by Mari Manning
“It doesn’t matter. Maybe—”
From the hallway came the sound of china smashing against the floor. Rafe jumped off the sofa and nearly leaped over the table. Dinah was right behind him. It was Hollyn, standing amid shards of china and chocolate chip cookies. “I’m so clumsy these days.” She batted her eyes at him. “Must be the baby and all.”
She stooped and began to pick up pieces of china. “I’m so sorry, Miss Dinah. I didn’t mean to break your momma’s dish.”
“Don’t you worry, honey lamb. Those things are older than I am. They’ve lived a good life.” She pulled Hollyn to her feet. “I want you to go on into the kitchen and rest. Put your feet up for awhile. You’ve been working too hard around here. I’ll clean all this up after Office Morales leaves.”
Hollyn looked doubtful. “I feel okay, Miss Dinah. I don’t want to leave you unattended.” Her eyes slid to Rafe meaningfully. “Should I fetch another plate of cookies?”
“Officer Morales and I will be just fine.” The words curled out of Dinah’s mouth close to his ear, slow and soft and husky, like a siren call. The hair on the back of Rafe’s neck stood up. What is she up to?
Dinah wound herself around his arm and pressed her breast against his bicep. “Officer Morales and I have some more discussing to do, if you know what I mean,” she cooed.
Hollyn’s eyes glittered with disapproval, but her face turned twenty shades of red. She backed away. “Sure, Miss Dinah. Maybe I’ll take myself for a little walk.”
Dinah pressed her hip against Rafe’s. “I’d sure appreciate it.”
Hollyn disappeared into the kitchen, and he got his arm back.
Things didn’t seem so clear suddenly. Maybe tough ladies were his fate. “Are you coming on to me?”
She lifted a slender finger and pressed it against her sweet, kissable lips. “Shhhh.” Then she grinned at him, and added, “Would you like to come upstairs for a little bit, Officer.”
His body stirred, and he struggled to hold onto his good sense. “I’m on duty.” Had he really said that? I’m on duty. He sounded like a nervous adolescent. The last time he felt this out-of-control was back in his Dallas days, with Sam. His instincts screamed at him to walk away. Dinah was too sexy, too smart, too blond, too tough…too Sam.
With a crook of her finger, Dinah gestured for him to come upstairs with her. Her trim bottom and slim legs swayed as she climbed. Unable to stop himself, Rafe followed her.
Her bedroom contained a double bed and dresser, both white and girlish. A shelf against the wall held schoolbooks and toys. When she’d left home, she’d still have been a girl. But she’d grown up fast. Esme, too. Maybe they all did. Life seemed to have a way of making that happen to girls. A night sky covered her bedroom ceiling, and he imagined her lying on her back in the rumpled bed, staring up at the infinite yellow dots of light and feeling alone.
Dinah waved her hand at the unmade bed. “Have a seat. I have something to show you.” A discarded bra lay across the pillow. “Sorry for the mess.” Dinah grabbed it and a pair of blue silky panties near his feet and tossed them into the closet.
Sweet lord!
Pulling a baby doll off the shelf, she plopped herself beside him.
What was the doll for? Was she into something kinky? He needed time to think. “I’m on duty right now, but if you want I could come back later—”
Her jaw dropped, and she punched his shoulder. “Get your head out of your pants, Officer. I am trying to assist your investigation, and I’d rather not make my daddy’s last statement a topic of public speculation. Hollyn doesn’t seem like a gossip, but she’s as curious as a cat sometimes. I’d die if this got out, and people started talking about him again.”
It took him a minute to switch gears. “Sorry. You got me a little worked up with all that rubbing, Miss Dinah.” He arched a brow at her, struggling to gain the upper hand.
She wasn’t biting. Her eyes met his straight on. “Uh-huh.”
She twisted the head off the doll and fished around in the body until she pulled out an envelope jingling with coins, a man’s wedding ring, and a tightly folded paper. She unfolded the paper. “The prison said they were sending copies of this to local law enforcement, but I didn’t know if you’d seen it.”
