by Lynn LaFleur
“They’re all talented and successful. Will is a great singer. He can easily lead the band, especially with you as their manager.”
“No.” Rusty slammed down his glass on the coffee table and surged to his feet. “You can’t expect me to be around the guys all the time and lie to them about you. I can’t do that.”
“Okay, it was just an idea.” P.J. set his untouched drink on the table and stood next to his brother. “I wouldn’t ask you to do anything that’ll make you uncomfortable.”
Rusty snorted. “Yeah, right, like me pretending you’re dead isn’t going to make me uncomfortable.”
P.J. tucked his hands into his back pockets. “I have to do this, Rusty. I have to get away for a while.”
“How are you going to do that? You may have hidden for three days, but you can’t hide from your fans forever. One look at your hair and you’ll be recognized.”
“Not any more.”
P.J. took off his cap and shook his head. Instead of the long fall of hair he’d worn for years, his hair fell to just past his ears.
Rusty’s mouth dropped open again. “Wow. What a difference.”
“I’m gonna shave my beard off too. And I’m thinking about dying my hair dark brown. I’ll wear plain glasses instead of these shaded ones, or maybe get contacts or have LASIK done.”
“You’ll look like a completely different person.”
“That’s the plan.”
Rusty remained silent for several moments. P.J. assumed his brother was trying to digest everything P.J. had said. “What else are you planning? Are you staying here in L.A.?”
“I’m gonna drive across the country. I really enjoyed it when I drove home from San Francisco. There’s a lot of the U.S. I’ve never seen. This will give me the chance to do it.” He cleared his throat, not quite sure how to ask Rusty for a huge favor. “I’ll need a driver’s license under a new name so I can open a bank account. I’ll use cash when possible, but I should probably have a debit card too. And a birth certificate and Social Security card.”
“That won’t be a problem. I know the guy who can do that for you.”
P.J. had never asked, but figured Rusty knew some shady people. He was always able to get drugs for their parties without any problems.
“What name do you want to use?” Rusty asked.
“How about James Parker?”
“Yeah, that’ll work. It’s close enough to your real name that you won’t fuck it up.”
P.J. frowned while Rusty grinned. “Thanks for your vote of confidence, bro.”
“Anytime.” Rusty’s grin faded. “It might take a couple of days.”
“That’s fine. Okay if I crash here? I can’t go to my house.”
“No, you can’t. I hired a security detail to watch it, but there are still reporters and media everywhere. There will be until your body is found, or the search is called off and you’re presumed dead.” Rusty shook his head. “I can’t believe I just said that.”
P.J. clapped Rusty on the shoulder. “Thanks, bro,” he said softly. “I appreciate everything you’re doing for me.”
“You owe me. Big time.”
“Speaking of owing, I’ll need some cash.”
Rusty nodded, then led the way to the storage room off the kitchen. P.J. and Rusty had decided a long time ago that having cash on hand in each of their houses would be a good idea. Opening the chest freezer, Rusty dug beneath several packages of meat and frozen vegetables. He pulled out a zippered plastic bag filled with twenty-five thousand dollars in one-hundred-dollar bills.
“How many do you want?” Rusty asked.
“How many do you have?”
“Five.”
P.J. had six of the same type of bags hidden at his house, but had no way to get to them. “I have to pay cash for a car and have enough to live on for a while. Better give me four packages.”
“Grab a bag from under the sink. This sucker’s cold.”
P.J. held open the plastic grocery bag while Rusty dropped the package of money into it. “The definition of cold cash.”
“Yeah.” Rusty added three more packages to P.J.’s bag. “Is this enough? You could take all five. It’s your money.”
“It’s our money. We’re a team.”
P.J. knew his band would never have made it to the top so quickly if Rusty hadn’t been their manager. He didn’t think to add Rusty to all his accounts until their parents died. The accident made P.J. realize how quickly life could end. Even though he left everything to Rusty in his will, P.J. didn’t want his brother to have any problems getting what was rightfully his. Now he and Rusty shared everything—bank accounts, house deeds, vehicle titles. It would make it easier for Rusty to take care of all the legal stuff now that P.J. had “died”.
