Momentarily distracted by the talk of the investigation, she faced her parents again once the detective had gone.
Oh, right. For a few seconds she had been able to block out the fact that her mom and dad had caught their daughter up against one of the jewelry cases with a man’s hand in her shirt.
The silence between the four of them weighed heavily for a few seconds until Tiffany shook off the awkwardness. She was an adult, not a teenager. Her parents had caught her in a slightly embarrassing situation, but she was determined to forget it and walked forward to hug them both.
“I’m so happy you’re home, though I wish I had better news,” she said. “The insurance investigator has been here, so we can open tomorrow. He says he’ll want to talk to us all, as well, before he finalizes his report,” she said, jumping right to business.
Her father wasn’t so willing to overlook the tall, handsome man standing a few feet behind her, though he kissed her on the forehead as he always did before turning his attention back to Garrett.
“And you are?”
“Dad, I told you,” Tiffany said, stepping back, hoping her mother would help, though she received only a raised eyebrow from Laura Walker. “Garrett is a friend. We met at Ed’s wedding. He and Ed have been friends forever, and we stood up together in the wedding party,” Tiffany explained quickly. “Garrett’s here from Philadelphia. He’s a bodyguard there. I mean, he runs a bodyguard business…with his family,” she added, fumbling and knowing she sounded like a babbling idiot.
Garrett stepped forward, holding his hand out.
“Pleased to meet you, sir, Mrs. Walker,” he said with a friendly glance in her mom’s direction. He was cool and confident, as always. “Tiffany has hit the basics. We met at the wedding, and she’s been showing me around the city for a few days,” Garrett said.
“She’s been showing you more than the city, looked like to me,” her father muttered, and Tiffany gasped.
“Dad!”
“That was uncalled for, Robert,” her mother added.
“But you’re right, we were being indiscreet. I apologize for that,” Tiffany said sincerely, and her father’s face softened.
“I’m sorry, too, honey. It’s just been a heck of a few days,” her father said, nodding and shaking Garrett’s hand in return. Though he was still clearly sizing up Tiffany’s new male interest.
Her mom was giving Garrett the once-over as well, and covertly winked to Tiffany from behind her father’s back. Tiffany stifled a smile, and saw Garrett do the same.
“Call me Robert. So you’re a bodyguard?”
“Part of the time. My brothers and I run a personal security business back in Philly, and we take on a variety of tasks in the scope of the business,” Garrett supplied.
“That so? Sounds like dangerous work.”
“Not so much when we get it right,” Garrett said with a smile.
Robert laughed. “Yes, well, that makes sense. Is it a large company? Are you good at what you do?” her father fished without compunction. Tiffany nearly interjected, but Garrett didn’t seem to mind answering.
“We work hard,” he said diplomatically. “Like a lot of small businesses, we started out with small clients, personal security. Now we provide protection for several high-profile government officials, some museums, financial institutions, as well as working a few cases with the FBI,” Garrett said without sounding like he was bragging. “It helps that it’s just my brothers and myself. We work well together.”
“Plans to expand?”
“No, I don’t think so. We’d prefer to keep it a family venture.”
Her father practically glowed with approval, and Tiffany was surprised to learn about the scope of Garrett’s business as well. She probably looked as impressed as her parents did. For some reason, she hadn’t realized that a bodyguard business would be so varied, but then again, she hadn’t asked, had she?
“So, what do you make of this mess?” her father asked Garrett.
Garrett shook his head. “I’m not much of a detective, but it certainly looks like a professional job to me. Tiffany has actually come up with the best lead so far, as Detective Ramsey mentioned,” Garrett said, smiling in her direction.
“How’d you manage to think of that, pumpkin?” her father asked.
“I, um, well, you know how I like to read mysteries, Dad,” she said hesitantly. “And when I saw the fresh patch on the roof, and knew that no repairs had been ordered, it wasn’t too hard to put two and two together,” she offered.
“Good for you, honey,” her mother said. “That was a good catch. Now maybe the insurance won’t balk at covering the loss, if they have more proof that it wasn’t anyone working here,” she said, her miff at the idea clear.
“It’s still hard to explain how they had the combination to the vault, and how they knew where to look for all of the paperwork, or how they even knew the diamonds were here,” Tiffany said, not wanting to be the bearer of bad news, but she didn’t want her parents having false hope, either.
“You’re right, but this is just all so awful,” Laura said, the strain showing on her face in a way that made Tiffany’s heart twist. She couldn’t stand how this had to be tearing her parents up inside. It made her want to forget her budding relationship with the SFPD and get back on the case to solve it as soon as possible.
Her mom put her hand on her father’s back like she often did when she worried about him being overly stressed; her father was healthy, but he had high blood pressure, and this couldn’t be helping matters any.
“Your father wouldn’t care about the business as long as no one was hurt,” she said.
Robert frowned. “I can’t help but kick myself for wanting to expand. Building that vault, taking on higher-profile purchases… None of this would have happened if—”
“Dad, don’t even think that way. None of this is your fault, or our fault. It’s some nasty, greedy thieves and we are going to catch them!” Tiffany said fiercely, her resolve solidifying.
