If Tomorrow Never Comes (Harper Falls Book 2) (18 page)

"We all wanted to know," Dani reminded Tyler. "And it didn't take any great effort. I just asked."

"Exactly."

"Please tell me you see the difference between socks and classified national secrets."

"Of course, but—"

"And the difference between a thirteen-year-old girl who had to stick her nose into everyone's business and a mature woman who knows when the answer might affect the security of her country?"

"Well, when you put it that way," Tyler mumbled.

"Oh, give Tyler a break," Rose laughed. "You're dying to know everything Alex is keeping to himself, the deeper and darker the better."

Dani looked back and forth between her friends, the two people who knew her then best. Unable to hold it in any longer she blurted out, "Yes, I admit it. I would like nothing better than for Alex to tell me in great detail all about what he did in the Army. I might not need to know the answers, but once I get them, no one's better at keeping them to myself. Tick-a-lock." She gestured throwing away the key.

"No argument here," Tyler said, and Rose nodded.

"But like I said, I promised I wouldn't ask. And I won't." Someday, she hoped Alex would tell her some of it, not because her curiosity needed satisfying, but because he trusted her. Almost more than his love, his trust would mean the world. Because without one, you really couldn't have the other.

"You told us Norman Freed's secret," Tyler said with a twinkle in her eye. Time to lighten the mood, and how better than reminiscing about the case of the unmatched socks.

"Norman
wanted
you to know," Dani reminded her. "He wanted
everyone
to know. The poor kid had worn different socks to school every day for six months hoping someone would notice. He almost cried when I asked."

"Weird way to make friends."

"He was new and shy. He thought it would be an icebreaker."

"And now he's mayor."

"You think one has something to do with the other?"

"Well," Rose reasoned. "Everyone thought Norman was strange and you were the only one who took the time to find out he was just lonely. After that, he joined a few clubs, ran for student council. There's no telling how it might have gone if you hadn't asked a simple question."

Maybe, Dani thought. But it was different with Alex. The questions were harder and the answers not all his to give. This time she would hold her curiosity in check and wait. And hope.

"ALEX, GOT A minute?"

Alex got up from his desk. He laughed to himself as he made his way from his office to Drew's. Here he was, working for computer geek multi-millionaires, everything state of the art from retina scans to toilet seats. And yet the preferred method of interoffice communication was the open door yell.

"You bellowed."

Funny how quickly he and Drew had reached an ease around each other. Jack had helped, always ready to smooth a path. But Alex was sure they would have made it on their own. For all his cranky ways, Drew was one of the good guys.

"If you don't talk me down, I'm going to do more than bellow."

"What's the problem?"

"I've got an asshole on the line who insists he speaks English, doesn't, and is too stubborn to hand it over to someone else."

Alex knew the type. They figured if they could read a menu, how hard could it be to carry on a conversation?

"What’s he speaking?"

"Mostly German, with a
little hell if I know
thrown in."

Alex took the phone, checking his watch.

"Guten Abend." He listened for a moment, rolling his eyes at Drew. "Nicht, Herr Fleming."

Forty-five minutes later Drew was satisfied Germany was on board with the launch of H&W's newest software program, and Alex had an admirer—and boyfriend, if he had been so inclined. It took longer to convince Dieter that he was straight than to decipher the man's iffy English.

"You missed your calling, my friend." Drew was pouring them both a cup of coffee. "We should have put you in charge of public relations."

"What are the international laws for harassment?" Alex cringed when he opened the email that had just come in on his company phone. "Look, gay or straight, would you go for that?"

Drew turned just in time avoid spitting coffee all over Alex. Laughing, he wiped his chin, then took another look at the picture of Dieter at the beach, in a very small bit of spandex.

"You have to give the guy points for perseverance."

"He's scrawny. And how can you spend any time in the sun and still be that pasty shade of white?" Alex wondered. "I think I'd go for the big, buff type."

"You mean like Jack?"

"Jack would definitely be a no."

