Nick had made it his responsibility to ensure Talia was disturbed as little as possible, but he was always aware of her. He found himself listening for her voice and watching her when she was nearby. She had an air of fragility that was in contrast to her cool manner, which was far more evident when she spoke to him than when she talked to Jack. Those two laughed and often joked, which irritated him to such an extent that he found himself speaking tersely to his partner.
“Is something the matter, Nick?” Jack finally queried, unable to let his boss’s bad temper go unchallenged.
“Not with me. Why do you ask?”
“You seem grumpier than normal. I wondered if I’d done something to upset you. Something other than the usual,” he added, grinning.
Sometimes even Nick wasn’t impervious to Jack’s charm. “Sorry, guess I have been a bit wound up. I’m probably more bothered about Talia being here than I thought I would be. As time gets closer, it concerns me even more that she’s in this dangerous situation, but she’s made her decision, and I can’t seem to do much about it.”
“Can I ask you something without getting my head bitten off?”
Nick sighed. “You’ll ask, anyway, so I’m not making any promises.”
“What’s the deal with Talia? This isn’t a coincidence, is it? Is she connected to the case, somehow?’
“It’s better if you don’t know everything, Jack.”
“I can’t agree with that. If Talia being here will compromise the case, then I have a right to know.”
“I’ll tell you when I think the time is right. I don’t want her here, but until I can get Talia to leave - just treat her like a guest and don’t get involved with her.”
“I agree with you that she shouldn’t be here, and I’ll do what you think is right, but I don’t like it. Though I do have to say it’s pretty nice to have her around, isn’t it? A woman that looks like that can sure take the edge off the boring routine, don’t you think?”
Nick’s felt a fire burn across his face as Jack spoke, his words like knives. “Here’s what I think. You’ve got too much time on your hands if all you do is lust after our host. It isn’t professional. Talia’s here for personal reasons, not to worry about horny young men who pretend they value her company!”
“Hey, just hold on a darn minute, Nick. I never said I was lusting after her, just that a man would have to be blind not to notice how she looks.”
“As long as you remember looking is all you get to do. I know your reputation, Jack. It speaks volumes about how you see women. You do realize they were not specifically put here for your pleasure, don’t you?”
“Good lord! What the hell is your problem? Maybe this is more about the fact that you have a bit of a thing for her yourself. Although with your attitude, I can’t imagine she would be even remotely interested.”
“You think she would prefer a tomcat like you, then?” Nick had gotten so close, and he was almost toe-to-toe with Jack.
“Hell, you really do fancy her! I was only joking, but if that’s the case, then go for it. I don’t think I’ve seen you with anyone for months, and a bit of a romance might mellow you out a bit.”
“Thank you very much, Jack, however, I don’t need your permission to go for it, even if I did fancy her, as you so delicately put it. Which, for your information, I don’t.” Nick ran his hands through his hair at his outright lie, hoping that he was convincing enough.
Passing through the lounge, Talia stopped on her way to the kitchen. “Who don’t you fancy?” she inquired, silently entered the room.
Both men jumped back from each other with reddening faces. They looked like naughty schoolboys rather than hardened police officers.
“Has anything happened I should know about?” She wanted to laugh at their embarrassment, but something about the way they were eyeing each other stopped her.
“No, nothing,’ Nick said, refusing to look at her.
“Nick just found out the annual wine and food festival starts today and wondered if you wanted to take a look,” Jack said with a grin.
“I thought you didn’t want to be seen around the village?”
She was asking Nick but Jack answered instead. He seemed to have taken charge and was eager to organize them.
“We’ve been pretty careful so far, and the festival’s held in the middle of the island at a huge estate. You must be feeling cooped up by now, so a walk around the countryside looking at the local produce couldn’t hurt.” Jack leaned on the doorframe with an amused gleam in his eye. He seemed to be waiting for Nick to contradict him.
“It sounds too risky.” Talia looked from one to the other, suspecting she was missing something.
“I think so, too.” Nick glared at Jack.
“It may be the last chance for anything other than these four walls for some time is all I’m saying.” Jack managed an innocent look while his eyes twinkled mischievously.
Talia was suspicious of Jack’s motives but was eager to get away from the cottage for a while since she’d only managed one more trip into town with Jack. Not daring to visit Kirk, she’d sent a letter to the post box he rented and collected one he’d left for her. He concurred that Randall wasn’t due until later in the week, and definitely had Chloe with him.
Her emotions were all over the place. She wanted to do more and have this finished but with the right result. Perhaps a diversion might be helpful, even if that meant spending more time with Nick since she might find a postbox to drop another letter.
“Okay. If you’re sure it’ll be safe, I’d love to get out for a bit. I’ve heard a lot about the festival from when my family visited, but have never actually been. Have either of you?”
Again, Jack answered, “Yeah, I go when I can swing a day off work. It’s very relaxing, and there are heaps of attractions. You don’t have to be into wine to enjoy it.”
“Some of us don’t have the time to spend on that sort of thing.” Nick stared pointedly at Jack, not sounding particularly thrilled at the prospect of a day out with Talia.
