Tell It Like It Is

by Stanalei Fletcher

  A catch in her voice brought his thoughts back to the here and now. What did she just say? Take care of her kids? He was almost certain she wasn’t married. But did she have children?

  She turned her back to him and he took a moment to assess her figure. She didn’t have the look of someone who’d softened with childbirth. He must have heard wrong.

  The click of her phone snapped him back to present. Shelby might be a nice diversion, but that was as far as it went. He couldn’t let it go further with Aunt Rosalee’s life in danger. He looked over at the Northstar agent. “What did the firm have to say?”

  She glanced at him as though she were surprised to see him standing there. “They’ve been searching for Denato since the investigation into the threats started. But so far nobody has been able to get a lead on him. If he was dead, I think the lab would have found something. They think he’s still alive and living under an alias.”

  “That’ll make it harder.”

  Shelby nodded. “Even without Allison, the team at the lab is good. They’ll find him.”

  He didn’t want to think about Allison, or anyone else on the Northstar team. That brought painful memories to the surface. Instead, he pried further into the other part of the conversation he’d overheard. “What was that I heard about kids?”

  Her wide eyes turned wary. “You were listening?”

  “You were only ten feet away.” He wasn’t going to apologize. “You don’t have children, do you?”

  She took a deep breath, looking reluctant to talk about it. “No. I don’t have children. You were right about me not being married, or even involved with anyone.” She stopped, as though done with the explanation.

  “The kids?” he prompted. “You told the person on the phone to take care of your kids.”

  Her gaze drifted beyond his shoulder—beyond the walls of the house.

  With sudden insight, he said, “They live in a home for orphans.”

  She jerked her gaze back to his face. “Yes.”

  There was a story here. One he found fascinating despite himself. “Tell me about it.”

  She shifted from foot to foot looking at him with an uncertain expression. “There’s not much to tell.”

  “Try me.” He stepped closer and leaned a hip on the table.

  Shelby gave him an assessing look as if trying to understand his interest in her life. “It’s a children’s home. I was going to spend Christmas there. Bring a few gifts and help put up the tree.”

  “Except my aunt’s case superseded your plans.” It wasn’t a question, yet he voiced it with a hint of compassion.

  She took a long breath. “This coming week was supposed to be my vacation.”

  “I’m sorry you’re missing all that.”

  “It’s okay. I had most of the presents ready to go over.” She crossed to her chair and sat. “Riley is arranging the delivery for me so I can concentrate here. Besides, if you’ve found the culprit, my assignment might be coming to an end anyway.”

  “You don’t sound as certain.”

  She studied her computer screen. “You’re probably right. I would like to go through the rest of the book, though.” Glancing up, she asked, “When do you want to tell your aunt about what we’ve found?”

  “Let’s wait until morning.” He looked at his watch. “It’s late. Why don’t we call it a night?”

  “You’re done?” She sounded skeptical.

  “I’m beat. If I keep pushing, I might miss something important.” He lowered an eyebrow. “You’re done too.”

  She shook her head. “Not by a long shot.”

  “And what if you overlook a critical detail because you can’t keep your eyes open?”

  “I won’t.”

  Kane closed her laptop. “I’m not taking that chance. We’ll both do better when we’re rested.”

  She looked like she wanted to argue, but he stood and took their cups to the sink and drained the coffee. “Come on, I want to show you something in the basement. Then we’ll call it a night.”

  Shelby hesitated in the kitchen entryway. “Rosalee gave me a tour of the house earlier.”

  “I’ll bet she didn’t show you this. Come on.” He led Shelby down the stairs to the basement level. The ceiling was lower here. The main area was a large entertainment room complete with a big screen TV. A short hallway led from it.

  “What’s down here?” She craned her neck to see around him.

  “You’ll see.” He opened the door to a room across from a half-bath, turned on the light, and stood back.

  She glanced at him with a curious expression, not unlike his aunt’s. He motioned her forward.

  Shelby stepped to the door and looked in. “Wow.”

