Tanner gave the tie another yank before releasing it and flexing his hands. Sommerville didn’t intimidate easily. It was something to remember.
“I could tell you I don’t care about the photos.” The lie burned his lips like a blister.
Sommerville rattled his ice cubes. “We both know you do. Call him and ask. I’ll wait.”
He’d wait all right. Like a spider with a fly. “I need to use your phone. I haven’t bought one yet.”
He made the call and received the confirmation he no longer really needed. If he lived in a parallel universe, he might have walked away. But he’d made his mother a promise to look after his kid brother. Even though they didn’t live together anymore, and David was of age, he couldn’t refuse to help him. Especially not now that he’d clawed himself back to AA and was re-building his life. Actually doing something good for a change. Serving in the local government to help his community.
“Okay, so you either set him up or bought these pics from someone. Which was it?” he said when he clicked off.
Sommerville leaned back against the booth. “Does it matter? When people run for public office, they step into the spotlight, just like I’m about to do. Your brother made a mistake. I capitalize on people’s mistakes. I won’t let anyone capitalize on mine.”
“Why me? You could hire any number of better-looking jackasses to stop your ex.”
He twirled his drink. “You’re the perfect match. You and Meredith both went to Columbia University on swimming scholarships. You can reminiscence about being a Columbia Lion. Ra-ra and all that. Plus, you’ve been in war zones and have racked up a pretty impressive reputation. Meredith will respect you as a journalist.”
“I think you’re overestimating my influence.”
“No, I’m not. I’ve done very well with the ladies using that script—or something like it.” He raised his glass in a mock toast. “More importantly, teaching journalism in Dare is the ideal cover, and it’s a move that would make perfect sense for someone of your caliber coming back from overseas. Don’t you admire Arthur Hale?”
“Who doesn’t?”
“No one knows you were joining my staff, which keeps everything under the radar. As far as Meredith goes, you’ve got nothing to worry about. You’ll never fall for her. She’s not your type, and you’re too ethical to take pleasure in this situation.”
Their waiter approached, but turned around when Tanner pinned him with a look.
Sommerville nudged the picture across the table. “Listen, it won’t be that bad. Trust me. Meredith is gorgeous. You’ll have some time off. Think of it as a vacation.”
Tanner picked up his steak knife, fingering the blade. He wanted to shove it in Sommerville’s neck. “You must really hate your ex.”
Sommerville veiled his eyes. “She wanted a life out of a romance novel—eternal fidelity, partnership, a family. That’s not me.” He picked up the paperback. “This stuff put ideas in her head. I’m only protecting my interests.”
Tanner dropped the knife. He would have to go along with this lunacy until he found a way out. “Are we done here?”
Sommerville reached into his briefcase for another file. “Here’s your ticket to Denver, your rental car information, your new address in Dare, your contact at the journalism department, and a complete account of Meredith’s likes and dislikes. Study it and get out there. She’s arriving tomorrow.”
“When does school start?”
“In two weeks, right after Labor Day.”
Tanner stood and reached for the file. He spread his legs in a fighting stance. “If you don’t hand over everything you have on my brother when I’m done, I’ll destroy you and any chance you have of being in the Senate. It’s not a promise. It’s a blood vow—like the kind I’ve seen in Afghanistan.”
He turned to leave, his mind already building scenarios of how to escape this deal with the devil before his reputation suffered and he hurt an innocent woman.
“And here I thought we could go back to the original agreement,” Sommerville replied in a voice laced with irony and malice.
Tanner’s boots pounded the floor.
“I’ll want weekly updates,” Sommerville called.
He unlocked the door and slammed it behind him.
He’d give that asshole an update.
Chapter 3
M
ermaid!”
Meredith’s wince was as much from the nickname as the shriek in which it was delivered. Her sister ran off the family porch, red hair flying behind her like flames.
“Jillie Bean!” She set her purse on the hood of her car and braced herself. Her sister plowed into her, wrapping her arms around her, jumping like a pogo stick all the while.
“Mere, I’m so happy you’re back!” Jill leaned away, Hale green eyes sparkling, and then launched herself again. “Oh, you’re here, you’re here!”
Meredith squeezed hard. Even though her little sister had three inches on her, Jill was acting like a Labrador puppy—albeit dressed in a purple and white polka dot dress. Her heart lifted. Laughter erupted from her, dispelling the knots in her Pepcid-coated stomach.
