by Tara Randel
Dylan turned just then and their gazes met. In his eyes she saw a myriad of emotions. Hurt. Uncertainty. Before she could name the others he blinked and his gaze went blank. But still, she’d gotten a glimpse of the man she enjoyed spending time with.
So, yes. If the tables were turned, she just might tell all to Dylan. No matter how unwise the consequences might be.
He stirred and Kady realized it was time to get back to the real world. No more thinking that just because Dylan had let his guard down meant there was anything between them, last night’s kiss notwithstanding.
“Are you going to the next workshop?” she asked, covering how much she’d let her attraction to the man get the better of her.
“Not hardly. I’m not sure I can show my face around here after Mom’s lecture.”
“Dylan, it’s a florist convention. What happens here stays here.”
“Isn’t that the Las Vegas slogan?”
“Trust me when I say you aren’t the first to be embarrassed at a conference. You won’t be the last.”
“Still, I’m heading up to my room. Have some calls I need to make.”
She hid her disappointment. “Then I’ll see you later.”
They’d taken a few steps when he stopped her by laying his warm hand on her arm. She controlled the shiver skimming her skin.
“How about we grab dinner tonight?”
“Can’t. I already have plans.”
He jammed his hands in his pockets. “Well, maybe I’ll run into you later.”
“Maybe.”
Hooking her tote over her shoulder, Kady forced a smile and walked away, regret squeezing her chest so tight she rubbed it once she was out of Dylan’s view.
It was now official. Dylan Matthews had gotten under her skin and there was no way of letting him go.
* * *
DYLAN HADN’T BEEN in his room for five minutes when his cell rang. The caller ID showed the call was from Derrick.
“Cupid? Really?” He launched in without waiting for a proper greeting.
Great. His brother had a picture of his embarrassing moment.
“Don’t start,” Dylan snarled.
“Now you see why I cheat.”
“Indeed, except this is the last year any of us has to worry about getting wrangled into helping Mom.”
“At least we have the memories. You and Cupid. Stored in the cloud. Forever.”
Derrick knew how much Dylan hated getting caught unawares. That made the brotherly joking so much worse. Until something nagged at Dylan. “Hey, where’d you get the picture?”
“Mom sent it.”
When had she taken it? Clearly when he wasn’t looking. Maybe if he’d kept his eyes on the environment around him, and not on Kady’s reaction to him setting up a life-size Cupid, he would have noticed his mother’s actions.
Dylan rubbed his forehead. “Which means Dante and Deke have a copy?”
“Yep.” Derrick sounded way too cheerful for Dylan’s liking.
“Fun time is over. What’s up?”
“I did a little digging.”
“I thought I told you I’d keep you in the loop.”
“You know I was never one to wait to be asked to the party.”
True. Derrick would rather jump in and ask questions later.
“And?”
“Esposa definitely has relatives living on the outskirts of Tampa. Whatever is going on in Cypress Pointe can’t be a coincidence.”
Dylan walked to the sliding doors and gazed out at the tropical vista. “I wonder if he realizes I’m here?”
“If he did, he probably would have come after you by now.”
“I have been keeping a low profile.”
Derrick snickered.
“What else?”
“My contact is getting the names of the families. Once we have them, we can check more thoroughly.”
“What’s this we? I told you I needed to do this on my own.”
“Look, bro. I get that you want to bring Esposa down by yourself, but you’re crazy if you think you’re just gonna walk up and slap the cuffs on him. You need as much help as you can get. You owe Eddie that much.”
If anyone but Derrick had said those words, he would have been all over them. But his brother was right. Eddie’s memory deserved better, which meant Dylan needed to do this by the book. Make it count for Eddie’s family.
“When you have the details get back to me.”
“Will do.”
Dylan paused, then asked, “You aren’t going to catch trouble for helping me, are you?”
“Even if I was, I don’t care. You’re my brother. Eddie was a friend. I’m doing this.”
There was no dissuading Derrick when he was on the trail of a criminal. Dylan wouldn’t bother trying.
“I’m working with a PI here in Cypress Pointe. When we get any new information I’ll pass it on.”
“Sounds good. And, Dylan?”
“Yeah.”
“Watch your six, brother.”
“Always.”
He ended the call and tossed his phone on the bed. Out on the balcony, he clasped the wrought-iron banister and leaned forward, letting the breeze cool his face.
Except for the night Esposa surprised him, Dylan rarely let down his guard. It still stuck in his craw that he’d been so intent on getting Esposa that Eddie had been left vulnerable. The what-ifs had almost gotten to him after the shooting. The only way to make things right was to get Esposa off the streets and behind bars.
He ordered dinner to the room. Steak and a baked potato were definitely well earned tonight. Kady had plans, and his mother was with her friends, and honestly, he didn’t want to be at the mercy of the florists who wanted to talk about the industry. He’d heard enough growing up, working during the summers delivering arrangements for his mother, or listening to shoptalk at the dinner table. He admired his mother’s dedication to her craft, but if it wasn’t for an ulterior motive, he’d have ratted out Derrick and his magic coin to escape conference duty.