"No for what," Jack asked, sauntering into the room. "And keep in mind I'm usually up for anything."

This time it was Alex's turn to spew a little caffeine. He held up the phone, poor Dieter earning another thumb down.

"No, now that is just wrong." Seeing the picture had been sent to Alex, Jack said, "To each his own, but trust me, you can do better."

"Alex picked up a fan while being my go-between with our German distributor," Drew explained.

"Ah, that's sweet. Were you on Skype?"

"Nope, he seduced Dieter with nothing but his dulcet-toned voice."

Hitting delete, Alex put the phone away.

"Normally this where I would say fuck both of you, but since you sign my paycheck I'll just leave and get back to work."

"Speaking of work, how are the recruits coming along?"

Jack fell in step with him, following Alex into his office.

"Here's the latest report, I was just about to forward a copy to you and Drew."

"I'll look at it later. Give me a quick overview."

"They're all eager, but only two are going to cut it. The others should be able to pick up some other security work, but they just aren't right for H&W."

"You got that after only two days? Impressive. The last guy who had your job, before he went off the rails, took weeks to evaluate."

"I knew within a few minutes," Alex shrugged. "But they were scheduled for the week and the training they get here will help when applying for another job."

"And Harry?"

Alex rubbed his healing ribs, making Jack chuckle.

"Harry's one of the two. He learns fast, has quick reflexes and can hold his own in a fight. He just needs a little help on his focus and he has the potential to be one of our best."

"High praise. I'll leave you to it then. And if Dieter calls, let him down easy, we still need to do business with his company."

"I'll keep that in mind," Alex said, wryly. When he was alone, he took out his phone and hit speed dial.

"
Peony
."

"Hey, baby sister, how goes your morning?"

"Well, don't you sound chipper."

"The sun is shining and all is right with the world, or at least our little corner of it."

"And would this good mood have anything to do with a certain green-eyed blond?"

"If I said I'd like to send some flowers to a Miss Dani Wilde, would that answer your question."

"Depends," Lila said coyly. "How much are you willing to spend?"

DANI GLANCED OVER at the enormous bouquet of multi-colored tulips and grinned. She had been walking by, gently touching, and generally admiring them since they had arrived just after lunch. Already arranged in a gorgeous crystal vase, all she'd had to do was decide where to put them. It had taken awhile, but she finally decided on the front table downstairs. She could enjoy them while she was working and then take them with her later when she went upstairs.

With a happy sigh, Dani forced her focus away from the flowers and back to work. For the last few months, her schedule had been wrapped up in organizing the book for the Harper Falls Centennial. When she'd agreed to the project, Dani hadn't taken into account how time consuming it would be to sort through one hundred years of history. As interesting as it was, too much effort spent on one thing could make it stale. She needed to step back for a few days, take a break and work on something else. She'd get back to it next week with fresh eyes and hopefully a renewed enthusiasm.

For now she had some general business to catch up on. Going through her emails was a daily task that rarely yielded much more than frustration. Spam, no matter how many filters she had put in, somehow always found its nasty way to her inbox. Between a man's need for a larger penis and a woman's need for a tighter vagina, Dani wondered how anyone was having satisfying sex.

She shut her laptop and smiled. She knew of at least one perfectly sized instrument that would fit nicely into her own recently underused box. Dani snorted at her ridiculous euphemisms. This wasn't a nineteen fifties romance novel, she could call a spade a spade—especially in her own head. Alex had a nice, big cock and knew how to use it. Her vagina was plenty tight and she was going crazy. Enough thoughts about sex. Work, she needed to get to work on something—anything that would keep her mind off what was in Alex's pants.

Her phone signaled an incoming text. Happy for any distraction, Dani checked the message.

"Would like to set up meeting at your convenience, project in works for US military."

It was signed Major Felix Showalter and he left a number.

Dani frowned. What kind of project would require the military to hire an outside photographer? They had their own people, outsourcing civilian help seemed odd. She ran her thumb over the keypad. There was that damn curiosity of hers kicking in again. She didn't have time to take on any new assignments, especially one that might take her God knows where. On the other hand, what harm could there be in hearing what the Major had to say? No was a very active word in her vocabulary.

