Dangerous Bond (Jamie Bond Mysteries Book 4) (7 page)

I opened the folder and was about to start reading Maya's notes, when Mrs. Henderson said, "This may be an odd request, but we're here to find my husband a wife."

I froze and blinked several times. "Excuse me?"

She pointed to the top of her scarf. "I have stage-four cancer. I'm dying, and my husband, Jeffrey, is too young and too loving to spend the rest of his life alone."

I glanced to Mr. Henderson, who grimaced and was doing his best to keep a semi-smile on his face, but it was obvious he disliked this conversation. I didn't blame him. I was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable myself.

"Linda," he said and patted her hand.

She glanced at him before continuing. "I've spent thirty-five years with this man, and I know he won't be able to get along without a woman to take care of him."

Spots of pink colored Mr. Henderson's cheeks, and he kept his gaze on the carpet.

"I love him tremendously, and I want to make sure he's taken care of before I go."

He turned to her, and this time his expression was just pure love.

My chest tightened, and I glanced at the box of tissues by the desk lamp. I'd never cried in front of a client, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to continue to say that after today.

I swallowed hard, finally able to find my voice. "And how exactly can I help you?"

She opened her purse and pulled out a sheet of off-white stationary. She handed it over, and a light wave of lilac scent filled the air.

On the top of the page, there were the initials
LHA
, and surrounding them were two small bouquets of pink roses. Written with a deep flourish down the sheet were the names of three women.

Jenny Pepin

Penny Samson

Leonora Toll

Let me guess. The last one was nicknamed Lenny?

"I've discovered three women that seem to fit Jeffrey, but I need to know more about each one to be sure. I'd like you to investigate each one thoroughly so that we can pick the best new wife for him."

I did some more blinking at Mrs. Henderson. I'd never heard of such a thing. I didn't want to deny this poor dying woman her wish, but this was odd and slightly creepy.

"I know how it seems," Mrs. Henderson said, picking up on my vibe. "At the very least, it's morbid."

She was right there.

"I'm sorry—where did you find these women?" I suddenly pictured a dating site for the soon-to-be widowers.

Mrs. Henderson smiled. "I've been keeping my eye out. They're just women I've met here and there. Believe me—I know my husband's type, so I very carefully picked out these three."

Her husband squirmed in his seat again but said nothing.

"I don't know…" I hedged. I looked down at the three names again. It would be simple enough to run background checks on the women and make sure none had criminal records or other red flags in their past. But vetting them out as marriage material? I wasn't sure that was within my field of expertise.

"Please," Mrs. Henderson pleaded. "I don't want to die knowing he'll be alone."

Mr. Henderson sought out her hand again, and this time he held it.

"I want to go forward with as little stress as possible. Will you please help us?"

I searched his face for some clue. I'd say he was more than uncomfortable, but he was here. He must've agreed to this situation to some extent. Even if it was just to make his wife happy.

I felt myself nodding. I couldn't turn this woman down. "Yes, of course."

This was definitely going down in history as the weirdest case to date.

After the Hendersons and I went over particulars of billing and what sort of info she wanted on each woman, they left. I instructed Maya to start digging on the three future Mrs. Hendersons. If Maya had any feelings about how squicky this situation felt, she kept them to herself.

I was just opening the Hendersons' file to read over the preliminary notes, when my cell rang. I looked down at the readout to see Danny's name.

"Hey," I answered, preoccupied with the Hendersons' file. Mrs. Henderson had included candid photos of each candidate.

"Hey, yourself." He gave me his standard greeting. Then he paused. "So…"

Confused and not really paying attention, I said, "So what?"

He sighed lightly. "So, do you have an answer for me yet?"

"Answer?" I asked, flipping to a photo of Future Mrs. Henderson Number 1.

"About dinner. You and me, tonight."

Oh crap. I forgot. How did I forget?

I cringed, thinking of Aiden. When he'd asked me to dinner, I hadn't hesitated. Granted, he hadn't actually asked me so much as told me, but I hadn't minded the shift from Good Old Reliable Aiden to Bad Boy Aiden. Guilt colored my cheeks pink, and I was glad that Danny couldn't see me right now. It wasn't that Danny wasn't on my radar, but that moment in Aiden's office had been so overwhelming that I'd almost forgotten my own name, let alone my awkward conversation with Danny from breakfast.

