Secrets Among the Cedars (Intertwined Book 2)

by Johnson, Sherri Wilson

  Kathryn's heart plummeted to the bottom of the sea. How could she not see Phil again? How could the next time be a face off in court as two virtual strangers on opposite sides of a case, never being allowed to see where this could go? "Phil…" Her phone rang. She yanked it from her pocket and looked at the screen. "It's the D.A. I have to take this."

  Phil nodded and stepped out of earshot.

  Kathryn cupped her hand over her right ear to block out the roar of the wind and surf. "Hello, Mr. Schwartz." She released the tension on the leash and let Sadie stand by Phil, who kneeled and stroked her fur.

  Schwartz cleared his throat. "Kathryn, you've been removed from the Ezzo case."

  She lurched forward. "What? Why?" Phil’s head shot up, and he crinkled his brow. She shook her head.

  "You were seen fraternizing with the defense attorney."

  She spun around to face the Gulf. She couldn't let Phil overhear this conversation. "Fraternizing? When?"

  "In a restaurant this afternoon."

  She laughed. "I was having lunch with a man I met down here. Who said that? Can’t I have a moment of privacy?"

  "You’re down there on business not pleasure. You shouldn’t be trying to meet men while you’re working a case. Besides, this man just so happens to be Phillip Tagliaferro, the defense attorney, Kathryn."

  "He's not the defense attorney. At least, he's trying not to take the case. Louie Ezzo is his uncle, and they're trying to force him to defend him."

  "So you do know him?"

  "We met Friday night."

  "Sounds a little too convenient to me.”

  “It’s not like that.”

  “You knew he was Ezzo's nephew, and you’re befriending him—or worse?"

  Was he accusing her of inappropriate behavior with someone she just met? Was he accusing her of getting too involved with someone just to find out information? "Sir, I’m not sure I approve of your line of questioning. I met him Friday night, learned that he was a former attorney, and asked him questions about Cedar Key to try to locate the weapon. I didn’t know he was Ezzo’s nephew until a few minutes ago. He doesn’t want to defend him, but they’re threatening him into it."

  "I'm sorry. We can't risk losing this case. It's best if someone who's neutral handles it from here."

  She stomped her foot. "Neutral? I am neutral! I’m so neutral that I’m not convinced Ezzo is guilty. I want to see justice served on the person who deserves to be convicted of murder—if Ezzo isn’t."

  “Tagliaferro has already clouded your judgment, Bellamy. You’re thinking like a defense attorney.”

  "No, that’s not true. I already felt this way before I met him. It doesn’t make sense that Ezzo would dirty his hands over a few nobodys.”

  “Kathryn, the decision is made.”

  Kathryn hated to beg for anything, but this case meant everything to her career. And her reputation was all she had. She couldn’t let her good name be soiled and be the cause of a potentially guilty man going free. “Please listen to me. We can’t pin the murder on him if he’s innocent. Let me try to find the gun. Without it, you have nothing. He’ll go free. If he’s guilty, you can’t let that happen.”

  “That won’t happen. The truth will come out with or without the gun. I’ve assigned the case to someone else who won’t get mixed up in the personal lives of the parties involved. Enjoy the rest of your time there. Take a vacation. Stay away from Tagliaferro. We'll have a new case for you when you return."

  Her hair whipped across her face, and she shoved it away with fury. "Wait, please. What do you mean by neutral?"

  "We know you've had a former personal connection with Tagliaferro, and now you’re dining with him when you should be working on the case against his uncle."

  This was unbelievable. They'd been snooping into her private life? Digging up her past? "He was engaged to one of my college friends. That's all. I met him on Friday and didn’t realize until Saturday that I’d met him before. I wasn’t friends with him. I only met him once."

  "Kathryn, sit this one out,” The D.A. barked.

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “No. Besides, you're probably safer where you're at anyway."

  "Safer? Are you saying the threats I've experienced do have something to do with the Ezzo case?"

  "The least amount you know the better. We'll see you in a week." The phone went dead, and a tidal wave of tears gushed from Kathryn.

