Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Taylor and Jameson left the bar on Kyle’s heels, with Jameson’s arm slung around her shoulders. They took their time walking to the Chevy, Jameson speaking nonsense in a low tone and Taylor laughing at nothing.
Kyle reached his car and pulled open the door just as they reached the Chevy.
Breathing a satisfied sigh, Taylor reached for the door handle, then froze as the redhead appeared.
Beside her, Jameson stiffened, then shifted his body ever so slightly.
“She’s obsessed with him,” Taylor murmured in a low tone as Jameson embraced her. Since her back was to the couple, he had a perfect view of the twosome. “Even though he’s married and wearing a ring.”
“He’s not having any of it.” Jameson barely whispered the words and pretended to nuzzle her hair.
Even though Taylor knew this was all pretend, a delightful shiver ran up her spine. She found herself hoping Kyle would take his time getting into his vehicle .
“Driving off,” Jameson said as a car engine roared to life. “Let’s go.”
Taylor hopped into the Chevy, and when she closed the door, she saw the redhead giving Kyle the finger before stalking back toward the bar.
Keeping a reasonable distance, Jameson pulled into traffic behind the Kia.
“She didn’t go home with him.” Taylor shifted in her seat toward Jameson. “Why are we following him?”
“In case,” Jameson kept his gaze on the car, “he’s headed somewhere other than home.”
It took Taylor a second to understand. “Oh, you think he turned down the redhead because another woman is waiting for him somewhere else.”
“I don’t think anything,” Jameson said. “I was hired to gather information on tonight’s activities. The night isn’t over until he’s back home and walking inside.”
Taylor settled back against the worn leather seat and relaxed. While she hoped Kyle wasn’t cheating, she wasn’t ready for her night with Jameson to end.
“All’s well that ends well,” Taylor murmured as Kyle entered the house. Seconds later, the porch light flicked off.
Jameson smiled. “I get the feeling that you enjoyed tonight.”
“It was surprisingly fun.” Taylor realized that part of what made it fun was going to the Trackside, a place she might never have visited otherwise. The other part was spending the evening with Jameson. “I thought I’d be tired, but instead, I’m revved.”
“That’s normal. At least it is for me once it’s all done.” He paused. “Highway 15 Diner isn’t far from here if you’re hungry.”
Taylor widened her eyes. “Is that place still in business? ”
“Open twenty-four hours a day.” Jameson smiled. “Good food. Great eats.”
Taylor chuckled. “So they’re still using the same slogan.”
“If it ain’t broke, why fix it?”
“Let’s go there.” Taylor felt nostalgic as a long-forgotten memory surfaced. “When my dad finished a case, Highway 15 was where he always wanted to go to celebrate.”
“That didn’t change.”
Taylor fought a pang of envy. She’d have known that if she’d lived in town. Or if they’d talked more about his life and less about hers. “You guys would go there together?”
“After the close of every investigation.” Jameson turned the Chevy in the direction of the highway.
Though the parking lot wasn’t full when they arrived, it was getting there. “I imagine this place is packed on the weekends.”
“You imagine correctly.” Jameson rested his palm against her back for a second as they crossed the parking lot to the entrance, then he immediately dropped it.
It was as if he’d forgotten they were no longer doing surveillance and playing a part.
The bright fluorescent glare inside the café contrasted sharply with the outside darkness. As her eyes adjusted to the light, Taylor realized it was like stepping into a time capsule.
There was the same cracked linoleum floor and booths with orange plastic seating. Even the servers looked familiar, but that was likely because the uniforms—blue polyester dresses with white aprons—hadn’t changed.
While male servers had become as common as women over the past twenty years, apparently this place hadn’t gotten the memo. Taylor didn’t see any male employees besides the cook behind the order window.
“This is a blast from the past.” She turned to slide into the booth.
Just as she did, Jameson whirled .
Ajay had tried to sneak up on him, but Jameson’s cop instincts remained strong.
