Unexpected Sparks

by Gina Dartt

  “So they overextended themselves?”

  Lynn nodded in apparent agreement. “It sounds like it. I don’t have anything concrete, of course. I’m only repeating what the innuendo in financial circles has indicated.”

  “If Rushton had already used up a lot of the other money renovating the hotel,” Nikki said slowly, thinking out loud, “they might have got caught short, but it isn’t illegal to overextend, is it?”

  Lynn lifted a dark brow. “Depends on where and how they got the money to set the deal up in the first place, or how they tried to cover the bills later.” She closed the file and gave it to Nikki. “I don’t know anything about that, and even if somehow I found out, I’d be ethically obligated not to pass it on. It would be privileged financial information.”

  Nikki propped her chin on her palm. “Okay, fair enough. Speaking hypothetically, how would one go about finding out if they started doing illegal stuff to cover this deal?”

  “Paper trail,” Lynn said. “Follow the paper trail, and it will usually lead you to all the messy details.”

  Nikki frowned. “Kate would understand that better than I would.”

  “Wow, ten whole minutes before her name came up. Is the honeymoon finally over?” Lynn grinned.

  “No, I was trying to discipline myself.”

  “It didn’t work.”

  “Is this all you have?” Nikki ignored the teasing.

  Lynn spread her hands. “That’s all I could get on the company. I’ll keep my eyes and ears open, of course, but that’s probably all that’s available without potentially stirring up legal problems.”

  Nikki certainly didn’t want Lynn to get into trouble. “This is fine.” The door opened behind her, and she realized that her time between appointments had just run out. She flashed Lynn a smile and stuffed the file into her backpack. “See you later.”

  “Call us when you get a chance,” Lynn said, already concentrating on her next client.

  Nikki took a deep breath of cold air as she stepped outside, slinging the bag over her back. As she shifted her shoulders to settle it into place, she felt a few twinges in her calves, indicating that she had probably overdone it after a winter of sloughing off. She stretched a few times to loosen up and set off again, grateful that the return trip was mostly downhill, including one stretch of rarely traveled road that didn’t even have a sidewalk, only a graveled shoulder that had fortunately been plowed back to the ditch.

  While she walked along it, she worried the information she had received like a puppy with a bone, trying it from all angles in an effort to force it all to make sense. She wondered if Sam and Katherine had a falling-out over the way the deal had gone flat. Certainly all the money Rushton had poured into the Edwards House had probably affected their cash flow, perhaps at a particularly crucial time.

  The blare of a car horn abruptly jolted her out of her thoughts. Startled, she half turned, horrified to catch a glimpse of a dark bulk bearing down on her from the otherwise empty street. She leapt for the nearest ditch, plunging into the wet snow filling it. The icy cold went down the back of her neck and up under her coat as she floundered around, thoroughly soaking herself. Unbalanced by the weight of the pack on her back, she finally struggled upright and stared breathlessly after the car that squealed around the corner and sped up Willis Avenue. It was already too far away for her to see the license plate, but she easily recognized the dark-colored Lexus.

  Nikki studied the snow on the side of the street and noted that the tracks, which came so perilously close to her footprints, indicated studded tires...undoubtedly the same ones that managed to traverse a long driveway during a blizzard in order to secrete a weapon in the false bottom of a desk drawer. Taking a deep breath, she hefted her pack and started down the road again, constantly alert to her surroundings and quick to glance around whenever she heard a car approach.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Kate felt the ripple of sensation settle into her stomach as Nikki entered the store, and she wondered if this intense reaction to the sight of her lover would ever ease. She supposed it would over time, but for the moment, she cherished the feeling, nurturing it like a fragile plant. Fully engaged at the moment, Kate could do little but offer her a brief smile in passing, which Nikki acknowledged with a nod before Kate focused her attention back on the customer making his purchase.

