Maddox stares him down. “Test it.”
“Fine. Andie, go in the back room. Keep your hand by your side and speak in a normal tone.”
I go into Maddox’s bedroom. “Testing one, two, three. Can you hear me?”
“We’re good!” Katherine shouts.
Maddox opens the door. “We heard you. We’re good.” He sits next to me on the bed. “You okay?”
I nod.
“Your voice came right through the speaker on Michael’s phone. I’ll be able to hear whatever you say.”
I swallow. “I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse.”
“Why would it make you feel worse?”
“It could be weird, considering… you know.”
He laughs. “Considering the casualness of our state of affairs?”
“Something like that.”
“You think I’ll be jealous, you having to hug him and all?”
“I would be.”
“You would?”
“Casual doesn’t mean dead, Maddox. Of course I would.”
“Are you saying you want us to be exclusively casual?”
I smile. “Is that even a thing?”
“It could be.”
I sigh. “I told you, I don’t want to get burned.”
“So you’re saying you want to be casual with other people?”
“Ha ha.” I fight a laugh. “No. Do you?”
“No. Okay then. Nobody is going to burn anyone, Andie. We enjoy each other. There’s nothing wrong with spending time together while I’m here.” My phone pings with a text, and I scan it. “Good news. Matteo says our supplier is rush shipping a new order of hay. Should be here Sunday.”
“That is good news. You should be fine until then with what the other ranches loaned you.”
“We ordered extra so we can pay them back with more than what they gave us.”
I smile. “I think you’re getting the hang of things, Connecticut.”
He smiles, too, but it’s sad.
Katherine pops her head in. “We’d better get going.”
They accompany me to my truck. Katherine hands me a bottle of wine.
I take it and apologize. “I should have thought to bring one. I guess I don’t have my head on straight.”
“This one’s on us,” she says and puts a hand on my shoulder. “I need you to be sharp. There’s only so long you can string him along without him expecting”—she glances at Maddox—“more.”
Maddox scowls.
“The more we can get out of him tonight, the better. Keep him talking. Even the smallest details could give us something to go on.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“I know you will. Now go. We’ll be right behind you. Don’t look for us when you arrive at his house. We’ll be close.”
I get in my truck, wait for them to get in Michael’s car, and then I drive. My head buzzes the entire way to Victor’s. What if I can’t get him to talk? What if I slip up, and he realizes what I’m doing and hurts me before they can get to me? What if he says scary stuff, and I have to sit there and pretend I’m not terrified?
I pull over a block from his house to calm my nerves but end up banging my forehead against the steering wheel. “How did this happen to me? I just want to be with Maddox.” I inhale deeply, hold my breath to a count of ten, and blow it out. I catch sight of the ring, remember who’s listening, and realize they probably heard everything I said. I pull the ring close to my mouth. “I, uh…” I try to think of something to say but can’t. “Oh, forget it.”
At least now, instead of being scared of Victor, I can be mortified that the three of them heard my inadvertent confession. I continue to Victor’s and park in the driveway. My phone rings. It’s ‘Melina.’ “Hello?”
“Don’t talk into the ring, Andie.”
“I know. Sorry.”
“You’ve got this. We’re right here.”
I hang up, pull down the mirror in my visor, and practice my fake pouty face. Then I take the bottle of wine to the front door.
Victor appears. “What’s wrong?”
I hand him the bottle. “I could really use a hug.”
“Of course.” He steps aside. “Come in.”
I panic, step back, and lean against the porch railing.
He comes toward me with open arms. “Hey, it’s okay. What’s going on?”
I wrap my arms around him, making sure to graze his sides. “I lost a horse today.”
He holds me tightly and runs a hand down my back, so I do the same to him. “I’m sorry. I know how much you care for them.”
I run a hand along the back waistband of his pants and over his back pockets. “I’ve lost animals before, but it’s hard every time.”
He lets me go and turns. “Looks like you need a drink.”
I put my hands around him and touch his front pockets, pulling him back. “Just one more hug.” I feel something, but it could be a wallet or a pack of gum. What would a knife feel like in someone’s pocket anyway? He pulls me into his arms again. I don’t think he’s got a weapon on him, so I move away. “Thanks. I guess I needed that after the day I had.”
“I’m available anytime. Let’s get you a glass of wine.”
I have to remind myself not to scan the street before going inside. I know they are out there somewhere. I’d just feel better if I knew where.
He pours us each a glass. “Do you know how happy you just made me?”
“I did?”
“Lately I’ve felt like you’re pulling away. It’s nice to know I’m still needed.”
“There’s been a lot going on with my granddad and my job. I’ve been distracted.”
He leads me to the couch, and we sit. “I’m glad to know that’s all it is, because I really like you, Andie. I haven’t felt like this in a long time, so when I feel you’re holding back, it’s upsetting.”
I sip, wondering what Katherine would have me say. “I don’t know much about you, Victor. It’s always been hard for me to open up to someone I don’t know.”
“Maybe we’ve been spending too much time with Maddox and Melina.”
A timer goes off in the kitchen, darn it. I had a good opening there.