“I thought I had you cold.” Ajay grinned, then turned to Taylor. “You haven’t dumped this guy yet? What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m trying to find the right time.” She waved an airy hand. “Tonight isn’t it.”
“Timing is everything.” Ajay now refocused on Jameson. “How you been, man?”
“Good. How ’bout you?”
“I’m solid.”
“Join us?” Jameson asked, then glanced at Taylor.
“I’d like it if you would.” Taylor gestured to the booth.
“We just finished chowing down.” Ajay gestured with his head toward the door where a couple of guys Taylor recognized as his bandmates impatiently waited. “Another time maybe.”
“You know where to find me.”
“B-ball on Sunday?”
“Not this week.” Jameson shook his head. “I’ve got plans for Saturday night, which means I’ll be sleeping in on Sunday.”
“Next week, then.”
Jameson nodded. “Plan on it.”
“Later.” Ajay cast one last look at Taylor. “Love the shirt…color.”
Taylor laughed as the boy strolled off.
Once they had ordered, Taylor shot Jameson a curious look. “You play basketball?”
“I’m not sure open court at the Y on Sunday morning counts, but yes, I play.” He shrugged and sipped his coffee. “Ajay is the one with skills.”
She studied him for a long moment, and her tone turned teasing. “I’m betting you’re good at everything.”
Something flickered in his eyes, and the air between them shimmered with heat .
She was the first to look away, breaking the connection. Lifting her coffee cup, she took a long drink. Then, feeling more in control, she smiled. “Did you play in high school?”
“When I was at Crestwood,” he told her. “And when I was on the force, we had a team.”
“You didn’t play on your high school team after you left Crestwood?”
“At that point in my life, it took everything I had to get through the school day.”
“Playing on a team sounds lovely.”
“You play basketball?”
She laughed at how surprised he sounded. “No, I mean the team part. I want to get more involved in the community. You know, start to build connections and relationships.”
He nodded and changed the subject. “What did you think of tonight?”
“Like I said, it was fun.” She expelled a satisfied breath. “I especially liked the happy ending.”
“You’re one of those?” His voice turned teasing.
“Don’t give me that.” She leaned forward. “You were as happy as I was at how it ended up.”
“I was,” he admitted. “I enjoyed having you as a partner.”
“I want to help.” Taylor met his gaze, trying to will him to see how much she meant what she was saying. “Anything I can do to help you, please ask. You’re in a bind right now because of me?—”
He reached across the table and took her hand, and Taylor forgot what she’d been about to say.
“Not because of you.” His gorgeous brown eyes remained focused on her face.
“But I won’t sell. It’s silly,” she babbled, making no move to pull away, “not selling because of a few cryptic words scrawled on a note.”
“You and I both know it’s not that simple.” His thumb began to caress her palm. “You believe your dad had a reason for telling you not to sell. In time, you’ll know the reason.”
“You’re willing to stand behind what my dad wanted? Even if it makes your life hard?”
“I’d do anything for Bob.” Jameson’s intense gaze burned a path straight to her heart. “And for his daughter.”
By the time Jameson dropped Taylor off at her house, it was two thirty in the morning. Though she should have been exhausted, she was still revved.
Her father had believed nothing good came from being out after midnight, but the Maplewood Village neighborhood was about as safe as they came, and the quiet street called to Taylor. After putting on a hat and grabbing a pair of gloves, Taylor stepped out into the chilly night air.
The streetlights cast a golden glow over the sidewalk, and a thousand stars filled the clear night sky.
As Taylor strode down the sidewalk and considered the evening, she couldn’t help but smile at the thought of a dive bar and a highway diner.
Hardly the recipe for a memorable date, but Taylor couldn’t recall the last time she’d enjoyed an evening more.
It hadn’t been the bar and diner, though, that had made the evening so pleasurable, but the man she’d been with. She’d enjoyed tonight because of Jameson.
The more she got to know him, the more she liked him.
Not only was he an excellent investigator, but he also appeared to be a good man who cared about others. He seemed to be someone she could trust.
