She remembered Will Knight’s Google search at the cafe. The new hospital wing sponsored by Senator Ruiz. Was that part of the payoff? And hadn’t Merry found a news article about suspicions of bribery at the hospital?
She paced back and forth in the morning sunlight, all the puzzle pieces colliding in her head. Maria had made her peace with Ruiz. They’d divorced, she was living in Mexico, he was sponsoring the domestic violence bill. He was funding a new hospital wing.
So what did Ruiz want with Lisa? He didn’t know who she was. He hadn’t even noticed her that day. She was sure of it.
Then a puzzle piece fell into place as adrenaline flooded her system like rocket fuel.
Dan Block knew her. He probably hadn’t thought twice about passing her in that hallway—until he’d realized that she was gone, along with Maria Ruiz.
Ruiz wasn’t after her. Blockhead was.
It explained so much. It would probably be pretty easy for Block to find out where she was. The hospital had all her contact information, work history, social security number. She was no expert when it came to staying off the radar.
She summoned up what she knew about Dan Block. Married…four kids…two in college…that was about it. No master criminal, but definitely someone who might be susceptible to bribery.
Strangely enough, a sense of relief came over her. A bumbling hospital manager was behind all of this, not a well-connected vengeful ex-husband. She could solve this. Put an end to it once and for all.
“Hey, sunshine.” Finn’s voice resonated in her ear.
She spun around and flung her arms around him. His solid body felt so perfect against hers.
“Hi Finn.” She beamed up at him, feeling light and bright and happy.
“Wow, hi to you too.”
“Are you a parking ticket?” she asked him.
He cocked his head. Even his frown made her weak in the knees.
She winked at him. “You have fine written all over you.”
After one stunned moment, he burst out laughing. “I see what you’re up to. You’re turning the tables on the master. Trying to out-pick-up the pick-up king.”
“Worked, didn’t it? Here you are. Right where I want you.” She breathed deep, filling her lungs with the scent of him. Still warm from sleep, a little sweaty from the crazy night they’d had, even so, he smelled wonderful to her. “Thank you for bringing me here. It was exactly what I needed.”
“I know.” His tender smile felt like everything she’d ever want or need. “You’re easy to please. No trips to Paris, no diamond earrings. Just a night in a lookout tower and you’re happy.”
For a moment, she basked in it—the tranquility of the tower, the presence of Finn. Utter perfection.
He brushed a thumb across her cheek. “Why were you dancing around just now?”
“I remembered something. Something that explains what’s been going on here.” She filled him in on the details of her discovery.
“You know what this means, right? I’m not being chased by Senator Ruiz. It’s just a guy at the hospital we know as Blockhead. I refuse to run and hide from that idiot. All I have to do is tell the police what I saw, and he’ll have no more reason to go after me. I can put all this craziness behind me.”
He listened closely, but instead of the relief she’d expected to see, a worried frown creased his forehead. “But you didn’t really see anything. Just a newspaper changing hands.”
“True. But I have some files I took from the hospital. They prove that records in the computer system were being altered.” With a jolt, she remembered the guesthouse break-in. “They might be gone. But I have a backup. Two backups, actually. I always keep one on me, one in my car, and then I always kept the files in my safe in the motorhome.”
Finn was looking more and more worried. “Maybe they were looking for those files.”
“Maybe. I need to call Will right away.” She pulled out her cell phone, ready to dial. Then her stomach plummeted. She knew what she had to do, and it wasn’t report her vague suspicions to Will Knight.
“What’s wrong?”
“I have to go back to Houston.”
He stared at her, a muscle ticking in his jaw, emotions clashing in a silent war. She could imagine the forces tugging in opposite directions. He knew that she was right. On the other hand, watching her go would be hard for him.
“I’ll come with you,” he said eventually. “I’ll be your bodyguard while you bust a senator and a hospital bigwig for bribery.”
