by Ali Vali
“And she had to do that in those ridiculously short shorts?” Willow posed the question with enough heat to burn off her eyebrows, but it didn’t make sense. What did she care who she was or wasn’t seeing?
“Maybe she’s got a fishing date? I can’t know for sure, since I’m not aware of everything Syd does in her off time.”
“She’s fishing all right. Let’s see all these deliveries that needed her special attention.”
“I thought Grady was wet.”
“True, so let’s go see what delightful things your assistant left next to your room. That she actually knows which room is yours is something we’ll discuss later.” If there was a doghouse on the property, it sounded like that was where she’d be sleeping.
The house had five bedrooms, and two of those were master suites. Tucker’s room faced the marsh, and Jim Bob’s faced the dock and the marsh beyond it. Two of the other rooms were furnished with king sized beds and had their own bathrooms, and the last one had three sets of bunk beds. The room closest to hers had been emptied of its usual furniture and redecorated in a nautical theme, with a crib that was shaped like a boat.
“Syd did this?” Willow sounded incredulous.
“Actually, that group of guys Mom’s got working at the house did me a favor once all the stuff I ordered came in.” Grady rubbed his eyes and yawned, so she put him down to change him before his nap. “I’d ordered it before Monique died. I was planning to bring her out here and show her the house.”
“I bet you wish you were here with her.” Willow wound the mobile and ran her hand along the edge of the crib railing. “I wish you were here with her.”
“I’m not that bad, you know. You did find me somewhat charming once upon a time.” She left Grady in only his diaper and rocked him in her arms until he fell asleep.
“Sorry, I totally didn’t mean it like that. What I meant was, if she was your guest, she’d still be here. And if she was still here, I’d have a chance to make so many things up to her.” The baby lay in his usual sprawled out way, and Willow moved closer until their shoulders were touching. Tucker noticed her swollen eyes and running nose, so she put her arms around her and held her. “Are you as terrified as I am about screwing this up?”
“Probably more, but we need to stick together.”
Willow nodded and followed her to the kitchen where she put the wine in the cooler next to the refrigerator. “I never asked, but do you cook?”
“I can manage not to kill you, but it’ll probably taste like I’m trying to.” The large island had three bags in the middle, and Tucker started emptying all the baby food out of them. “Hopefully you know if all this stuff is right. I called a pediatrician and asked, but I can’t be positive.”
“You’re going to make it impossible for me not to like you, and Grady’s absolute favorite is a mashed-up banana. You did good on your selections.”
“I am going to make it impossible for you not to like me since I don’t want this to turn into a nightmare.” She got two beers out of the fridge and handed Willow one. “Let’s go outside and watch the grass grow.”
The baby monitor sat between them as they sat and looked out over the ponds Jimbo had put in, so that one day his grandchildren could fish for small perch safely. “Thank you for bringing me. The dark places in the world aren’t as scary with a friend.”
“To friendship and not screwing up.” She held her bottle up and Willow tapped hers against it.
“That’s a toast we’ll have to use for years to come.”
Chapter Sixteen
Tucker might not know how to cook on a stove, but she was good on the grill, and Willow sat back on the comfortable chair on the deck and fed Grady his bottle after an excellent meal. She was trying to stay awake, but it was hard, considering the food stupor she was in. The steak was delicious and the salad was too—Tucker had explained it was hard messing up a salad mix with Stella’s dressing over it.
Her favorite part of the night so far was watching Tucker try to get Grady to eat a jar of spinach, kale, and apple mixture from the organic baby food she bought. It was hard to tell which of them was wearing more of it when they were done, and the funniest part was she thought Grady liked it. Through it all Tucker never lost patience, not even when she teased her about her hand-eye coordination with the tiny spoon.
“I think your mama and daddy are looking down at us and laughing and laughing their butts off, handsome.” She wiggled the bottle in his mouth, having learned in a few short days that if he didn’t finish it, they’d be up with him at one in morning for a snack. “Don’t get lazy on me now, little man.”
She could hear Tucker cleaning the kitchen, and it wasn’t hard to imagine years of doing this. Their problems would begin once they started pursuing personal lives again, and it might cause some hurdles or problems, but they’d have to figure it out. If one of them was going to venture out with someone first, it’d probably be Tucker, and Willow knew she’d have to learn to temper her reaction better than she had with Syd the letch.
It was totally ridiculous, but she could’ve kicked Syd in the head when she walked up and kissed Tucker like it was the most normal thing in the world. Tucker was her boss, for the love of sexual harassment—you only kissed your boss on the lips for more than a nanosecond if your job was being an escort.
“You want me to put him down?”
Tucker’s voice pulled her out of her pondering and she glanced down at Grady, who was fast asleep. “Sorry, it’s so peaceful out here that I drifted off.”
“That’s what you’re supposed to be doing. I’ll go put him down and show you to your room.” Tucker seemed to be getting more comfortable handling Grady, and she watched as Tucker walked away. The thought that she’d never see Monique hold him again caused a physical pain in her chest, and she wrapped her arms around herself. Putting her sister in the tomb that morning was the hardest thing she’d ever done.
