“The family tried to organize trips here at least once every other year when I was a kid,” he told her once their server had left them with tall mugs of cocoa. “We usually came during the spring though. Winter trips were more complicated to arrange. Then there was the whole leaving snow for more snow for some of us.”
“What?” Ray queried, smiling at the easy grin coming to his face.
“It’s funny because the winter trips are the ones I remember most.”
“I can see why.” Ray breathed in the crisp mountain air. “I bet it was a treat seeing all this decked out—with the gondolas all around, trees all lit and shining from the mountains.” She squeezed the large mug in her mittened hands. The smell of real Swiss cocoa seduced her nostrils, and she surrendered to the sliver of decadence in her bones.
Rayelle and Barker enjoyed their hot beverages from a table at a small café. There, they took in the sky’s subtle transition from overcast day to night. Due to the cloudy conditions, the festive lighting had remained active for much of the day. Ray considered it a treat to watch the lights turn more vivid with the onset of evening. Barker had settled back to enjoy the view, as well. His posture was a relaxed one against the cushioned chairs. To provide even more pampering, leather settees accompanied the chairs for an added layer of comfort should one decide to prop up their feet while taking in the view. Barker took full advantage of the amenity, necessary after another day of sightseeing. That day had even been capped off by shopping.
“Coming here during the winter was my favorite because it was the only time everybody seemed to get along,” he shared. “It was like something magical came down and wiped everybody’s mind free of whatever it was that kept them at each other’s throats for the rest of the year.”
Ray laughed, sipped her cocoa and enjoyed the way it fought the icy wind and microscopic snowflakes that hit her face. “I hear presents have a way of encouraging forgetfulness,” she teased.
Barker grinned and sipped his cocoa. “True, but it was a little more than that.” He shifted to an even more comfortable position in the chair. “I swear you could almost feel the love in the house. There was no mistaking it.”
“You’re a romantic, Barker Grant. Did you know that?”
“Maybe... I think I’m just hopeful when it comes to family. The potential is there, and I think we’ll reach it, especially with new family making its way into the fold.” He gave her a look before raising his mug in a toast.
Ray accepted and clicked her mug to his. “Thanks, Barker. I needed this.”
“I know.” Content, he returned to sipping his drink.
Ray shook her head, and the rest of the outing passed in happy silence.
* * *
Barker resisted the urge to open his eyes in the morning. They’d be leaving that afternoon.
Naturally, he wasn’t ready for the trip to come to an end, even though he and Ray had seen and done just about all there was to do in the snowy village. Still, he wanted to embrace the serenity they’d found there, far away from the concerns and obstacles in their real lives. If he kept his eyes closed just a little longer...
There was movement close to him in the wide bed. He and Ray had taken to the loft room—another thing he’d miss when they left. With a sigh, he opened his eyes to find her there before him, looking as though she’d been waiting on him to awaken.
Smiling then, Barker’s agitations over leaving fled. He reached out to tug a lock that had fallen from the messy ball she’d pulled her hair into. He wanted to wake up to her every day—it didn’t matter where they were. The serenity he felt wasn’t in a place; it was in the woman, this woman, whose toughness was tempered by an inner uncertainty that melted his heart.
“I’m in love with you, Rayelle Keats,” he told her.
Ray squeezed her eyes shut, but there was no hiding the sheen of tears glistening in her expressive gaze.
“I’m in love with you, too,” she said, “and you, um...you’re going to be a father.” She waved the pregnancy test module she’d picked up during their shopping trip the day before.
“I know,” he said, barely glancing at the strip.
Ray smirked. “Now you have proof.”
“And while I’m happy beyond belief, I know it upsets you.”
“It’s not that.”
“What then?”
“It’s hard to explain.” She swallowed noticeably. “And harder to understand. I...”
“You’re afraid.”
“Not the way you think. I...my mother...she hated being a mother. I think she only kept me because she believed one day the man she thought would leave his wife for her would come back. I was her ace in the hole.” She waved then, as if trying to dismiss an annoyance. “Sorry for going on about my mommy problems.”
“Don’t do that,” he said, hating the torture filling her eyes. “Don’t make light of what you feel.”
Ray gave a watery laugh. “What your uncle said about provocative ways—it was something my mother used to say. A woman’s provocative ways was all she ever needed. She told me a lady she used to work for lived by that code. I, um... I never asked what she did for the lady.”
“Babe—”
“She was a lot like Miss J, you know? My mom...”
“She was?” Barker realized she needed to have her say.
Ray nodded. “She could have anyone. Hmph, she did have anyone. There was just one she wanted too much—a whole lot more than he wanted her...or me. For a long time I got by on the idea that at least she loved him. Why else would she keep me?”
Barker brushed his knuckles down her cheek.
“Her ace in the hole...but still a reminder that she wasn’t so free anymore. I was baggage, and she made sure I knew it. I’ve been on my own since I was sixteen.” She winced and looked his way then. “It’s okay if you say it.”
“Say what?” His focus was on the spot his thumb brushed along her collarbone.
“That it’s past time for me to get over my hurt feelings.”
