CHAPTER FIVE
Derek had to be honest with himself—Tessa Daniels was way out of his league. He’d known it way back in high school when he would spend his Saturdays helping his father at the butcher shop instead of hanging out with his football buddies, and he was certainly aware of it now. It was one of the reasons he’d never asked her out. He was blue collar all the way down to his bones, and it was something he should have kept in mind. Pissing into the wind would only get his leg wet.
Tessa was a stunningly beautiful woman. There was no denying that. He might have seen her once or twice over the last ten years. Both of those times had to have been after her shift at the hospital, because he recalled her wearing scrubs with her hair pulled back. He’d never looked twice, and not because she wasn’t attractive or didn’t have a wonderful personality. He recalled that she was quite funny when she wanted to be, as well as had a bedside manner that could ease any difficult patient’s disposition. That alone could be quite a talent.
No, the reason Derek had always shied away from commitment had been because he was constantly being deployed to places that most people didn’t even know existed. He could count on one hand the Marines he knew who had working marriages. He had no time for something that took so much work—back then or now. Life in the service could be hell on a relationship, let alone a long distance one. Marriage was rolling the dice, considering that over fifty percent of marriages in the Corps fail and end up in divorce. Besides, he usually spent six to nine months deployed abroad each year. His hands were stained, and he wasn’t talking from oil or dirt either.
Something had changed for him tonight, though. It had happened the moment Tessa had opened her front door. She wasn’t the young, awkward teenage girl he remembered from high school. She wasn’t the overworked nurse ending her shift, fatigued to the point of exhaustion. She wasn’t the tender-hearted caretaker who’d nursed his father back to health. Tessa was all woman this evening, and she’d literally stolen the breath right out of his lungs.
It had taken every ounce of his strength to maintain some semblance of coherent conversation while they’d been in the car, and she’d suddenly gone and changed the entire mood of the evening when she’d announced that she thought Bennett Harris was the one responsible for the threatening events of the past two weeks. His protective instincts had kicked in and he reverted to his training, wanting nothing more than to reduce the threat and make sure she was unharmed. He would do well to remember that he was only home for one more week.
Tessa hadn’t asked for his help. It was possible that she had warned him so that she could deal with the situation herself, should Bennett cause a scene.
“I hadn’t expected so many people to be here,” Tessa said loud enough so that he could hear her over the live band inside the conference center. The usual country music he was used to hearing on the radio upon returning home had been replaced by songs that had been in the top one hundred charts the year of their graduation. The familiar tunes brought back fond memories of yesteryear, and he found himself wishing he’d taken the time to get to know Tessa back when they were in high school. He would have lost nothing by simply risking a bit of embarrassment. “Karly really outdid herself, didn’t she?”
They had spent the first hour of the masquerade ball being surprised by, recognizing, and getting reacquainted with old friends. They were meeting their spouses, talking about their children, and hearing what paths of life they’d chosen. They’d even run into Grayson Cleary and Jake Davis, who had asked after Derek’s best friend back in the day—Emmit Atlas. They weren’t surprised to hear that he was stationed over in Germany with his wife and two children. He’d always been the type to settle down, having dated the same girl through all four years of high school, though she had been from a rival school.
As for Karly and her need to outshine? Well, she had certainly succeeded tonight.
The conference center looked nothing like the stark, empty building Derek knew it to be, but instead something out of an extravagant movie. They weren’t simply in Texas anymore, that was for sure. The red and blue school colors had been incorporated into the large swaths of soft material that draped over the tables, with each unique centerpiece being the center of attention by recalling memories they all had shared. The matching flowers were set in glass vases, lit from the bottom by tea lights. He should know what they were called, seeing as his mother had sold candles of every size and description for years to make extra money on the side.
Derek glanced up, taking note that the dark ceiling was covered with twinkling lights. Colorful masquerade masks dangled from invisible lines and gave off a Mardi Gras vibe. The festive atmosphere was contradictory to the formal tuxedos, elegant floor-length gowns, and the soft lighting radiated a rather intimate ambiance. It made for a very familiar setting and somehow everyone else had faded away when Derek and Tessa eventually carved out their own small, private area.
The old cliques had already gravitated toward one another, and the evening was well under way. Derek and Tessa could have easily joined, but they were enjoying their own personal reunion.
“When does Karly not go the full mile?” Derek lifted the bottle of beer to his lips, glancing at Tessa’s glass of Stella Rosa Moscato to ensure that she didn’t need a refill. It had been the only sweet wine available up at the cash bar. At least it was a decent wine and not something out of a box. She’d already enjoyed a first round and was nursing the second, maybe to extend their time here together. In reality, it was more likely she drank in moderation because they had yet to see Bennett. “Is there anyone else you’d like to see and talk to from the old days?”
Derek was pleased when she shook her head, leaning closer as they continued their previous conversation. He’d enjoyed the evening too much to draw it to a close, though that eventuality was closing in faster than he’d like. He’d discovered that Tessa liked reading science fiction, was a secret Star Wars mega-fan, and had always wanted to go to Walt Disney World to see the Star Wars attractions there. The last was very doable. She just needed to make plans, considering her parents had moved to Orlando over five years ago for her father’s career. Derek recalled that he was in pharmaceutical sales—a regional representative or something like that.
“I know my parents would be happy if I moved to Florida, but I just can’t bring myself to leave Catfish Creek,” Tessa said with a half-smile tinged with sadness, spinning the stem of her wine glass in between her fingers. They had both removed their masks a while ago and he could now study her beautiful, varied expressions without hindrance. “Did I mention I was offered a job down there by one of my father’s friends? He’s on the board at Florida Hospital. It’s a great package, including a bonus for signing on for one year, but I just can’t bring myself to say yes to such a big unknown. This is where I grew up, and my friends are here.”
