by Laura Scott
“I heard, wouldn’t that be amazing?”
“I’ve already given them a brochure,” Jazz confided. She placed two cranberry muffins and two slices of lemon-poppy seed bread out on a plate for them to eat and went back out to the dining room.
Jazz kept her informed as the rest of their guests straggled in, keeping them busy. Even Mr. Williams joined them, ordering the French toast. Jemma hoped he wasn’t still holding a grudge and knew she had to let Jazz know about what had transpired during the night. One of the other married couples ordered the full Irish without the blood pudding, so she had two skillets going at once. Sherry Talbot, the woman who’d come alone because her fiancé had to work, joined Mr. Williams at his table and also ordered the full Irish.
At roughly eight thirty, Trey had come out of the master suite, padding over to the kitchen while still wearing his Superman pajamas. She plunked him at the table and gave him something to eat, knowing Jazz would help keep an eye on him.
“That’s it, Sis,” Jazz said with a relieved sigh. “Everyone is fed and out of the dining room.”
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Jemma noted the time to be about ten thirty in the morning. “That’s great.”
“Oh, and the guy who showed up alone left his key on the table. Sounded as if he was leaving.”
Jemma nodded, making a mental note to refund his money. “What about Garth?”
“I’m right here,” he said from the doorway.
“Come on, Trey. Let’s take a walk, shall we?” Jazz seemed to know she needed a moment alone.
When the door shut behind Jazz and Trey, a heavy silence fell between them.
“I’m sorry about last night,” he said, placing his empty coffee cup on the kitchen counter. “Please call if you need anything, okay?”
“I will.” She forced a smile. “Everyone finished their meal. I hope that means they liked it.”
“It was delicious,” he told her. “I heard a lot of praise from your guests. Even Dominic Williams.”
She didn’t want to rehash everything that had transpired with Mr. Williams. It was all too mortifying. “Yes, well. I have a lot of work to do. My kitchen looks as if it was hit by a tornado. And Jazz and I are splitting the cleaning of the guest rooms.”
Garth nodded and moved through the kitchen toward the front door. There was a tiny part of her that wanted to call him back, to give him another chance, but she forced herself to turn away.
Her first breakfast had been a success despite the disaster from the night before. She and Jazz needed to focus on making the B&B profitable.
For her sake and Trey’s. Which meant Garth could no longer be a part of the plan.
Striding to the squad car he’d left in the driveway, Garth brooded over how badly he’d blown it with Jemma. Why had he gone so far over the edge as to pull a gun on her guest?
Because he didn’t trust the guy. And had feared the guy was about to do something to harm Jemma and Trey.
Yet, even he knew that wasn’t good enough. As a trained cop he knew better than to jump to conclusions. This was the exact opposite of the mistake he’d made with Kate and Sophie. Two years ago, he’d thought the threat against them had been neutralized, but he’d been wrong.
This time, with Jemma and Trey, he’d imagined a threat that didn’t exist.
The guy might file a complaint against him with his boss, but he didn’t care. He deserved it. But if Williams took out his anger on the B&B by leaving a scathing review, there was nothing he could do to fix it.
The guy’s excuses for going outside on a chilly May evening were lame, but not completely unbelievable. Yet looking back, Garth still couldn’t shake the thought that something was off about the guy.
The background checks he’d run hadn’t yielded anything suspicious, but that may only mean that Williams hadn’t gotten caught yet.
He noticed the woman, Sherry Talbot, who’d come alone for the weekend, walking down the driveway toward the highway. Her long dark hair had been pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore figure-hugging workout gear. Figuring she must be going for a walk, he lifted his hand in a wave as he drove past.
She frowned, as if she didn’t recognize him, then returned the wave half-heartedly. As he headed into town, he found himself wishing he’d have gotten Williams’s license plate number so he could keep an eye out for the guy’s vehicle, in case he decided to stick around McNally Bay for a while.
Paranoid? Maybe. It was a hazard of the job. Cops had to trust their instincts, and his had been jangling the moment the guy had shown up on Jemma’s doorstep. Although, to be fair, he wouldn’t have even zeroed in on Williams if it wasn’t for all the trouble Jemma’s ex was causing.
