by Vivi Holt
“Ah … now we’re getting to the heart of it. You both want more, you know the job comes first, and it’s driving you crazy.”
Callum grunted in response.
“I think you should go for it anyway.”
Callum’s brow furrowed. “Didn’t you hear what I just said?”
“Yes, but how many times have you felt this way about a woman before? Ever?”
He had a point. “Never. I’ve never felt this way before.”
“So why would you let a little thing like being her boss stand in the way of your happiness? You might not find someone like her again.”
Callum stood and began pacing. “I know you’re right. But she’s got a kid and wants to focus on him. He’s her priority, as he should be. I don’t want to get in the way of that.”
“Okay, I hear you. All I’m saying is don’t give up just yet.”
“Fine. I won’t.”
“Do you mind if I change the subject?”
“Please,” Callum grumbled.
“Remember Jax Green? Used to play for the Bulldogs? My favorite running back of all time?”
Callum stopped pacing and scratched his chin. “Remember him? He’s on this cruise!”
“What? Really? Why didn’t you lead with that essential piece of information?”
Callum laughed. “Yeah, he’s the front desk manager.”
“Wow. Well, he just signed with the Atlanta Falcons.”
“Did he? Awesome – I’ll have to go congratulate him.”
After Callum finished the call, he shrugged on a T-shirt, combed his hair and stared at his reflection in the mirror for a few moments, shaking his head. Tim was right. The feelings he had for Jessie were new to him. He’d cared for his past girlfriends and even asked one to marry him, but he’d never found someone with whom he felt so connected, someone he could admire, respect and love because of how strong, resilient and determined she was. Jessie was beautiful, but there was so much more to her than that. And he couldn’t get her out of his mind.
He headed out the door and aimed for the upper deck. He stopped at the reception desk and congratulated Jax on his new position with the Falcons. Jax thanked him, but there was a line of people waiting to speak with him, so Callum kept moving. He wanted to check on Alton and Liliana, then call Katrina to get an update on the money. He hoped her accountant had the money’s final destination by now, since they only had five days before the cruise returned to Florida.
As things stood, Callum could at least tell the client her suspicions about Alton were correct – there was something very wrong with the man inheriting his stepfather’s fortune. But what exactly, he didn’t yet know – along with what Alton intended to do with the money, how to get it back, and where Alton’s new wife fit into the picture. But it was very likely they were both on the run. He owed it to Katrina to get to the bottom of things before Alton and Liliana fled the country.
Jessie watched Alton and Liliana leaning against the deck railing near the stern of the ship. She straightened, adjusted her sunglasses and pulled her buzzing cell phone from her shorts pocket. “Hey, Mom, it’s Jessie. How are you?”
Her mother’s voice washed over her like a cool breeze. “Honey, it’s good to hear your voice. We’re fine, just fine. Scott’s in his room – he’s been having a great ol’ time makin’ friends and going to baseball practice.”
Jessie sighed and combed her fingers through her hair. “That’s good to hear, Mom.”
“But there is something I wanted to talk to you about. Now I don’t want you to fret, honey, but Scott’s asthma is playin’ up a tad today.”
Jessie straightened and her heart began to beat faster. “Did you get his inhalers for him?”
“I did, and he used them. But his baseball coach said he had an attack yesterday at practice as well. I hadn’t gotten there yet to pick him up, but apparently he had to sit out the last fifteen minutes.”
Jessie gritted her teeth. She hated being so far away from him, especially when he wasn’t feeling well. “That’s not good. Is he okay now?”
“He’s fine, honey – I just thought you’d want to know. I think he might be coming down with a cold or somethin’ – otherwise I couldn’t say what’s brought it all on. But he’s in his room readin’ and playin’ quietly for now.”
Jessie sighed and leaned back against the railing. “Thanks, Mom. I wish I was there. I miss you both so much.”
“We miss you too. Since I have you on the phone … there’s been a scratchin’ noise above the kitchen. It might be nothin’ or it might be somethin’, I couldn’t say.” Her mother sounded far away for a moment, as if she’d moved away from the phone.
“Okay, thanks, Mom. I’ll look into it when I get home …”
“And when I looked up at the ceilin’ on account of the scratching noise, I saw a water stain. I’m wonderin’ if the bathroom overhead is leakin’.”
Jessie frowned. “Might be, but there’s not much I can do about it from here. I promise to take care of it as soon as I get home.”
“Thank you, honey. Don’t stress yourself about it, we’ll be fine until you get back.”
By the time she hung up, Jessie felt a stress rash developing beneath her T-shirt. She squeezed her eyes shut with a groan. Of course, as soon as she went out of town for a few days Scott had his first asthma attack in a year and the house started falling down around their ears.
She glanced toward Alton and Liliana, who had their heads together and were discussing something urgently. She wished she could tell what, but knew she couldn’t get closer without raising suspicions. She decided to head back to her room and check in with Callum – he’d want an update, and she needed to get out of there, move around. The conversation with her mother had her too wound up to think clearly.
