Rory: Hope City, Book 7

by Maryann Jordan

  “That was before I was working at the station, but it sounds familiar.” Bekki grabbed her phone and began tapping. “Any particular reason you’re thinking of them?”

  “They have the contract to do the wiring in the Partridge Tower that I’m working in.” Sandy shook her head. “I like the elder Mr. Partridge and his son. I just hate to see them taken advantage of by having someone unreliable working there.”

  “Well, I’ve got great contacts and resources. I’ll see what I can find.”

  “My insurance company didn’t cover any of the buildings they’d worked on, but I do remember a couple of fires being attributed to their poor work.” Harper was an arson investigator for an insurance company. “I can probably get some information for you as well. Electrical fires are a real concern.”

  “I’d appreciate that,” Sandy said. “I don’t know that it’ll make a difference, and I certainly don’t want to make trouble, but I’m already seeing some shoddy work that makes me concerned.”

  Rory shifted slightly to her side. She twisted her head around and chuckled. “Look, guys, if you’re going to insist on guard duty, why don’t you sit down and have a drink with us? We look sort of ridiculous with three men standing over us as though you expect someone to swoop in and carry us off.”

  “Look around, Sandy,” Rory said. “The whole place is like this.” He had noticed that many of the police and EMS patrons were keeping a sharp eye on the women sitting at the bar or tables. Torin still appeared furious as he served at the bar, cautioning the women to keep an eye on their drinks.

  “Oh…” Her breath rushed from her lungs and she swallowed audibly.

  Rory caught Harper’s eyes pinned on Sandy, and he dropped his gaze back to her, noting the tension radiating. He moved closer, shooting Sean and Blay a pointed look. “But there’s no reason we can’t have a drink with you ladies as long as you’re sure we’re not intruding.” He grabbed a chair from a nearby empty table and scooted it close to her. Sean slid in next to Harper and Blay next to Bekki.

  Sandy’s fingers clutched the stem of her Lemon Drop glass, and as she brought it to her lips, the liquid jiggled as her hand shook slightly. He stretched his arm out and placed it on the back of her chair, his thumb barely skimming her back. Not wanting to take liberties, he breathed easier when she relaxed against his hand.

  She shot him a glance, a tiny smile curving her lips. It was so fleeting he wondered if he’d imagined it, but her hand was no longer shaking, so he took that as a good sign.

  Sean had been silent during the women’s earlier conversation but now joined. “I was one of the investigators on the Perkins case. It was determined that they used shortcuts when wiring the city’s new billing and accounting building over on Watson’s Street. They were fined for negligence and damages, but no criminal charges were filed. I never heard what happened with their contact at City Hall or how they managed to get the city contracts.”

  “Does it affect your job, Sandy?” Harper asked.

  “No, not directly. But as an office interior designer, I determine everything on the inside, including how many and where the electrical, phone, cable, and internet outlets need to be located. For the offices that are being built per my designs right now, I am in there making sure everything is exactly where it should be.”

  Bekki shook her head. “I had no idea you did all that. I confess that I thought you handled the decorating.”

  Smiling, Sandy shrugged. “It’s a common misconception. As an interior designer, I design the space. Since I own the company, I can also do decorating as well, but I prefer the architectural design aspect of my job. I hire an interior decorator to work with the clients.”

  Rory tried to appear nonchalant as the women continued to chat but listening to Sandy talk about her business surprised him. In truth, he’d never considered what she did for a career. The words of one of the men came back to haunt him. “… her daddy’s rich… she lives off her dad’s money.”

  Bekki looked at her phone and said, “I hate to drink and run, but I’ve got a lead on a story that I need to follow up with. Sandy, I’ll let you know what I find out about Perkins.” She looked at Blay and grinned. “Okay, bro, you’re officially off duty.” With a finger toss, she walked out of the pub, and Blay offered a chin lift to the others as he headed to the bar.

