Cross My Heart (Heroes of Seaside Point Book 2) Read online

  Maverick didn’t miss a beat. “Oh yeah? And just how do you know her schedule?”

  “C’mon Mav, just take my word for it.”

  “Actually he’s right.” Dane’s endorsement made Travis want to kiss his friend’s feet. “Hen party. Vanessa invited Annessa, Lexi and Verity to lunch. Something about wedding plans.”

  “Oh, hell.” Casey pinched the bridge of his nose.

  Dane frowned. “What?”

  “Wedding plans, my ass. More like plans for a bachelorette party.”

  Travis silently shared the Sheriff’s sentiment. The last bachelorette party had gone downhill when Annessa decided to teach the male stripper to dance by example, Vanessa was determined to win a Tequila-shooting contest, and Verity seduced him in the hallway leading to the bathrooms. Both he and Casey were forced to crash the party before it went from bad to worse.

  Maverick raised an eyebrow. “Did you say Lexi?”

  Dane nodded. “Alexa Sharpe, the realtor helping Vanessa and Annessa with relocating their businesses.”

  “I know her.”

  Travis tilted his head to one side, his curiosity piqued by his friend’s confession. Something told him Maverick just might know Lexi better than any of them realized.

  “She and the twins have spent quite a lot of time together since Vanessa’s bakery burnt.” He cringed at that memory and quickly turned his thoughts back to figuring out the connection between Maverick and Lexi. “How well do you know her?”

  “Well enough.”

  “You know all women well enough,” Casey pushed. “How is she any different?”

  “She isn’t. Like I said, I just know her.” Maverick folded his arms across his chest and glanced back at Travis. “I’m still not convinced you ran into a door.”

  “What do you think happened?” He made a half-assed attempt to frown without pain. “If I’d been in a fight, the news would be all over town by now. And both Casey and Dane can vouch that the twins didn’t ambush me. I still stand by the door story.”

  “What did you have to drink?”

  “Alcohol.”

  “Okay man, I’ll buy your story for now.” Maverick shook his head and unfolded his arms. “You look like you’re in enough pain.”

  “Thanks,” he mumbled as he stood. “I’m going to go change. We need to take inventory of the ambulance. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

  * * *

  He slapped his palm with his cell phone, encouraged that contacting her had been relatively easy.

  Her reaction hadn’t surprised him; personal experience revealed that beneath her calm, controlled exterior a man-eating tigress lurked in the shadows while she swished her tail, stalked her prey, and waited for the perfect moment to pounce. Now all he had to do was lure the beast out into the open.

  He had to give her credit, she’d managed to avoid him for quite some time. It had taken some creative undercover work to find her but his perseverance finally paid off and the phone call provided opportunity. Years had provided them both a whole lot of time to regroup and he made use of every single minute. Dr. Verity Thomas was the one woman who had changed his life forever. Little did she know her life was about to change, as well. He just needed to corner her first – a task that might be more difficult that he thought.

  He released a long, heavy sigh as he re-opened his phone and scrolled through his contact list until finally pressing an icon.

  “I’ve made contact,” he said into the mouthpiece.

  “What took so long?”

  “Even with my connections, these things take time.”

  “Did you warn her?”

  “I tried. She wouldn’t let me get a word in edgewise.”

  “I find that hard to believe. The good doctor is the picture of reasonable.”

  He resisted the urge to set the record straight by not responding to the accusation. “I’ve got a plan.”

  “Do you mind filling me in?”

  “Not yet. I’ll contact you as soon as I have more to report.”

  “I’ll play along for now, but rest assured that if I don’t see some progress soon I’m taking matters into my own hands.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Tucked into a corner booth at McGill’s, Verity released a pent-up breath and attempted to relax. She glanced around the table at the three other women, tempted to spill her guts for the very first time in a very long time. The one thing she’d found in Seaside Point was a strong support group of friends. Vanessa and Annessa Dupree had taken her under their wings and introduced her to the theory of strong friendship. And when Alexa Sharpe had recently become part of the group the four of them bonded like superglue. Which made keeping one secret from them extremely difficult and two, almost impossible.

