Chapter 11 #2
Victoria took a few steps toward the door, but something made her pause and look back.
And for a moment, she didn’t see his head angled down toward the book.
She saw him as she’d come upon him sixteen years ago, sitting upright but slumped, a posture she’d never seen him in before then.
She saw his vacant, lost stare across the room at nothing.
And she saw what she’d heard now in his voice, at the reminder of the annual birthday dinner her mother had cooked for him every year of their marriage.
Pain. Grief. Emotions she hadn’t known her father could feel until that night when their lives had changed forever. That night she’d seen, as if through the tiniest clear streak across a dirty window, what her mother must have known about the man she’d married. The man she had loved.
That he, too, was human. That he loved. And that he, perhaps more than most, needed to be loved.
Victoria didn’t have her mother’s infinite compassion and love, but she would keep trying to do everything Mom would’ve wanted for her family. “Good night, Dad. I love you.” She said the words as her mother had, often and generously, though Victoria had never heard him respond in kind.
So Victoria didn’t wait for a response as she left. She only hoped and prayed that she would continue the witness her mother had begun of the love of Christ in her father’s life so that, someday, he might realize his need for that love and salvation.
There she was. The woman Cillian hadn’t been able to forget in sixteen years of trying. Now that was a sight a man could get used to seeing first thing in the morning.
Cillian couldn’t shake the smile that stretched his mouth as he watched Victoria, looking impossibly elegant with her upswept hair and wearing navy blue scrubs as she talked to Racquelle at the counter in the open office area.
Then again, he didn’t want to lose his grin or the heat that shot through him when she was near.
He would never get tired of the way she drew him irresistibly to her.
And the feeling was still mutual. That had been clear yesterday when her cheeks had flushed and her eyes lit like they used to when he’d leaned in close. When he’d been tempted to kiss her, right there in front of a bunch of cops.
She hadn’t moved away. Which meant she still felt something for him.
Fired by the encouragement, he sauntered toward her.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that, but it sounds like you handled it correctly.” Racquelle’s dark curls swung as she tilted her head to one side. “We’ll have a staff meeting to cover what happened and refresh the instructions on what to do in a home visit situation like that.”
Must be talking about Victoria finding Thomas Briscoe’s body.
“Morning, ladies.”
Racquelle gave him the bright smile he’d hoped to get from the other lady.
But Victoria’s eyes widened slightly as they landed on him. And not in a good way. Like she was alarmed to see him there.
Well, setting her back on her heels could be a good thing. Maybe she’d reach out to him for balance. And realize she needed a change, especially when it came to letting her dad run her life.
Might as well push her a little more off-kilter. “Did you follow up with McCully on the murder?”
“Murder?” Racquelle’s mouth dropped open. “What murder?” She jumped her gaze from Cillian to Victoria.
“Didn’t you tell her?” Cillian aimed the question at Victoria.
Her eyes narrowed a tad at the corners as she met his gaze.
He barely held back the chuckle that wanted to escape.
She’d always been cute when he ruffled her feathers.
“Tell me what?” Impatience edged Racquelle’s tone.
Victoria turned her attention to her boss. “I thought there were some suspicious aspects to Mr. Briscoe’s death. I shared those with the police when they were asking me about him.”
“Do they think it’s a murder?” Racquelle tossed a glance at Cillian.
He shook his head and answered before Victoria could downplay it. “The detective on the case is being muleheaded about it. Victoria has terrific evidence that points to murder, but he won’t listen. I suggested she talk to him again or go above his head.”
“I can’t comment on that.” Racquelle gathered some papers into a folder she had lying on the counter.
“What you do on your own time is your choice, of course.” She looked at Victoria.
“But we wouldn’t want CareFull to be associated with a criminal investigation, so you’d have to be cautious with how you go about any involvement. ”
Victoria gave a small nod. “Of course.” She watched Racquelle walk away and disappear into the hallway while Cillian watched Victoria. Her profile anyway.
Her head suddenly swung toward him. “What are you doing?” She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. “Are you trying to get me into trouble?”
He did chuckle then. As much as she’d grown up since they were teens, she apparently still freaked out at the idea of getting in trouble more than anything else. He grinned and shook his head. “Maybe things haven’t changed so much after all.”
She pinched her lips together and stretched her spine to straighter than straight since she already had perfect posture.
“If you didn’t come here to sabotage me or my life, then you have an odd way of showing it.
” She spun on her heels and marched away, headed toward the hallway that led to the back of the building.
He strode after her, catching up in seconds with his longer stride. “Look, you can’t blame me for talking about the murder. I figured you would’ve told Racquelle you thought it was a murder.”
“Why would I do that?” She kept walking, her breaths becoming a little heavy as she tried to outpace him.
“Why wouldn’t you?”
She threw him an exasperated glance, then stared ahead, speed walking to the end of the hallway.
She snatched a purple parka off the line of hooks on the wall next to the lockers.
“I wouldn’t mention that because I knew she would react exactly the way she did.
That she would be afraid I’ll become involved in something that will damage CareFull’s reputation.
” She swung the jacket behind her back and reached her hand toward one sleeve.
He grabbed the jacket and held it for her to insert her arms more easily.
But she froze. Turned to stare at him like he was a snowman who’d just come to life.
“What?” He lifted the outspread coat slightly to show she should put it on.