She entered the cabin and threw herself on the bed. Callum lay on the pull-out sofa, his hands behind his head. A movie blasted from the TV – the hero roundhouse kicking a villain as a crowd cheered wildly. She rolled onto her side to face him. “I just left the Meers on the stern of the ship. They looked like they were cooking something up – huddled, furtive glances over their shoulders, a very animated discussion.”
He sat up and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Did you catch any of it?”
She shook her head. “I couldn’t get close enough. They kept moving away and there was too much wind.”
He nodded. “Thanks for letting me know. We’ll just have to keep a close eye on them.”
“You think they’ll bolt?”
“I do. The question is where.”
She nodded, then let her eyes drift shut as thoughts of her family consumed her.
He stood and stretched his arms with a yawn. “Sorry. I guess I’m tired – I haven’t been sleeping well on this pull-out.”
She smiled understandingly. “No problem.”
“Is everything okay?”
“No.” How much should she tell him? She’d grown accustomed to shouldering all her own burdens since Paul died, and in general she preferred to keep things to herself. But she wanted to open up to Callum. She straightened, rubbed her face and took a deep breath. “I just got off the phone with Mom. Scott had two asthma attacks in the last twenty-four hours. It didn’t sound like they were bad, he was able to manage them with his inhalers … but still, I hate not being there for him.”
He stepped closer and rested his hands on her arms. “I’m sorry. I’m sure he’ll be okay. Your mom will look after him.”
She nodded, her throat tightening in the face of his compassion. “And the house is falling apart. I just feel so helpless – they need me and I’m out here relaxing on a luxury cruise.”
He chuckled and rubbed her arms. “You can’t be there all the time. And you can’t take care of everyone either. Your mom is there, she’s handling things. And when you get back, you’ll be able to step in and do the superhero thing. But until then you’ve got to let it go. You can’t always be in control
.”
She caught his gaze, the lump in her throat growing. “Sure I can.”
He laughed again and pulled her into an embrace, one hand on the back of her head. His chest felt warm, strong. “You can’t control everything, as much as you’d like to. Just pray about it and trust that your mom has it covered.”
She sniffled and put her arms around his back. “How’d you get so wise?”
“It comes naturally.”
She laughed, pulled back and slapped his chest playfully. “And humble too.”
He chuckled and caught her hand, pulled it quickly to his mouth and planted a soft kiss on the back of it.
She tugged it free, her heart thundering against her ribcage. Her face burned with heat and her legs felt weak as his eyes darkened. “Callum …”
He stepped away, breaking the connection. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.” He ran his hand through his hair and stared out over the balcony at the blue sky.
“It’s fine …”
“No, it’s not. I said I’d keep things professional and I didn’t do that. I wanted to comfort you, but I overstepped. Again, I’m sorry. I’m going to check on the Meers.” He turned on his heel and strode from the cabin.
The sound of the door slamming shut sent a chill through Jessie’s heart. She slumped onto the bed and dropped her head into her hands.
13
Callum looked around the cabin and frowned. Usually Jessie would be there at this time of the evening, humming a melody in the shower. But then, he’d stormed out on her earlier that day – well, perhaps not stormed. More like scrambled. Fled. Twice.
He’d spent eight years in Afghanistan, two full tours, but never felt like running away until now. His feelings for her had grown, and he knew he couldn’t hold them back any longer. Being around her, but not being able to hold her, comfort her, press his lips to hers, was torture. The only thing he could think to do was leave.
And now she had.
He wondered if she’d eat dinner without him. They’d eaten together every night of the cruise so far, but if she didn’t surface soon he’d have to tail the Meers by himself. He sighed and decided to take a quick shower, change and head out. Perhaps he’d find her in time to eat together. Maybe she’d just gone for a walk.
He eyed his laptop sitting on the small writing desk beside the closet. There were so many things he wanted to look into before he spoke to Katrina again. Finding Jessie – and taking a shower – would have to wait.
He sat at the desk, turned on the laptop, and before long was trawling through newspaper articles about the Callahans and their vast fortune. Kyle Callahan had invested the money he’d inherited from his land baron father Keith, then poured part of the dividends into manufacturing and technology acquisitions. His first wife had left him for a famous opera singer when his children were in their teens and he’d been a semi-recluse for years, only to emerge on the social scene with a new woman on his arm – Susan Meer.
Callum leaned back in his chair with a frown. The pictures that accompanied the articles were of an older man with a much younger woman on his arm. A couple of them had a young Alton lurking and scowling in the background. Susan Meer didn’t look old enough to be his mother – she must have had him when she was very young. A quick search of Susan Meer’s activity prior to her introduction to Atlanta society as Kyle’s romantic interest turned up nothing. Not a single mention of the woman, no social media accounts, no articles.
There were, however, a number of news stories covering her death.
Callum carried the laptop outside to the balcony and sat down, resting the laptop on his knees. Gulls circled above, cawing and flapping as they rode the updrafts with wings outstretched. Beside the boat, white water hissed and fizzed as the hull slid through it. The computer screen was almost black in the bright sunlight, so he slid his sunglasses down from the top of his head and squinted, enjoying the sea breeze as it brushed over him.
