by Tawny Weber
“She broke up with Neal.”
“Oh.” Jade tried to sort through the dozens of emotions to settle on a reaction. Relief was most prominent. And, she figured, the least welcome.
“Exactly.”
The look on Ruby’s face made it clear she wasn’t on the Neal bandwagon either. Why hadn’t Jade known that? Was she such a total wimp that she didn’t even tell—or ask—the people she loved things just because she worried they’d have a different opinion?
She was finding out so much about herself this weekend. And other than her newly discovered ability to straddle a guy while wearing five-inch heels, none of the rest was very admirable.
“C’mon, Jade,” Ruby prodded. “And remember, this is going to be hard for her. But be careful, because I don’t know if it’s a real breakup or just a tiff.”
“I know how to be supportive,” Jade snapped.
Together, they wove through the tall bookcases and display racks toward the lobby. As Ruby continued to whisper instructions on how to be a good sister, Jade pulled on her most sympathetic face. At the same time, she shoved her real opinion of Neal—quite likely colored by her feelings about his mother—into a dark corner of her mind.
The lobby was empty. Silent and dim.
The office door was closed, blinds pulled.
“How anticlimactic.”
Ruby’s lips twitched. “So we wait to be sympathetic and helpful.”
Jade shrugged. It wasn’t as if she had anywhere to go.
“I brought your purse. You left it at Mom’s when you bailed on the party yesterday,” Ruby said as they both stared at the closed office door. “Where’d you go? Rebecca Lee was looking everywhere for you. Then someone mentioned that they saw you leave with the hottie cop, so we figured you’d found other entertainment.”
“What’d Rebecca want?” Jade didn’t feel like justifying her departure. Sharing Marion’s rudeness wouldn’t help support Beryl, and outing their mother’s make-out session was just, well, weird.
“I think she wanted you to do a styling party for Cathy’s wedding. She’s treating the bride and her sisters, as well as five of their friends, to a weekend in the city. She wanted to know what you’d charge to go along, help the bride choose the perfect trousseau and outfit the wedding party for all the bridal events. You know, rehearsal dinner, luncheons, bridesmaids’ tea.”
“That sounds really...cool,” she decided. Cathy Lee and her sisters were pretty girls, all a little on the heavy side. They’d be so fun to style, to show them how to dress to make themselves feel great and look fabulous.
“I heard her talking to people about it at the party,” Ruby continued. “It’s a really hot idea. By the time they’d finished sandwiches and moved on to dessert, at least three other people were talking about contacting you. A couple more wanted to know prices so they could put you on their Christmas list.”
Jade laughed in surprise. “Me? On a wish list? That’s so wild.”
“Is it something you’d be interested in?”
Jade leaned against the countertop and considered. It was a fun concept. Something she’d be good at and would enjoy. The trick would be finding the right clothes, since she didn’t have a store or designer affiliation. But all that would take was a day or so of preshopping, maybe making a few new contacts and checking out store websites ahead of time.
If it actually made money, and the teaching took off, she could quit the library. Build up her contacts, put together a few styling events, maybe expand her online presence. She could actually call herself a stylist by occupation.
Excitement stirred.
Wouldn’t that be too freaking awesome?
“I think it’s definitely something I’d like to try,” she finally said, trying to temper her excitement.
“What about wanting to leave? Wouldn’t you rather focus on that?” Ruby asked quietly. “If you want to, we’ll help. Berry and I were talking last night. We didn’t realize how much we’d put on you here, or how trapped you might feel.”
Trapped.
Jade looked at the closed office door and sighed. Was she trapped? Or was she just afraid? The possibility of building a career as a stylist here was so exciting. The cost of living was much lower than in a big city, especially since her house was paid for. She had support, friends and a solid foundation in Diablo Glen.
All she needed was a career she loved.
And Diego.
She pressed a shaky hand against her churning stomach. Could she ask him to stay? Ask someone to put her wants, her needs, ahead of their own dreams?
What if he resented it, as she had?
What if he didn’t care enough to even give the idea a try and find out if he resented it?
She laid her head on the cool desk and sighed.
What if she was such a big wuss, she scared herself out of reaching for both her dream, and her dream man. The dream seemed to be finding its way back to her, whether she’d earned it or not.
The man, though? Once he roared out of town, she was sure he was gone for good.
“Are you okay?” Ruby asked, her hand warm and supportive as she rubbed Jade’s shoulder. “You don’t have to decide now, you know. We are here for you. And Mom will be, too. Although she’s been acting a little funny lately. Have you noticed?”
Jade suddenly remembered the first shock yesterday, before seeing her thong flying from Santa’s head.
The mayor. Kissing her mother.
Kissing.
She winced. Then, with a sigh, relaxed. Mayor Applebaum was a good guy. And Mom had been alone for a long time now. She deserved to be happy, to have a little fun. The question was, would Ruby and Beryl agree?
Before Jade could decide whether or not to share what she’d seen, the door opened. They both looked toward the front of the library. And winced.
“Damn,” Ruby whispered.