It didn’t take Tucker long before she joined her again and sat with her. The yard was shrouded in darkness, but it didn’t seem that late. “I don’t know if it was the nightmare of the day, or all the food I managed to shove down my throat, but I’m completely exhausted.”
“It’s good to know you’re still not trying to impress me by eating like a bird.” Tucker stared out into the blackness for a minute before tilting her head to look at her after her teasing remark. “The rest of it is reasonable. Nothing in your life prepares you for burying your sibling, nothing. I could sit out here all night, but let’s get you settled so you can get some sleep.”
“I can take the sofa this time.” She smiled thinking of Tucker’s feet hanging over the side of her couch.
“The house has five bedrooms, and you’ll be joining me and Grady whenever we come, which means this one’s your home too. No sofas necessary.” She followed Tucker to the other side of the house and stood as Tucker opened the door to a gorgeous room.
There was a faint smell of fresh paint, and the fish prints on the wall were mixed with beautifully matted and framed pictures of some of Delacroix’s rigs. That was the only masculine feel about the room now, and the rest was tastefully done. It was the artwork, though, that clued her in to whose space this had been.
“Is this Jim Bob’s room?”
“Aside from mine, it’s the most comfortable, and he’s not coming back.” Tucker stepped in and turned the light in the bathroom on. “I had the shower stocked with the stuff you like, and the bed is new. If you don’t like anything, just tell me, and I can change it. I want you to feel at home no matter where we are.”
Why in the world had she lost her mind and cursed Tucker out? She was totally the perfect woman, and she’d live the rest of her life with only a glimpse of what her life could’ve been. “Thank you for this, and for everything today. You’ve been a good friend.”
“I hope you see me that way, and I hope you get some sleep. You know where to find me if you need anything.” Tucker didn’t touch her, but she did
smile before disappearing down the hall.
She stripped and slid between the cool sheets naked, knowing Tucker wouldn’t just come in without knocking. Sleep came like a club to the head, and she started dreaming about Monique and the few times they’d made it to Biloxi. She held her hand out to her sister, glad when Monique took it.
It was the weird out of place noise that woke her and got her into a sitting position, but she was confused when she didn’t hear it again, though she was fully awake. She concentrated and caught the faint traces of someone talking in the next room. Now she felt nervous that she was naked and the blinds were open. She rolled quickly out of bed and grabbed the new robe behind the door.
“That’s right, Sheriff,” she heard Tucker say when she joined her in the kitchen. If Tucker was on the phone with the sheriff, it had to be bad.
“What’s happening?” She spoke louder than she meant to, and Tucker held her finger up with the phone pressed to her ear.
“How long will it take?” There was another hesitation. “Okay, the guys and I will take care of it.”
“What’s going on?” Tucker was in a T-shirt and sleep pants, and her hair was disheveled, but she seemed completely alert.
“There’s a trespasser in the yard, actually more than one. Whoever this is has fanned out into three spots out there, and they’re holding their position. Try not to appear worried in case they can see us.”
“Are you kidding?” Only Tucker would give news like that, then tell her to stay calm. They were surrounded, and in the movies that never ended well.
Tucker’s smile made Willow relax slightly, and Tucker took her hand. “They’re probably watching us, and I don’t want them to get nervous enough to bolt. At least not until I’m ready for them to run.”
“You’re not going out there.” It wasn’t a question but a command. They had to spend some more time together for her to learn all of Tucker’s expressions, but the one she was looking at was one of eager anticipation to go out and do something stupid. “You’re not.”
“Darlin’, I don’t know what this is about, but I won’t let anything happen to you or Grady.”
“No.” She grabbed Tucker by the front of her shirt and pulled her closer. “Have you considered that maybe this has to do with trying to nab the CEO of a major oil company or her nephew? Why we’re together is scary enough without something happening to you. Grady needs you, and I need you to keep my sanity. I have no idea how to fish.”
“Let’s go make sure he’s okay.” Tucker walked Willow to Grady’s room, never letting go of her hand. The baby was sleeping, oblivious to the drama happening around him. “We’re a team, Willow, and I’m not going to let anyone do anything to mess that up.” Her phone buzzed in her hand, and she stopped to answer it on speaker. “Are you guys ready?”
“We found a van and one guy so far. Whenever you’re ready, we’re a go. All we need is your signal.”
“Give me a few minutes, and try your best not to let anyone use their phone.”
“What exactly is your signal?” Willow appeared ready to have a panic attack, but she also seemed to be trying to temper it.
“There’s a small sheriff’s office with a SWAT team. There’s nothing backward about them, and they’re good at their jobs since they practice all the time but never get to utilize all that training in the field. Tonight their job is stealth and rounding up all these guys. They can’t wait to use all that fancy equipment.”
“And what exactly is your part in all this? Unless you’ve been holding out on me, you’re no commando, Tucker.” Willow started to sound a bit better, or at least not so freaked out, and it was her job to keep it that way.
“I get to fire the starter pistol.”
Willow followed her into the study next to the den where one wall was taken up by an impressive custom-built gun cabinet with multiple doors. She unlocked the one that held a double-barrel shotgun and put a handful of shells in her pocket.