She had the first three numbers typed in when her doorbell chimed. With a slightly wistful sigh, she put down her phone. Just as well, it might have been too good to turn down, better not knowing.

"Mom."

Dani stood back and let her mother in. She would have hugged her but at the moment Bobbi Wilde's arms were full.

"What on earth is all that?"

"Shut the door, come over here and find out."

Laughing, Dani followed her mother to the sitting area, helping unload two boxes and a very heavy canvas bag.

"I got a case of spring cleaning fever, and yes, your father already pointed out that I'm a few months too late."

"I admire anyone who wants to clean, period." Dani looked around. She kept everything neat, but she wouldn't want her mother checking the corners. Dust bunnies lived under her furniture in droves.

"You know me, I get the urge every six months or so. But this time I went for the attic." Bobbi opened a large, flat box and rummaged through what seemed like reams of tissue paper. Finally, with a flourish and a ta-da, she pulled out a dress. A wedding dress.

"Oh, Mom." Dani checked her hands for any smudges before reaching out to touch the delicate ivory lace. She recognized it from her parent's wedding pictures, but this was the first time she'd seen it in person. "It's beautiful."

Pleased by Dani's reaction, Bobbi held the dress up and smiled.

"Nineteen eighty-five was not a great year for wedding gowns. Every bride either wanted to look like Princess Di or Madonna. I wore your grandmother's dress, which amazingly, had been her mother's."

"You're kidding? How did I not know that?" Dani looked at the dress again, this time with the eye of a photographer. The design was simple—timeless. Lace over satin, long sleeves, and a fitted waist. The skirt was slightly flared, but not too full. She could see it on a bride fifty years ago or fifty years in the future.

"But I've seen pictures of both those weddings. This dress is similar but not the same."

"That, my overly observant daughter, is because my mother made changes and so did I. The point was to keep the integrity of the original but make it our own." She took out the family photo album. She knew her daughter, so she'd brought along visual proof.

"Here we go." She took out the three photos and put them on the coffee table, side by side.

"See. My grandmother, Stella, was a pre-war bride—1939. It was all satin and bias cut. My mother, Margaret, added the lace overlay and cinched in the waist. She had a thing for Princess Grace and Prince Rainier. And then there's
your
mother. I retooled the lace and added the high neckline."

Dani picked up the picture and for a moment forgot about the dress.

"You look so happy."

"And why not? I was marrying the love of my life." Bobbi leaned close, her head resting against her daughters. "They say every bride has a certain glow, and I suppose that's true. But you have to be committed, heart and soul, for it to shine out of you. That, and being three months pregnant."

Dani erupted into laughter. It was no secret that her parents had
anticipated
their wedding night. According to her mother they had been
anticipating
for several years. Luckily they were engaged and the wedding plans well under way the night the condom failed.

"I know it's hard to imagine now, but even in the eighties people still counted when a couple had a baby right away. Caleb arriving five and a half months after the I do's, well, it was hard to claim premature birth when he came out a hefty ten pounds, six ounces. Mom was mortified trying to explain that one to her bridge club."

"But she got over it." Dani remembered her Grandmother as a bit ridged but also very loving. Caleb had been her favorite, though Dani had never felt left out of her affections.

"Oh, she doted on your brother. She was so certain his hair would stay that white blond that so many babies are born with." She turned, smiling, and smoothed back a stray lock of Dani's hair that had fallen out the messy bun she'd twisted it into that morning. "Instead, you got stuck with that burden."

Dani didn't deny her mother's words; it would have been a lie.
Burden
sounded about right—annoyance, general pain in the butt. Dying her hair black had been a brief, and necessary, bit of rebellion, one that taught her an important lesson. You are who you are—
embrace the different
. Jordanna Wilde was a blond, but not a dumb one. She was twenty-seven years old and wouldn't change a thing.