Things with him changed direction so fast a girl had no idea where she stood. One minute he was kissing her senseless, the next he treated her as a suspect in his case.
“Lani?”
Her sister’s voice came from the kitchen. Lindsay must be home for the weekend. Busy with her last semester of law school before she’d study for the bar exam, she didn’t have a lot of time to spare, though she tried to get back home as often as possible. But this visit was unexpected, and Lani wondered what was up. She headed in that direction and found her sister opening a bottle of Chardonnay. There were two wineglasses sitting on the island.
“How did you know I needed this?” Lani asked.
“Mom said you were working the carnival.” There was a “duh” in her sister’s voice as she poured the wine. “And I couldn’t help noticing that the very hot and sexy Detective Campbell dropped you off. Again.”
Lani didn’t want to talk about that. She just took the glass her sister handed over and said, “You know me too well, sis. Thanks.”
“And you know me.” She held her wineglass up. “Let’s drink to sisters before men.”
“Right on.” They clinked glasses and sipped. Lani thought her sister looked troubled. “Everything okay?”
“Oh, you know how it is. Men suck.”
“Barry didn’t meet your expectations?”
Lindsay’s expression was wry. “I have an expectation of fidelity when a man suggests we be exclusive. Apparently, his interpretation of being faithful was different.” She sighed, and the miserable look was back. “I caught him with his secretary. On the desk.”
“Ouch.” Lani winced. “But seriously, could that be any more clichéd?”
“I know, right? Absolutely no creativity.” Her sister toyed with the end of her ponytail. There was a frown in her blue eyes. “Except that what they were doing on that desk showed quite a bit of imagination—and passion that I never experienced with him.”
Lani’s heart hurt for her sister. She gave her a quick, hard hug. “You know, I could tell you he’s not worth crying over. There’s someone out there for you who’s ten times the man Barry is. That he’ll get what’s coming to him. But I’m not going to.”
“Really?” Lindsay’s eyebrows rose.
“Nope. Not going to go there,” she confirmed. “Instead, I say we get Anderson, Travis and Caleb to pay him a visit.”
“That’s like putting out a hit on him. If I’m going to be a lawyer and an officer of the court, I can’t condone that kind of behavior.” But she grinned, and her unhappiness faded for a few moments.
“But it’s not a hit,” Lani insisted. “If the three of them simply walk into his office, Barry will start to sweat. Our brothers don’t have to do anything but stand there and look like the avengers they could be. They’re a pretty imposing threesome.”
“The plan does have a certain appeal.” Thoughtfully, she tapped her lips then shook her head. “Going to that much trouble would make him think I care.”
“You do,” Lani reminded her.
“Sadly. But ignoring him will put a dent in that ego of his. That’s where he’s vulnerable.” Lindsay looked fierce for a moment before her eyes turned dark and tragic. “We talked about plans for the future. I was going to join his law practice and help him take on high-profile property development. That’s not going to happen now.”
“Better to find out before jumping into the deep end of the pool.” Lani was aware that her sister already knew that. She also knew that right this minute the truth of the statement wouldn’t make Lindsay feel any better. Only time would do that. “You’ll find someone, Linds.”
“I used to believe that once upon a time. Naively, I used to have hope. Then I got cheated on. Not once. Not twice.” She held up three fingers. “Third time’s the charm.”
“What does that mean?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I give off some kind of vibe that makes men think they can cheat on me. Or—” if possible her expression grew even more bleak “—I’m just a placeholder. Someone to be used until a better prospect comes along.”
Now Lani was getting worried. Her sister tended to look at life as not being fair. It was one of the reasons she’d wanted to be an attorney, to sort of even the odds for folks who didn’t have faith. But this hopeless attitude seemed deeply entrenched and reinforced, a core belief that would be difficult to shake.
It was time for some tough love, and that meant not playing her game. “That’s just ridiculous. You’re a hot, beautiful woman who has a lot to offer. In high school you were voted the girl most likely to break men’s hearts.”
“That’s when the curse began,” she countered, her voice full of conviction.
“Oh, please. Don’t be a martyr. This isn’t about you. There’s nothing wrong with you except for your judgment in men. Try swearing off them for a while. Clear your head. A different perspective and all that.”
“You’re onto something, sis.” Lindsay drained the rest of the wine in her glass. “I’m done with men and not temporarily, either. This is permanent.”
“That’s the spirit.” No point in trying to change her mind right now when the wound was still raw and bleeding, Lani thought.
“They’ll call me the bachelorette barrister. Don’t you just love alliteration?”
“It has a certain ring.” A little reverse psychology. “Maybe we should spin off a group from the Newcomers Club and call it the Wallflowers Club.”
“It should be singular, since I would be the only member.”
“I’m joining with you,” Lani explained.
“You can’t. What would Detective Dreamy say?”
“He doesn’t get to say anything about what I do.” Lani meant the words even though part of her wanted him to have a say.
