentioned whether he’s traveling alone?”

  Denise’s eyes widened. “Caprice!”

  “I’m not suggesting anything. I’m just wondering. Maybe this is part business. Maybe since he’s selling The Pretzel Party, he’s going to start another business. I just wonder if he’d confided any of that in you.”

  “No, he didn’t. You’re the one who was the friend of the Downings.”

  “I spent most of my time with Louise. Even when I was a kid, Chet would take business calls during dinner, sometimes skip dinner with us altogether because he had meetings. I don’t think his life was all about The Pretzel Party. He had his hand in investments and wheeling and dealing. I just hope—”

  “What do you hope?” Denise asked curiously.

  Caprice had been about to say that she hoped Chet and Louise’s marriage had been all about hearts and flowers and lace, but she wasn’t sure it had been. Still, she shouldn’t voice those thoughts to Denise.

  “I just hope the police find the murderer sooner rather than later.”

  “You and me both. It’s hard to believe there’s a murderer running around free in Kismet. Well, I’d better get to my table. I wouldn’t want anyone to give my seat away.”

  Caprice was lost in thought for a few moments, thinking about Chet and his trip, thinking about Chet and the argument she’d overheard between him and Louise. How important had that argument been? Had it been ongoing? Had there been others?

  This time when Caprice scanned the room, she saw Roz standing up and waving at her. She spotted her mom and dad seated at the same table. And then she spied . . .

  Grant was seated across the table from Roz and Vince. Was she supposed to sit next to him?

  Caprice was suddenly very self-conscious with her new hairdo. She touched it now. For good luck, she’d worn Nana’s tortoiseshell seed-pearl comb, as well as the pearls her dad had given her when she graduated from high school. Double pearls dangled on her earlobes. The dress itself fit as well now as it had the first time she’d tried it on. She thought she’d been mistaken. She thought nothing could look that good on her. But it did. It cinched her waist and accented her breasts, and even made her hips look flattering. The satiny material swished a little when she walked. Walking wasn’t the easiest thing in the world in the high-heeled shoes. When she’d slipped her feet into them, she somehow felt like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. All she had to do was click her heels together and she’d be home. That idea brought a smile to her lips. She shifted her purse from one hand to the other.

  Caprice suddenly felt shy as well as self-conscious as she made her way toward Grant. As soon as she reached the table, her mom and dad grinned at her. Earlier, before her hair appointment, she’d given her mom the manicure gift certificate in a Valentine’s Day card. Her mom had gotten teary-eyed and told her Vince had stopped in with a box of chocolate truffles. She was especially grateful for her children at a time like this. Her mom was leaning close to her husband and appeared glad to be here.

  Grant cleared his throat and stretched his arm across the back of her chair. “Do you mind if I join you? I wanted to sit with someone I was comfortable with.”

  Comfortable. The two of them? What made her perk up a lot was the way Grant’s eyes scanned her from head to toe, as if he hadn’t seen her looking quite that way before. Good. He shouldn’t have her pegged. She wanted to be an enigma like he was. But she knew that probably wasn’t possible.

  “The buffet line’s set up,” Grant said, nodding to the table. “Are you ready to get something to eat?”

  So, maybe they were going to spend the evening together. She’d have to readjust all of her mental buttons.

  The servers had taken over at the chafing dishes and the buffet was indeed ready. Nikki and Drew stood nearby, watching Caprice as she nodded to Grant. He rose from his chair and they walked over to the buffet line.

 
; Spotting Nikki and Drew, Grant remarked, “I’ve never seen him with her before. Does she have new help?”

  “Possibly a partnership. They’re seeing how the working arrangement goes.”

  “That’s a good idea. You never know how exactly you’ll work with someone until you do it.”

  They were quiet as they selected food for their plates. Caprice chose one of the hors d’oeuvres that was heart-shaped. She added a Waldorf salad and passed by the fruit cups. Pausing before the hot buffet, Caprice considered the variety of dishes, from the scallops in cream sauce to chicken to a rigatoni casserole to sweet-and-sour pork. Everything smelled wonderful and Caprice knew she shouldn’t even think about eating any of the luscious desserts, from chocolate swirled cheesecake to apple tarts drizzled with caramel to coconut cake . . . and, of course, heart-shaped cookies.

