What had surprised Taryn was the fact that Ethan’s normally playful side had relatively disappeared over the last few weeks. At first she thought it had something to do with Fallon, but his break-up with her had occurred months ago. Take these last few days where he’d been casually glancing her way, almost as if she were starting to sprout horns, and that concerned her. A flash of yesterday morning burst through her mind when he’d told her to put a shirt on when normally her sports bra didn’t bother him in the least. Shit, that thing covered up more of her than last year’s bikini swimsuit had. Why would he care?
Taryn finally arrived on the lower floor and walked off of the elevator, casually glancing around the lobby for anyone that shouldn’t be here. She would ask Ethan later tonight when they returned to the hotel if something was weighing on his mind. Right now she needed to keep herself alert. She returned a professional smile to the woman behind the counter and then proceeded through the main doors and out into the heat. The high seventies temperature sure as hell beat the fifty and sixty degree forecasts that the Twin Cities was experiencing. Ethan was parked right out front, so she took the five steps to where her Nissan was waiting and opened the door.
“Have you checked in with Crest?” Taryn asked, repositioning her holster and fastening her seatbelt. She stretched over and above the console and pressed the specialized compartment release in order to retrieve her sunglasses. When Ethan didn’t answer her, she glanced his way as she swapped out her glasses, setting her regular ones inside her cup holder. “Earth to Ethan.”
“Yeah,” Ethan answered, finally looking into his side mirror before pulling away from the front of the hotel. “I checked in with Crest while you were getting ready. You look good, by the way.”
“You don’t look too shabby yourself.” Taryn noticed that Ethan had changed into a black short-sleeved shirt that contained a half collar and a pocket on the left side of his chest. He had also removed his leather holster in favor of a side one that fit securely to his jeans, and considering they were in Texas he’d probably fit right in with the local shit-kickers. His eyes were covered with black tinted sunglasses, so she couldn’t see what he was thinking or feeling. “Are you ready for tonight?”
“I have a list of questions for your aunt, just as I’m sure you do.” Ethan glanced at the dashboard where a built-in GPS was signaling them to turn right onto the main road. “You said Lisa is married to Gordon and their two children are grown and out on their own. Anything else I should know? Are we expecting her to have called the four surrounding counties to gather up the clan?”
“Not that I can think of. Aunt Lisa married into money and has always considered herself a little above the rest.” Taryn had kept herself busy by taking a long shower, but it hadn’t relieved any of the stress that had settled into her shoulders. She tried to rotate her neck, but the movement seemed to pinch a nerve in her left shoulder blade. “Her husband is some type of executive in an oil company. They make a nice living.”
“You said that after your grandparents passed away your dad and aunt only spoke on holidays. Anything to that besides busy lives?” Ethan asked, reaching over with his right arm to knead Taryn’s neck. She lowered her head and welcomed the relief his warm fingers provided as they massaged the fatigued muscles. “And did you ever keep in contact with your cousins?”
Taryn breathed deeply, loving the pressure that Ethan was placing on her neck. It dawned on her that he hadn’t done this lately when beforehand it was an automatic given. He knew that she always had trouble with her upper back muscles from the way she stared at her computer screens twelve hours a day. Before she could ask him why, he followed up his questions with another.
“Did they all come to your father’s funeral?”
“Hmmm,” Taryn responded, for that was all she could initially get out of her throat, “no. Only Aunt Lisa came and her visit was short. As for their busy lives, that about chalks it up. Like I said, she ran in different circles. Dad was a blue collar electrician and my mom was a stay at home mother with me. I was in my teens when both of my grandparents died, so besides Aunt Lisa I haven’t seen any of my father’s side of the family since I was around seventeen.”
“Better?” Ethan asked in a tone Taryn couldn’t decipher. As his fingers slipped off of her skin, she looked over at him but he was concentrating on the highway. Something
was
different, but she looked out the side window and took in their surroundings instead of asking what was wrong. She needed to be concentrating on the case and what they might find out regarding her father. “I think there’s some ibuprofen in the glove compartment. I saw it there when I stuffed in some napkins.”
