by Jen Talty
Destiny knew that Lilly would be checking out that card later because Lilly seemed like the type of woman who had to know everyone’s business, especially the women in this town because she wanted Mason.
Even though Destiny suspected she didn’t really like Mason, just who and what he represented. Of course, Destiny didn’t know this as fact, but in all her years sizing people up, she’d only been wrong once.
Lucas.
What a mistake that had turned out to be.
She shoved those thoughts out of her brain and focused on surviving in a small town and actually maybe liking her new life.
“I won’t get any business if I don’t offer discounts, and I’d like the chance to prove to you that my services won’t encroach on your own style. My job is to make sure your party goes off without a problem, letting you enjoy your company and taking all the credit.”
Lilly laughed some ridiculous fake laugh that sounded more like a cat stranded outside on a cold night. “Again, not good business if you’re not trying to drum up—”
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t want you to recommend me if you’re satisfied, but my job is to work with my clients, not tell them what to do.” She took a quick breath, knowing if she didn’t keep talking, Lilly would butt in once again. “Unless they have no vision at all, but I can tell, you’re the type of hostess who knows exactly what she wants.”
“All the more reason to do it myself.”
“Ah, but imagine having me deal with all the last-minute details while you take your time getting ready, or get your hair or nails done instead of having to do them the day before.” Destiny wanted to laugh out loud. A year ago, she was running poker tables that took in millions in one night; now she was trying to get some stuck-up snob to hire her for some small-town event where the topic of conversation would probably be what skin care line was the best.
Not that skin care wasn’t important.
Mason raised his hand and coughed, but it sounded more like he bit back a laugh himself.
Points to the cop.
“You drive a hard bargain, and I do have my parents’ anniversary coming up. Will you give me a free consultation? No strings attached?” Lilly asked.
“Absolutely. My doors open tomorrow at nine. Feel free to text or call when you might want to stop by, or I can come to you.”
“I’ll take a few of your cards for my family,” Mason said.
“I’ll stop by,” Lilly said, turning her attention back to Mason. “The town picnic is in two weeks. Shall we go together?”
“I’ll be with my folks and my sister. But I’m sure I’ll see you there.”
“I’ll be in touch about the plans,” Lilly said, patting his shoulder, letting her fingers linger longer than appropriate.
Mason pressed his hand on Destiny’s back and guided her down the street. “Shall we move on?”
“I like how when she assumed you would be taking her to the picnic you brushed her off without actually telling her no. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s going to work with a woman like that, and putting your hand on my back isn’t going to do it either.” Destiny took a quick breath, mentally scolding herself. Observation was key to her survival, but sharing her opinions would be her demise.
His entire body tensed. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have used your back that way.”
Destiny appreciated his honesty.
“But she’s looking to put a ring on her finger, and it ain’t gonna be by me.”
“You’re not driving your point home.” Destiny bit down on the inside of her mouth. She didn’t like how much he made her feel like they’d been old friends catching up. Mason was the kind of man people trusted, and while he could be instrumental in her learning about the interpersonal relationships of small-town living, she needed him to be at more than an arm’s length.
“Trust me. I’ve made it pretty clear she and I will not be a couple.”
Since she’d already stuck her head in where it doesn’t belong, she might as well continue with the conversation, all in the name of fitting in. Sterling had told her that while getting too attached wouldn’t be healthy, alienating herself from the community would draw too much attention.
Be friendly.
Neighborly.
Smile and say hello.
If someone needs a cup of sugar, offer them a cup of coffee and talk for twenty minutes. Ask questions but try not to be in a situation where too many personal questions were being asked of her.
Sterling’s advice made sense in theory, but practicing it turned out to be an entirely different story.
“In that case, you might just want to be a jerk because she’s not hearing you say no.” Destiny wanted to tell him that when he said he was going with his parents and sister and he’d see Lilly there, that Lilly took that as they would be on a date, even if he didn’t physically bring her.
But getting into that would be getting too close.
“You sound like my boss,” he said as they walked by a restaurant. It smelled like fresh lemon pasta, and it made her stomach growl.
“Does that place do take out?”
“I get Lenora’s at least once a week. You should talk to them about catering some of your events.”
The old Destiny would have come back with some snide remark like: no duh, asshole. I’ve already checked into it, thank you very much. “I’ll do that, thanks,” she said, swallowing her sarcasm.
“If you have friends or family coming to visit, The Thief Lake Bed and Breakfast is a great place, and since it’s my boss that owns it, I’m sure I can talk him into giving you a discount.”
“Great.” Because she had so many people chomping at the bit to come visit her. “I don’t see it here in town.”
“It’s on the outskirts right on the lake.”
“Sounds breathtaking,” she said.
“So, what brought you to Thief Lake?” he asked.
Maybe this was the perfect time to test out the fake backstory and her ability to redirect back to him. She had to nail it, because if she deviated from the well-thought-out plan that highly trained professionals from the FBI had laid out for her, she’d have to make sure she adjusted it, and that would probably set her up to be caught in a web of lies.
