Chapter Fourteen
No great surprise to Rafe: Pirro was, in fact, playing poker. Rafe snapped a photo of Pirro’s car outside Jonah Frye’s house to show his aunt as proof. But he also wanted to talk to him and convince him to set things straight with his wife so Rafe wouldn’t have to get involved playing private investigator again.
He cast a sideways glance at Sara. She sat beside him, patiently resting her head against the window, as they waited for Pirro to come out of the barn.
“Did you ever consider private-investigation work?” Rafe asked her.
She turned toward him. “No, but until today I haven’t really been willing to consider any alternatives.”
“What changed your mind today?” he asked, surprised.
She still stared out onto the street. “I realized how self-absorbed and selfish I’ve been, thinking my whole life is over because I can’t do a job I love.”
Hmm. “Why the change of attitude?” And what else might it apply to?
“Angel. Imagine being told you could never have children.”
He narrowed his gaze and ignored the kick start in his heart at her mention of children. “You want kids?” he asked, surprised.
After all, kids were usually the result of a long-term relationship, something Sara emphatically did not do.
“Not me—Angel. We were talking about what I wanted out of life, and I said I never had to give it much thought. That I always wanted to be a cop, but, thanks to my knee injury, that might not be possible. She said she knew a lot about reevaluating life because she’d always wanted to be a mom. And then she found out she couldn’t.” Sara inhaled deeply, then breathed out, almost a sigh.
“Sara…”
She shook her head. “I just feel so selfish, pitying myself because I might not be able to be a cop. She can never have children. That’s a much bigger blow, and look how she’s bounced back! She’s even happy. So that’s why I think it’s time I look at what other options are open to me in the future.”
She was clearly struggling with her issues, and a mixture of pride, pleasure and a little bit of pain rushed through Rafe, all at the same time.
“You should never compare yourself to someone else,” he said in an attempt to comfort her and give her a good dose of reality. Everyone’s problems were equally real to them.
“Angel said the same thing. But if there are lessons to be learned, I’m not averse to learning them. If she can overcome her tragedy, I can pull myself together and find another purpose.”
“Yeah, you can,” he said gruffly.
He knew better than to point out that there was suddenly a bit of optimism in her attitude. Or that if she could reevaluate what she wanted out of her career, maybe her personal life wasn’t all that different. He’d put a new rule into effect: no discussing anything that would throw either of them off balance.
Whatever conclusions she drew, she’d have to come to them on her own.
They returned to silence until finally, Pirro walked out from behind the house.
“I’ll be right back.” Rafe jumped out of the car and caught up with his uncle at the end of the driveway.
Sara waited in the car.
“Rafe, what’s wrong?” Pirro asked.
“Don’t panic. We just need to talk.” He paused, wondering how to phrase things without really telling the man his wife had asked Rafe to follow him and make sure he was telling the truth. “Is everything okay at home?”
Pirro narrowed his gaze. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Aunt Vi is upset. She’s worried that you haven’t been acting like yourself, and you’re going out more often. And I’ve noticed you’ve been very quiet lately.”
He waved Rafe away with one hand. “I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”
“Then why does Aunt Vi think there’s someone else?” he said, awkwardly but as delicately as he could.
Pirro’s eyes opened wide. “She said that? And sent you to ask me?”
Rafe dipped his head. “Sort of. Look, you’re here where you’re supposed to be, which is exactly what I figured. But she said there are times when you leave at odd hours, telling her you’re going to play poker when there’s really no game, and you know Aunt Vi. She’s imagining the worst and spinning all sorts of weird scenarios.” Rafe refused to elaborate on those. “So, what’s going on? And how can I help?”
“Nothing.” Pirro shuffled his feet and glanced at the blacktop driveway.
Clearly, he was lying. “Come on. Man-to-man. If there’s something you want to tell me, I’m here to listen.”
Pirro paused. In the silence that followed, Rafe believed he was considering confiding in him.
“There’s nothing.”
Damn. Still, Rafe decided to give it one last shot. “I know she’s not an easy woman to live with, but you love her, right?”
Pirro raised his hand to his chest. “With all my heart!”
“Good. Then do us both a favor? Go home to your wife. Convince her everything’s fine, and you’re not…seeking comfort with someone else.” That way Rafe would never have to humiliate himself like this again.
“Of course I’m not seeking comfort with someone else! There’s no other woman for me.”
Rafe stepped forward and put an arm around the older man’s shoulders. “Then where are you going when there’s no poker game going on?”