Barker cupped her jaw. “You’ve got every right to your feelings, Ray. Never tell yourself otherwise.” He gave her cheek a slight squeeze then. “Have you ever thought that maybe your mother was afraid of being alone with you to care for, and it messed with her ability to love you the way she should have?”
“Yeah...yes, it’s occurred to me. A lot—a lot more since...this.” She tapped the test strip to her palm. “What if what’s in her is in me? What if I’m capable of treating my own child like garbage because I was alone or had a bad day? Being so awful that my child would pick the world over me? No.” She shook her head fiercely.
Barker sat up, taking Ray’s face between his hands. “Are you listening?” He waited for her to nod. “No matter what happens between us—that’s not a decision our child will ever have to make.” He squeezed her face again.
“You didn’t pick just anyone to have a baby with, Rayelle.” He smiled when she laughed, as he’d intended.
“I told you before that I care for what’s mine—for what I love. When you decide to believe that, you’ll know where to find me.” With those words, he put his forehead to hers, and they remained that way for a while.
Chapter 14
Philadelphia, PA
Two days later...
“What?” Ray asked on a laugh. She and Barker were back home and making good on the dinner date he’d requested.
Barker lifted a hand inches off the dining table and let it settle as coolly as it had risen. “I was sure I’d need to remind you of our date.”
She wasn’t surprised by his response and shrugged. “Not that I want to, but there’s no sense trying to avoid our dates—especially the dinner-related ones.” She ran a finger along the rim of her water glass. “I’m prepared for you to be my shadow until the baby comes.”
Longer tha
n that. Barker decided to keep the thought silent for the time being.
Ray looked longingly toward the glass of merlot Barker had ordered. She closed her mind to disappointment, knowing the feeling of sacrifice would only get worse over the next several months.
“So, tell me why we’re here? Or why you’re here, since I’m just a pretty face to help you maintain your cover.” Teasing was bright in her voice then.
Barker smiled while scanning the LaMours dining room. “I think we’ve caught a break on the story,” he said.
“Can you elaborate?”
Barker considered his wine while gathering his thoughts. “We have reason to believe that old buildings suddenly bought near the tracks are being used for illegal gambling dives. There’s a chance that more than gambling is going on.”
“Like what?” Small lines furrowed Ray’s brow when she saw Barker was reluctant to share.
“With Jazzy B’s changing its...focus, it leaves a wider market open.”
“But there are tons of clubs—”
“Not like Jazzy B’s and its clientele,” Barker interjected before Ray could give her ready argument. “Suddenly without that preferred environment, someone’s gonna want that business.”
“That business sowed the seeds for a lot of trouble.”
Barker nodded. “Seeds our DA and Chief of Detectives would weed out as soon as they see.” He spoke of District Attorney Paula Starker and Chief of Detectives Sophia Hail-Rodriguez.
“And you think someone here knows about it?” Ray scanned the dining room then, as well.
“LaMours’s head chef,” Barker shared, his expression grim. “Steven Saltzman’s gambling problems and love for the finer things ruined his marriage. It makes sense to me now why he was at my uncle’s party.”
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting the finer things, Barker.”
“I know that, and it’s why I’m curious that Saltz would rather spend time at an illegal club in an area of town where the buses don’t run instead of the restaurant he practically owns.”
“Well, that’s—” Ray stopped herself, catching sight of the approaching bodies in her periphery. The twentysomething couple apologized to Ray for the interruption and made quick work of telling Barker they were journalism students who hoped to model their careers after his. They rounded out their speech by asking Barker for autographs that he graciously provided.
“LaMour is what it is because of him,” Barker went on, never breaking stride despite the adoration he’d just been showered with. “I don’t get why he’d rather spend his time at a building on the verge of being condemned than here.”
“Maybe he’s branching out?” Ray tried. “Could be he’s got plans for a restaurant of his own.”
“I hope so.” Barker raised his glass but studied the light shining through the deep red contents instead of drinking. “Otherwise he’d make for a fine source.”
Ray was prepping for another question when she heard Barker’s name. A tall, stout man approached, his round face brightened by a wide grin. Barker stood to accept his extended hand to shake.
“Not every day I get one of the Philly Grants in my place! How are you, man?”
Barker chuckled. “Can’t complain.”
“And I see why.” The man’s eyes turned to Rayelle. “Not with this beauty to enjoy a fine meal with. I see you took my advice about getting him here.”
“Ray, you remember Steven Saltzman?”
Ray was already nodding and taking Saltzman’s hand. “I remember, and yes, there was no way I was gonna let him forget to bring me here. Nice seeing you again,” she said.
“It was good seeing you at my uncle’s party, too,” Barker chimed in.
Saltzman nodded. “Dean was nice enough to invite me.” He referred to Dean Grant, Barker’s cousin. “We met right here at LaMours.”
“Nice to know the fool actually left work to eat.”
Saltzman grinned. “That’s exactly what he said about you being at his dad’s party.”
There was laughter all around, but then Ray felt her heart lurch unexpectedly when Barker looked to her and winked. Fortunately, she soon grasped that it was a message that his plan was about to take off, instead of a sexy gesture meant to unbalance her.