“You idiot. Get off me.”
Jill leaned back and slung an arm around her waist. “Is this the Audi you bought with Rick-the-Dick’s money?”
“I leased it. I figured I’d need a car again if I’m going to be living out here for a while. Moves like a dream.”
Jill leapt away like a giant fairy, making footprints in the freshly mowed grass. “I can’t wait to go for a ride.” She bounded back toward Meredith and reached for her shirt. “Now, show me La Perla.”
Meredith swatted her hands away. “Stop it!”
Unphased, Jill tugged up her T-shirt. “Oh, a cranberry bustier. Ooh-la-la. My cotton-clad sister goes over to the wild side.”
Meredith waved as her parents shuffled down the porch’s steps, obviously a little uncomfortable with the strip tease that was unfolding in the front yard. “Shut up! Mom and dad are coming.”
Jill blew out a raspberry. “Like Mom wouldn’t want to see this.
I see London, I see France, I see Meredith’s underpants.
”
“Behave!” Meredith said, socking her in the arm. “I’ll show you my new stuff later.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
Her sister ran across the lawn. “Mermaid’s here.”
“We can see that,” Linda Hale confirmed. Her lightly wrinkled face had that weird glow moms get when their kids come home. Her mom’s red hair had even more gray-streaks in it than when she’d seen her after her dad’s heart attack. “Thank you for coming, honey. It means the world.”
“You look wonderful,” Jim Hale commented with a wink. Deep grooves cut a trench around her dad’s eyes and mouth. “Love the hair. But while I’m thrilled you’re here, you didn’t have to come relieve me of duty. Jeez. Doesn’t anyone listen to me?”
“No,” her mother and sister replied.
Her parents embraced her one at a time. She held on, taking in their smells with a fond smile. Mom used lemon verbena lotion. Dad’s turpentine odor from his hobby—furniture restoration—never faded.
Seeing the toll her dad’s health problems had taken on them, she was glad she’d made her decision to come home for three months. It was the first time she’d looked at her parents and thought they were getting old. The house they had rented in Sedona would provide the needed retreat, and since Sedona was only a day’s drive, they could pop back to Dare when they wanted. She’d never met anyone who loved to drive like her parents did.
Her mom hugged her again. “I’m so glad your boss agreed to let you have some time. You don’t know what it means.”
Meredith caressed her back. “It’s okay, Mom. I’m glad I can help.”
The anchor usually dragging her heart down to her stomach disappeared. Here, people loved her. Here, she could be her true self with no fear of betrayal. She could laugh and relax. Let down her hair a bit. For way too long, she’d felt like she was wrapped up tight in saran wrap.
Arthur Hale stepped forward from behind her parents. “About time you got here,” he muttered, tapping his cane near her foot. “Give your grandpa a kiss.” He bussed her cheek, his red hot candy breath making her smile. He squinted down at her, a white shock of hair falling over his brow. “Well, I see you reverted to being a red head again. Good. You never were a blond bombshell.”
She squeezed his arm lightly, his weathered skin tough like faded leather. “Thanks, Grandpa. You sure know how to turn a girl’s head.”
He poked her—a strong jab for a seventy-five year old man. “I turned plenty a girl’s head before I met your grandma. So, you’re going to be my new protégée, huh? I suppose you’ll do.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Oh, I’ll do all right.”
He nudged her with his cane again, peering at her through his glasses. “It’s what families do, helping out.”
“I know it.”
Her heart clutched when her mom wiped away a tear. Oh, God, her mother never cried. When her dad grabbed her hand, she looked frantically at Jill. Her sister was wiping a tear away too. Her insides slithered to the floor. It really
was
bad.
Grandpa stepped closer, candy clicking against his teeth. “I heard your jerk of an ex-husband is thinking about running for the Senate. How are you taking that?” His silent stares could be intimidating. Arthur Hale had a way of sizing people up and looking into their souls.
She dropped her gaze as a flood of rage burst through her. Digging through her purse for her car keys, she averted her eyes. “It’s his business, isn’t it?”
“Oh Grandpa, give it a rest,” Jill interrupted. “You’re spoiling her homecoming. Don’t make me take your cane, old man.”
