Don't Mess With Texas (14 page)

He grinned. “Is that your way of saying don’t bore you about what I got under this baby’s hood?”

“Bore away. Just don’t expect me to respond intelligently.” She yawned and, even in the dark, he could see the exhaustion in her face. The rings under her eyes were darker. “My mechanic is down to using terms like ‘doohickey’ and ‘thingy’ just so I’ll understand.”

She slipped past him and sank into the leather seat. Dallas stared down at her. There was something about the late hour, the fact they were really alone for the first time that made him even more physically aware of her. All he could think about was how pretty she looked sitting in his sexy Mustang. Not the kind of beauty one saw in magazines. But damn it if it wasn’t a hell of lot more than girl-next-door pretty. She had that fresh, wholesome—he remembered
how her ass had felt when he’d picked her up—hot, sex-kitten look that had a guy getting hard in seconds.

He shut the door before she noticed the growing wood behind his zipper. Jeezus, what was wrong with him? The girl was off limits.

Walking around his Mustang, he got behind the wheel and glanced over at her. Leaning back on the headrest, she gazed up at the roof of the car. The silence hummed.

“I doubt anything you would say would come off as anything less than intelligent,” he said

She turned her head toward him. “You’re forgetting I’m an artist. We’re known to be ditzy.”

“And you’re blond, too,” he teased. Then he reached around her and grabbed the seat belt. This close, only a few inches from her face, he caught a light fruity scent, and he found himself looking at her lips. His blood hummed with awareness. Pulling back, he handed her the buckle.

She took the buckle and secured it. “I gave you carte blanche with the artist angle.” Belted in, she looked back at him. “But not on the blonde jokes.” A slight smile touched her eyes, yet she appeared too tired to carry through with the gesture. She relaxed in the seat and her eyes fluttered closed.

He started the car and got some air going. The engine’s purr reminded him of his sex-kitten thought. His gaze shifted back to her and his whole off-limit frame of mind flew out the widow. Her eyes were still closed, so he let himself enjoy the view. He took in her profile. The way her lips fell slightly open made him think of all the things she could do with that mouth. He took in the way her breasts filled out the top of the scrubs, and that made him think of things he could do with his own mouth.

He tightened his hands on the steering wheel and fought the urge to tug at his pant legs. “I know you’re tired, but I have a couple of questions.”

She opened her eyes. “Sure.”

Before he got caught up in noticing things again, he pitched out the question. “Why were you meeting Jack at the restaurant?”

Her eyes shifted away so fast, he could tell she didn’t like the question.

“Were you two getting back together?” He bluntly put it out there.

She stared at her lap. “Nana loves the cooking shows. After all she’s done for me, that’s the only thing she’s ever let me do for her. The thought of letting her down, I…”

Dallas waited for her to continue. When she didn’t, he said, “I’m not following.”

She looked up. “I’m not her blood. When Nana agreed to take me in, he brought the DNA papers over to show her that I wasn’t his. So I wasn’t even her real grandchild. He told Nana that if she kept me, she’d lose him.”

Dallas watched her nip at her bottom lip. “Who told her that?”

“My dad. Or I thought he was until that night.”

“So why didn’t you just go live with your mom?” he asked, almost afraid he’d pushed too far.

“You don’t get it,” she said. “He didn’t want to divorce my mom. He just didn’t want me. He said he didn’t want to have to look at me anymore.” Her voice shook and then she seemed to hold her breath. “Nana told him I was six and he was twenty-six, and he had a better chance of making it than I did.”

Dallas got a vision of her as a little girl, all big blue
eyes and with her angel face, and having to hear the man she thought of as her dad say those things. His gut tightened. What kind of person did that?

“Nana gave up her own son for me.” Nikki tightened her hands in her lap. “All she’d ever let me do was pay for the stupid cable.” Nikki sighed. “So the answer is yes.” She met his eyes. “I went there planning to say yes.”

He was lost again, still thinking about her being six. “Oh, you mean to the restaurant.”

She nodded. “Or I should say, I went there hoping I could say yes.”

“Yes to what?”

“He wanted us to get back together. But, then I saw him and…”

“And what?” he asked.

She looked out the window. “I thought I would still feel… something. I wasn’t expecting it to be like before, but I thought it would be enough. Then Nana would have her cable. I could pay Ellen. Life would be good.”

“What happened?”

“I didn’t feel anything,” she continued. “Not love, anyway. And now…”

She brushed her fingertips over her face. His gut tightened when he saw a tear slip down one cheek. Considering what she’d been through, she had a right to shed a few tears.

Just don’t let her start sobbing
. He couldn’t handle that.

“Now he’s dead and on top of feeling bad about letting Nana down, I feel terrible because I was the last person he shared a meal with and all I felt was anger and resentment. I mean, if I had known he was about to die, I—”

“It’s not your fault.” The car’s engine hummed and the AC blew out cool air as they sat in the unmoving car.

“I know that up here.” She touched her head then placed a hand on her chest. “But not in my heart. I mean, if I’d known, I would have been nicer. I wouldn’t have ordered the beer. I didn’t even want the beer.”

He mentally chewed on what she said and then had to ask, “What’s wrong with ordering a beer?”

She didn’t answer, just continued, “I could have waited for a bread plate. And God, I stuck my fingers in his gumbo just to make him mad.”

Dallas could hear the guilt in her voice. “Didn’t you tell me you caught him helping himself to your hired help in your office?”

She nodded.

“Well, I think that’s a little worse than sticking your fingers in his gumbo. The guy got off fucking easy.”

She stared at him, eyes wide, and bit down on her lip. “I didn’t mean to…” She inhaled. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Leaning closer, he brushed a curtain of her blond hair from her cheek and left his hand against her face. He was amazed again at how soft she felt. He ran the pad of his thumb down to her chin.