“Guess I haven’t been as ‘on the job’ as I should be,” Barker admitted.
“I hear the Bahamas’ll do that to you,” Saltzman mused.
Barker rolled his eyes. “I won’t be part of the other half for long if I keep tapping out the way I did at the tables down there.”
Awareness crept into Ray’s eyes as she watched Saltzman take the bait.
“The tables, huh?” he jibed.
Barker shrugged. “I only need a taste every now and then.” He brushed the back of his hand down Ray’s arm. “Glad I had this one with me to pull me back.”
“Did I really?” Playing along then, Ray hiked a brow. “You lost over twenty-five k down there, remember?”
Barker feigned a bashful look. “And that’s when she was with me,” he told Saltzman.
“Anyway.” Ray sighed and reached for her purse. “I’m headed for the powder room. ’Scuse me, gentlemen.”
“She’s right,” Barker said once Ray had left them. “I’ve gotta do better. That trip almost wiped me out, and it’s a long time ’til payday rolls back around.”
“Like I said, how the other half lives.” Saltzman grinned as a speculative look sharpened his features. “Maybe what you need is a spot closer to home.”
Barker shook his head. “What I need is to quit while I’m ahead. This is a road I don’t want to go down. No one should when they’ve pulled themselves out of crap to land in a pretty good spot.”
Saltzman appeared to be reading Barker’s expression when the reporter scanned the dining room, which was decked out festively. “You came here to pump me for information, didn’t you?”
“What is it you think I expect you to know?”
“Don’t treat me like an idiot, Barker.”
“What’s goin’ on out there where the buses don’t run, Saltz?”
“Walk away from this.” Steven Saltzman’s expression was as level as his words.
Barker responded in kind. “I can’t do that,” he said. “Neither can you. You practically run this place, Saltz. Your name’s synonymous with it.”
“For being a servant,” Saltzman grumbled.
“Artist,” Barker countered.
Saltzman winced, moving closer to Barker. “I’m rubbing elbows with people you wouldn’t believe now.”
“Isn’t that what you do here at LaMours?”
“There, I’m an equal.”
“And when you lose?” Barker tilted his head when the other man looked away. “You know that’s coming, too, right?”
“Losing is part of it. I can handle myself. I’ve learned...” He gave a fast, stubborn shake of his head. “It won’t be like it was before.”
“Stay away from it, Saltz.”
“Go to hell, Grant,” Saltzman hissed, keeping his voice at the fierce level when he next spoke. “Do you really think you’ll stop it? There will be a new club the day after you think you’ve won.”
“Then I’d deal with it then.”
“Life of the rich,” Saltzman continued to muse. “You people think you can fix anything that doesn’t fit in with your perception of morals.” He pursed his lips and looked disgusted. “So busy looking at everyone else, you don’t see what’s right next to you. You should let this go, Bar.”
“And you should know I won’t. I’d really like for you not to be around to see what’s coming, Saltz.”
“What are you?” The edge to the other man’s query was underscored by a quick shot of laughter. “The Ghost of Christmas Present? Here to spread goodwill and save me from myself?”
/> Barker saw Ray wave to him, and he pulled money from his pocket to handle the check. He squeezed Saltzman’s arm. “Somethin’ like that.” He smiled and looked back at the table. “Excellent meal as usual. Merry Christmas, Saltz.”
* * *
“So, he basically confirmed it?” Ray watched Barker in disbelief from the Jeep’s passenger seat. She studied Barker across the gearshift.
“More or less.” He sighed, his head resting along the seat back, his mouth a thin line as he spoke.
New realization brightened Ray’s eyes. “But that’s not really why you wanted to see him, is it?”
Barker’s shoulder rose in a half shrug. “I don’t really want to see the guy ruin his life again. It was bad for him before.”
“So, you didn’t want him for a story?”
Barker smirked. “He would’ve been a great source, but sometimes there’re more important things. He doesn’t need the trouble sure to come his way when the place is taken down.”
Ray punched his shoulder and smiled when he looked her way. “You’re some kind of reporter,” she said.
“Soft?”
“Compassionate.”
“Like I said, you didn’t pick just any guy to have a baby with.”
Ray shook her head and settled back into her seat. For a while, she enjoyed the streets, which presented a spectacular display of lights hailing the season. Suddenly, she bolted up in her seat. A hand covered her mouth as her light eyes widened.
“Ray?”
“Take this exit,” she said.
* * *
“Sorry it’s so late, guys,” Ray apologized as the four girls dragged themselves into the cozily decorated living room of Endeavor House.
“I really only had a few questions for Suze.” She nodded to Suzanne Jessup. “Thought it’d help to have you guys with her...” Ray trailed off as she realized her explanation was going unheard.
The girls were far more intrigued by the man who had accompanied their mentor to the meeting. Ray made quick introductions and allowed her young friends time for drooling and silent adoration.
Ajani Pinkney was first to approach Barker with an outstretched hand. “We know who you are. We watch the news on WPXI every night. Um...almost every night.”
Seductive Moments Page 15
