Don't Back Down, page 13
She’d spent most of the morning working and then part of the afternoon back in the hot tub. When she got back in her room and saw his text about Vanzant and the photos, she immediately forwarded it to Agent Howard.
Within minutes, he texted her back.
Message received. Our boy is paying off. We may need to move you from undercover to active investigation with him as your liaison to the community, but that’s yet to be decided. Continue as planned.
She sent a text back to Howard that she’d received the message, then sent another one to Cameron.
Good lead! Talk to you tonight.
Hyped from the sudden activity involving their investigation, Rusty went to shower and get ready for her evening with family, then checked her computer for updates and emails before going to join them.
Her aunt Pat was in the library playing bartender. Ray was in his easy chair by the fireplace with a gin and tonic in one hand and his phone in the other, arguing vehemently with someone. Liz was sitting near the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking downtown Jubilee, stirring her drink with her finger.
Patricia saw Rusty walk in. “Good evening, darling. Did you have a good rest?”
“Yes, thank you. Nothing is ever so wrong that a good dip in a hot tub won’t fix it,” she said.
Patricia laughed. “Would you like something to drink?”
Rusty plopped down on the sofa. “Hmm, I took a pain pill earlier, so just sparkling water for me tonight.”
Patricia frowned. “Oh, honey, are you still in that kind of pain?”
“Just my knee, but I’m doing exactly what the doctor said. Light exercise, water therapy, and rest when I feel like it.”
Patricia brought her drink and kissed the top of Rusty’s head before sitting down beside her. “So, we’re still on for lunch tomorrow?” she asked.
Rusty nodded. “Yes! There are so many little nooks and crannies in this town that intrigue me. I want to try the Back Porch. Liz says the food is good.”
Liz smiled. “It’s fine dining, hillbilly style. The food is good, but the decor is very rural in design. Wooden tables. Red-and-white oilcloth table covers. Salt and pepper shakers shaped like mini-mason jars, and the drinks are served in wide-mouth pint canning jars.”
Patricia rolled her eyes. “It’s a little too quaint for my taste, but Liz is right about the food. And we’re still on for eleven thirty?”
Rusty nodded and took a sip of her water.
Ray finally hung up and then downed the rest of his drink like medicine.
“Ray, honey, is everything okay?” Patricia asked.
He frowned. “Yes, nothing drastic. Just an employee issue. One of my best hostesses took personal leave again and I didn’t know it. She does this randomly. If she wasn’t so good at her job, I’d let her go.”
Rusty frowned. “I wonder why? Where does she go?”
“I have no idea,” Ray said.
“What is her name?” Rusty asked.
“Emily Payne.”
“Do you have a photo of her?” Rusty asked.
Ray paused, then gave Rusty a long look.
“I imagine we do,” he said slowly. “Why?”
Rusty shrugged. “Force of habit. Sometimes I do research for cases. I just thought if there was anything shady, and you were worried, I could—”
Ray’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Meet me in the office after dinner. I’ll print out all the info we have on her.”
“Okay. Can’t promise a thing, but being proactive always makes me feel less anxious about things,” she said.
“Enough about all this business stuff,” Patricia said. “I’m going to check on dinner. Liz, stop moping about Michael. Either call him or kick him to the curb.”
Liz frowned. “Mom! Really? I am not calling him. He’ll grovel back on his own or he won’t.”
Patricia left the library, and a few moments later, Liz followed.
Ray glanced at Rusty again. “You’re quite the paper pusher, aren’t you?”
Rusty stood. “I am what I am, Uncle Ray.”
Ray nodded. “I will stow my curiosity and questions,” he said, and got up and hugged her. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“So am I, Uncle Ray. So am I,” she said, and hugged him back.
They walked to the dining room together.
The hotel staff arrived with their food, set it all on the table, filled their wineglasses, then disappeared, leaving them to dine.
As soon as they were gone, Ray lifted his glass.
“A toast to our Rusty. To you, dear niece, and for total healing while you are with us.”
“To Rusty,” Liz and Aunt Pat echoed.
The clink of glasses one to the other and the smiles that came with them were balm to Rusty’s solitary life.
“Thank you,” she said, and took a quick sip. “Dinner looks and smells amazing, and prime rib is one of my favorites,” she said.
Ray beamed. “Our chef just won another Michelin star. We’re very proud of him and our kitchen. Enjoy!”
And so they did, chattering among themselves as they ate.
“I’m getting the good out of the hot tub,” Rusty said.
Patricia nodded. “It’s good for sore muscles. It’ll help you heal faster.”
“I have plenty of those, but it is very relaxing. I could get spoiled to this,” Rusty said.
Ray glanced up. “I keep meaning to ask. How did you come to rate a flight in on a government chopper?”
Rusty blinked. What happened to no more questions?
Ray continued. “A member of our security staff saw it coming in. He recognized the pilot and knows he flies people from the Department of Justice all over the country.”
“Yes, well, I had my accident on company time, and my boss set up the flight. I didn’t question the offer,” Rusty said.
