Perfect Partners?

by C. J. Carmichael

  And then she heard the screams. First her mom. Then her dad.

  Meg froze with fear. Stay here, Lindsay told her sister. Don’t move.

  And now she was in the dark room, the room with all the blood. Her mother was on the floor. Her dad was holding a gun.

  Lindsay? he said. “Lindsay?”

  And then her sister screamed…

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “LINDSAY.” SOMEONE NEW WAS speaking her name. She didn’t recognize his voice.

  “Lindsay,” he said again. “Wake up. You’re having a nightmare.”

  Wait a minute. Yes, she knew the voice. It was Nathan Fisher. They’d fallen asleep after watching a movie. It was Saturday night—no, Sunday.

  “Are you all right, sweetheart?”

  She felt his hand brush over her forehead.

  “You’re drenched. And you were mumbling in your sleep.”

  What had she said? Please nothing that he would understand. She slid out of his arms to the edge of the bed, then stood and headed for the bathroom. At the sink she splashed water on her face. When she lifted her gaze, she could see Nathan’s reflection in the mirror, behind her.

  He passed her a towel. “Do you have nightmares often?”

  She shrugged. “Often enough.”

  His arms circled her waist. “Come back to bed and tell me about it.”

  As if. “I’d rather clear my head first.” She pried his fingers from her body and headed toward the computer. “You go ahead and sleep.”

  Being Nathan, of course he didn’t listen to her. She could sense him behind her, brooding, as she sat at her desk and booted up the computer.

  “Don’t tell me you’re going to work.”

  “Might as well. I’m awake now.”

  The floorboards creaked as he headed to the kitchen. She heard him open the fridge, then a few moments later put something in the microwave. She did her best to tune him out.

  Three new messages were in her in-box, all from that new client who was thinking of getting married. Lindsay had called her yesterday and had set up a meeting for Monday morning. But it seemed this woman was having second thoughts.

  “I feel like an idiot for doubting the man I love. Let’s just forget the whole thing. Of course, I’ll pay for whatever time you’ve already spent…”

  The second message, sent three hours after the first read, “Please confirm that you’ve received this e-mail. Also, could you please not phone my house…”

  Finally, the last e-mail: “You know what? I think I will meet with you tomorrow after all. Just ignore my previous—”

  Lindsay deleted all three messages without responding. Some clients. Tomorrow’s meeting was not going to be pretty.

  “Enough work.” Nathan was back in the room, a mug in his hand. “I made you something. You can drink it in bed.”

  “You’re awfully bossy.”

  “Come on, Lindsay. You’re going to be beat tomorrow if you don’t get some more rest.”

  She probably would have ignored him, but that last client had been so annoying she decided to cave. “Fine. But I’m only doing this because you mixed me a drink. What is it? A hot toddy?”

  “Come and see.” He waited until she was settled under the covers before he handed her the mug.

  Lindsay took one taste, then made a face. “Hot cocoa.” She started to get up. “It would be okay if we added some liqueur…”

  “C’mon Lindsay. Just drink it. Save your recipe critique for the morning.” He sank into bed beside her and turned out the light.

  “Okay, fine. But I want you to know I’m just being polite. This stuff is awful.”

  “You are so polite, it’s mind-boggling.” Nathan closed his eyes and five minutes later he was fast asleep.

  God, if only it could be that easy for her.

  NATHAN DID HIS BEST TO KEEP exhaustion at bay as he pretended to sleep. He wanted to make sure Lindsay was asleep before he allowed himself that luxury. With nights like this, no wonder she was a little edgy at times.

  He listened to her sip the last of the cocoa and place the mug on the bedside table. He half expected her to get out of bed again, but she sank under the covers. For a few minutes she tossed from one position to another. Finally she nudged up against him, and he looped his arm around her waist.

  “Nathan?” she whispered.

  “Yes.”

  “Talk to me.”

  She needed a distraction, he realized. He cast for a safe subject. “I remember the first time I went to a Yankees game. My dad took me on my seventh birthday…that was all I’d asked for. I didn’t want a party, or present or cake. I just wanted to watch my heroes play ball.”

