See Me (28 page)

Later that night, as he was tending bar, Colin found his thoughts returning to the fact that someone had gone to an awful lot of trouble to try to hide his identity.

 

 

A thunderstorm rolled through on Friday night, bringing with it cooler temperatures. After finishing his run and doing some yard work on Saturday morning, Colin made the drive to Floral Heaven in Jacksonville, a little over an hour away. At the shop, Colin pulled out the photo of Ken and showed it to the man.

“This wouldn’t happen to be the guy, would it?”

The owner, a portly man in his sixties with spectacles, took only a second before shaking his head. “The man in the photo is a lot older. The guy who bought them was maybe in his late twenties, not that I had that great a look at him.”

“No?”

“He was kind of a strange guy, which is why I remember him at all. He wore a baseball hat and stared at the counter when he talked. Sort of mumbled. Just told me what he wanted and walked out the door. He came back an hour later, paid cash, and left.”

“Did you happen to notice if he was alone?”

“I wasn’t paying attention,” he answered. “What’s this all about again?”

“As I mentioned on the phone, there was a strange message written on the card.”

“He didn’t ask for a card. I remember that, too, because everyone always wants to write something. Like I said, he was a strange guy.”

 

 

Colin’s afternoon workout at the gym focused heavily on defensive work and grappling. Surprising him, Daly worked almost exclusively with him, pushing him harder than usual. In his day, Daly had been a beast when it came to ground work, and more than once, Colin found himself out of position, feeling like he was fighting for his life. By the time the workout ended, he realized that he hadn’t thought about the guy in the baseball hat even once.

Whoever he was.

The preoccupation returned, however, as soon as he stepped out of the ring. Before he reached the locker room, Daly jogged over and pulled him aside.

“Can I talk to you for a couple of minutes?”

Colin used his still soaking shirt to wipe the sweat from his face.

“How would you feel about fighting next weekend? In Havelock.” Before Colin could respond, Daly went on. “I know you’re three weeks out, but I got a call earlier from Bill Jensen. You know Bill, right?”

“The promoter,” Colin said.

“You know how much he’s done for our fighters over the years… including you – and he’s in a bind. Anyway, Johnny Reese is headlining the event, and the guy he was supposed to fight broke his hand a few days ago and had to scratch. Reese needs a new opponent.”

As soon as Daly said the name, Colin remembered the conversation with Evan from the diner.
The dude moves like a cat.
Daly continued. “Jensen’s been trying to find someone, and it turns out that you’re the only guy in the weight class who actually might make it interesting. This is Reese’s last fight before he goes pro, and he’s got the goods. Former NCAA wrestling champ, getting better at striking, for the most part fearless. He actually has a shot at making it to the UFC in a year or two, which is why Jensen doesn’t want to cancel. That’s why I went so hard with you today. I wanted to know if you were ready to take him on.”

“I’m not good enough for Reese.”

“You had me on the defensive more than a few times today. Trust me, you’re ready.”

“I’ll lose.”

“Probably,” Daly admitted. “But it’ll be the best fight of his life to this point because you’re better than you think you are.” He twisted sweat from the bottom of his shirt. “I know I’m asking you to take a risk here, but it would help us out. You too. Jensen’s the kind of guy who never forgets a favor. And you’d be helping us get some good publicity for my gym.”

Colin wiped his face again before deciding,
Why the hell not?

“Okay,” he said. When he left the gym, his mind was on Johnny Reese. Yet he found himself strangely unexcited, and by the time he’d driven halfway home, he wasn’t thinking about the upcoming fight at all. The only things on his mind were the man who had sent the roses and how someone other than Ken could have known Maria had thrown them away.

 

 

“That’s quite the day,” Evan commented. They were on the porch, Colin drinking water and Evan nursing a beer. “Reese, huh? He’s pretty good.”

“Thanks for avoiding the obvious.”

“Oh, you mean about Maria and her stalker? That’s what you want to talk about?” Evan paused before going on. “All right. Have you considered the idea that Ken might have hired the guy to buy and deliver the roses?”

“Then why get them from someplace an hour away?”

“Maybe the guy he hired is from there.”