He growled. “The girl has no respect for her elders.” But he ruffled Jill’s hair and stepped down. “Fine. I’m glad your boss didn’t give you any trouble and that your dad can take some time off. I don’t want him to have another heart attack. Hell, he’s only fifty-two. He’s got my dad’s infernal genes.”
“He’ll go a few more miles, Arthur,” Meredith’s mother said with a smile. “Yes, we’re grateful to your boss. Please tell her thanks again for me, Mere.”
She smiled. “Mom, you’ve said that about a hundred times. I’ve told her.”
“Well, it’s so generous of her.”
“I’ll be…working on a few things for her.” She didn’t dare say what. If it got out she was planning on trying to find true love Nora Roberts-style and writing about it, everyone would be talking about it in their small town. There was no way she was opening herself up to that scrutiny. Plus, she wasn’t sure how the local guys would feel about her article. If she were a guy, it would be a definite turn off.
“Easy for Karen to be generous. She’s not paying for it,” Arthur huffed. “Girl’s charging me highway robbery for her salary.”
“I’m worth it.”
“We’ll see, girlie.”
Her mom took her purse. “Honey, I made all your favorites. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn. Lemon meringue pie for dessert.”
Her dad patted his medium-sized girth. “Your mom’s giving me a free pass today from my diet. I owe you, Mere. If I have to eat any more fiber, I’ll—”
“Oh, put a sock in it, Alan,” her mom ordered. “It’s for your own good.”
“Okay, you two. Can I simply say it’s good to be back?” Meredith interjected.
And it was. Her eyes darted to the surrounding mountains. The jagged gray rocks rose up around them like temples. The aspen, alder, and cottonwood trees exploded everywhere with early fall color. Goosebumps broke out across her arms. God, it was beautiful here, and so utterly different from New York. She had a moment of panic. Could she really come back here for three months? She pressed her hands against her bustier. She could have sworn she heard
Yes, you can
in a throaty voice in her head. Well, that was weird.
“Are we going to stand here all day, admiring the view?” Grandpa Hale called. “I’m starving.”
As her parents headed for the house, Meredith went to pop the trunk. Jill tugged her arm away from it. “You’re going to be staying with me, Mere. We’ll go to my place after dinner.”
Stay with Jill? She loved her sister, but… “I don’t know…”
Jill shook her head, her chandelier earrings brushing her shoulders. “Don’t say no, Mere. You don’t want to stay here at mom and dad’s house alone, do you?”
“Let’s—”
“Grandpa offered too, but we flipped for it.”
“Girl cheated.” He tapped his cane on the sidewalk. “You don’t have to abide by the coin toss, Meredith.”
She hadn’t banked on her family having everything figured out before her arrival. “I…”
Her sister pulled her toward the house. “It’ll be fun.”
Fun? What had she gotten herself into?
Chapter 4
J
ill’s apartment resembled a shrine to all things funky and strange. Bold colors dominated the space, which reminded her of a Dali painting on crack. Meredith wondered if something had happened in the womb. She sure as hell preferred things a bit more…muted.
“You know, you pretty much made everyone’s year, coming back like this.” Jill said as she hefted one of Meredith’s many suitcases inside. She propped it against a red monkey statue, which, thankfully, did not have real hair like the African mask on the wall.
Meredith brushed some brownie crumbs off an ancient shaggy green loveseat.
“Don’t sit on that. The leg is broken. You’d be better off on the couch.”
“Okay, but why do you still have it if it’s broken?” She pushed aside colorful pillows in red, yellow, and blue and sat on the orange monstrosity.
“I like it. Just because stuff is old, doesn’t mean it’s not useful.”
“Grandpa would agree.”
Jill set two microbrews on the well-worn, purple coffee table. “So tell me the truth. I heard your bullshit answer to Grandpa. How are you really handling all this stuff with Rick-the-Dick? Hey, we should call him ‘Tricky Dickie’ now.”
“Please. No Nixon references.” Meredith grabbed the beer. “I’m taking action, getting on with my life. I’m fed up with his games, and I told him to leave me out of it or else.”
Jill rested the beer against her chest. “Good. That’ll make his balls shrivel.”
“Exactly.” Meredith took a drink. The fragrant beverage hit her tongue and had her coughing up a lung. “Yuck! What the hell is this stuff?”