by Rebecca Deel
“Mouton didn’t.”
“Old Beau saw what he wanted to see. He thinks of women as arm candy.”
“Well, this arm candy can knock him flat.”
“Not something he’d be prepared for, I assure you.”
They met at the front of the SUV and entered the coffee shop. A deep breath told him the coffee and the baked goods were fresh. Despite having eaten a good breakfast, his stomach rumbled.
Lily laughed softly. “Sounds like you need another meal, babe.”
His eyebrow raised at that. Remy kind of liked her calling him babe.
“What can I get for you?” A woman smiled at them from behind the counter.
“Two coffees, Lynne.”
The black-haired woman looked startled a moment, then a smile spread. “Why, Remy Doucet. Been a long time since I’ve seen you.”
“How have you been?”
“Good. Who’s your friend?”
“This is Lily, my girlfriend. Sweetness, Lynne Adams, a friend from my childhood days.”
Lily offered her hand. “Good to meet you.”
“Same. Can I get you anything besides coffee?”
“Actually, the apple cinnamon muffins look fabulous.” She smiled. “Do you make them yourself?”
Lynne beamed. “I do. This is my newest recipe. So far, people seem pleased with them. I’m thinking about adding some scones into my baked goods selections.”
“I’d buy them. I love scones.”
“Stop by in a couple days. I’ll hunt up a few recipes and give them a try. You can be my taste tester.”
“If we’re still here, I’d love that.”
Lynne busied herself getting their coffee and a couple muffins for each of them. When Remy pulled out his wallet, Lynne waved him off. “My treat.”
“Do you have time to talk? I haven’t been home in a while.”
“I’d love to catch up and this is a slow time of the day. Business will pick up closer to lunch. People stop in to buy cookies and another cup of coffee before returning to work.”
They settled at a table near the counter so the owner could easily help a customer who might wander in. Lynne poured a cup of coffee and selected a blueberry muffin for herself.
“What have you been up to, Remy?” Lynne sipped her coffee as she sat across from them, bright gaze fixed on his.
“I was a cop in New York City for ten years. I work for a private security contractor now.”
“A cop?” Surprise crossed her face. “Wow. I never would have thought of you as law enforcement.”
Remy smiled. “Is that right? What did you see me doing?”
“Military maybe.”
Close enough with Fortress. “How did you end up working here?”
“Actually, I own the place.” She laughed. “Had to do something with that business degree from Vanderbilt University. I frequented coffee houses around Nashville for four years, worked in a couple of them, and decided I wanted to open my own shop someday. After I graduated, I came home, married Jeff, and opened Oak Hill’s first coffee shop.”
Lily bit into the apple muffin, moaned. “Oh, Lynne. This is amazing.”
She beamed. “Thank you.”
“Any news to share about our old classmates?” Remy asked. He wondered if she’d say anything about Christine, if they were still friends after all this time. Seemed like Lynne and Christine moved in different circles these days. He couldn’t imagine Christine giving Lynne a hand running this place.
His old friend chattered about different classmates, sharing gossip and several amusing stories.
“What about Christine?” he asked. And watched her expression darken.
“What about her?”
He tilted his head. “You used to be close friends.”
“Used to be,” she said. “I fell out of favored friend status when I opened the coffee shop.”
Lily frowned. “Why? It’s a great business. Most coffee houses are the center of a community. Since this is the only one in town, I thought your shop would be at the heart of everything.”
“You don’t know Christine. She’s a trust fund baby and never held a job in her life. I’ve been busy getting this place off the ground and keeping it solvent. I didn’t have time for charity functions and extended shopping trips. Plus I have two sons now. They’re nine and eleven. Chris doesn’t want children and is not interested in being around anyone else’s.”
“She doesn’t know what she’s missing,” Remy said. “I have a blast with my nieces and nephews. I haven’t seen Christine around town. Do you know where I might catch up with her?”
Lynne shrugged. “No one’s seen her for a few days. I figured she’s shopping in New Orleans again.”
“Remy promised to take me there to show me around,” Lily said. “Maybe we’ll run into her.”
“If you shop in the French Quarter, you might. Christine loves the boutique shops and the antique stores.”
He noticed the small flinch from his partner and covered a grin by sipping his coffee. He’d never have to worry about Lily spending too much time in shops. The woman in question narrowed her eyes at him. He winked at her.
“Do you know where she likes to stay when she’s in New Orleans?”
She laughed. “Find the most expensive hotel in the French Quarter and you’ll probably find her set up in the presidential suite.”
“What’s been happening in her life since I left?”
“You know Christine. She’s been acting like the queen of Oak Hill since she married James.” She paused, her face coloring. “Sorry.”
Remy patted her hand. “It’s been a long time, Lynne. My relationship with Christine is in the past. Has she been happy?”
Lynne darted a nervous glance toward Lily.
