by Alexa Verde
Glad to be dismissed, she turned to her car, battling a wave of dizziness again. Should she get behind the wheel in this condition? But considering James’s wounded shoulder…
“Would you like me to drive?” he asked, as if understanding her dilemma.
She handed him the keys, and they took off. They made a stop in the ER of the small Rios Azules hospital, where she got checked for a concussion. Given a clean bill of health, she made it a point of getting back to the car without James’s help. She missed his touch every step of the way.
He gunned the engine and drove off from the hospital parking lot. She guided him back to Evelyn’s Pastries.
Her head didn’t ache as much anymore, but her body longed to lean into his embrace. How would it feel to be carried by him, with her arms wrapped around his neck, him holding her tight? How would it feel to be kissed by him? Her blood sizzled. Most likely, he was an amazing kisser. He’d probably had lots of practice.
She rolled down the window to clear her head with fresh air. Not that many guys had noticed her. And the one who had… She shivered at the memory and rolled up the window, resisting the urge to run her hands over her arms, the places where the bruises had once been.
But how long could she live on the fringes of life? If Mari lived her life out loud, Soledad lived hers quietly, very quietly.
Until now.
She was so much out of her element, trying to escape criminals, firing a gun, looking for a mysterious treasure. All in the company of a hunky man who was probably used to dating gorgeous women.
Several minutes later, they were inside Evelyn’s Pastries. Enticing aromas of bread, vanilla, cinnamon, and peach jam made her mouth water.
Three female customers glanced at them, their eyes stopping at James, of course, and she felt extra-bland compared to him.
“Hi, Soledad!” Lydia greeted her from behind the counter, her blonde ponytail moving from side to side as she spoke. Dimples in her cheeks and light freckles on her nose made Lydia look younger than her late twenties. “That drive-by shooting yesterday sure was scary. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Soledad looked into Lydia’s eyes, took in the color of her skin, and breathed a sigh of relief. Lydia seemed to be healthy. For now.
“Thank you.” Soledad sent her a grateful smile. They’d discussed the event several times already, but it was good that her friend’s concern had no limits.
Thank you, Lord.
“Horrible! And this used to be such a quiet town. I guess some people have very strange relations.” A lady with massive golden jewelry chewed one of the samples and gave Soledad a once-over. Eyes narrowed, the lady looked at her as if she’d personally invited the kidnappers to town.
Soledad fought the urge to retreat. Growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, she was used to feeling inferior to rich town folk. Living with an emotionally abusive parent hadn’t helped, either.
You’re worthless. You’re just a stupid kid who can’t do anything right. Those had been her stepfather’s words after she’d dropped a dish while serving him dinner. She’d changed, but sometimes old insecurity reared its ugly head.
“Strange relations indeed,” a woman with an expensive designer bag chimed in.
The urge to retreat grew stronger, but Soledad held her ground.
James placed his hand around her shoulder. “Would you believe that this courageous woman saved my life in that shooting? What she did was heroic.” He sent her a glance, full of admiration, and her heart soared.
The lady’s mouth twisted, as if she’d eaten something sour instead of a sweet pastry.
“Wow! That’s my Soledad! I knew you had it in you.” Lydia beamed at her. Besides Mari, Lydia had always been her greatest supporter, from praising her paintings to befriending a shy girl in cheap clothes and hungry for food and friendship years ago.
“Thank you,” Soledad mouthed to James and Lydia.
He drew her to him. “People sometimes try to make others feel inferior. Don’t let them. Remember, you’re amazing,” he whispered in her ear.
His breath near her skin sent a delicious wave through her, and she wanted the moment to last longer, but he already moved away from her. His words illuminated something inside her. She had a university degree, amazing friends, a job she loved, a home, a summer art school, and works in an Austin gallery with great reviews. She was a respected member of the parish and of the community. It was about time to stop feeling inferior in any way.
God had given her so many gifts.
It was she who was diminishing them.
Her friends had been praising her for years, but she hadn’t really heard them, looking at everything through the lenses of a scared and hurt child. It had taken an outsider’s praise to see things clearly.
James leaned to her. “Would you introduce me to your friend?”
“Of course.” She hurried to make introductions. “Lydia, this is James. James, this is Lydia, my good friend and the granddaughter of the pastry shop’s owner.”
“Nice to meet you.” Dimples deepened in Lydia’s cheeks.
“The pleasure is all mine. You have a wonderful place here.” He turned to three middle-aged women, including the one with the huge golden jewelry, and acknowledged them with a charming smile. “Ladies.”
The ladies appeared to suck in their stomachs and melted with smiles like ice cream in hot Texas summer. Soledad pursed her lips. Was charming everybody around him second nature to James?
He ordered a slice of strawberry cheesecake for himself — as well as pastry trays for the “ladies” and a chocolate cake for the nurses at the hospital — which he received and devoured in no time. He seemed to know how to live in the moment and enjoy every single one of them, something she’d been lacking.
“This is incredible. The best cheesecake I’ve ever had.” He ordered a second slice and handed it to her. She shook her head, remembering her decision to skip desserts after Ron had called her fat repeatedly. Would James think that, too?