  By the time she had finished and the man had exited, Nikki was not in the main part of the store. A glance at the security mirror revealed that she had wandered into the rear to check out the used books...just as if this was any other Wednesday. Smiling fondly, Kate made sure there were no other customers and moved over to lean in the doorway, observing Nikki as she scanned the mysteries displayed on the shelves. “Do you need any help?” she asked, purposely dropping her tone into a husky, sensual trill.

  Nikki started briefly and then managed a wan grin at the invitation implicit in Kate’s voice. “Maybe later.”

  Kate immediately sobered. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” Nikki looked away.

  “I don’t believe you. Tell me.”

  Nikki hesitated before taking a quick breath. “A car almost hit me this afternoon.”

  “What?” Kate strode over to her, grasped her by the arms, and examined her intently before she quite realized what she was doing. Nikki remained still as Kate assured herself that her lover was unscathed. Kate had a sick feeling in her chest, a sense of absolute terror that anything could take Nikki away from her so quickly and easily.

  “It missed me. I don’t think they were really trying to hit me…probably just scare me a little bit.” Her azure eyes were somber. “It looked a lot like the car belonging to Katherine Rushton.”

  Horrified, Kate stared at her. Then, without another word, she strode purposely out into the front part of the store and snatched up the phone, punching in numbers with cold fury.

  “Sandy, give me Rick Johnson. I want to speak to him right now.” She was peripherally aware that Nikki had followed her and now stood regarding her, eyes wide. As soon as Rick came on the line, she was all over him. “This has gone on long enough,” she snapped. “I want Katherine Rushton arrested immediately. She just tried to run down Nikki in broad daylight. What the hell kind of department are you running there?”

  After a pause Rick inhaled, his breath a rush in her ear. “Is Nikki all right?”

  “She appears to be, but she’s white as a ghost and shaking like a leaf. Damn it, I want this woman stopped, Rick.” It was not a plea for help, it was an order, issued in a tone that few people cared to argue with. Kate didn’t use it often, but when she did, people jumped. Well, she thought, most people did.

  Rick merely sighed. “Is Nikki there with you now? Let me talk to her.”

  Still riding the wave of outrage and fear for her lover, Kate hesitated, glancing at Nikki. “He wants to speak to you. Are you all right with that?”

  Nikki nodded and held out her hand.

  Again Kate hesitated, wanting to protect her, but finally handed over the phone.

  “Hi, Rick,” Nikki said calmly, just as if he had called her up to ask about the weather.

  Kate could hear only her lover’s side of the conversation, but it seemed to her that everyone was taking this whole situation just a little too casually, which heightened her sense of dismay.

  “I was walking down College Road after visiting my friend Lynn, and a car nearly sideswiped me.”

  There was a pause, during which she was obviously listening to a question.

  “It’s possible, but the street was dry, Rick, without any ice on it at all. In any event, whoever it was didn’t bother to slow down to see if they hit me or not. By the time I crawled out of the ditch, they were burning rubber up Willis Avenue. … It looked a lot like the car belonging to Katherine Rushton, Rick. In fact, that was my first thought.” She scratched her head. “No, I didn’t see the driver because the windows were tinted, but I’m sure I recognized the car.” S
he looked surprised. “Really? Isn’t that interesting?”

  Nikki listened a few seconds longer, then handed the phone to Kate.

  “What are you going to do about this, Rick?” Kate demanded, not waiting for him to say anything.

  “I’m going to have a talk with Miss Rushton. But you should know that she reported her car stolen earlier this morning, long before this occurred.”

  “She’s covering her tracks.”

  “Maybe. In the meantime, I want you to take it easy and let me handle it.”

  “You’re doing such a wonderful job so far,” she snapped icily.

  Kate subconsciously realized he kept a rein on his first response.

  “I know this scared you, Kate,” he said, not unkindly, “but you won’t do anyone any good by losing your temper.”

  “I want this stopped, Rick,” she demanded again before hanging up. She turned to look at Nikki, taking deep, measured breaths.

  “Kate, are you all right?”

  “No, I am not all right. I’m not all right at all. I can’t bear the thought of anything happening to you.”