He draped his arm over her shoulders. “She knows about my history with Christine and what happened our senior year. We don’t have secrets from each other. I moved on, but I still care about Christine and James both.” And to Remy’s surprise, that was the absolute truth. He did care about them both. In retrospect, Christine choosing James set him free to pursue his first love, law enforcement. That was a career move she never would have been able to live with, not to mention the fact she wanted to stay near her parents. They never would have made it in NYC. His cop salary was pretty small in the beginning and living expenses were high. Not something Christine would have tolerated. She didn’t believe in short-term sacrifice for long-term goals.
Lynne bit her lower lip, sighed. “Chris stopped in a couple times a week for coffee, almost like she was patronizing a local shop because she ought to as the first lady of Oak Hill.”
Lily looked puzzled. “Shouldn’t that be the mayor’s wife instead of just a business owner’s spouse?”
“You’d think so, but that’s not how she acted.
“What have you noticed?” Remy asked. If they weren’t close anymore, he wasn’t sure if Christine had confided in her old friend. If not, this trip down memory lane might be fun, but not particularly helpful.
“She seemed more and more bored in the last few years.”
“Bored with what?” Lily prompted.
“Everything. Her life as a whole, almost like small town living was no longer enough.”
Interesting. Sounded as if Christine was restless a lot longer than two months if Lynne had noticed the problem for years. “When did you see her last?”
“Beginning of last week. She bought coffee and half a dozen blueberry muffins to take home.”
“Was she coming across as still bored?”
Lynne frowned. “Actually, now that I think about it, no. Chris was pretty upbeat for once.”
“Do you know why?” Lily sipped her coffee while watching the other woman over the rim.
“She didn’t say.”
Remy heard the hesitancy in her voice, decided it might be best to level with her to some extent. Nothing wrong with old friends inquiring about each other, especially if the husband was
worried about his wife. “Look, Lynne, James hasn’t heard from her in over a week. He’s becoming concerned. She hasn’t answered her cell or contacted him.”
Lily leaned closer to the other woman. “Do you think she and James had a disagreement?”
Lynne laughed softly. “Chris flat out didn’t care enough to fight with him.”
“How do you know that? You said you two weren’t close anymore.”
“You could tell just by watching them interact with each other. They were excruciatingly polite, like two strangers.”
Remy considered what she said, compared it to James’ account of their relationship. Some disparity between the two versions. Sounded like his perception of their marriage was not a shared one. “What do you think is the cause of that?”
“He works long hours, Remy. Christine never has been willing to take second place to anything or anyone.” A wry smile crossed her face. “What she forgets is the long hours James puts in provides her with the money to keep her lifestyle as high as it is.” Her gaze locked on his. “But I think the real reason her and James’ relationship cooled off was she realized she made a big mistake marrying him.”
Shock rolled through Remy. No way. His old flame couldn’t think she should have chosen him. She would have hated every second of the last twelve years. He’d probably never make the kind of money she was used to spending on a continual basis. His needs were a lot simpler and he liked it that way.
Under his arm, he felt Lily stiffen. Without thinking, he started rubbing her upper arm. “I’m sorry to hear that. James struck me as being totally in love with his wife.”
“Did Christine say something specific about wishing she’d chosen Remy?” Lily asked. “Or was that just a general impression you picked up?”
He turned, studied her profile. Again, he was impressed with her mind and her grasp of the situation. Though he was concerned at first when Maddox paired them up for this op, Lily was the perfect balance to his chaotic thoughts in this situation.
“She hasn’t mentioned Remy by name for years, but who else could she be thinking of?”
That was the question. Even if Christine had contacted him, he wouldn’t have taken up where they’d left off. The Doucets valued the sanctity of marriage. He didn’t intend to be the first one to poach on someone else’s territory. She belonged to James, period. He couldn’t live with himself if he destroyed any marriage by taking what wasn’t his and he very much liked being able to look at himself in the mirror every morning. “She’s not the one for me, Lynne. She hasn’t been in twelve years.”
“Did she mention anything out of the ordinary happening recently?” Lily asked.
Lynne frowned. “Like what?”
“You tell me.”
She finished her coffee before replying. “Well, nothing unusual, but she’s been taking off the New Orleans a lot more frequently.”
“How often?” Lily pushed aside her empty muffin plate.
“Once every couple weeks. She used to go once a month or so.”
A few minutes later, outside on the sidewalk, Remy laced his fingers through Lily’s. “What did you think?”
“We need to see Christine’s financial records. If she’s spending money, there should be a trail unless she uses cash. If there’s no trail, we have to consider someone else was footing her bill.”
CHAPTER NINE
Lily walked down the main drag in Oak Hill, her hand clasped in Remy’s. He hadn’t said much after their talk with Lynne. There were a lot of perfectly reasonable explanations for Christine’s silence. It was possible James was lying about them not having a fight. Christine’s cell could be malfunctioning. It was remotely possible she was in a dead zone. Very remote. Business travelers and tourists alike would pitch a fit if they were disconnected from wifi for long. Maybe a friend had picked her up. After all, the Escalade was still here in town. Worst case scenario, the kidnapper had taken her outside of Oak Hill and either carted her off or killed her and dumped the body.
“Where to next?” she asked the silent man at her side.
