Just after The Cove subdivision, he turned left into the worst-maintained neighborhood in the area. The old mobile home that had marked the entrance when they were kids appeared to be abandoned now. A canker of rust snaked its way along every dent and ding in the metal shell.
“Home sweet home,” Heath muttered as he drove the two blocks to his childhood home. He parked in the cracked driveway that ran up the middle of the weed-choked yard and turned off the engine. “I can almost hear my father’s voice. No eres nadie.”
“What does that mean?”
Tiny muscles around his jaw ticked. “You are nothing.”
Tori’s chest constricted. She squeezed his hand. “He was so wrong.”
He shook his head. “When you’re a kid, and that’s all you hear, you start to believe it.”
“You proved him wrong. Look what you’ve accomplished. You’ve become ten times the man he ever was. You bought a home for your mom and sister.” She slid closer. “I read about that children’s charity you started in Anaheim. You’ve done so much for so many kids. You’re my hero.”
He let out a mirthless laugh. “I’m a coward.”
“How can you say that?”
Hanging his head, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “There’s a lot you don’t know.”
“Yeah? Enlighten me.”
After several beats, he exhaled loudly. “I’m nothing but a private bank for Mom and Linda. Honestly, I don’t think they give a damn about me. Wait until they find out that the well is about to run dry.”
“What do you mean?”
His eyes grew dark. He grasped his right elbow. “I need surgery, which will likely end my career.”
She gasped. “Oh, Heath, I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”
His lips flattened to a thin line. “My agent is the only one who knows.”
Tori’s heart broke for him. His baseball career was everything to him. “What will you do if you can’t play?”
“My only option would be to go on the appearance circuit, traveling all over the country to ribbon-cutting ceremonies, and events like the one here.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose.
She yearned to offer him comfort, to ease his fear. Turning his face to hers, she pressed a gentle kiss on his lips.
He shut his eyes and pulled her closer. Suddenly, he broke away and shook his head.
Had she misread his cues yet again? Uncomfortable heat stole through her. When her phone rang, she offered up a silent thank you for the distraction, until she heard her mother’s panicked tone.
“What’s wrong, Mama?” Tori’s brow furrowed as she spoke into her cell. “Calm down. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” Huffing, she disconnected and checked her watch. “I’m sorry, my mother needs me. Do you want me to drop you somewhere? You could get a burger at Purry’s, or a donut from Sugarland or the cat café. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to join you. There are still a ton of details to check before tonight.” She tipped her chin toward the ignition. “Sorry to cut this short.”
He started the van. “I’ll be your chauffeur.” It was the least he could do after he’d taken advantage of her fragile state the night before. He never should have allowed himself to be ruled by his libido. God, he’d wanted so badly to kiss her a few minutes ago, but one thing would have led to another—again. Clearly, Tori was stressed. Maybe driving her around would save her time and ease her worry about the gala.
Liar! I want to be with her as much as I can.
Backing out of the driveway, he glanced at her as she typed on her phone. “What’s going on with your mom?”
Tori opened the glovebox and pulled out a package of pistachio nuts. “I’m not sure. Some sort of meltdown.”
“Anything I can do to help?” he offered.
Tori sighed. “Thanks, but when she gets like this, I’m the only one she’ll talk to.”
That reeked of her mother’s brand of manipulation. “My sister used to pull the same stuff with me. Not anymore, though. I stopped buying into her guilt game.”
Tori scowled at him. “You don’t know the whole story, Heath. Mama had a breakdown after Daddy’s death. At one point, she even threatened to kill herself.” She shuddered. “It was hard for her.”
“I’m sure it was. Charlotte had lost her husband.”
She shook her head. “It was more than that. The circumstances were…” She wiped a tear from her cheek.
“What is it?” he asked her.
She fumbled with a pistachio shell. “Daddy was with another woman when he died.”
Heath turned onto Sherwood Boulevard. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
“We found out all sorts of things after my father was gone. There had been other women, so many others. His job had taken him all over the south, and apparently, he’d had a girlfriend in every port, so to speak.” She pulled in a ragged breath. “After seeing what Mama went through, I should have known not to get involved with a man who also traveled for work.”
Heath’s gut clenched. “William was a fool to have taken you for granted.”
Shrugging, Tori popped a nut into her mouth. “Lesson learned. I’ll never make that mistake again. On the off chance that I get married someday, it’ll be a guy who stays put, right here in Cat’s Paw Cove.”
Which ruled out Heath. Another reason to nip their fling in the bud.
When they arrived at her mother’s house, Tori hurried in ahead of Heath. “Mama?” she called from the foyer. “Where are you?”
“In the kitchen,” Charlotte shouted.
“She sounds a lot calmer now,” Tori remarked as they strode toward the back of the home.
Charlotte pulled off a pair of flowered gardening gloves and stuck them into the pocket of her matching apron. Her smile slipped as her gaze landed on Heath. “Spending a lot of time together, aren’t you?”
Tori ignored her mother’s comment. “What’s the emergency, Mama?”
