Roxanne took a bow, and I caught the slight finger motion she used for Ebby to bow beside her. I had always been impressed with Ebby’s intelligence and training. Tonight was no exception.
A parade of dogs and owners filtered through the curtain, filling the stage. We all remained standing as the change in music signaled the show’s conclusion. The ladies curtsied, accepting their praise for a show well done, and then filed back behind the curtain.
Vivian moved to the end of the stage. ‘And now I give you the designers that made all this fabulousness possible.’ She began calling out names, one by one, until a dozen men and women had taken the stage, all looking satisfied and exhausted. I could only imagine the fires they had to put out all evening in the form of wardrobe malfunctions, accidents … and possibly models chewing on the wardrobe.
Chuckling to myself, I glanced over at Devon. He had his gaze locked on Jamie Boccelli.
TWENTY-SIX
We mingled after the show and each accepted a glass of champagne from a server while we waited for the press to get done interviewing Jamie. We had a few questions of our own.
‘Popular guy,’ Devon said, watching the feeding frenzy around Jamie. ‘No doubt all the adoration has inflated his ego. High stakes, a large ego. Means he has something to lose. A fall from grace would be a death sentence.’
I watched Devon as he worked out his thoughts, the intensity apparent in his twitching jaw. He raised his camera and snapped a photo of him.
I took a swallow of the champagne, its bubbles nipping at my tongue. ‘Jamie Boccelli, the egomaniac. Yeah, that fits.’
‘It’s well earned,’ a voice said beside me. ‘His ego.’
My blood pressure spiked as I turned to Georgia. She was like a piece of bubble gum you couldn’t shake off your shoe. You would know all about ego. ‘You’re a fan, then?’ I said instead.
She eyed Devon openly with a slight smile on her artificially plumped lips. ‘I’m a fan of any attractive man who’s worth millions.’
Did she just say that out loud? I squelched an urge to grind Hope’s high heel into her foot. She did not bring out the best in me. Then, I remembered her reaction to my comment about the price of a Boccelli-designed tiara.
‘So he makes millions just from designing pet jewelry?’ I hated to show my ignorance to such a creature as Georgia. I’m sure she would use it against me in the future, but I had to know. ‘How much exactly would one of his designs go for?’
‘Well, it depends on how many gems he’s used, of course.’ She motioned with her champagne glass. ‘For example, the tiara on that little black-and-brown beast right there. That’s got rubies, emeralds and about two carats worth of diamonds. That one would be about twenty-five grand.’
I almost swallowed my tongue. ‘Twenty-five thousand dollars?’
We suddenly had Devon’s attention. ‘Twenty-five thousand for what?’
Georgia smiled seductively, moved to stand beside Devon and pointed to the ‘beast’, which was actually a cute little teacup Yorkie. ‘That.’
I could only stand there with my mouth open, trying to wrap my brain around someone spending that amount of money on a dog accessory. And not even a leash or bowl – something you could at least use every day. It was incomprehensible.
‘Poor thing looks shellshocked.’ Georgia’s soft laughter underlined her words as she touched Devon’s arm like they’d just shared a secret. Then she swung her condescending sky-blue gaze to me. ‘If you haven’t noticed, Elle, money is no object on Moon Key. I know it’s hard to imagine if you’re not used to being around money. It’s a different world. Not made for everyone.’
I’d had about enough of this southern-belle, she-devil’s cutting remarks. My habit of avoiding conflict seemed to be emboldening her. I downed the rest of my champagne, mostly to keep myself from tossing it in her face. But, also to cool off the flame of anxiety and insecurity she had lit. Don’t go to the dark side, Elle.
Devon must have felt the shift in my energy, because he moved away from Georgia and slid an arm protectively around my waist. ‘Excuse us,’ Devon said, tightening his grip around my waist and leading me away. As we made our escape, he chuckled. ‘Do you two have a history then?’
‘We do now,’ I seethed. He obviously didn’t understand her claws were coming out because of him. ‘Thanks for saving me.’ I glanced up, sinking into the calmness he possessed as he led me through the room. ‘Were there ever any Irish knights in shining armor?’
He laughed, producing that dimple I’d grown to love. ‘Yes. The Knights Templar. A powerful military group during the Crusades.’