  The morning’s events had rattled her confidence. Two of those women, however were related to Travis and that wasn’t a risk she was willing to take. No, the Dupree twins were not only stunning, they were very intelligent and extremely astute. It wouldn’t take more than Travis’ name to cross her lips for Annessa to hone in and organize a full feminine interrogation. Not that she could fault her friend. She only had to think about the man and her hormones stood up and applauded.

  Besides, discovering her relationship with Travis was only one secret. So, to keep the discussion far away from secrets, she opted for light conversation.

  “I can’t believe you’re already home from your honeymoon, Van.”

  “Location isn’t everything.” The second Dupree twin, Vanessa, grinned. “Honeymoon’s not over. Besides, I had to come home to talk some sense into Sheriff McIntyre.”

  “I told her it was a waste of time,” Annessa drawled.

  Lexi giggled. “Did he listen?”

  “He must have.” Vanessa nudged her twin’s shoulder. “Show them, Ness.”

  Annessa unfolded her arms and extended a hand, her left ring finger decorated with a large, sparkling, ice cube of a diamond. Obviously, Sheriff Casey McIntyre had taken Vanessa’s talk very seriously.

  “You’re blinding me with that rock,” Verity teased. “Congratulations!”

  Thankful that Annessa’s news had stolen the spotlight, she began to relax as their waitress approached the table with a severe, syrupy smile.

  “Hey, girls!”

  Verity released a slow breath, garnering patience. Cindy Perry possessed an overabundance of people skills. Chatty ones. If they weren’t careful, they’d be here for hours, cornered like rabbits.

  “I couldn’t help but overhear and I thought a bottle of wine might be appropriate since Annessa’s taken Sheriff McIntyre off the market.”

  “Thank you.” Annessa’s smug grin didn’t surprise Verity. “Did you trade pie for peanuts?”

  Verity silently wondered the same thing. Cindy had worked at Sue’s Diner since the day she’d moved to Seaside Point.

  “Heavens, no!” The blonde chatterbox dismissed the question with the wave of one hand while she placed the bottle and four wine glasses on the table with the other. “I’m waiting tables at both places now. Blake needed another girl and it’s always nice to have a little extra money around.”

  As usual, Vanessa jumped in to keep the conversation polite while she corked the wine, filled glasses, and passed them around the table. “How are you settling in here?”

  “Just fine! Sue and Blake are both really good about my schedules. There’s just not too many girls around who enjoy this job.” She shrugged. “I love the people. How’s that handsome brother of yours, by the way?”

  Verity fought the urge to answer. Instead, she lifted her glass, pulled several gulps of wine into her mouth, and quickly swallowed. Unfortunately, the liquid decided to travel the wrong path and she couldn’t suppress the coughing fit that followed.

  “Goodness, Dr. Thomas!” Cindy rushed to her side and thumped her on the back several times. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded while she took several deep breaths and then cleared her throat. “Yes. Thank you, Cindy.”
>
  Lexi pushed a glass of water closer. “Slowly this time.”

  She nodded and sipped the cool liquid.

  “Travis is bossy as ever,” Vanessa answered.

  Annessa lifted an eyebrow. “He needs a keeper. Tarzan’s going to hurt himself if he keeps beating his chest like he does.”

  Cindy released a giggle. “Sue baked a pretty cherry pie yesterday. I thought I’d run it by the Fire Department this evening.”

  Verity throttled the green monster that released a feral growl inside her brain, and then confidently crammed him back into his cage. Travis wouldn’t touch that pie – he was severely allergic to cherries. Unfortunately, she couldn’t share that information.

  But Vanessa did.

  “That’s a nice thought, but Travis is allergic to cherries.”

  “Swells up like a balloon,” Annessa added.

  “Oh!” Cindy pressed her palm to her chest. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll let Sue know so she can send something else.” She pulled an order pad from her apron. “Would you ladies like to order?”

  Relieved to move the subject away from Handsome Travis, Verity shook her head as she returned her water glass to the table and lifted the other. “No. Just the wine today.”