Had Williams truly been up to something last night? Maybe he was planning to call Cunningham, to give an update or to get further instructions. He wished Jemma wouldn’t have insisted on refunding the guy’s money. At least, not until he knew the guy was innocent.
Garth drove to his apartment building, feeling at loose ends. He’d taken the weekend off so he could keep an eye on Jemma and Trey, but now he decided the best way to do that was to be on the job.
First shift was almost halfway over, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t pick up some second or third shift hours. When he made the call, Alex readily agreed to give up his graveyard shift.
As the day wore on, Garth realized how lonely he felt without Jemma and Trey. In the short time that he’d become involved with them, they’d filled the gaping hole in his life.
He’d felt the same way about Kate and Sophie, too. And looked how that turned out? His lapse in judgement had caused Kate’s ex-husband to find them. It was a minor miracle that Kate and Sophie had survived.
But his relationship with them had never recovered. Kate had lost faith in his abilities to keep her and Sophie safe. She’d informed him that she’d decided to move with Sophie back down to Florida to live with her mother. He’d offered to move with her, but Kate had refused. She’d told him she needed time alone, but he knew that was just a polite way of saying their relationship was over. Not just over, but disintegrated beyond repair. Dead and buried.
The last time he’d seen her, she and Sophie had left the hospital bandaged and bruised as they made their way to a rental car he’d obtained on their behalf. Once they were settled inside, Kate had driven away without once looking back.
The guilt of the near miss had haunted him for the past twenty-four months. And here he was, making the same mistake all over again with Jemma and Trey.
Apparently, he had a knack for destroying potential relationships. Time to accept the fact that he was destined to live alone.
By dinnertime, he decided to walk over to Daisy’s Diner. The food wasn’t nearly as good as Jemma’s, but it was decent and familiar. Yet when he entered the diner, he didn’t feel the same sense of home that he used to.
Ashley was working and greeted him with a warm smile. “Hey, Garth, how are you?”
“Good, Ashley.” The place was busy, so he gestured to the one empty seat at the counter, way off in the corner. “Is that spot open?”
“Absolutely.” She waved him over, then filled a water glass for him. “I assume you don’t need a menu?”
“Nah. I’ll have a burger with the works.”
“Sounds good.” Ashley crossed over to the register and put his order in.
Garth turned sideways on his stool, putting his back against the wall so he could sweep his gaze over the patrons of the restaurant. As it was a Saturday evening, he saw far more strangers than regulars, likely tourists. It occurred to him that Jemma and Jazz had picked a good time to open their B&B. May was the start of the tourist season, and by June they would be overrun by visitors.
His gaze stumbled across a woman seated in a booth. She was studying the menu with her head down, but he was fairly sure the woman was Sherry Talbot. Not that her eating dinner here was unusual, but it was still a bit jarring to see her here.
It w
as hard to imagine what a woman on her own would do to pass time in McNally Bay. I mean, sure, they had boats for rent, and fishing was big. Their main street was quaint, but half the shops weren’t open yet. The Cozy Quilt shop was open, maybe Sherry was interested in that. Or maybe she had a secret passion for fishing.
He inwardly shrugged. What Sherry Talbot chose to do with her time was none of his business. He was hardly the expert on female hobbies.
His burger arrived ten minutes later, and he dug into his meal with gusto. Glancing at his watch, he estimated he had five hours before he needed to report in at 11:00 p.m. for his shift.
Feeling better about the fact that he could at least watch the McNally Mansion from afar, he dawdled over his food. The burger was medium rare and the fries extra crispy, just the way he liked them.
What were Jemma and Trey having for dinner? Were they right now sharing a meal with Jazz and Dalton?
Stop it. He wasn’t a part of their group. Being the outsider looking in was something he should be used to by now.
“Would you like dessert?” Ashley asked, refilling his coffee cup.
“Not today, thanks. Just bring me the bill.”
