“I am godfather to my buddy Levi’s son. I know you have a brother and sister. Any other siblings?”
She shook her head and shifted sleeping Natalie higher on her shoulder, looking like a natural herself.
“Do you want children of your own?” he asked.
“Someday. Yeah. But I’d actually have to be in a relationship for that to happen, and I don’t even have time to date, so…”
He was irrationally happy to hear she wasn’t dating. “Job taking up all your time?”
“Yes, and for the last few months, it’s been Dianna and the kids. And even if she didn’t need me, with the way Jason bailed on her, I’d be hard-pressed to get married and have children.”
For some reason her viewpoint on marriage bothered him, and he wanted to give her hope. “Not all marriages split up.”
“I get that, but I also know people who leave the military have a much higher rate of divorce.”
“So Jason was military?”
“A marine. Like you.” She shook her head. “I don’t blame him. Not really. He’s another living casualty of war.”
“You mean PTSD?”
“He never sought treatment and is a totally private guy, so I can’t be sure, but he’s had a difficult time since reentering civilian life.” She shook her head. “One good thing about my practice is I know never to get involved with a man who has a military background. Odds aren’t good for that kind of relationship to work out.”
“Ouch.” He mimed sticking a knife in the chest because that’s exactly what her comment felt like. Not that he’d do anything about pursuing a relationship with her, but he wanted to be the person who ruled it out.
“Sorry, but that’s how I feel.” She continued to rub the baby’s back. “How about you? Do you want kids?”
He didn’t know how to answer her.
She cleared her throat. “Is that a tough question?”
“No. I’d like kids. But it’s not gonna happen for me.”
Her eyebrow quirked up in that shrink sort of way, her counselor stare trying to dig deep. Just as he’d predicted.
Time to move them on. “We probably should get these guys back to Dianna if we don’t want to be late for dinner.”
“But your mom said it was an informal meal and to arrive whenever.”
“Trust me when I say there is nothing informal in my family. My dad always demanded we have dinner on time. Even if he was out of town, my mom enforced the rules, and despite saying otherwise, she’ll expect us at seven.”
Wylie came buzzing at them, his arms outstretched, mimicking an airplane, and Rick whisked the boy onto his shoulders. “Time to go, bud.”
“Aw. I wanted to see inside the castle.”
“Castle?”
“Over there.” He jabbed a stubby finger in the direction of the main house. “I’ve never been in one.”
“I’ll make sure you get to visit the castle before you have to go home.”
Wylie planted his hands on the sides of Rick’s face and pulled his head up to look at him. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
The four of them turned toward the guesthouse. Wylie chatted on and on about the size of the yard and the castle and asked where the drawbridge was located. Olivia answered his questions, but Rick simply enjoyed the chatter and joy of a child’s wonderment. The peace and calm he felt with Olivia walking beside him. The soft breeze chasing away the humidity for once.
He’d always wanted kids so he could be the parent he’d never had, but marrying again was a pipe dream. One that at this very moment he wished could become a reality.
Back at the guesthouse, it took twenty minutes to get Natalie into her portable crib, to convince Wylie that he needed to stay with his mother, and to promise to have dinner delivered to them. As Dianna put it, she wasn’t up to mingling with the crowd.
They were stepping out the door when Dianna called out, “I almost forgot, Sis. Harrison called. He wants to know why you didn’t invite him and Mom to stay here.”
Olivia spun. “Why would I?”
“He said since I was getting a free vacation, he should, too.”
“This isn’t a vacation,” Olivia replied, a sigh in her tone. “You know why I’m staying here, and if I’m to help you out with Natalie, so do you.”
Dianna held up her hands. “You told me not to tell him about your situation, so don’t shoot the messenger.”
“Sorry. I…” Olivia shrugged. “I’ll call him and explain.”
Outside she marched down the sidewalk and onto the stone path leading across the estate. Man. She could move fast when she was irritated.
As much as Rick enjoyed seeing her long legs moving below her shorts, he caught up to her and tugged on her arm. “Hey, slow down. You’ll get overheated at that pace.”
“I’m worried about Dianna, and I burn my worry off with movement,” she said. It surprised him that she could be thinking about her sister after hearing about her brother’s selfish ploy. “Plenty of women do well as single mothers, but Dianna doesn’t really have the fortitude to handle it.”
“She could surprise you.” His thoughts turned to Traci, who couldn’t handle being a single parent either.
“She could at that, but if she doesn’t, I’ll pick up her slack.”
“Like you do for your brother and mother?”
She shot him a testy look. “You have no idea what’s going on there, so leave it alone.”
“You’re right. I don’t.” He wanted to ask for details, but it had nothing to do with his investigation, and he’d given her the silent treatment about his life, so turnabout was fair play. He kept his mouth shut and walked by her side.
If only when Traci was alive, she’d had a caring sister like Olivia—any living relative, for that matter—things might have been different. She’d be alive. He’d have a nearly five-year-old child of his own. A boy racing across the grass as Wylie had done. A son to lift into his arms and hold close as every child deserved.