“I can get the rest of the money from your house, except I can’t take out a lot of stuff with all the media around it. I don’t want anyone asking questions.”
“This will be plenty for now. We’ll work out a way for you to get more to me when I need it.”
“Okay.” Rusty shut the freezer and faced his brother again. “Are you really sure you want to do this? Can’t you simply retire? The P.J. Kendall Band is the biggest thing since Elvis, but your popularity will die down in time.”
“How much time? A year? Two? Ten? I don’t want to wait that long. I can’t wait that long.”
Rusty tilted his head. “Does this have something to do with that night you can’t remember?”
“It has a lot to do with that night. I lost control. I can’t let that happen again.”
Rusty stared at him, long enough to make P.J. squirm. “What—“
“Are you all right? That night, then the boat explosion. Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
“I saw my doctor when I got back from San Francisco. My blood work all checked out. Other than a nasty bump on my head and sore muscles when I was thrown from the boat, no complications from the explosion.”
“So there’s no health reason why you want to disappear?”
“Only my sanity.”
A hint of a smile turned up Rusty’s lips. “Well, we both know you lost that a long time ago.”
P.J. chuckled at his brother’s teasing. “True.”
He could see the fatigue in Rusty’s eyes. He doubted if Rusty had slept well since the boat explosion. “Hey, I’m getting tired. I think I’ll take a shower and hit the bed.”
Rusty rubbed the back of his neck. “Bed sounds really good. I might even sleep tonight.”
“I’m sorry I worried you. I couldn’t get here any sooner—“
“It’s okay. I understand. You’re here now, and you’re alive. That’s what counts.”
P.J. pulled Rusty close for a quick hug. “See you in the morning, bro.”
Chapter Four
Lanville, Texas
March 3
James parked his SUV between two pickups. He looked across the street and saw the large sign that said Caldwell Apothecary. It had taken him two months to get here…two months of driving and seeing parts of the United States he’d never seen. The snowy weather had kept him from the northern states, but he’d made it all the way to the East Coast before he’d backtracked to Texas.
Now he was here, only a few yards from where Teanna worked.
He ran his damp palms over the steering wheel. He’d never experienced the apprehension gripping his stomach. From the time he was twenty and formed The P.J. Kendall Band, women had been easy. With the band’s first number one song, they’d lined up for a chance to fuck him and the other band members.
P.J. Kendall was gone. James Parker had to impress Teanna on his own, without the glitter of fame that used to surround him.
James took a deep breath and stepped down from his vehicle.
*
Teanna gathered up her hair and lifted it off her neck. She wished she’d worn it up today or at least in a ponytail. She’d lived in Texas all her life, yet doubted she’d ever get use
d to the crazy fluctuations in temperatures. Uncle Lloyd had run the heat in the store last week. Today, cold air filled the store from the central air conditioning.
Becca lifted a box from the dolly onto the counter in the storeroom. “Geez, do you believe this heat? It must be close to ninety today.”
“Springtime in North Texas.”
“Hell, it isn’t spring for two more weeks. I hope this isn’t an indication of how hot it’ll be this summer.”
Teanna hoped the same thing. She wasn’t a fan of temperatures over eighty-five…and the severe thunderstorms that came with those warm temperatures.
“Is this the last box?” Teanna asked, picking up her box cutter to open it.
“Yeah, thank God. I don’t want to go outside again.”
Teanna folded back the box flaps to expose a new shipment of greeting cards. The perfect project to keep Alessia busy this afternoon. The twenty-one-year-old clerk was a good worker as long as Teanna gave her specific projects. Alessia had trouble finding things to do on her own.
“I need a drink,” Becca said, pushing her bangs back from her forehead. “Let’s get a limeade.”