“No.” She put a hand on his bare chest. “Absolutely not. You have a job here, a job you fought for. You’re staying here, Finn. I’ll go straight to the Houston DA that Will knows. He’s already looking into shenanigans at the hospital. I won’t be in any danger.”
He turned away, sliding away from the touch of her hand. She ached to put her arms around him, tell him that she loved him, that she wasn’t going away for good—but was that true? Once she got back to Houston, maybe all this would seem like a dream. An enchanted dream.
“This thing with us, Finn…”
“Yeah?” His voice held a wary edge as he turned back to face her. She couldn’t read his expression. Was he angry? Resigned?
“It’s been amazing. Like something out of a fantasy.”
He laughed abruptly, and again she couldn’t read the emotion behind that laugh. “You have interesting fantasies. A fire, a shooting, a publicity-mad actress…none of those things would show up in any of my fantasies.”
“You know what I mean. It’s not real life. It’s this strange, out-of-the-ordinary thing. Like,” she glanced around the airy space, “like this room. Above the trees, away from regular life completely.”
He stepped closer, eyes darkening. “What exactly are you trying to say? Spit it out, Lisa. I’m a grown man, I can take it.”
Oh God—he thought she was dumping him. Was she? No—yes—no—she didn’t know what she was doing. “This is all new to me, Finn,” she burst out. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I feel things for you that I’ve never— But I don’t know what it means.”
He caught her hands in his. “Do you have to know? Can’t it just be?”
“I’m afraid. Afraid of what will happen once I go back to Houston. Gravity will take over. I’ll definitely have to stay for my mother’s anniversary party, there’s no getting out of that. All of this might feel like a weird, amazing dream.”
He ran his hands down her back. Her spine arched under his touch. She always responded to him, no matter when or where or what else was going on. He smoothed his hands down her hips, touching his fingertips to the skin on the back of her legs. It was the most sensitive spot on her body, which he knew perfectly well. “If you’re afraid you’ll forget about me, don’t you worry. I’ll remember for both of us.”
Her breath caught and tears filled her eyes. “Oh, Finn…”
“Besides, there’s an article in the tabloids with photographic evidence and many inaccurate details. Those tabloids last forever, you know, like cockroaches. You’ll be in some dentist’s office and pick one up and it will all come back to you.”
A spurt of laughter escaped her. Did he know about the tabloid she’d filched from the Moon Glow? She’d never tell.
Finn continued. “This is a good thing, Lisa. You can finally put an end to this craziness. And I don’t think you’re going to forget. I think you’ll remember Finn Abrams the Animal, that annoying-yet-charming guy who just wouldn’t leave you alone.”
She gave a shaky laugh. The slow circles he traced on the backs of her legs felt like sweet fire. “I’m glad you didn’t leave me alone. I’m just starting to get used to you.”
He tilted her head and claimed her mouth in a fierce, demanding kiss that shook her down to her toes. “Good. I want you to be used to me. I want you to go back to Houston and tell your story to the DA. Then tell your family that you love them, but you don’t belong there anymore. Then I want you to swing by your apartment and pack
up all the possessions you’ve been missing. Then I want you to hop on the next plane back and text me the flight number so I can meet you at the airport.” He hauled her into his arms and swung her onto the counter that occupied the middle of the room. “But that’s just me. What do you want, my queen?”
“You.” She gazed into the fiery warmth of his dark gaze and felt she could do exactly that forever. “I want you. Right here, right now.”
“No one can look in, right?”
“Just the birds and the bees.”
“Not worried about them.” He slid his hands under her t-shirt.
“Maybe the bird-watchers, too.”
“They’re scientists, right? They’re familiar with mating rituals.”
She laughed breathlessly as he parted her legs and ran his hands up her sensitive inner thighs. They started to tremble right away. The sensation was so exquisite her eyes half closed. He made an appreciative sound—a growl really—deep in his chest. “Make love to me, you sexy beast,” she murmured. “That’s what I want.
He was already doing just that, with his hands, his tongue, and his incredibly talented instincts.