Colin took a long drink from his glass of water. “Maybe. But I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t think Ken has anything to do with this.”

Evan picked at the label on his bottle. “If it’s any consolation, I think you’re right. It isn’t her boss. But on the plus side, all your private-investigator, stake-out-the-roof, and photography activities paid off in the end. Which means you’re not a total idiot. Even if you’re no closer to learning who it actually is.”

“I learned something else, too.”

“What’s that?”

“I’ll bet whoever it was watched Maria from that same spot on the roof where I took the picture.”

“Why on earth would you think that?”

“Because the gravel had been smoothed out where I was, and there were gum wrappers littered around that hadn’t blown away. Meaning that someone had been there recently. And from that vantage point, I could see directly into Maria’s office. Same thing with her car and the Dumpster. Whoever it was could have spied on her for hours. I didn’t put the pieces together until right before I talked to you.”

For the first time, Evan was quiet. “Huh,” he finally said.

“That’s it?”

“Maybe you’re right or maybe you’re wrong. I don’t have the answer for you.”

“And now, I’ve got this fight next weekend.”

“So?”

“I’m having second thoughts.”

“Why?”

“Because of everything that’s been going on with Maria.”

“You train to fight. You like to fight. You’ve been offered a fight. What does any of that have to do with Maria?”

Colin opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

“You know what? You give me crap all the time about how Lily has me wrapped around her little finger, but it’s pretty clear that I have my relationship a lot more figured out than you do. Because right now, you’re trying to live your life based on what might happen or whether you can solve her problem, even when she’s told you she doesn’t want you to. Do you know how messed up that is? You told me she wanted to watch you fight, right? Ask her to come, take her out for dinner afterwards, and call it a date. Boom. Problem solved.”

Colin offered a partial smile. “I think you want me to fight because you’re pretty sure I’m going to lose.”

“And? Fine, I’ll admit it – you’re such an endless pain in the ass that it might be fun watching someone smack you around.” When Colin laughed, Evan went on. “Good. So that’s settled. On another note, are you excited about tonight?”

“Tonight?”

“You and Maria? With Lily and me? We had plans, remember? I made reservations at Caprice Bistro at seven thirty, and afterwards, we’re hitting a club that’s playing eighties music.”

“Eighties music?”

“Is there an echo in here? Yes, eighties music. Lily’s a closet Madonna fan. A leftover from her supposedly rebellious teenage years, she says. So we’re doing this? As long as Maria’s still game, I mean.”

“Why wouldn’t she be?”

“Maybe because you ruined her mood with what you learned?”

“I haven’t told her yet.”

“Mr. Honesty? I’m shocked.”

“I was planning on telling her tonight.”

“If you do that, make sure you don’t make too big a deal about it. I don’t need you putting a damper on the evening. For all you know, it was a one-time thing and it’s over.”

“Or maybe,” Colin said, “it isn’t.”

C
olin had been quiet since he’d picked her up, which made Maria nervous, given what he’d been up to for most of the day. Though he volunteered nothing, she knew he was thinking about the flowers. As she watched him respond to her small talk with a distracted air, she felt a pit growing in her stomach. By the time they pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot, she couldn’t contain herself any longer.

“Who sent the roses?”

He shut off the engine and told her what he’d learned.

She frowned, thinking about it. “If it wasn’t Ken, and you don’t think Ken hired him, then who is it?”

“I don’t know.”

She turned toward the passenger window. Beyond the glass, she watched an older couple walking into the restaurant, all smiles.
Without a care in the world.

“I saw Ken again yesterday when I was meeting with Barney,” she said in a wavering voice. “Other than the fact that he was acting a little distracted, he was completely professional. In fact, he barely seemed to notice me at all. It almost makes me think…”

That it’s not Ken.
She could tell by Colin’s silence that he’d been able to complete her thought.

“Let’s try not to worry about it tonight, okay?” he said.

She nodded, feeling the tension in her shoulders. “I’ll try. It’s hard not to.”

“I know,” he said. “But you should probably take a moment to prepare yourself for Lily. I adore her, but she does take some getting used to.”

Maria forced a smile. “That’s a backhanded compliment, you know.”

“Guess who I learned it from?”