Ray nodded and continued to eat, but he was remembering one of his last conversations with his brother before he died. Something about Rusty and the risks her job entailed. At the time, the comment hadn’t really registered, but now he was thinking there was more to her than met the eye.
His security officer had been very forthcoming about how the DOJ operates, and Ray was absolutely certain they didn’t spend government money sending clerks and secretaries on vacation to visit family, even if they had been hurt on the job. He watched her curiously as dinner continued, but didn’t pry about her personal life again.
Rusty felt her uncle’s gaze more than once, but she never acknowledged it. She just rode out the evening with all the poise and grace she could manage, and felt guilty for the lie between them.
After dinner, she followed Ray to his office and waited while he printed off all the info he had on Emily Payne. He handed it to her without comment.
“It’s probably nothing, or it’s a guy,” Rusty said, and left with the papers.
The plus side of this evening was knowing where they were going to lunch tomorrow, and as soon as she got to her room, she hurried through the sitting area to her bedroom, turned on the television for noise, then shut herself in the bathroom and called Cameron.
***
It was nearing 10:00 p.m. when Cameron’s cell phone rang. When he saw the number come up, he answered quickly.
“Hello, Angel.”
Rusty smiled. “Hey, Soldier Boy. I wanted to touch base with you about tomorrow…and I also wanted to hear your voice before I went to bed.”
“I wish you were in my bed,” he said.
An ache went through Rusty in waves. “I wish I was, too. Soon,” she said.
“Very soon, please. Now tell me where you’re going, and when do you plan to arrive?”
“A place called the Back Porch around eleven thirty.”
“Okay. I’ll be there,” Cameron said.
“I can’t wait! Oh…your info about Kevin Vanzant is timely. We need to check him out as soon as possible. And I have a bit of news that may or may not have anything to do with what I’m here for, but Uncle Ray has a hostess who goes AWOL periodically with no warning. Nobody seems to know where she goes, and she doesn’t explain herself when she comes back. I got all the info Uncle Ray had on her from her personnel file. I’m checking her out for his peace of mind. He wouldn’t want someone working for him who was also doing anything illegal, but right now, I’m checking on any and everything weird that’s going on here.”
“Damn it,” Cameron said.
“There’s no reason yet to assume it’s connected to these people,” Rusty said.
“I don’t like coincidences,” Cameron said.
“Right. Neither do I. But back to tomorrow. Liz says the menu is varied and the ambiance will set Aunt Patricia’s teeth on edge.”
Cameron chuckled. “Liz is your cousin, right?”
“Yes. You don’t know her?”
“I know of the whole family, but I can’t say I’ve had the pleasure. We don’t exactly have the same circle of friends.”
“Well, you’ll meet them tomorrow. And just for the record, I was never the debutante. I served pizza and waited tables through college, and my training after college had nothing to do with trips to Europe and more to do with the Body Farm and Quantico.”
“My kind of woman,” Cameron said. “I’ll be on my best behavior and—”
A sudden ache washed through her, making her voice shake. “No. I want the man who stole my heart in that hotel in New York. Neither of us was on our best behavior. We did a wild, crazy thing, and I want that man back.”
Cameron felt the emotion in her voice. “Have no fear. I’m coming to get you tomorrow and lay claim to you in front of God and everybody, whether they like it or not.”
Rusty shivered. “I look forward to being overwhelmed.”
“I aim to please,” Cameron said. “Sleep well, darlin’. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Rusty’s eyes welled with tears. She’d always, always wanted a man to call her darlin’.
“Yes. See you then,” she said.
She went back to the bedroom to put her phone on the charger, then showered and crawled into bed naked, and fell asleep thinking about what it felt like to come apart in his arms.
***
Rusty was awake before 7:00 a.m. and full of nervous energy. Today was the launch pad for the big deception. She thought about the hot tub and then opted for the pool, wrote a note to the family to let them know where she was, and rode the elevator down to the pool level.
She was alone when she slipped into the water and started swimming laps. A short while later, an older man arrived and began swimming laps a couple of lanes over. After a quick glance to reassure herself he was harmless, she never looked at him again. Thirty laps later, she climbed out of the pool, exhausted but easier in her mind about the upcoming day, and headed back to the penthouse. It was just before eight. The elevator stopped, the doors opened, and the first thing she saw was her uncle Ray, waiting for the car to arrive.
“Good morning, Rusty! What an early riser you are! I see you’ve been in the pool.”
She nodded. “Back home I usually go out for a run, but I’m not quite ready for that.”
“I commend you for your dedication and diligence,” he said. “Your aunt and cousin aren’t even up yet.”
Rusty laughed. “They don’t have to be. I’m big enough to take care of myself.”
Ray’s eyes twinkled. “Yes, I see that,” he said, and kissed her on the cheek. “Have a great day, honey. I’ll see you later.”
He went down to his office as Rusty returned to her room.
The adrenaline rush was fading as she showered and dressed for the day. The weather was sunny but cool, so she opted for a black sweater and black denim jeans. Her ankle was still too sore for the cowboy boots she loved to wear, so it was slip-on shoes for her today. She was air-drying her hair, and it was turning into a mass of soft curls against her shoulders. It was a wild, untamed look, but it mirrored how she felt.
