by CP Smith
My head jerked back as if I’d been struck, and I looked between them both. God, she was right. We’d all lost someone important, yet they were more willing than I was to let go of the past.
“Your aunt was right, you know,” she continued, “You can’t choose who your heart wants. It doesn’t work like that. All you can do is follow it and hope that when you find what you’re lookin’ for, it wants you too.”
I opened my mouth again and then shut it.
There were no guarantees in life; I knew this. You lived each day the best you could while sailing on a sea of what ifs and should bes. Sometimes you made the right choice and sometimes you didn’t. It was a crapshoot, a roll of the dice how it all turned out. And if you weren’t living it to its fullest, then you were cheating yourself out of a full life . . . And I’d already lost twenty-one years thinking I could protect myself instead of really living.
“In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of the things not meant for you,” I said under my breath.
“Pardon?” Sienna asked.
“It’s supposedly a Buddhist sayin’, but there’s truth there. I’m thinkin’ the last bit is what I need to work on,” I answered. “I try to treat people with kindness, and I’m not a bitch takin’ advantage of people, but gracefully lettin’ go of things not meant for me clearly needs work.”
“You’ve lost me,” Poppy said. “Are you sayin’ you agree with us and you’ll give Devin a shot if he makes a move?”
I took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
Am I?
I nodded.
“I won’t push him away IF he makes a move,” I said, raising my hand to stop Poppy and Sienna’s outburst. “But I think you’re wrong.”
“Finally,” Sienna hooted.
I shrugged. “I can be a tad bit stubborn.”
“Tad?” Poppy snorted.
“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes. “Now that that’s settled, let’s get back to work.”
Sienna stopped me as I opened the door. “What about tonight? Are you still goin’ speed datin’?”
I shrugged. “I don’t see why not. I’d be a ninny to put all my eggs in one basket, as Neecy says.”
Sienna smiled, but there was a twinkle in her eyes I didn’t like.
“What?”
“Nothin’,” she denied, then winked at Poppy.
✿✿✿
At ten after six, Devin walked into Jacobs’ Ladder. He scanned the bar until he found who he was looking for. Moving toward the back of the room, he jerked his head at Nate to follow him as he passed. Nate followed, neither speaking until they’d reached the table in the farthest reaches of the bar and sat down.
“Nate, meet Bo Strawn,” Devin said.
Nate reached out and shook Strawn’s hand.
“Devin tells me your department is finally lookin’ into Maria’s disappearance.” It was a statement laced with accusation.
“Nate,” Devin warned as they sat down.
Nate leaned back and crossed his arms.
“We’ll do our best to find out what happened the night Ms. Espinoza disappeared,” Strawn replied with cold eyes.
“Because she’s your number one suspect?”
Strawn leaned back and mirrored Nate’s posture.
“We don’t think she murdered Stutter,” Strawn drawled, shocking Nate. “Evidence suggests there was someone else in the basement beside Stutter and Ms. Espinoza.”
“What evidence?” Nate asked.
“There were two stab wounds. One was shallow, at an angle that suggests someone the same height as Maria struck out. The wound was debilitating, but it wasn’t lethal if he’d sought medical attention. The stab wound that killed him was driven deep into his chest, suggesting the perpetrator was a man. Stutter was on his back when someone delivered the deathblow. By someone left-handed.” He paused and looked at both men. “Maria is right-handed.”
“So she’s innocent,” Nate stated.
“That’s what the evidence suggests.”
“Did you pull the security footage on the buildin’?” Devin asked.
Strawn’s jaw tightened. “The power was cut to the buildin’ five minutes after Maria entered. Most employees had left by the time she arrived.”
“All but Calla,” Devin bit out, anger settling in his gut. If she’d stayed later at work, she could be missing as well.
Strawn turned to Devin and shook his head. “There was another. They called in the power outage before leavin’.”
“Did they see Maria?”
“Yeah.” Strawn pulled out his notebook. “A Ms. Jolene Cartwright said Maria came up to her floor looking for Calla.”
