by Wendy Vella
“It really is. You’ve done an amazing job, Mandy, you should be proud.”
“You helped.”
“No, really, this is all you.”
Mandy giggled like an excited schoolgirl.
“Is Leo coming?”
“He’ll be here soon.”
Leo had said he’d arrive later and sit somewhere in the back so no one noticed him. He didn’t want any more trouble on a night that should be a celebration, which his presence would likely cause.
“I knew I’d been a loser while we lived in Ryker, but just not how big of one,” he’d told her after the Santa run.
She knew how he was feeling, because coming here and having their past behavior slap her in the face had not been a nice experience.
“I see you are still here, Aurora May.”
Rory stepped closer to Mandy and linked arms with her friend as June Harvey appeared before them. She wasn’t sure why she’d done it, but she’d felt the need.
“I understand Leo has arrived, and I’m hoping it’s to pick you up?”
“Afraid not.”
“That’s rude,” Mandy said at the same time. “Rory and her brother have as much right to be here as you do, Mrs. Harvey.”
“Perhaps it is,” June said, surprising Rory. “But I can’t help how I feel.”
“I have to go, Rory, Bailey is waving me over.”
“You go on, and I’ll see you soon, Mandy,” Rory said. “I’ll be fine.” Mandy looked doubtful but left.
“Geoff told me you’d been into the bank to see him, Aurora. He said you questioned him about what your father did.”
“I wanted to discuss the case with him, as I was too young when it happened to understand everything. He was very helpful.”
“I fail to see what you need to understand. Surely you don’t believe your father innocent?” June’s voice was shrill, her perfectly painted face pinched tight with disapproval.
“I never said I did,” Rory added. “But Dad professed his innocence till the end.”
Color leached from her cheeks. “D-don’t be ridiculous, Aurora May. A jury convicted him, surely they were right?”
“Your husband said as much.”
“Yes, w-well, Geoff was hurt too. He considered your father a friend. It was a terrible time for our family. I was a suspect, and that cast a shadow over the entire household.”
“Imagine how it was in our household,” Rory said determined to stay calm.
“Yes, well I’m sorry for that, but what Jackson did was no one’s fault but his own.”
“I never quite worked out how he managed it.”
“What?” June whispered the word, and Rory wondered then if in fact this woman was more involved with what happened than she’d originally believed. She was looking nervous now.
“The setting up of an account and transferring money into it. I mean, he was thorough, and to leave a trail like he did…. I don’t understand it.”
“Utter rubbish! I knew him better than most, and h-he wasn’t that good with computers!”
“You’re yelling now, Mrs. Harvey.”
“Yes, well, it still upsets me to speak of that time.”
“I understand that, but you must also understand that as his children, we need to know exactly what happened? If, as I am now suspecting… more and more, that my father may have been innocent, then a travesty has occurred and it must be rectified.”
“I do not understand that! He was not innocent and you need to let this alone now, Aurora.” June grabbed Rory’s hand and clenched it hard.
“That’s a lot to ask of me and my brothers.”
“You can ask me anything if you must probe,” June said quickly, “but there really is nothing to tell. He stole that money, end of story.”
“I’m sorry, but I need to come to realization myself. But I do have a question,” Rory said, extracting her fingers before they went numb.
“What?”
“Were my mother and father happy? I mean, did you ever think that maybe they weren’t?” Rory watched June Harvey closely. There was no doubt that the woman was now in full panic mode.
“I beg your pardon! I’m not sure what you’re insinuating.”
“I’m insinuating nothing; it was a simple question.”
“Well it didn’t sound that way to me. I suggest you leave this matter alone, young lady. L-let your parents rest in peace now.”
June Harvey stormed away to where her husband stood and started talking, waving her hands about the place. They both then looked at Rory. Perhaps she shouldn’t have said what she now suspected but it had come out and she couldn’t retract it.
“Good evening, everyone.”