“My mom, for a few years, lived not far from here, and she always wanted to move back, but it just never happened.”
“Where is she now?”
“My parents passed away years ago.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Mason said, his hand now on her back again as they crossed the street by the fire station at the far end of town. When she glanced back down the street, the smallness of it all hit her, and she punched the air out of her lungs. The main strip of town could only be three-quarters of a mile at best. A few side streets branched off with more businesses dotting the sidewalks. Modest homes with front porches filled the surrounding area. A vision of snow falling and the streets decorated with Christmas trimmings filled her mind.
She moved to a fucking postcard.
“Thank you.” She braced herself for more questions, but the cop, whose profession dictated he be inquisitive, said not another word on the subject, even though she had the answers at the ready.
Her fake past was a compilation of fact and fiction, woven by some chick at the FBI. If you Googled her, you’d find a young woman who grew up outside of Phoenix and went to school in her hometown, receiving a degree in communications. You’d even find images of her on various social media with pictures of her fake parents who died in a tragic car crash when she’d been twenty-three, just ten years ago.
Also documented with an obituary and images.
Her fake identity had no siblings, and only one living relative, her father’s brother.
If you Googled Richard Baker, the only result was that he was related to Destiny.
Richard Baker was the code word for: get me the fuck out of here because someone is trying to kill me.
But only if she dialed the special numb
er Sterling gave her; otherwise, Richard was her sweet uncle who lived in Scarsdale.
“How long have you lived here?” she asked, unable to take the silence that lingered for the last two minutes. Running tables often required her to be silent as well as the players. Everyone needed to have their poker face on, but the silence in this case was way out of her comfort zone.
“My entire life,” he said.
“You never left?”
“Well, I did four years in the Marines right out of high school.” He raised his sleeve, showing off a Semper Fi tattoo on his right bicep. “When I opted not to re-enlist, the chief at the time suggested I go to the Academy, saying he needed a deputy like me. That was fourteen years ago, and I haven’t looked back. I love it here. My parents are still alive, and they live just five miles from the cottage you’re renting. My sister and her husband live on the other side of town; he’s a vet, and she’s a school teacher at the local high school. Teaches chemistry.”
“Does your sister have kids?”
He held up his hand, showing off three fingers. “Nine, five, and two. And talk about a handful.” He shook his head, but the smile gave way to how much he loved his family.
Her heart plummeted into the depths of her intestines. In the life she’d given up, she had no one. Her mother told her that when she’d been three, her father had run out. She had no memory of him, and her mother never had a single good thing to say about him. On Destiny’s twentieth birthday, she’d come home to the trailer she shared with her mother to find her with her head in the gas stove.
Dead.
From there, Destiny went from one man to the next until she met Lucas, thinking she’d hit pay dirt.
Only, the pay dirt had been a fist in her face.
“Do you have any siblings?” he asked.
“I’m an only child.” And that wasn’t a lie.
They stopped in front of the police station which was across the street from her shop. That gave her the shivers, as if big brother were watching her. Maybe he knew exactly who she was, and Sterling was trying to catch her running a poker table.
Talk about being paranoid.
“I can’t imagine what it must be like to have lost both of your parents, especially so young.”
Well, she’d lost them both in different ways. Not that either of them had ever cared for her.
“I put one foot in front of the other and keep pushing forward.” Another true statement.
“That’s a good way to live life,” Mason said. “You’ve got my number. Let me know if I can help you unpack or anything.”
“Do you always offer to unpack the new residents of this town?” she asked with an arched brow.
Yeah. She might want to rethink the girl-next-door image. Toning down her natural abrasive personality would be better than trying to be the complete opposite. She could still be the strong and sassy girl she’d been for the last ten years, allowing that sarcasm to surface, but she needed to keep it from being insulting. Shouldn’t be too hard. If she could do it running tables, she could do that here.
“Maybe we can walk to the barbeque together. I can introduce you around, help you drum up business.”
“Thanks, but I’ll have to look at my calendar. I have a few short trips planned, just don’t have the details in front of me. I’ll let you know.” If she didn’t have anything planned, she’d make sure she did now. “I really appreciate you showing me around and dropping off my keys.”
“My pleasure. See you soon.”
She watched him saunter into the police station, her heart fluttering wildly.
This was going to be harder than she’d thought.
“Morning, boss,” Mason said as he tossed the keys to the patrol car on his boss’ desk. “How’s the wife and kid?”
Blaine Walker leaned back, clasping his hands behind his head. “In about seven months you’ll be asking how are the kids?”
“Kaylee’s pregnant? Wow. That’s great.”
Blaine smiled like a teenager who was just handed the keys to his father’s convertible. “While I’m not looking forward to my wife’s crazy cravings, I can’t wait to have another little rug rat under foot.”
Mason reached for the picture frame of Blaine’s family and stared at his two-year-old little girl, Hannah, who had her father’s dark, shiny, Native American hair, but her mother’s pale complexion. “Hoping for a boy this time?”
