Hot on Her Heels

by Susan Mallery

  It was an explosion of the pattern. The tiny floral print bred in the night and grew. The menus were calico, as were the seat cushions and the plates. It was calico heaven…or hell—depending on one’s perspective.

  Men rarely survived more than a few minutes without visibly withering. Most begged for mercy and ran. The problem was, the Calico Café had the best food in ten counties. Their motto, clearly printed on their menus, stated they served breakfast all day and if you wanted something else, go away. It was an attitude Dana could respect.

  Garth barely reacted at all. “It’s nice,” he said. “Is the food good?”

  She frowned. “That’s it? You don’t want to talk about all the calico?”

  He shrugged. “Somebody must like it. I’ve eaten in worse.”

  Where?

  Renee, one of the regular servers, bustled out of the kitchen. Her ample hips brushed against chairs as she moved. She barely glanced at them.

  “Get yourself a table,” she called, carrying a heavy tray to the west side of the café. “We don’t stand on ceremony here.”

  Garth put his hand on the small of Dana’s back. “Wherever you’d like,” he told her.

  Her usual choice was up front, by the window. She liked to keep an eye on the sleepy town. But maybe today that wasn’t such a good idea. She could see but she could also be seen.

  “How about there?” she asked, pointing to a table in the back.

  “Fine.”

  They were barely seated, her with her back to the wall, facing the room, when Renee hurried over with two menus.

  “There’s no special,” the fiftysomething waitress snapped, turning their coffee cups over and pouring. “The cook wasn’t in the mood. If you want…”

  Renee finished pouring the coffee and actually looked at her customers. Dana braced herself, hoped desperately that nothing was going to happen, then wanted to bolt for freedom when the woman she’d known most of her life said, “Dana. A man? I’m so proud.”

  Why? Why did it have to be like this? Why did Renee have to look so happy in an uncomfortably maternal way, as if Dana were a baby turtle who had finally found her way to the sea?

  The red-haired waitress looked over her half-glasses, studying Garth intently.

  “And you are?”

  “Garth. I’m a friend of Dana’s.”

  “Uh-huh.” She patted Dana’s shoulder. “I’ll let you two decide on breakfast. Take your time.” She winked, then left.

  Dana did her best to think cool, restful thoughts. She was calm. She was one with the universe. She’d forgotten this wasn’t Renee’s morning off.

  Garth’s dark eyes sparkled with humor. “I’m guessing you don’t bring a lot of guys here.”

  “Not only could I shoot you, I would know how to hide the body so no one could find it. Ever.”

  He patted her hand. “It’s all right, Dana. Your secret is safe with me.”

  While they were on the subject…

  “Look,” she said, leaning toward him. “No one can know. About last night.” She’d almost said “us” but there wasn’t an us. One night of hot monkey sex did not an us make. “Especially your sisters. We’re not going to talk about it or even think about it.”

  He reached for his coffee. “I plan to think about it, Dana. A lot. You’re incredibly passionate. Do you know how rare that is? No pretense, no games, just one-on-one pleasure.” He sipped his coffee.

  Her well-honed sense of control seemed to crumble to dust. She wasn’t passionate. She was difficult and crabby and she didn’t let anyone in. She was restrained.

  She opened her mouth to tell him so, only to realize that when she thought about this morning, Renee would barely be a footnote when compared with everything else that had happened.

  The front door of the café opened and in walked all three Titan sisters. They were talking to each other and hadn’t looked around the place, but in a few seconds they would. They would look and they would see her with Garth.

  He turned around and laughed.

  “It’s not funny,” she snapped.

  “As this place was your pick, it is. You’d better stop looking so guilty, or they’ll guess in a second.”

  “I don’t look guilty.” She cleared her throat and forced her expression to something she hoped was neutral. “If they ask, this is a working breakfast. We’re discussing strategy. Nothing else.”

  She wanted to say more, maybe even threaten him if she could figure out how, but just then Lexi looked up and saw them. She looked puzzled for a second, then Izzy turned and spotted them.