“Look, if you’re not keen, then please don’t give it another thought. Maybe Jack can take me later if he has something to do now?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I said I would go,” Nick said ungraciously. “How long before you can be ready?”
“Just let me grab my bag, and I’m all yours.” She hurried to prepare for the unexpected outing, feeling excited by the chance to find out any information about Chloe. As she pushed her cap on her head, something made her hesitate. Nick hadn’t seemed that happy about the prospect of spending one on one time with her. She wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. If it was just because he was annoyed that she wouldn’t leave, then that was fine, but perhaps he didn’t like her at all. It shouldn’t bother her, but it did.
Jack laughed loudly as her door closed. “There you go. She’s all yours. I’m glad we managed to sort that out!”
Nick checked that Talia had indeed left before punching the other man hard on the arm.
“Hey, what’s that for?” Jack rubbed the abused area but did not look remotely sorry.
“You know damn well what it’s for. Now cut it out. If and when I want to take someone out, I will do the asking, not you. Getting involved with Talia is not an option while this job is going down—not for you, or me. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
Nick was aware of the satisfaction in Jack’s eyes. He’d just been set up, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. The kid was far too sneaky by half.
Chapter Fourteen
How had he allowed this to happen? In the middle of the most important case of his career, he was roaming around the countryside. It wasn’t acceptable behavior for a detective, and he should have never agreed to do it. Besides, Talia would probably prefer the company of Jack, who was no doubt more entertaining than he could ever hope to be.
They found a car park under the shade of a large pine tree and walked through the estate t
o the cordoned off fields. It began to get fairly congested the closer they got to the gate, so she walked slightly ahead of him. His eyes kept up a constant scan, but he took the opportunity to study Talia once more.
Her head lifted into the breeze, and she turned to him, a smile on her face. She’d worn a peasant-style skirt of various colors, which swirled around her knees. The sky blue tank top accentuated the tan she had attained over the last few days. A baseball cap, which she always wore when she left the house, was pulled low, her hair hidden inside it. Her skin was smooth, apart from the scar. The only concession to makeup appeared to be lip gloss, which glistened in the sunlight. He found himself wondering what those lips would taste like.
She looked so young and carefree, not like the broken woman he found in a dumpster all those weeks ago. He’d seen her only once looking so happy. It was in a photo he suspected had been taken after her separation and some time before the beating.
“Why did you marry him?” he blurted, wanting to bite his tongue as soon as he had uttered the words.
“Pardon me?” Her eyes swiveled to meet his, blinking rapidly as if she didn’t comprehend what he was asking.
“Sorry, that was a bit rude. Just ignore the question.”
“Why do you want to know?” she asked warily.
“Oh, no particular reason. I just wondered. Randall is a lot older than you.” What was happening to him? He seemed incapable of keeping his thoughts to himself.
“I don’t feel young. How old are you?”
He should have expected that. He wasn’t usually bothered if people knew his age or not. Talia’s birth certificate showed she was twenty-six, quite an age gap if you were counting.
“Thirty-four, practically an old man compared to you.”
“Hardly old, although you do look a lot younger when you smile.” Heat suffused her face. What on earth had possessed her to say that, even if it was true?
This time he did laugh. “I guess I deserve that. Jack told me this morning I’m very grumpy lately. He thinks I need a girlfriend. That’s his answer to everything.”
“Oh, now I get it. He’s decided to play matchmaker. That’s why he was so keen to get us out together. The man’s deluded if he thinks there’s a chance that we could become an item.”
“Yes it would be stupid of him to think a lovely young woman like you would be interested in an old codger like me,” he said forcefully.
Alarmed, Talia touched his arm. “Nick, please don’t say that. It’s not the case at all. You’re an attractive man who takes his job seriously. You’ve made it abundantly clear you’re here for work only, and I’m not in the market for a boyfriend of any description. Those are the only reasons.”
“Point taken.” He smiled at her. “Jack is an incurable romantic, which is pretty ridiculous in our profession. Let’s not let it spoil the day. We both know where we stand, so it’s just two people snatching some well-earned downtime, okay?”
“Sounds great to me. Lead on.” Talia was relieved they understood each other. Maybe in another situation, at another time. What was she doing? She wouldn’t be thinking about men like that for a very long time—if ever. But since they were here and they seemed to be enjoying each other’s company, maybe she could have one day of enjoyment before all their lives changed for good or bad.
The weather was perfect for the festival. Beautiful blue skies with a gentle breeze made walking through the crowds very pleasant. They had to walk a fair distance to the festival itself, as the initial area held various stalls they browsed happily, sipping chilled white wine purchased from the first marquee they’d passed.
Children ran in and out of exhibition areas, attempting to evade their parents. Most of the adults smiled tolerantly at their antics. Now and again, a raised voice brought one of the little terrors to heed.
“Look at this lot.” Nick nudged her. “A bit of sugar, and they go mad.”
She smiled, feeling guilty and wishing Chloe could be here going mad. “You’ve never wanted children?”