“That’s dinner,” he says. “Made my famous chicken and rice recipe.”
“Famous?”
“Handed down from generations of—” He stops talking.
“Generations of James’?” I ask, wondering if he almost said Dorsey.
“Yeah.”
As we walk to the kitchen, I realize he’s given me another opening. “Tell me about your family.”
He gets the casserole out of the oven, places it on the table, and dishes it up. “Not much to tell.”
We sit at the table, and I push my food around with a fork. “Then what about you? Tell me about you.”
“You know everything worth knowing, Andie. I’m a landscaper. This is my house. I live a pretty simple life.” He glances at my plate. “What do you think of it?”
I take a bite. “It’s good. Thank you for cooking.” I persist in asking questions. “How was your day? Anything exciting happen?”
“I almost ran over Mr. Kasim’s cat with my mower. In fact, I think I may have clipped its tail a tiny bit.”
“Oh gosh, I hope the poor thing is okay.”
“It’ll be fine. The damn thing has eight lives left.”
“I wish we had nine lives. That way Vivian and my mom would still be here. Is there anyone you’d bring back if you could?”
I hear myself talking and know the three people in the car are calling me stupid. Nine lives? Bringing people back from the dead? I’m so bad at this.
His expression becomes wooden. I’ve never seen him tense up like this. I’ve obviously hit a nerve. He clears his throat. “That’s morbid, Andie. Hey, have you made any decisions about your inheritance? How soon can we move you out of the ranch?”
I wish he’d quit changing the subject. “I’m thinking
of buying a house, actually.”
“I’ll help you look.”
I smile like that makes me happy. “Okay. Thanks.”
After supper, I behave like a girlfriend and help him clean up. Then I excuse myself to the bathroom, where I turn on the water and whisper into the ring. “I’m trying, but he keeps shutting me down.” The meal is over. What will he want from me now? The thought terrifies me.
He’s taken our wine glasses into the living room and turned on music. He pats the space on the couch next to him. “Join me.”
I swallow, smile, and sit, but not right next to him. He hands my wine to me and scoots considerably closer. Our legs are almost touching. “Do you like this song?”
“I’m more of a country music gal, but it’s fine.”
“I didn’t grow up in the south. I’m a staunch fan of rock. I love the band Reckless Alibi.”
I perk up. “This is a Reckless Alibi song?”
He nods. “I saw them in concert last year in Boston.”
“I thought you said you moved here from New Orleans.”
“I did. I was in Boston on business.”
“Landscaping business?”
He drinks. “I won’t bore you with it.”
“Maddox knows this band.”
“No shit?”
“His best friend, Reece Mancini, is married to their drummer.”
“Maddox’s best friend is Reece Mancini? The singer?”
“Yes.”
“Well, damn.”
Here we are making chit-chat, and Maddox, Katherine, and Michael are probably wondering when I’m going to dig in. I remember what they told me to say, but everything flies right out of my brain when he puts his arm around me.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he says.
“Me too.” I try not to choke on the words.
His thumb is caressing my shoulder in slow circles. The feel of his hand on me makes me sick. I need to get this over with.
I notice his empty glass and hop off the couch. “You need a refill.”
“Top off your own while you’re at it.”
I take our glasses into the kitchen. I pour my wine down the drain and refill my glass with more. It’s silly, I know, but if he looks at what’s left in the bottle, he needs to think I’ve been drinking it. When I return, I put the glasses on the coffee table but don’t sit. I pretend to be interested in his bookshelves. “You have a lot of Patriots stuff. How come you don’t have any family pictures?”
He comes up behind me and wraps me in his arms. “Not everyone likes to display things like that, you know.”
“Everyone I know does. I’m not sure I can name one person who doesn’t have at least one family picture in their house.” His frustrated huff displaces the hair on the top of my head. I must be getting to him. “You’re close to your parents, aren’t you?”
His arms tense around me. “The fire destroyed everything.”
“Fire?” I’m genuinely surprised.
“It was a long time ago.”
“I hope nobody was hurt.”
He takes my hand and pulls me along. If he takes me to the bedroom, I’m going to scream, but he takes me outside. “I know you love sunsets. I’m glad there’s a good one tonight.”
I sigh with relief even as he cages me to the railing with his body. I glance down at the empty grave, noticing they were careful to put it back precisely the way it was, weeds and all.
He pushes into me, and I can feel his erection. I swallow the bile rising in my throat. “I really want this to work, Andie. It’s been a while since I’ve felt like this about anyone.”
“How long?”
“To be honest, I don’t usually get close to women. Haven’t wanted to until now.”
“You’ve never been close to someone?”
“I’ve never had a serious relationship, and the last person I was close to isn’t around anymore. Maybe that’s why I have a hard time letting anyone in.”
I turn slightly. “What do you mean, she isn’t around anymore?”
He’s looking at the sunset. “She died.”
I tense. Is that a confession? Are they going to storm through the door? I wait and listen but don’t hear anything. They need more.
“How did she die? What was her name?”
“I can’t talk about it.” He turns me toward him and tilts my head back. “The way you look, with the sun setting behind you—I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful.”