  Kane grinned at her respectful assessment. “I felt the same way about this room once I’d finished it.”

  “This is amazing.” She slipped off her shoes and stepped onto the gray-green tatami mat. “I should have expected this in Rosalee’s house, with her Tai Chi practice.”

  “She let me put it in a couple of years back. When I get a few days off, this is where I come to unwind.”

  “Alone?”

  Kane raised an eyebrow. For someone who didn’t like personal questions, she apparently wasn’t above asking them.

  A touch of pink rose in her cheeks. “Sorry. None of my business.” Deep sigh. “This cabin was built to be shared with family and friends. Personally, I’d enjoy the solitude.”

  “I do, sometimes.” More often than not, he came here alone. He liked solitude, too.

  Bouncing experimentally on the mats, she studied the scroll on the wall. It held a simple kanji, a Japanese character.

  “Do,” she said, pronouncing it doe. “The Way.” She glanced over at him.

  “Anything more seemed too…limiting.” He lifted a shoulder. Many martial arts like Judo, Aikido, Karate-do ended with the word. He’d chosen to keep his cup empty by allowing all paths.

  “I’m impressed.” She leaned closer to study the ink drawing. “I know what you mean, about keeping an open pathway.” A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I like it.”

  The urge to kiss her grew stronger the more he was around her. He pushed the need aside, not willing to let his libido intrude on this quiet moment.

  She turned to face him. “So. This is where you’ll test me.” She nodded her approval. “Rosalee takes her breaks around ten a.m. Will that work for you?”

  “Whoa. What are you talking about?”

  “I can’t believe you’ve forgotten.”

  He really didn’t want to follow through with her challenge for a martial arts match. “I can’t believe you’re serious.”

  “I am.” Her shoulders squared. “I fully intend to prove I’m capable of taking care of your aunt.”

  “If Northstar has you on their payroll, that’s good enough for me.”

  She scoffed. “It wasn’t earlier.” Then she smiled—an Oscar-got-away-with-an-extra-treat smile. “You’re not afraid, are you?”

  He nearly choked. “Of course not. But if I injure you, I’ll be in Aunt Rosalee’s doghouse forever.”

  Shelby cocked her head, a small smile playing around her lips. “It means a lot to you to stay in her good graces, doesn’t it? I think I like that about you.” With those words, she stepped past him, bowed to the room, and then picked up her shoes. “Don’t worry about me. And I promise to let you tap out when you’re ready.”

  Her light footfalls barely made a sound as she ascended the stairs.

  Kane pulled his gaze from the empty doorway and then glanced around the workout room, wondering what he’d gotten into. He had no desire to test her. He’d told her the truth when he said that Byron O’Neal wouldn’t have assigned Shelby to guard his aunt if she wasn’t capable of performing the job. He may not like Northstar, but he did respect the training the agents received.

  On the other hand, it would be fun to work out while he was here. Shake off the cobwebs and decompress. O
f course, he outweighed Shelby by at least seventy pounds. He’d have to go easy on her—after he frisked her to make sure she wasn’t carrying a dog leash.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The next morning, Shelby joined Rosalee in the basement for Tai Chi, appreciating how much the morning routine kept her energized. She actually enjoyed doing the form with another practitioner instead of alone as she had for so many years.

  After breakfast, she and Rosalee settled upstairs on the balcony to work on the autobiography. Another storm had blown in, and the snow fell steadily outside the large bay window. The entire scene was much like Rosalee described the night before—being cocooned from the world. Accustomed to the city noises as she was, Shelby was amazed how soothing she found the hushed silence outside the cabin.

  While Rosalee sat at her desk, Shelby settled on one of the chairs next to a side table, transcribing the author’s scratches into her laptop. She worked quickly, reading the spidery handwriting, storing away information that might add to the investigation and pinpoint the person behind the threats.