“Sure, but you have to be in a position to provide a decent home and a good environment, neither of which is likely to happen in my line of work. Kids deserve more,’ he added gruffly. Then, as if trying to lighten the mood again, he said, “Would you like another wine?”
“Not really. It’s a bit early in the day for me. However, I could murder a cup of tea if you don’t mind.”
“Thank goodness. I feel the same way. There’s a nice looking marquee posing as a café just over there. Shall we go and investigate?”
“That looks perfect for a couple of oldies.” Talia smiled up at him.
Chapter Fifteen
As they crossed the field, a couple of boys on bikes careered down towards them. Nick’s reflexes kicked in, and he grabbed Talia’s hand, pulling her into his side. It felt so natural, despite the tingle that traveled up his arm. She didn’t appear to realize how her nearness affected him, so when she didn’t pull away, he kept hold of it, and they walked hand in hand into the café. They browsed the vast food selection, and when they couldn’t decide over anything, they decided to share a couple of items.
It wasn’t until Nick had to pay that he reluctantly relinquished her hand. Was it his imagination, or did Talia look disappointed for a moment? Then she was trying to pay half the bill, so they argued good-naturedly until a queue began to form, and she reluctantly backed down and went to find seats.
As luck would have it, a couple was leaving their table at that moment, which was in a perfect spot just outside the tent. A large tree afforded some shade from the sun but allowed them a clear view of the marquees and stalls, which he could now see were in a square. It was undoubtedly a considerable money-spinner if the number of people was anything to go by.
“Do you come here often?’ Nick began and then laughed at the atrocious pickup line. “What I mean is, do you come to the island very often?’
She looked at him thoughtfully, as if weighing her words.
“I used to come all the time when I was younger. My family had a boat, and we would moor it in one of the coves and spend hours walking the beaches and tracks with the local kids. What about you?’
“I’ve only been over a couple of times, and that was purely for work. I’m a city boy, born and raised, and never had a heck of a lot of time to have holidays.”
“But what about when you were a kid? Surely your parents took you on holiday?’
“Sounds like you imagine all kids get the same rights and privileges, but that only works if you have the fundamentals.”
“Which are?”
“Well, it sure helps if you have some money for food, and even without that, it really matters if your parents give a damn about you.”
“I’m sorry, Nick. I didn’t mean to spoil the day by reminding you of your past,” Talia said sincerely.
“It’s not spoiled at all. I’m usually not comfortable discussing my childhood, but you’re remarkably easy to talk to. Did you know that?” He smiled at her uncertainly, wondering why he wanted to have this conversation with her.
“No one’s ever said that to me before. Or maybe they did, but since Randall, I seem to have forgotten a lot of good memories, unless they’re about Chloe.” She shivered as if to rid herself of her thoughts. “Tell me some more then. Of course, only if you’d like to.” Talia looked at him encouragingly.
“I’m sure you would find it very boring.”
“I bet I wouldn’t. You can’t truly know someone if you don’t know their history. It makes us who we are, after all, and most of the time, that’s a good thing.”
It sounded as if Talia was trying to convince not only him that this was the truth.
“Let me get this straight, you’re saying my crappy childhood has a good side?”
“Well, of course, I don’t know the details, but look at who you’ve become.”
“Yeah, a middle-aged man who lives alone, who’s made his job his life. It doesn’t sound that great to m
e.”
“Don’t keep saying that.” She sounded indignant. “Thirty-four is hardly middle-aged. Especially these days, when some couples don’t start families until they’re in their late thirties or early forties. Maybe you’re a bit lonely, but you’re also a man who protects the rest of us by catching the bad guys. That’s a huge thing in my book, and if you hadn’t had your particular childhood, this might not have been the profession you chose.”
Nick looked at her in surprise. She sure had him pegged. “For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to be a cop.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure I ever thought about it too much, but my dad was a drunk who liked to knock my mum and me around. Perhaps that had something to do with it.” He sounded blasé about it, he knew, but it was such a long time ago.
“That’s awful. Did you do anything about it when you got older?”
“I didn’t get the chance. The silly fool got plastered one night and drove his car into a lamppost. He died instantly.” He said it flippantly, surprised to feel a long-forgotten pain at the memory.
“How old were you?” Talia was relentless.
“It happened on my fifteenth birthday. I can remember it vividly. It rained all night, but when the cops turned up on our doorstep the next morning and gave us the news, the sun came out, quite literally. Mum was pretty upset, which was hard to understand back then. I watched her wallow for a while and tried to be there for her. When nothing changed, I carried on with my after-school work, and she went on welfare.” He took a deep breath and, when she looked at him encouragingly, he carried on.
“These days, there would be someone to go to who would see she was depressed and give her professional help. I was too young to have a clue about how to deal with it. All I wanted was for her to snap out of it and finally enjoy her life. It was hard to understand why she wasn’t relieved the way I was. I guess she did love him, despite the way he treated her, and I’ve never been able to get my head around that.”
When We Break Page 6