“Hmm?” Understanding registered in her expression. “Oh, yes. I am beside myself. I must have accidentally shed a few pounds since I bought the gown I’d planned to wear to the gala tonight. What in the world am I going to do?”
So that was Charlotte’s emergency?
“You have at least a dozen dresses that would be fine.” Tori rubbed her temples. “I told you how busy I was today. There are so many last-minute details I have to attend to.”
“And your mother isn’t one of those?” Charlotte let out a dramatic whimper as she crumpled onto the window seat. “Can’t you help me?”
“I’ll set out a few possibilities in your dressing room.” Growling under her breath, Tori hurried from the room and marched up the stairs.
The instant Tori was out of earshot, her mother raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at Heath. “She’s devoted to me, you know.” She strode to the fridge and poured herself a glass of tea without offering him a drink.
Just as he’d suspected—Charlotte summoning Tori had been a test. “Still manipulating her, I see.”
Charlotte squared her bony shoulders. “And you’re still a player. I’ve read up on you, mister bigshot baseball star. Your bedroom must have a revolving door. My Tori won’t be one of your many conquests.”
It was tempting to tell Charlotte about his night with her daughter, but he couldn’t do that to Tori. “She makes her own decisions.”
Charlotte smirked in challenge. “That shows how little you know.”
Tori cleared her throat from the doorway. “Everything okay in here?”
“Fine,” her mother said brightly. “Did you find me something wonderful to wear?”
Tori held up two gowns—one red, and the other navy. “I prefer the red one.”
Charlotte’s lips bunched to one side as she eyed the dresses. “Hmm. I don’t know.”
Heath resisted his instinct to remind Tori that time was ticking away. “May I use your bathroom?”
Charlotte gestured toward the half
bath in the hallway, as if the house hadn’t been a second home to him during so much of his childhood. Minutes later, he opened the door.
Tori’s voice filtered into the hallway from the kitchen. And she didn’t sound happy. “It’s none of my business,” she said. “Nor is it yours.”
“I’m just telling you what the article said,” Charlotte stage whispered. “If you think he's any different from William—or your father for that matter—you’re wrong. They’re all the same.”
Heath’s jaw automatically clenched.
“Did it ever occur to you that those celebrity magazines make things up?” Tori ground out.
“Oh, Tori. I wish you could use your powers to find yourself a match with a nice local man, someone like Dwayne Chambers.”
A match? Her powers? What did that mean?
Tori huffed loudly. “You know I can’t use my gift on myself. Besides, I have no interest in Dwayne or anyone else right now.”
Did that include Heath? He knew in his head that he and Tori couldn’t embark on a romantic relationship, but his heart told another story. And he couldn’t deny—if only to himself—that deep down, he wanted Tori to feel as passionately about him as he did her, more than just physically. Deep down, he knew Tori would never break free from the emotional shackles that Charlotte had on her. He never should have given into his libido. It wouldn’t happen again, no matter how much he wanted her.
Chapter Eight
Heath coughed as he returned to the kitchen.
Tori prayed that he hadn’t overheard their conversation. She set the dresses over the back of a chair. “Crisis averted, Mama. Wear whichever one you prefer. I’ve really got to go. I’ll see you at the gala.”
As they returned to the van, Tori wondered if her mother’s information about Heath had been correct. He’d told her that there wasn’t a woman in his life, but was he being honest? It hurt to think that he might have lied to her.
Heath opened the passenger door for her. “My queen.” He gave her a hand up, the contact immediately inciting a rush of heat through her.
“Thanks.” Should she ask him about the woman her mother had said he was dating? Some starlet who’d landed her own sitcom.
“Do you really think you have a chance with him?” her mother had quipped. “As if you could compete with that gorgeous, thin blonde he’s been seen with.”
Didn’t matter though. After all, she’d only wanted a short-lived fling with him. Couldn’t get much shorter than one night.
When Heath climbed into the passenger seat, she steeled herself. “Um, can I ask you something?”
“Anything.” He started the engine.
“You said that you weren’t dating anyone now.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Not anyone? You sure?” She crossed her fingers in her lap.
Heath turned onto the road. “I think I’d know.”
Tori replayed her conversation with her mother in her head.
“All men are the same. They lie and cheat. Heath isn’t being honest with you.”
She believed him, though. Heath wasn’t William, nor was he her dad.
Her phone buzzed with another message from Callie.
Kitty’s Cantina is closed. Did something happen to that old man who runs it?
Tori swallowed hard. Henry kept the restaurant open seven days a week. “Mind if we stop at Kitty’s Cantina again?”
Heath started the engine. “Same place we went the day I arrived?”
“Yeah. I need to check in on Henry.”
“No problem.”
Tori had a ton of details to double check before the gala tonight, but she couldn’t just ignore her worry over Henry.
When Heath parked at the restaurant, Tori noticed another car there. “I’ll be right back,” she told him. She strode to the door and found it locked.
A middle-aged woman in black pants and a white tuxedo shirt got out of the other vehicle, cell phone in hand. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think we’ll be opening today.” The blonde shrugged. “I can’t reach the owner.”