  “What are you two doing here?” she asked as she walked over. “Never mind. I already know. Do you ever sleep? Work, work, work. Dana, when this is over, you have to swear you’ll take a vacation. Hey, big brother.”

  Izzy bent down and hugged Garth from behind. He smiled at her.

  “You’re all up early,” he said. “A sisterly tradition?”

  “We still have a lot to talk about and this is the best breakfast in town.”

  Skye and Lexi joined them.

  “How’s the plan coming?” Skye asked. “Are we interrupting? Should we go away?”

  “No. Of course not.” Dana rose and reached for a larger table. “Let’s pull this over and we can all have breakfast together. Garth and I were working out the details. There are actually a few things we need to discuss with all of you, so this is perfect timing.”

  Skye and Lexi grabbed the other side of the table and dragged it close.

  “You’re just going to sit there?” she asked Garth.

  “I like watching women work.”

  “I’ll just bet.”

  She had hoped in the confusion that someone would take her seat, allowing her to settle a little farther from Garth, but the sisters took other chairs, forcing her back across from him. It wasn’t that she minded the view, it was that she was terrified of what she might say or do. Rational thought was more challenging when there were still tingles going on.

  Renee returned to the table. Dana started to panic, but the waitress simply raised her eyebrows then passed out menus.

  “Big crowd this morning,” she said, giving Dana a knowing wink, then announcing there wasn’t a special.

  “But I love the special,” Izzy whined.

  “You’re always the difficult one. I’m bringing you coffee. By the time I get back, I want you to all know what you’re ordering. And no, Lexi, we don’t have organic butter, eggs, juice or anything else. So get over it.”

  Lexi laughed. “I didn’t say a word.”

  “You were going to.” Renee looked at Lexi’s impressive belly. “You’re due to pop soon, and speaking as the person who’s heard the organic lecture fourteen thousand times, I can’t wait.”

  “I have two months,” Lexi told her with a grin. “Plenty of time for us to talk about renewable farming.”

  “Gotta go.” Renee scurried away.

  “I’ll need herbal tea,” Lexi yelled after her.

  Skye shook her head. “You should give Renee a break. She’s old-school.”

  “She loves the attention,” Izzy said. She turned to Garth. “So you’re in Titanville early.”

  “There’s a lot going on,” Dana said, hoping she looked and sounded casual. “I’m going to be speaking with some guys I know at the Dallas Police Department. While a lot of their investigation is confidential, I’ll be able to get a sense of what they have and what they need. There’s no point in duplicating work. But before I do that, I want each of you to be sure about this. Once it’s done, it can’t be undone. If Jed is charged, it sets a course in motion.”

  There was a lot more she could say—like no matter what, he was their father. She might think he was a class A asshole, but that was because he’d nearly killed a close friend. But she wasn’t family.

  Skye, ever elegant in a tailored suit, shook her head. “We don’t have any second thoughts. Garth said nearly the same thing yesterday. We talked for hours and we
know this is what we want.”

  Lexi put her arm around Izzy. “He crossed the line. We want him taken down.”

  Izzy, normally so full of life, was oddly silent. Her face was pale, a stark contrast to her dark, curly hair.

  Dana had a small idea of what her friend was feeling. She’d had to deal with a father who was abusive. But she’d known what he was all her life, while Izzy had to deal with the shock of learning her own father had been willing to consider her a casualty of war.

  Renee returned and they ordered breakfast. When they were alone again, Skye said, “If he hadn’t arranged for the explosion, we would have backed off. But that changed everything. We have to protect ourselves against him. He needs to be prosecuted for everything he’s done.”

  The sisters were so different, Dana thought. Lexi, the cool blonde, with her holistic view on life. Pregnant and glowing, she looked radiant enough to make even the most cynical woman long for motherhood. Skye, with her fiery red hair, had the appearance of the wild child of the group, while she was the most maternal. The quietest and most caring.

