Old Flames Never Die (Valentine Mystery) (24 page)

“With your father and grandfather gone,
you stand to inherit quite bit.”

Instead of being offended, Kevin looked
worried. “I'm already rich.”

“And now you'll be richer.”

“I guess.”

Daniel closed his notebook. He looked up
at Jack, his eyes dark and piercing. “I'd like to speak with you. Alone.”

“Is this professional or personal?” Jack
asked.

Daniel's eyes narrowed. “And what lawyer
would you call if I said it was professional?”

Jack's stomach lurched. The man was out
for blood. And Jack knew he deserved it.

“It's personal. I'll meet you on the
porch.”

Jack followed Daniel outside. They stood
in the warm breeze of the May afternoon, overlooking the lush, green, rolling
hills of the piedmont.

“A few days ago you came into my office
and arrogantly told me how I'd watch Tess marry you. I didn't like it, but I
believed it. Funny how wrong you were.”

Jack tried to ignore the twinge of
guilt. “Tess is the one who ended things.”

“I can't help but wonder how you could
love her the way you say you did and then the minute things get tough, end up
at your former lover's hotel room.”

“I should have known you were following
her.”

“I wasn't,” Daniel said. “I was checking
on the stepson who went to visit her. And minutes after he left her hotel,
guess who showed up?”

“I'm not going to discuss my personal
life with you.” He hadn't done anything wrong, so why did he feel like he'd betrayed
Tess?

“The truth is, when Tess came back from
Washington a few years ago, she was a lot like Charles Danforth. Cool and
aloof. Then she met you and she began to open up, become the vibrant woman I
remembered. I attributed that to you. So imagine my surprise when I learned
that when she tried to share her feelings, you dismissed them while defending a
woman who quite possibly had her husband killed.”

“It was Tess' decision.” Jack hated how
defensive he sounded.

“Ah yes, the if-you-really-love-me-you'll-drop-everything-to-be-with-me
test. She failed it when she didn't fall all over herself to be with you. But
you knew she'd fail, didn't you? How could she choose to be with you when you
were belittling her?”
            “I wasn't belittling—”

“You really are an arrogant SOB.”

“I'm not interested in your opinion of
me—”
            “I guess not.” Daniel cast a look to the house. “You're needed
elsewhere.”

The accusing tone hit Jack harder than
any punch. When Daniel turned his piercing eyes back on him, Jack wanted to
strike out.

“If you'd gone home last night instead
of to Liv's hotel, you would have been there when Tess showed up, bags and all.”

The wind flew out of Jack's lungs. He
was helpless to refill them. He turned away as he desperately tried to regain
his bearing. She'd gone to his house?

“She waited for over an hour. And you
know what's really tragic?” Jack stumbled back as Daniel got into his face. “She's
telling herself you returned to your place in D.C. even though she doesn’t
believe it.”

The bottom fell out. “You can go now,”
Jack managed.

“You had more from her than anyone ever
had, but it wasn't enough, was it?”

Jack moved away from Daniel. “Enough.”

“While you're at it,” Daniel continued. “You
may want to consider that Tess is on to something. I shouldn't tell you this,
but there is no way that Charles Danforth was the father of Liv's baby.”

“I said enough!”

Jack saw satisfaction and maybe pity in
Daniel's face. “Yes, I guess you're right.”