He took it from her. “No. It would probably go to the sheriff’s office. I’ll ask after it tomorrow.”
He read the letter while she waited. It was hard to concentrate with Dinah sitting right beside him, her breath caressing his jaw as she reread the letter over his shoulder.
Don’t let temper…ruin your life…like I did. Waves of emotions collided inside him. Anger at a man who had thrown away his wife and daughter in a fit of temper. Hurt over what Dinah must have gone through. But mostly fear that the events Ben Pittman set in motion over eight years ago weren’t resolved yet, and his daughter was in danger. He read the last words again. A chill ran down his spine. Trust…no one. Take the gold…straight [indecipherable] in Austin.
He curled his arm around her and pulled her close. “I’m sorry, Dinah.”
Her body stiffened. “It’s okay.”
He retrieved his arm. “I know you’re not a fan of cops, and I don’t blame you, but this one’s got your back. Not just because it’s my job, either. I feel like we’re friends.”
She sighed deeply. “I do, too, Rafe. I didn’t mean, uh, it’s just that, well, I’m dealing with a lot right now. That’s all.”
“Yeah.” So was he. “If this letter is accurate, seems like your father knew where the money was.”
“Doesn’t mean I do.”
“Most folks would conclude otherwise after reading this transcript. He asked you to return the money.”
“Actually he said to return the gold. But the armored car had dollars.”
“Maybe he bought gold.”
“Do you have any idea how much a quarter-million dollars worth of gold would weigh?”
He’d never considered it. “No, do you?”
She sighed. “No. But it seems like it would be hard to hide.”
“Maybe not. Gold would be harder to hide than paper money, but it would resist fire or water damage or rot.”
She stood and began to pace her little room. “But he talked like I knew where the money was, or at least I would happen upon it easily.”
Rafe studied her starry ceiling. “He wouldn’t hide it in the house. It wouldn’t be safe. Anyone could have walked in since you’ve been gone and stumbled on it.”
“Maybe someone did. You said squatters come through here, didn’t you?”
He did some quick calculations in his head. “Based on gold prices eight years ago, a quarter of a million dollars worth would probably take up the area of a small filing cabinet and weigh at least several hundred pounds. I don’t know how it could be much less. How would a homeless drifter manage to cart away that much gold without someone noticing? Besides, if he tried to sell it, he’d be busted.”
She stopped pacing. “True. But that holds for my daddy, too. Someone would have noticed if a man bought that much gold with cash, right?”
“There are places in Houston, Dallas, maybe San Antonio, too, where arrangements can be made. Especially if you’re a cop. You’d know where to go.”
She looked away. “Of course.” The words sounded sad.
“He said he loved you, uh…” He glanced down at the letter. “Truly. Like the song. Was he an old-fashioned kind of guy?”
“Not really. He was a Vietnam vet and loved the Rolling Stones.”
Rafe shrugged. “Maybe the stenographer got it wrong. He was obviously having trouble understanding your daddy.”
“I’ll think on it, but I never heard him say anything like that when I was a kid.”
“Maybe an idea will come to you later. Happens that way for a lot of folks.”
“Maybe.”
It was time to get back to work. He rose and gazed down at her bowed head. What would it feel like to bury his mouth in
those shiny blond curls? She lifted her head, and he turned away so she wouldn’t see the desire written on his face.
“Well, I better be going.”
She led the way downstairs. The broken plate and cookies had been cleaned up. Hollyn was banging pots and pans in the kitchen.
Dinah shook her head. “I don’t know how she does it. Just when I think we’re down to our last slice of bread or scoop of peanut butter, that girl manages to squeeze out another meal, and an endless supply of cookies and sweet tea.”
“Sounds like you’re lucky to have her.” He grabbed his hat and cell from the side table. Which reminded him… “I was dead serious about the phone. You need a functioning cell, Dinah.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“You don’t know that.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I am not taking your money.”
“How about an arrangement?” Or a little payback for her fake seduction earlier.
“An arrangement?”
“A trade. I provide you with a phone in return for your services.”
Her sweet mouth popped open. “You are out of line, Officer.”