After applying just enough makeup to take the shine off her face, she went in search of coffee and toast. She found that and the rest of her family seated at the breakfast table, still in their nightgowns and robes.
“Good morning!” Rusty said as she bounced into the room.
Both women looked up.
“Oh God! An early riser,” Liz groaned.
“You put me to shame,” Patricia said.
Rusty grinned. “Would it make you feel any better if I told you I’ve already done thirty laps in the pool?”
“Why? Just tell me why? You’re supposed to be on vacation.”
Rusty shrugged. “I run every morning. Or I did before I hurt my knee and ankle. It’s addictive.”
Liz rolled her eyes. “If I’m going to be addicted to something, I choose sex.”
Rusty burst out laughing.
Patricia gasped. “Elizabeth Ann! Really? What a thing to say,” and then laughed in spite of herself.
A short while later, her aunt and cousin abandoned Rusty with her toast and coffee and went to get ready for their lunch date. Rusty took her coffee back to her room to check messages and email.
She’d been on the job from the moment she’d set foot in Jubilee, and her uncle’s missing hostess may have just been added to the mix. Last night she’d run a quick search on Emily Payne’s credit card history, and she needed to sit down and look at the data. She also made a mental note to have Cameron scout out Kevin Vanzant’s campsite after their “reunion moment” at lunch. Her thoughts were spinning as to what to do first, and they kept coming back to making love to Cameron Pope.
Chapter 9
It was go time.
Cameron was on his way into town, heading straight into his future, with Ghost riding shotgun. He’d already called in a pickup order at the Back Porch as his excuse to make an appearance. He was hungry, but not for food. For Rusty. He’d dreamed of making love to her for so long, and now that she was within reach again, he wanted her back in his bed. But want and need were two different things, and right now she was part of the walking wounded and beginning a new and dangerous case. He’d agreed to help before he knew who he’d be working with. Now all he could think of was keeping her safe from herself. Like every other young woman in Jubilee, her presence made her a target.
***
Rusty started smiling the moment they entered the Back Porch. The decor was just as Liz had depicted. The background music was bluegrass, and the waiters were wearing overalls and the waitresses were in calico. She glanced at Aunt Pat, saw the instant distaste for where they were, and hugged her.
“It’s perfect, Aunt Pat! Thank you for coming.”
Patricia grinned. “If I didn’t love you dearly…”
“Come on, Mom. The hostess is ready to seat us,” Liz said, leading the way to their table.
“Gawd. In the middle of the room?” Patricia muttered and sat down, wishing herself small and invisible as Rusty took off her coat and sat beside her.
The moment passed, and she had gotten over herself enough to go through the menu with the girls, when Liz suddenly let out a groan. “Oh crap! Michael’s here, and he’s coming over.”
“Be nice,” Patricia said. “Ladies have disagreements in private, understand?”
Rusty took quick note of the nervous expression on the man’s face and felt sorry for him. She didn’t have to know what had happened between them to know Liz could be a real diva.
“Liz. Mrs. Caldwell. What a nice surprise,” Michael said, and gave Rusty a curious look and a smile, waiting to be introduced, which left Liz with no option without being rude to Rusty in the process.
Liz sighed. “Rusty, this is my friend Michael Devon. His father owns Hotel Devon, on the other side of town. Michael, this is my cousin, Rusty Caldwell. She’s visiting us for a while.”
Rusty gave him her best smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Michael.” And then she saw Cameron walking into the restaurant and froze. “Oh my God. Oh my God!” she said and stood, staring fixedly at the man coming toward their table.
Everyone, including Michael turned around to see what had caused this reaction, and the moment Michael saw Cameron Pope approaching them, he gave Liz a hard glare.
And then Rusty started smiling and walking toward Cameron, and when he suddenly picked her up off her feet and kissed her in front of all the diners like there was no tomorrow, Patricia and Liz audibly gasped.
There they stood in the middle of the restaurant, talking animatedly in low undertones, and they kept touching each other as if reluctant to lose contact. Finally, Rusty turned and pointed toward their table, then grabbed Cameron’s hand and led him over.
“This is the best day ever!” Rusty said. “Everyone, this is Cameron Pope. We met five years ago at a hotel in Virginia. He was shipping out the next day and I was in town for a meeting.”
Cameron put his arm around her shoulders. “We spent every hour I had left together, and her memory is the reason I’m still single.”
Rusty blushed.
Cameron pulled her closer, eyeing the people at the table and waiting to be introduced.
Rusty shook her head. “Where are my manners? Cameron, this is my aunt, Patricia Caldwell, her daughter, Liz, and Liz’s friend Michael Devon. I’m just learning Cameron lives here, so you all may already know each other.”
Cameron shook his head. “I know who they are, but we’ve never met.”
And in that moment, Michael Devon had to accept that his jealousy of Pope was misplaced.
Patricia’s eyes narrowed. “I think you held the door for me the other day as I was coming out of the bakery.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Cameron said, then rubbed the side of his jaw. “My face was still healing, and I hadn’t shaved in a few days.”
“Healing from what?” Rusty asked.