  Phil rushed to her side, and Sadie pawed at her legs. "What's wrong?"

  Through skips and blubbers, she told Phil the news. "Now my career is ruined and my reputation—all because of you.” She clinched her jaw and narrowed her eyes.

  Phil pointed to his chest. “Because of me?”

  She stomped her foot. “Yes. If I hadn’t met you, I’d still be working. This case would've sent me straight to Senior Assistant D.A. They don't give peons like me a second chance at these things."

  "I'm sorry, but I hardly think that’s my fault."

  She glared at him.

  He stepped closer to her. “Kathryn, I’m just as much a victim in this as you.”

  “I have more at risk though.”

  Phil huffed. “You clearly don’t understand the complexity of this situation and how powerful my family is.”

  She slumped. “Sorry. You're not responsible. Neither of us is. I just needed someone to take my anger out on." She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a scream. “How is this happening? It’s like we’ve been set up.”

  "Maybe it's not such a bad thing though." Phil tipped her chin upward with his thumb. "I can vouch for the fact that a life without all that crime is a peaceful life."

  Kathryn felt herself melting into Phil. His concern poured over her and sifted away her sadness, like the ocean carried away the sand on the shore. "But I don't have anything else but law. And Sadie. You have a great life here." She motioned to the water and the town a mile away.

  Phil let go of her chin. "Kathryn, I promise you God has something better in store for you. I know it hurts to be removed from the case, but ride the tide."

  "What?" She scrunched up her face.

  "Ride the tide. Go with it. Let it take you to new places."

  "Is that what you're going to do?"

  "I'm going to stay right here with you. And I'm going to call my cousin later and tell him I won't represent Uncle Louie." He smoothed the hair away from her face. "How about we get our minds off this ridiculous distraction and I take you for a picnic on my boat?"

  "A picnic? On your boat? I—I don't know." She popped her right hip out and twisted the toe of her left foot in the sand again.

  "You're on vacation now. Remember?"

  Kathryn laughed. "I guess you're right."

  "Do you want me to pick you up in my boat or do you want to come back over to my house?"

  "I'll meet you at your house."

  "Still not ready to trust me, huh?"

  "I'm getting there."

  Chapter Seven

  Kathryn had started the day with a hunt for local gossip at church, ended up at lunch with Phil, was dismissed from her case, and now she was going boating and picnicking with a man with whom she had too many forbidden connections. No one could accuse her of living a boring life now. She'd always expected the unexpected, but this day produced a roller coaster high even in her.

  Kathryn fed Sadie and checked her water bowl. She grabbed a sandwich baggie out of the drawer and zipped her cell phone into it. In case the boat turned over, she'd spare her phone from destruction.

  She changed into her white-and-navy floral halter-top sundress. She'd wear her swimsuit underneath it, but she wasn't getting into that water with sharks and marshy sea grasses and who-knows-what-else.

  "Sadie, I'll be back in a bit." Sadie tucked her ears and whimpered. "I'm going out with Phil." She reached for the remote and turned on cartoons to keep Sadie company until she returned. She slipped on her white rhinestone-clad, braided sandals and headed out the door
with her keys and phone in hand.

  It took a brief two minutes to arrive at Phil's house, where she rolled her Honda in place behind his SUV. Her gaze trailed along the white railing up the stairs to the porch and found Phil leaning against a post waiting on her. Dressed in white drawstring cotton pants and a black button-down short-sleeved top, he slid his sunglasses away from his face and grinned. Her attention froze on his face, and her heart jumped to her throat. Phil wasn't wearing his glasses again, and he'd shaven off his beard. From his spot above her, a strong jaw and full smile greeted her.

  "What have I gotten myself into?" She climbed out of her car and made her way to the stairs. "Hey."

  "Hi there. You want to come up and see the place or are you ready to hit the water?"

  "Well, if you're ready, I'm ready. I think." She giggled. "Actually, I'm pretty terrified to get out there in a boat."

  "Have you never been in a boat before?"

  She tucked her phone and keys into her skirt pocket. “Living out in the country, I’ve gone tubing on a lake and ridden in a boat many times. But I’ve never been on a boat in the ocean.”

