Night Talk

by Rebecca Daniels

  "Jake, at last!" she gasped, her blue eyes bright and sparkling. "I can't believe I'm actually talking to Jake! Ted talks about you so much I feel like we're already friends."

  "Just promise to give me a chance to defend myself," he said, liking her immediately. "There's no telling what this guy's been saying."

  "Oh, it's all been very complimentary," Cindy assured him. She slipped an arm through his, shooting Ted a wink. "But I'm depending on you to fill me in on all the secrets."

  "I keep telling her there are no secrets," Ted insisted. "I'm really a dull guy."

  Jake turned to Cindy. "Well, he is right about that. He is dull—really dull. Which makes me wonder, what do you see in him anyway?"

  Cindy laughed. "Anyone who knows me knows I love a challenge. Right, Kristin?"

  "The bigger the better."

  There it was again, that curious tickle in the back of his brain. Did he know this woman? Is that why she'd given him the cold shoulder? Only he couldn't imagine forgetting someone who looked like her. Ms. Kristin Carey may be a bit frosty around the edges, but the fact remained that the tall, slender blonde was probably one of the most striking women he'd ever seen. If they had ever met before, he was sure he would have remembered.

  "Jake," Cindy said then. "This is Kristin, my sister."

  Jake nodded. "Actually, we just introduced ourselves."

  "That's great," Cindy said, reaching a hand out to her sister. "Because as best man and maid of honor, you two are going to be spending a lot of time together the next couple of days."

  Jake felt something in the pit of his stomach go tight. "Wonderful."

  "Okay, everyone inside. Time to get started." They all turned in unison as the wedding planner approached, clapping loudly. "There will be plenty of time for chitchat later. Everybody into the church."

  "It seems the wedding Nazi has spoken," Ted grumbled, pulling Cindy to him. "And my advice to you is to do what she says."

  Jake watched as Ted and Cindy started arm in arm up the walk. Turning slowly, he gave Kristin a hesitant look. "Shall we?"

  "We probably better," she said as she passed. "Wouldn't want to keep Minnie Mouse waiting."

  Chapter 2

  Kristin stood in the church foyer waiting for her cue. She glanced down at the gaudy tissue-paper bouquet in her hand and steeled herself against a wave of nausea. Of course, tomorrow she would be holding the real thing—a spray of pale pink roses and baby's breath—and probably feeling even worse.

  Her gaze shifted to the long center aisle leading to the altar and she felt her stomach turn again. How was she ever going to make it down that walkway without tripping, fainting or throwing up?

  "Just breathe," she reminded herself aloud, drawing in a deep breath. This wasn't her. She wasn't a nervous, fidgety person. She'd always prided herself on the ability to keep a cool head and steady hand. But a stranger had come into her life and changed all that, a stranger who had her edgy and uneasy and seeing danger around every corner.

  Wasn't it supposed to be the bride who got the jitters and the maid of honor who calmed her down?

  Kristin turned around, watching her sister as she talked with Ted's father. With her sparkling eyes and radiant smile, Cindy looked anything but nervous. In fact, Kristin couldn't remember seeing her sister looking more beautiful, or more serene.

  Which was only the way it should be. If there was one person on this planet who deserved to be happy, it was Cindy.

  Cindy had barely been out of high school when their parents had died. Not many young women would have welcomed the responsibility of a thirteen-year-old sister, but Cindy had been determined that the two of them stay together. She had worked hard to make a home for them, and later, when Kristin had considered foregoing college because of the financial hardship it represented, Cindy wouldn't hear of it. She'd insisted Kristin apply for every scholarship available, and what they didn't cover, the money Cindy earned waiting tables in the evenings after a full day at her job with the Los Angeles Probation Department did.

  Which was why Kristin didn't want to do anything to spoil Cindy's wedding. One way or another she was going to do this, she had to—for Cindy.

  "For Cindy," she whispered, taking courage from the words.

