“There’s nothing wrong with being a bachelor.”
“Except that you don’t want to be.”
“Do this for me,” he asked, avoiding addressing that particular issue. “Take over the book. I can learn how to take photos some other way.”
She took a sip of her smoothie. “I’m the next one anyway. I need to call Taylor to set it up. I’ll talk to her.”
“Thanks,” Joe said, finishing the last of his orange-flavored drink.
“You know she will be there for the family shoot.”
Joe stood up and gave his sister a peck on the forehead. “But then we won’t be alone, and it’s weeks away. I’ve got to run. Literally. I’m off to do ten miles.”
She waved him away, turned and stared at the remains of her smoothie. Drummed her fingers on the table. Her oldest brother was so pig-headed. So darn stubborn, almost to a fault. Well, she’d promised to talk to Taylor, but she hadn’t promised to say what Joe wanted her to say. Splitting hairs, but in the Marino family, something she’d learned to do well.
She tugged her cell phone out of her pocket, pressed a button she’d programmed into speed dial. “Hey,” she said the moment her mother answered. “We’ve got a problem.”
* * *
“Thank you for agreeing to do this,” Susie said. “And so quickly.”
Taylor smiled as Susie posed against the background. “Well, my mom’s not back yet. Seems she and her friend got lost on the way back from Topeka.”
“Lost?” Susie wore a silver-sequined designer mini that showcased her rounding figure. Marci had stopped by to do Susie’s hair and makeup. Susie was beautiful, despite the wrinkled skin that covered toned legs and parts of her arms.
“Well, what was to be a two-day trip has turned into a week-long adventure. They had to see the sights in Topeka, of course.”
“Of course.” Susie nodded, catching Taylor’s sarcasm.
“And then they made it as far as Kansas City and they’re still there, staying at some hotel on the Plaza. It’s all a con to get me to move back in here, I’m sure.”
“Well, it’s a nice place. I had to share a room growing up.”
“There is that. I did have my own space. Now angle your shoulder more. Yes, like that.” Taylor pressed the shutter and shot a few more frames. “Okay, that’s a wrap.”
Susie looked like a kid in the candy store. “So I can see them?”
Taylor laughed. “Absolutely. Even with the fan, it’s getting hot out here, so let’s go inside and we can look at them on my computer. Could I get you something to drink?”
“Water is fine.” Taylor smiled and shook her head. “What?” Susie asked.
“You and Joe. My mom fully stocks this fridge so it looks like the beverage aisle at Dierberg’s, and that’s all he wanted too.”
“We’re simple people,” Susie said. “My parents weren’t big on sugary sweets. Not with six kids in the house. My mom even kept the real Oreos hidden in a closet in her bedroom. We got the store-brand sandwich cremes. Trust me, you can taste the difference.”
“Ouch,” Taylor said, reaching into a cabinet and bringing out a blue package. “That’s cruel because I’ve bought those and you’re right, they are awful. Here, you can have the real thing. Let me get us some water.”
Water and Oreos in hand, they sat at the breakfast bar as Taylor took the SD card out of her camera and slid it into a slot on her Mac. She then opened up all the photos. “Now remember, they aren’t retouched. I’ll lighten, tweak, and work some digital magic. But they are fabulous. See?”
As Taylor began to scroll through, her phone rang. “Just press the arrow key,” she told Susie as she grabbed her cell and stood.
“Hello?”
“Taylor, it’s Virginia. I’ve decided to host a little dinner party at my house to introduce the calendar guys to the media, and as the photographer, I want you to be there. Thursday night at five. I’m on Upper Ladue Road. Number …”
Taylor grabbed a pen and pad of paper from the urn her mother kept on the counter. She scribbled down the information. “I’ll be there.”
“Perfect. And how is your new project coming?”
“The Burns Recovered Support Group book? It’s going great. I’m two shoots in.”
“Excellent. Well, I think our calendar will be an annual project, so pencil us in for next year. See you Thursday. Semi-formal. Not black tie. We’ll save that for the ball.”
