Harlequin Romantic Suspense March 2016 Box Set

by Carla Cassidy

  “That’s not necessary. I’ll close up and we can talk in the back like we did this morning.” As soon as she said it, she stopped and stared at him. At his mouth, which was curving up to match the sexy glint in his eyes.

  “That’s what I’m talking about, Kayla. A public diner would be a better place, don’t you think? Since we seem to get distracted in a more private setting.”

  “Oh. Okay, of course. I need two more minutes and we can go.”

  So he’d been as shaken by their kiss as she had. Good. If they both knew they needed to keep firm boundaries around their physical space, they’d stay out of trouble, right?

  She clicked off the open sign and locked the front door before turning to Rio again. “Let’s walk through the back and I’ll lock up the receiving door.”

  “Right behind you.”

  That was the problem. She’d done okay and had even convinced herself that she was over Rio when she didn’t have to see him every day. She’d stopped worrying about running into him randomly, for the most part.

  But after last night, and the kiss this morning, things had changed. She was as tuned in to and turned on by Rio as she’d ever been. More, even.

  She hoped they found Meredith’s killer before she did something stupid, like convince herself that she’d made a mistake by shutting Rio out of her life.

  * * *

  “Are you sure you heard the word florist and not something else?” Rio’s intense stare could make most people think twice even when they were sure, Kayla included.

  “I’m positive. It’s so obvious that they’re involved. Do you think the mayor killed Meredith?”

  “You tell me, Kayla. Did it sound like the mayor’s voice that you heard yelling last night?”

  “No. The mayor voice’s isn’t that deep. The killer, he was barely audible through the barn wall and door. I knew it was a man, I knew he was yelling, but it didn’t carry as far. It was more of a roar, a vibration. I heard Meredith’s voice and her screams.” She stopped playing with the straw wrapper on the diner table.

  Strong, dark hands covered hers. She forced herself to look at Rio.

  “You okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Fine is one thing. Okay, quite another. It takes time to digest the fact that you’ve survived a possible attempt on your life.”

  “No one tried to kill me, Rio.”

  “Trust me, he would have if he’d been able to. No murderer likes to leave the possibility of a witness behind. And he heard you.”

  “I may not have your training but I trust my common sense.”

  The waitress came up to them.

  “BLT on rye—” she slid the platter in front of Kayla “—and a French dip.” Rio smiled at her, his teeth flashing. Kayla watched as the waitress batted her eyes and gave Rio the once-over. “You all let me know if you need anything else, okay?”

  Kayla ate a French fry as Rio replied. They’d never met over a meal before—their time together had been one shared beer at a community concert before they’d gone to bed. As cliché as it had sounded when she’d told him, she’d never had sex with a man on such short acquaintance and had let Rio know. He hadn’t made the same declaration, but his touch had made her feel as if she was the first woman he’d ever laid hands on. His ability to bring her to multiple climaxes in one session had not been the work of a novice, though.

  “I’ve had all my meals provided for today. First the coffee and croissant from you, then lunch at the Charbonneaus’, now dinner. Not that I expect you to pay for this. I’m paying.”

  “It’s on SVPD.” Rio spoke with authority and she wasn’t going to argue with him over a diner meal, but she knew “SVPD” meant her BLT was on Rio. SVPD was large enough but law enforcement didn’t expense meals out with witnesses. She’d heard her brother complain about budget shortfalls in firefighting and suspected the police were no different.

  “I’ve heard enough from Keith about budget shortfalls at the fire department. I’m sure it’s the same for SVPD, right? I’m not taking money from your coffers, Rio.”

  “Back to your brother’s case again, are we?”

  “You should be more careful. You could be accused of bribing me with meals to keep me from putting pressure on you and SVPD to solve Keith’s case. You know what makes me the angriest, Rio? You agree with me that Keith is innocent of all the charges that have been brought against him. But the investigation seems to have stalled since the civil suit was filed against him. I want to know why.”