Pirro shook his head and puffed out his shoulders. His face turned red with anger. “Can’t a man have any privacy anymore?” Pirro asked. “I need time and space to myself, that’s all.”
He was lying.
Rafe had interrogated too many suspects who became defiant when they didn’t want to answer a question not to recognize Pirro’s deflective behavior. “Fine. If you ever want to talk, I’m here. But for now, go home to your wife and calm her down, okay?”
The man nodded and headed for his car, leaving Rafe with no answers and an uneasy feeling that something was very wrong.
Angel’s bed-and-breakfast was a four-bedroom house with three bedrooms available to boarders. Two of those bedrooms were occupied by the ever-present Biff and Todd, leaving one couple from Connecticut in the remaining room. The couple left late Sunday afternoon after the wine festival had officially come to an end. Only Biff and Todd remained. Their stay was indefinite, as they claimed to be on a working vacation, and now that the business part of their trip had ended with the festival, they planned to stay on.
Which meant Nick wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. He had been staying at Angel’s since the fire Friday night. He wouldn’t call the pullout couch in the small den comfortable, but at least he was able to keep an eye on her. The unsolved arson case weighed heavily on his mind, as did the idea of the two men staying under the same roof as his wife.
He appreciated the chance to wake up and see Angel first thing in the morning. She prepared an elaborate breakfast for her guests, clearly enjoying her new role, and she’d invited him to join them all for breakfast.
He’d agreed and was certain that the meal was the best thing he’d eaten in the six months since he’d moved out. Man, he’d missed her home cooking.
But not as much as he’d missed her.
He reminded himself that this didn’t have to end. She’d offered him the possibility of reconciliation, but their getting back together hinged on coming to terms with the things that divided them. He’d have to get over his aversion to Angel’s business if he was going to fix his marriage. But accepting her B and B was easy now that he’d allowed himself to really see Angel and how much she enjoyed operating the business and interacting with her customers. She deserved some happiness after what they’d been through, and he’d never take that joy away from her. But until she faced their loss, until she talked it through with him and they grieved together, not separately, he couldn’t just accept it and go on as if nothing tragic had happened.
Lunchtime Monday, Rafe and Sara walked into Moe’s, the main restaurant in town. When Nick had called and asked Rafe to meet him, he’d agreed on lunch, wanting to wait until the alarm company was settled in doing the install. Going to town later in the morning also gave the remaining stragglers from the festival a chance to get out of town. If Rafe was going to bring Sara out in the open, he wanted to see as few strangers as possible.
The counter was full of regulars, including his uncle Pirro and the bookkeeper who was new to the business but not to the town. The booths were also filling up, but Moe’s wife, Nadeen, pointed to a table where Nick was waiting. All in all, everything looked and felt normal.
Rafe was about to head to his brother, when Sara tugged on his hand, stopping him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nick wanted to talk to you. Maybe I should wait up front,” she offered.
“No.” Rafe was not leaving her alone. “Come sit with us. Besides, you have to eat lunch.” Grasping her hand tighter in his, he pulled her toward the table.
Nick rose to greet them. “Hey. Thanks for coming.”
“No problem.” Rafe stepped aside to let Sara slide into the booth first before easing in next to her.
She’d been edgy since getting off the phone with the captain this morning. The Bachelor Blog, though spotlighting a guy in the city, still made sure to hit on the Sara-Rafe romance daily, reminding the city that they were huddled together in Rafe’s hometown, Sara getting to know his family and Rafe getting to know Sara even better.
The captain had tried placing a call to the editor of the Daily Post, asking them to lay off publishing information on Sara’s whereabouts, but citing the Bachelor Blogger’s First Amendment right to free speech, the editor had respectfully declined. Sara felt like a walking target.
Which was why Rafe was sticking by her side.
Aida, the waitress, stopped by their table for chit-chat and to take their orders. When another table waved to get her attention, she finally left them alone to talk.
“So, what’s up?” Rafe asked Nick.
“That’s what I wanted to know. Did you hear anything on who set the fire?”
Rafe shook his head. He’d made some calls this morning. “The fire inspector can only confirm arson. The state police in charge of the investigation questioned people, but nobody saw anything definitive. Basically, they know nothing.”
Nick frowned. “What about you, Sara?” he asked, lowering his voice. “Any news from New York?”
She shook her head. “According to our captain, the guy I’m supposed to testify against is smugly asserting he’ll get off. The D.A. takes that to mean I should watch my back. But it’s all inconclusive.”