30
The next day, Finn drove Lisa to the regional airport, which was about forty-five minutes outside of Jupiter Point. The drive seemed to go absurdly fast. Watching her go back to Houston felt like ripping his heart out. But she was doing what she had to do. He couldn’t keep her, all he could do was support her. So he kept the tone light, teasing her about all the things she was leaving behind by returning to Houston.
“Are you sure you have no last-minute messages for Annika? Want me to get her autograph for you? She’d probably sign a copy of that article for you.”
“Ooh, something for my scrapbook.” She rolled her eyes. “Tell her that working with her was the greatest privilege of my professional life. And also, tell her to watch her back.”
“Say what?”
“Inside joke. She’ll get it.”
Finn shook his head at the thought of Lisa sharing an inside joke with Annika. After he put Lisa on the plane, he had some pissed-off phone calls to make.
In a crisp white blouse and black pants, with a red leather tote bag, Lisa looked more stylish than he’d ever seen her. She’d twisted her hair into an easy knot at the base of her neck. This was a side of Lisa Peretti he hadn’t seen before, a side she hadn’t shown to Jupiter Point. As if she was already disappearing into her old life.
But she had to go back. And he refused to make it harder for her. So he kept the jokes coming.
“I don’t know how Mrs. Murphy is going to handle the lack of excitement. I heard she has Knight on speed dial now. He’s talking about going into witness protection.”
“I know a witness he’d like to protect. I called Merry this morning and she sounded kind of…funny. Has either of them said anything about the night of the break-in?”
“Not a word. At least not to me.”
“This might call for margaritas at the Orbit. That’s when all the secrets come out.”
His heart lifted. That was the first time she’d actually said something concrete about coming back. He turned onto the road that led to the airport. A small plane was just taking off, retracting its wheels as it rode the air currents. “By the way, did you hear that Sean’s old airstrip will be open for business soon? Knight and Day Flight Tours. As in Will Knight.”
“The sheriff’s deputy?”
“Yup. The new owners are his two brothers. I guess he convinced them to leave the military and come start a business in Jupiter Point. The hotshots are pretty excited about it, actually. We could potentially get a little more air support.”
“Wow, I can’t believe I’m going to miss something so exciting for the single women of Jupiter Point.”
And—there went his heart sinking like a stone. That sounded like she wasn’t going to come back.
As he followed the signs directing him toward the departure level, she turned to him. “Please just drop me off at the curb. I can’t stand extended goodbyes.”
“Are you sure? You don’t need help with your bags?”
“No, I got it. You saw my suitcase, it’s half-empty. I guess I should thank Blockhead for making me travel light.”
He pulled up at the curb and stopped the car. A sense of panic filtered through him. An airport security guard patrolled the walkway—they wouldn’t have much time here.
He got out of the car and went to the trunk to retrieve her one and only suitcase. She propped it up and took the handle, then rested her tote bag on top of it. Suddenly everything felt very formal and awkward.
He cleared his throat. “You have someone meeting you at the other end, right? You won’t be alone?”
“Will’s old law school buddy is actually picking me up. I’m going to make my statement right away.”
“He’s picking you up? Tell him to knock it off if he tries any of my pick-up lines.”
Lisa gave that joke what it deserved—about half of a smile. “Finn, I want you to know something.”
He braced himself for something he didn’t want to hear. A brush-off, a backhanded compliment, a dagger in the heart disguised as affection.
“You are so much more than you think. More than your charm, your name, your firefighting skills.”
Just as he’d expected. He didn’t want flattery or kind words from Lisa. He wanted her heart. He tried for that light tone again, pointing at his scarred side. “Not just a pretty face, am I right?”
She shook her head, smiling, a tender gesture this time. “You’re a gem.” She rose up on tiptoes and pecked him on his unmarred cheek, then the scarred one. “And I—we’ll talk soon. I’ll text you as soon as I land.”
Stunned, he could barely watch as she pulled her suitcase behind her onto the curb.
