Twelve Nights of Temptation

by Barbara Dunlop

  “Yeah. Okay.” Matt bought into TJ’s logic. “It’s worth a shot.”

  “We’ll keep going farther.”

  “Thanks.” Matt headed back to his car.

  He impatiently followed TJ’s directions, finally arriving at the turnoff. He followed the narrow road toward the beach, shutting off his engine to silently coast down the final hill.

  He could see a red boat at the dock. The tide was high, pushing it up against the rocky shore. There was an old building visible through the trees.

  He crept around to the front of the building and saw a car with the trunk standing open. He moved closer, silent on his feet, listening carefully.

  The building door swung open, and he ducked behind a tree.

  Tasha appeared. Her mouth was taped. Her hands were behind her back. And she was wearing the red party dress. A man had her grasped tight by one arm.

  She spotted the open trunk. Her eyes went wide with fear, as she tried to wrench herself away.

  “Let her go!” Matt surged forward.

  The man turned. He pulled a gun and pointed it at Matt.

  Matt froze.

  Tasha’s eyes were wide with fear.

  “You don’t want to do this,” Matt said, regretting his impulsive actions. How could he have been so stupid as to barge up on the kidnapper with no plan?

  “I know exactly what I want to do,” the man returned in a cold voice.

  “Let her go,” Matt said.

  “How about you get out of my way.”

  “You’re not going to shoot her,” Matt said, operating in desperation and on the fly. He could not let the guy leave with Tasha. “You went to too much trouble to get her here.”

  “Who said anything about shooting her?” The man sneered.

  Matt heard sirens in the distance, and he nearly staggered with relief. “The police are on their way.”

  “Move!” the man yelled to Matt.

  “No. You’re not taking her anywhere.”

  The man fired off a round. It went wide.

  “Every neighbor for ten miles heard that,” Matt said. “You’ll never get away. If you kill me, that’s cold-blooded murder. If you let her go, maybe it was a misunderstanding. Maybe you drive away. Maybe, you let her go, and I step aside, and you drive off anywhere you want.”

  To Matt’s surprise, the man seemed to consider the offer.

  Matt took a step forward. “The one thing that’s not happening here is you leaving with Tasha.”

  The sirens grew louder.

  “Last chance,” Matt said, taking another step.

  The man’s eyes grew wild, darting around in obvious indecision.

  Then he shoved Tasha to the side.

  She fell, and Matt rushed toward her and covered her with his body.

  The kidnapper jumped into the car and zoomed off, spraying them with dust and stones.

  As the debris settled, Matt pressed the number for TJ. Then he gently peeled the tape from Tasha’s mouth. “Are you hurt?”

  “He’s getting away,” she gasped.

  “He won’t.” Matt put the phone to his ear.

  TJ had a bird’s-eye view, and he was obviously in touch with both Caleb and the police.

  The call connected.

  “Yeah?” TJ said.

  “He’s running, red car,” Matt said to TJ. “I’ve got Tasha.”

  “We see him.”

  The helicopter whirled overhead.

  “There’s only one road out,” Matt said to Tasha. “And TJ can see him from the air. There’s no way for him to escape. Now, please tell me you’re all right.”

  “I’m fine. Frightened. I think that man is crazy.”

  “Did he tell you what he wanted? Why are you dressed up? Never mind. Don’t say anything. Just...” Matt removed his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Rest. Just rest.”

  He wrapped his arms around her, cradling her against his chest. All he wanted to do was hold her. Everything else could wait.

  * * *

  The small police station was a hive of activity. Matt hadn’t left Tasha’s side since he’d found her, and everything beyond him and the detective interviewing her was a blur of motion, muted colors and indistinct sounds.

  “You said you might have recognized Giles Malahide?” the detective asked her for what she thought was about the tenth time.

  “Why do you keep asking?” Matt interjected.

  The detective gave him a sharp look. “I’m trying to get a full picture.” He turned his attention to Tasha again. “You said he seemed familiar.”

  “His smell seemed familiar. He was wearing the same brand of cologne as my father. And he talked about my mother.”

  “What did he say about your mother?”

  “That she missed me.”

  “Tasha, darling.” It was her mother’s voice.

  Tasha gave her head a swift shake. She was in worse shape than she’d thought. She tightened her grip on Matt’s hands, waiting for the auditory hallucination to subside.

  “I need to see her.” Her mother’s voice came again. “I’m her mother.”

  Tasha’s eyes focused on a figure across the room. It was her mother and she was attempting to get past two female officers.

  “Matt?” Tasha managed in a shaky voice.

  She looked to him. He didn’t seem surprised. Her mother was here? Her mother was actually in the room?

  “You called my mother?” she asked. “Why would you call my mother?”

  “I didn’t call her. She showed up asking for you.”

  “You said Giles Malahide talked about your mother?” the detective asked.

  “Is that his full name?” Tasha asked. Not that it mattered. She really didn’t care who he was, as long as he stayed in jail and got some help.

  “What is he doing here?” Tasha’s mother demanded.