He raised an eyebrow and shot her his most innocent smile. “Can I come for a reading tonight?”
Her face reddened. “Sure. It’s fifty dollars.”
“It’s whatever it costs to turn your phone service on.” He met her eyes and dared her to argue.
“I meant what I said, Rafe.”
“And I intend to ensure you’re safe by whatever means necessary.”
“Ooh. You’re still here.” Hollyn was watching them from the dining room. She didn’t look happy to see him.
Irritation pricked him. He was tired of getting snuck up on by Hollyn. It was time to teach her a little lesson—if you peek through keyholes, you might get your eye poked. Miss Peppie used to say that to his sisters.
He gave Hollyn a lazy, half-lidded smile. “Yup, I’m still here.” Then he slid his hands around Dinah’s bare shoulders. They were silk beneath his palms. He tilted his head and went in for a kiss, bracing for a slap or a protest. But neither came.
He brushed her lips softly, caressing them with his mouth until her hands slid around his waist. He pulled her closer, and she let him kiss her—two long, slow sweeps of his mouth against hers. She tasted of cookies and tea and woman. Her lips parted, and she sighed deeply into his mouth before pushing away.
He opened his eyes. Hollyn had disappeared. A pot banged in the kitchen.
He studied Dinah’s dazed expression and resisted a loco desire to scoop her up and carry her upstairs.
“Thanks for the interesting afternoon, Miss Dinah,” he said loud enough so Hollyn would hear. “I’ll see you this evening.”
Chapter Twelve
Hollyn was in the kitchen scrubbing carrots and green peppers. A pot of water was simmering on the stove. She smiled at Dinah. “I hope you’re fond of pasta salad.”
“I’m sure it will be delicious.” She appreciated Hollyn’s help around the house, and that girl sure could cook up a storm, but this arrangement was short-term. “Have you thought about what you’re going to do after the baby comes?”
Hollyn turned around. Her eyes were hard and angry. “This house looks a damn sight better than it did when I came. And you’re eating good, aren’t you?”
“I didn’t say otherwise.” Was Hollyn upset about witnessing Rafe’s kiss? When his hands had closed around Dinah’s shoulders, the heat of his body had drawn her closer, and a terrible hunger to taste him had overcome her common sense. Had the kiss looked as sizzling as it felt?
Hollyn stamped her foot. “So why are you throwing me out?”
“I’m not throwing you out. I’m just reminding you I’ll be selling this place and moving on. I don’t want to leave you high and dry when I do.”
A muscle flinched at the corner of Hollyn’s eye. “How long?”
“How long?”
“Before someone else moves in?”
“I don’t know exactly.”
“But not before the baby comes.”
The baby was due in a week or two. “Certainly not before then.”
“Okay, then.” Hollyn turned back to the cutting board.
“We still need to find a place for you to go.”
“I have, uh, my, uh, uncle. He said I could stay with him after the baby comes.”
A strong sense of relief washed over Dinah. And yet… “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know it mattered.” She mumbled the words at the carrots she was chopping.
“Of course it—”
“Miss Dinah, can we talk another time? I got to finish fixing supper.”
“Certainly. I’ll just go on out and get the wash.”
While Hollyn chopped vegetables, Dinah went out back to take the wash off the line and sort through her feelings about Rafe. Was it just six days ago he had come out here, hat in hand, to invite her to the barbecue? What was he up to anyway? That kiss had curled her toes and just about everything else she could lay name to. He’d felt it too. She’d seen it in his eyes. But still, a niggling doubt in the back of her head said he was trying to prove she didn’t hate cops. Maybe she didn’t. But she wasn’t falling for one either. Especially an El Royo cop. Wouldn’t that be the irony of all ironies?
“Miss Dinah?”
Dinah set the last towel in the clothesbasket and looked up. Hollyn stood at the door looking extremely put out. “There’s a lady here to see you. I told her it was supper time, but she said she’d wait.”
Hopefully it was another client. She could sure use the fifty bucks.
It was Esme. A burst of pure pleasure warmed Dinah’s body.