“What?” Devin snapped.
“Ms. Cartwright indicated that Maria seemed fine. Said she was leavin’ when Maria walked into the office looking for Calla. Cartwright was in a hurry, and assumed Maria was there to clean, so she headed downstairs while Maria stayed behind. She indicated the lights went out as she was heading through the lobby, so she called the power company from her cell phone and left.”
“You’re sayin’ whatever Maria is messed up in has to do with Calla?” Nate asked, shocked.
“No,” Devin bit out. “Calla edits books for a livin’. She spends all her time off readin’ romance novels as near as I can tell. If this has anything to do with her, it’s by association.” He turned his attention back to Strawn. “The grandfather?”
“That’s what comes to mind.”
“So Maria saw or heard somethin’ about Calla’s family and decided to go to her with the information?” Nate asked.
“How does Armstrong make his money?” Devin questioned.
“He owns the largest shippin’ business in the state.”
“And Stutter made his money through import/export,” Devin stated, his mind already working the illegal scenarios that would partner Stutter to Armstrong. And considering what he found out that afternoon, none of the possibilities were good.
“And Yoo? How does she fit in? Carmella said Stutter was seen at her house and they were arguin’,” Nate asked.
“I spent the afternoon diggin’ into her finances,” Devin said. “I found a dummy corporation in the Virgin Islands that links back to Stutter.”
“So they were in business together,” Nate returned.
“Looks like.”
“Payments?” Strawn asked.
“Middle East.”
“Fuck,” Strawn muttered.
“Clusterfuck,” Devin agreed. “If this leads back to Armstrong, then one of your most prominent citizens is in bed with our enemies.”
Strawn waited a beat then pointed out something Devin had already considered.
“He’s also your woman’s grandfather. Are you prepared to help bring him down if he’s guilty?”
His jaw tightened. This wasn’t the scenario that had played out in his head. He’d imagined having to win the old man over, not bring him down.
“I’ll do whatever I have to, then deal with the fallout if it comes to that. If he’s guilty, I’ll make sure justice is served.”
Strawn grinned. “Jesus, you’ve got cojones. You sure you don’t want back on the force? We could use a man like you.”
“You don’t want me on the force,” Devin returned.
“I don’t?”
“Nope. As you said this mornin’, your hands are tied by the same red tape I left behind. You need me on the outside doin’ the dirty work, askin’ the questions you can’t.”
“You have a point,” Strawn agreed. “And speakin’ of that dirty work,”—Strawn continued, opening a file—“I need you to run a check on Armstrong’s employees. There are too many eyes at the station, and it’ll ping the wrong people’s curiosity.”
“You got a list?”
Strawn pulled out a sheet of paper from the file and handed it to Devin.
“Is Armstrong still at the helm?”
“He reti
red two years ago. The man runnin’ things now is Bobby Jones. His family is close friends with the Armstrongs.” Strawn hesitated a moment, then continued. “You should know that rumors have been flyin’ for years that Preston Armstrong wants Calla to marry Jones.”
Devin thought back to the day he first saw Calla with the man in the window. “Blond man. Spit-shined with an arrogant face?”
“That’s Jones,” Nate responded.
“Pissant,” Devin growled. “Armstrong should want better for his granddaughter.”
“He won’t think it’s you,” Strawn pointed out.
“He can think what he wants.”
Devin wasn’t going to let Armstrong or anyone else get in his way. Not after spending the last ten years looking for a woman like Calla. One who wasn’t superficial, one who wanted the same things he did, like hearth and home. A woman who stirred his blood to the point that all others vanished from his sight. He knew he could find that with her if she’d quit running from him long enough to set her straight.
“Speakin’ of Calla,” Nate chuckled. “Megan stopped by. I heard you caught Calla in a disguise cleanin’ for Carmella.”
Strawn’s eyes shot to Devin’s and his brows pulled across his forehead. “After I threatened to lock them up?”