She felt Garrett’s hand on her shoulder, as well, squeezing.
Her parents noticed, too, though they didn’t seem to disapprove this time.
“I hope so, honey,” her father said, sounding worn out. “I forgot how tough jet lag can be,” he said, changing the subject with a laugh. “How long are you here for, Garrett?” he added, and Tiffany rolled her eyes at her father’s lack of subtlety, though Garrett didn’t seem to mind at all.
“A little less than a month now. I’ll go home just before Christmas week,” he said.
“Oh. That’s all, then?”
“I’m afraid so,” Garrett said.
“Well, you’ll have to join us for Thanksgiving, if you don’t already have plans,” Tiffany’s mom offered, and Tiffany was dizzy with how quickly her parents seemed to have warmed up to Garrett.
“Mom, I’m sure Garrett already—” She tried to beg off, saving him the trouble. She didn’t want her parents thinking this thing between her and Garrett was more serious than it was, or pinning any romantic hopes on him.
“I’d love to, Mrs. Walker—”
“Call me Laura,” her mother said with a warm smile.
“Of course, Laura. I appreciate your hospitality. I’d love to come if it’s not too much more work,” he said graciously.
Tiffany hadn’t seen that coming. What was he up to?
“That’s wonderful!” her mother declared. “It’s no more work to have one more at the table. We’ll cook as much as always. There’s always room for a friend of Tiffany’s.”
Tiffany blinked in amazement at her parents and almost said Since when? but stifled the remark. She couldn’t blame them for not exactly warming to her past boyfriends.
“So what are you two up to for the next few days?” her mother asked. “Garrett said you were showing him around the city?”
“Um, yes, we’ve only managed to get to the waterfront, Lombard Street and walking Russian Hill. There’s been so much going on
, with the wedding, the store and everything,” Tiffany said. “If we’re reopening the store, I’ll be working tomorrow morning so—”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. There are a few priority orders your father and I can handle, but with the holiday only two days away, and us being exhausted from the trip, I think we’ll stay closed and re-open on Friday for Black Friday, but you should take some time off, Tiffany. Show Garrett around. Perhaps take a trip up into Napa or to Point Reyes,” her mother urged, and Tiffany wanted to ask which aliens had kidnapped her parents and sent these imposters.
“Um, but Black Friday is always so busy, I should
really—”
“Nonsense. You have a guest from out of town—you don’t just leave him hanging and without anyone to show him around,” her father said. “Nick said he’d work Friday. He’s home for the weekend, and needs a break from his studies. You’ve been pulling long shifts, and with the break-in, you need to have some fun,”
Tiffany looked at her parents like she hadn’t seen them before, but nodded. “Okay,” she said, unable to argue with their generosity, whatever the source. She wasn’t going to turn down the free time to spend with Garrett, or to work on the case.
“Why don’t you two move along? The day is still early, and there’s a lot you could do. We’re going to catch up here, call that investigator and some of the clients who need an immediate response, and then we’re heading home to rest,” her mother said, practically pushing Tiffany and Garrett outside the door.
“Come at noon on Thursday, if that’s not too early. We make a day of it. Cooking, the parade, football… Dinner is at four, but we’ll have lunch, too, so come hungry,” Laura said to Garrett before she closed the door on them both with a happy wave.
Tiffany covered her face. “Oh, God. I am so sorry.”
Garrett peeled her hands off. “What for?”
“They have never been like that with any of the other guys I’ve dated. They think we’re… They like you.”
“I liked them, too. They seem like nice, solid people.”
“You don’t get it. They think we’re more than we are…you know…more than a fling.”
Garrett pursed his lips thoughtfully. “I don’t think so—they know I’m just here for a month.”
“Hmm, they’ve never acted like that before,” Tiffany said. “I don’t want them thinking I finally snagged a good one, and then they’ll be so disappointed.”
Garrett laughed. “Tiffany, are you worried I’ll break your parents’ hearts?”
She had to smile. She knew she was being absurd, but her parents had really thrown her off. “I suppose you’re right. It was just so weird. And I didn’t expect you to want to come to dinner on Thursday,” she said frankly.
“Would you rather I didn’t?”
“No, I’d love it,” she said. “I just didn’t expect it.”
“Listen, I have no plans, and it made your mother happy. It gave her something to focus on rather than the problems with the store.”
Tiffany’s heart flipped in her chest. Oh, dear. For all of the fantastic sex and support Garrett had offered, for him to be so considerate of her parents moved her deeply.
“You are a good man.”
“They’re good people. So are you,” he said.
“I guess I have time to show you around a bit now…and maybe time for some other things, too,” she said flirtatiously, getting into the holiday mood.
She had time off, a wonderful man to be with and she’d found a solid lead in her first case today. Thanksgiving was two days away, but she had a lot to be grateful for already. Who knew what the next few days could bring?
“What would you like to do first?” she asked, game for anything.
His smile told her before he even spoke. “Finish what we started in there, for one,” he said, leaning down to kiss her ear lightly, the slight touch setting quick little fires inside of her.