Tori’s heart pounded. “I’m a friend of Henry’s. You don’t have a key?”
The woman shook her head. “I’ve banged on the door, called him a dozen times. The cook and the other servers gave up and left.”
Tori glanced up at the second-story windows but couldn’t see into Henry’s living quarters above the restaurant. “Is there any way up there from outside?”
“Nope. Just the stairs inside.” The woman narrowed her eyes at Tori. “You think something happened to Henry?”
“Let’s hope not.” Heath joined them by the porch. “Want me to call the cops?”
“I’ll do it.” Tori fished her cell from her purse and phoned Sheriff Higgins. “Hi, RJ. It’s Tori Sutherlin.”
“Hey, Tori. I’m looking forward to the gala tonight. I’ve got two deputies scheduled to provide security and traffic control.”
Which reminded her that the clock was ticking. Regardless, she had to make sure Henry was all right. “Um, yes, thanks. What I’m calling about is completely unrelated. I’m at Kitty’s Cantina. We can’t seem to find Henry. He never opened the restaurant today. We’ve tried calling him with no luck.”
“Hmm. Okay, I’ll be right there.”
After she hung up, she glanced around for Heath. “Did you see where my friend went?” she asked the waitress.
The woman gestured toward the path that circled the building. “Around the side.”
Tori went in search of Heath and found him climbing an old oak tree that flanked the building. “What are you doing?”
“Channeling the Planeteers.” He easily hoisted himself from one branch to another, finally reaching a ledge under the second-story window.
Tori held her breath, offering up a silent prayer that he didn’t fall.
Heath cupped his hands to the glass.
“See anything?” Tori called to him.
“Not yet.” He knocked hard on the window. “He’s in there.”
“Is he okay? What do you see?”
The window opened. Henry frowned at Heath then looked down at Tori. “What the hell?”
“Are you all right?” Tori shouted to Henry.
Henry rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?”
“Almost one in the afternoon,” Heath supplied. “Tori was worried. So were your employees when you didn’t open the restaurant.”
Henry scratched his head. “I don’t know what happened.” He backed away from the window.
Heath climbed inside then called down to Tori, “I’ll let you in the front door.”
She and the waitress met him there. “Did he say anything else?” she asked Heath.
“That he might have screwed up his meds. He got up at six and took a pill, but he thinks it might have been a sleeping pill rather than his thyroid medicine.”
“He did something like that a few weeks ago,” the waitress said.
Tori’s gut twisted.
Henry met them at the bottom of the stairs, looking older and frailer than Tori had seen him. “I’m sorry to have worried you, folks.”
“We’re just glad that you’re okay.” Tori hugged him and winced at the boniness of his shoulders. “How about I help you set up your medicine for the week. You have one of those divided pill keepers, don’t you?”
“Somewhere.” He started back upstairs.
When she heard a car outside, she pulled Heath aside. “Would you let the sheriff know what happened?”
“Of course.”
Inside Henry’s small apartment, Tori noticed the overflowing hamper, the stacks of newspapers and the sheer amount of clutter. As she sat at his bistro table and started working on his pills, her phone signaled a call, but she ignored it. This task took priority over pretty much anything else. When the cell buzzed again, she groaned. “Excuse me a moment, Henry.” As soon as she answered, she knew something was wrong.
“What is it?”
Someone moaned in the background.
“What’s going on?” Tori repeated.
“We’re all sick,” Alexa said. “Food poisoning. All three of us. Must have been the leftovers the caterer brought.”
“Oh no.” Tori’s heart sank. “How bad is it?”
She heard someone retch. That answered her question. “Go home. If you don’t feel up to driving, take a cab. I’ll reimburse you.”
“Thanks, boss. We hate to abandon you, today of all days.”
Tori's knees felt weak. She was so completely screwed.
Heath wished he could do more to help Tori. But what did he know about centerpieces with the wrong color flowers, moody bakery employees, and sound system malfunctions—which were just a few of the balls that Tori was juggling at the moment? Everything seemed to be going wrong today, and not only the preparations for the gala but also for a wedding that her company was handling. With all of her assistants down with food poisoning, every detail had fallen into Tori’s already overloaded lap. He prayed that the strain wouldn’t break her.
Tori paced the floor of her living room, her cell pressed to her ear. “I know it’s last minute,” she said into the phone. Drawing a deep breath, she pinched the bridge of her nose. “Just think what a great advertisement this will be for your restaurant. Most of the town will be at the gala, eating your delicious lasagna and chicken marsala, which is the best marsala I’ve ever tasted. Word will spread, I can assure you. Medici will be the talk of the town.”
Heath went to get her a glass of ice tea from the kitchen.
“What if I promise to step up my search for a match for you?” Tori said quietly.
What did that mean? This was the third time he’d overheard Tori talk about a match. Was she setting people up on dates? He stilled, straining to listen.
“I’ve just been really busy, Lily,” she said. “You wouldn’t want me to find you someone who wasn’t absolutely perfect for you, would you? What I can do is move you up on my list, make your case a top priority.”
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