“Aunt Lisa knows that we’re here to talk about Dad.” Taryn saw a sign that indicated their exit was less than a mile away. “She had inquired as to what brought me to Houston and I told her that I had some questions concerning Dad and Mom.”
“Was that wise?”
Ethan flipped the turn signal on and followed the exit ramp down to a stop sign. His skepticism was evident and that finally had Taryn smiling. She loved a challenge.
“Yes, considering I’m monitoring Aunt Lisa’s incoming and outgoing calls, as well as Uncle Gordon’s personal and work lines.” Taryn glanced at the GPS, noticing they were less than five miles away. Her heart rate steadily increased as she thought of how close she was to the truth. She prayed that what she found wouldn’t destroy the family she’d been raised by and that her mother wouldn’t be hurt by something her father had done years ago. “So far nothing out of the ordinary has shown up on their records.”
The five minutes to their destination passed within a blink of an eye, and before Taryn knew it they were pulling up to a wrought iron fence with a speaker situated on the left hand side of the drive. Although she couldn’t see Ethan’s eyes behind his sunglasses, she could see his raised eyebrow at the extravagant brick and iron rampart that served as an entrance. She saw some horses roaming on the far right side of the property along with a fairly large stable. She didn’t picture Aunt Lisa as the type to ride.
“Yes?” The woman’s voice was prominent in its announcement. Taryn recognized it immediately.
“It’s Taryn, Aunt Lisa.”
Taryn had called out their presence, leaning close to Ethan. His aftershave was barely noticeable so she intentionally inhaled, enjoying the musky scent. She’d always told him that product was her favorite. It seemed to have a calming effect and her pulse steadied. She could handle whatever came her way, especially with Ethan by her side.
“Wonderful, dear,” Aunt Lisa exclaimed with feigned delight. “Come on up to the main house.”
With those words the large ornate gate lurched and then glided open, allowing them room to maneuver the SUV up the rest of the two-lane driveway. Taryn studied the layout of the house, noticing the numerous large windows on both the upper and lower levels. The tall white plantation pillars were a little over the top, but it was nothing compared to the landscaping contained in the turnabout. A fountain featuring a sculptured copper water nymph was spouting water at least twelve feet into the air and was surrounded by vibrant and colorful flowers.
“Your aunt doesn’t sound too happy with our visit,” Ethan murmured, shifting the SUV into park. He left the motor running, the cool air still emerging through the vents. They both were taking in the trim of the porch and Taryn couldn’t help but wonder how much the elaborate design etched into the door cost. “Did I mention I hate family reunions? I wonder if they have popcorn.”
The laugh Ethan was going for bubbled up and Taryn finally looked away from the monstrosity of what her Aunt Lisa called a home. He grounded her with his lopsided smile and his mention of popcorn made the upcoming family visit easier to endure. He was known for bringing that particular snack to all of the team’s gatherings, and though it irritated some she’d always gotten a kick out of it. He never did like tense situations within their group and he did his best to break any tension that may exist.
“Ready?”
“Yes.” Taryn took her sunglasses off and stored them in the overhead compartment. She then unfastened her seatbelt and opened the door while Ethan shut off the engine and did the same. She waited for him to come around to her side and together they walked up the five large steps. “You think Aunt List would have already had the door opened.”
“Are you kidding me?” Ethan leaned forward and pressed the doorbell, activating the loud and ostentatious ringtones throughout the residence. “She doesn’t strike me as the type to ruin a good entrance. I’m surprised one of her minions wasn’t the one to greet us through the speakerphone.”
Before Ethan could say anything else, the door opened slowly to reveal Lisa Breck. She’d aged well and Taryn had to wonder if she hadn’t had help in the form of a scalpel. Her blonde hair was a darker tint than Taryn’s and was shoulder length with a few sprayed curls that wouldn’t come undone in a high wind. She was wearing what seemed to be a white flowing outfit, with pants that hugged her hips but widened at the bottom. The matching chiffon fabric hung from her arms so that when she opened them, it looked and felt like a bird was embracing Taryn.
“Taryn,” Lisa exclaimed in a long drawn out hum, “you look absolutely wonderful. I can’t believe it’s been so long.”