“It makes no difference to me, but Kaylee has her heart set on a boy. I told her we could keep going until she gets one.” Blaine leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. “She didn’t like that idea. She says we’re done at three no matter what. I’m hoping to change her mind.”
“Good luck with that.” Mason had always wanted a family. A big one. But he had shit luck with women as of late, and he’d basically given up on the idea he’d ever be a father.
Blaine pointed to the door. “Care to tell me who the new lady is in town that has Lilly seeing green?”
“Boss, are you spying on me?” Mason teased as he smoothed down the front of his uniform slacks. Everyone in town had tried to fix Mason up on more than one occasion, including his boss.
“I’m always amused when Lilly tries to dig her claws into you.”
“She’s a piece of work, but to answer your question, the newbie is my new tenant both in the storefront and my cottage.”
“Ah, that’s right. The party planner. Is she open for business? Between running the B&B, Hannah, and expecting a second child, my wife has her hands full, and I know she wants to throw a big party for Hannah’s birthday.”
“She officially opens tomorrow, but isn’t Hannah’s birthday this weekend?” Mason handed Blaine Destiny’s business card.
“Kaylee is at the diner. I’ll text her Destiny’s contact information.” Blaine pulled out his cell and took a picture of Destiny’s business card. “So, what do you know about this woman? You two seemed to be comfortable with each other.”
A flash of heat flared across Mason’s cheeks. Sure, there’d been a spark of attraction the second he’d laid eyes on Destiny, but he’d used her to make sure Lilly kept her distance, and that was a shit thing to do. “I know she’s got excellent credit and passed the background check with flying colors, but other than that, nothing.”
Blaine lowered his chin and raised a brow. “You had your hand on her back.”
“I was being a gentleman,” Mason said, biting back his frustration. Blaine was more than his boss; he was a close friend. “And well, Lilly was there. That woman makes my skin crawl sometimes.”
“We need a few more single men in this town,” Blaine said. “Give her more to choose from so she doesn’t have to settle with you.”
“Aren’t you funny, but I’d prefer more single women. Otherwise, I might have to leave this sleepy old town to find a good woman.”
“You did that a couple of times already. Do I need to remind you of what happened?”
Mason tapped the center of his chest and swallowed. “No. You don’t.”
“The only thing worse than that would be ending up with Lilly.”
“I’d rather feed myself to my dog first,” Mason said with a long breath. He was done with this conversation. “How’d things go with the Lawson boys?”
“I don’t think I got through to Jake. He’s one angry young man, and he wants revenge. Old man Dixon filed a restraining order.”
“That’s not going to make matters easier.” Three years ago, old man Dixon stumbled out of the local tavern, got in his pickup, and ran the red light a mile out of town, slamming into the side of Larry Lawson’s vehicle, killing him instantly. Two months ago, Dixon was released from jail, and seventeen-year-old Jake turned his angst toward the man who ended his father’s life. Mason didn’t blame the kid. His dad had been a great man. But that didn’t give the kid the right to spray paint murderer all over Dixon’s barn.
“What’s worse is Kaylee had to fire Jake this morning.”
“W
ell, shit. I hope that kid doesn’t turn his wrath on you and your family,” Mason said. He had a bad feeling about the road Jake had chosen to go down after the death of his father. This might be a quiet, sleepy little town, but drugs always managed to find their way in, and Jake and his friends were becoming bad news all around.
“Kaylee said he shrugged his shoulders and just left. Not a single word. But just in case, I’ve got Toby checking things out.”
Mason shook his head. “Why doesn’t he just go to the Academy and join us?” Toby spent more time doing favors for the local police department than actually doing PI work.
“You know why.”
Mason nodded. Talk about being a punk-ass kid. Toby had seen the inside of a jail more than once, but mostly petty stuff that never made it to his record.
But one did, and that’s all it took.
“I’m sure we could make that go away,” Mason said.
“It’s already gone, but he still won’t do it. His excuse is he doesn’t want to work for me, but Emma told Kaylee that he doesn’t believe he’s got what it takes.”
“That’s total bullshit.”
“I know. I’ve pleaded my case. He just won’t do it.” Blaine stood. “Speak of the devil.”
Toby strolled into the station with his scruffy beard and a sleeping baby riding shotgun in a carrier strapped to his chest.
“What are you doing here?” Blaine asked.
“Doing what you’re paying me to do. Following Jake. He’s at the diner hanging out in the back parking lot with a bunch of thugs. Geez, we weren’t that bad when we were kids.” Toby patted his son’s butt gently with his massive hand.
“I’ll go drive by, see what they are doing,” Mason said.
“They’re getting high, I’m sure,” Toby said.
“I’ll enjoy busting up that party.” Mason snagged his keys.
“Might as well go set up a speed trap on the outskirts of town after that,” Blaine said. “Mrs. Peacock has been complaining again about speeders.”
“And we need to make our quota for the month.” Mason waved his hand over his head as he stepped from the station. If he hated anything about his job, it would be speed traps, but only because he always caught Mr. Peacock and giving him a ticket when it was his wife complaining always seemed like a bad idea.