  Her gaze shifted to Jake Hayes as he stood in his position to the left of Ted. Thinking about how rude she'd been to him made her feel queasy all over again. He'd been friendly and pleasant and she'd practically cut him off at the knees.

  He was watching the wedding planner, listening to her instructions and moving as she prompted him. He really did seem nice—not that she was surprised. Ted had described him as a good guy. Under normal circumstances she probably would have enjoyed getting to know him. The problem was, these weren't normal circumstances. Things hadn't been normal in her life for a very long time. Still, she hadn't intended to be impolite. It was just that despite all that Ted had said about him, to her he was a stranger, and the grim fact of her life was that strangers terrified her.

  "That's your cue, dear."

  The loud clapping sound had her looking up.

  "Hello? Are you listening?"

  "Oh, uh, y-yes," she stammered, feeling her cheeks flush red.

  "That's your cue," the wedding planner said again. "Start walking now."

  "Y-yes," she stuttered again. "I'm…I'm sorry."

  Flustered and embarrassed, she clutched the paper bouquet tightly in her hands and took a few hesitant steps forward.

  "No, no, no," the woman said, shaking her head, marching up the aisle toward her. "You're not trudging through mud. Try and smooth it out a little, dear. Nice and easy."

  Kristin watched as the wedding planner demonstrated, then on stiff, wooden legs, Kristin tried again. She didn't think her awkward, wobbling gait was any better, but she did the best she could. She felt ridiculous and terribly self-conscious, and without having to look, she could feel Jake's gaze burning through her, turning the narrow aisle into an endless corridor of embarrassment. It wasn't until she'd finally reached the end and slipped into her spot alongside the altar that she actually dared to glance up. Almost instantly, Jake's gaze caught hers and he gave her a broad smile. She nodded stiffly in response, a move that only made her cringe even more.

  "Pull yourself together," she muttered. She was acting as though she'd never been around a man before, clumsy and ungainly.

  But when she looked up and caught sight of Cindy as she started down the aisle, she suddenly forgot about being embarrassed or uncomfortable. It was only the wedding rehearsal but her sister looked radiant and Kristin felt her eyes sting with tears. This was Cindy's time to shine and she was determined nothing was going to get in the way of that—not her problems, not her inhibitions….

  Her gaze slid to Jake Hayes.

  And certainly not her trouble with strangers.

  * * *

  Jake watched the wedding planner and waited for his cue. It would be all downhill from here on out. The mock ceremony was over and all he had to do now was follow Ted and Cindy back up the aisle and out of the church. Piece of cake. Although with Kristin on his arm he wasn't expecting it to be particularly pleasant. But she would only have to tolerate him just long enough to make it out of the church. After that, he would be more than happy to stay out of her way.

  For the life of him he couldn't figure out why she seemed to dislike him so much. After all, they were virtually strangers—at least he thought so. She didn't know him well enough to dislike him. Granted, he wasn't the most charming guy in the world, but it usually took a woman a little longer to find him annoying.

  Of course, his paranoia made him wonder if Kristin's attitude toward him had anything to do with what had happened three years ago, either with the shootings, the task force or his resignation from the police department. Had someone said something to her about any of it? But common sense told him that wasn't the case. For whatever reason, the woman had taken an instant dislike to him and he just had to accept it.


  When the signal came, he was ready and moved slowly into the aisle. Looking at Kristin as he offered her his arm, he expected to see nothing but ice in those clear brown eyes of hers, so he was taken aback when he didn't. In fact, her face was full of emotion. Could it be the Ice Queen wasn't so icy after all?

  Her hand on his arm felt warm as they moved together and he could feel the slight brush of her body along his as they walked. He wasn't sure what had brought about the change in her, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Emotion had a way of softening her beautiful features and frankly he liked the effect.

  Still, he had to admit, her transformation had left him feeling a bit unsettled. He wouldn't have pegged her as the sentimental type. Weddings had a way of getting to people, though. Even he had felt a tug of emotion and this had only been the rehearsal. And it was probably that same sentimentality that had him turning to Kristin and giving conversation another try.