  Nikki shrugged. “Nothing did. To be honest, I’m not sure anything was intended to. Whoever it was blew hard on the horn before they took a run at me, giving me plenty of time to turn around and get out of the way. I think they were only trying to scare me...and let me get a good look at the car.”

  Kate felt her mouth tighten, anger and fright warring for supremacy within her. “What do you mean ‘whoever’? It was Katherine Rushton.”

  “It was her car. But the sun was reflecting off the windshield so I didn’t get a good look at the driver. Besides, the windows are tinted.”

  “Who else could it be?”

  Nikki shrugged. “That’s the question, isn’t it? Who else would want Sam dead? Better still, who would want to frame Rushton for his murder?”

  Kate was astonished. “You can’t be serious.”

  “I’m not saying it isn’t her. Just that for a smart woman, it’s pretty dumb to try a half-assed hit-and-run like this on someone who honestly doesn’t know anything more than the cops already do, and probably a hell of a lot less.”

  “Maybe,” Kate said, not convinced, “or maybe she thought that reporting her car stolen would give her an alibi before the fact.”

  Nikki seemed to consider her point. “Maybe you’re right.”

  Kate exhaled slowly, apparently still upset.

  Moving closer, Nikki squeezed her arms gently. “I’m fine.”

  Kate lowered her head, swallowing hard at the lump that had abruptly appeared in her throat. “All right.”

  Suddenly she began to tremble. Nikki enfolded her into a warm embrace, murmuring “It’s all right,” as she rubbed her back soothingly.

  Kate took a moment to compose herself, surrendering to the sanctuary of the strong hug, allowing it to warm and comfort her. “Don’t do this again,” she whispered.

  Nikki held her closer. “I won’t.”

  Finally, Kate drew back, checking the time. “It’s past five. Let me close down, and then I’ll make that dinner I promised you.”

  “Can I help?”

  Recognizing Nikki’s honest need to contribute, Kate retrieved the clipboard and some other files from behind the counter and handed them to her. “Could you take these upstairs for me? Put them on my desk. I’ll be up in a minute.”

  While Nikki obeyed, Kate went over and locked the door. Shutting the blinds before she transferred the float from the register to the safe, she discovered she was glaring out at the street, as if expecting someone to try for her lover again.

  Turning out the lights, she headed upstairs where she felt a twinge when she saw Nikki sitting uncertainly on a stool at the breakfast bar, not even taking the opportunity to explore the apartment. Obviously, her near miss with the vehicle had sobered her considerably. Not that Kate blamed her in any way. She still felt a little sick when she thought about it. “Darling?” she asked, putting her arms around Nikki’s waist and hugging her tightly.

  Nikki managed a wan smile. “Maybe I am a little shaken by what happened. I’m sorry. I know you planned a big evening for us, but would you mind if we did it some other night? I’m not feeling particularly...romantic at the moment.”

  “We can have our romantic dinner any time,” Kate told her gently, “but I certainly don’t want you to go...unless you really want to?”

  “No,” Nikki said in a small voice, resting her head on Kate’s shoulder. “I don’t want to leave.”

  “Then don’t,” Kate whispered, holding her protectively. “Let’s just have a quiet evening in. I’ll make something light, and we can relax, maybe watch a little TV, talk a bit.” She tenderly kissed Nikki on the temple. “Then we can go to bed and fall asleep in each other’s arms.”

  “Hmm, that sounds perfect.” Nikki nuzzled into the hollow of Kate’s neck and shoulder.

  Kate closed her eyes and hung on, feeling the tremors finally subside. It was clear to her from her reaction to Nikki’s close call, this was no passing infatuation. The thought of anything happening to Nikki absolutely devastated her, and the need to protect her, to keep her safe, not only from freak instances such as this, but from all the hatred in the world, was so strong it was difficult for her to breathe freely.

  Nikki seemed to sense Kate’s disturbance, and she hugged her again. “Everything’s all right.”

  “I know.” She smiled suddenly. “Have you noticed that we keep taking turns reassuring each other?”