  Although she and Kane had discussed a very real connection between the Mafia lieutenant, Denato, and the threats to Rosalee, Shelby intended to review all the data to make sure they had the right culprit before making accusations and bringing Rosalee into the loop. She also wanted to see what Northstar could learn. It didn’t make sense to get the author sidetracked until something more concrete came to light.

  When Oscar yipped at the top of the stairs, Shelby glanced up and noticed the time on the computer, surprised how quickly the morning had passed.

  “He needs to go out.” Rosalee smiled at the dog as she laid her pen aside and flexed her hands.

  Shelby stood. “I’ll take him.”

  Rosalee stood as well. “I’ll go with you. I’d love some fresh air.”

  Shelby hesitated, unsure about exposing the author outdoors.

  Rosalee’s eyes narrowed. “I see those wheels turning. No one on the roads below will notice us through the trees, and I need to stretch or I’m going to go bonkers.”

  “I don’t suppose I can talk you out of it?”

  The other woman smiled wickedly. “No. You can’t.”

  A few minutes later, they were outside. The air was cold, but didn’t have the same bite as the previous night. Snow fell in thick, heavy flakes, instantly covering the walkway Kane cleaned off earlier. If the storm kept up, he’d be pushing a snow shovel the entire time they were here.

  Shelby realized they hadn’t heard a snowplow all morning. The crunch of snow under their boots was the only noise. They stopped for a moment and she listened closely to the whisper of snow falling through the pine boughs. Like Kane cautioned last night, this wasn’t some cozy Christmas card setting, but even with the cold, it was pretty darn close.

  From the occasional drift of wood smoke through the air, she knew there were occupied cabins nearby. Shelby tried to look over the tall snowbanks and see beyond the pines that lined the road. “How close are your neighbors?”

  Rosalee glanced up from where the dog scratched at a twig poking out of the snow. “The Carlisles live about a quarter mile that way.” She pointed the same direction they’d driven in. “They come up every year. It’s probably their fireplace we can smell.” She took a deep breath. “Even though it’s smoke, it smells cleaner than the city, don’t you think?”

  Shelby nodded. “Would the Carlisles know you’re here?”

  “Maybe.” Rosalee lifted a shoulder. “We don’t socialize that much. I don’t imagine they’d notice my comings and goings. Money like theirs tends to be a bit snobbish of working fools like you and me.”

  When it came to work, Shelby tried to picture Rosalee, with her wealth, falling into the same category as herself. Instead, Kane popped into her mind. Regardless of his family’s wealth, he still carried a badge and hit the streets to protect the public. That was a point in his favor. At this rate, she’d be hard-pressed to find anything she didn’t like about him. Getting along with him was one thing, but liking him—more than she should—was another. Definitely a place she wasn’t ready to go.

  As soon as Oscar finished his business, the wimpy rat-thing bounded up the steps and yapped at the door.

  “Looks like he’s done.” Rosalee gestured toward the house. “Shall we go in as well?”

  The fresh air had perked up Shelby but she wasn’t ready to sit. That choice wasn’t hers, however, and she offered an arm to Rosalee. “Hold on.” They climbed the steps and went inside. Oscar pattered into the kitchen for a drink, then bounded into a doggie bed next to the fireplace and curled into a ball.

  Shelby helped Rosalee out of her coat.

  The author glanced down at her watch necklace. “It’s close enough to break time. I think I’m going to go to my room.”

  Shelby paused while putting away the coats. “Are you okay?”

  Rosalee smiled and patted Shelby’s arm. “I’m fine, dear. Just feel the need to catch up on my rest from the last few days.” She pointed toward the den. “Why don’t you relax? Maybe find a book to read. We’ll pick up on the work after lunch.”

  Shelby eyed the bookshelves, tempted to kick back, but she’d already made a commitment to meet Kane. “Actually, I think I’ll go down to the basement for a quick workout.”

  Rosalee smiled knowingly. “Don’t hurt him too much, dear.”

  Shelby leaned back in surprise. “I…didn’t realize you’d overheard us.” She swallowed. “I guess you weren’t asleep on that drive after all.”