‘You’ll have to tell me that story one day.’
He kissed the top of my head. ‘Are you asking me to tell you a bedtime story? Because that is something I am very good at.’
All thoughts of Georgia and her hurtful words left me as my heart melted. With a huge smile on my face, I suddenly spotted Roxanne in the crowd.
‘Oh, I have to run over and say hi to a client. I’ll meet you in Jamie’s line.’
Devon nodded, sliding his arm reluctantly from around my waist. ‘Hurry back.’
Roxanne stood in a circle talking to some of the ladies from class. They were all still in the large gowns, though they had thoughtfully removed their dogs’ costumes.
Roxanne waved when she saw me approaching. ‘Elle! So good to see you here.’
The ladies moved their skirts aside so I could give her a hug and stroke Ebby’s large head. She reciprocated with a lick of my wrist.
‘Good to see you, too. That was quite a show you two put on, everyone loved it. I’ve missed you both in class.’
‘Yes, we’ve been traveling, and I just can’t seem to get back into my routine. We’ll be there soon, promise.’ She frowned. ‘I heard about Celeste and her husband, though. Just terrible news.’ She turned to the ladies. ‘Do you all feel safe on the island?’
Some of them shrugged or nodded.
‘Maddox would tear someone’s throat out if they tried to hurt me.’ Whitley peered affectionately down at the greyhound resting on the ground beside her foot.
‘Yeah, real killer, that one.’ Violet rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, there’s Vivian, Whitley. Didn’t you want to get her autograph?’
‘Oh, yes.’ She glanced at all of us, a guilty look on her face. ‘For my sister, of course. I don’t have time to watch trashy daytime TV.’
‘Of course.’ Violet chuckled as Whitley hurried to catch up to the TV star.
‘Hey, Violet.’ I moved closer to her. ‘I heard some of those tiaras the dogs were wearing can go for twenty-five grand. Is that true?’
She nodded. ‘Sure. That and more.’ She adjusted the tight waist on her dress, cursing under her breath. ‘The most uncomfortable design … anyway, haven’t you ever wondered why Bonnie keeps those things in a locked glass case in her store?’
‘Yeah, but I didn’t know they were real gemstones used. That’s just …’ I searched for a word that wouldn’t be offensive. ‘Surprising.’
Her green eyes met mine. ‘Is it?’ It seemed it was the first time she’d thought about it. ‘Well, I suppose most of us are just getting to the age where we realize we can’t take our money with us, so we might as well spend it doing what we love.’ Violet shrugged with a grin. ‘And we do love pampering our pets, especially while outdoing each other.’
I smiled and shook my head. Then glancing back, I noticed Devon was next in line to speak to Jamie. ‘Ladies, I’ve got to run. Roxanne, hopefully I’ll see you two in class soon. You girls enjoy the rest of the evening and wonderful job tonight.’
I wasn’t quite sure what Devon was going to say to Jamie, so I just stood quietly beside him as he introduced himself.
‘Nice to meet you, Mr Boccelli. Your work is fantastic. I was wondering if you do custom pieces.’
Jamie made no attempt to hide the fact he was assessing Devon’s appearance. Probably wondering how much he could charge him for a custom piece.
‘I could design something for you, yes. I’d need just a general idea of what you want … tiara, collar, charms? I like to be in control of the design, though. If you can trust me, we can work together.’
‘Trust you?’ Devon folded his arms. ‘I suppose. I have no reason not to, do I?’
Jamie’s smile faltered. ‘What is it you do, Mr Burke?’
The corner of Devon’s mouth turned up into a charming grin. His accent was thicker than usual. ‘Don’t do much. Play golf mostly. Spend too much money on my dog, Petey.’
This seemed to relax Jamie. He laughed. ‘Well, I can sure help you do the latter. Tell you what—’ he pulled a card from his tux jacket – ‘here’s my cell number. You give me a call in the next few days while I’m still on Moon Key and we’ll have a sit down.’
I scanned the room for Zebina. She was the last item on our agenda, but she had seemed to disappear. Time to go home.
‘What did you think about Zebina being in the show?’ I asked as we made the short drive back to Devon’s bungalow. I had my eyes closed, enjoying the evening breeze. Fatigue seemed to be my constant companion since getting popped on the head.