“You mentioned you were up for a promotion at the hospital here,” Derek pointed out, not that he had any personal stake in her decision. Would he be disappointed if he’d left the Corps and moved back home to find that she no longer lived in Catfish Creek? Of course he would. “Would it be worth waiting to see what happens here before making such a momentous decision, such as moving to another state?”
“It’s not so much a promotion, as my name was thrown in the hat for Nursing Director of the cardiac unit. It’s a totally different position, with a lot more responsibility and a lot more time required on my part. It would be hard to turn down, and yes, maybe that is why I haven’t made a decision about Florida yet,” Tessa contemplated, lifting her wine glass and staring at the contents in thought. “What would you recommend?”
“What would I do?” Derek paraphrased her question, surprised she would ask him his opinion about her life. She truly appeared to want to know his thoughts, but he couldn’t very well tell her that he’d rather she stayed in Catfish Creek in case he decided to return home within the next year. That would be downright selfish and he’d never mislead her that way. “Having been in numerous parts of the world where war has torn apart villages, towns, and cities…family is the only thing that matters in the end. Material possessions are transitory. They’re meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Family is life’s sole comfort. I’ve seen homes destroyed, leaving behind people with only the clothes on their back. And they would have gladly given those remaining shreds of fabric if it meant bringing back one of their own.”
Tessa fell silent, her blue eyes studying him in a quiet manner that made him think she saw more than he wanted to disclose. Derek wasn’t a difficult man to read. He had nothing to hide, speaking his mind only on matters when asked his opinion. But it was as if she saw something deeper that most people overlooked—his compassion and dedication.
“Why haven’t you married?” Tessa’s soft inquiry came out of nowhere, surprising him, considering he’d pondered that same question earlier. “Your conviction to family is so strong, I’m surprised you haven’t started one of your own before now.”
“Life in the military can be rather hard on a relationship, not to mention a marriage.” Derek thought back to his childhood. He wanted a solid marriage like his parents, and he wouldn’t settle for less. He had a plan to wait until he served out his contract, though he recognized temptation when he saw it. “I want—”
Derek caught sight of the sudden blur of movement out of his peripheral vision. He reached for Tessa’s arm and had her out of her chair before she ever saw the body come out of nowhere. An inebriated classmate, one Derek couldn’t place, had decided to cross the room by maneuvering around the tables instead of using a more direct route through the middle of the room. He’d obviously had too much to drink and lost his balance, but the weight he’d packed on over the years would have definitely made a mark on Tessa if unintentional contact had been made.
“I’m so sorry,” the man muttered, holding his hands up in regret. “I don’t know what happened. I must have tripped on something and—”
“It’s fine,” Tessa said, trying to smooth over the situation. Derek had automatically taken her glass of wine and had snatched a napkin off the table. She’d avoided getting thrown to the ground by this man’s inability to keep his balance, but she’d lost control of her wineglass in the process. “Really. I’m okay.”
The man continued to mumble apologies as he backed away. His name continued to escape Derek, and it didn’t help that nametags had not been handed out at registration. Karly apparently thought it would be more fun for those attending to try and figure out one another’s identities as they met. Had Derek and Tessa joined in the previous activities, then the lack of identification wouldn’t have come into play as much as it did. He didn’t like going into a situation blind even though there were a few people who could easily be recognized, especially seeing as people had dropped the pretense of their masks early on.
“Thank you for that, Derek. I have a feeling I would have ended up on the floor if you hadn’t pulled me out of my chair.” Tessa had taken the proffered cloth napkin, but the wine had also gotten all over her right arm. She held her hands up in defeat. “I’m going to have to use the restroom before this becomes a sticky mess.”
“Takes you back to those wild parties, doesn’t it?” Derek said with a laugh, grateful that she hadn’t been hurt. “Let’s go and get you cleaned up. We can head out of here when you’re done, if you like.”
Derek thought he caught a glimpse of disappointment in her blue eyes. Honestly, he hoped he was correct. He wasn’t ready for this evening to end either and was anticipating that he could take her home, maybe continuing some of these topics they had been discussing over the course of this evening. He really enjoyed talking with her and wasn’t ready to call it a night.
Tessa slowly made her way across the crowded floor, all the while trying to dry her arms with the tiny napkin. Their evening had gone well, considering her apprehension over a run-in with Harris. She had finally divulged the events that had unfolded these past couple of weeks, even going so far as to tell him that she’d authorized the police to put a trace on her cell phone after yesterday’s call. He feigned surprise and displayed real concern.
Derek hadn’t wanted to disappoint her with the fact that it took a couple of days to get that type of trace activated. Her fearless action alone gave her security and he wouldn’t take that illusion away from her. Which was why he’d explained to her how she should handle this evening, all the way down to the subtle warning she was about to convey. That chance had never come, but it might be offered now that she’d had wine spilled on her accidentally. It appeared her luck had run out.
Derek spotted none other than the man himself standing no more than ten feet away. Bennet Harris’ face was plastered on the large billboard at the entrance of town, so his mug was unmistakable now. Harris had apparently caught sight of Tessa as she made her way to the public restroom on the other side of the building. Where had he been hiding all evening? Had Derek been so preoccupied with Tessa that he’d lost sight of his surroundings?
Derek was disappointed in himself for being so careless, and he wasn’t about to let his guard down now. He took a step back and made sure to grab both his mask and Tessa’s, as well as her clutch. Unfortunately, another group of people decided this was a great time to leave the reunion also, briefly blocking his view of his intended target.
When the crowd cleared?
Bennett Harris was no longer in sight.
He’d simply vanished.