He leans down to kiss me, and I panic. “Beer.”
He pulls away. “You want a beer?”
I don’t want him to kiss me, but we’re so close to getting what we need, I can’t ruin it. “No,” I say quickly. “I do not want a beer.” I tuck my hair back with my right hand so the microphone is close. “I definitely don’t want a beer. No beer for me. Got it?”
“Andie, you’re acting kind of strange.”
“Just nervous.”
“Because I’m going to kiss you? It’s not like we haven’t kissed before.”
“I know. I’m being silly. And I am thirsty. Could I get a drink of water?”
“Whatever you need.”
Inside, he fills a glass at the sink, hands it to me, and I gulp the water. I don’t know whether I’m relieved or disappointed they aren’t barging in.
“Better?” he asks.
I nod.
He takes my glass and sets it down. “Good. Then where were we?” He cups my face and gives me an “eyes half-hooded” look that from Maddox would be sexy as hell, but all I feel is an intense desire to run away. “Oh, right. I was about to kiss these fantastic lips.”
In some ways, Victor is the complete gentleman. He’s been nice, courteous, complimentary, and most of all, patient. If he weren’t a suspect, he’d actually be quite a catch.
I close my eyes and do something I never thought I would do again. I let Victor kiss me passionately.
It takes everything I have not to stiff-lip him. I try to pretend it’s not him kissing me. I remind myself I’m an actress playing a part. This isn’t real. But the voice in my head reminds me I may be acting, but he’s not. What if he likes me too much? What if he’s obsessed with me? Was he obsessed with Jennifer Grossman?
“You’re shaking,” he says.
I laugh shakily. “I don’t do a lot of kissing.”
“I’m hoping to change that… as long as I’m the only one kissing you.”
I smile at him. He takes it as an invitation to kiss me again. I let him but only for a minute. When his hands travel to my breasts, I pull away. “Victor?”
“Yeah, babe?”
“Am I competing with a ghost?”
His brows draw down. “You’re not competing with anyone, Andie.”
“But the woman you lost.”
He picks up his glass and takes a long drink of wine.
“I’m not sure you realize how the female brain works. I wonder how I can ever measure up. Have you placed her on a pedestal?”
“I haven’t.”
“Maybe if you told me about her.”
“I can’t.”
“It might make me feel better about us. About how you feel about me.”
“You want to know how I feel about you? I’ll tell you. I think about you all the time. I worry about you. I fantasize about you. I ask myself how in the hell I can be falling in love with a woman I haven’t even been on a dozen dates with.”
“You’re falling in love with me?”
He closes his eyes and his head falls back. “No matter how much I’ve tried to fight it, I am. I don’t want to, but I’m not sure I can help it.”
“Why don’t you want to?”
He paces. “It’s complicated.”
“Victor, tell me. Why don’t you want to fall in love with me?”
“Because then I’ll want to stay in Ft. Worth forever, and that’s just not possible.”
“Why isn’t it possible?”
He huffs. I can tell he’s getting
irritated. “I’ve told you, I move around. It’s what I do.”
“But that was before we met. You don’t have to move around if you don’t want to. You could stay.”
“Not forever.”
“I don’t understand. If you’re in love with me, you should want to stay here. Give me one good reason why you can’t.”
“Because I can’t, okay?” He punches the wall—puts his fist through the drywall—then cradles his hand. “I wish I could, but I can’t.”
I jump back, terrified of what he might do next. He’s agitated. I agitated him. My phone rings, and I immediately answer. It’s Matteo. “Hi, Matteo. What’s up?”
“We need you, Doc.”
I suspect Maddox and Katherine put him up to this when they heard how upset Victor was getting. “Is it an emergency?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Victor stares at the hole in the wall, then at me. “You have to go, don’t you?”
“Emergency at Devil’s Horn Ranch.”
“I’ll drive you.”
“Thanks, but I need my truck.” I glance at his right hand. “Ice it to keep the swelling down.”
He looks guilty. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“I know. All of us can probably say that about something.”
He walks me to the front door. “Can I get a do-over? You know, without all the drama?”
“Sure. Call me next week.”
He runs a hand along my jaw, then leans down and pecks me on the cheek. “Until then.”
I leave, grateful he punched the wall and not me. Happy I’m alive and in one piece. Terrified I will have to do this again.
Chapter Twenty-one
Maddox
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” Andie says through the app on Michael’s phone as she runs down the sidewalk to her car. She gets in, backs out of his driveway and takes off like a bat out of hell. “He did it, right? He said he was close to someone, but now she’s dead. Why didn’t you come inside?” She speeds off ahead of us.
I pick up my phone and call her. When she answers, I say, “Andie, slow down or you’ll hit something.”
“Why didn’t they come inside?”
I put the phone on speaker. “It wasn’t a confession,” Katherine says. “Listen, Andie, you did a fantastic job tonight. Confessions are hard to get, and he’s guarded, but he loves you. People say things to those they love. We could be close.”
Texas Orchids (The Devil's Horn Ranch Series) Page 17