  “We’ve done this dance, Kayla. And we’re not talking about it.”

  “Yet you want me to help you out, help SVPD solve a crime. And you won’t level with me on where you’re at with Keith’s case.” She wasn’t going to admit she’d found out just how much Rio was helping Keith. It would probably embarrass him, at the least, and anger him if he thought she was prying.

  “I am helping Keith, Kayla. If he’s innocent the facts will play out.” His voice was low and angry.

  “You don’t get to question me about a case you’re more interested in and leave my brother’s career in the balance, Rio.”

  His lips thinned and he tapped the top of the leather bench with his fingers, which gave away his inner turmoil. Jackpot.

  “You’re going to have to trust me on this, as much as you and I have difficulty with the concept.”

  “More like I’ll never be able to trust anyone investigating my brother.”

  “Your brother’s case is one of many on SVPD’s plate. Of all people, anyone in law enforcement is the last person we want to incriminate, unless they’ve earned that scrutiny. You have to trust me on your brother’s case, Kayla.” His eyes remained fixed on her and she had to work at it to not blink or fidget or look away.

  “Fine.”

  Rio kept up his stern demeanor for a few more beats before a lazy grin crept across his features.

  “I knew you couldn’t resist my charm.”

  “Shove it, Rio.”

  His laughter rumbled in their booth and broke the tension.

  “How’s your family doing, by the way? How have you been?” She didn’t want to talk about the case anymore, at least not for a few minutes while they finished their meals.

  “Nice change of subject.” He stared over her shoulder as if he was solving a physics problem instead of thinking about his family. “They’re all well. I would still love for you to meet them. My mother and stepfather stay busy with their small farm and grandkids, and my sisters still love trying to nose into my life when they have time amid all the parenting stuff. It’s nice to see my parents finally relaxing. Dad retired last year, and he and Mom are talking about opening an authentic Tex-Mex restaurant.”

  “That would be a great addition to Silver Valley.” There were a few Mexican restaurants in town but most were part of a chain.

  “My sisters think they’re crazy, but they aren’t too old. They’re only in their fifties. My sisters are both mother hens, with Mom and Dad and with me.”

  She remembered he was the only brother of three siblings. Just like Keith. “It’s a sister’s prerogative to keep tabs on her brother and his love life.”

  “They thought you might be the one for me.”

  She froze. “You told them about us?”

  “Not in detail, no. That would be gross.” He grinned while she squirmed, wanting to laugh at his joke but only finding herself able to remember the “details” Rio referred to.

  Pathetic.

  “You’ve gotten quiet again, Kayla.”

  “I just don’t have anything to say on that subject.”

  “Fine. Then let’s go over your events with Gloria again. This time, I want you to tell me how you felt while you talked to her, what you thought about the house.”

  �
�You want my emotions? That’s a little touchy-feely for a cop, isn’t it?”

  “Indulge me.” Rio dipped his fresh-baked bun, loaded with layers of thin-sliced beef, into a side bowl of jus. “Want a bite?” He held up the sandwich, his eyes warm and inviting.

  “No, I’m good.” Taking a bite of Rio’s sandwich was too intimate, too close. The kind of thing they might be doing if he wasn’t working on Keith’s case. “Before I go on, can’t you give me a nibble on what’s happening with Keith? You know he’s not guilty.”

  “I’ve told you over and over that I can’t talk about it, Kayla. And this isn’t tit for tat. You don’t have that impression from me, do you?”

  “No, not at all. But you can’t blame me for trying.” She sipped her water as she prepared to change tactics. “You asked me how I felt. Usually with Gloria I have the sense that she is looking down on me. That everyone exists to do her bidding. I only met her twice before, because her assistant, Sylvia, usually orders her flowers and when we deliver we leave them at the door because their front porch is covered. Today, Gloria seemed rattled. It wasn’t anything you’d notice unless you were looking for it, but she wasn’t as self-contained as normal.”

  “Go on.”