Taylor hung up. “Looks like I’m going to a cocktail party slash dinner.”
Susie glanced up. “Sounds fancy.”
“It’s to promote the calendar.” She leaned against the bar stool back. “I assume Joe will be there.”
“Excellent. Then you can work things out.”
Taylor frowned. “I didn’t realize there were things to work out.”
Susie gestured to the computer. “These are really good, by the way. I’ve never seen myself look so good, and I loved Laura’s shots.”
“Thanks.” The compliment warmed.
“Now that we have all the shoots arranged, it’ll go pretty quickly.”
“It should.” Taylor devoured an Oreo, her number-one comfort food.
“But that doesn’t address the problem,” Susie continued.
“What problem?” Taylor inhaled another one.
“The problem of my brother. Both of you keep saying the same things.”
“I don’t understand.” Taylor reached for her water. Wished she’d gotten a big glass of milk instead.
Eyes similar to Joe’s pinned her. “Do you like him?”
Taylor sputtered mid-sip and then hiccupped. “What?”
Susie didn’t falter. “I asked, do you like him?”
“That’s not an appropriate question.”
Susie wasn’t put off. “Of course it is. He kissed you and then said it was a mistake. I’d say, given all the work we all have to do, you both need to work things out. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Taylor leaned back. To heck with water or milk. If she didn’t have to work at five, she’d grab a beer out of the fridge. “I can’t believe he told you we’d kissed.”
“I’m sure he can’t believe he kissed you. Despite how sexy my brother is, well, he’s awkward with women.”
“This is crazy. We’re professional colleagues,” Taylor protested.
“Did you know what I did before I married Parker?”
Taylor shook her head. “No.”
“Worked as an administrative assistant to the battalion chief. Parker went after me like a house on fire. He made me feel special, and I didn’t feel I deserved him. I mean, look at me.”
“You’re beautiful.”
“But I didn’t feel that way. Who could love this?” She gestured to her arms and legs. “Kids teased me, or they whispered behind my back. I was the freak. Then one day, I didn’t care anymore. You met Laura. I’ve never met a braver little girl. Even in the heat of summer, I can try to cover up. She has to face the world and smile through the scars.”
“I cried. I think that’s why he kissed me.”
“Joe’s a huge helper, but he doesn’t kiss out of pity.”
“Good to know,” Taylor said, grabbing another cookie.
Susie placed a reassuring hand on her arm. “You have a big heart. Joe told me about your work with babies. I couldn’t do that. I can’t imagine. It’s why Joe knew you were perfect for this project and why I know you’re perfect for him.”
Taylor didn’t know what to make of that. “Really, I—”
“Do you like him?” Susie asked, interrupting.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Everything, I’d say,” Susie countered.
“This isn’t high school. It’s not that simple. We don’t really know each other. Sure, he’s sexy as sin. When he stands near me, I get butterflies. But the physical attraction doesn’t mean anything. It can actually be downright scary. And this is a really odd conversation to be havin
g.”
“If you think I’m bad, wait until my mother starts in on you.”
“Maybe I should reconsider doing your family’s photos.”
“Don’t you dare.” Susie laughed before her expression intensified. “And I’m serious. Don’t you dare.”
“I’ll finish what I started. Just do not try to make a love connection between me and Joe.”
“Actually, that’s up to both of you. And while I’d love to see him happy, there’s something else I want you to do instead.”
“Sounds ominous.”
Susie fingered her water glass in a gesture similar to Joe’s. “Well, it will be difficult. I want you to add one more person to the book.”
Taylor shrugged. Ate another Oreo. “That doesn’t sound too scary. But I thought everyone who was interested signed up at one of your meetings.”
“Well, technically yes. That’s why you’ll have to convince this one. It’s the reason I asked if you liked Joe. You’ll need his help.”
“He’s been helping. I’m sure we can put aside our differences, and our desires, to get the job done.”