  Tasha looked up to see Giles Malahide being marched past in handcuffs.

  Matt quickly put his arms around Tasha and pulled her against his shoulder.

  “Annette,” Giles called out. “Annette, I found her. I found her.”

  “Bring that woman here,” the detective barked.

  “Can we go somewhere private?” Matt asked the detective.

  “Yes,” he said. “This way.”

  They rose, and Matt steered Tasha away from the commotion, down a short hallway to an interview room, helping her sit in a molded plastic chair.

  “What is going on?” Tasha managed.

  “We’re going to find out,” the detective said. Then his tone became less brisk, more soothing. “I know you’ve gone through this already. But can you start from the beginning? From the first instance of what you believed to be sabotage?”

  Tasha was tired.

  “Is that necessary?” Matt asked. His tone hadn’t moderated at all.

  She put a hand on his forearm. “I can do it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  She reiterated the entire story, from the water found in the fuel in Orca’s Run, to her eerie feeling on board Crystal Zone before the fire, to her terror at the prospect of being thrown in the trunk of Giles’s car.

  As she came to the end, there was a soft knock on the door. It opened, and a patrolwoman leaned her head into the room. “Detective?” she asked.

  “Come in, Elliott.”

  “We have a statement from Giles Malahide. It’s delusional, but it corroborates everything Annette Lowell is saying.”

  “My mother knew about this?” Tasha couldn’t accept that.

  “No, no,” Officer Elliott was quick to say. “Malahide acted on his own.” She glanced to the detective, obviously u
nsure of how much to reveal.

  “Go on,” he said.

  “Giles worked on the Lowell estate as a handyman.”

  “Estate?” the detective asked and looked to Tasha.

  Officer Elliott continued, “They’re the Vincent Lowell family, libraries, university buildings, the charity.

  “Giles claims he’s in love with Annette,” Officer Elliott said. “And he believed her fondest wish was to have her daughter Tasha back in Boston in the family fold. He tracked Tasha down. He thought if she got fired from the Whiskey Bay Marina, she’d come home. When that didn’t work, he took a more direct approach.”

  Tasha felt like she’d fallen through the looking glass. The officer’s summary was entirely plausible, but it didn’t explain how her mother had turned up in the middle of it all.

  “Why is my mother here?” she asked.

  “She saw your photo in the newspaper. The one taken at the fire. The story talked about Matt Emerson and his business and, well...” Officer Elliott looked almost apologetic. “She said she wanted to meet your boyfriend.”

  Tasha nearly laughed. She quickly covered her mouth and tipped her head forward to stifle the inappropriate emotion.

  “Are you all right?” Matt’s tone was worried.

  “I’m fine. I’m...” She looked back up, shaking her head and heaving a sigh. “It’s my mother.” She looked at Matt. “She thinks you’re a catch. She thinks I’ve found myself a worthy mate who will turn me into a responsible married woman.” Tasha looked to Officer Elliott. “Her fondest wish isn’t to have me back in Boston. Her fondest wish is to see me settled down, not rattling around engine parts and boat motors.”

  “Do we have a full confession?” the detective asked Officer Elliott.

  “He’s denied nothing. We have plenty to hold him on.”

  The detective closed his notebook. “Then we’re done here. You’re free to go, Ms. Lowell.”

  “Are you ready to see your mother?” Matt asked as they rose.

  With all that had happened today, facing her mother seemed like the easiest thing she’d ever been asked to do. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “It’s fine.” Tasha had been standing up to her mother for years. She could do it again.

  They made their way back to the crowded waiting room. Melissa, Noah, Jules, Caleb and Alex were all there. Tasha found herself glad to see them. It felt like she had a family after all, especially with Matt by her side.

  Jules gave her a hug. “Anything you need,” she said. “All you have to do is ask.”

  “I’m just glad it’s over,” Tasha said. “It would have been nice to have a less dramatic ending.”

  The people within hearing distance laughed.

  “But at least we know what was going on,” Jules said. “Everything can get back to normal now.”

  “Tasha.” Her mother made her way through the small cluster of people. She pulled Tasha into a hug. “I was so worried about you.”

  “Hello, Mom.”

  Tasha swiftly ended the hug. They weren’t a hugging family. She could only assume her mother had been inspired by Jules to offer that kind of affection.

  “You look lovely,” her mother said, taking in the dress.

  “Thank you.”

  “Are you all right? I had no idea Giles would do something like that. Your father fired him months ago.”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” Tasha said.

  Matt stepped in. “It’s time to take Tasha home.”

  “Of course. Of course,” Annette said. “We can talk later, darling.”

  If her mother had truly come looking for a reformed daughter with an urbane, wealthy boyfriend, she was going to be sadly disappointed.

  * * *

  While Tasha slept, Matt had installed Annette in another of his guest rooms. Then Caleb, the best friend a man could ever ask for, invited Annette to join him and Jules for dinner at the Crab Shack. Matt was now staring at the clutter of Christmas decorations, wondering if Tasha would feel up to finishing the job in the next few days, or if he should simply cart them all down to the basement for next year.