  “It’s as if she’s worried about something. And I noticed this before she took the call from her husband.”

  “He called on a burner phone, you mentioned.”

  “I think so, from what they said. And you know, I’m not in law enforcement, but why would anyone but a criminal need a burner phone?” She wondered why they even existed.

  Rio shook his head. “Burners are a great thing for a tourist, or if your phone dies and you aren’t up for a new one on your contract. Unfortunately they can also help people get away with a lot of bad behavior. But if it was the mayor and he called their home phone, or her office line if she has one, I’ll be able to get the information I need.”

  “He said she’d given him a lot of them.” She wanted to make sure he’d heard that part of her story.

  Rio speared a fry. “No problem.” There was more he wasn’t sharing with her, she could tell by the way he set his jaw, but she didn’t need to know the details of any of this. She just wanted to prove her brother was innocent, and if helping SVPD on this helped Keith, it was a small price.

  “You can’t tell me what you know, but can you tell me if I’m on the right track thinking that there’s something bigger going on in Silver Valley?”

  His eyes were shielded. “Bigger in what way?”

  “I’m not blind, Rio. I was the one who delivered one of the bouquets from the Female Preacher Killer, remember?” She knew he hadn’t forgotten. She’d unwittingly taken a death threat to the home of her good friend Zora Krasny. Soon-to-be Zora Campbell, since she was marrying SVPD detective Bryce Campbell. “And you and Bryce, you’re close. I saw the two of you shopping together at the last-minute Christmas bazaar.”

  “Zora likes the brooch you helped Bryce pick out.”

  “I didn’t help him—he knew what he wanted. Stop changing the subject. There’s something going on—is it a drug ring? Is what happened with Mayor Donner and the quick election part of it? Is there more than money laundering going on?”

  “Money laundering. That’s a heavy charge.”

  “Spare me. It’s on the SVPD blotter reports and on their Facebook page. The crime rings out of Philadelphia, New York and Baltimore funnel new immigrants up through towns like ours to shop in the big-box stores. They purchase a television at two or three in the morning, with cash, and then when they return it with the receipt they get cash back. This time the cash is, in all probability, legit.”

  “Mmm.” Rio sipped his water and waved down their waitress. “Can I please have a cup of coffee?” He looked at Kayla. “Would you like some?”

  “No thanks, I’m good.” She knew from Rio’s overly calm demeanor that she was hitting pay dirt, but also understood that above all else, Rio was a professional. He wasn’t about to tell her police business. Not unless she absolutely had to know to help them find Meredith’s killer.

  Her phone buzzed on the table and she looked at the ID. “It’s Gloria. I can call her back later.”

  “Answer it.” Rio’s request was swift, sure. She picked up the phone and looked at him as she answered.

  “Hi, Gloria. What can I do for you?”

  “I’m terribly sorry to bother you for the second time in one day, Kayla, but there’s an entire aspect of the wedding I forgot to go over with you.”

  “Oh?” She had six files of what Gloria expected for flowers on the wedding day, from the gazebo to the house to the front entryway. Bouquets for the attendants, a special bouquet for the bride to toss and an entire folder devoted to the bride’s flowers. A full trailing bouquet of rare exotic blooms with an equally stunning floral headpiece. Kayla thought it was all a bit gaudy, but she was there to provide whatever Gloria and Cynthia wanted.

  “Yes, we forgot to discuss the tables at the rehearsal dinner. We’ll have it at the Serenity Inn in Amittstown, the same place as the reception the next day. Do you know the place?”

  “Yes, I decorated for a bridal shower there last year.” The dining room in the old Civil War-era farmhouse was small, but maybe they were keeping the rehearsal dinner more intimate. “Do you want more than a centerpiece?”

  “Of course! There will be eight tables of eight for the rehearsal dinner—a quarter of the size of the wedding dinner. We’ll need a centerpiece at each. I was thinking of a more masculine theme, and I have a great idea for the party favors. I was hoping you’d handle it all for me.”