Daniel climbed into the driver's seat of
his car, and pulled away, leaving Jack alone with the knowledge that he'd not
only ruined his life, but that he was the biggest jerk and hypocrite on the
planet.

~~~~

Jack wasn't sure what to do with the
news that Tess had tried to come home last night. He sat in the sunroom, the
room that he'd set up just for her when she'd come to live with him after her
house fire in February. It was a punishment, he decided, to sit in her space,
with her stuff and face what he'd done.

He needed to talk to her, but she wasn't
at the hotel nor did she answer her phone. He couldn't blame her, but at the
same time, he couldn't fix things if he couldn't find her. He'd called her
friends Kate and Brad, but neither knew where she was. He'd even tried Helen,
who not surprisingly hung up on him. The only option left was to find Daniel.
He grabbed his car keys and headed out the door.

Jack tried not to think about how Tess
had come to him, even offered herself to him when she discovered Brad’s
infidelity. Was Tess right now finding comfort in Daniel's arms? He shook his
head of the thought. This was different, he tried to convince himself.

He pulled up and parked his car outside
of Daniel's home. He could barely muster the courage to talk to Daniel. How was
he ever going to face Tess? Taking a deep breath, Jack knocked on the door.

“Jack?” Daniel looked surprised, but not
guilty.

“Is she here?”

Daniel studied him for what felt like
hours. “No.”

“Do you know where she is?”

“Why don't you come in,” Daniel said
stepping back. Jack didn't like the sound of that, but he entered to hear what
he had to say. Daniel's home was neat and tidy, something Tess would appreciate.
Jack wondered how many times Tess had been there. If she'd ever stayed the
night. Even if she hadn't, right now, Daniel was probably looking like a safe
place to Tess.

“Can I get you a drink?”

“No. Thank you. I need to find Tess. I
need your help.”

Daniel snorted. “Right. What makes you
think I'll help you?”

“Because you care about Tess and want
her to be happy. I can do that.”

“You haven't done such a good job so
far,” Daniel said sitting back in a well-worn chair and looking way too smug.
Was that why Daniel invited him in? To rub it in? It didn't matter, Jack
decided. If it was what he had to endure to get to Tess, he'd suffer through
it.

“I know.” Jack sat on the couch,
mustering the strength to ask his nemesis for help. “But that will change. I
promise you, Daniel. Tess will never be heartbroken because of me again.”

He let Daniel ponder his words. He could
see scrutiny and dislike etched on his face. “I'm not sure you deserve another
chance.”

“I know I don't, but I'm going to ask
her for one with or without your help.”

“So why do you need me?”

“Because she trusts you.”

Daniel studied him again. “I hate that
you're the one.”

“I know.” Jack said, as the first
glimmer of hope simmered in his heart.

“I don't know where she is.”

“I've been looking for her for hours.
She could be missing,” Jack said, as panic began to replace the hope.

“She needs space, Jack. She's trying to
decide what her next step is.”

Jack didn't like that Tess was getting
ready to make a decision that would undoubtedly not include him. “Do you have
an idea where I can look for her?”

“No.”

Jack tried to determine if he was lying.
As if he knew what Jack was thinking, Daniel added. “But I know where she'll be
tomorrow.”

Changing rooms at the hotel hadn't done
much to squelch the pain of losing Jack. Moving to a different hotel didn't
work either. But Tess had known it wouldn't. She'd run away from Washington
back to Jefferson Tavern to escape pain and while she'd rebuilt her life, she
knew she hadn't left her problems behind. Not until Jack had come back into her
life had she dealt with and healed from the hurt and anger of betrayal. Too bad
Jack couldn't help her now, she thought, as she rode with Daniel to the
airport.

He drove to the private plane area and
helped her from the car. She walked alongside Daniel towards a Gulf Stream. “The
city isn't paying for this,” she said in surprise.

“No.” Before she could say more he
added, “You're not the only one with buckets of money you don't spend.”

She knew Daniel had access to
Worthington money, but couldn't understand why he'd put her on a private plane
for an investigational trip that was probably a waste of time.

“Just go see what you can find, and then
enjoy yourself or think or do whatever women do to put themselves back
together.”

“I'm not broken.”

“Here's the account Liv gave us of her
day in New York,” he said ignoring her comment and handing her a folder. “It
also has receipts and phone logs, so you can coordinate them. We've spoken on
the phone with most of these sources, but I'd like them to confirm the woman
they saw was Liv, so there's a picture of her as well. I've included pictures
of Kevin, his wife and Wilson.” When she looked at him questioningly, he
shrugged. “You never know. One of them may have helped her.”

“Thank you,” Tess said, not for the
folder, but for the effort Daniel was making to help her. “I know this must be
costing you a fortune.”

“This is costing me a great deal, but
not money.”

“Huh?”

“Do the job and take some time to enjoy
yourself. I'll see you tomorrow evening.”

She put the files in her briefcase and
started up the steps to the plane.

“Ms. Madison?”

“Yes.”

“I'm Tom Laskin, the pilot. Make
yourself comfortable and we'll be on our way in a few minutes.”

“Thank you,” she said as she stowed her
belongings and took a seat. She closed her eyes and savored the feel of the
soft leather seats. She didn't know much about planes, but she knew this one
was special. She saw a kitchenette and dining area. In the back there was a
door to another room. A bedroom? The plane was like a Winnebago with wings,
only slicker and plusher.

The plane started to move. It picked up
speed and she watched as the Jefferson Tavern landscape dropped way. She
couldn't stifle her grin.

“Private is the only way to fly,” she
said to herself.

“Then you'll fly private whenever you
want.”

Tess whipped her head around to the all
too familiar voice. Jack moved towards her, looking tentative, unsure and more
than a little green. He glanced out the window then quickly sat in the seat
opposite her, closing his eyes. It appeared that he was trying to steady his
breath.

Tess was equally hopeful and annoyed at
his arrival. She hated the desire she had to climb into his lap, wrap her arms
around him and never let go. Fortunately, her anger was closer to the surface. “Where'd
you come from?”

Slowly his lids lifted revealing the
brilliant blue-green eyes that always stole her breath. This time was no
different. “I was in the bedroom in the back.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I'm going to help you.”

“Help me what?”

“Investigate.” The plane lurched. Jack's
breath hitched and his fingers tightened on the hand rest of his seat. He
wasn't kidding when he said he didn't like to fly.

“Does Daniel know you're here?”

“How do you think I knew you were going
to New York? Whose plane do you think we're on?”

“You hate to fly. Why would you have a
plane?”

“Because people who work for me often
have to go on business trips.” He reached over to shut the blind on the window.

Tess didn't know what to make of it. Why
would he volunteer to help? Why would Daniel let him?

“Actually, I'm here to apologize and
hopefully get another chance.”

That flutter of hope tried to make its
away free again. Tess stamped it down. “So you just show up, offering to help
and expect me to forgive and forget?”

“No.” She could see the frustration
combined with physical discomfort begin to etch away at his attempt at calm. “I
figure I have about two hours to try and convince you to spend the afternoon
with me, during which time I'll try to charm you into spending dinner with me.
If I'm lucky—”

“You won't be getting lucky.”

His lips curved slightly. “I'm already
lucky. I'm alone with you, even if you'd like to throw me out of the plane.”

He had that right. Sort of. “You're not
that charming.”

“Okay. I won't use charm. I'll use the
fact that I love you, desperately.”

Low blow. She tried to distract herself
by reopening the shade and looking out the window. “Great view.”

“I'll take your word for it.”

When he moved, she thought that maybe he
was giving up. Instead, he dropped to a knee in front of her and tentatively
took her hands in his.

“Tess.” He gave her a remorseful smile. “I
know I screwed up. I asked you to trust me with your feelings and then I didn't
listen. I promised I would give you time and instead I gave you an ultimatum.
I'm sorry. I can give you an excuse if you want one.”