“That’s what I thought,” Devin answered. “Damn near lost hold of my temper when I caught them. They got out of there before I could wring their necks, so I called Carmella. She confirmed they were there at her request.”
“I’d have locked them up first, then called,” Strawn replied. “Just to teach them a lesson.”
“I may still,” Devin stated. “Now that I know this connects back to Calla, I’m keepin’ her close.”
“I doubt Armstrong would hurt his only grandchild,” Strawn said.
Devin shook his head. “You and I both know when money and power are involved, people will do whatever they have to do to keep it,” Devin replied then stood and put out his hand to Strawn. “I’ll be in touch, but right now I need to hunt her down and put her under lock and key.”
“I’ll help,” Nate threw out. “You want your bike back?”
“Keep it. She’s still in escape mode and won’t see me comin’ in your truck.”
Strawn stood, grinning. “With all you’re havin’ to deal with just to keep her in line, do you still think she’s worth the trouble?”
Devin didn’t hesitate to answer. “You won’t get it until you meet the right woman, but the answer is yes. Every fuckin’, irritatin’ second.”
Nate clapped Devin on the shoulder, his deep chuckle rolling through his chest. “Told you Savannah wouldn’t be borin’.”
“You weren’t lyin’.” Needing to find Calla immediately so he could rest easy, he turned to leave, then paused and looked back at Nate. “If you find her, call me. Don’t confront her. I’m tired of this hide-and-seek game we’ve been playin’, and she’ll go to ground if she knows I’m lookin’ for her.”
“Fight or flight response kicked in, I see.”
“Flight, yes. The woman’s quicker than a jackrabbit with a wolf on its tail. Though, she has spunk like a raccoon when cornered.”
“And now that the big bad wolf is pursuing her, she’s panicked?”
“Nope. She hasn’t got a clue she belongs to me.”
“Then why’s she hidin’?”
“’Cause I told her to,” Strawn chuckled.
✿✿✿
I held up a skimpy black dress and my eyes grew wider. There would be no bending over unless I wanted to say ten Hail Marys. The back plunge was so low my ass would fall out if I so much as breathed. “The Baptists don’t make you say confession, right?”
Sienna walked over and turned the dress around.
“You can’t be serious?” I gasped. “If you make me wear this, I won’t need to flirt. The dress will do the flirtin’ for me.”
Sienna shoved me toward the bathroom, giggling. “I’m just kiddin’; the plunge goes in the back.”
“Why do I get the impression you enjoy seein’ me suffer?”
“No idea,” she answered, but I wasn’t buying it. She and Poppy had been whispering all afternoon. Grinning innocently at me whenever I caught them.
They were definitely up to something. The question was, what?
Ten minutes later I’d stripped off my clothes and pulled the black, long-sleeved, cotton knit dress with a Sabrina neckline and plunging back, over my head. It was styled to draw a man in for a closer look, but soft like a T-shirt, so it was comfortable to wear. I turned around and looked at my back. Just as I thought. Panties wouldn’t work, so I pulled them off and stared at my reflection. God was definitely going to strike me dead for not wearing panties in a church. At least the length wasn’t sinful; it hit just above my knees, and it had built-in cups to keep my breasts from jiggling as I walked.
I twisted and turned in several directions, then took a deep breath and walked into the bedroom for the final verdict.
“Hot,” Poppy said as she curled her hair.
“Devin would not approve, so it’s perfect,” Sienna giggled.
“Devin hasn’t earned the right to complain yet,” I mumbled.
“Yet,” she parroted back, her eyes gleaming with mirth.
“Now, for the hair,” Poppy said. “Sit.”
I eyed the curling iron and sighed. “Just don’t make me look like a hooker.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Poppy chuckled, but I caught the look she gave Sienna.
One excruciatingly long hour later, Poppy had curled and teased my hair into a wall of hair that would have made Farrah Fawcett proud.
“I can’t go into a church looking like this. I said no big hair!”