  “Great! Just let me know if you need another bottle.” Cindy gave them another bubbling smile and then headed toward the kitchen.

  “We all know what Annessa’s engagement means.” Vanessa’s eyes sparkled.

  “I don’t.” Lexi frowned. “Someone fill me in.”

  “It means we get to have another bachelorette party.” Annessa shrugged. “I vote for something a little more quiet this time.”

  “You?” Vanessa widened her eyes to the size of half dollars. “Why?”

  “Last time, Casey hauled me out of McGill’s like a sack of potatoes.”

  “Only because you danced on the bar in your pretty pink panties.”

  “Whatever. I really don’t want to repeat that experience.”

  “Me either,” Vanessa agreed. “My head ached for days.”

  Lexi lifted an eyebrow. “Sounds like I missed a heck of a party.”

  Verity allowed herself a mental giggle. Yes, it had been a heck of a party. She’d entered into a Tequila-shooting contest with the twins and well, the result had not been all that favorable. To top it off, she’d accosted Travis in the hallway near the ladies room. Luckily, he kept his wits about him, took her home, and tucked her safely into bed – in her own pretty, pink panties.

  “I’ll never shoot Tequila again,” she mumbled. “We can have a small get-together at my house.”

  “How about wine?” Lexi suggested.

  “Wine is good,” Vanessa agreed. “I’ll bring the sweets. Chocolate pecan pie for sure.”

  Verity’s mouth watered at the mention of Vanessa’s sinfully delicious chocolate pecan pie. In fact, anything she baked was pure delight. Her reputation had put her bakery, Sweet Treats, on the map until Annessa’s career as a wedding planner unintentionally landed her smack dab in a battle between two feuding crime families and the bakery burnt. Yet even in the midst of an unfortunate roadblock, she continued to flourish.

  “How’s the relocation going?”

  “Lexi’s an expert realtor. She found a building in Mourning Dove Harbour. Annessa and I are going to combine our businesses – her studio on one end and my bakery on the other.”

  Verity began to relax. So far so good. Conversation about the twins and their antics would keep the radar off of her. “Great idea!”

  “We thought a full-service package would boost business.” Annessa shrugged. “With both of us in one place, a bride can plan every detail of her wedding without the inconvenience of visiting several different places. I’m going to add both a photography studio inside and a courtyard outside in the back for photo shoots. With Vanessa close by, both the cake-tasting and planning the reception will be a cinch.”

  “The location is absolutely gorgeous,” Lexi added. “I even suggested the courtyard double as a wedding venue. The ocean isn’t far and the scenery makes for a breathtaking backdrop.”

  Verity sat back against the vinyl booth. “It sounds beautiful. How do you feel about planning your own wedding, Ness?”

  “Not happening.” The other woman gave a broad, smug smile. “We’ve decided to elope and we want all eight of us there.”

  Lexi wrinkled her brow. “Eight?”

  “Eight.” Annessa counted on her fingers as she spoke. “Vanessa, Dane, Verity, Travis, Me, Casey, You, and Maverick.”

  The other woman gave a slow nod, as in deep thought. “Maverick Ryder.”

  “Of course. He’s part of the Four Musketeers. We are having an engagement party at the Dupree house, though. Next Monday evening, so save the date, by the way. We would’ve done it sooner but we decided to wait until after the Peach Festival and all the guys are scheduled off that day.”

  “The Festival is two days away.” Verity grinned, not all surprised by her friend’s spontaneity. When Annessa set her mind to do something, she did it with a vengeance and others either followed or got out of the way. “That means we party tomorrow night.”

  “I’m in.” Lexi took a sip of wine and then set her glass on the table. “Van, are you baking for the festival?”

  Vanessa nodded. “Several pies for the pie auction.”

  “I’ll bring cash if someone bids for me.” Verity sighed. “I’m stuck doing blood pressure checks and hearing exams.”

  “I’ve got a booth for the Chamber of Commerce,” Lexi said. “I’m combining real estate and tourism.”