Dragging her eyes from the Harveys, Rory looked at Bailey Trainer, who stood on the stage with a microphone, beautiful in a deep green dress. She was glowing.
“Rory, over here!”
Joe Trainer was waving her way. She shook her head and pointed to a seat at the rear, but that only made him come and get her.
“I’m happy back here, Joe.”
“Stop being awkward.” He dragged her with him. “Now sit before someone else does.” He waved to the seat beside him. “Where’s Leo?”
“He’s coming later. And what’s the problem with someone else sitting here?”
“It’s a problem if it’s Mrs. Carbine. She’s deaf and will yell at me all night.”
“Gotcha.” Rory sat.
“I’m going to enjoy this.”
“Because you’re safely seated right here in the audience?”
“Totally. Seeing my brothers uncomfortable with women fighting over them will be the highlight of my week.”
It wouldn’t be the highlight of hers.
He was so much like Jack. They had an easy way about them that made a person feel comfortable. Not Rory, however, she was feeling anything but comfortable in the front row, where she’d have to watch Jack be auctioned to the highest bidder. He made her irrational, and she hated that.
“Another highlight is standing right up there.” Rory pointed to where Bailey was talking.
“She’s not a highlight, she’s everything,” Joe said calmly.
Rory swallowed. What would it be like to have a man feel that way about her? Did Jack care about her like Leo believed? He’d certainly shown her so in many ways, even if she’d chosen to ignore the signals.
“That’s a very sweet thing to say, Joe.”
“It’s the truth.” He shrugged. “We spent years fighting to be loved, so when you find it, you hold it tight.”
“I remember you guys. Bad boy Trainers, my mother called you.”
“That was us. We were all running from demons. Jack fought the hardest to stay bad.”
“He’s a good boy now, though.”
“He’s still got traces of wildness, but he channels that for the greater good.”
Rory snorted. “The women certainly like him.” She shouldn’t have said it, but it came out anyway.
“Women do love him, but that’s because he’s nice to them. Compliments them, has a drink with them. But the thing is, Rory, he’s not slept with as many as people think.”
“I don’t need to know that.”
“Well considering what happened at the finish of the Santa run, I think you do.” Joe patted her hand. “You need to know he’s one of the good guys, Rory. He plays the game, does Jack. Lets people see only the man he wants them to see, not the true Jack.”
“I already know he’s a good man, Joe.”
“That’s something, then. When he falls it will be hard... if he stops fighting first, that is.”
“Fighting?” She had to ask.
“To stay emotionally unattached. One day someone is going to stick.” He turned and looked her straight in the eye.
“That someone is not me,” she whispered.
“If you say so.”
“I know so.”
“And yet he’s different with you.”
“N
o... he’s not.”
Joe’s smile made her toes curl because it told her that no matter what she said, he’d believe different.
“Got room for two more?”
Thankfully their conversation was interrupted by Dylan and Piper Howard.
“The front row, nice work, Joe. Now we can heckle.”
“That was my aim, Pip. Did you bring popcorn we can throw at them?”
“Makes a guy happy he’s hitched,” Dylan said, taking the seat to Rory’s left. “This kind of thing makes my body rash up.”
“You’re an FBI Profiler; surely that throws up plenty of tense situations?” Rory asked.
“Yes, but I don’t have an audience of crazy women wanting a piece of me. Besides, I know that stuff. This,” he waved a hand over his shoulder, “these women can get rabid... nuff said.”
“Amen,” Joe agreed.
“I object to that!” Piper said, glaring at her husband. “Not all of them will bid. Some are simply out to enjoy the evening, like me.”
She was a beautiful woman, Rory thought, dressed in ruby red fitted pants and a short matching jacket. Beneath was a silky cream camisole.
“I’m not talking about you, honey. You’re an open book to me, with many, many pages.”
This made Piper and Joe laugh. Despite everything that was happening, Rory enjoyed the company of these people, and yes, she’d miss them if she left.
That thought made her insides ache.