  Grant must have read her mind because he asked, “Should we pick up desserts later?”

  “Sounds like a good idea.” After all, it was Valentine’s Day.

  When they returned to the table, Grant asked, “Are you keeping an eye on Roz and Vince tonight?”

  The couple had just walked up to the buffet line with Caprice’s mom and dad.

  “Roz can take care of herself, and I know Vince won’t do anything stupid. He knows where she’s coming from.”

  “They seem to have a lot to talk about,” Grant noted.

  “That’s always good on a date,” Caprice agreed with a little smile.”

  As if the word date turned Grant in a different direction, he asked, “So did you leave Lady alone tonight?”

  “I did. I’ll be home by eleven. But I did put Sophia in my office. Usually I have someone to watch Lady, but almost everyone is here tonight.”

  “You’re lucky to have so many people interested in watching her.”

  “You don’t?”

  “Donna stops in once in a while, but she’s busy with Tanya and the two cats. I can’t ask her to take care of Patches, too. I do have a neighbor on the other side. He’s in his fifties and semiretired. He was a teacher for thirty years, and now designs Web sites for businesses. Anyway, he says I can bring Patches over anytime I’d like. But I hate to impose.”

  “Impose? It would be good for Patches, and if he really likes dogs, good for you, too. You won’t feel so tied down if you have someone who can help a little.”

  “I don’t feel tied down. In fact, I like working from home with Patches there. Vince has been handing over most of the corporate agreements that come in, except for Roz’s, of course. It’s less face-to-face client work.”

  “But you do like seeing clients.”

  “I do, to a certain extent. But making wills and estate planning is more Vince’s forte.”

  They chatted in that congenial way through dinner until suddenly the music began playing. A DJ had set up and had started with “My Funny Valentine.” Caprice saw a look her mom and dad exchanged, and soon they stood, held hands, and went out onto the dance floor.

  “They look happy,” Grant said.

  Caprice leaned closer to him so he could hear her. “They make a lifelong commitment seem possible.”

  Roz and Vince stood and headed for the dance floor, too.

  Caprice waited, but Grant didn’t ask her to dance. Instead he said, “Why don’t I get us some dessert? I’ll be right back.”

  He returned in a few minutes with a sample dish.

  They listened to the music and watched the dancers for a while as they tried the desserts. Caprice wished Grant would ask her to dance, wished he’d talk to her about something personal. But he didn’t. As they ate and sipped coffee, she began to wonder why she’d gotten dressed up at all. Especially when he said during a music break, “I heard you’re asking questions concerning Louise’s murder. The police are aware of it.”

  “What questions have you all heard I’m asking?”

  “Jones knows you talked to Rachel Cosgrove. Knowing you, if you talked to Rachel, that would lead you to someone else. Am I right?”

  “It led me to another of Louise’s housekeepers, Pearl Mellencamp. She told me a few things about Louise that I hadn’t known.”

  “Like what?” he asked, leaning close.

  His woodsy cologne distracted her momentarily. She shook off the intimate feel of being close to him and told him about Louise skimming money off the house fund.

  Grant looked as puzzled as she’d been about Louise’s money concerns. “Who else did you talk to?”

  “Don Rodriguez. He owns a body and auto repair shop. Pearl told me that he and Louise were friends.”

  “Hmmm. I wonder if the police have his name on their list. Jones won’t be happy if you’re finding leads he doesn’t know about.”

  Defensively she answered, “I’m not getting in their way. If I find something concrete, I’ll tell them about it. All I have so far are bits and pieces. I can always use help putting them together.”

  It was an invitation to Grant of sorts and she wasn’t even sure what it was an invitation to.

  Grant’s response was quick and dry. “I already have a full-time job, and a pup who requires the rest of my attention. So do you.”

  She wasn’t daunted by his tone. “You know, sometimes if you have nothing to do, or sometimes when our dogs are running in the dog park, maybe I can run everything by you.”