  "That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," he whispered as they made their way up the aisle. "And the good news is that we only have to do it one more time."

  "But the bad news is, the next time we'll be doing it in front of a church full of people," she pointed out darkly.

  "You have a point there," he acknowledged. Since she hadn't snapped his head off, he boldly pushed on. "Feeling a little anxious?"

  "Only about tripping, fainting or throwing up," she groaned. "Or any combination of those three."

  "That could be a little embarrassing," he agreed with good humor. "But you did great this time. There's no reason to think tomorrow will be any different."

  "No?" She released his arm as they reached the large double doors leading outside and tossed the paper bouquet aside. "Maybe you'd like to try it in four-inch heels and carrying a handful of flowers."

  Just like that it was back—that hard edge, the sharp words—and he was surprised at how disappointed he felt. "Somehow I don't think they'd go too well with my tux."

  She didn't so much as blink, let alone crack a smile. She simply turned and left.

  He stood in the open doorway and watched as she ran down the steps and across the drive toward Ted and Cindy. He felt strangely winded, as if he'd just taken a punch in the stomach. What was her problem? Was there something actually wrong with her or was she simply incapable of being civil to him?

  "You win some, you lose some," he muttered, doing his best to remain philosophical as he started down the steps.

  He really shouldn't let her attitude bother him. After all, it wasn't necessary that they like each other. It just would have made the next couple of days a little more pleasant, that's all. It wasn't a big deal, certainly nothing he was going to lose any sleep over. It was just that there was something so…what? Familiar? How was that possible? He was certain he had never seen her before today. So why did he have this ridiculous feeling that he knew her, that there was a connection between them?

  "You're frowning."

  Jake glanced up at the sound of Cindy's voice. She'd broken away from the rest of the wedding party, who had gathered outside the church, and her expression was full of concern. "Was I?"

  "Yes, is everything okay? Was there something about the rehearsal you didn't like?"

  "Absolutely not," he insisted, slipping a reassuring arm around her shoulders. The gesture was unusual for him but there was something vulnerable and soft about Cindy that made it okay.

  He thought of Kristin's hand on his arm, how it had almost felt natural for a moment—but only for a moment. She hadn't welcomed his touch. In fact, she'd been able to stand it only long enough to get out of the church. How could two sisters be so different?

  "Are you sure?"

  "It went great and tomorrow it's going to go even better." He gestured to the others. "Ask anyone."

  Cindy's face relaxed. "I hope you're right." She breathed out a long sigh, catching Kristin's eye in the crowd and motioning her over. "I'm just so nervous."

  Jake followed Cindy's gaze, watching as Kristin made her way toward them. "I think it might run in the family."

  Cindy turned to her sister as she joined them. "Kristin, what if I trip?"

  Kristin shrugged. "What if I faint!"

  "Oh brother," Ted said as he approached and immediately reached for Cindy's hand to pull her to him. "Talk about looking on the dark side. What if everything just happens to turn out fine?"

  Cindy looked up at him and sighed again. "You think that's a possibility?"

  "I don't know, let's show up tomorrow and find out," Ted said, placing a kiss on the end of her nose.

  Cindy looked at Kristin. "I don't know. What do you think?"

  "Oh what the hell," Kristin said with a careless wave. "We've come this far." She put a hand on her sister's arm. "How about we make a deal? I won't laugh if you trip and you promise to step over me if I faint. What do you say?"

  Cindy laughed and patted Kristin's hand. "It's a deal."

  "Well, I'm certainly happy we got that settled," Ted announced dryly. "And Kristin, I should have known that alter ego of yours would come up with a solution." He glanced down at his wristwatch. "But now we need to get moving. I told my folks we'd meet them at the restaurant." Turning to the group, he raised his hands. "Okay, everybody, time for free food—follow me!"

  It was a long time before Jake had an opportunity to talk to Ted again—long after the rehearsal dinner had ended, long after all the old friends had been greeted and long after all the toasts had been made. The restaurant was nearly empty and most of the wedding party and friends and family had left. As the waiters stacked chairs around them, he and Ted sat alone at a table, watching while Cindy, Kristin and the small group that remained played a lively game of darts in the lounge.