‘Don’t know what to make of her.’ Devon ran his thumb along my palm. He had kept us physically connected all evening. Going to bed alone tonight was going to be difficult. ‘I suppose she could’ve been just keeping her commitment by being there.’
‘She sure was enjoying herself though. Not looking much like a grieving widow.’
‘No, that she wasn’t.’
‘What about Jamie Boccelli?’
‘A feckin’ idiot but a killer? Don’t know. I’ll give him a call and set up a meeting on Monday. I’ll know more then.’
I noticed he said ‘I’ and not ‘we’ but I didn’t have the energy to argue.
I opened my eyes and looked over at him. ‘Well, I do know one thing. Billie Olsen may not have killed Celeste over a twelve-hundred-dollar tiara. But a twenty-five-thousand-dollar one? That could be motive, right?’
Devon got that far-away look. ‘Money is definitely a good bet for a motive.’
I had a feeling he wasn’t talking about Celeste any more. He had that same pained look he got every time he talked about his parents.
The dogs were happy to see us. I knelt down and gave Buddha and Petey hugs and scratches before we let them outside, getting a wet face for my trouble. Devon opened the sliding doors and stepped out back. I followed the dogs out.
Devon was staring up at the night sky. When I came to stand beside him, he turned to me.
‘Have you ever been to Ireland, Elle? We could go to Dublin. I could take you when this is all over.’ He had his hands shoved in his pockets, his gaze locked on me. The intensity in the way he asked the question was not lost on me. Was I willing to let down the wall I had kept between us and take the first step into his world? He was waiting for an answer. ‘It’s a beautiful place,’ he offered. As if I needed a reason other than I’d be with him.
My chest was closing in on my lungs like some medieval torture device as I tried to imagine getting on a plane. I opened my mouth and closed it again. I wanted to be excited, cry, ‘Yes of course. That would be wonderful!’ I wanted so much to be that girl who could jump on a plane to a magical land with her prince. Instead I was the girl, staring in horror, beginning to gasp for air like a dying fish. ‘’Scuse me.’ I managed to stumble into the house and lock myself in the bathroom.
I slid down to the floor and let the tears fall, unspooling handfuls of toilet paper off the roll to muffle my sobs. How did I get to be a thirty-five-year-old who runs and hides from an offer like that? I thought I had come so far, but I was beginning to realize I was still standing on the starting line. A trip back to the therapist was in order.
After a while, a soft knock on the door pulled me out of my self-flogging. ‘Elle? You all right?’
I took a shuttering breath and tried to make my voice steady. ‘Yes, I’m fine.’
‘Come out and speak with me, please.’
Well, I’d have to at some point. I couldn’t very well live in his bathroom. I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled myself up to the counter. I glared at myself in the mirror. Swollen, red eyes full of loathing glared back at me. Fear had completely possessed me again, and I hated myself for it.
‘I … I’ll be out in a sec.’
Running the water, I let it get as cold as possible. Then I alternated holding my hands under the stream and pressing my fingers against my eyes until the swelling went down a bit. I was still a hot mess as I gingerly opened the door and peered out.
Devon had taken up a spot on the floor, his back against the wall. His white tux shirt had been pulled from his slacks, and a dog lay on each side of him. He looked exhausted and sad.
‘Sorry,’ I choked, trying desperately to keep my emotions in check.
He pushed himself up, grabbed my hand and led me to the guestroom I’d been sleeping in. The dogs trailed in behind us.
He transferred my suitcase from the bed to the floor and we sat down facing each other. I kept my eyes lowered, completely at a loss for what to say.
‘Elle, look at me.’ Devon’s voice was gruff with concern. ‘What’s going on in that head of yours?’
I let my eyes lift to meet his. It was time to come clean about my anxiety. But, once I told him I’d never be able to travel with him, I knew what we had would be over before it began. I wanted just one more night. ‘I’m just so … exhausted, Devon. Can we talk about it tomorrow?’
He stared at me for a long time, and then he nodded in defeat. ‘Sure.’ He toed off his shoes and shifted himself up on the bed, patting the pillow beside him. ‘Come on then.’