  “Just let me know what I can do. Is there...?” She was about to ask if the groom’s parents were participating and then remembered that there was a good chance that Judge Charles Blackwell’s parents might not be living. The man had to be at least twenty years Cynthia’s senior. “Is there anything in particular the groom would like? Would you like me to talk to him?”

  “Oh, no. I know that customarily the groom handles the rehearsal dinner but we’ll be doing it all for Charles and Cynthia. Charles’s father is dead and his mother is in a nursing home so she won’t be attending any of the events. Tony won’t have anything less than the best for his daughter. For the favors I thought a tiny gavel with the date on it would be so cute, you know, since Charles is a judge.”

  “I’m sure I can find a miniature gavel on Etsy or perhaps more locally. Gloria, is there a price limit for the decorations for the rehearsal dinner?”

  “Price?” Kayla imagined Gloria blinking her over-the-top false eyelashes, as if the question of price was never an issue. “No, no, of course not. I mean, how much could eight centerpieces cost? And the favors?” Kayla quickly did some numbers in her head and gave the figure to Gloria.

  “That’s fine, Kayla, thank you. Will you be going out to look at the inn?”

  “I’ve already worked there, so no, I don’t see a reason to.”

  “I really think you should meet me out there. I’d feel better about it. Or maybe I can convince Cynthia to delay going back to school and meet with all of us.”

  Kayla was feeling more and more threatened by Gloria’s requests. She wondered if Gloria’s plan all along had been to get Kayla to another remote place not unlike the Weddings and More Barn. Like someone had done with Meredith. She mentally shook her head. This had to be paranoia from witnessing Meredith’s murder. She agreed on a time and ended the conversation.

  “This is insane. Why bother with a rehearsal dinner for a short-notice wedding? And they’re having both the rehearsal dinner and the reception at the Serenity Inn. Do you know it? It’s forty minutes away. I have to drive from the rehearsal at the gazebo to the dinner, then do it again the next day for the wedding and reception.” She spoke without considering her words. Anxiety gnawed at her.

  �
�She’s got you shaken up, hasn’t she?” Rio’s eyes were watchful and she wondered how he was able to read her mind.

  “Why do I feel like I’m being stalked by her?”

  “She thinks she’s a powerful woman and she has a very strong personality. I doubt anyone’s ever said no to her. Once she gets an idea going, she runs it into the ground.”

  She smiled at him. “That’s the most negative I’ve heard you about anyone. You’re usually more reserved. You certainly have an opinion about the mayor’s wife.”

  Rio reached across the table and grasped her hand. She didn’t pull it away.

  “I have an opinion on most things, Kayla. I just don’t feel a need to express it. It’s not my job to have an opinion. My job is to keep Silver Valley safe and to see to it that anyone who tries to mess with that is brought to justice.” As he spoke his thumb drew circles on her palm and she felt her desire hum to life.

  She pulled her hand back. “It can’t be like that again, Rio.” She couldn’t get intimate with Rio again and expect she’d survive breaking away like she had already done once.

  “It won’t be. It’ll be different.” She couldn’t help the smile that his comment brought to her lips, but she stood up and grabbed her purse.

  “I’ve got to get home. I’ll wait outside while you pay the bill.”

  “You’re not leaving my side, Kayla. Police procedure.” She wasn’t sure it was, but decided not to push him on it. If he thought she might be in some kind of danger, she’d listen to Rio. Just this once.

  After Rio paid, they exited the diner and Kayla made a point of not looking anywhere in particular. She didn’t want to make eye contact with anyone she might know. Her energy was low and she needed time to regroup.

  Kayla had plenty of acquaintances in Silver Valley, more so since her business had gained traction over the past couple of years. In the main thoroughfare of the sprawling town, there was hardly a business she hadn’t delivered to. From the strip malls to the upscale plazas, she’d taken flowers from one end of town to the other. Or had Jenny do it.