It struck him as ironic that she’d fallen off another boat, on another ocean voyage. This one had been with Kyle and Alton on one of Kyle’s yachts. According to the Georgia Times report, even after an extensive search by the Coast Guard and a horde of volunteers, the only evidence of her demise was a jacket and an empty life preserver that washed up on the shores of Jekyll Island three days later.
He ran a hand over his face, pondering the details. Kyle was inside the cabin and didn’t see what happened, but did hear a faint shout or cry. He ran up to the deck to find Alton peering over the side of the boat and Susan gone. When he asked Alton what’d happened, Alton said she’d tripped and he hadn’t been able to catch her.
Something about the story didn’t sit right – it just felt a little too pat, too simple. He retrieved his cell phone and placed a call.
“Criminal Investigations, McIntosh.”
Callum smiled – the detective hadn’t left work yet. “Jim, Callum McKenzie. How are you?”
“Ah, Callum – fine and dandy, thanks. How’s it going out on the fair seas? Got yourself a tan yet?”
Callum chuckled. “I’m working on it. Listen, Jim, I wanted to talk to you about the Susan Meer case.”
“You mean Susan Callahan.”
Callum nodded to himself. “Right, Susan Callahan. When she fell overboard, was there any feeling that her death was suspicious?”
Jim grunted. “Sure, but we weren’t doing the investigation. It happened out on the coast, so the Georgia Bureau of Investigations took it.”
“The GBI ruled it accidental?”
“They did. From what I recall, they didn’t find a body and the only witness was her son. Of course, he was a suspect for all of five minutes, seeing as how everyone knew they were close, no animosity. And of course he didn’t inherit anything with her death, since she didn’t have a dime of her own – so no motive.”
“Do you know who ran the investigation?”
Jim paused, and Callum heard keys clicking. “Looks like a Gavin Owens.”
“Do you know him?”
“Nope. But I can tell you, whoever he is, he’s not likely to give us any more than we already have. I’ll give him a call though, if you like.”
“Could you? It might not help, but then again it might, and I could use any help I can get. I’ve got plenty of guesses about what might’ve happened, but nothing concrete. And I’m pretty sure our subjects are about to flee the country.”
“That so? I’m sure the GBI will be interested to hear your perspective.”
“I hope so.” Callum thanked Jim and hung up, even more questions running through his mind. What had really happened to Susan Meer? Was Alton involved in her death? And if he was, why hadn’t the investigation uncovered it? The feeling that he was close to unraveling the mystery was like an itch in his brain he couldn’t scratch. What was the key? He had a hunch, but he’d need proof before he could bring it to the client. First, he had to find Jessie. He couldn’t think straight with the way things stood between them.
With a frown, Callum pushed open the door to the last restaurant on the ship he hadn’t checked yet. So far he’d seen no sign of either Jessie or the Meers. He couldn’t imagine they’d be in a karaoke bar or the Kids’ Club, but there wasn’t anywhere else they could be unless they’d decided to tour the engine room.
Dim lighting hid the nicks and scratches on the walls and made the bar appear warm. Artificially generated smoke gave the room an atmosphere of mystery. A woman sang into a microphone perched on the edge of a small half-circle stage at the front of the crowd, and tinny dance music emitted from the speakers, making the restaurant’s purpose abundantly clear. This place was a floating dive bar.
His gaze swept the dozen tables in front of the stage, each packed with patrons, before it landed on the singer. Jessie! And more surprisingly, she wasn’t half bad. Her voice was sultry and deep with a gravelly edge. She flung her head back, eyes closed, grasping the microphone two-handed, then leaned forward and crooned at the crowd about love lost.
She’d clearly done this before. Every eye was on her – there was none of the usual small talk.
His heart skipped with relief at having found her. He scanned the room again, his eyes now adjusted to the low light, and spotted Alton and Liliana at a table in the corner. Alton’s eyes were glued to Jessie, while Liliana studied her fingernails, tugging at each one and looking bored as usual. She still wore a scarf around her head, this one deep red with purple and pink flowers, but had removed the sunglasses to reveal long lashes and gray and blue eye shadow.
The song ended and the crowd erupted into applause. Callum focused on Jessie and clapped slowly as she worked her way across the room toward him. She smiled shyly at him as she rounded a table.
His heart skipped a beat and he grinned back, then reached her in one easy stride, put his arms around her waist, pulled her to him and kissed her. He could sense Alton Meer’s gaze on them and wanted to play the part of doting husband – at least, that’s what he’d tell her. But he knew he could only use that excuse for a little longer. Still, he intended to take every opportunity to be close to her, to show her just how good they could be together, before it was too late.
Jessie’s eyes widened in surprise, but she didn’t withdraw like he’d thought she might. Instead, she put her arms around his neck and her eyes fluttered shut. Their kiss intensified and adrenaline coursed through him. It was as if they fit together, like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
She smiled as she finally took a step back and raised a hand in front of her lips. “Hi.”
He grinned and pulled her close again, not wanting any distance between them. “Hi.”
“I missed you today.”
He wished he hadn’t stayed away. “I’m sorry about earlier.”
She nodded. “Me too.”
“It’s just that …” He leaned down until his lips hovered just above hers. “I don’t think I can trust myself around you.”
Her cheeks reddened. “Oh?”