Esme may have been to hell and back, but she looked as beautiful and untouched as Dinah remembered. She wore a pink T-shirt, jeans, and sturdy boots. Her delicate hands clutched a leather medical bag. Heavy, dark hair was tied back with a bright green scarf, and her face was scrubbed clean. She didn’t need makeup. Her honey-colored skin was flawless, her cheekbones high, and her dark lashes thick.
Esme held out her arms, and Dinah embraced her. “I’ve missed you so much, Esme.”
“Me, too.”
Hollyn called out from the kitchen, “Dinner’s ready, Miss Dinah.”
Esme looked apologetic. “I didn’t mean to disturb your supper, Di. I had to check on a patient with swollen hocks west of town, so I decided to stop by on my way home. I can come back another time.”
“Absolutely not. There’s enough for one more.”
“Oh, Di, I couldn’t. Rafe said you’re having trouble making ends meet. I can’t take the food off your table.”
“Rafe is going to get a piece of my mind the next time I see him. Now you come on and join us. Besides, you haven’t been officially introduced to the very best housekeeper and cook in the world.”
Esme smiled, and the Morales dimples appeared. “I’ll stay.” She dropped the medical bag beside the door and followed Dinah.
Hollyn was sullen as she set another place at the table, spooned the pasta onto plates, and plopped down at the table.
“Am I interrupting your supper?” Jamey’s gold-rimmed glasses glinted in the evening sun as he peered through the screen door.
“Shit.” Hollyn muttered the word under her breath. “Don’t people know enough to stay home at supper time?”
Dinah shot her a quelling look and rose from her chair. “Of course not. Come in.” Esme stood too. Hollyn hunched over her plate and shoveled spoonfuls of pasta into her mouth.
Jamey’s eyes widened. “Esme Morales. How are you?”
Esme took a step back. “You remember me?”
“I haven’t b-b-been around much since high school, but now that I’ve moved back to El Royo for g-g-good, memories are flooding back.” He smiled his sweet smile at Esme. “Rafe said you’d g-g-gone off and become a horse doctor.”
Esme nodded. “I’m a vet.” She swung her gaze toward Dinah. “I should go.”
Jamey frowned. “I’ve interrupted your supper.”
“I should go,” Esme repeated.
Jamey pushed open the back door. “Please sit down. I’ll c-c-come back later. I wanted to talk to Dinah about the roof repairs.” He backed away. “Dinah, you don’t mind if I throw a ladder up and take a look at the roof again, d-d-do you? I need to get a count on the shingles for the roof repair. My crew will be here tomorrow morning.”
“Of course not. Come back in for sweet tea before you go home.” She hadn’t even considered he’d have to buy shingles. It was bad enough he’d have to pay his men. As soon as she sold the house, she was going to pay him back every penny he’d spent, plus extra for his time.
Jamey pushed his glasses up his nose and nodded. “Thanks, Dinah. Nice t-t-to see you again, Esme.”
Esme’s face was ashen.
Dinah slid her arm around her friend’s shoulder. “You look a little shaky. Come sit down.”
Dinah guided her back to her chair.
Hollyn scraped up the last spoonful of pasta on her plate, then looked up at Dinah. “Miss Dinah, if you don’t mind, I’d like to have the night off. I met a girl when I was at the free clinic yesterday, and she invited me to come on by for a visit.”
Dinah frowned. “Does this girl have a name?”
“Not that I remember,” Hollyn mumbled. She leapt up from her chair and dropped her plate in the sink. “Now you just leave these dishes for me. I’ll clean everything up when I get back.” She bolted from the kitchen.
“I hope she hasn’t fallen into bad company,” said Dinah. “Seems like she’s already had her share of troubles.”
“Her pregnancy?”
“She told me her folks kicked her out, and her boyfriend abandoned her. But it’s not just that. Every time Rafe comes around, she gets all jumpy. I think she may have had some trouble with the law.”
“That sounds sad.” Esme gazed down at her untouched plate.
“Why are you afraid of Jamey?”
Esme’s head snapped up. Her eyes filled with sorrow. “I told you. I don’t trust the men in this town, or at least the ones who went to high school with me.”