  “Oh, I was napping.” Rosalee grinned that wicked grin of hers again. “But I always have one ear open. That’s why I wear the earplugs when I really need to rest.”

  Shelby nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “You have fun. And don’t let him break your fingers.”

  Like that would happen. “I won’t.”

  After seeing Rosalee to her room, Shelby changed into the workout clothes she always packed when traveling. She liked to stay sharp and in shape, and took the opportunities when they came.

  She hurried to the workout room and found Kane, dressed in a loose T-shirt and sweats, already warming up.

  He glanced up as she gave a bow before stepping onto the mats. “You came. I thought you might have chickened out.”

  “Not on your life.” She settled into a corner and started stretching her hamstrings. “Rosalee wanted a short rest before lunch. I made sure she was settled before I came down.”

  Kane’s head snapped up. “What’s wrong? She looked fine at breakfast.”

  Shelby appreciated his concern. Her earlier assessment of him not caring for his aunt had been way off base. “I don’t think she slept well last night.”

  He nodded. “All this stuff is probably catching up.”

  “That’s what she said. I’m glad she’s not pushing too hard.” Shelby stretched out her leg and touched her chin to one knee, then gave the other leg a similar stretch. Some of her stress eased as she worked the knots in her muscles.

  They warmed up in silence for a few more minutes, then she stood and gauged the distance to the far wall before doing a couple of forward and backward rolls to loosen her back. Satisfied, she knelt facing the wall with the scroll and centered herself. She pointed at the scroll. “I assume you placed this on the east wall.”

  Kane looked up from his stretch and glanced where she pointed. “Yes.”

  “Good.” She exercised the martial art protocol of respect and bowed.

  Kane concluded his warm-up routine and joined her in a kneeling position with his own bow. Then, as though by mutual agreement, they stood, turned, and faced each other.

  ****

  Kane was impressed at how Shelby synchronized her movements to his. He lowered his upper body into a second bow as they stood, facing each other. Her eyes never left his as she bent at the waist. He took a breath to settle his mind, and spied pink toenails on her bare feet. On most women, pink toenails wouldn’t be unus
ual. On Shelby, it seemed out of character.

  He had just a moment to contemplate those sexy toes, when one of her small feet swept his legs out from under him. Kane landed hard on his back. The air whooshed from his lungs and he stared up at her. But she wasn’t gloating as she eased into a stance expecting him to come after her. Which he fully intended to do—once he cleared up a little matter of the protocol breach.

  “We were bowing.” He propped up on his elbows and glared at her.

  She lifted a shoulder. “You dropped your guard.”

  “Your toenails are pink.” Was he really having this conversation? On the mat?

  She held out a foot and looked at it. “So they are. Rosalee thought they’d be fun for the party.”

  “That figures. I didn’t imagine the choice was yours.”

  She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Do you want to discuss nail color or spar?”

  He climbed to his feet. “Are you ready?”

  Both her eyebrows rose. “You’re asking m—”

  He didn’t give her a chance to finish. With a lowered shoulder, he charged. A taller opponent might have been caught in the solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him. Because Shelby was shorter, he caught her high on the left side.

  She exhaled as he made contact. Her breath whispered across his cheek, and the scent of cinnamon assailed his nose. The fragrance was fitting for a sharp, spunky woman. It also made his body tighten in a wholly unpredictable manner. Kane tried to recover from the unexpected reaction and focused on how she expertly absorbed his attack by rolling her shoulder. Most opponents would have tried to brace themselves. Unfortunately, what she couldn’t control was his weight as his arms snaked around her waist. He tackled her to the floor. The momentum rolled them over and for a moment, he was on top.

  Her womanly form yielded. His mind succumbed to the signals his body was sending. He was tempted to call off the match before he embarrassed himself.

  Suddenly, her leg shifted, and using the remaining energy of their tumble, she flipped him over.

  For the second time in just five minutes, Kane lay flat on his back, gasping for air.