  “We should be going, too,” Harper said, smiling at Sean before turning toward Sandy, searching her face. “Will you be okay—”

  “I’ve got her.”

  Sandy turned to look at Rory, a silent question on her face, and he held his breath.

  Sean just smiled, but Harper kept her gaze on Sandy. “Are you sure?”

  She looked back toward Harper and nodded slowly. “Yes, I’ll be fine.”

  With more hugs and chin lifts, it was soon just Rory and Sandy at the table. Her gaze stayed on her now-empty glass before finally moving to look at him. Their gazes held before another small smile curved her lips.

  “You are the most beautiful woman here.”

  Eyes widening, she tilted her head to the side. “Is that one of your cheesy pick-up lines?” Her voice held no mirth.

  “Oh, no,” he assured, his voice carrying the sincerity he felt. “It’s the truth.”

  Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth as her gaze stayed on him. “Please, Rory… don’t make fun of me.”

  “I would never do that. You are the most beautiful woman in the room. And I’m damn lucky to be sitting here with you right now. Not just because of your beauty but because you’re giving me the chance to get to know the real Sandy.”

  They were silent for a moment, but their gazes never wavered. The noise of the room fell away, leaving only the two of them in their own world, much like their dance and kiss months earlier.

  Finally, as though the words were dragged from her, she spoke. “Sandra.” Her chest heaved with each breath. “The real me is Sandra Michelle Carmichael.”

  A slow smile spread across his face. “It’s nice to meet you, Sandra Michelle Carmichael. I’m Rory. Rory Michael McBride.”

  Laughter burst forth from her lips, and her eyes sparkled. She continued to smile her slightly crooked smile for a moment before slowly shaking her head. “Am I crazy?”

  “For what? For letting me sit here and make sure you’re safe? That’s being smart. For forgiving me? Probably, but I’m glad you did. For offering me a chance to prove to you that I’m a better man? No, absolutely not.”

  “Wow, you do have these lines down perfectly,” she said, her voice still soft but her smile wide. “Even if they’re true, they’re still great lines.”

  “I won’t be using them on anyone else.” They continued to sit in silence, smiling at each other for another moment. “I know they have food here, but I’d like to take you to dinner.”

  “Now?”

  “If we’re starting anew, there’s no time like the present.” He held his breath, only letting it out when she nodded slowly.

  “Okay, but let me run to the ladies’ room first.”

  “I’ll walk with you—”

  “Rory, I can go to the ladies’ room by myself.”

  He looked toward the hall where the restrooms were located and smiled. “Okay, then I’ll go talk to Blay at the bar.”

  Her gaze followed his and she rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

  Holding his hand out, she placed hers in his, and he assisted her from the tall stool. Keeping his hand on her lower back, they made their way to the bar. She continued down the hall and he stood where he could talk to Blay and yet keep his eyes on the hallway.

  Blay looked over his shoulder as Sandy disappeared then turned back to Rory. “I get the feeling I should apologize, bro.”

  “Apologize?”

  “There’s something between you and Sandy, and when you asked me about her months ago, I advised you to remember how much work you had in front of you to become a paramedic.”

  Shaking his head, Rory said, “You were ri
ght. I absolutely needed to focus on what I was doing. It was me that fucked up. Instead of being honest and telling her that I had a lot going on and thought it was better if we stayed friends, I let it slip that I’d listened to what some of the others said about her being rich and high maintenance.”

  Blay winced. “Ouch.”

  “Damn right. I hurt her feelings and that’s not the kind of person I am.”

  “And now?”

  “Now I’ve had the chance to see that she’s hard-working, dedicated to her job as well as her friends, and she may have a rich daddy, but she doesn’t live like it. We’ve had a chance to be around each other recently, and I’m learning there’s a lot more to her than I initially thought. And that doesn’t say anything about her but says a lot about me, and I wasn’t happy with what it said.”

  Blay grinned, clapping him on the shoulder. “Good on you, man.”

  Torin walked over, his eyes shifting between the two. “You need another one or are you good?”