Marion strode in with a rain cloud of a scowl, looking like the Grinch before he’d found his heart.
Jade grimaced. “I forgot she was coming in today.”
“This is going to be ugly,” Ruby predicted, setting her feet more firmly into the floor, as if preparing to go to battle to defend her little sister.
A good thing, too, because just as Marion was stomping her way down the steps toward Jade, the office door opened and out came Beryl and their mother.
“You,” Marion barked, whirling to glare at the youngest Carson.
Before she could follow that up, the door opened again. Jade stepped forward, prepared to throw herself at the feet of whoever it was.
Diego.
Would she ever get used to how gorgeous he was?
Her heart thumped, then took off at the speed of sound. She’d rather throw herself on something besides his feet, but she’d take what she could get. And given that her mother was right there, and the mayor at Diego’s shoulder, that was probably for the best.
“Gentlemen,” she greeted in a bright tone. “What brings you in today? Can I interest you in a holiday book?”
“Actually, we’re here to let you know we arrested the Panty Thief,” Diego said.
“What? Who?” everyone asked at once.
“Neal Kroger,” he said quietly. Instead of looking at Jade, he stared at Neal’s mother. Jade ripped her gaze from her sister’s face, pale with shock, to look at Marion. The older woman looked furious. As if she wanted to leap across the room and tear a chunk out of Diego’s flesh.
It was kind of scary.
“How dare you. What right do you have to come into our town and make such a baseless, ridiculous accusation?”
Diego didn’t say a word. He just pulled out his badge and held it in front of her, offering up proof of where his rights came from.
“Why?” Jade asked her q
uietly. “What’d any of those women do to him? What was the point of stealing underwear?”
“Distraction,” Diego said with a shrug. Then he gave her a small smile, just a little wicked around the edges. “He got the idea from your cat, by the way.”
“That damn cat,” Marion snarled. “This is all ridiculous. That cat’s the one who stole the underwear. You caught it in the act, remember.”
“Marion,” the mayor said quietly, as if trying to get her to slow down and think before her next idiotic accusation. Since Jade was still smarting at the suggestion the older woman had made the previous day to put the cat down, she hoped Marion kept on babbling and digging her own grave.
“You have nothing on my son,” the woman said, her furious tone echoed in the fist she shook at Diego. “Nothing, you hear me?”
“Actually, we have enough proof that the D.A. is doing backflips,” Diego interrupted. “Right down to the brick he threw because he blamed Jade for Beryl dumping him. As to why? It was all a distraction.”
Clueless, Jade shook her head. Everyone else looked just as confused. Everyone except the mayor, who looked resigned. And Marion, who just looked pissed.
Despite all the drama, the confusion, the fury on Marion’s face, all Jade could think about was one thing.
Diego was making an arrest.
He was done here.
Her lower lip trembled. They were done now.
* * *
HIS BODY TENSE, Diego questioned his sanity. What had he been thinking, taking this route? He should have waited, got her when she came home. But he’d wanted to do this here, in front of Jade and her family. He’d wanted to make sure they had closure.
And yes, he’d wanted to show off a little. He figured seeing him do his job would either convince her that his being top cop in Diablo Glen was a great idea. Or it’d show them both that she couldn’t handle his job. Either way, he had to know.
“This is all your fault,” Marion Kroger spat at Beryl, glaring at the younger woman as if she’d like to take a go at her face. “First you broke my son’s heart, now you’re getting your sister’s fancy city boyfriend to cause trouble for our family. I’ll sue you, and your family, for libel. For slander. For pain and suffering.”
Diego rolled his eyes.
“Mrs. Kroger, you might want to chill down. Quit bitching at Beryl,” he said. “It’s not her fault your son was an ass.”
Okay, so that last part had been inappropriate. But it’d scored him a lot of points with the Carson women, if their grins were anything to go by. And a man making a major career move had to play to his future.
The old lady gave an outraged gasp. When it didn’t elicit the sympathy she wanted, she gave a huff and slammed her arms over her chest.
“Rudeness is not acceptable. I’ll be contacting your superior, young man.”
“I’m sure he’s been expecting a call or two,” Diego said with a shrug. “You might not want to waste yours complaining about me, though. Better to use it to call your lawyer.”
Her stance shifted from irate to nervous with the twitch of her pudgy fingers.
Diego slanted a glance at the mayor. His eyes sad, Applebaum gave a resolute nod of the head.
“Marion Kroger, you’re under arrest.” Diego followed the announcement with the charges, then the so-familiar-he-chanted-it-in-his-sleep Miranda. He wasn’t positive she heard him, though, because she was yelling at Beryl, who was now hiding behind Ruby. Jade and Opal flanked the other women, making a united front of anger.
And he thought being a cop in a small town would have been so easy it’d be a bore? Despite the gravity of the situation, a grin escaped. To cover it, and to yank control back before this turned into a catfight, Diego stuck two fingers between his lips and whistled.
As one, the five women turned to stare at him, their faces painted with varying degrees of offended.
It was Applebaum who grinned this time.