While eating, he flipped through the sports channels. Usually, after a long day he’d come home and do just the same, but tonight he felt restless. He paced, watched the sun set, but couldn’t settle down. He grabbed a jacket. Maybe a walk on the beach would blow the cobwebs away.
Attendees still mingled in the lobby. He couldn’t blame them. This was a highlight in their year and most were taking full advantage of networking. He’d almost gotten to the front entrance when he noticed Kady coming from another direction. She was in conversation with her friends and didn’t see him. He decided to wait and catch up with her as she left.
Leaning a shoulder against a decorative column, he was just out of Kady’s sight line. She was very animated as she and her friends laughed. She must have gone to dinner after the last workshop because she still wore the same outfit from earlier. The only difference was that she’d pulled back her thick mass of hair into a soft style he’d come to like seeing on her. He imagined running his hands through the weight of it, and with any luck, he might lean in for a kiss...
His thoughts ended abruptly when the woman he’d been wishing to kiss stopped a few feet from him, chatting with her group. Although his intention was not to eavesdrop, he could overhear their conversation.
“Really, Kady. You need to get out there more,” said the woman Dylan remembered meeting the other night. Melissa, was it?
“Look, you might all be old married women, but it doesn’t happen for some of us. I’m happy at the shop.”
Another woman barked out a laugh. “Right.”
Kady’s brow wrinkled. “No, I’m fine.”
Melissa grinned at her. “Oh? I saw you sitting by the pool with Queen Jasmine’s son.”
“You two were pretty cozy.”
“We were just talking.”
“Talking can lead to a relationship,” another woman added. “My husband and I talked on the phone for two months before we met in person.”
“Not everyone takes things that slowly,” Melissa drawled.
The woman shrugged. “Worked for us.”
Dylan wouldn’t mind talking with Kady, but he wanted to walk along the beach with her. Alone. To see where things might go.
He hadn’t missed the reluctant attraction in her eyes before she realized Jasmine was his mother. It was the same look she’d tried to disguise today out by the pool. He wanted to see the reluctant part removed and the attraction part increased.
“I’m happily single,” Kady insisted.
Her friends exchanged knowing glances, but gave her a reprieve. They said their goodbyes and went in different directions.
Pushing from the column, he sidled up to Kady as she turned toward the entrance. “Headed home?”
She halted, her head jerking up. “Where did you come from?”
He nodded in the direction of the lobby. “Got stir-crazy and decided to take a walk.”
“It’s a nice night.” Hesitating, she tugged at the tote strap over her shoulder. “So, um, I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“I could walk you to your car.”
“It’s parked behind the flower shop. I have to go back and check on things anyway.”
“Want company?”
She flashed a quick smile. “You must be really bored.”
“No, but escorting a beautiful woman to her car just might make my night.”
She chuckled. “You smooth talker, you.” She visibly hesitated again, and when she met his gaze, he couldn’t miss the longing there. It hit him smack in the middle of his solar plexus. But he could also see she was weighing her options. Deciding if she should spend more time with him. Smart girl.
“Cypress Pointe is a relatively safe town. Nothing much happens here. But a girl can’t be too careful, so, okay. You can walk with me.”
They stepped out into a clear, star-filled night. The temperature had dropped and the wind picked up again. Kady pulled the jacket from her bag. When she struggled to get it on, he helped. Their fingers brushed and he felt the adrenaline kick in his gut. The reaction he’d come to associate with Kady. The one that reminded him of how long it had been since he’d pursued a real relationship with a woman.
As they walked, he asked about the town. Kady kept up a running commentary, her nervousness evident. He smiled, amused and pleased.
Before long they reached the alley behind the shop. Kady dug for the keys.
“I should go inside and check on things. Christine is capable, but she’s new and can’t work with the flowers yet.”
“Isn’t there anyone else to do the job?”
“No. My parents are out of town, so the designing falls to me. Between the shop and the convention, I’ve been busy.”
The lightbulb in the fixture over the back door flickered. “You should get that fixed.”
“I will.” Kady held the keys in her hand but didn’t move. Loose papers blew across the asphalt. Did he detect the scent of rain in the air? When an especially strong gust whipped her hair free, he reached out to brush a strand from her cheek. Lost in the moment and the soft touch of her skin, Dylan stepped closer and lowered his head. Kady remained still and he touched his lips to hers, settling into a kiss that had the capability of rocking his world.
His tight chest eased when Kady leaned into him. He angled his head, settling his hands on her waist, sweeping them both into the intimacy of the kiss. He ignored the gravity of his feelings, instead giving himself over to the sensation of Kady in his arms. Reality would intrude later. For now, he wanted the magic of the moment, wanted the breathless kiss to last.