  “I’m good.” He tossed some money onto the bar. “That’s for me and to cover Sandy’s Lemon Drops.” Seeing Torin’s tight face, he added, “Are you okay?”

  “Can’t fuckin’ believe someone got roofied in my bar. The police haven’t made an arrest yet, but I heard through the grapevine that there were two other bars in the area that recently had the same thing happen. What doesn’t make any sense is that the women were roofied, but the man just left. Thank God he didn’t assault them, but no one can figure out what he’s doing. And to me, that makes him dangerous.”

  “Fuck,” Rory cursed. “I hadn’t heard that.” The click of heels on the wooden floor sounded down the hall, and he gave a quick shake of his head toward Blay and Torin. By the time Sandy reached his side, the three men had deftly switched their conversation to the game on the television. Looking down, he smiled. “Ready for dinner?”

  She nodded, then said her goodbyes to the others, and with his arm around her shoulders, he escorted her outside. With her protectively tucked into his side, he breathed a sigh of relief. “How about I drive and then bring you back to your car?”

  She twisted her head around and peered up at him. “How about you follow me home and then we can walk to a little place not too far from where I live?”

  They had stopped outside her SUV, and he turned to face her. Bending so his lips were close to hers, he nodded. “Sounds like a great plan.” He battled the desire to take her lips but standing outside of the Cock was too much like their first kiss… a good memory, but perhaps not best repeated when they were so new. Instead, he placed his lips on her forehead and kissed lightly.

  Two hours later, after a delicious Italian dinner, wine and dessert, fun conversation, and laughter, he stood on her front stoop and kissed her the way he’d wanted all evening.

  His hands cupped her cheeks, and he tilted her just enough to guide their lips together. Gentle movements, slow and steady, he swallowed her delightful little moans. She opened her mouth and he took advantage, sliding his tongue over hers, loving the sweet and tart taste that he remembered so well.

  Finally, he dragged his mouth from hers when his cock swelled painfully against his zipper. Before he could get his head wrapped around a thought other than his erection, she asked, “Do you want to come in?”

  “God, yes… but I’m not going to,” he replied, then immediately wished he could pull the words back in. He pressed his forehead against hers. “I want to do this right, Sandy. I want to do us right.”

  Nodding, she smiled. “Then there will be another date?”

  “Absolutely.” After kissing her once again, he opened her front door and saw her cat standing nearby, eyeing them suspiciously. “I brought her home to you, Ocee.”

  She laughed and lifted on her toes for one more quick kiss. With an order for her to lock up and a promise to take her out once his next long shift was over, they parted.

  16

  Sandy wondered what she was doing. Sitting in the opulent restaurant having lunch, she could only think about being with Rory. Instead, she smiled politely toward her dining companion—Anthony Partridge. She had tried to turn the conversation to her concerns but was continually talked over.

  “I know my father will hand more of the business to me soon,” he said between bites. “He’s getting older and there’s no one else he can leave things to. It’s just so frustrating.”

  “Well, I—”

  Narrowing his gaze, he said, “How much did your father give you to set you up with your business?”

  A little gasp slipped out at the audacity of his question. “Anthony, first of all, that’s none of your business. Second of all, the only reason I’m telling you this is to make sure you understand where I’m coming from. None.” She watched him blink as his chin jerked back. “None. Zero. Zip. Nada. I set myself up in business. I took out a loan. I’m building my own business my own way.”

  He waved his fork around dismissively. “That’s different, I suppose. You’re just a designer, not prepared for a full financial consulting business like your father. Or like what I’m doing—taking over my dad’s multibillion-dollar businesses.”

  “A lady should always smile even when someone says something ridiculous. Especially if it’s from a man.” She swallowed her sigh. “Since you brought up your father’s multibillion-dollar business, that’s why I wondered if you’d had a chance to check on the contractors that are working in Partridge Tower.”