She slowly rotated forward again and slipped her arms into the sleeves. “Thank you.” Her soft words floated up to him as she moved closer to the parka…and him.
Her familiar scent tickled his nostrils. She still smelled like lilacs. Never had figured out if it was from a shampoo or perfume or was just…her.
He barely resisted the instinct to rest his hands on her shoulders as the jacket fell in place there.
Taking advantage of the situation would only prove her shock right.
So he hadn’t been the most chivalrous guy when they’d dated before.
He hadn’t had anyone to teach him how or why to treat a lady that way. But she would see he had changed.
He cleared his throat and took a step back as she pivoted to him, zipping up her jacket so that it lightly skimmed the curves of her slim figure.
He pulled his gaze up to her face. “Well, I only wanted to find out if there were any developments. If you talked to McCully again and got him to listen to you.”
She paused. Like she was trying to decide whether or not to admit something. “Yes, I did.”
Warmth pumped through him. She’d listened to him. Taken what she would think of as a big risk—daring a cop’s disapproval and anger—because Cillian had persuaded her to.
“And as I predicted, he still wouldn’t take the evidence seriously and became quite irritated with me.
” She went to the lockers, taking a key from her pocket to unlock one.
“I knew I shouldn’t have bothered him further.
” She pulled out her purse and PT bag, which probably contained essential items she didn’t want to freeze if left in her car.
“What are you talking about? Of course you should have. And now you’ll need to go over his head.”
She slammed the door shut on the locker and swiveled her head toward him.
An unusual flash lit her eyes. “No, I will not. I need to leave him to do his job, exactly as he told me to do in the first place.” She pulled back the cuff of her jacket sleeve to check her watch.
“And I also need to go to my first appointment.” She pulled on a purple pair of thin gloves.
“I hope you have a good day with whatever you’re supposed to be doing.
” She threw him a glance and marched to the door.
“Hold on.” He scrambled to grab his leather jacket from another hook and pushed through the door she’d let close behind her. How come she listened to everyone’s orders but his?
He stuck his arms through the sleeves as he jogged after her. “Vicks, wait.”
She stopped abruptly. So abruptly he nearly crashed into her. “I don’t think you should call me that anymore.” She didn’t face him as she said it.
But she would have to if she expected to convince him she didn’t want him to use the nickname she’d loved sixteen years ago. The one that had always made her smile or blush.
He stepped in front of her. “Why not?”
She lifted her gaze to his. No, she wasn’t the na?ve young girl anymore.
She didn’t shy away from eye contact now with that cute, embarrassed smile.
Her hazel eyes held a grim firmness they’d never had before.
And a confidence, determination, and strength that made her more beautiful than ever.
But the orbs that watched him also held a wariness born of experience.
Experience with him or someone else? Either way, he didn’t think he’d like the answer or what she was going to say next.
“Before you answer that,” he cut in before she could speak, “we didn’t really get dessert last night. How about dinner tonight?”
Her eyebrows lowered like she was getting ready to say a pretty heavy No.
“Or lunch or whatever kind of meal or coffee you’re comfortable with.” He gave her a grin. The one that used to melt her defenses.
“I still don’t understand why you’re here, but it’s best that we see each other as little as possible.”
Okay, melting was not the effect anymore. More like the opposite. He rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. “I want to tell you why I’m here. Isn’t that worth getting coffee or something? I promise I won’t get you into any trouble at all. It’ll just be coffee.”
Her gaze followed his hand as he dropped it to his side. “Why aren’t you wearing gloves?”
“They’re on the bike.” He pointed to his motorcycle, and she swung to look.
“You’re still riding a motorcycle? In the winter?”
He laughed. “Of course.”
“You were driving a jeep yesterday.” She brought her focus back to him, confusion shaping her features.
“And now the bike today. Want to go for a ride?”
Her eyes widened, making him laugh again.
He’d never forget the day he’d sat her on his bike and taken her for the first motorcycle ride of her life. Prim and proper Victoria had squealed for a block before she’d settled for squeezing his waist in a death grip from behind. Which hadn’t bothered him one bit.
She frowned. Apparently, the memory wasn’t as enjoyable for her. Or she was trying to pretend it wasn’t. “I’ll stay with my warm and safe car, thank you.”
“Ah, yes.” He looked at her gray Honda Civic. “The dependable—”
Something white on her windshield caught his eye. Not snow. Paper? He walked to her car. Sure enough, a piece of paper was folded into a square and tucked beneath the wiper blade. He pulled it out. “Don’t tell me Victoria Weston got a parking ticket.” He tossed her a grin.
She arched one eyebrow. “In the employee parking lot?”
“Maybe you have a secret admirer.”
She blew out a sigh. “Give me that.” She reached for the note.
He almost couldn’t squelch the urge to hold it out of her arm’s length, but that would only convince her he was still the immature kid she’d known before. He let her slip it from his hand.
A much better choice since an electric shock buzzed through him when her gloved fingers brushed his skin.
Her long eyelashes lifted as she glanced up at him. Then she dropped her attention to the paper and unfolded it.
He stepped to her side and looked at it, too, prepared to make a crack about the flyer some salesman had probably left.
But his gaze collided with cut-out letters pasted to the paper like something out of a movie.
Leave well enough alone or you’ll get hurt.