But his parents had been con artists, skilled in deception.
Could she really trust Jameson Fox ?
The question circled in her mind until she returned home and finally fell into an exhausted slumber.
Taking a page from Jameson’s playbook, Taylor slept in the following day. When she finally rolled out of bed at eleven, sleet battered the windows as she padded to the kitchen to start the coffeemaker.
A gust of wind had the icy rain crashing against the kitchen window. Taylor shivered and rubbed her bare arms.
On her way to the stairs, she pulled on her father’s jacket and immediately relaxed in the comforting warmth.
It was crazy to think the morning was almost gone, and she wasn’t even dressed.
With a high forecast in the low thirties, Taylor dressed for comfort rather than style. After braiding her hair into a long tail, she donned jeans, a wool sweater and boots.
The only to-do items on her agenda today were to continue to analyze Elite’s financials and maybe brush up on the ins and outs of divorce law in Maryland.
Even though Sara had put filing for divorce on hold, the fact that her husband had been cheating on her with numerous women told Taylor that Sara would eventually be back.
It was strange. Russell was a cheater and a louse, yet Sara was still determined to try to make her marriage work. Her mother, on the other hand, had walked away from a good man who’d done nothing but love her.
Taylor pressed her lips together. Sometimes life made no sense at all.
It was nearly one by the time Taylor stepped outside. She came to an abrupt stop.
Her mother stood on the porch, a tentative smile on her face. “Hello, Taylor.”
Startled, Taylor glanced around. “Where did you come from?”
Lynda gestured to a blue van halfway down the block. “An Uber brought me from the airport.”
“You didn’t knock or ring the bell.”
Her mother gave a little laugh. “I was getting up my nerve.”
Sleet had given way to snow, and the breeze sent flakes dancing around them.
“I didn’t realize you were coming.” Very few things surprised Taylor, but seeing her mother on her doorstep was a definite surprise.
Despite an airy wave, her mother couldn’t hide the underlying strain in her expression. “Call it an impulse and a desire to see for myself that you were okay. When you mentioned you were in GraceTown, I booked a flight.”
Taylor took in the cashmere coat, the navy pencil skirt and heeled boots. “You look nice.”
It was an understatement. Lynda had always been beautiful and had only grown more lovely with the passing years. Expertly applied makeup emphasized high cheekbones, full lips, and big brown eyes. Her hair, sporting fresh blonde highlights, brushed her shoulders.
“Thank you.” Her mother shifted her carry-on bag from one hand to the other.
Only then did Taylor realize they were standing outside on the porch while snow fell.
“It’s freezing out here. Let’s get inside.” Unlocking the door, Taylor motioned for Lynda to follow her. Once in the warmth, she took the bag from her mother’s hand and set it on the floor, then politely held out her hand. “May I take your coat?”
“Yes, thank you.” With fingers that visibly trembled, her mother hurriedly unbuttoned the camel-colored cashmere and had the garment in Taylor’s hands in seconds.
“I can make us some coffee.” After shrugging off her dad’s coat, Taylor turned back to her mother. “Would you like a cup?”
“Weren’t you just leaving?”
“I was planning to stop by the Elite office, but I don’t have anything pressing at the moment.”
Though the guarded expression remained on her mother’s face, the tension in her shoulders eased. “If it’s not too much of an imposition, I’d love something hot.”
Minutes later, they sat across from each other at the kitchen table.
“I can’t believe Bob is gone.” Sadness blanketed her pretty face as Lynda nibbled on one of the cookies Taylor set out.
“He was always so active and strong.”
“I don’t remember him ever being in the hospital.” Lynda’s brown eyes grew distant with memories. She shook her head, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “I’d be laid up for a week with the flu, and he’d shake it off and be back to work in a day. I always teased that he’d outlive us all.”
“I wish he had,” Taylor murmured. “Then I wouldn’t be missing him right now.”