“Here you go. Hope to see you again, soon.” Ashley gave him a friendly pat on his arm as she left.
After settling his bill, he stood to leave. As he turned back to face the restaurant, he saw that Sherry Talbot was still in her booth. Which wouldn’t have been that unusual except that she wasn’t alone.
He abruptly stopped in his tracks, the tiny hairs on the back of his neck lifting in alarm. Dominic Williams was seated across from Sherry. Not only had the guy not left town, but he was in a deep discussion with Sherry that made it seem as if they knew each other as more than passing acquaintances.
Garth quickly turned and recaptured his seat. He gestured for Ashely. “I changed my mind about dessert,” he told her.
“Great! One slice of apple pie coming right up.”
Garth nodded, then surreptitiously glanced over his shoulder. It didn’t appear as if Sherry and Dominic had noticed him.
He told himself there were plenty of reasons the two had ended up here, together. It’s a small town. They were both here alone. An innocent coincidence.
But deep down, he didn’t believe it.
13
Jemma cleaned the kitchen, a task that helped burn off her frustration, then turned her attention to cleaning the two remaining guest rooms. Jazz had done four of them and then had taken Trey to visit Goldie the puppy. Since the rose room and yellow rooms needed to be fully cleaned, she threw herself into the work, stripping the beds and putting the towels and linens in the washing machine. Then she scrubbed down the two bathrooms, finding a strange sense of satisfaction in making the tile and chrome sparkle.
She’d skipped lunch. But now her stomach was growling. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was almost dinnertime. Finished with working for the day, she walked to the house next door to see how things were going with Jazz, Dalton, and Trey.
Goldie was still playing with Trey, and Jemma couldn’t deny how adorable the Goldendoodle was. Lifting the puppy to her face, nuzzling the soft skin, made the last vestiges of stress melt away.
“You love her, Mom, don’t you?” Trey asked.
“I can’t deny it.” She looked up at her sister. “I really appreciate you doing this.”
“Hey, it will be fun for both of us. Shared responsibility, right?” Jazz laughed.
Jemma nodded, then sighed, giving Goldie back to Trey. “I need to fill you in on what happened last night.”
“What do you mean?” Jazz looked confused, then her gaze narrowed. “Did you hear from Randal?”
“No, no.” She waved a hand. “Nothing like that. Actually, things have been quiet on that front, and I’m hoping to keep it that way.”
“Then what is it?”
Jemma grimaced. “Garth went a little crazy.” She went on to fill her twin in on everything that had transpired.
“He pulled a gun on a guest?” Jazz echoed in horror. “I can’t believe it! What on earth was he thinking?”
“He was thinking the guy was going to hurt Jemma or Trey,” Dalton said, sticking up for Garth. “Why wouldn’t he be on high alert? It’s suspicious to go outside to hear the waves in the gazebo after midnight if you ask me.”
Since that was exactly what Garth said, she couldn’t argue. “Maybe, but I felt terrible and refunded his money.” She glanced at Jazz, hoping her twin wouldn’t be upset. “It was the only way I could think of to prevent him from hitting us with a lousy review. And even then, there’s no guarantee. He may still leave one anyway.”
“Yeah, I get that.” Jazz shook her head. “But it’s really a bummer. Not a stellar debut, huh?”
“No. Although, you thought breakfast went well.” Jemma tried to focus on the bright side.
“It did. They raved about the food, Jemma. Truly.” Jazz reached over and gave her a quick hug. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”
“I’ll try,” Jemma agreed. “Mr. Williams was only staying the one night, so tonight should be a breeze.” She paused, then added, “I kicked Garth out.”
Jazz’s jaw dropped, and she exchanged a worried look with Dalton. “Sis, are you sure that was a good idea?”
“Jazz, think about it. What am I supposed to do? Have Garth follow every guest who goes outside at night because they can’t sleep? He already chased away one potential guest, I can’t afford to let him do that with another.”
“Yeah, but . . .” Jazz’s voice trailed off. “I don’t know, Jem. I wouldn’t care one way or the other if it wasn’t for Randal.”