"Jamie?" Danny asked over the palpable silence on my end.

I squeezed my eyes shut, hating myself for the lie I was about to tell… "I'm sorry. I can't. Work is super busy right now." There was no way I'd admit to Danny that I already accepted a date with another man.

Danny was quiet for a few seconds, and I nervously bit my lower lip. While I wasn't sure what our future was, the last thing I wanted to do was hurt Danny.

Finally, he said, "You can't stall forever, James."

I took a deep breath.

I could certainly try.

A couple of hours later, Sam appeared at my door and knocked on the wall beside it. "You got a second?" she asked.

I closed the Henderson file and leaned back in my chair. I needed the eyestrain break anyway. "Of course. What's up?"

She took two steps inside my office. "I was hoping I could leave early."

She had that look on her face again—the distracted one that told me something was up. "Everything okay?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Define 'okay.'"

I gestured to the seat in front of my desk. "Sit. Spill."

She sighed, but she gave me a smile as she sunk into the chair. "I'm taking Julio to his dad's for the weekend, and I plan to give Julio Senior a piece of my mind about not sending the child support."

"As deserved," I agreed.

"Anyway, I wanted to leave a little early to beat some of the traffic down the 405." She paused. "If that's possible."

It had been a slow afternoon, if you didn't count the older couple looking to add a third. Caleigh had been wrapping up some paperwork on past cases, Maya was checking into the three possible Henderson brides, and I was chewing on guilt at leading Danny on and anxiety at whether or not Aiden was leading me on.

"That's fine," I told her. "I hope he comes through for you."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Me too. Thanks."

Between wrestling with my guilt, I did a little catching up on Facebook, updated our website and social media, and checked into some new advertising avenues. You know, in case it turned out that our one semi-celeb client was guilty of killing her husband. After a couple hours I ran out of things to do, and I headed into the lobby to catch up with Maya and Caleigh.

Though I stopped short when I noticed their outfits.

Caleigh had on a red-and-purple tie-dyed halter jumpsuit with bell bottoms. Platform wedges were fastened to her feet, and her hair was teased higher than her hound dog cousin's. Maya had on a short-sleeve, white minidress with white go-go boots. Her hair hung in two loose braids.

"What's going on?" I asked and looked around, half expecting John Travolta to appear and start dancing.

Callie fidgeted with an enormous gold hoop earring. "Maya got into Elaine's cell records. She's going out tonight."

"With the Bee Gees?" I asked.

"Ha-ha," Caleigh shot back. "She's going to the disco bingo. Plus, I've been dying for an excuse to rent a costume from this shop near where I live. The clerk has the most adorable dimple."

I smirked. "What exactly is disco bingo?"

Maya held up her compact and applied an extra-heavy coat of mauve-colored lipstick. "I think there are disco balls that twirl from the ceiling, everyone is dressed as if they stepped out of the '70s, and 'I Will Survive' by Gloria Gaynor plays while we play the game." She snapped her compact shut. "At least that's what the text from Elaine's friend, Janet, said."

That made sense.

The agency door opened, and three older women in disco gear walked in. I immediately recognized them as Charley Alexander, Maya's mom, and Mrs. Alexander's two friends, Ruth and Abigail. I'd gone to lunch at Charley's house one afternoon, where I'd met her and her friends. They were delightful and adventurous women who had a soft spot for detective work. I suddenly had my suspicions about why they were dressed up.

"Mom," Maya said and rushed toward the woman in front of the pack. They hugged, and Maya gave hugs to the other women as well. Then she turned to me and said, "I thought it would be best if Caleigh and I didn't stand out so much, so I invited my mom and her friends."

I smiled at the women. Each of their light-blue, paisley, and brown bell-bottom pants seemed authentic and not from a costume shop. I was impressed. If I could still fit into anything that was in fashion now when I became their age, I'd be a happy camper indeed. Hmm…maybe if I kept up my Hoagies diet…

"It's so good to see you, Jamie," Charley said and wrapped me in a tight hug.