“I wonder where he gets his clothes?”
Rory looked at the stage as Mayor Gripper joined Bailey. He wore a top hat and tails, but his shirt was lemon, as was his bow tie.
“He pulls it off though,” Rory said, and Joe agreed.
The microphone screeched as he tapped it.
“Never fails,” Joe muttered.
“First up tonight is Ryan Montlake. At twenty-eight years old, Ryan works as a building contractor. His hobbies include singing and writing poetry.”
“Like hell,” Joe whispered. “The man still wasn’t joining his letters in twelfth grade.”
“Ryan’s ideal night out is a walk in the moonlight, finishing with a cuddle before the fire.”
“Wrong answer,” Dylan whispered. “Ryan’s known as ‘the octopus.’ Women can’t get within a foot of him without being groped.”
Rory spent the next thirty minutes torn between laughter and horror at the running commentary from Pip, Dylan, and Joe.
“Oh, now I object,” Dylan said. “Herb can’t even spell romance, let alone understand the concept.”
“You three are b-bad people,” Rory hissed.
“Honest, Aurora May. There is a difference.”
“Fin Hudson, come out and join us,” Bailey called.
“That woman is so cute,” Joe said, smiling at his wife.
Rory had noticed the glances they shared; it was really quite sweet, and she absolutely was not jealous.
Fin wore a navy suit. Cut in the current style of fitted legs and jacket, it hugged his solid body nicely. His shirt was pale blue and the tie navy.
“He looks good,” Pip said, leaning over her husband to speak to Rory.
“He does,” Dylan agreed. “Maybe he’ll get more than Jack?”
“Fin Hudson is the head ranger here in Ryker Falls and takes his job seriously. He’s a fitness fanatic, playing racquetball and working out every day.”
“That’s BS. The man’s a sloth unless one of us drags his sorry ass out for a workout,” Joe said.
“He likes scary movies, especially if he has someone to hold on to.”
“He has a teddy bear for that,” Piper said. “Remember, Joe, when he came to stay with us because he was sick and brought it with him.”
“Right, I remember. What was its name?”
“Fernando.”
Fin looked down at them and smiled, and Joe blew him a kiss, which made him laugh and amped up his wattage.
“I always thought he and Maggs would be good together,” Joe said.
“You’re kidding me, right?” Piper scoffed. “They’d kill each other within minutes.”
The bidding was fast and furious, and he raised the most money so far with eight hundred dollars.
“Ha, Miss Marla and Miss Sarah won,” Pip said.
The smile on Fin’s face told Rory he was happy about that. She turned back to the stage in time to see Luke Trainer walk out in his firefighter uniform. He threw his family a smile.
“He has a killer smile.” Pip was frowning. “That celery stick better not win him.”
“Celery stick?” Rory asked.
“Oh stop, Dylan, your poisoning your system with so much red meat. Have some alfalfa sprouts instead?” Dylan said in a falsetto.
“Still not getting it,” Rory said.
“She runs the health food shop down on the boardwalk,” Joe said. “Has the hots for my little bro. Thus far he’s resisted, but he’s weakening.”
Rory made a mental note to call in to the health food shop again and check out the celery stick.
“Give me a kiss, pretty boy,” Pip called, as she and Dylan made kissy sounds.
“You’ll get yours,” Luke said, smiling the entire time.
“Look at those guns!” Joe pointed to Luke’s arms.
The teasing went on and on until Mayor Gripper started the auction. The bidding was fast and furious, and soon Luke had moved past Fin.
“I’ll bid on him if the celery stick looks like winning,” Piper said, looking determined. She stood and looked behind her. “I’m not sure why he likes that woman. There must be something I’m missing.”
“Likely the stuff you’re missing is all conducted in the horizontal position,” Dylan said.
“Eww.” Joe shuddered. “Gross, I don’t want to think about my baby brother like that.”
Just when it looked like Piper was going to have to bid, another woman entered the fray.