“And we’re on the lookout for anyone suspicious now that most of the tourists are gone,” Rafe said. “Anyone come to mind?”
To Rafe’s surprise, Nick nodded. “Guess who didn’t leave town?”
Rafe narrowed his gaze.
“Biff and Todd,” Nick said before either Rafe or Sara could reply.
“What are those two still doing here?” Rafe asked.
“They said they were in the wine business, so I would have thought they’d be gone with the rest of the festival people,” Sara said.
“Lunch is ready!” Aida arrived with her hands full of plates. She served them all quickly. “Anything else I can get you?”
“Ketchup for the burger,” Nick said.
“Some more coffee would be great, please.” Sara lifted her empty cup.
“I’m good,” Rafe said.
“Back in a jiffy!” Aida promised, rushing off to fill their requests.
“I’m going to have the captain run a check on those two,” Rafe said of Biff and Todd. “Can you get me their full names from Angel?” he asked his brother.
“Will do.”
Rafe took a bite of his turkey club sandwich.
Beside him, Sara picked at her salad, her wary gaze darting around the room. Obviously, she was more interested in the customers than the food.
Knowing nothing he could say would distract her, Rafe made small talk with his brother as they all finished their meals. Soon they had paid and were back outside in the hot, humid summer air. Compared to the weekend, when the festival had been in full swing, the streets were empty, people preferring to be inside where the air conditioners kept them comfortable.
“Nick! Sara! Rafe!” Angel called their names and came running toward them. “You won’t believe it! I can’t believe it!”
“What’s going on?” Nick asked first.
“I just had a phone call from the features editor at the Daily Post in Manhattan! She’s going to include my bed-and-breakfast in a story about great summer getaways!” Angel practically shook with excitement.
“That’s the same paper that prints the Bachelor Blog,” Rafe said, immediately wary.
“That’s how they heard about my B and B,” Angel said, her tone more tempered now that the conflict of interest overtook her excitement. “Look, I know I was wrong to let the Bachelor Blogger know about you being here, but can’t I be excited that it led to this kind of exposure?”
“Of course you can,” Nick said, surprising everyone.
“Right,” Rafe agreed. “It’s just that the less exposure this little town has, the better as far as I’m concerned. At least until it’s time for Sara to go back to the city.” He shot a worried glance her way, but he couldn’t read her feelings from her expression.
“Amanda Stevens, that’s the editor, is coming here tomorrow for a firsthand look. She’s going to do an interview and bring a photographer to take pictures. And the timing is perfect, because just this morning, Biff and Todd decided to move into the Hilton for the rest of their vacation, so I have rooms available.”
“Biff and Todd moved out?” Sara asked, obviously as surprised as Rafe.
“They said they’ll be around town,” Angel replied, “but they wanted a pool and a gym, all the amenities a full-service hotel offered.”
Those two were odd ducks, Rafe thought.
“You all have a funny look in your eyes.” Angel’s gaze darted from Rafe to Sara. “Did I step in it again?” she asked, confused.
Rafe didn’t want to upset her. She was an innocent bystander in all this drama, and she deserved success.
“You did nothing wrong, and of course it’s okay to be excited,” Sara said. “I’m thrilled for you!”
Angel smiled. “I have to go clean up for my guests. And I need to cook!” She started back down the street when suddenly she turned. “Nick?”
“Yeah?”
“Come help me?”
Nick paused, obviously surprised by the request.
Rafe nudged his mute brother in the side. “Go.”
“I have to work.”
“Call in sick,” Rafe said wryly.
Nick nodded, his brain seeming to catch up. “Right. Coming!” he called out to his wife. “See you later, bro.”
Rafe inclined his head, grinning.
Nick raised one hand in a wave and walked away.
Alone at last, Rafe turned to Sara. “Do you want a break from all this? We can figure out what to do about the features editor later.”
Her eyes lit up. “Always. What do you have in mind?”
“Going out on my boat. Away from people, places and things.” His favorite place on earth that he wanted to share with her. “Are you game?”
She nodded. “Sounds like heaven.”
He could not agree more.
Sara stood holding on to the rail in front of her as Rafe propelled the small speedboat across the lake. There was not another boat in sight; the peace and solitude was all-encompassing. The wind blew her hair, and the sun baked down on her body, freeing her mind and her spirit.
“This is fabulous!” she called to him.
“I’m glad you like it.”