He scooped up a spoonful. “If you don’t take the cake, I’ll feed it to you.” A mischievous smile played on his lips.
Her pulse skyrocketed. Even Ron had never affected her like that. And she’d been in love with that guy. Or she’d thought so…
“We don’t have time for this,” she whispered.
James didn’t move an inch, and his grin became even more mischievous.
“Fine.” She took the plate with the cheesecake from his hands and sampled the creamy concoction. It tasted amazing, and the slice was regretfully gone too soon.
“Mmm.” Savoring the last bite, she closed her eyes.
When she opened them, he had a strange look in his. She reminded her fuzzy mind why they’d come to Evelyn’s Pastries in the first place.
“Lydia, could I talk to you for a second?” she asked.
“Definitely yummy.” Her dear friend tore her gaze from James.
“Lydia!” Soledad stepped to the counter. At least she wasn’t the only one who’d been affected by the newcomer.
“I was recommending our new peach cobbler.” Lydia gave her an innocent smile that suited her well. So well that very few people in town knew about Lydia’s past. The past that could repeat itself any time. “Verrrry yummy. So what were you asking?”
Soledad groaned inwardly. “Could I talk to you for a second?”
Lydia nodded, and her blonde ponytail moved up and down. “Sure. Right after I help the customers.”
Soledad looked at the ladies, engaged in a lively conversation about the weather with James. She’d never seen anybody so excited about sunshine. After all, it was almost always sunshine in south Texas. “I believe they are being helped right now.”
A tall man with a little girl in a pink dress and adorable pigtails joined them. James grinned at the child and engaged the father in conversation. Soon the girl was laughing, and the man was clapping James on the back.
Affection stirred inside her. Maybe she’d mis
judged him. Granted, he had natural charm beyond any other man she’d met. But he seemed to be sincerely interested in people, and in turn they were drawn to him. It wasn’t a bad thing. She had a tiny pang of envy. But just because she was shy, she couldn’t begrudge him great communication skills.
“What did you want to talk about?” Lydia’s question made her look away from James.
Soledad lowered her voice. “Did anything unusual happen here lately? Maybe a new order that sounded strange? A phone call from a customer that was rather interesting?”
“Nothing unusual. A strange order… Hmm. Not that I know of. Oh, okay, there was an unusual order Grandma took over the phone several days ago. From someone by the name of Liam Falcon. He requested a chocolate cake. But he said the recipe and a necessary ingredient will come tomorrow by mail. We’ve never had an order like that.”
Soledad perked up. Falcon translated to Sokol in Russian. Was it a play on her last name? “Can you call me when you receive the necessary ingredient?”
“No problem.” Her friend raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask why her friend needed that information. “I think you’re way overdue for something… yummy.”
“Excuse me?”
“I meant the pastries. Take whatever you want. On the house.” Lydia winked at her.
Soledad eyed rows of creamy concoctions, shoving Ron’s opinion of her into the deep recesses of her mind. “Oh, okay. I thought you meant…”
“That, too. It’s about time you get a new man in your life. That ex-boyfriend of yours was a waste of time. On the other hand, this one…” Lydia’s lips curved up.
“James O’Hara is not a new man in my life. He’s just helping me with something.” Soledad decided to omit that “something” was keeping her alive long enough to find the mysterious treasure and her father’s kidnappers.
“Whatever you say.” Her friend gave her a plate with an apple turnover. “You live too much in books and your paintings.”
Soledad took a bite of the delicious pastry, and her taste buds danced in delight. Why had she deprived herself of her favorite dessert, all because of one man’s opinion? She finished the apple turnover quickly and returned the plate to Lydia. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. It’s about time to stop hiding and enjoy the real world. It has a lot to offer. Including…” Lydia sent a wry glance in James’s direction.
“I am enjoying life.” Soledad placed her hands on her hips.
“Sure you are.”
“Maybe you also need to stop hiding and enjoy the real world. It’s about time to tell Aidan why you left him shortly before your wedding.”
Lydia’s eyes darkened. “He’s better off without me. You know why. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Soledad swallowed hard, regretting she’d brought it up. “Thank you for the pastries and for the advice. But I’m not interested. And James is not, either.”
“Really?” Her friend brightened. “I saw how he looked at you.”
“Well, how?”
“The way customers look at our best pastries.”
Could that be true? Could a hunk like James like a woman like her? A boring, average-looking librarian? Soledad wasn’t that naïve. At least, not anymore.
“Nonsense! But… thank you.” Soledad waved good-bye to her friend and walked to James, firmly encircled by the three women. “I’m ready whenever you are.”
“Ladies.” He touched the tip of an imaginary hat. “I bid you farewell. It’s been a great pleasure talking to you.”
The ladies looked at her as if she was devouring a hot dog while they had to be on a celery diet.
He stepped outside first. She lingered, knowing he’d want to check the street, to make sure it was safe for her. It was scary how this was becoming a routine. He waved for her, and she followed him, keeping close and walking fast in order to make it to the car quickly. He didn’t have to say a word for her to understand him, even though she’d only met him yesterday. Why did she have such a strong connection to him?