“For these specific pictures, you will need Joe’s full cooperation. He’s not going to want to do them. But he must.”
Taylor was confused. “Why not?”
“Because it’s him. He’s the one you must photograph. Haven’t you noticed that he’s always covered from his waist down? Even when he boxes, he’s pretty covered up. He hates having his legs exposed. Hates it.”
Taylor’s fingers stilled around the glass she was refilling, and the water from the faucet began overflowing the glass. Her mouth dropped. “Joe is scarred?”
“Yes.” Susie nodded. “I wasn’t the only one injured that day. I want Joe in the book. I want you to help him to feel whole again, as you did for me and for Laura.” Susie hit the arrow to display another picture. “Look how good I look. It’s like a celebration that being burned didn’t keep me from being whole. He deserves to feel that too, don’t you think?”
“I didn’t realize he’d been burned. He told me he tried to save you.”
“He did. In more ways than one. He needs to be in this book as much as I do, as much as Laura and the others. I’ve asked him, but he won’t listen to me and I no longer have anything to hold over his head. If I did, I’d bribe him. Blackmail him. I’m not above that.” Her intense expression indicated how serious she was.
Taylor turned off the water. Sipped until the volume was at a safe level. Wiped the glass with a paper towel. “So you expect me to ask? I have even less power over him. I doubt I can convince him.”
Joe was a proud man—Taylor could tell that from day one. He was a burn survivor. Now his cocky behavior at the photo shoot made sense. Now his rejection—his declaration that they’d made a mistake—made sense. He didn’t want her to see his flaws, much less let her know he had them. “He’s not going to be happy I know his secret. He’s going to be even less happy that you … I … we want to put him in the book.”
Susie’s gaze sharpened. “Oh, he’s going to hate every minute. But I’ll leave solving that little problem up to you.”
“Great. Is this when I say, gee thanks?” But she’d do it, Taylor knew. Her nature to help people couldn’t do less.
Susie lifted her glass and held it in a toast. “You know, if nothing else, I think you and I are going to be good friends.”
Taylor clinked her glass to Susie’s. “To friendship. Because if your brother reacts the way I predict he will, I’m going to need all the friends I can get.”
Chapter Eight
As Taylor’s black Chevy Cobalt crept up Upper Ladue Road, she felt like she stuck out like a sore thumb. The mansions on this block all sat on at least two acres and started at $2.5 million. She’d definitely entered the high-rent district, where the yearly real estate taxes totaled more than an experienced teacher made in a year.
She found the driveway, turned in, and rattled across a wooden bridge. After a short jaunt under a canopy of thick trees, she gasped as the massive white stone structure came into view. Designed like an English country manor, she counted six chimneys. A guy in a red vest directed her forward, then opened her car door and gave her a ticket. “I’ll park it, miss.”
“Oh, okay,” Taylor said as he assisted her from the car. She tugged the hem of her strapless dress before it rode up her thighs and embarrassed her, as the Cobalt did when it was whisked away and parked next to a Bentley.
She tucked the ticket into her satin wristlet, which, like the strapless peach chiffon Alice and Olivia dress, came from the designer resale shop. Another valet showed her to the side door. When she stepped in, a waiter handed her a glass of champagne and directed her to the great room where everyone mingled.
“Taylor,” Virginia said, giving her air kisses. “So glad you could come. Let me introduce you to my husband, Ted. Ted, this is Taylor, the photographer I told you about.”
“Nice to meet you,” Taylor said, shaking his hand. Then Virginia drew her off to meet someone else. And then someone else, until Virginia said, “Don’t look now, but there’s your man.”
Taylor swiveled her head and hiccupped. She’d seen Joe in his turnout gear, in a pink T-shirt and jeans, and in his white polo shirt. Tonight he wore a dark blue suit coat, a tailored pinstripe shirt, and dress pants. He’d left his brown hair loose, giving him a “Fashion Rocks,” red carpet vibe. Women surrounded him, and he managed them all easily.