“I’m sorry you’re hurting.” Her mother’s soft voice, so low and warm, sounded almost like a caress. “I know how much your dad meant to you. And how much you meant to him.”
Doubling down on her tangled emotions, Taylor only nodded.
“Your dad was my first serious boyfriend, the first person who looked at me and believed I could do anything I wanted. He was so encouraging and kind. I fell head over heels.” Lynda’s tone turned wistful.
“Yet, despite him being so supportive, you up and left him.” Taylor’s flat tone had the air between them crackling with electricity.
After a long moment of silence, Lynda said, “Ultimately, we were different people who wanted different things out of life. That doesn’t negate that he was a good guy and an excellent father.”
Taylor pushed to her feet. “I don’t want to talk about him with you.” She strode to the counter and poured herself more coffee, using the time to settle.
The lines of worry furrowing her mother’s brow eased when Taylor resumed her seat.
Lynda offered an easy smile. “Let’s talk about you. You said you were headed into the Elite office. Have you been helping out there?”
“I have.”
Her mother’s brown eyes sparked with interest, which was not surprising, as anything business-related had always captivated her. “What exactly have you been doing for them?”
Taylor explained about the records review and asset searches and then added, “I’ve also helped out on a few surveillance ops.”
At her mother’s mild look of alarm, Taylor said, “I worked those ops with Dad’s partner, Jameson Fox. I wasn’t in any danger.”
“Your smile tells me you enjoyed the challenge.”
“I did.” In fact, Taylor wouldn’t mind doing it again and hoped Jameson would ask. “It was fun.”
Her mother took a sip of coffee and studied her over the rim. “Is there anything going on romantically between you and Jameson Fox?”
“How do you know that he isn’t Dad’s age with a houseful of kids?”
“Your dad kept me updated.” Lynda’s eyes grew soft with memories. “He told me all about Jameson, told me his instincts said that this man would make a good partner.”
Taylor frowned. “I never understood why you two stayed in contact. Talking. Texting. You were divorced. Why continue to string him along? ”
“So now you want to talk about him?”
Taylor looked away and said nothing as the anger that she’d kept on the back burner for so long began to boil.
“Your father and I were never enemies, Taylor. We both tried to make the marriage work. In the end, we were better apart.”
“You mean you were better off without him.”
Her scornful tone had her mother’s eyes flashing, but Lynda’s tone remained calm. “It’s a mistake to presume you have all the answers. Knowing a man as a husband is very different than knowing him as a father or as a friend.”
When Taylor said nothing, her mother took a breath and let it out slowly. “I didn’t come here to fight with you, Taylor.”
“Why did you come?”
“I told you. I wanted to see you.” Her mother’s eyes softened. “I know this has been a difficult time, and I?—”
“Why are you suddenly so interested in my life when you never were before? You?—”
“I’ve always been interested,” Lynda interrupted, then continued without giving Taylor a chance to respond. “I also wanted to thank you in person for the ring and bracelet. Mr. Blount mentioned you retrieved them from the house for him. They meant a lot to me, and I’m glad to have them back.”
“If you liked them so much, why didn’t you take them with you when you left?”
“That last week before I left was a blur.” Lynda expelled a weary-sounding breath. “I thought I took everything that mattered—everything but you, of course. You made it clear that there was no way you’d go with me.”
Taylor recalled how her mother had flinched as she’d hurled those words and others that were very similar—and equally hurtful—at her.
“You were a daddy’s girl, Taylor. I accepted that.” Lynda spoke as if to herself. “I couldn’t take you from him. ”
“You didn’t fight for me.” Taylor flung the accusation at her mother, unsure where the words came from.
“What would have been the point, sweet girl?”
“I would have known you cared,” Taylor cried. “You just walked away from us. It was as if you didn’t care about me or Dad.”
“Taylor, I loved you.” Lynda’s voice broke. “So very much.”
Was her mother being honest or just blowing smoke?
Her dad had believed a person should trust their instincts.
Right now, Taylor wasn’t sure she had any.