“Are you preparing for Armageddon? Are you some gun nut who votes Republican? If you admit to voting for the Cheeto, we can’t be friends, and I’ll need therapy for sleeping with you.”
“Most of these have been in my family for generations, and you’re hurting my feelings for thinking I’m a Republican. Granted, I have friends who are, and they’re good people, but I was Team Hillary all the way.” She pointed to Grady’s room as she cradled the gun. “Stay locked in there to make sure Grady’s okay, and I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t take too long, and don’t make me have to come get you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She waited until she was in the hall to crack the weapon and load it. She’d been alerted when the motion sensors started beeping and her guys called from their place. There were no cameras on the property, but there were small islands around the house, and the sensors were well camouflaged in the trees. Whoever had tripped them was most likely in an observation position from their location, but they obviously were after something to have been paid to report on a boring weekend of fishing.
The house lights were off, as were the lights on the deck, but one flip of a switch brought everything out of the dark. She stepped into the yard and fired two shots in the air. “I don’t know who you are, but you’ve got one chance to leave before I fill your ass with pellets.” She reloaded and started walking to where the closest guy was.
When she seated the gun to her shoulder, a guy took off running, and the deputies from the sheriff’s office moved in on the other two with airboats to reach the small islands around the ponds. They were all smart and surrendered right away, saving everyone an aggravating night.
“Do you know these guys?” Sheriff Carl walked her to the squad car so she could take a look at the three handcuffed men in the back.
She moved away, not wanting to be overheard. “I don’t, but they weren’t here to steal fish out of the ponds, and I’d appreciate it if you could hold them for at least a day. Think you’ll have any luck getting a warrant for their phones? Assuming they don’t offer up why they were here.” She walked back to the front porch with him as the deputies started to move out. Carl appeared as if he’d rolled out of bed to get there, but unlike her, he’d bothered to put on jeans.
“You want their boss?”
“Among other things.” She opened the door and waved Carl in. “Could you hang on a minute?” The door to Grady’s room opened and Willow met her in the hall with a very awake Grady. “Are you okay?”
“I wasn’t the one running around outside, but the gunfire woke him up. It was muffled, but I guess he must’ve thought you were out there having fun without him.”
“I told you—it’s in his genes.”
“God help me.”
“I’d start putting a word in with any deity you believe in,” Carl said, having obviously overheard them. “If that’s Tucker’s kid, you’re in for pure hyperactive hell until he’s about twenty. Then start saving for bail money.”
“Did you ever have to arrest her?” Willow suddenly appeared delighted.
“You have to buy me a drink before I divulge secrets like that, miss.” His radio came to life, and he stepped away to deal with it. “They’re already at the station, Tucker, and being processed. I’ll go and try to get Judge Clark on the phone.”
“Give me a minute to put on pants, and I’ll meet you down there.”
Carl shook Willow’s hand before leaving, and she followed Tucker to her room for the story. “You don’t have a clue who they are?” Willow asked as Tucker stepped into her closet for a pair of jeans. She didn’t bother with underwear since she wasn’t planning to stay long.
“My, my—commando?” Willow had snuck up to the closet door as the pants went past her ass.
“I’ll be like five minutes, Peeping Tom, and I’ve got no clue. Will you be okay with being alone until I’m done?” She went ahead and changed her shirt since Willow wasn’t moving and there was no time to be shy. “My guys will be here keeping an
eye on things.”
“It’ll give me a chance to practice my rocking skills trying to put him back to sleep.” The baby made a grabbing motion in her direction, and Tucker came closer like a well-trained seal.
“Da,” Grady said and yawned.
“Go to sleep, pal, and don’t give your aunt any problems. I love you.” She kissed Grady’s forehead, and Willow’s perfume electrified her senses. It took an effort not to kiss her too. “I’ll be right back, but some of the deputies are staying. I wouldn’t leave you in harm’s way.”
“We’ll be waiting, Dada.”
“I’m sure you will, Mama.” Tucker grinned, forgot about being careful, and kissed Willow’s cheek before leaving the house. For the worst time in her life, this would be a moment of light she’d always remember.
* * *
The moose in Carl’s office was a little over the top, but he was damn proud of the thing, so Tucker simply smiled as he placed the five cell phones he’d taken from their prisoners on his desk. Only one had text messages still coming in with vague questions.
“A number keeps texting, but it only says Client.”
“Any luck on the warrant?” The question What’s going on? was texting in at regular five-minute intervals. “And do we know who these guys are?”
“This is the list of people we have in custody.” Carl handed over a sheet but she didn’t recognize a name on it. “Their vehicle came back registered to AAA Investigations. But they’re not talking except to say lawyer.”
“Syd, wake up and write this down,” she barked into the phone once Syd was able to say hello.
“Fuck me, Tucker, it’s four thirty in the morning.”
She laughed, not at what Syd said, but imagining Willow hearing what she’d said. It hadn’t escaped even her unobservant mind that Willow was acting like a jealous girlfriend when Syd had appeared at the house earlier, and it made her feel hopeful. She’d have to analyze that at some point.
“If I tried, I think Willow would shoot my fingers off now that she knows where the key to all the gun cabinets is.”