“You didn’t ask about… I normally don’t… babble. Well, just to myself. Which is a bad habit I’m working on.”

She caught his wrist and moved his hand, letting him know his touch was unwelcome. Which was fine, he told himself. He shouldn’t have crossed that line. She’d just looked as if she needed…

No excuses, he told himself.
She’s off limits
.

He passed a palm over his face. “Are you always this hard on yourself?”

“Not always. Today’s been a little tougher than most.” She smiled, just a slight one. Their eyes met and held. The light humor seemed to change into something different, as if they were connecting on some other level. She blinked and looked straight ahead.

He listened to his engine and the silence thickened again. “You want to tell me where you live?”

She sighed. “I’m sorry I’m just so tired and…”

“And you’ve had a hell of a day,” he finished for her.

“No shit.”

For some reason it sounded funny coming from her and he smiled.

“I live in the Knoll Apartments, 1350 Park Knoll. Just take—”

“I know where they are.” They were down the street from the cemetery where his mother was buried. The cemetery his father visited way too often, but that Dallas hadn’t been to since he watched them lower her casket into the ground as he stood beside a deputy U.S. marshal. In handcuffs.

She leaned her head back as he pulled out of the parking space. The other question he needed to ask rested on the tip of his tongue.

“What’s going to happen next?” she asked.

He looked over at her. “I’m sure my brother will want to see you tomorrow to ask you some more questions.”

“When… when will I get my car back?”

She said the words as if they pained her, and he knew why. She’d probably never forget seeing her ex’s body in her trunk. He’d seen things as a cop that he’d never forget, too. Not that her ex would keep him awake. The ones that nagged at him involved either women or kids. Stories like her and her father. Or worse. Some of the tales he’d heard
in prison still haunted him. Hell, just being behind those bars haunted him.

“It won’t take too long, will it?”

“Depends on how quickly CSU can go over it. I’ll check with Tony tomorrow and see if he can’t rush it.”

They went back to silence and in less than ten minutes he pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex. When he glanced at her, he expected her to be asleep. She wasn’t. She sat rigid as if some demon chewed on her sanity. Damn if he didn’t know about demons.

“Where are you in here?” he asked.

“Last apartment building on the left.” She reached at her feet for her purse.

He drove to the building, pulled into a parking spot and cut off the engine. “One more question before you go.”

She looked at him.

He debated how to say it, but as the silent awkwardness grew, he spit it out. “Did Ellen know Jack?”

“She knew about him, but didn’t know him. Why?”

“You sure?”

“Yes.” Nikki tilted her head to the side and studied him. “Why?”

If he didn’t tell her, Tony would. And as Tony had said, any news coming from Dallas would probably be easier to take. “Maybe Jack came by the gallery while you weren’t there.”

“If he had, Ellen would have told me. And she’d probably have gone after him with a two-by-four or…” She bit down on her lip. “Not that I’m saying Ellen did anything. She was at the gallery when it happened. So don’t even think about accusing her.”

“I’m not,” he said.

Nikki continued to stare at him. “Then why are you asking this?”

He gripped the wheel tighter. “Tony’s men checked Jack’s cell phone. He received two phone calls from a cell phone listed to Ellen Wise.”

She shook her head. “They must be mistaken.”

“It’s no mistake, Nikki.”

She sat there as if trying to understand. “You think… Ellen and Jack were seeing each other?”

“We don’t know but I guess that’s a logical assumption.”

“Only logical if you don’t know Ellen. There has to be some—”

“They wouldn’t make that mistake,” he said, hating to tell her but she had to hear it sooner or later.

“Maybe Jack called the gallery, and she thought he was a customer. But no way… no earthly way will I believe that Ellen and Jack were dating.”

“Wasn’t it one of your other employees that Jack cheated on you with?”

She frowned. Those big blue eyes no longer looked so exhausted, but angry. “That wasn’t Ellen.”

“I just think if Jack managed to convince one of your employees to jump between the sheets, then he might have gone after her the same—”

“I don’t care what you think, or what the whole freaking police force thinks. Ellen wasn’t seeing my ex-husband behind my back.”

Dallas expected her to deny it at first. Then he’d expected her to get hurt, but he hadn’t expected the absolute loyalty. Then he recalled what her grandma said:
Nikki only gets stubborn about people she cares about
.

She obviously cared about Ellen.

“Okay, but be prepared for Tony to assume—”

“He can assume what he wants! But if he upsets Ellen with this nonsense, I’ll… I don’t know what I’ll do, but I won’t stand by and do nothing.”

“He has to talk to her,” he said matter-of-factly, not to piss her off, but to prepare her.

“Not about this he doesn’t!”

Dallas met her angry eyes. “Look, I’m not trying to upset you, but Tony has to ask questions. That’s his job.”

“Stop.” She held up her hand. “I’m sorry, but… Look, you’ve been really nice. I mean, I puked all over you and you didn’t even get mad, but… I can’t take any more. I’m done. Done.” She dropped her face into her hands and muttered something about crap quota for the day. Finally, she looked up. “Thanks for the ride.” Her hand dipped into her purse and then froze and she slammed her eyes shut. “Shit! Shit! Shit!”

“What?” he asked but then figured it out. “No keys?”

She looked at him and those big blue eyes had tears in them. She blinked. “Wait. It’s after eleven. It’s okay. Bill’s home. We’re key buddies.” She reached for the door handle. “Thanks.”

Dallas couldn’t help but wonder what other privileges key buddies got.

She stepped out of the car and so did he. She looked at him over the top of his Mustang. “You don’t have—”

“I’ll feel better if I make sure you get in, okay?”