“That’s not the way I see it.” Lindsay rested her elbows on the island countertop.
“Then it’s time to get your eyes checked because that’s the way it is.”
“You’re seriously trying to convince me that you don’t have feelings for Russ Campbell?” her sister asked.
“Oh, I have feelings all right, but not what you’re implying.”
“So nothing has changed between the two of you since the Fourth of July when you gave the impression that he was one step up from a Neanderthal?”
“You could say that.” Lani wouldn’t say it but didn’t mind if her sister put the thought out there.
“Then I rest my case.”
“Good.” She hated that her sister was a lawyer. It was like talking to their father, being cross-examined, every little thing she said analyzed and dissected.
Lindsay pointed at her, indicating she had more to say. Apparently, resting her case was too much to hope for.
“This is what you always do, Lani. Proclaim that you don’t like some guy, which is a big clue that you feel just the opposite.”
“That’s so far off the mark,” she scoffed, even though there was a ring of truth in the words.
“Oh? Then I give you exhibit A—blowing off the Dalton Sunday dinner to meet the Campbell clan. Yeah, Mom told me. Then there’s exhibit B—kissing him at the Ace in the Hole. That’s all over town. And exhibit C—defending him to Anderson and Travis.”
“Wow. Where’d you hear all of this?”
Her sister grinned. “Travis and I are close.”
Lani couldn’t argue any of that. Her only excuse was working with Russ on the case, but they were keeping the association quiet. She was at a loss to explain why he’d never once brought up brainstorming their strategy during the trip to his family’s farm. Or that out-of-the-blue kiss by the stream. But just now when he’d dropped her off she’d been prepared, and he didn’t make a move. What was she supposed to think?
Finally, she said, “None of that m
eans anything.”
“Right.” Lindsay sighed. “Look, sis, I’m only saying this because I’m concerned. Don’t make the same mistakes I have.”
Lani refilled her glass. “There’s nothing between Russ and me, so cheating isn’t an issue.”
“I meant don’t choose an inappropriate man.” She held up her hand to stop the words when Lani opened her mouth to argue. “Don’t waste your breath. I know the signs, and it’s clear you’re falling for him. But keep this in mind, Lani. He’s an outsider. When his work here in Rust Creek Falls is done, he’ll be gone.”
Or at least go back to the way it was before—when he’d come into the Ace in the Hole and ignored her.
Lani really wished that this conversation had unfolded in a different way or that her sister hadn’t been betrayed one too many times, because having someone to talk to would be helpful. Her feelings for Russ were muddled and confused, and bouncing them off the person she was closest to in the world would really be awesome. But Lindsay was too cynical right now to be objective.
“Okay, then,” she said. “It’s official. You and I will be charter members of the newly formed Rust Creek Falls Wallflowers Club.”
Lindsay grinned and held up her hand. “Pinkie swear?”
“I solemnly vow.” Lani hooked fingers and made the promise sacred, binding and official.
They hugged, and her sister said good-night before going upstairs to bed. Lani stayed in the kitchen to finish her wine, mull things over.
And the more she did, the more convinced she was that no way Russ was jealous about her dating Brad Crawford. It was just foolish, wishful thinking on her part. It was also the right move. She’d promised to help Russ find the culprit, and she wouldn’t go back on her word. But the sooner this investigation came to a conclusion, the better.
With any luck, that would happen before Detective Dreamy captured her heart completely.
* * *
After the school carnival closed down on Saturday night, Russ went to the Ace in the Hole. Alone in the crowd here was better than another evening staring at the walls of his room at Strickland’s Boarding House. It wasn’t all that different from hanging out at his house in Boulder Junction, but it sure felt lonelier. Somehow, he knew Lani was responsible for the attitude shift but couldn’t put his finger on exactly why that was. It didn’t matter, really. He just knew that one more night alone with his suspect list and interview notes might drive him nuts.
About a year ago, he’d discovered the bar after working a shift for Gage, and the two of them had come in for a beer. It was a good place to hang out, especially on busy nights like tonight. No one noticed you unless you wanted to be noticed, and if they didn’t it was no big deal.
Rosey Traven was behind the bar, talking to one of the other waitresses, Annie Kellerman, who was serving beers and making drinks for customers. And then the hair on the back of his neck stood up and he glanced to his right, where Lani was delivering an order of food at a booth by the window.
Relief slammed through him that she was here and not with Brad Crawford. That was something he needed to talk to her about, but it would have to wait. After setting baskets of burgers and fries in front of the middle-aged couple, she smiled. Although from across the room he couldn’t hear her, Russ knew she was telling them to flag her down if they needed anything else.
She glanced around the room, checking her customers, and spotted him. An instant smile turned up the corners of her mouth, as if she was glad to see him. Then it shut down. Her body language said she wanted to turn her back and head in the other direction, but she must have remembered they had a cover to maintain.