  Jake felt exhausted, but it was a good kind of fatigue. He'd been concerned about seeing everyone again—friends, family—about how they would react to him after all this time. But as it was, things had gone fine. Old friends seemed genuinely pleased to see him and it had been good to catch up again. Of course, he'd done his best to keep his distance from Kristin Carey throughout the course of the evening. Although he couldn't help noticing she didn't seem to have a problem being friendly to the others at the party.

  "You mentioned something back there at the church I was curious about," he said to Ted as Kristin tossed a dart that missed the board and landed somewhere behind the bar.

  "I did?" Ted asked drowsily, taking a sip of his beer.

  "Something about Kristin."

  Ted put down his glass and blinked sleepily. "I don't remember."

  "You said something about an alter ego?" Jake leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Is there…well, you know. Is there something wrong with her? I mean, some kind of weird split-personality thing or something?"

  Ted snorted out a laugh. "What? What makes you think that?"

  "I don't know," Jake insisted, feeling silly now for having brought up the subject. "You're the one who mentioned an alter ego. What the hell else is that supposed to mean?"

  Ted laughed again and took another drink of beer. "Well, you don't have to worry. There's nothing wrong with her. I was just referring to…well, she has this job. She doesn't like to talk about her work, but…well, she's on the radio—"

  Jake felt the hair at the back of his neck stand on end and a strange-sounding tinkle rang in his ears.

  "It's a talk show. Late-night sort of thing," Ted continued. "Called 'Lost Loves.' It's really very popular and…well, Cindy and I tease her about having an alter ego because she doesn't use her real name on the program. On the air she's known as Jane Streeter—Dear Jane."

  * * *

  Kristin took aim with the dart and let it fly across the room. But instead of sailing into the bristled board, it took a dramatic nosedive and landed snugly in the wooden leg of the bar stool. Covering her mouth with her hand, she grimaced. That one had surprised even her. Behind her, though, the group in the lounge erupted in laughter and cheers.

  "I meant to do
that," she deadpanned as she turned around, which only brought a barrage of hoots and whistles.

  "Good form though," Cindy shouted over the noise. "And I don't think there's a person here who could have done that if they tried."

  "I stink," she stated flatly, reaching for her wineglass.

  Cindy paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, you do." She leaned close, slipping an arm around her shoulders. "But I love you anyway, little sister."

  Kristin smiled. "And I think you're a little tipsy."

  "Me?" Cindy gasped dramatically, then shook her head. "Naw."

  "Karaoke time!"

  They both turned as Cindy's longtime friend, co-worker and bridesmaid, Dana Byrd, came rushing up.

  "Come on, Cin, get up here," she said, grabbing Cindy by the hand and pulling her to her feet.

  "What? No! No, no," Cindy protested, shaking her head. "I can't sing."

  "Don't worry, it's not a requirement," Dana assured her as the rest of the group began clapping and chanting: "Cin-dy, Cin-dy, Cin-dy!"

  "Kristin, help," Cindy pleaded as Dana dragged her off. "Don't let them do this."

  "What can I do?" Kristin asked, tossing her hands up in a helpless gesture. "Your public won't take no for an answer." As Dana pulled Cindy farther away, she raised her voice to be heard over the din. "But don't worry about embarrassing the family. I've already taken care of that."

  Kristin had to laugh as she watched Cindy stumble her way through a popular song. Her sister hadn't lied about the singing, she really was awful! But her sour notes only had everyone laughing that much harder and soon the whole room was singing along.

  All in all, it had turned out to be quite an evening and Kristin had to admit she'd enjoyed herself. She hadn't exactly been dreading the event, but she had been concerned. Given all the chaos going on in her life the past several months, she'd had some serious doubts she would be able to enjoy anything anymore. But there was something about the raucous group, the camaraderie, the laughing and the loud music that managed to block out her concerns and she welcomed the respite.