  Izzy, always ready for adventure, had nearly been defeated by the aftermath of the blast that had left her blind. Not permanently, but it had been a scare. She’d changed, but was still the one who led with her heart.

  These women were her family, Dana thought. She would die for them, if necessary.

  “If that’s what you want, I’ll move forward,” she said. “We’ll get him.”

  Renee returned with a pot of hot water, a teacup and a tray of teas. “The kitchen’s backed up. It’ll be a couple of minutes.”

  “No problem,” Skye said.

  Lexi sniffed. “Oh, Renee. Look.” She pointed at the tray of tea bags.

  “So?” Renee’s eyes narrowed. “What’s your point?”

  Lexi stood and hugged her, her big belly getting in the way. “They’re organic.”

  Renee shook her off. “Yeah, yeah, so what? I slipped when I placed my order. Checked the wrong box. Now I’m stuck with them, so you’d better drink them all.”

  Lexi sniffed as she sat. “I will. I promise.”

  “Cheap talk,” Renee muttered as she walked off.

  Izzy grinned at Garth. “See what we do to people.”

  “It’s terrifying,” he said as he picked up his coffee. “I don’t stand a chance.”

  “If only that were true,” Izzy said. “But I have high hopes. Especially with Dana’s help.”

  Had Dana been drinking she would have choked. “You’re on your own,” she said, hoping she wasn’t blushing.

  “While we’re talking about changes,” Skye said, then paused.

  Lexi leaned toward her. “Tell them.”

  “Maybe it’s not the time.”

  “It’s the perfect time.”

  Garth looked at Dana, as if asking what they were talking about. She shrugged, not sure what Skye meant.

  Skye shifted in her seat, then smiled shyly. “It’s probably a ridiculous thing to say or even think about, with everything going on,” she began.

  Izzy rolled her eyes. “Would you get to the point? It’s wonderful. Come on. Tell them.”

  Skye looked from Dana to Garth and back. “As you know, Mitch and I are engaged. We’ve been talking about the wedding and, well, it was Erin’s idea, really.”

  Izzy dropped her head to the table. “Will you get on with it?” she said, her voice muffled.

  Skye cleared her throat. “We’re talking about a Christmas Eve wedding. Erin thinks it would be romantic and I know Mitch is excited that he’ll never have to worry about remembering our anniversary.”

  “I don’t think that’s what has him excited,” Dana said with a laugh. A holiday wedding. Skye’s daughter was right…it was very romantic. “It sounds perfect. And very you. Imagine the party you can plan.”

  Skye looked more worried than happy. She stared at Garth. “Is it a bad idea? I’m thinking about all the things going on with Jed. Should we wait?”

  “No. Getting enough on Jed could take weeks, months or even years. Don’t put your life on hold. A Christmas Eve wedding sounds very…nice.”

  “Nice?” Izzy straightened. “You are such a guy.”

  “Thank you.”

  “It would be a small wedding,” Skye said. “Family and a few close friends.”

  “Don’t compromise,” Dana told her. She might not be a “fancy party” kind of person herself, but she cared about her friend. “Have the wedding you want.”

  Skye smiled at her. “I appreciate that and I know you’re right. We’ve talked and we want something intimate. Special. Just the people we love, at the house. But there isn’t much time.”

  “If anyone can do it, you can,” Izzy said. “You’re gifted at the party thing. And I’ll help.” She held up her hands, palms out. “I know, I know. I’m a giver. I can’t help it.”

  “I’ll help, too,” Lexi said, resting her hand on her stomach. “As long as I can do it sitting down.”

  “I’ll be busy,” Dana muttered, thinking she would rather tackle Jed in a gun battle than address invitations or fold napkins.

  Everyone laughed.

  Lexi started to say something, then frowned at Garth. “Didn’t you have on that exact shirt and tie yesterday?”

  The table went silent. Dana’s first thought was complete panic. Oh God, oh God, oh God! Now what? Everyone would know. What would they think? What would she think? She didn’t know what to say, where to look, how to breathe.

