Snoops in the City (A Romantic Comedy) (33 page)

"Please, oh, please," she pleaded, her eyes lifting to the sky. "Please let Grady be okay."

She ran around the side of the house, the heels of her shoes sinking into earth damp from one of the afternoon rainstorms that were so prevalent in Florida.

Grady's backyard was small, with a screened-in porch taking up most of the available area. She yanked on the patio door, surprised to find it unlocked.

The voices sounded even louder at the back of the house. Rushing to the glass-paneled rear door, she pounded on it and called Grady's name. Nobody answered.

"Where would he keep a key?" she asked aloud, trying to think over the pounding of her heart.

Standing on tiptoes, she ran her shaking fingertips along the door ledge. Then she stooped down and lifted the door mat. She would have checked under the flowerpot if there were one.

"Damnit," she said.

She thought about calling 9-1-1 only to realize she'd left her cell phone in her car. She'd have to waste precious seconds retrieving it unless she could figure out how to break into the house.

A broom rested against the wall nearest her. She picked it up, flipped it so the wooden end was toward the door and rammed the paneled glass. It shattered. Barely waiting until the glass settled, she reached inside to unlock the door and push it open.

She rushed into his house, saw a flash of something at her feet and screamed.

"Meow," the something said.

"Gordo," she exclaimed, her heart beating so hard she thought it might have punctured her chest wall. "Where's Grady? Is he in trouble?"

The voices had grown louder than ever, but she noticed something strange. One of them talked about an eighty-percent chance of precipitation and the balmy temperatures they were enjoying. Another laughed and said something about life in the tropics.

Groaning, she realized the voices originated from the clock radio on Grady's kitchen counter.

She shut off the radio, feeling silly for having overreacted and only now realizing she'd invaded his privacy. Again.

Her heart had only begun to slow when she heard a key turn in the front door.

***

WHERE WAS TORI?
, Grady wondered as he entered his house. Since listening to the tape of her and Honoria Black, he'd been desperate to find her.

He'd taken a rain check on the happy-hour drink with Hector Rodriquez and hurried to her apartment. She hadn't been there, but her landlady had, pleading with him to talk Tori out of leaving.

The possible meaning of the landlady's request had nagged at him during the drive back to his place. Was Tori planning to leave Seahaven? To leave him? After the way he'd doubted her, he wouldn't blame her.

He kicked off his shoes, ran a hand over the back of his neck and stood stock still.

Somebody was inside the house.

He knew it as surely as he knew Gordo would have greeted him if that weren't the case.

He grew quiet, not daring to move, and listened.

The floor in the kitchen creaked.

An oversized yellow-and-red golf umbrella rested against the wall nearest the door. He grabbed it and moved stealthily toward the back of the house. Taking a deep breath for courage, he burst into the kitchen with the umbrella raised.

A woman screamed, backed up against the stove and grimaced. Not just any woman. Tori, her reddish-brown hair tumbling around her shoulders, looking as lovely as she had the first time he'd seen her. He lowered the umbrella.

"I know this looks bad, but I can explain," she said, talking fast. "I heard voices and came around back to investigate when nobody answered the doorbell. I couldn't get in so I broke the glass on your door so I could—"

"I believe you," he interrupted.

"—check on you, but the voices were coming from the radio.” She kept on talking. “And then I heard you at the door and thought maybe if I snuck out the back and came around the front then you'd believe. . ."

She suddenly stopped talking, tilted her head quizzically and stared at him. "Did you say you believed me?"

He nodded.

She looked puzzled."You don't think I'm here to snoop on you?"

"Nope.”

"You've got to admit it looks bad, you finding me inside your house."

"Tori, I said I believe you," Grady repeated, then scratched his head because he couldn't tell what she was thinking. For all he knew, he’d killed her love for him. "Aw, hell. I might not have the right to ask you this, but please don’t leave Seahaven."

"Who said anything about me leaving Seahaven?"

"Mrs. Grumley. She wants you to stay."

"Why?"

"Hell if I know."

"I don't mean why does Mrs. Grumley want me to stay. She explained that already." She paused, and a crease appeared between her eyebrows. "I meant why do you believe me?"

"I heard the tape with you and Mayor Black."

"Aaah.” She managed to put a wealth of sadness in the single syllable. "Special Agent Rodriquez told you what I did."

"That's just it," Grady said, shaking his head. "He didn't tell me until after I'd already listened to the tape. Before then, I did as you asked. I listened with my heart rather than my ears."

Her eyes filled with tears. "I said you should see with your heart rather than your eyes."

"Same thing.” Grady put his right hand on his chest. “Because when I heard that tape, my heart knew you wouldn't betray me."

"Of course I wouldn't." Some of her tears brimmed over, and she wiped them from her cheeks. "I love you."

"And I love you," he said with a heart that was full of her.

They met each other halfway, careful not to step on Gordo. The cat had been staring at both of them, her head swiveling back and forth as though watching a tennis match.

"And now I'm going to prove one more thing to you," she said before she reached him. "I never lied about being attracted to you."

Her arms came around his neck as she pulled his willing mouth down to hers. She put her heart into her kiss, baring it to let him know once and forever that she was exactly what she seemed: The woman who loved him.

They finally surfaced for air, with neither of them able to speak for long moments. Then Grady managed to laugh.

"It's a good thing I believe you. Otherwise, I'd think you said all that because of Margo's plan."

"Margo Lazenby? You met with her?”

"She's quite persistent, my grandmother is, which you probably already know," he said. "She tracked down my cell number when she couldn't get in touch with you. I had a call from her about an hour ago, asking if I knew where you were."

Tori frowned. "Why would she want to talk to me? I've already resigned from the case."

"It has nothing to do with the case," he said. "It has to do with Lazenby Cosmetics. She said it came to her in a flash this afternoon that you would be the perfect choice to help her run the cosmetics company. She says you have flair and style."

Tori's mouth dropped open, because here it was. Finally. The perfect job. The road to independence. The career she'd been waiting for her entire life, and all this time it had been right under her nose.

Of course there was a snag.

"Too bad it can't work out.” She tried to sound nonchalant but failed miserably. "Everybody knows Lazenby Cosmetics is a family business. Look at the lengths Mrs. Lazenby went to find you."

"What's your point?"

"That leaves me out.” She attempted a smile. "I'm not family."

"That's the other reason Margo called.” Grady traced her cheek and the line of her jaw with aching tenderness. "She wanted to know if there was a chance you would become family."

Tori's heart clutched. It was hard for her to get the next words out, "What did you tell her?"

"I said I hoped so but I couldn't answer until I asked you to—"

"Yes! My answer is yes!" She peppered his face with enthusiastic kisses.

Laughing, he hugged her tighter and asked, "How can you be sure what the question was going to be?"

"Haven't you been paying attention?" She grinned up at the man she'd follow into the future. "To get what you want, you've got to have a little faith."

###

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While working as a newspaper sportswriter, Darlene Gardner realized she'd rather make up quotes than rely on an athlete to say something interesting. So she quit her job and concentrated on a fiction career that has turned out pretty well. She's the author of more than thirty contemporary novels from single-title romantic comedies to emotionally charged family dramas.

Visit Darlene’s website where you'll find a complete list of her books with descriptions, news, updates, and links for purchase:
http://www.darlenegardner.com/