  “I leave all that up to Dave. I just need to make sure the Tower is ready for tenants within the next two months. That means we came in before the deadline and under budget.” He let out an exaggerated breath and grinned. “It’s taken a while. My father never gave me preferential treatment.”

  Ignoring the desire to roll her eyes at his comment about not receiving preferential treatment, she tossed out a noncommittal smile and speared another bite of her salad. She was younger than Anthony but remembered him having a very preferential upbringing and knew that he planned on taking one of the condos in the Tower once it was complete. She had even recommended the designer and decorator for his condo.

  He didn’t seem to notice her lack of interest in his comments. “When I was given the challenge to get the Partridge Tower underway, it was a huge vote of confidence by my father. I predict good things are on the way for me.” His lips curved upward as he held her gaze. “And for you and me as well.”

  The bite of carrot stuck in her throat as she caught his innuendo. Taking a gulp of water to keep from choking, she said, “If I can gain some business contacts from the work on the Tower, that’ll be good.”

  His head jerked back ever so slightly at her emphasis on the word ‘business’ but continued to expound on his plans. “By the way, do you remember the Sandersons? The judge used to play golf with your father. I saw them the other day, and his daughter is interested in one of the condos. Oh, and one of the oldest attorney groups in Hope City is thinking of moving their corporate offices to Partridge Tower. If they agree, I’ll have you set up a meeting with them.”

  Sucking in a breath, she pressed onward with her concerns. “I just don’t want any negative publicity for Partridge Tower, and by association, your family business by using a company without the right credentials.”

  That statement gained his attention as he turned his widened eyes to her. “Oh, my… I never thought of that.” His chest deflated as air rushed out. He stared down at the remains of his almost-complete seafood platter and said, “I think I’ve lost my appetite.”

  Seeing little food left on his plate, she fought the snort that threatened to erupt. “I just think that if you’re ultimately in charge of the whole project, then perhaps you and Dave should review all the contractors. That way, you’ll be able to assure that all is perfectly well at Partridge Tower.”

  Declining his offer of dessert, she went to the powder room while he paid. Coming back to the table she came up behind him and overheard him say, “We need to meet. I don’t want
anything to get in the way of this project.”

  Smiling that he was taking her advice, she stepped closer and reached out her hand as soon as he had disconnected his call. “Thank you so much for lunch, Anthony. It was lovely.”

  He stood, wrapped his hand around hers, and gently tugged her forward. Recognizing the maneuver to gain a kiss instead of a handshake, she pulled her hand back and bent to gather her jacket.

  “Yes… well, um… perhaps we can do this again,” he rushed.

  “As a working lunch, yes, I’m sure we can.”

  His smile widened, and she wondered if he was capable of taking a subtle hint. As he walked out with her, he stopped when he recognized someone entering the restaurant and turned to greet them. “I’ll say goodbye now,” she called out, ignoring his expression of frustration and hurrying toward her SUV. Waving, she hopped into her vehicle and blew out a sigh of relief, glad to be heading back to her office.

  Rory was on the tail end of a long span of three days of twelve-hour shifts. Sandy and he had texted when they could, had snatches of phone calls, and tonight they planned on dinner at her place. He was more than willing to take her out, but she insisted she loved to cook and never had anyone to cook for.

  Heading out to his truck, he placed a quick call. “Blay? You on duty? I had a couple of questions for you.”

  “Just got off and headed to the Cock. You want to join me?”

  “Yeah, I’ll swing by.”

  It didn’t take long for him to pass under the bar’s sign and enter, quickly finding Blay with several other firemen having a beer. Greeting everyone, he and Blay maneuvered to the side of the group.

  “What’s up?”

  “Do you remember what Sandy was talking about the other night we were here? She was asking Bekki and Harper about Perkins Electrical.” Gaining Blay’s nod, he continued. “I got to thinking about the possibility of electrical fires in a building as massive as Partridge Tower. When I was volunteering for the fire department, we never had one of those. I just wondered what you can tell me.”