  “I’m running Vanessa’s and my booth.” Annessa smirked. “Travis would probably bid for you, Verity.”

  And there it was. Annessa had turned the scope of her radar three hundred and sixty degrees and now it was aimed right at her. Verity almost smacked her forehead.

  With no other choice, she proceeded with caution. “Isn’t the fire engine usually parked there?”

  “Yes, but he has a six-fireman crew.”

  “Well then, maybe I’ll ask him.” She swallowed the contents of her glass and stood. “I’ve got to get back to the clinic. Someone fill me on the specifics of the bachelorette party.”

  “I’m right behind you. I’ve got a showing scheduled this afternoon.” Lexi grabbed her purse and stood beside Verity.

  “I’ll give you guys a call.” Vanessa giggled as she and Annessa followed.

  Verity headed to the exit with her friends following behind, flung open the door, took two steps forward, and then froze at the sight of a figure standing across the street, not more than ten feet away. A man whose facial features she couldn’t see.

  Every hair on the back of her neck stood at attention while she squinted to attempt to focus on his face. Although the sun cast bright light in the warm afternoon, the glare from the ball of fire blinded her vision.

  She blinked several times in succession to allow her eyes to adjust. And then, she saw him – his arrogant, cocky smirk on display.

  Richard.

  Verity swallowed hard, her fear momentarily distracted by a hard jab between her shoulder blades, followed by a female voice behind her.

  “Ow! Geez Verity, you need brake lights.”

  She turned to see Annessa cupping her nose with her hands.

  “Sorry, Ness.” She pushed her friend’s hands to the side and gently squeezed the injured cartilage from bridge to tip. “Nothing’s broken.” She placed a finger under Annessa’s chin and tilted her head upward. “No blood. You’ll live.”

  The other woman raised an eyebrow. “We barely escaped a major pile-up. What startled you?”

  “Nothing. I just caught the toe of my shoe on a rock.”

  Lexi glanced at her feet and then raised her gaze as she pressed her lips into a skeptical smirk. “Yeah, there’s lots of rocks on this cement sidewalk.”

  “Maybe it wasn’t a rock.” Verity shrugged and attempted to play off the fear that still loomed i
n the back of her mind. “It’s awfully bright out here, I probably just stumbled.”

  She slowly turned to gaze across the street again, even more disturbed when she didn’t see him. Her heart pounded in her chest. Where was he? He couldn’t have simply disappeared into broad daylight, could he? She only turned away long enough to tend to Annessa’s nose. Question marks assaulted her brain. Why had he bothered to make an appearance if he didn’t intend to stay? She knew from experience that Richard went out of his way to be the center of attention. His elusiveness just didn’t make sense.

  Unless he had never been there at all.

  “Well then, watch your step.” Annessa giggled as she gave Verity a nudge to the small of her back.

  Verity shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. “I will, thanks. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

  Desperate to put things in perspective, she headed toward the clinic, practicing great self-discipline to keep from looking over her shoulder while she desperately attempted to reason with herself. Since the phone call weighed heavily on her mind, maybe her brain was playing tricks on her and the sighting was somehow wrapped up in her subconscious guilt for keeping secrets. Then again, she recognized that arrogant smirk – she was almost positive she’d seen him. She released a heavy sigh. Perhaps she should’ve specialized in psychology instead of neurology.

  Once she stood outside the clinic, she allowed herself to glance back toward McGill’s, just to reassure herself no one followed. Although she couldn’t see the whole path she’d traveled, no one out of the ordinary caught her attention.

  She stuck the key into the lock, turned it, and then opened the door, relieved to finally be tucked out of sight. Pushing the earlier events to the back of her mind, she closed and re-locked the door then headed to her office to attack the stack of charts she knew waited for her.

  She settled into her over-sized, leather, executive’s chair and palmed her cell phone. There was one patient in particular she needed to check on before she started on her paperwork.

  She released a hard sigh, aggravated by the slight tremble in her hands as she slid her finger across the screen and then pressed on her contact list. She took a deep breath, lifted the phone to her ear, and held it in place with her shoulder.