“Excuse me,” Diego said formally. “But I’m trying to make an arrest here.”
“I thought you said Neal was stealing all those undies,” Beryl said, her tone equal parts shock and horror.
“He was. He’s also been arrested for assault and destruction of property.”
“He’s the one who threw the brick through my window?” Jade asked.
When her mom and sisters started peppering her with questions, Diego lifted his hand again. He didn’t even get his fingers to his lips this time, though, before they quieted to hissing whispers.
“Yeah. Minor charges, compared to his mother’s, but he’s definitely going to do time.”
Marion Kroger hadn’t paid any attention to the charges because she’d been too busy playing drama queen, but this got her attention. Her face stiff, her gaze shifted from Diego’s to the mayor’s and back. Gauging what they knew, probably. Wondering how strong the charges might be.
“I’m innocent of any wrongdoing,” she claimed.
“Human trafficking, harboring and hiring illegals, tax evasion are the initial charges,” Diego told her. The gasps and whispers around the room echoed to emphasize the accusations.
The Kroger woman stared, stone-faced for a few seconds. Debating denial, Diego figured. It’d be harder to cop a plea deal if she confessed.
“I didn’t do anything wrong.” Her gaze shot from person to person, searching for something. Sympathy probably. When she didn’t find it, she dropped her chin and gave a sniffle. “What makes you think you can get away with this?”
“It’s pretty easy when we found proof at your house. A dozen illegal aliens you were hiding, and exploiting in your orchards. Transit records and bookkeeping ledgers recording the funds you were paid as part of the underground trafficking movement.” Diego shrugged. “Sounds like you did plenty wrong to me.”
“How dare you? Do you know who I am? What I do for this town?” The mayor shifted, just one foot to the other. But it was enough to put a cork in that line of outrage. She sucked in another breath.
Diego held up one hand for her to stop before she could get going again.
He’d had enough. They had the truth, it was time to end this. Besides, he had much more important things to do now. Like plan his life with Jade. He inclined his head toward the entrance. The mayor nodded, walked over and unlocked the heavy doors. When they swung open, the two immigration officers he’d contacted were standing there, ready to haul her off.
“It was the pressure,” Kroger babbled as soon as she saw the uniforms. Her eyes widened, her face drooped. She gave a huge sigh and did everything but toss her wrist over her forehead. “The overwhelming emotional and mental pressure. It was so hard, raising a child alone. The expenses of keeping the orchard up, of surviving in this economy. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
Diego gave an impressed nod. “That’s pretty good. I don’t think it’ll get you an insanity plea. But it’s a good foundation for emotional distress. You might want to work on the tears, though. It took Immigration Services seventeen evidence boxes and a bus to haul everything and everyone off your property. A little more drama might help balance that out.”
Sandwiched between the two officers, the older woman glared. When one took her arm, she smacked him. “You keep your hands to yourself. Applebaum,” she demanded, “you’d better come along. I want protection against police brutality.”
“Not a problem.” The mayor gave Diego a nod, letting him know he’d handle her from here. After giving Jade’s mom’s shoulder a quick squeeze, he followed Kroger and her escorts out the door.
The room was silent for a solid minute after their exit.
Diego waited.
Suddenly the women exploded. Questions, horror, exclamations. They flew faster than Santa’s reindeer, ricocheting off the vaulted ceiling and bouncing from mother to daughter to sister.
There it was.
He leaned against the tall desk until they got past the initial shock. Jade got there first. Stepping away from the chattering horde, she gave him an intense, indecipherable look. He’d faced down junkies with loaded guns, but had the feeling she could hurt him a lot worse.
“Mom, can you take over my shift?” she said quietly.
The chatter stopped. Her sisters both gave him an appraising look while her mother focused exclusively on Jade. Apparently satisfied with what she saw on her daughter’s face, Opal nodded.
Glancing his way, her eyes filled with too many emotions for him to read, Jade held out her hand and quietly asked, “Can we go for a walk? I need to talk with you.”
This was it. His chance to convince her that she wanted him to stay around. To make her see that they had a future together. One she wanted to experience.
And if words didn’t work, he still had his handcuffs.
15
JADE WAS GRATEFUL for the silence as they walked together into the park. She wished she could use it to gather her thoughts, to formulate how she was going to convince him to stay. But everything sounded stupid in her mind.
The gazebo lights were shining already, red and green glowing brightly against the white wood. She bypassed the Christmas display, heading for the playground instead.
“Swing?” she asked Diego as they reached the large metal structure. She waited until he sat, then took the swing next to his, sitting the opposite way so they faced each other.
And tried to find the perfect words to make her dreams come true.
“Wow. Big arrest” was all she could come up with, though. Jade wrinkled her nose. Talk about lame openings.
“You don’t seem shocked.”
“I’m not shocked,” she mused out loud, smiling when he gave her a confused look. “I mean, I wouldn’t have expected anything like this from the Krogers. Marion’s always been such a stickler for her reputation, so focused on advancing her standing in the community. I wouldn’t have thought she’d risk that.”