  He heard a noise, and looked to find her standing at the end of the hall.

  “You’re up,” he said, coming to his feet. Then he noticed she was carrying her gym bag. “What are you doing?”

  “Back to the staff quarters,” she said.

  “Why?” He knew she had to go eventually. But it didn’t have to be right away.

  “Thanks for letting me stay here,” she said, walking toward the front door.

  “Wait. Whoa. You don’t have to rush off. You’re fine here. It’s good.”

  The last thing he wanted was for her to leave. He’d hoped... Okay, so he wasn’t exactly sure what he’d hoped. But he knew for certain this wasn’t it.

  “No, it’s not good. The danger has passed, and things can go back to normal.”

  “Just like that?” He snapped his fingers.

  “Just like nothing. Matt, what’s got into you?”

  He followed her to the entry hall. “Your mother’s here, for one thing.”

  Tasha dropped the bag at her feet. “I know she’s here. And I’ll call her tomorrow. We can do lunch at her hotel or something. I’ll explain everything. She’ll be disappointed. But I’m used to that. She’ll get over it. She has two other perfectly good daughters.”

  “I mean she’s here, here,” Matt said, pointing to the floor. “I invited her to stay in my other guest room.”

  Tasha’s expression turned to utter astonishment. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because she’s your mother. And I thought you were staying here. It seemed to make sense.” He knew they weren’t on the best of terms, but Annette had come all the way across the country to see Tasha. Surely, they could be civil for a couple of days.

  “That was a bad idea,” Tasha said.

  “She told me you hadn’t seen her in years.”

  “It’s not a secret.”

  “Don’t you think this is a good chance?”

  Tasha crossed her arms over her chest. “You know why she’s here, right?”

  “To see you.”

  “To see you. She thinks I found a good man. She thinks I’ve come to my senses, and I’m going to start planning my wedding to you any minute now.”

  “I think she misses you,” Matt said honestly. He hadn’t spent a lot of time with Annette, but her concern for Tasha seemed genuine.

  “She came out here because of the picture in the paper.”

  “The picture that told her where to find you,” he argued.

  “The picture that she thought told her a wealthy man was in my life.”

  “Stay and talk to her.” What Matt really meant was stay and talk with him. But he couldn’t say that out loud. He hated the thought of her going back to that dim little room where she’d be alone, and then he’d be alone, too.

  “I’ll see her tomorrow,” Tasha said.

  He couldn’t let her slip away like this. “What about us?”

  She looked tired, and a little sad. “There isn’t an us.”

  “There was last night.”

  “Last night was...last night. Our emotions were high.”

  He didn’t buy it. “Our emotions are still high.”

  “The danger is over. I don’t need to be here. And I don’t need you taking my mother’s side.”

  “I’m not taking her side.”

  She put her hand on the doorknob. “I appreciate your hospitality, and what you’ve done for my mom. But my life is my own. I can’t let her change it, and I can’t let you change it either.”

  “Staying in my guest room isn’t changing your life.” />
  “No? I already miss your bathtub.”

  He couldn’t tell if she was joking. “That’s another reason to stay.”

  “No, that’s another reason to go. I’m tough, Matt. I’m sturdy and hardworking. I don’t need bubbles and bath salts and endless gallons of hot water.”

  “There’s no shame in liking bath salts.”

  “This Cinderella is leaving the castle and going back home.”

  “That’s not how the story ends.”

  “It’s how this story ends, Matt.”

  “Give us a chance.”

  “I have to be strong.”

  “Why does being strong mean walking away?”

  “Not tonight, Matt. Please, not tonight.”

  And then she was gone. And he was alone. He wanted to go after her, but it was obvious she needed some time.

  * * *

  Through the night, Tasha’s mind had whirled a million miles an hour. It had pinged from the kidnapping to her mother to Matt and back again. She’d been tempted to stay and spend the night with him, and the feeling scared her.

  She’d been tempted by Matt, by everything about his lifestyle, the soaker tub the pillow-top bed. She’d even wanted to decorate his Christmas tree.

  She was attracted to his strength, his support and intelligence, his concern and kindness. She’d wanted to throw every scrap of her hard-won independence out the window and jump headlong into the opulent life he’d built.

  She couldn’t let herself do that.

  “Tasha?” Her mother interrupted her thoughts from across the table at the Crab Shack.

  “Yes?” Tasha brought herself back to the present.

  “I said you’ve changed.”

  “I’m older.” Her mother looked older, too. Tasha hadn’t expected that.

  “You’re calm, more serene. And that was a lovely dress you had on yesterday.”

  Tasha tried not to sigh. “It was borrowed.”

  “That’s too bad. You should buy some nice things for yourself. Just because you have a dirty day job, doesn’t mean you can’t dress up and look pretty.”

  “I don’t want to dress up and look pretty.” Even as she said the words, she acknowledged they were a lie. She’d wanted to dress up for Matt. She still wanted to look nice for him. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t banish the feeling.