“Who is it?”
“I don’t know, but it could be old Mrs. Tazer.”
That made everyone laugh.
“Nope, wait....” Joe got to his feet. “Some woman down the back is raising her hand. I don’t recognize her, she could be a tourist.”
“Nothing like sampling the local fare,” Dylan drawled.
“Will you stop that?” Joe looked disgusted. “It’s making my stomach roll.”
“You know you’re pathetic, right?” Rory said. “Luke has likely been having relationships for years.”
“Ah, but I don’t know about them, or talk about them for that matter. How would you feel if Leo or Matt were up there being sold?”
“Now you mention it,” Rory said, shuddering.
“One thousand dollars, congratulations!” Mayor Gripper was overexuberant with the gavel and it bounced out of his hands on to the floor, narrowly missing Bailey’s foot.
“Hey, watch it, that’s my wife!” Joe roared.
“And now we have Jack Trainer,” the mayor said, ignoring Joe.
Rory inhaled and held the breath as Jack appeared, then let it out with a whoosh. She felt the impact of him from her seat. Now that she knew she loved him, it was worse. Her entire body ached with wanting him.
“Damn.” Dylan whistled softly. “Who knew he could scrub up that well.”
Jack wore a black dress suit. Tailored to perfection to fit his big, lean body, it did amazing things for his shoulders and long legs. His shirt was snow white, the tie black, and he wore polished black shoes. His hair was brushed back from his forehead.
“Holy smoking-hot bananas, Batman,” Pip said softly. “He’s so damn handsome it’s hurting my eyes.”
He was, Rory thought. So handsome, and seeing him up there like that made something inside her sink. It was right then that she acknowledged that she’d been right to walk away from Jack Trainer. There he stood like some model straight out of GQ, and he couldn’t be further out of her reach. She was going to be one of those women who lived with unrequited love, and it was a pathetic thought.<
br />
“What?”
“What?” she said back to Joe.
“You made a moaning noise like something hurts.”
“I did not!”
“No, you did.”
“Shut up, Joe.”
Rory couldn’t take her eyes off Jack. His jacket hung open and his hands were in the pockets of his pants. Hot, everything inside her screamed. Mine, was the next thought, which she shut down instantly.
Jack walked to the edge and gave his family a look she couldn’t interpret. Not once did he look her way.
“He’s really annoyed about being up there,” Joe whispered.
“How can you tell?”
“His expression is blank. That’s when he’s at his most dangerous.”
Jack’s eyes swept over her then continued on.
“I thought being up there was making him mad, but that look he just gave you suggests otherwise, Aurora May. You do something to piss him off other than the stuff at the finish line of the Santa run?”
“No,” Rory said quickly... too quickly, because Joe snorted.
Chapter 39
Jack had seen Rory in the front row as soon as he walked out. She’d dressed up for the occasion, and the makeup simply enhanced what was already beautiful. Her jacket was a deep gray velvet, and he thought it had likely belonged to her grandmother, like the one she wore to quiz night. He couldn’t see much else, a white shirt and jeans, but as she was sitting he couldn’t take it all in. He wanted to though; he wanted to jump off the stage, pick her up, and run for it, but as he was seriously annoyed with her, he ignored her instead.
She had no faith in him. Believed that he was going to jump every woman who crossed his path... okay, not strictly true, as Rachel had jumped him. Then there was Layla, who’d kissed him the day before.
“Jack likes to take long rides over the mountains and picnic at the falls.”
He didn’t roll his eyes, but it was a close thing. He was sure June Harvey had fabricated every word coming out of Mayor Gripper’s mouth.
“His favorite book is Gone With The Wind.”
Bailey gave him a wide smile as he shot her a dirty look.
He shouldn’t have reacted the way he did yesterday, but Rory had made him angry. Her words had cut deep, and after the day they’d shared it hurt. Jack hadn’t felt close to a lot of people in his life, but Rory was one of them.