I shut my eyes and breathed in her rose scent. Her and Maya's bond reminded me of my mom. I'd welcomed the chance to get closer to Charley, as she was the closest person I had to a mother.

"This is so exciting." Ruth rubbed her hands together. "I love nabbing the bad guy."

I raised a brow to Maya, feeling my suspicions confirmed. She immediately glanced away.

"There are no bad guys tonight, Ruth," Maya said. "We're just going to keep an eye on a friend and see what she does."

I appreciated Maya's vagueness with them. The last thing we needed was any of them accidentally spilling the beans to Elaine that she was being tailed by her suspicious boyfriend's daughter. And her friends. And her friend's mother. And her friend's mother's friends.

Abigail giggled. "Either way, this is going to be a blast."

Charley turned to them. "That's right, ladies. The Senior Sleuths are on the case."

Oh boy, this was going to end well. Not.

*   *   *

When I returned home, I had plenty of time to soak in a long, luxurious bubble bath and enjoy a glass of red wine while soaking. I rested my head against my gel pillow and shut my eyes. My thoughts drifted to Derek and Elaine. I hoped they would be okay. One, because I was tired of worrying about him, and two, because I liked her, and she grounded him some. And three, so that he'd have someone else to call next time he got arrested. Wait—that might've been the wine talking.

I pushed those thoughts aside and contemplated the Hendersons. If I were married, happy, and dying, would I want my husband to move on after my death? Of course. Probably. Maybe. But would I want to find him a wife before I passed? No. I didn't think I could think of him with another woman while I was dying. Yes, I'd want him to be happy, but I'd want him to grieve me and move on naturally.

Maybe I was just selfish.

Besides, what did I know? I couldn't even face my best friend's feelings for me. Though to be honest, I wasn't exactly sure what those feelings were, since I was too scared to face him. Scared. Was that it? Was I a coward? I've never thought of myself in a cowardly way in my entire life. I'd always faced every challenge head-on, every hard situation, everything that life had thrown at me. So why was I avoiding Danny?

I thought about that until the water cooled and my second glass miraculously emptied. I flipped the drain to open and stepped out of the tub before grabbing an extra-large yellow towel and wrapping myself in it. After slipping into my pink silk robe, I grabbed the blow-dryer and did some damage to my hair. I decided to leave it down around my shoulders, and then I opened my makeup bag. I didn't usually wear a lot of it, but I had the feeling tonight was a special occasion. With a steady hand, I applied a thin line of black liner to the base of my top lashes and did a smoky eye thing.

I dressed in the red strapless Aiden had suggested and stepped back to inspect the final look in my full-length mirror. Aiden was right. This dress fit me wonderfully and looked great. All I needed was red hair, and I'd definitely feel like Jessica Rabbit. Va-va-voom.

I took my wineglass to the kitchen and set it beside the opened bottle of Merlot. I considered having another, hoping to take the edge off my nerves. But I didn't want to get tipsy before he even arrived. I just needed to take a few calming breaths, and I'd be fine.

I couldn't quite understand my nervousness. This wasn't our first date, but my stomach was full of butterflies. Think of something else, Jamie.

I grabbed the remote from the coffee table and flicked on the television. I didn't have the focus to watch anything, nor did I plan on sitting and wrinkling myself, but a little distraction was a good thing. There was a commercial promo for that sitcom set in the eighties, and my thoughts jumped to disco bingo. I hoped it was all going well. I considered calling Caleigh, but I feared a ringing cell might alert everyone to turn her way, and I didn't want Elaine to know she was being followed. Better to play it safe.

There was a knock at my door, and my pulse jumped.

Calm down, Jamie. This was just Aiden. Gorgeous, newly unpredictable, bad boy Aiden.

I clicked off the TV and returned the remote to its home. As soon as I wrapped my fingers about my doorknob, my pulse returned to almost normal, my stomach calmed mostly, and my excitement grew. See, this was going to be amazing. I put on a smile and opened the door.

He stood there in a black suit, white shirt, and a light blue-slash-silvery tie. Amazing wasn't half of it. His eyes widened upon seeing me. Just as they should have. "Wow, you look more amazing than I remembered."