  "Well, I promise to be the best captain you've ever had then." He lifted a red cooler off the deck. "If we get out there now, we'll have plenty of time to tour around before the tide goes out."

  Kathryn grimaced. "We can get stuck?"

  "Not likely. My boat can float in ten inches of water."

  "That's a relief. I'd hate to leave Sadie for too long." Of course, Kathryn could think of worse things than being stranded on a boat with Phil. Who cares if he was Maria's ex and Louie Ezzo's nephew? This was the closest thing she'd had to a date in years, and since she was on a forced vacation from her duties, she might as well enjoy it.

  "Do you want to go water skiing?" Phil stepped off the last step and sidled up next to her, motioning with his head to a pair of water skis leaning against the storage area.

  "Ha ha, funny! I don't think so."

  "Okay, if you're not feeling adventurous. Maybe we can do a little fishing though."

  "Sure. As long as you don't bring in another giant shark."

  "Giant? That was a baby."

  "Well, keep the sharks out of the boat."

  "Yes, ma'am. If you insist."

  She nudged him with her elbow. "I do."

  Phil led the way through his backyard to a dock on a canal and stepped on to a white Carolina Skiff. He placed the cooler on the floor of the boat and then reached for Kathryn's hand. "Watch your step, miss." He winked before he slid his sunglasses onto his face.

  Kathryn sat on the bench behind the steering wheel and adjusted the strap on her dress. Her insides felt like spaghetti.

  Phil adjusted several knobs on the console then untied the rope that secured the boat to the dock. "You look very nice, by the way."

  "Thanks. You do too. I like your face." Kathryn gulped and erased her words with her hands. "I mean, the lack of beard and glasses. I mean, I liked the beard and the glasses, but your bare face is nice too." Shut up, Kathryn!

  "Grazie. I like your face too."

  Oh, he was speaking Italian to her now? The stakes just got higher.

  "It was getting too hot for a beard. And the glasses…well, they're just for looks. I can see fine without them."

  "Just for looks, huh? So you're a trend follower?"

  "Sometimes. Only when it makes me look better though."

  She giggled. Nothing could make Phil look bad. Beard. No beard. Glasses. No glasses. Mud on his face. Food on his clothes. He'd look great no matter what. She'd already seen him covered in fish bait and shark blood and even they didn't detract from his charm. Kathryn fanned her face. The heat was getting to her.

  Phil put the boat in reverse and then directed it toward the open water. He waved at some of his neighbors, who sat on their docks. "I thought we'd go over to Atsena Otie Key for our picnic, if that's okay with you. It's got a gorgeous beach."

  "I saw some pictures of it in a scrapbook at my condo. It’s beautiful, but I read that there are a lot of snakes on the key." Kathryn shuddered.

  “Yes, there are a lot of rattlers and copperheads, but I know how to watch out for them. Stick close to me, and you’ll be fine.” Phil straightened his back and puffed out his chest, playing the role of the guardian.

  He wanted to protect her? She’d gladly let him. “Don’t worry. I will.” Kathryn shook her head and grimaced at her boldness then she pointed. "There's my dock right there." She had to turn the course of this conversation away from too much closeness with Phil. Without the umbrella of business over their heads and without the security of the accountability she had back home, this time together could catch her off-guard and take a turn in a taboo direction before she knew what had happened.

  "You're right there? I know the owner. You're not far from me. I could've picked you up in the boat." Phil maneuvered the skiff around a bend, watching on both sides to steer around the shallow spots. "You can stand up here with me, if you'd like. You'll have a better view, and we won't have to yell over the wind once I open her up."

  Kathryn eased herself up from the bench, finding her sea legs, and inched her way to Phil, who laughed. "Don't make fun of me."

  "Sorry. I've done enough of that already, right?"

  "Right." Kathryn let her shoulders relax, although she held on to the bar around the console. The shade of the awning reduced the heat she'd felt earlier, but her insides still tingled from her closeness with Phil. Her head told her to protect her heart, but her heart wanted to experience some fun and some attention from a man. This man.