She liked the view more. Not the beautiful trees and shoreline landscape, but the sight of shirtless Rafe in bathing trunks that hung low on his hips and revealed his tanned body and hard abs. Then there was the scar, which was a constant reminder that he’d taken one for the team.
For her.
Sunglasses covered his eyes, and the wind blew his dark hair off his forehead, giving him a sexy, rakish look.
She appreciated the fact that he’d sensed her tension and brought her here to ease it. He always knew just what to say or do to fix things in her small part of the world.
“Have you ever been on a boat before?” he asked, slowing the motor and letting them bob on the calm surface of the water.
She pulled her hair off her face. “Does the ferry to the Statue of Liberty count?”
He grinned. “Not really.”
“Then, no.”
She eased herself down on one of the padded benches that stretched across the width of the deck and leaned back, resting on her hands.
“I take it you grew up on a boat?” she asked him.
He nodded. “My dad would take us out. The boys one time, the girls another. Sometimes we’d get alone-time with him, and that was usually the best day,” he said, obviously remembering good times.
She smiled. “Sounds great.”
“It was. I always told myself I’d take my own kids one day.”
The notion, once spoken, was out there between them, and she couldn’t help but imagine Rafe and his son or daughter spending time together on this boat. The image stuck with her, making her melancholy and sad, knowing that meant she’d be long gone out of his life.
She shook her head hard. She usually wasn’t so wistful in her thinking, but lately, that seemed all she was able to be. Well, no more. When would she ever have the opportunity to enjoy summertime on a boat on a lake again?
She cleared her throat. “Did you ever bring a girlfriend out on the lake?” she asked.
He lifted his glasses and met her gaze, obviously surprised by the question. “Back in high school, if I could convince my father to lend me the boat, and then only if I could smooth talk a girl into trusting me alone on the lake.” He treated her to a wink.
“Were you a bad boy?” She was curious about what kind of reputation he’d had.
“Hang on one second.” He turned to drop anchor so they could hang out for a while.
He stepped toward her, settling down on the bench beside her, leaving no doubt in her mind he was every inch the bad boy.
“Now, where were we? Oh, yeah, was I a bad boy? Hmm. I was the guy everyone knew wanted to leave the small town behind as soon as possible. That made me a risky proposition.”
“I can imagine.”
He grinned. “I bet I could have sweet-talked you onto my boat.”
She shook her head and laughed. “You just did.”
“So… What kind of kid were you?”
She figured turnabout was fair play. “Considering most of my family was on the force? I had a pretty solid good-girl thing going.” She made a face at the reminder. “But at the same time, I was pretty stubborn, had my opinions and wanted things my way, which made the guys steer clear. Needless to say, I caught on and became much more male-gender friendly.”
“Do tell.” He traced the outline of her bathing suit with one finger.
She trembled as the heated touch set off sparks inside her belly, between her legs and everywhere else. She licked her dry lips. “Have you ever had sex on a boat?”
His eyes darkened with need. “No.”
She glanced around the sparkling lake. “Do you think anyone will pass by and see us?” she asked nervously.
He laughed. “Is the big bad police officer scared of getting caught?”
“More like being exposed.”
He rose and took a good look around. “Not if we hurry.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Then what are you waiting for?” She barely recognized her husky voice.
He leaned close and pressed his lips to hers, seducing her with his hot mouth. He followed as she lay down on the bench, coming down over her until his erection pulsed, hard against her stomach. She gripped the back of his head as her tongue dueled and tangled with his, mimicking sex, making her burn. The kiss was as hot as the sun overhead, consuming her just as he wanted to be consumed. A trickle of moisture settled between her legs, and her desire to have him inside her grew.
His lips moved from her lips to her jaw, trailing moist kisses down her neck to her collarbone, traveling lower until he settled between her breasts. He paused there, drawing lazy circles over her skin. She moaned and arched beneath him, the sensations arousing but not nearly enough.
With an easy pull on the string, he released her bathing-suit top. He yanked, and the bikini came off in his hands. Then he cupped each mound.
“No matter how many times I see you like this, you take my breath away.” Intent on his task, he slid his hands down her waist and over her stomach.
She quivered at his touch. And once more he pulled and released her bathing suit, tossing the bottoms to the floor. She bent her knees, and without missing a beat, he thrust deep inside.
She exhaled hard, accepting all of him, and together they soared to completion.
A short time later, they were dressed and heading to shore. She stood beside him, wind blowing her hair, his arm looped around hers as he steered them home.
Home.
She really needed to get out of here before she became too comfortable with the word.