Chapter 13
Noah, Harper, and Sharla settled on a pair of stone benches near a small fountain and watched the last of the limos drive off the property. Since Kimmie and the cheerleaders weren’t in the elite crowd, they drove their own cars. It was unlikely they’d be at the luncheon.
The cemetery went quiet.
As if by magic, the sun broke through the gray clouds and settled on the grassy areas not blocked by tree leaves.
Mottled light filtered through the maple tree behind them as Sharla pulled out an electric cigarette. The two waited patiently until the woman took a long drag on water vapor and exhaled. She instantly looked at peace.
Lifting her face to the light, she sat for a beat, as if contemplating Noah’s earlier question. A second drag followed and she dropped her attention back to her companions.
“I’ve given up the real stuff, cancer and all that.” Sharla stared at the fountain. “You want to know why I’d hook up with an unpleasant married man like Gerald?” Her eyes turned pensive. Making a confession about taking up with a married man couldn’t be easy. But Sharla was nothing if not blunt. “Truthfully? The money.”
Oddly, this didn’t surprise Harper. “That was the one positive Gerald had going for him.”
Sharla smiled and nodded. “True. Also, believe it or not, he had strange sense of humor that I found charming.”
Now this did surprise Harper. Noah watched her eyes widen. “I didn’t know that about him. The only time I saw him smile was when he was eating puppies and squashing defenseless victims like bugs. Otherwise a disapproving smirk was his only expression. I think he even had his own emoji.”
The two women shared a knowing glance. “Yes, that was Gerald. But when we were in bed—”
“Dear God, no!” Harper yelped and covered her ears. “Please don’t gross me out.”
The redhead laughed and waited for Harper to drop her hands. “Okay. Let me rephrase. During, um, quiet moments, when his guard was down, he liked to tell stupid jokes and make fun of his family. I know the latter sounds bad, but he had real affection for his children.”
* * * *
Had the subject been anyone but her hated old boss, Harper might have enjoyed some insight into Gerald’s private life. As it was, he’d never treated her as anything higher than something he’d found stuck to his shoe, so it would take a lot more than fatherly affection and jokes to change her opinion.
She lifted a hand. “Okay, I get that there was something pleasant about him the rest of the universe didn’t see. However, he wasn’t exactly a catch in the looks department, if you know what I mean. Even lots of cash couldn’t make him appealing.”
Harper felt bad about bashing him, but she had to find out as much as she could about the workings of their relationship to make Sharla a suspect, or rule her out.
“You’d be surprised. Money is a powerful aphrodisiac.” Sharla played with her veil. “Even half-dead and moth-eaten old billionaire businessman often have women as young as their granddaughters on their arms. They have to know she isn’t in the relationship for their hot geriatric physiques. It’s all about the cash, baby.”
Noah piped in, “She has a point.”
“Point or not, ewww.” Harper had to move past this topic before the hairdresser shot way off into the ick zone. Her breakfast was already souring. “Sharla, did you kill Gerald?”
Sharla took two puffs. Noah seemed fascinated. It had to be a guy thing.
“I did not.” She stood, turned the cigarette off, and tucked it into her purse.
“Look. Am I sad that Gerald is dead? I am. Despite that his wife looks like a homeless woman, he was generous with me and my son. The jewelry alone will pay my bills for months to come. But did I have any hopes for us beyond an affair? I did not. Nor would I have married him if he were free to ask. When I marry again, it will be to a decent guy who loves me and Andy.”
Pulling the veil back over her face, she smiled sadly. “The mourners are gone. I think I’ll go pay my last respects.”
She walked off, leaving Harper and Noah to watch her go.
“What an interesting woman,” he said as she vanished around a small mausoleum. “Do you think she killed Gerald?”
Harper shook her head. “I don’t. It would be easier if she had. We’ve done three interviews and still have no suspects.”
“Besides you.” Noah stood and pulled her to her feet. “I think you need some tension release.”
His warm hands were rough on her skin. She really wanted to see him naked. “I’m not having sex with you. Not now, not here, not ever.”
Slowly his face dissolved into a predatory grin, like the Cheshire Cat, only lusty. She felt like a mouse with a cat paw on its tail, trapped and about to be eaten. Noah was no cat, and she was no cowering mouse, but he left her quivery with all the sexy promises he sent her in that one unspoken challenge.
She took a quick step back. “Don’t touch me.”
“I don’t intend to.”
Puzzled, she scanned his face. What did he intend then? His eyes held the promise of naughty without the nice.
He stepped forward and leaned to her ear, his warm breath skimming across her skin. Her breath caught. He whispered, “When I do touch you, you’ll be begging for it.”
Dear lord! She grasped for the only life preserver that might remind him that the attraction between them couldn’t be acted on. “What about Lori?”
“What about her?”
Noah pulled back just enough to look deep into her eyes. Not even the cemetery or common sense could keep the warm flush out of her girly bits. She was balancing on the edge of a cliff and it wouldn’t take much for her to grab his hand and jump. But she wouldn’t go to bed with him for the wrong reasons. And there were many.
“I won’t allow you to cheat on her with me.” Although they say revenge is sweet, and Lori had wronged her, she just wasn’t that person. She couldn’t hurt the other woman as she’d been hurt. “I won’t be Sharla. I can’t.”
The grin stayed. “HJ, Lori is married to my brother and she’s become one of my best friends. Other than that one mistake you walked up on, and we didn’t go all the way that night, there’s never been anything sexual between us.” He leaned until she was sure he was about to kiss her. “You’ll need another barrier to keep me out. Lori isn’t it.”
Straightening, he walked around her and down the path. Harper struggled to pull air into her lungs.
Everything she ever believed about the night she and Noah broke up was wrong. Yes, he had made out with Lori, maybe even gotten to second base, but they weren’t lovers.
Despite that news, he still wasn’t trustworthy. That much she knew.
He’d been out of control during those last weeks before he knocked her world out from under her. It was unlikely he’d change. He lived up to his wild reputation. She’d believed she was the one to tame him. They both failed.
Still, was it possible there was still more to that story then she’d known? One minute he’d been an excellent boyfriend and the next he’d acted crazy. Crazier. And he wouldn’t tell her what was wrong. She’d been shut out. So when her friends told her he was at the make-out spot with another girl, she’d gone looking for him, burning with anger.
Seeing them half dressed was too much. The pain had overwhelmed her as only a first love betrayed could. There was nothing she could do but lay waste to everything that reminded her of him, eject him from her life, and never look back.
Confused and overwhelmed, she headed toward the rental car where Noah sat on the hood. Gone was the grin. Instead he looked concerned. “Do you want to talk?”
She shook her head and handed over the keys. She couldn’t concentrate enough to drive.
Silently, they left the cemetery.
Noah might have grown up, he might be less of a dog than she’d thought, but when it came to opening up and trusting Noah again, there was no place for him in her heart.