“Sounds good.”
Teanna led the way from the storeroom to the soda fountain at the front of the store. Every time she looked at the red vinyl booths and chrome fixtures, she was swept back to her childhood. Her parents brought her here whenever they visited her aunt and uncle. Aunt Ruth would fix Teanna a mini banana split with extra nuts and three cherries on top. She’d sit by herself on a stool and happily eat her treat while the adults sat in a booth with glasses of iced tea or lemonade and talked away the afternoon.
Teanna filled two glasses with ice and fresh limeade she’d made less than an hour ago. Limeade and lemonade had been huge sellers this week with the little taste of summer that had hit Lanville. She made a mental note to stop by the grocery store on the way home tonight and pick up more lemons. With their heat wave predicted to last at least another week, she’d stay busy serving cold drinks.
She handed Becca one glass and was about to take a sip of her own drink when she saw Becca’s hand freeze halfway to her mouth.
“What’s wrong?”
“Major hunk at three o’clock.”
Teanna turned and looked out the large plate-glass window. A dark-haired man stood on the sidewalk, examining the front of the store. He appeared to be reading the list of soda fountain goodies Teanna posted in the window.
“He is gorgeous,” Becca said. “Look at those shoulders. Yum-yum.”
Heat rushed through Teanna’s body that had nothing to do with the hot temperature outside. She didn’t speak for her tongue refused to work. Her heart thumped in her chest. Her breathing became deeper, heavier. A fluttering flared up in her stomach. She’d admired many handsome men, but only one man had ever caused such an instant reaction in her.
The man at The Tarot Café.
It was ridiculous to compare him to the man she’d seen in December. They looked nothing alike. That man had worn a cap, but she’d seen blond strands peeking from beneath the rim. He’d also had a full blond beard and worn glasses. This man had dark brown hair, no glasses and was clean shaven.
And yet…
There was something about him, something that tugged at her memory. She felt as if she should know him.
“Oh, goody,” Becca said, setting her glass on the counter, “he’s coming in.”
He opened the door and stepped inside. He scanned the right side of the store first, then turned to his left. His gaze stopped when it met Teanna’s. Peering into her eyes, he sauntered over to the soda fountain and slipped onto a stool at the counter.
“Hi,” he said with a friendly smile aimed at both women.
His eyes were an amazing icy blue. High cheekbones, strong jaw line, straight nose and full lips all combined to make him incredibly handsome.
Becca wasted no time in stepping forward. “Hi,” she said, returning his smile. “What can we get for you?”
He glanced at Becca for a second, then turned his attention to the glass of limeade in Teanna’s hand…the glass she was in danger of dropping soon. “That looks refreshing.” He looked back into Teanna’s eyes. “What is it?”
“Limeade.” Her voice came out much lower and sultrier than she’d intended. She thought she saw his eyes flare with heat. She cleared her throat. “I made it about an hour ago.”
“I’ll have one.”
Teanna turned and set down her glass. She wiped her damp palms on her thighs. For a moment, she forgot what she should do. She sensed him watching her, probably staring at her butt. Testing her theory, she glanced at him over her shoulder. Yes, that’s exactly what he was doing. His gaze slowly lifted to her face. The corners of his mouth rose in a grin and he shrugged his shoulders as if to say he knew he’d gotten caught but wasn’t sorry.
Teanna stopped herself before she grinned back at him. She finished drawing his limeade and set the glass in front of him. “Would you like a straw?”
“Real men don’t use straws.”
“Really.” Becca leaned against the counter, one hand on her hip. “Tell us more about real men.”
He grinned, slow and easy. “I think I’ll keep quiet. I don’t want to get in trouble.”
It usually amused Teanna to witness Becca flirting with a man. Not this time. She didn’t want her friend anywhere around this man. “Don’t you have a lunch date?”
Becca shrugged one shoulder. “I can cancel. It’s more interesting here.”
“Don’t cancel your lunch date because of me,” he said. “I won’t be here long.”