The wind gusted again, causing the bulb to flicker again, disturbing the electrifying bond between himself and Kady.
Kady pulled away, gazed directly into his eyes. “What’s going on?”
“I’d say we’re enjoying each other’s company.”
“But...what’s the endgame, Dylan? You’ll be leaving town soon.”
He drew in a bracing breath. “Are you asking if this might turn into something permanent?”
“Maybe.”
“I thought you liked being single?”
Her eyes went wide.
“Yeah, sorry. I overheard.”
She punched his arm. “You were eavesdropping.”
“Not intentionally.”
“And that makes it okay?”
“No.” He shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t know how I keep ending up in these situations where I have to explain myself to you.”
“So you’re saying I bring out the worst in you?”
He ran a hand over his jaw. “This is getting out of hand. Maybe you should just unlock the door.”
Kady put the key in the lock, turned it and she pushed open the door. Before she or Dylan could move, he laid a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, expectant.
“I can’t explain what you do to me, Kady. And I can’t make any promises. But I do want to see where this leads.”
She nodded, then stepped inside, her hand running along the wall to locate the light switch. He waited while she flipped on the light, took another step and then abruptly plowed into the back of her.
“What the—”
His next word died in his throat as he took in the scene. Kady’s shocked cry jolted him back to reality.
The room had been trashed. He’d been to enough crime scenes to know the act had been deliberate. And by the expression on Kady’s pale face, she knew it, too.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“I DON’T UNDERSTAND what’s happened,” Kady gasped, her hands pressed over her aching stomach.
Dylan gently moved her aside. “Let me look around.”
She grabbed a handful of his jacket. “Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Stay here.”
Too shaky to do anything but follow his command, Kady processed her surroundings while Dylan made his way to the front of the store. A light came on in the distance.
“Clear,” Dylan yelled in a calm, clear voice.
She shook her head. Now this?
Dylan returned, his cell phone in hand. “I’m calling the authorities.”
Yes. Right. That made sense.
He jerked to a stop, his eyes fixed on her. “It’ll be okay.”
The concerned glimmer in his gaze made her straighten her shoulders and slowed her heart rate. Which worked, until she scanned the room more closely. “How can you say that?”
“Because you weren’t here when the perps broke in.”
Perps? Okay. But still...
Scattered on the floor were strips of floral tape, crushed foam molds, ruined baskets, a smashed glue gun and sticks. Dried lavender bunches were trampled among her supplies and emitted a sweet scent in the wake of all the destruction.
Running a shaky hand through her hair, she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that someone had torn her shop to pieces. Why? Cypress Pointe was a tourist destination, not a hotbed of criminal activity. And yet the scene before her said otherwise.
Dylan’s strong voice broke through her fog. As he related the incident to someone on the other end of the phone, she finally drew in a few deep breaths. Setting her tote on the worktable, she tried to itemize the damage.
Only then did she notice she hadn’t disengaged the alarm system. Yet the piercing sound had never blared through the room. Obviously someone else had beaten her to it. The unit was hanging from the wall by its wires.
She close
d her eyes against hot tears. Why would someone violate the space she loved? What did they want or need so badly that they’d come into her business and trash it?
Taking another breath, she opened her eyes. It would help if she took inventory and saw if anything came up missing.
All the bins she’d lovingly organized and arranged on the shelves were dumped on the floor. The lower cabinet doors hung open, the contents also left on the floor. Broken glass littered the area, a rainbow of colors mixed together from the vases and decorative containers she used. The empty boxes she stored for delivery on the very top shelf were missing, probably mixed in among the mess she didn’t have the heart to wander through.
The back door slammed as a gust of wind pushed it closed. Kady nearly jumped out of her skin, her hand moving over her rapidly beating heart.
Gingerly stepping over her materials, she noticed a crack in the glass door of the cooler. Hurrying over, she carefully felt inside. The air was cool. Relief swept over her.
“Broken?” Dylan asked as he joined her.
“Just the glass. The unit seems okay.” She turned to him, drawing strength from his.
“The police will be here soon.”
She wrung her hands. Where did she start cleaning this disaster?
“Everything has to remain where it is until the authorities survey the scene.”
She nodded. She’d seen enough cop shows to know that much.
“How was it up front?”
“Barely touched.”
Glad for a bit of good news, she suddenly thought of the cash register. “The money,” she cried, sprinting down the hallway and skidding to a stop at the counter. The register was closed. She paused, confused.
Dylan came up behind her. “I noticed it, too.”
“Why would someone trash the shop but not try to open the register to take the cash?” She hit a few buttons and the drawer slid open. She removed a few bills. “We only keep twenty dollars in the drawer overnight. It’s all here.”
Dylan took the bills, placed them back in the drawer and moved her away from the counter. “Try not to touch anything else.”