Chapter Nine
Sky had an amazing lunch with Kane. They discussed possible explanations for Mr. LeFloch’s nervousness but were unable to come up with any definitive conclusion. Then not only did they talk about some of his cases, he asked about her work too. It was refreshing to have someone understand what she went through on a daily basis.
On the drive back to her house, they discussed, or rather disagreed, whether aliens existed. They even stayed in the car for close to an hour talking about all the possible government conspiracies, and she had to admit it had been a while since someone had valued her opinion so much.
Their time together seemed to fly, and when Sky finally said goodbye, she was so invigorated by the exchange that she cleaned the house from top to bottom and then called her dad to tell him she couldn’t make it to dinner because she had to make an airport run. He said he understood.
By four, she was ready to pick Chris up at the airport. She put on makeup and even curled her hair the way Chris liked it. To be honest, she thought she looked good without the changes, but old habits die hard.
Sky took one final look in the mirror. She bet Kane would scowl at her heavy-handed attempt, whereas Chris always said makeup enhanced her face and made her look pretty. Damn. The two men were like night and day. Kane was reckless and rugged, whereas Chris was…safe, probably because they’d known each other for so long.
Stop comparing them.
Time to go. She threw on her jacket and headed out, wishing she could have picked Chris up in the new cruiser instead of her beat up VW. It took her fifty minutes to get to the Page airport, and by the time she parked and rushed inside, Chris was at baggage claim waiting for her. When he saw her, his face broke into a smile.
“Sky!” He hugged her hard and swung her around. “Let me see you.” He set her down and held her out. “You look fabulous. I love what you’ve done with your hair.”
Heat rushed up her face. “Thanks.” She hadn’t cut it since he left, anticipating he’d like it longer. She gave him a quick kiss and checked him out. His silk tie went well with his fitted navy blue suit and his starched beige shirt. “I see you have a new haircut too.”
“Styles are shorter in New York. You like?”
“I like.”
Chris lifted his carry-on over his shoulder then faced her. “I’m starving. How about dinner at Bonkers?”
“I’d love that.” It was only the most romantic place in Page. He must have decided he couldn’t live without her. When the anticipated rush failed to materialize, she pushed it aside. She nodded to his one bag. “You don’t have any other luggage?”
“Nope. Just this.” He tapped the side of his bag.
They maneuvered their way to the parking lot. “How long are you staying?” Perhaps they could spend a day or two at the lodge overlooking the South rim of the Grand Canyon, though the overnight bag implied he wouldn’t be here for long.
“I have a flight out at six tomorrow night.”
Even though he said he was here for his mother’s birthday, she thought he might have come to rekindle their relationship. Guess she’d been wrong. “Why such a short trip?”
“I wanted to take a week off, but to keep my job I have to make sure my clients stay happy.”
“I understand.” Liar.
“I appreciate you giving me some slack.”
Did he think of her as a friend now or still as his girlfriend? When they reached her car, she popped the trunk.
“You drove that?” he asked.
“The cruiser’s in the shop.”
He tossed her an irresistible smile. “I didn’t mean to make fun of the old heap. It doesn’t matter what you drive.”
She waited for him to open the car door after he placed his carry-on in the trunk, but instead, he climbed in the passenger side. Oh, well. His mind was probably on all those rich clients. She slid in and was thankful when old reliable started on the first try.
Ten minutes later, Sky pulled into the restaurant parking lot. Chris leaned over. “Stay here. I want to give you something that I have in my case.” A moment later, he returned and handed her a box wrapped in gold paper. “Just a thank you for putting up with me. I know I should call more often.”
Why? They weren’t dating.
Excited at the gift, she tore off the paper, opened the lid, and gasped. Inside was a bright blue Donna Karan silk wrap blouse. “I’m speechless.”
“I’ll be the one without words when I see you in it tomorrow at Mom’s birthday party.” He smiled. “Let’s go in.”
Suggesting she wear this particular blouse was a bit controlling, but she would have chosen it anyway. Inside, about eight couples were in the waiting area of the full restaurant. Damn. She’d starve before they were served.
The maître d’ motioned them to a table. “Right this way, Mr. Renford.”
She leaned over to him. “You made reservations?”
“I didn’t want my pet to wait. I know how hard you work.”
Pet? She bristled at the demeaning name. His mixed signals were throwing her off, but discussing their relationship in a restaurant wasn’t cool. As soon as they were alone, she’d ask him.
During the meal, Chris regaled her with wonderful stories of New York City and the high profile people he’d entertained. He reached across the table and took her hand. “I have something to tell you.”
“Yes?” Too many conflicting emotions prevented her from becoming too excited.
“I received a promotion that will earn me an extra twenty grand a year.”
It was not what she’d expected him to say, but she knew how much success meant to him. “That’s fantastic.”
“Oh, Sky. You should come to New York. We’d have so much fun. We could see Broadway plays, go to museums, and eat like this.” He waved a hand around. “And I could really use your help decorating my bachelor pad. It’s a sad little place without a woman’s touch.” He turned his lips into a frown.
Did he want her to fly out to New York so he could show off the city and just lend a hand decorating? “I’m sure women are beating down your door to help.”
Chris was acting strange. She had a brain, but he didn’t seem to care about that—only Kane did.
“That’s not—” His cell rang, and he held up a finger. “Just a minute.”