“You aren’t staying in town?”
“Just passing through.”
“Oh. I thought maybe you…”
Becca stopped. Teanna looked at her friend to find Becca studying her face intently.
“But I guess that would be rude of me to cancel at the last minute.” She flashed another smile at the customer, one that was friendly instead of flirtatious. “Enjoy your time in Lanville. See you later, Tee.”
Well, that was certainly an about face, Teanna thought. I wonder what happened to her?
Once Becca was out of hearing range, he chuckled. “Not exactly subtle, is she?”
“No. I apologize for that.”
“You have no reason to apologize. Her flirting is good for my ego.”
“Does your ego need a boost?”
“No. It’s pretty big now.”
He grinned while Teanna laughed. He twirled his glass in the ring of condensation on the counter. “I’m James.”
“Teanna.”
“That’s a beautiful name.”
“Thank you.”
“What do you do here, besides make delicious limeade?”
“I take care of the books and insurance billing.”
“Is this a family business?”
Teanna nodded. “My uncle is the pharmacist, my aunt the manager. They’ve owned the store for as long as I can remember.”
“Is the brunette family too?”
“Becca is one of our pharmacist assistants and my best friend. We’ve known each other most of our lives.”
James took another big sip of his drink. “I’m not keeping you from lunch, am I?”
“No. We lunch in shifts so the store is always covered.” She gestured at his half-empty glass. “Would you like a refill?”
“No, thanks. I’m thinking about something to eat. What do you recommend?”
“Mona’s Place is really good. She makes everything fresh and isn’t skimpy with the portions. That’s the café on the north side of the square.”
“Sounds like a real down home place,” he said in a slow drawl.
Teanna laughed. “You definitely aren’t a Texan.”
His eyes twinkled with amusement. “And how do you know that?”
“Because that was the worst drawl I’ve ever heard. Besides, you have a West Coast accent.”
“West Coasters don’t h
ave accents.”
“They do to Texans.”
She liked the way the skin around his eyes crinkled when he smiled. She couldn’t find a flaw with anything physical, yet he also had a great sense of humor. If a man couldn’t make her smile, Teanna lost interest in a hurry.
“I guess I should get out of your way and let you get back to work. How much do I owe you for the drink?”
“Ninety-two cents.”
He stood, dug a five-dollar bill out of his jeans pocket and laid it next to his glass. “Thanks.”
“I’ll get your change—“
“Don’t bother. I’m a good tipper.”
He grinned again and winked at her, then turned and left the store.
Teanna placed one hand on her stomach, where the fluttering had gone crazy with his wink. Closing her eyes, she imagined him giving her that same sexy wink before his lips touched hers. He’d kiss her gently at first, then with more passion. His tongue would push past her lips to explore her mouth as he took her in his arms. He’d hold her tightly against his body, letting her feel his hard cock brush her mound…
“You okay, Teanna?”
She jerked back to the present and opened her eyes when she heard Alessia’s voice. The young woman stood on the other side of the counter, curiosity in her eyes. Warmth crept into Teanna’s cheeks. “Yes. Of course I’m fine. Just…thinking.”
“Oh. Okay. I’m back if you want to go to lunch now.”
“Great. Thanks.”
“Is there anything special you want me to do?”
“We received a new shipment of greeting cards. You can work on those. I’ll see you later.”
Teanna hurried away before Alessia could question her further. She grabbed her purse and car keys from her small office and headed for the back door. The employees parked their vehicles behind the store. Since Teanna lived only three miles away, she usually went home for lunch.
She stopped before she opened her car door. Leftovers or a sandwich waited for her at home. One of Mona’s chicken Caesar salads would taste so much better.
And if she ran into James at the restaurant, that would be even better.
*
James expected Mona’s Place to be a dive with an inch of grease crusted on every surface. He was pleasantly surprised to find a light, clean restaurant that was obviously popular, judging by the full tables and booths.