  Phil whipped the boat around to the right, causing her to lean into him. She grabbed the bar tighter and smiled until her lips stuck to her teeth from the wind. Phil dashed around small sandy spots and gave her the local's tour of the area. Then he slowed the boat and turned to face her. "Here we are. Isn't it beautiful?"

  The key, surrounded by cerulean water, an azure sky, and trees and grasses in various shades of green and brown, couldn't have been a better place for a picnic. "It's gorgeous. Kind of feels like you're a million miles away from the world."

  "That's why I like to come out here."

  Phil helped Kathryn out of the boat and went back for the cooler and a quilt. He held up the beach umbrella, but Kathryn shook her head. She could use a little sun on her shoulders. Phil returned to her side, kicked off his sandals, and ripped off his T-shirt, sending Kathryn’s internal temperature to new heights. Maybe she needed the freezer pack from the cooler to cool her down.

  "So how does it feel to be on vacation?"

  "I haven't been on a vacation in years so I don’t have much to measure it against, but I'd say this one is off to a pretty good start." What girl wouldn’t love an afternoon on a beach with a hunk of a man like Phil? She’d better behave herself. It had been too long since she’d had so much as a kiss. She wouldn’t fight him off if he tried to kiss her, but she’d have to refrain from making the first move. She bit her lip and tucked her chin. Heat darted through her body like a pinball in a pinball machine.

  Phil tipped her chin upward. "I'm thrilled to be a part of your vacation."

  The best part of it so far. Was she losing her senses? In a few days when she returned home, they'd be on opposite sides of this case.

  No, they wouldn't. She had her freedom. The first bit of freedom she'd felt in a long time. She was free to fraternize with this man all she wanted to.

  "I'm glad you came with me out here. I'm sorry that you got taken off the case, but I'm not sorry you're still here in Cedar Key."

  "I'm glad I'm still here too." Kathryn accepted the bottled water Phil offered her and forced herself to focus on something other than his attractiveness. She’d never been this shallow before. "You know, this morning I came to church hoping to hear some gossip that might lead me to the gun. Your pastor's words hit me like a runaway elephant right in my heart."

  "How so?" He pulled containers of fruit and sandwiches out of the cool
er and placed them on the quilt.

  "I don't know much about church, but I've always known—felt that God was out there somewhere watching me." She waved her hand in the air. "This morning, I realized that He's not just watching me. He's watching over me, and He's not as far away as I thought. I don't deserve to be cared for like that, but I'm glad He's there."

  Phil laughed. "No one deserves God's love and protection. That's what makes it so great. He created us and so I guess you could say He has a vested interest in us. I believe we're never somewhere without God ordaining it first. I think He ordained you to be there this morning to hear that message."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I knew when I saw you the second time, when I ran into you at the sandwich shop, that you needed some kind of reassurance. I didn't want to pry, but I knew you were feeling hurt. You cried this morning in church, and I prayed that God would speak to your heart."

  "Thanks. I—I don't know if that's what you call it, since I don't know religious terminology, but I felt the ice thawing a bit. I think you call it faith. Facts have always been easier for me to believe in than things I can't see."

  "Then I'm glad my uncle inadvertently brought you here to Cedar Key."

  Kathryn's shoulders had a pink hue, and her skin had started to sting. Phil was tanned from being out in the sun, so he didn't seem to mind the direct sunlight. She poured some of her bottled water into the palm of her hand and patted her shoulders to cool them off.

  "You’re getting a lot of sun on your shoulders, and your nose and cheeks are pink. Are you ready to head back?"

  "I'm fine to stay a bit longer, if you'd like. You know the tides better than me."

  "We've got a little more time. Would you like me to get the umbrella from the boat?"

  "That would be great!"

  Phil hopped up off the quilt and sauntered over to the boat. Confidence dripped off him like the sweat that dripped off her forehead. He had probably been a beast in the courtroom. Too bad he wasn't still practicing law. What a thrill it would be to see him in action. If he ended up defending Ezzo, she’d attend the trial just to see him work.