“You need to trust us,” Poppy mumbled. “We have it on good authority this is how we should dress for man hunting.”
“Really? Was it from a current issue of Hookers R Us?”
Chuckling, Sienna handed me strappy black sandals with a killer heel. I shook my head. “I’ll break an ankle in these.”
“Possible, but we’re told they’ll make your legs look a mile long.”
They had an excuse for everything.
I grabbed the sandals in a huff and headed for the bed. “This is punishment for a past life,” I grumbled.
“Cali, you have to use all your weapons; make a good first impression. Everyone knows that,” Poppy said. “And since we don’t know what Devin’s truly thinkin’, then we don’t want to waste an opportunity to find your happily ever after.”
“Oh, I’ll make an impression. Especially when I fall through the door and flash everyone my ass.”
Sienna’s eyes lit up and held a far-off look.
“You’re calculatin’ how quickly you can switch your cell to camera function, aren’t you?”
“Two point five seconds,” she answered.
I grinned and muttered, “Bitch,” then stood. “Here goes nothin’.” I took a step, then another. I was still standing, so I tried a faster pace.
“You’re a natural,” Poppy beamed.
“I think she’s ready,” Sienna agreed.
I sashayed back to the bed and grabbed the clutch Sienna had lent me, surprised I hadn’t twisted an ankle.
“Are we doin’ this or what?” I asked the girls.
It was now or never. If I didn’t leave soon, I wouldn’t walk out the door.
Sienna shouted, “Hold that thought,” and ran out of the room, teetering on her three-inch heels like a five-year-old wearing her mother’s shoes, pulling on the hem of her dress in hopes it would grow a foot.
She and Poppy were both dressed as sinfully as me. Poppy in a red dress with a plunging neckline that was just south of shameful, and Sienna had on pale yellow sundress that matched her hair, but barely covered her ass. I didn’t know what the Baptist would make of the three of us, but I had a feeling God was still rooting for us to find a match.
Poppy and I followed Sienna into her living room and found
her in the kitchen with three shot glasses and a bottle of booze.
“I figured if the old coots at the golf club can start a tournament with a shot, we can start the night off with a toast.”
I grabbed a glass filled with amber liquid and raised it. “I’ll go first . . . For courage to break down my walls and let love in.”
Poppy raised hers, smiling. “For wisdom to not judge a book by its cover.”
“Definitely somethin’ you need to work on,” I giggled.
We both looked at Sienna, and she raised her glass, lifting it to the ceiling. “For lettin’ go of the past and seein’ what life brings our way.”
We started to put the shots to our lips, but I raised my glass higher. We weren’t the only Wallflowers in need of help. “To Wallflowers everywhere: may you find your Happily Ever After in whatever form you choose. Be it with a man, woman, or dancing to the beat of your own music.”
We grinned at each other and threw back our shots.
Then we choked on the hellfire burning our throats.
Apparently, we were delicate Wallflowers.
After we had regained our breath, Poppy and Sienna grabbed their purses, and I followed them out to Sienna’s car. I climbed into the back—more like crawled in out of fear I’d rip the dress—and settled in. When Sienna pulled out of her parking lot, she turned right instead of left as I was expecting.
“Um, ladies. Did you forget which way the Baptist church is?”
“Nope,” Poppy said, turning back to look at me. “We agreed you’d be the first in this Wallflower experiment, and since you’ve agreed to give Devin a chance, Sienna and I decided there was no need to go. We’re headed to Jacobs’ Ladder in search of Devin.”
It occurred to me in that moment if I jumped out of the car while it was in motion, I might ruin Sienna’s dress, so my immediate reaction was squashed. But that didn’t stop me from begging them to stop.
“No. Not like this. Please, just take me home,” I kinda whined.
Sienna snorted. “No way.”
“I told you, we have it on good authority this is how all women dress when huntin’ men,” Poppy defended.
“By whom? A street walker?”
“Hardly,” she scoffed. ”Gayla Brown.”