  She let out a long sigh, and as the air left her lungs he could feel her muscles relax.

  “We had seats behind third base. I’ll never forget how I felt in those electrifying seconds before the game began…”

  He kept talking, reliving a happy memory that he hadn’t thought about in a long time. He kept talking past the time he was certain she was asleep. Slowly he let his voice taper off. Then he looked down at her.

  Her eyes were closed, her mouth was parted, her limbs were slack.

  Definitely sleeping.

  Finally.

  Nathan let his eyelids relax and tried to do the same. He’d been deeply asleep when Lindsay woke up from her nightmare, but now, perversely, he was no longer tired.

  Talking about his father had brought back a lot of memories. He wondered if his dad would think he’d done the right thing by leaving the force. Would he think that working for a private investigating firm was a worthwhile way to spend his life?

  At the end of the day, son, you only have to answer to yourself…

  Finally Nathan fell asleep.

  LINDSAY AWOKE WITH A START when the alarm went off. She could feel Nathan behind her.

  He’d spent the night. Again. She felt a buzz of panic and lifted his arm from her waist.

  “Where are you going?” The muscles on his arm tightened. Suddenly his loose hold was a vise.

  “Let go. We’ve got to get ready for work.”

  He kissed the back of her neck, then ran his hand over her hip and along the top of her thigh. His touch was silken and hot, but she refused to be seduced.

  “I have a new client coming in at ten-thirty.” She pushed against him and this time he didn’t try to stop her. Once out of bed, she headed for the bathroom, grabbing her robe on the way.

  In the shower, she finally faced what she had done.

  She hadn’t intended to spend her entire weekend with Nathan. Eating meals together, going on runs, watching movies…this was not the way their relationship was supposed to work. She was going to fall for the guy if she wasn’t careful. It wouldn’t be hard.

  Nathan had a lot of good points, beyond his computer and bedroom skills. He was kind, had a great sense of humor and was fun to be around. Not to mention he mixed a mean paralyzer. Not that he’d utilized that skill much this weekend, she realized, thinking about the cocoa she’d had right before falling asleep.

  God, cocoa. Was that what dating Nathan was bringing her to?

  Dating Nathan.

  Lindsay felt like pounding her head against the tiled bathroom wall.

  Was she insane?

  She’d gone from insisting she wanted to work alone, to agreeing to take Nathan on as a partner. Next she’d agreed that they could be partners “with benefits.” Now dating?

  The pendulum had definitely swung too far.

  Lindsay emerged from the bathroom with her robe wrapped tightly around her. Nathan was just getting out from under the covers and she carefully avoided looking at his naked body as she surveyed the choices in her closet for something to wear. Nathan strode past on his way to the bathroom.

  “The blue blazer brings out your eyes.”

  She’d been thinking of the blue, but chose the brown, instead. By the time she’d selected matching pants and a cream-colored, soft-as-silk T-shir
t, Nathan was finished showering, shaving and dressing. She glanced at him, then away. Damn, did he have to look so good, this early in the day?

  “You have clean clothes?”

  “I keep the essentials in my briefcase.”

  “How convenient.” She hated the jealous pang his words gave her. She shouldn’t care about Nathan’s past…or his future. She had no claim. She wanted no claim.

  “A clean shirt and underwear come in handy after a night on surveillance when there isn’t time to make it home before you’re due at the office,” Nathan added.

  “No need to explain.” And yet, she couldn’t deny that she felt a rush of relief that Nathan didn’t make a habit of these overnight encounters.

  What had happened to her credo…no emotional attachments?

  Lindsay grabbed her leather bag, checking to make sure she had everything she needed for work. Finally, she grabbed her keys. “Ready to go?” she asked, not caring that she sounded like a drill sergeant, rather than a woman who’d spent two straight days in bed with this man.

  “What about breakfast?”

  “We’ll have coffee at work.”

  “That’s all you eat in the morning?”