“Nothing has happened since the tire incident.” Jemma wasn’t sure why she felt the need to defend her decision. She was tired of worrying about Randal. She’d thought Jazz would be on her side on this, not on Garth’s. “I don’t want anything else to go wrong. From what I overheard of their conversation with you, it seemed like Mr. and Mrs. Perry might encourage their daughter to hold her wedding here. That would be huge for our business.”
“That’s true.” Jazz smiled. “They did seem interested in the idea.”
“Do you want me to stay in Garth’s room for tonight?” Dalton offered. “Having another man around couldn’t hurt.”
“That’s sweet, but you and Jazz are right next door. I’ll be fine.” She watched Goldie and Trey play, her son giggling as the puppy licked his face. Why the sudden flash of guilt over the way she’d treated Garth? No clue. But she needed to get over it already. “Oh, I almost forgot. I heard from Jonas last night.”
“You did? Is he coming home?” Jazz asked. “I’d love to plan our wedding if he is.”
Jemma lifted a hand. “Hold on. Yes, he’s coming home, but he’s also been injured. He called from the hospital.”
“Injured? How? What happened?”
“He wouldn’t give me the details,” Jemma told her. “But it sounds like it’s bad enough that they’ll be sending him stateside, but not bad enough that he couldn’t talk. That’s encouraging, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Jazz glanced at Dalton, taking his hand. “It’s good he’ll be home soon.”
“Yes, it is.” Jemma wished her brother would have been a bit more forthcoming with the details of his injury. They were quiet for a moment, lost in their thoughts. Jemma knew that as much as she and Jazz had wanted Jonas to come home, this wasn’t what they’d been hoping for. “Anyway,” she said, changing the subject. “I thought I’d make something easy for dinner, hamburgers and brats. Are you okay with that?”
“Absolutely,” Jazz agreed. “I nominate Dalton to do the grilling.”
“Hey, you didn’t even give me a chance to offer my excellent grilling services,” he protested. “Give me a little credit here. I’m happy to do my part.”
Jazz’s response was to lean in for a quick kiss. Jemma smiled, happy that her twin had found her perfect match with Dalton O’Brien. It hadn’t been an eas
y road, they’d both had to learn to trust and to love again. But seeing them together made all the tough stuff worth the effort.
When Garth had kissed her—was that just a day ago?—she’d thought that he might be someone she could lean on. Someone she could trust. Love.
Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest. Love? How had that happened? She hadn’t realized how she’d allowed her fantasy surrounding Garth’s becoming a permanent part of hers and Trey’s life to gain momentum.
Until she’d forced him to leave. She swallowed hard, overcome with a sense of sadness. Ridiculous to pine over schoolgirl fantasies.
For her, that level of happiness and togetherness just wasn’t meant to be.
Garth had barely taken three bites of his apple pie, when he noticed Sherry and Dominic had gotten up to leave. He tossed money on the counter to cover his dessert and tip, then slowly eased off his stool. He wanted to follow without being too obvious.
He paused just inside the doorway leading out of the diner, watching through the window. Surprisingly, Sherry and Dominic didn’t embrace or kiss but barely spoke as they went their separate ways.
Sherry walked in the direction of the grocery store, while Dominic got into a charcoal gray sedan. When Williams exited the parking lot, he drove in the opposite direction from Sherry.
Moving quickly, Garth headed to his squad car, wishing he had his personal vehicle rather than one announcing he was a cop. But he’d left his truck for Jemma to use, and she was so furious with him, the last thing he wanted to do was to renege on their deal.
He made sure there were a couple of cars between them as he followed Williams out of town. Was the guy leaving after all? There was a part of him that had wondered if Sherry and Dominic had planned a secret rendezvous. Were they both cheating on their spouse or partner? It would explain why she’d showed up alone, followed shortly by Dominic’s solo and unexpected arrival.
Had Dominic planned on meeting Sherry in the gazebo? If so, why? Wouldn’t it have been better to liaison in his room or hers? And if they were seeing each other on the sly, they didn’t show it at the diner.