“I think we can do that,” she said breathlessly, his response making her very thankful indeed as they hurried to her car and drove back to his room to do just that.
* * *
“THIS IS INCREDIBLE,” Garrett said as they drove slowly along the bumpy, winding road that traveled along the rural edge of the Point Reyes National Seashore. “I can’t believe there are cattle ranches here. Cows, right by the ocean,” he said, grinning like a kid at a peaceful, pretty Holstein that watched them drive by. Tall grass leaned with the coastal breeze all the way to the edge of the water, and they’d only seen three other cars.
Tiffany laughed. “That’s the third time you’ve said that,” she said.
He smiled at her, liking the way she’d wrapped a colorful scarf over her hair as he’d traded in the SUV and rented a convertible for the drive up the coast. It seemed like the thing to do in California, driving along the ocean.
“You look like Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief, with that scarf and the sunglasses,” he said. “Very sexy.”
“‘I’ve never caught a jewel thief before. It’s stimulating. It’s like…well, it’s like…’” she quoted from the movie.
“‘Like sitting in a hot tub?’” he filled in, completing the quote.
“Seems oddly appropriate, don’t you think?” she asked with a smile. “I love that movie.”
“Me, too.”
“We should rent it and watch it before you leave.”
“Sounds good,” he agreed.
Garrett loved old movies, but that one was a particular favorite. He enjoyed that Tiffany knew it well enough to quote from. He’d never met a woman who shared that particular pleasure with him. Not even Lainey. Old movies had either put her to sleep or made her fidget restlessly through the entire show.
“So how did all of these ranches end up here?” he asked, still fascinated by the seemingly endless expanse of grazing land that went on for miles, the Pacific visible on the other side. There was a house or a drive every here and there, the ranches all named alphabetically: “the D ranch” or “the H ranch.”
They’d driven up beautiful highways lined with redwoods the way the east coast highways were lined with maples and pines, but these seemed so much more exotic. After walking along one windy beach, they’d had lunch in the small town of Point Reyes Station. The cook at the only bar/pizza joint in the small town had snipped the herbs from gardens that surrounded a patio where they sat in the sun. It was some of the best pizza Garrett had ever had. Maybe that was because he was hungry from the coastal air. Or maybe being with Tiffany stimulated all of his appetites.
“This area is generally known as the pastoral zone. I always mean to come here more often, but then never get the chance,” she said.
“It’s a bit of a drive.”
“But worth it. I love getting out of the city, closer to nature. Early settlers came to the area, mainly through the gold rush, I think, and discovered the area was very suited to raising dairy cows. There were several disputes and the land changed hands over decades, but it’s part of the National Parks Service now as historic landscape, though obviously the ranches are still active. I think they even give tours of some of the ranches. We could look into that, if you want,” she offered.
“Nah, that’s okay. I just like driving by, though I would like to learn more about how they got here. It’s just gorgeous. East coast beaches are beautiful in a different way—with sprawling dunes and long, sandy stretches. And we have dairy farms, obviously, but this is really something to see.”
“There’s a ranger station where we can probably get more information,” she said as they drove to the parking lot at the headlands. “It’s a short walk, but then we have to scale over three-hundred steps down to the lighthouse. Are you up for it?”
“Totally. Can work off that pizza,” he said with a grin.
“I think we’re good in the exercise department,” she said with a wink, making him laugh as they got out of the car.
Garrett took in the rugged landscape and clear sky as they walked
to the visitor’s center.
“We’re lucky it’s clear and not too windy today. The last time I came up here, the fog was so thick you couldn’t even see the parking lot. They closed down and turned everyone away.”
“I guess that would indicate why the lighthouse is so important, with all of these rocks and cliffs, too,” Garrett said.
They poked around the visitors’ center for a while, looking at displays and talking to the rangers on duty, and then headed off for their walk to the lighthouse.
Smiling red-faced tourists passed them and heaved heavy breaths on their way back up the hundreds of steps as Garrett and Tiffany went down. The straight slope of steps allowing them to get down the rock face toward the water and the lighthouse wasn’t very wide, and it was a little intimidating from the top. Though the steps were as walkable as possible, this wasn’t the place to take a tumble, Garrett thought, keeping Tiffany’s hand securely in his.
Down at the bottom, his legs felt like jelly, though he wasn’t going to admit it. Tiffany’s scarf had come off in the car; her hair whipped around her face in the wind. She looked as wild and untamed as the landscape around them. He clicked a picture of her staring out over the fence toward the water when she wasn’t looking, and then admired the lovely, candid photo. It would be a treasured keepsake for the future, he thought, when they parted ways.
“Look!” she said, pointing enthusiastically to where a few deer sat in the grass, munching peacefully, and a falcon flew overhead.
The rock formations alone caught Garrett’s attention, and he took several pictures with his phone, sending them off to his family with a click of a few buttons. His brothers had harassed him for weeks to go, and had made bets that he probably wouldn’t do much sight-seeing once he was here, but would probably hole up in his room and work.
If only they knew what he was doing in his hotel room, they’d see how wrong they were. But this was proof that he was actually out and enjoying the sights.
Yours for the Night Page 12