  She expelled her breath impatiently. “If you were expecting eggs, bacon and toast, you’re in the wrong apartment.”

  “No kidding. I thought you said you bought groceries yesterday, but there’s nothing in your kitchen.”

  “I bought the essentials,” she insisted.

  “Cream and cola,” he shot back, “are not essentials.”

  “To me they are.”

  He sighed. “Your diet is seriously scary, you know that? But no worries. I’ll pick up some bagels on the way to the office.”

  NADINE WAS AT THE COFFEE station when Lindsay pushed open the main door. Her receptionist was dressed in a stylish skirt and top, with patterned tights and a pair of short leather boots. The woman was always so well turned out. Lindsay tried to recall the last time she’d purchased a new outfit.

  “Did you have a nice weekend?” Nadine asked.

  Lindsay growled at the innocuous question and reached for the cup of coffee Nadine had just poured. She took a thankful sip and thought again about all the paralyzers she hadn’t had that weekend.

  No wonder she was in such a foul mood this morning.

  On the other hand, her head actually felt clear, and her body light and springy. Of course, that might be due to the sex…

  Nathan came in then, holding a brown paper bag of bagels up in the air like a trophy. “Breakfast for everyone. I’ve got cream cheese, too.”

  The sight of him had an unexpected effect on Lindsay’s metabolism. She wanted to scream at herself. She’d seen him just five minutes ago…why did she have this happy, bouncy feeling just because he’d walked into the room?

  “I hate cream cheese.” She saw Nadine shoot her a surprised look. No wonder. Nadine knew she loved cream cheese.

  Nadine helped herself to a bagel. “This was very thoughtful of you, Nathan.”

  Lindsay bit her tongue on the ungracious comment that popped into her head. She wanted to retreat to her office, but her stomach gurgled in protest. Though she rarely ate in the morning, today she happened to be ravenous. Perhaps because of her abstinence from alcohol, her overindulgence in sex, or a combination of the two. She chose a pumpernickel bagel and slathered it with cream cheese.

  Neither Nadine nor Nathan made a comment about her professed dislike for the spread. They looked amused, though, and Nathan sidled up to her. “Eat lots, boss. Build up your stamina for later.”

  She shot him a warning look, but it was too late. Nadine tilted her head to one side and narrowed her oval-shaped green eyes. She studied Lindsay’s face, then Nathan’s.

  “What’s happening later?”

  “Just work. I have a client, a Miss Carlene Schultz, coming in at ten-thirty. Show her to my office when she arrives, please.”

  Lindsay met Nathan’s gaze one last time. Watch yourself, she warned him, silently. Then she took her breakfast into her office and closed the door.

  AS SOON AS LINDSAY HAD LEFT the room, Nadine turned to Nathan expectantly. “What’s up with you two? And don’t tell me nothing, because you have better chemistry than the interns on Grey’s Anatomy.”

  “You’re hooked on that show, too?” he asked. “My sister got me started when she moved in a few months ago. What do you think the big cliff-hanger ending will be this season?”

  “You don’t want to talk about Lindsay, that’s fine.” She smiled. “But just so you know, I think it’s great. You make an amazing couple.”

  “We aren’t a couple.”

  “Did you have a fight already?”

  “We’re always fighting.” He took a gulp of very black, very hot coffee and grimaced. “That isn’t a good sign, is it?”

  “With your average woman, no. But with Lindsay, it could be. She’s got a very hard shell. At least you’re getting under it.”

  Which might be a good thing. Or maybe not. He grabbed an extra bagel then started for his office. Partway there he paused. “You’re going to tell her your real name soon, right?”

  Nadine wrinkled her nose. “Do I have to?”

  “It’s almost the end of the month…you know what that means.”

  She straightened her shoulders, sucked in her breath. “Payday.”

  LINDSAY HAD FINISHED THE BAGEL, two cups of coffee and responded to five e-mails by the time Nadine admitted Carlene Schultz to her office.