I felt my smile brighten. Amazing was good. We were definitely on the same wavelength. "Thank you. You don't look half bad yourself."

He grinned as if he knew it and stepped into the room.

"Where are we going this fine evening?" I asked, proud at how calm and even my voice sounded.

"That will be a surprise." He winked at me. The butterflies responded accordingly, flapping their wings with gusto. "How about a drink before we leave?" He eyed the Merlot on the counter.

My apartment had an open plan, so the kitchen, dining, and living rooms were all seen from one another. I leaned on the back of my sofa and watched him eye the bottle of wine on the counter and reach into a cabinet for a glass. I loved how comfortable he felt in my home.

He poured himself a full glass and downed half of it before he reached me. I guessed I'd be driving tonight.

"The wine okay? I'm not a huge connoisseur, so I wasn't sure about the vintage—"

"You are breathtaking," he cut me off.

I shut my mouth with a click.

He set his glass on an end table and wrapped an arm around my waist. Then he pulled me closer. His head lowered to mine, and before I got a second to revel in the anticipation of the kiss, his mouth pressed against mine.

At first my head and heart filled with giggly glee. Without realizing, my leg bent at the knee, and my high-heeled foot rose. It felt like the movies. I was a leading lady, and Aiden was my hero. A giggle rose in my throat, but I pushed it away and focused on his mouth.

He tasted like wine with a hint of cinnamon. He must've had coffee earlier. When he brewed it himself, he added a cinnamon stick to the grounds. His hands roamed my sides, holding me firmly against him. My fingers were laced behind his neck. Despite his firm grip, I felt lightheaded and needed the extra support.

I don't know how long the kiss lasted, but when we came up for air, I was panting.

"That was…" I trailed off, suddenly at a loss for words.

His eyes went dark, his hands moved to the zipper on my dress, and he dove back into my mouth with gusto. His lips hit mine. Hard. Demanding.

Well, part of me was floating on cloud nine at the bad boy nipping at my lower lip, but a tiny voice in the back of my head started waving little red flags. Something was off. And when Aiden reached behind me and grabbed my butt, lifting me onto the couch, I couldn't deny that this wasn't the Aiden Prince I knew. Not that butt grabbing wasn't awesome…but it wasn't him.

I pulled back and turned my head so his lips brushed against my cheek. "What are you doing?"

He lifted his head and frowned. "I think that's obvious."

I put my hand against his chest and pushed myself back away from him out of his embrace. Then I rubbed my butt where his fingers had been. "Maybe we should grab some dinner," I said, angling away from him.

That sly smile I'd seen in his office hit his lips again. "Maybe we should just order in," he murmured, moving closer to my lips again.

I ducked and weaved, doing an almost choreographed pirouette out of his arms. I'll admit I wobbled a little on my heels but quickly summoned balance.

He gave me a hard look and turned back to his wineglass. "I thought we were going to have a good time tonight."

I felt my back straighten, and I involuntarily bristled at the tone in his voice. "Yes, so did I. I thought it involved dinner and possibly dancing. And maybe some making out, and who knows what after. But…"

"But what?" he said, setting his glass back on the table a little harder than necessary. The sound made me flinch.

"I don't know. Look, you've been different lately. At first I just thought maybe it meant you were ready to move on, but…" I trailed off, biting my lip. Mentioning his dead wife right now was so not the right move.

He cocked his head to the side. "I think I just made it pretty clear. I am ready to move on."

I shook my head. "Not like this."

"Like what?"

Honestly? I wasn't sure. All I knew was that this guy was not the Aiden I knew and loved. Wait—did I just say loved? I felt my head swirling with the conflicting emotions of lust and caution mixed with two glasses of non-vintage Merlot. Did I want to move on with Aiden? Yes. But as much as this new Bad Boy Aiden was exciting, it wasn't him. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks falling on those butterfly wings. He wasn't over his wife. He wasn't over the shooting. And whatever was going on right now, it wasn't about me.

"What are you saying, Jamie?" he pressed. All of the lust had been drained from his eyes too, almost as if he'd come to the same realization I had.