“It’s good to see you too, Aunt Lisa.” Taryn gave a courtesy pat on her aunt’s back and then stepped away, searching the woman’s eyes for any indication on how this evening would go. The overbearing scent of Aunt Lisa’s perfume wafted into the air, reminding Taryn she’d rather be inhaling Ethan’s heady cologne. “This is Ethan Chambers, my best friend and colleague.”
“Ethan, it’s nice to meet you.” Lisa offered her arm and from what Taryn could see, the older woman held onto Ethan’s hand loosely. The action summed up her character. “I’m so glad you could join us.”
“How’s the family?” Taryn shot Ethan a sideways glance, noticing that he’d hung his sunglasses on his shirt. He probably should have left them in the SUV as she had. She felt a little lost without her reading glasses, but she doubted that she would have a use for them. “Is Uncle Gordon joining us?”
“Yes, Gordon should be here soon,” Lisa replied, leading the way through the grand foyer made of marble that looked just as sterile as her outfit. There wasn’t a staircase in sight, but the upper floor was visible and it was easy to see the large art displayed on the walls. The frames seemed to be a gold cast from the way the sunlight from the above skylights shone down and glimmered off of the structures. “I’ve arranged for us to have hors d’oeuvres in the sitting room until Gordon can join us for an aperitif.”
“You have a beautiful home, ma’am.” Ethan said the right thing according to the smile that flashed his way. Aunt Lisa proceeded into what appeared to be a formal living room where the furniture was the kind that people were afraid to sit on. It was probably a good thing that Ethan didn’t have access to popcorn. “Taryn tells me that your husband is in the petroleum industry.”
Taryn finally breathed a sigh of relief when Aunt Lisa monopolized the conversation and explained in detail to Ethan what Gordon Breck did for a living. She also included the description of her numerous charity boards that she sat upon and how much time it took to run their house. Out of nowhere an older man with graying hair came through one of the three entrances carrying a tray with a French cut crystal decanter of orange liqueur and three matching cordial glasses.
“So, Taryn,” Aunt Lisa said as she signaled to the gentleman that the selection was sufficient, “you were working for some security agency the last time I saw you. Are you still employed with them?”
She pasted a smile on her face, remembering exactly why her father only spoken to his sister once or twice a year. Taryn took her tiny glass when she would have preferred a beer, and held it with one hand while she tried to make herself comfortable on the silk flower printed sofa. Ethan sat next to her, although he seemed more at home than she did.
“Yes, I work for Crest Security Agency, as does Ethan.” Taryn sipped her drink, trying not to make a face at the fruity flavor. Ethan coughed slightly and she couldn’t bring herself to look over at him. He knew she hated the taste of brandy, but she didn’t want to seem inhospitable. “He’s a field agent whereas I run the special intelligence IT department.”
For the next hour the three of them discussed various topics that ranged from work to family. Taryn shied away from inquiring about her father in the manner she really wanted to, knowing it would be best to wait until Uncle Gordon arrived home. Aunt Lisa and Uncle Gordon had been high school sweethearts and although Aunt Lisa was quite a bit older than her brother, chances were that she or her husband would have the information that Taryn was looking for. Why keep anything a secret now?
“Well, if it isn’t little Taryn all grown up,” Gordon said in a booming voice as he entered the room wearing a gray business suit with black cowboy boots. He’d always been larger than life and it looked as if he hadn’t changed. He walked right over to her and pulled her into a standing position so that he could embrace her for a hug. Ethan stood as well, his demeanor serious as well as something else that she couldn’t pinpoint. “How are you?”
“Good, Uncle Gordon.” Taryn drew back, careful not to spill the contents of her glass. “I’d like you to meet Ethan Chambers.”
The two men shook hands and it wasn’t long before Aunt Lisa directed them to the dining room. The set-up was immaculate, like something seen on television. Taryn couldn’t remember her aunt and uncle being this grandiose in their gatherings and wondered what had happened to change them. Taryn and Ethan sat on either side of the table while Aunt Lisa and Uncle Gordon took the two main seats. Candles were lit in beautifully lavish flower wreaths that Taryn was almost certain were fresh cut. She picked up the cloth napkin and draped it over her lap, all the while afraid to touch the silver and china. Her brand of dishes came from a local grocery store where you could buy a few pieces at a time.