For the next ten minutes he talked to the caller about interest rates, PE ratios, earnings, and other financial gobbledygook to someone who she guessed was a client.
He mouthed, “I’m sorry.”
She nodded, placed her napkin on the table, and headed to the bathroom, figuring he wanted privacy. When she returned, he’d finished his conversation.
“Babe, I’m so sorry. We have so little time together, and I don’t want to spend it on work. So tell me how you’ve been doing?”
The old Chris had returned. “Good. I’m working on a case that might be related to my house break-in.”
He leaned forward. “Jesus. Why didn’t you tell me you were burglarized? Did they take anything?”
She had called to tell him, but when he didn’t answer, she didn’t want to leave a message. “No.”
“Good.” Chris checked his watch. “Damn, babe, we gotta go. I want to get to Mom’s before she heads to bed.”
Sky slumped in her chair. Wasn’t he curious as to why someone would break into her house and not take anything? “I thought maybe we could have some quiet time at my house before you saw her.” She needed to ask him if he even wanted to be together. Right now, Sky wasn’t sure she did.
He tilted his head and pulled her hand into his. “I would like nothing more than to spend all night with you, massaging your feet, adoring your supple body, but I came here for Mom’s birthday.”
And not for her. If that wasn’t clear enough, she didn’t know what was. “She’s taking your dad’s death hard. She’ll be so happy to see you.”
“I know.” He motioned for the check. Chris signed the bill and walked her out, the cool air biting into her skin. She shivered, and he wrapped an arm around her lightly.
The drive back to his mom’s was strained because Chris talked the whole way and never gave her a chance to voice an opinion, but she understood he was excited to share his adventures with someone.
When she drew to a stop in front of his mother’s house, Chris rubbed her shoulder. “You want to come in?”
Not really. His mom usually ignored her, and she’d have to listen to Chris tell his mom how successful he was. “I’ll let you two have your reunion in private.”
“Don’t forget. The party is at one tomorrow. Wear the blue blouse.”
He was out in a flash. Once he grabbed his overnight case, he was at the front door before she’d even pulled out of the drive. Sky shook her head. She’d been such a fool in believing he’d wanted to get back with her. Chris only cared about himself.
She wasn’t halfway home when her cell rang. The caller I.D. read Cornell, and a blast of unwanted lust raced through her. She couldn’t imagine why he’d call at 8:00 at night, but there was only one way to find out.
“Hello?”
“You’ll never guess where I am.”
“Where?”
“I found the Senator and he’s safe.”
She sagged against the seat. “Thank goodness.”
“Listen, I really need your expertise. Can you come to the RV Park now? I want to tell you everything.”
She loved that he wanted to include her, though how she could help, she had no idea. “Sure.”
More than anything, Sky wanted to rid her mind of what had occurred with Chris. She debated stopping home and changing into something more practical, but there wasn’t time.
As quickly and safely as possible, she headed to Wildacres RV Park. Perhaps because she was in a hurry, it seemed like it took forever to get there. It was close to eight thirty by the time she slipped through the gates. The lights in the office blazed brightly, but given the late hour, she figured it was okay to go on ahead without checking in with Betty.
Finding the Senator’s RV was easy since his remained the only RV on the east side of the park. She knocked on the door, and a smiling Kane answered. His even, white teeth, surrounded by those full lips, made her heart race and appealed to her on so many levels.
Stop it. He’ll be leaving soon.
“Be right back, Senator.” Kane wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and when he led her down the three steps to the ground, his touch altered something inside her.
“Hey, I appreciate you coming on such short notice. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”
“No, I just dropped Chris off at his mom’s.”
“Chris?”
She didn’t know why he asked since Harriet had already filled him in. Perhaps Kane didn’t want to give away his little conversation with the traitorous dispatcher. “A friend who is visiting from New York.”
“Everything go okay?”
No. Chris was an ass, just like Harriet said he’d be, which pissed me off for not noticing it before. Kane seemed to doubt her, but she wasn’t about to discuss her issues with him.
“It went fine. So tell me what you need.” She dug her hands in her pockets to keep from accidentally touching him.
“I’ll let the Senator fill you in. I told him to wait until you arrived before going into detail, but do me a favor and do not react to what he has to say.”
“What do you mean?”
“He remembers almost nothing after he got to the RV Park.”
Her heart plummeted. Shades of Dan Joe’s conversation filtered through her brain again. “You’re kidding me, right?”
“I wish. I know the basics, but when he tells you about it please stay cool and be logical. I know what conclusion you’ll want to draw, but let’s see if you can refrain from suggesting aliens took him, at least right now?”
“But what if they did? According to Betty and Barney Hill, abductions create lost time.” For some reason, she was now willing to believe the Senator over Dan Joe.
“Who?”
Clearly, the man had never studied any of the documentation. “Two abductees.”
The door opened, and the Senator looked out. “Everything all right?” the Senator asked.
Kane grabbed her hand and led her inside. “Just fine.”
She loved the strength of his fingers. Kane let go and made the introductions, seemingly unaware of the charge of electricity that arced between them.
The Senator looked like his picture except he wasn’t clean-shaven, and his hair was mussed. The bloodshot eyes didn’t help with the sophisticated image the media presented. “Nice to meet you.”
As if Kane lived there, he motioned she sit next to him on the sofa. The inside air was warm and smelled of vanilla air freshener. “Senator, will you bring Sky up to speed?”