“Sorry.” Olivia’s steps slowed. “I didn’t mean to snap at you, too.” She sighed. “Promise me that you won’t tell anyone that I have such crazy drama in my family. No self-respecting psychologist should allow such dysfunction in their life.”
“I suspect you’re human, too.” He chuckled.
“Gee, thanks. I think.” She wrinkled her nose before a full-fledged smile brightened her face, stealing thoughts of everything but how remarkable it would be to kiss her.
Seriously. He wanted to kiss her. Right here, right now. Out on the lawn in front of anyone who might be looking out a window or gawking from the patio. A woman he barely knew. A suspect, for Pete’s sake. One he still couldn’t prove had told him the truth about her involvement with Griffin’s death.
He jerked his gaze away, and they walked for some distance in silence before she looked up at him.
“This property is amazing,” she said.
“It is.”
“You said the house was built when you were in high school, right?”
He nodded. “The original house was much smaller and far less formal. Most of the grounds were wooded, and I used to spend a lot of time hanging out in them.” Time when his parents were too busy climbing the social ladder to pay much attention, and when he’d come to depend on Yolanda.
“This place never really felt like home,” he added, but at the widening of her eyes, he wished he’d kept his mouth shut.
“And that’s why it was so easy to leave for the service?”
“Partially.” He left it at that. He’d already discussed more of his personal business with her than he’d wanted to.
The patio came into view, the team sitting in lounge chairs, laughing and boisterous, providing him with a change of subject. “I should warn you that my team is a force to be reckoned with, and they might be a bit overwhelming.”
“No need to worry on my account. I deal with soldiers and law enforcement professionals all the time. I can handle m
yself.”
He glanced at her to see whether she was putting on a show for him or truly believed what she’d said, and he found confidence in her gaze. She was so not like Traci. Olivia was a proud woman, standing tall and strong, while Traci had been shy and submissive. The type of woman he believed he best fit with. A complement to his strong personality.
Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he was best paired with a strong woman who could take care of herself during his deployments and not depend on his presence to keep her going. He could be onto something here.
So what? He wasn’t going there with her or anyone. He couldn’t risk putting another woman through his frequent absences only for her to buckle under the pressure.
Chapter 14
Olivia kept on their path toward an interlocking-brick patio the size of a small house. Grace had arranged lawn furniture with orange cushions in intimate conversation groups, and a teak dining table and twelve matching chairs sat under a massive pergola outlined with glittering lights. An array of colorful flowers and greenery spilled from pots to complete the resort look.
“Wow,” she said to Rick. “This setting is beautiful.”
He nodded, but the guy who’d almost opened up to her on the walk was long gone and locked down tight. His gaze was fixed on his mother standing by the patio doors, where she talked with Yolanda. Grace had changed into a long linen skirt with a white blouse and chunky necklace. She’d pulled back her silvery blond hair with a clasp, and sparkly earrings dangled from her ears.
Olivia glanced down at her very casual shorts and T-shirt and instantly felt out of place. Her footsteps faltered.
Rick glanced at her. “Everything okay?”
“Your mother. She’s so nicely dressed for a casual dinner. I wish I’d worn something else.”
“My mother always dresses formally. Besides, look at my teammates. You fit in just fine.”
She ran her gaze over the team members, minus the forensic expert, sitting on plump furniture. Olivia had met all of them earlier when they’d arrived, but they’d changed clothes and now wore an assortment of tactical pants and polo shirts resembling their work attire, and, for that matter, resembling Rick’s, too. A style of dress often favored by law enforcement and military personnel, if her practice told her anything.
“Before we join them, I need to show you two pictures.”
“Of?”
“Kaci improved the park video, and we have another video from Chick-fil-A that might be of the shooter.” He dug out his phone, tapped the screen a few times, then handed it to her. “This is the guy from the park. Swipe left to see the guy at Chick-fil-A.”
She carefully studied both pictures and handed the phone right back to him so she didn’t have to continue to look at the men. “They do look alike, but I still can’t say if one of them is the creep who chased me. And I definitely don’t know either of them.”
“Okay,” Rick said, sounding disappointed. “Let’s join the team.”
He set off, and she followed at a much slower pace. She’d told him she could hold her own with his team, but the stern expression on Agent White’s face as he ran his gaze over her, measuring and testing, left her uneasy.
Agent Erwin rose from a chair and offered his seat. Olivia smiled her thanks and sat, perching on the edge to keep from relaxing and saying something she shouldn’t. Rick stood next to her as if he needed to protect her. She appreciated his concern, but she really hoped she’d be able to handle herself.
“Did your sister get settled in, Dr. Dobbs?” Agent North asked.
“Yes, and it was very considerate of Rick’s parents to let them stay here, too.” She smiled at the young agent, who’d put her hair into pigtails and looked more like a teenager than a woman old enough to be an agent. “And please call me Olivia. All of you.”
“Since we’ll be spending a bit of time together, I think it’s easiest if we use first names.” Rick turned his gaze to his boss and held it there.
Olivia had no idea it was such a big deal to dispense with this formality, but apparently it was.
“Agreed,” he said, but his attention moved to the door.