Smiling a big, fat, phony smile, she headed straight for him and threw her arms around his neck. Whispering in his ear she said, “Just to be clear, this is because everyone thinks we’re dating.”
“Understood.”
And he really did. Reading between the lines, that was her letting him know she didn’t appreciate his mixed signals. And he wasn’t proud of himself for it. That was just what happened when a man was mixed up. Lani messed with his head, scrambled the messages about focusing on his career and the necessity of fighting the longing to have her in his arms.
He put his hands at her waist and smiled. Then he asked the question he would ask if they really were a couple. “When do you get off?”
“Pretty soon.”
“Okay. I’ll wait for you.” He said it loud enough for everyone around them to hear.
Her eyes took on that look they got when she turned stubborn. “You don’t have—”
He touched his lips to hers and murmured against her mouth, “It’s our cover.”
“Right.” She smiled and pulled back. “Have a seat at the bar. I’ll be as quick as I can.”
“Take your time.”
She nodded then moved to a table where four women were seated and whipped out her order pad. Russ walked over to the bar and took the empty stool on the end. Annie appeared in front of him. “Hey, Russ. What can I get you? The usual?”
“Yeah.”
The usual would be a longneck bottle of beer, and it appeared in front of him. Since he’d started dropping by the bar, more often than not he’d chat with whoever was serving drinks here. Unless that person happened to be Lani. From the first moment he’d seen her, he’d known she was trouble, the kind of woman who could make a fool out of him if he wasn’t careful. Now here they were, pretending to be a couple. Fate had a warped sense of humor, because he had the feeling he wasn’t pretending anymore.
“Hey, Detective.” Rosey Shaw Traven was suddenly in front of him on the other side of the bar. “You look lost in thought.”
“Yeah.” He hadn’t noticed her approach, which wasn’t like him. “Got a lot on my mind.”
“I imagine you do.” She rested her hands on curvy hips, and the movement pulled her peasant blouse down just enough to reveal a hint of ample cleavage. “Any progress on finding out who spiked the punch at the wedding this summer?”
“No.”
“You being a hotshot detective and all, that must be frustrating.”
In more ways than he’d ever been frustrated before. “You could say that.”
“I heard the school carnival has been quiet so far.”
“That’s right.” It closed up a little while ago without incident. But the pressure was still on. “One more day and then we’re home free. For now.”
“Sunday’s traditionally a big day. After church a lot of folks stop by with their families.”
“Gage briefed me. We just have to make it until everything shuts down at four tomorrow.” He met her gaze. “There’s a part of me hoping whoever it is tries something and then we’ll have him. Put an end to it.” And his time with Lani would end, too. At least under the current rules.
Rosey picked up a tumbler and started to polish the glass with the rag in her hand. “So, I hear you and Lani have been hanging out together.”
“You heard right.” He took a sip of his beer.
“Why is that?”
“Why’s what?” he hedged.
The older woman smiled shrewdly, as if she knew he’d dodged the question deliberately. “It’s like this. You come into the Ace for months and never give a pretty girl like Lani a tumble. Then the two of you are stuck in a jail cell for hours while everyone at that wedding reception was three sheets to the wind.”
“That can be explained,” he protested. Although he still didn’t know why she’d taken his keys to the cell.
“No doubt.” She put the glass down then picked up another one and started polishing. “But I haven’t made my point yet.”
“Okay.” Whatever it was he knew he wouldn’t like it, so the longer it took to get there, the better. “Please continue.”
“Thanks. Where was I?�
�� She thought for a moment then nodded. “Right. Locked in a jail cell together. Then two months go by, the sheriff still doesn’t know who doctored the punch that day and you haven’t shown your face here at the bar. But he hires you to investigate.”
“That’s true,” he agreed.
“Suddenly, you and Lani are hanging out, spending a lot of time together.” She met his gaze again. “Why is that, exactly?”
“We’re getting to know each other.”
“So I heard. Dating.” She sounded skeptical, which was actually very perceptive of her.
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“It all depends on how you define problem.”
“Why don’t you tell me how you define it,” he suggested.
“I intend to.” She put down the glass and the rag then rested her hands on the scarred wood of the bar. “I’ve known Lani for a few years now. She’s a good girl, and I’m very fond of her. I’ve watched her go out with different men. I’ve seen her in love or infatuated, even smitten a time or two. Whatever you want to call it when a woman falls for a guy.”
Russ didn’t like the flare of jealousy that streaked through him at the mention of Lani with other guys. “I’m still waiting for you to get to the point.”
There was an odd smile on her face, as if she knew what he was feeling and approved. A moment later it was gone, and all that remained was a warning. “I’ve seen her in various stages of a relationship, but I’ve never seen her acting the way she is now with you.”
“Maybe that’s good.”
“Or maybe it isn’t.” She drilled him with a fiercely protective look. “Lani got her heart stomped on once, and I won’t stand by and do nothing while it happens again. That’s my point.”
“Got it.”
“So, we’re clear?” she demanded.
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