“Flower shop and Kara Gentry.”
“Do you think these interviews will help us find her? Doesn’t seem as if your former girlfriend was chatty about her life.”
“One thing you learn in homicide investigations is you have to know the victim to find the killer. I knew Christine growing up. It’s pretty apparent she’s changed a lot since then. I need to know who she is now.”
“What if we find out she really is having an affair and left her husband?”
His face hardened. “We track her down, make sure she’s where she is by choice, not force. If it is her choice, we’ll insist she contact James. She’s an adult. It’s time to act like one.”
“Will you make her come back to face him?”
“It’s her choice. I won’t take that from her and I won’t tell James where she is if I find she’s in danger from him.”
“Would you take her back?”
“Never,” he said without hesitation.
“Even if she still loves you?”
He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and turned to face her, Oak Hill natives streaming around them on their way to other places along Main Street. “She doesn’t know what love is. If she did, she’d fight like crazy to keep her marriage alive and thriving. I don’t want to tie my life to a woman who won’t fight to keep me by her side. When I find the right woman, nothing and no one will take her from me. I will treasure her every day of our lives together.”
Wow. Longing settled in Lily’s heart. She so wanted a man to feel like that about her, one who would never abandon her. Remy Doucet was going to make some woman an amazing husband. Too bad it wouldn’t be her.
He trailed the back of one finger over her cheek. “I’m not interested in her as a woman, sweetness. The only woman who has my attention is you.”
“I’m not a good bet, Remy.” She hated to say it, but that was the truth. She had abandonment issues, probably always would.
“You are worth the effort, honey.” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips, then led her across the street to Oak Hill Flowers.
Inside the shop, the overwhelming scent of flowers hit Lily as soon as they cleared the doorway. The air conditioning, though, was a welcome relief from the heat and humidity already building outside. She felt like she needed another shower.
Footsteps came from the back room. A red-head strolled through the doorway, stopped short on seeing Remy. “Well, Remy. Welcome back home.” Her green eyes sparkled in the sunlight streaming through the display window.
“Hi, Kara. How have you been?”
“Great.”
“This is Lily, my girlfriend. Sweetness, Kara Gentry, a friend from school.”
“You better watch Remy, Lily.”
She knew that to be the case. Did Kara know something about him that would put her heart in even more danger than it already was? “Why?”
“He’s quite the charmer. All the girls in school were crazy about the Doucet boys.”
Lily could well imagine that. The whole lot of them were very attentive to their wives and easy on the eyes as well. And heart. The Doucet men had such big hearts and were loyal, every one of them. Any woman would be very blessed indeed to have drawn their attention.
“What brings you by here, Remy?”
“Flowers for my mother. I need something colorful and cheerful.”
Kara thought a moment. “I think I have just the thing. Hold on a minute.” She hurried through to the back room, returned a moment later with a medium-sized arrangement with lots of antique gold, autumn red, burnt orange and a lot of greenery.
Gorgeous. Marie was sure to love the flowers.
“Perfect. I’d appreciate it if you had these delivered to my mother.” Remy pulled out his wallet. “How is your family?”
“They’re fine. My girls are growing like weeds.”
“What about your husband? He still work at Wilder Industries?”
“For now. Don’t know how much longer that will last, though.” She swiped his card through the reader.
“Why do you say that? Is he unhappy with his job?”
“Oh, no. He loves working there. Jake’s worried about the company.”
“What’s he hearing?” Lily asked.
“Rumors are flying around that James’ company is in trouble financially. The accountant up and left suddenly a few months ago. Ever since then, James hasn’t been signing off on purchases without the expense being justified in person.”
“Does Jake have any idea what he’ll do if the company goes under?” Remy asked.
“Well, we have my shop, but the flower business isn’t booming here in Oak Hill all the time. It’s slow some months. Wilder is the largest employer in the area. If Jake has to find work elsewhere, he might have to drive a long way.”
“What does Christine have to say about Wilder Enterprises? Is she worried?”
“Just that her husband is spending long hours at the company.”
“Huh. I haven’t seen her around town. Know where I might be able to find her?”
“I haven’t seen her around lately.”
“We spoke to Lynne earlier,” Lily said. “She thought Christine might be on a shopping spree in New Orleans.”
“Makes sense. Chris has a charity gig in a couple weeks. She mentioned something about needing a new dress for the occasion.”
“Are you going?”
Kara shook her head. “I’m providing flowers arrangements for the tables, but my oldest daughter’s birthday is the same day.” She smiled. “Pizza and ice cream take priority over charity.”
Remy drew Lily against his side. “I’m planning to take Lily into New Orleans. Do you know where Christine likes to go when she’s shopping or staying over? I’d really like to catch up with her. I’ve already spent a little time with James and I’m not sure when I’ll be back down this way. Work keeps me busy.”
“Try the Grand Hotel in the French Quarter. She mentioned staying there before.”
“We’ll do that. How’s she doing, really? I didn’t want to ask James too much about her.” He smiled a little. “Didn’t want to make him uncomfortable because of our history.”