Still wearing her team uniform, Agent Young—now Brynn, Olivia supposed—marched over to them, then plopped down on the sofa by Max.
“Nice digs, Cannon.” She propped her feet on the table, and Olivia had to admire her for not caring about the formality surrounding them. “You kind of downplayed the place.”
Rick opened his mouth as if planning to speak, but suddenly stiffened, and his face blanched. Olivia followed his gaze to see a man stepping out the patio door. He was tall, with silvery hair, and, besides laugh lines and a small paunch, he was the spitting image of Rick.
“Your father?” she asked.
He nodded. “He was supposed to be out of town.”
“What’s the meaning of all this?” His father waved his hand over the crowd and approached his wife.
Olivia was too far away to hear their conversation, but Rick’s father suddenly shot a look at the group. His gaze locked on Rick, and if Olivia thought Rick had paled earlier, his tan now disappeared completely.
Their family feud was worse than she’d believed. Far worse, and her heart ached seeing how much the situation pained Rick. He was helping her with a place to stay and she could repay him by getting to the bottom of his family strife and working through it. He couldn’t continue to live with an estrangement like this eating away at him. At least not live fully, and after getting to know him better, she’d begun to want happiness for him more than anything.
* * *
Rick swallowed hard and waited for his parents to approach. They strolled arm in arm across the brick, their public persona of the perfect couple in place, but he knew that behind closed doors they barely talked. At least that was the way it had been when he’d lived with them.
“Son,” his father said.
Rick waited for him to offer his hand. Thankfully he didn’t. If he had, Rick didn’t know if he could have brought himself to shake it. The last time his father had touched him was on Rick’s eighteenth birthday, when the old man’s anger had exploded and he’d punched Rick in the nose. Then the mouth, breaking Rick’s jaw. That was the night Rick left home.
“Please introduce me to your team.” His father offered his pearly white smile that Rick wished he’d struck and damaged that night.
Rick gritted his teeth for a moment, then made the introductions. He provided each team member’s specialty, and his father had a snippet of a story to share with each one of them to establish a connection. His dad believed the team was buying into his superficiality, but Rick knew his teammates. They weren’t buying it at all. And Olivia? She wore her counselor face and gave nothing away.
“Dinner is ready,” his mom said the second there was a break in conversation. “Our cook has asked for Rick to go first, since she always loved to spoil him. I know it’s not proper etiquette, but Yolanda has been with us for so long we wouldn’t want to hurt her feelings. I hope you understand.”
“After you, Son.” His dad gestured at the buffet set up by the house.
Rick wished he’d quit calling him Son. He might call the man standing before him Father or Dad, but Rick didn’t much think of him that way. Sure, he’d fathered Rick, but the beating and lack of apology had long ago erased all bonds.
“I’ll go first,” Rick said. “But y’all come on, too.” The Southern accent he’d worked so hard to eliminate to break that tie with his past resurfaced, making him even more uncomfortable. Still, he forced himself to wait for Olivia and the team to stand, then headed for the buffet.
As usual for his mother, even a spur-of-the-moment dinner was laid out with panache and fanfare. Crisp white tablecloths and polished silver along with fresh-cut roses from her garden covered a dining table large enough to seat everyone. Flowery china that had been passed down from his grandparents was stacked on the end of the buffet table, and large silver dishes were lined up like soldiers i
n perfect formation.
“This is a casual dinner for your mother?” Olivia whispered from behind. “I can’t imagine what she’d do for a formal one.”
Rick glanced back. “Crazy, right?”
“Now Ricky, give me your plate, and I’ll heap it full of your favorites.” Yolanda stood behind the table, spoon in hand.
Rick cringed at her use of Ricky. He didn’t mind it, not really, but he wouldn’t live it down with the team. He hoped they hadn’t heard her, but he saw the smirks. They were just too polite to say anything in front of her.
Rick handed over his plate, and Yolanda dished up the promised pulled pork, collard greens, and spaghetti salad. She’d also added plump biscuits that she hadn’t mentioned making. “I left the pie in the refrigerator, but the minute you’re ready, I’ll whip up the cream and have it out here pronto.”
Rick would get more razzing from his team, but he stepped around the table, took the plate, and set it down, then gave Yolanda a big hug.
“You’re the best, Yo,” he said, and he genuinely meant it. She was the closest he’d ever come to having family, except Levi, and he wanted her to know how much she meant to him.
She blushed and knuckled him on the cheek. “Oh, you go on now.”
He picked up his plate and lifted it up for his team. “Enjoy every bite of your dinner, but remember to save room for the best pie you’ll ever eat.”
His dad was eyeing him, but he avoided eye contact while heading for the table. He put his plate at a setting on the side. His dad would take the head, and Rick didn’t want to sit anywhere near him.
Rick didn’t take a seat, but waited for Olivia to join him. For some odd reason, it seemed as if she was his date, and he shouldn’t have gotten his food before her. When she came to the table, he pulled out her chair.
“Ah, manners,” she said. “I guess your mother did rub off on you some.” She wrinkled her nose.
Kill Shot Page 14