  A romantic ballad was playing over the speaker system once again. She gazed into Grant’s eyes as the slow song engulfed the room. She so wished again he’d ask her to dance. Instead, he looked away and picked up another cookie.

  More disappointed than she wanted to admit, she said, “I need to freshen up,” stood, and walked faster than she should have in those high-heeled shoes to the ladies’ room. On her way, she happened to see Dulcina and her date leaving in what seemed to be a hurry.

  Ducking into the bathroom, Caprice thought over each conversation she’d had lately with Grant. That mental exercise took about ten minutes and got her nowhere. With a sigh, she refreshed her lipstick and thought about Louise’s murder, as well as everything she and Grant had spoken about in that conversation. He didn’t want her pursuing it, for her own good. She understood that. But her own good was sometimes different from what everybody else thought it should be, including Grant.

  She was recalling her conversation with Don Rodriguez and the possible Texas connection to Louise Downing when she pushed open the door to exit the ladies’ room and came face-to-face with—

  Seth Randolph!

  She must be having hallucinations. Valentine’s Day hallucinations. Was that possible if you ate too many heart-shaped cookies?

  But when he stepped toward her and took her into his arms for a great big, giant hug, she knew he was no hallucination. She remembered the scent of his aftershave all too well. She knew the feel of his arms around her, her body pressed close to his. Although she would have liked to stay in his embrace all night, she had some questions.

  Leaning away, she looked him straight in the eyes. “What are you doing here?”

  He was dressed in a suit and a white shirt and a tie, and his blue eyes said he’d really missed her. “Can we talk while we dance?”

  He wanted to dance with her!

  He looked her up and down. “You look fabulous, straight out of the forties. Even the hair,” he noticed, touching a stray tendril.

  One of the qualities she liked about Seth was that he was observant, and she had really missed him.

  “This is a Valentine’s Day dance,” she joked. “We should dance.”

  To her surprise, he looked relieved that she’d agreed. Taking her by the hand, he led her onto the dance floor, and then swept her into his arms again.

  Once they’d settled into an easy embrace, he said honestly, “I thought you might tell me to go back where I came from.”

  Because his career was more important than she was? She told herself that was no way to think.

  “You’re here now. That’s what’s important.”
/>   “You still know how to roll with the punches.”

  “Do I need to?”

  “I don’t know. We’ll see. In your last e-mail you told me you were helping with the Give-from-the-Heart Day, and you were coming to the dance.”

  Maybe tonight was the night for some honesty instead of flitting around what she wanted to say. “I was just making chitchat.”

  He squeezed her hand. “I know that, but it got me thinking. I was hoping I could get away over Christmas for a longer period of time, but I barely had time to go down to Virginia to see my parents, and I hadn’t seen them for months.”

  “You know I believe family is important, Seth.”

  “I’m not making an excuse. I’m just telling you my thought process. The work is demanding, and tough, and intensive, and more challenging than anything I’ve ever done. We start at five in the morning and go until ten or eleven at night, some nights longer. When you e-mail me and I don’t e-mail back right away, that’s why. Sometimes I don’t feel as if I have time to eat or breathe or . . .”

  “I get it.” She seriously looked him over again. “Have you lost weight?”

  “Running around the hospital keeps you in shape. And now that that subject’s covered, I don’t want to talk about work.” He held her a little tighter.

  Caprice found herself grinning, enjoying being held by Seth. She hummed along to the song. It was a favorite of Nana’s. “My Foolish Heart.” She scolded her heart and told it not to be foolish tonight.

  “I got a late start today, and just arrived when everyone was eating dessert. I didn’t see you anywhere. But I spotted Nikki and she told me where you’d gone,” Seth explained as he gazed down at her. “When I couldn’t find you, I thought maybe the Fates were trying to tell me something. Do you believe in fate?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Lately, I feel as if I’m bucking it,” he admitted. “But one thing is for certain, I knew I wanted to spend Valentine’s Day with you. In fact—” He suddenly stopped dancing. “Come with me.”

  His arm was firm around her waist and she let him guide her toward the back door of the social hall. When he reached the door, he took off his suit coat and wrapped it around her shoulders.