With relief, I crawled up into his arms. He wasn’t going to leave me tonight. I didn’t even care I was still in the dress. Pulling me close into him, he wrapped his arms around me and snuggled into my neck. I felt his breath on my skin, his heartbeat in my own chest. ‘Elle, I’ll not push you any more. But, I’d like for you to talk to me about this soon,’ he whispered.
I felt the bed shift as Buddha jumped up and lay at our feet. ‘’Kay,’ I said sleepily, already falling into the warm, safe cocoon his presence created. It chased away all my demons. For a little while at least.
I don’t think I moved all night but when I woke, the bed was empty beside me. Sliding out of bed, I tiptoed through the house, still clad in Hope’s dress. When I got to his bedroom door, I could hear his shower running. And life goes on.
Feeling sad and confused, I decided to take the dogs down to the beach and do a little yoga. I needed to be grounded and have a clear head when the now inevitable discussion occurred.
It wasn’t even eight o’clock yet, and the sun was already too cheery and bright, raising the temperature of the air like an oven. As Petey and Buddha explored the beach and splashed in the gentle surf, I spread my toes firmly in the warm sand and raised my arms for my first sun salutation.
I quickly got lost in my breath and the flow of my body, so I hadn’t noticed when Devon joined us. I peered at him upside-down from between my ankles as I sank into down dog. He lifted his hand in greeting and then stood, brushing the sand from his jeans. I pushed up, too.
‘Mornin’.’ He seemed tentative as he approached me.
‘Hey, sorry. I didn’t realize you were there.’
We didn’t move into our easy morning ritual of a kiss and embrace like usual. Our greeting was awkward for the first time, and it was all my fault. I had thrown up an even bigger wall between us by my reaction last night.
‘Yeah. I didn’t want to disturb you.’ His gaze shifted to the shoreline as Petey barked at something in the water. In the sunlight, his eyes shone like sapphires under dark lashes. I could also see the swirling storm of concern in them. ‘I have a full schedule today,’ he said, bringing his attention back to me. ‘Do you mind looking after Petey?’
Petey must have heard his name. He came bounding up to sit in front of Devon, his tail swi
shing the sand. Devon knelt down and scratched behind his ears, letting Petey give him a lick on the cheek. ‘That’s a good boy.’
I watched his muscular hands stroke the dog, remembering how that same hand warmed my knee last night at the fashion show. I bit my lip to keep the tears at bay. ‘No, of course I don’t mind.’
Standing, he nodded. ‘I’ve got to pick my friend up from the airport tonight. He’s coming in from Ireland. We’ll be coming back after nine but you’ll be here?’
‘Do you want me to be?’ I couldn’t blame him if he had tired of my elusiveness.
He moved closer and reached out, resting a hand behind my neck. His smile held regret and sadness. ‘I think I’ve made it perfectly clear what I want, Elle.’ Pressing a soft kiss on my forehead, he released me, and I watched him make his way back up to the house.
Perfectly clear? Not really. By his own admission he didn’t do relationships. And the warning from Detective Vargas didn’t help. He didn’t do commitment. Yeah, I knew that because he told me that himself. What did he want then? A one-night stand? A summer fling? Swiping at my eyes with the back of my hand, I walked down to the water, scattering a group of sea gulls along the way and stared out at the ocean. My security blanket. The one familiar thing in my life, and the one thing that would always be there. A swim was in order.
I spent a quiet Sunday with the dogs on the beach, swimming, running, throwing the Frisbee for Petey. And most of all just sitting. Thinking and then practicing letting those thoughts and fears go. By the time we all straggled back into the house at dinner time, sun-drenched and waterlogged, I felt more peaceful than I had in a long time. I fed the dogs and then they crashed on the tile floor, both completely worn out. Then I opened the fridge and started pulling out stuff to make a salad. I’d have to go shopping tomorrow and replace the groceries I’d been using while here. It would be a good time to visit Mom, too. I’d left a message for her when I got out of the hospital to let her know I was all right, but she hadn’t called me back. I wouldn’t let that build up into resentment between us again. That was one thing in my life I could control. I’d apologize and tell her I loved her. What she did with that was up to her. If she wanted to continue to be mad, that wasn’t my problem.
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