  Nikki chuckled lightly and drew back, her blue eyes warm as she regarded Kate. “Isn’t that what partners are supposed to do? Lean on each other when the going gets tough?”

  Kate felt her heart give an extra thump. “Yes, it is. That’s exactly what partners do.” She gazed at her lover for another moment and then reluctantly released her to maneuver around the breakfast bar into the kitchen. Looking in her fridge, she tried to figure out what would be quick and easy to make. “I have some leftover turkey. Would you like a sandwich?”

  “Do you have any rice chips? Or potato chips?”

  “Uh, let me check.” Kate searched her cupboards and the pantry, finally finding an unopened bag near the back left over from Christmas. The expiration date had passed, but since it hadn’t been opened, she didn’t think they had gone stale. “Here we go.” She glanced over at Nikki. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for junk food.”

  “I have my moments,” she admitted. “In this case, it’s the sandwiches. If we’re not having soup with them, then I have to have chips. It’s a quirk left over from when I was a kid.”

  Kate laughed. “I get it,” she said, tossing the bag on the counter. “I need to have milk whenever I have donuts.”

  When Kate returned to the fridge, fortunately she found some lettuce left in the crisper, not too limp, and some mayonnaise, along with some green pepper and onion. Rather than bread, she chose some steak sandwich buns, preferring them for this sort of meal.

  “Can I do anything?” Nikki peered over the breakfast bar.

  “Would you slice up a pepper for me?” Kate asked, wanting her to feel at home.

  Nikki obligingly came around the breakfast bar, washing her hands before joining Kate at her cutting board. For the next little while, they shared the same sense of domestic comfort they had at Nikki’s place the night before. In some ways, this was a more important sensation to Kate than the searing flash of desire and attraction she felt every time she saw Nikki. The sheer intensity would fade, she knew, but the sense of companionship, the natural ease she felt in her presence, was what made up the substance of their relationship.

  After they had made the sandwiches, Kate filled a bowl with potato chips and, with Nikki’s assistance, carried them out to the table. Nikki poured herself a glass of milk without having to ask where things were and then looked inquiringly at Kate.

  “Juice,” she said, smiling as she saw Nikki retrieve another glass from the cupboard and pull the b
ottle of grape juice from the fridge. There might have been a twinge of territoriality within Kate, a small sense of having her space invaded by an intruder, but overpowering that was a stronger sense of things being absolutely right with Nikki moving so comfortably in the kitchen.

  It occurred to Kate that her apartment no longer seemed sterile or cold. Instead, it felt like home, and that was a sensation that she didn’t intend to give up any time in the near future, regardless of who tried to take it away from her, be it ignorant townsfolk or a killer who was trying to avoid being brought to justice.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Snuggled up on the sofa with music playing softly in the background, Nikki felt her lingering sense of uncertainty finally dissipate. Kate was leaning back in her arms, her head resting on her shoulder, her body a warm comfort against her. The sheer bliss of physical contact overrode her fear and shock over the earlier incident. Nikki brushed her lips over the curve of the delicate ear next to her mouth. “This is nice.”

  “It is,” Kate agreed lazily. “You and I haven’t had much chance just to sit back and contemplate everything that’s been going on.” She turned her head slightly, rubbing her temple against Nikki’s chin. “Not with Sam’s death, I mean. About us, and where we’re going from here.”

  Nikki drew her closer, kissing her ear again. “Where do you see us going from here?”

  “Much as we are, growing closer the more we get to know each other.” Kate hesitated. “Eventually living together.”

  Nikki laughed before she could stop herself.

  “What?” Kate’s voice held a touch of pique.

  “What does a lesbian take on a second date?”

  Kate turned her head, a baffled expression on her face. “I don’t know.”

  “A U-Haul.” Then, as Kate still looked baffled, Nikki leaned forward and kissed her on the jaw. “It’s a joke. Everyone feels that temptation to move in with each other immediately. It’s really strong in the beginning. Maybe it’s because women are nesters by nature and expect it from each other as well.”