What the hell. Could the woman be any more frustrating? He dragged a hand through his hair. “Is that it, then?”
She turned back in surprise. “Oh, right. Thanks for the ride to the airport. And thanks for letting me leave the Mercedes at your place. Take good care of Sparky. Stay safe out on the fire lines. And…take care of yourself. Don’t forget to keep that scar tissue stretched out. I left some salve for you at the guesthouse.”
“Very thoughtful. Thank you. I’ll do that.” Finn stalked back around to the driver’s side of the Tahoe and slid inside. He turned the key in the ignition and gunned the engine. “Safe travels, Lisa.”
He gave her a thumbs up. She gazed after him as he pulled away from the curb, the look in her eyes one of pure confusion.
Seriously? Did she seriously not understand why he might be annoyed? After everything they’d gone through, after he’d laid his heart before her on a silver platter, all she could say was “you’re a gem?”
“I mean, she didn’t even say what kind of gem she was talking about,” Finn told Rollo and Josh later that week, over his fourth ale at Barstow’s Brews. “A gem could be a diamond, or it could be a cubic zirconium or whatever. A gem. For fuck’s sake. Has any woman ever called you a gem?”
“It’s definitely the kiss of death,” said Josh. He was busy texting shots of his beer to Suzanne. They’d agreed to take turns going out at least one night a month. To Finn, it seemed that Josh was having more fun taunting his wife with his stupid beer selfies than he was actually drinking the stuff. “If any girl told me I was a gem, I’d have to have a serious talk with her.”
“You guys are nuts.” Rollo rested his muscled forearms on the table. “Gems are jewelry. Plenty of women like jewelry. Not Brianna, but every single one of my mother’s friends. Why would ‘gem’ be some kind of insult?”
Finn couldn’t quite put his finger on it, or maybe he was too hammered. He just knew it didn’t sound right.
“Some woman called you a gem?” Will Knight dropped into the chair next to Rollo. He sat on it backwards, resting his forearms on the back. “Them’s fighting words.”
“See?” Finn shot a pointed look at Rollo. �
��These guys don’t believe me. Tell ’em, Knight.”
“Oh yeah. That’s what MaryBeth called me in junior high after I helped her pass calculus. Right before she told me she couldn’t go to prom with me. If a girl calls you a gem, it’s time to pack up and go home.” He tilted his bottle to his lips.
“Right. Time to pack up and go home.” Finn drank from his glass tankard and gloomily watched the game of darts underway across the room. Lisa would never go to prom with him. Or the adult equivalent. She would sleep with him, she would laugh with him and snuggle with him, she would fight with him and scold him for being overprotective—but she didn’t love him. She’d never even hinted at such a thing.
The sound of Lisa’s name caught his attention. “I heard from my buddy in the Houston DA’s office,” Knight was saying. “Peretti really came through with her statement. It looks like her theory is right about the hospital accepting bribes to alter their records. We’re going to circle back to the man who attacked you guys on the hiking trail now that we have a name. It’ll be good to close up so many loose ends all at once.”
“Right on, brother.” Rollo clinked his glass against Knight’s beer bottle.
The deputy took a swig and smacked his lips together.
“Yup, great day for the boys in blue. I’m thinking that puts us one up on the firefighters, right?”
Finn, Josh and Rollo all jeered at him. “Three against one, dude. Three against one,” Finn pointed out with a wave of his tankard.
“Might have to argue with your math.” Knight jerked his head toward the bar. Finn squinted at two men in leather jackets who resembled the deputy. One of them, probably the older one, had a shaved head and a stern look, and was even taller than Will. The other leaned one elbow on the bar as he flirted with the waitress.
“Those the flyboys all the girls are talking about?”
Knight grinned. “Day one and the word is spreading, is it? That’s what I like to hear. If anyone asks for specifics, make sure to mention they’re both single. And that they both love brownies and casseroles.”
Setting Off Sparks (Jupiter Point Book 4) Page 21