She relayed to him the conversation with Lydia on the way.
As they reached her car, he opened the door for her, and she slid into the passenger’s seat.
He got into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “Where to now?”
“Let’s go to my house, please. I want to pick up the fairy tales collection. I shouldn’t have left it there in the first place.”
“I should’ve thought about that, too.”
“Turn right at the second traffic light, please. Then straight until you reach the outskirts.” Her stomach clenched. Her intuition told her she needed to get home fast.
Soon he pulled up to her driveway and parked. She followed him to the entrance and hung back as he tried the doorknob. The door gave.
He drew the gun. “Stay back. Call the police. Do not enter.”
Chapter Six
Soledad stumbled, glimpsing the disorder through the door slit. She stepped back, pulled out her cell phone, and called Aidan. Even though the note had warned not to contact the police, she had to report the burglary. But the call went to voice mail.
A gunshot thundered in the air. Her heart dropped.
Dear Lord, please help James. Amen.
For a brief moment, she listened to the silence, deafening after the gunshot. The last time she’d rushed to his rescue, she’d almost ended up with a hole in her skull.
But the image of James covered in blood floated in front of her eyes. Wounded, suffering, all because he’d been trying to help her. It gave her enough courage and anger to draw her gun and charge inside. Her heart was beating wildly inside her rib cage. Do not enter, my foot.
Once inside her house, she stopped. The living room was empty. Breathing fast, she plastered herself against the wall and crouched forward until she reached her bedroom.
The drawers were ripped out and contents were thrown on the carpet, but the room itself looked empty. She bolted to her walk-in closet. It was empty, too. She took in a deep breath.
What exactly had happened here?
Her heart thudding in her ears, she jerked the bathroom door open. She froze as she barely recognized the pale, wide-eyed face in the mirror as her own. How did James deal with danger on a regular basis? She jerked the shower curtain open. The bathtub was empty.
Good news, there didn’t seem to be an intruder inside.
But then where was James?
Backyard. She needed to check the backyard. She rushed to the backyard door and stumbled into the broad chest of James O’Hara. So far, he didn’t seem to have any additional wounds on his body.
James was fine.
Thank You, Lord!
Relief flooded through her.
His expression was grim. “He got away.”
“What did he look like?” She put down her weapon before she accidentally fired it. The trembling in her hands reduced, but her body felt weak and spent now. Really, reading books was much safer.
“Tall, broad-shouldered, military haircut. Black hair. Deadly blue eyes. A large diamond ring,” he said. “Sounds familiar?”
She shuddered. “Looks like your hospital visitor. I’m glad he’s not a good shot.”
“I probably wouldn’t be standing here if he was.”
“And that would be a pity.” She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him.
He winked at her. “You do care about me, don’t you?”
She squared her shoulders. “I just like having you around. Purely for investigation purposes.”
“Of course.” His lips curved up, but his green eyes grew serious. “You know you’ll have to report the break-in, don’t you?”
“Yes. I hope it won’t reduce Eliseev’s chances to stay alive. I called Aidan, but he didn’t answer. I’ll call him again.”
Soledad placed another call to Aidan, this time a successful one. After hanging up, she glanced around, her stomach clenching at the sight of the disaster.
James hugged her, and s
he stayed in his embrace, drinking in the reassurance. He ran his hand over her back.
She wanted to forget about everything, to feel his lips close to hers. She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. His breath quickened, as if he could guess what she was thinking about. As if he thought about the same thing himself…
Her heartbeat, fast to start with, multiplied. She closed her eyes, dizzy with anticipation. The last time she’d been kissed, it was…
She went cold. Ron had kissed her, the same day, according to the rumors, that he’d cheated on her. Slowly, she eased out of James’s embrace.
She moved away, but not before seeing the disappointment in his eyes. “I want to see what’s missing,” she said.
He let her go with obvious reluctance. “The police won’t want you to disturb anything. Soledad, don’t push me away. You’ve been through a lot lately. Don’t you want somebody to hold you? To offer a little support? Books and paintings are great. But if you don’t live in real life, in the here and now, life might just pass you by.”
Was he right? Had she still been hiding away like so many times in childhood?
“We only have three days to find the treasure. No time for this.” She donned rubber gloves. Doing her best not to disturb anything, she checked for things missing. It didn’t take her long.
Her shoulders sagged as she hauled herself into the living room and practically fell onto the sofa. “My jewelry wasn’t touched. The only thing missing is the book of Russian fairy tales. It’s all my fault. It was passed down through generations, and now it’s gone.” Her gut twisted with guilt.
He reached her in several hasty strides and sat nearby. “It’s just a book. Granted, it’s valuable, but it’s only a book.”
The backs of her eyes burned, and she blinked fast. “It’s the only thing I have from my dad. It was part of my heritage, and I let them steal it. But it’s not just that. What if the perps figure out the clues before we do? They won’t need me then.”
His eyes darkened. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
“Why?” She held her breath, waiting for his answer, as if her life depended on it. “Does your promise to Eliseev mean so much to you?”