  Carlene looked around forty, attractive, with a long face and salon-coiffed hair. Judging by the quality of her business suit and her Patek Philippe watch, the woman had money.

  Lindsay stood to shake her hand. Regardless of the size of the pocketbook, the standard spiel she gave her new clients was always the same and she ran through the ground rules with Carlene quickly. Carlene displayed a businesslike mind, combined with the emotions of a thirteen-year-old girl.

  “I understand your terms and I accept them.” She produced a Louis Vuitton wallet from her red leather purse and proceeded to write out a check for five hundred dollars.

  “I feel so underhanded about this,” Carlene confessed. “My Albert is such a sweetheart. He would be crushed if he thought I didn’t trust him.”

  “Marriage entails serious legal obligations. If you own a house or investments…?”

  Carlene nodded. “I do.”

  “Then you’d be foolish not to check out a few basic facts about someone you’ve only known a month.”

  “Albert doesn’t care about my money. He isn’t that sort of person.”

  Lindsay maintained a neutral expression with some difficulty. “Maybe not. But I strongly advise you to hold off on your wedding plans until I’ve had a chance to complete my preliminary check.” She opened her appointment book. “I should have something for you by tomorrow.”

  “Wow, that’s fast.”

  “In your message you mentioned getting married within a week.”

  Carlene nodded.

  “Then we need to work fast.” Lindsay stood to signal the meeting was over. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” she promised. “With a written report to follow soon after.”

  Lindsay walked Carlene through reception. As soon as her client had left, Nadine motioned for her attention.

  “Celia Burchard arrived about ten minutes ago. She and Nathan are in the boardroom, waiting for you.”

  Lindsay was unhappy to feel an onrush of jealousy at the idea of Nathan alone with his former girlfriend. The emotion was totally juvenile, totally unprofessional. Was this what her weekend with Nathan had reduced her to?

  “I TRIED TO CALL YOU AT HOME yesterday.” Celia was pouting. There was no other way to describe it. “Your sister said you were out. That you’d been out all weekend.”

  Nathan wondered how much longer Lindsay would be busy with her client. “I’m sorry I missed your call. You should have tried my cell.”

  “I did.”


  “Oh. Right. I had it off most of the weekend.” He rubbed the side of his face. This was damned awkward. He wasn’t used to accounting for his whereabouts with former girlfriends. But this former girlfriend just happened to be a client.

  “Where were you?”

  “Um—”

  Fortunately the door opened then and Lindsay breezed inside. “Sorry to keep you waiting.” She shook Celia’s hand then settled into the vacant chair at the head of the table. “I’m glad you decided to come in person for an update. We’ve had some interesting developments…”

  “I’m not here to get an update,” Celia interrupted. “I have news. Good news.”

  “Oh?” Lindsay glanced at him and he gave a small shrug, letting her know that he had no idea what Celia was about to tell them.

  “My parents are getting back together. I’m here to terminate your services.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NICER to deliver the news in person,” Celia continued, “rather than use the phone or send an e-mail.”

  Or maybe she’d just wanted to wound Nathan and see how he reacted, Lindsay guessed. If so, she must be disappointed at how unperturbed Nathan appeared by her pronouncement.

  “Maybe you should listen to our update before you make that decision,” he counseled her as if she were any other client.

  “Your update is irrelevant now. I think the fact that I hired your agency to help Mom got my dad thinking. He must have realized how crazy he was acting. At any rate, he phoned Mom on Sunday and told her he’s interested in a reconciliation.”

  Lindsay sat in stunned silence. This didn’t make sense. The memory of Maurice Burchard fawning over Paige Stevens was still too vivid in her mind.

  “They’re going to spend the weekend at our Catskills lodge. Just the two of them. Isn’t that romantic?”

  Celia was clearly thrilled. “The best part,” she added, “is that Dad is pretty sure that if he and Mom reconcile and he testifies in her favor, we can get the charges of attempted murder dropped entirely.”

  “Really.” This abrupt reversal felt completely bogus to Lindsay. Glancing at Nathan, she could tell he had the same reservations.