“Mmm hmm,” Virginia said. “He’s going to be a popular one. He’ll sell lots of calendars.”
“There are eleven other months,” Taylor pointed out.
“And all equally as hot. But there’s something about him, wouldn’t you say?”
She would say, but Taylor simply nodded as Virginia patted her arm and moved to speak with someone else. Taylor again glanced at Joe, who was still surrounded. She accepted the small appetizer plate a roving waiter offered as she made brief conversation with cop Jack Donovan, Mr. December. Then, with a bite of food and half a glass of champagne under her belt, she joined the queue surrounding Mr. September.
“So what’s the scariest fire you’ve ever been in?” a fortysomething woman asked. A huge diamond winked on her ring finger as she took another sip of champagne.
“We take all of them seriously,” Joe evaded.
“Is it like Chicago Fire?” another woman asked. She leaned a little too close to Joe for Taylor’s liking. “I love that TV show.”
“The reality is—” Joe began.
“Probably not as exciting as Hollywood makes it seem,” Taylor inserted with a wide smile. She shoved her right hand forward. “I’m Taylor Krebs. The photographer. Weren’t you there when we picked out the photos?”
The woman smiled, pleased Taylor had remembered. “Why yes, I was. You did a wonderful job.”
“She was very professional,” Joe inserted, never losing his smile. “My family has hired her to do our family portraits.”
“Why, that’s wonderful,” another woman said. “I always thought you had to go to the studio for that. But I guess wedding photographers travel.”
“Exactly,” Taylor said.
“You’ll have to give me your business card.”
Taylor extracted one, and the woman put it in her wristlet. At that moment, Virginia tapped a knife on her champagne glass, made a short speech, and then told everyone to head into the dining room where caterers had a buffet set up. “Sit anywhere,” she offered.
“Shall we?” Joe said. He motioned toward the food.
“What, you’d like me to join you?”
He offered her his arm. “Isn’t that why you came over here? I’m sure after a photo session with my sister, you have plenty to say.”
“Did she tell you what we discussed?”
Joe’s head shook. “No. Said I’d have to ask you. Said that if you wanted to tell me, you would.”
Taylor should have known. “Well, isn’t she the slippery one?”
“Drove you crazy I’m sure.”
“You could say that,” Joe admitted. “But then she does most days.”
They approached the buffet. “This looks positively delicious.”
She began to fill her plate with chicken breast in sauce, sliced roast beef, new potatoes, almond-garnished green beans, and a buttery dinner roll. She skipped the kale and lettuce salad, although Joe added it to his plate.
“There’s a table outside,” Joe said, and she followed him onto the terrace. Being a nice night, others had the same idea, and diners occupied most of the ten or so tables that surrounded a beautifully landscaped, inground pool. Joe set his plate down and pulled out a chair.
“Why thank you,” she said as she sat.
“My mother raised a gentleman. And that dress is lovely.” He pushed her in.
“Thank you again. You’re scaring me, being on your best behavior.”
“Well, we didn’t part on the best of terms. I made a bit of an ass of myself.”
“A bit of an understatement.” She forked some potatoes into her mouth. “Mmm. This is so good. Who knew new potatoes could be gourmet? I could get used to how the other half live.”
He shook his head, the hair swishing. “Not me. It’s too much. And did you see all that wallpaper in the dining room? It looks like a decorator vomited flowers everywhere. Not my taste at all.”
“You wouldn’t want a place like this?”
“Too big. Too ostentatious. Even if I could live in a house like this, I don’t think I would. I bet they never go into half the rooms.”
They laughed at that, ate a few more bites until a couple approached.
“Do you mind if we join you?”
“No, please do.” Joe indicated the two empty chairs and the couple sat down.
“I’m Melanie and this is my husband Dean. Virginia’s my mom. My brother is Stuart. He’s the lawyer who took over after my dad retired.”
“That’s Joe and I’m Taylor.”
“The photographer.” Melanie faced Joe. “And you’re one of the months.”
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