  Garth calmly sipped his coffee. “No.”

  Lexi squinted at him. “I guess you’re right. They look the same.”

  “All men’s clothes look the same,” Izzy complained. “Have you seen their shoes? All those identical loafers. The big question is tassels.”

  Just then Renee showed up with breakfast. Dana accepted her plate with a sense of being handed a reprieve. Slowly, carefully, she glanced at Garth, who was watching her. He winked.

  AFTER BREAKFAST, EVERYONE went their separate ways. Lexi and Dana walked to Lexi’s car. Dana hovered as her very pregnant friend waddled more than walked.

  “How are you going to survive the last two months?” Dana asked.

  “I’ll manage,” Lexi said cheerfully. She paused by her car, then said, “He’s not your usual type. Garth, I mean.”

  Dana opened her mouth, then closed it. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Lexi raised her eyebrows. “I noticed the tie yesterday specifically because Cruz has the same one. I thought it was interesting. Men don’t wear the same tie two days in a row unless they haven’t gone home to change.”

  “Right,” Dana said, struggling to stay calm. “But maybe he wasn’t with me.”

  Lexi watched her without saying anything.

  Dana collapsed like overcooked pasta. “Okay, it was me. I don’t know how it happened, but it did. And then he wouldn’t leave. He spent the night.”

  “Fascinating,” Lexi said slowly. She smiled. “I know we’ve been after you to try someone new, but Garth?”

  “I can’t explain it,” Dana muttered. “He’s your brother. Is it too weird?”

  “Of course not. Just…” She hesitated. “Be careful. We don’t know that much about him. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Hey, this is me we’re talking about. I don’t get that involved.”

  “He’s different.”

  “I’m not. I take care of myself.”

  “Then go for it. Enjoy the ride, so to speak. And if you want any advice…” She shook her head. “Never mind.”

  “Advice? On guys? You’re the one with a ten-year dry spell.”

  “That was before Cruz and not what I’m talking about. I meant clothes and makeup.”

  Dana glanced down at the shirt she’d pulled on. Izzy had given it to her for her birthday last year. “What about my clothes?”

  “Just that he moves in different circles. He’ll probably ask you to some events that require some
thing more dressy.”

  Events? As in a date? “We’re not dating.”

  Lexi’s blue eyes brightened with laughter. “You’re just having sex?”

  “Yes. I would never date him.” She held up her hand. “I’ll admit sleeping with someone you wouldn’t date is probably bad, but I’ll accept the consequences. We don’t actually have a relationship.”

  Lexi studied her. “Or so you think. You might want to ask Garth his thoughts on the subject.”

  “I’d rather be shot.”

  “I’m sure that’s true.”

  THAT AFTERNOON Garth found his weekly staff meeting interrupted by the arrival of his three sisters. As they’d just had breakfast together less than six hours earlier, he didn’t know what was so important, but he knew better than to keep them waiting.

  He excused himself from the staff meeting, then returned to his office to find them “exploring” everything from the coat closet to several of his drawers.

  “Ladies,” he said as he walked in.

  Izzy was bent over, looking into drawers in his credenza, Lexi was on his computer and Skye smoothed the coat in his closet before closing it.

  They looked at him without a trace of guilt.

  “We were making ourselves at home,” Izzy said, closing a drawer.

  “So I see. Lexi, would you like my password?”

  She smiled and stood. “No, thank you. I was just…checking my e-mail.”

  He motioned to the sofas by the window and waited until they were seated before joining them.

  “An unexpected pleasure,” he said. “And the reason for your visit?”

  “We want to know your intentions toward Dana,” Skye said, watching him intently. “She’s our friend.”

  “News travels fast.” He doubted Dana had coughed up the information, so apparently Lexi hadn’t bought the similar tie story.

  “She’s a very close friend,” Izzy said. “Practically a sister.”

  “You’re not known for having serious relationships,” Lexi added. “You have a broken engagement and a string of abandoned women.”

  “Abandoned,” he said. “As bad as all that?”