 

 

It took Maria only a second after entering the restaurant to identify Lily. Almost as soon as she and Colin had stepped through the door, a perfectly coiffed, ravishing blonde with eyes the color of turquoise glided toward them. She wore a stylish midlength dress and a strand of pearls. Practically every man in the restaurant turned to watch her pass. Evan, who was dressed preppy stylish and could have passed for someone still in college, trailed in her wake. Maria noticed his air of breezy confidence; he was clearly comfortable allowing Lily the limelight.

Lily’s smile never faltered, and as soon as she got close, she took Maria’s hands in her own. They were remarkably soft, like a silky baby blanket. “It is an absolute delight for me to have the pleasure of your company this evening! Colin has said so many wonderful things about you.” By then, Evan had reached her side. “And oh, dear! Where are my manners? I’m Lily, and this handsome man beside me is my fiancé, Evan. It’s so wonderful to meet you, Maria!”

“Hi there,” Evan said with genuine warmth. “And please don’t be offended if Lily doesn’t let me get a word in the rest of the evening.”

“Hush now, Evan,” Lily scolded. “There’s no reason to give our new friend the wrong impression about me.” She returned her gaze to Maria. “Please try to forgive him. He’s as sweet as can be and more intelligent than he lets on, but he went to
State
and he was in a
fraternity
. You know what that means.”

“At least my university was coed,” Evan countered.

“And as I’ve assured him repeatedly,” she responded, nudging Maria, “I will never hold that flaw against him.”

Despite herself, Maria smiled. “It’s nice to meet you both.”

Still holding Maria’s hands, Lily turned to Colin. “Colin, you must admit that you weren’t being fair to Maria at all when you told me about her! She’s absolutely breathtaking!” Then back to Maria: “It’s no wonder that you’ve been all that Colin has been able to think about lately. You must know that you’ve been the topic of discussion every time we’ve spoken in recent weeks, and I can certainly understand why.” Letting go of Maria’s hands, she kissed Colin on the cheek. “You’re very handsome this evening. Did I buy you that shirt?”

“Thank you,” Colin said. “And yes, you did.”

“And that’s a good thing, don’t you agree? If I wasn’t around, you’d probably be wearing one of those awful T-shirts with slogans on them.”

“I like those shirts.”

She patted his arm. “I know you do, bless your heart. Now, shall we head to the table? I’ve been on pins and needles all day and I want to know absolutely everything about the woman who already has you wrapped around her little finger.”

“I’m not sure that’s quite true,” Maria protested.

“As true as due north. Colin – despite his stoic demeanor – is actually quite expressive in his emotions once you’re familiar with them. Now, shall we?”

When she turned for the table, Colin shrugged at Maria, as if to say
I told you so
. While Maria had become acquainted with the Southern belle debutante phenomenon among the sorority girls at Chapel Hill, Colin was right: Lily took it to a whole new level. Maria initially assumed it to be partially an act, but as they settled into wide-ranging conversation over dinner, she gradually changed her mind. What was interesting was that as much as Lily could talk – and the girl could talk about
anything
– she could also draw out information simply by the way she
listened
. She had a way of leaning forward slightly and nodding when appropriate; making noises of empathy or sympathy, followed by probing questions. Maria never once had the sense that Lily was trying to think of the next thing she wanted to say while Maria was still talking, and to her surprise she even found herself telling Lily and Evan about the delivery of the roses and its aftermath. At that, the table went quiet, and Lily impulsively covered Maria’s hand with her own.

Later, while the two women were freshening up in the restroom after dinner, Maria caught Lily’s reflection in the mirror.

“I feel like I did most of the talking,” Maria said. “I’m sorry about that.”

“There is absolutely no reason to apologize. You have a lot going on in your life right now, and I’m flattered by your trust in us.”

Maria added some lipstick before her voice softened. “You weren’t surprised by what Colin did, were you? With the photo and tracking down where the roses came from?”

“No,” Lily answered. “That’s who he is. When he loves someone, he’ll do anything for them.”

“It feels like half the time, I’m still trying to figure him out.”

“I’m not surprised,” Lily said. “At the same time, since you were so honest with Evan and me, you must know that prior to dinner, my loyalties lay completely with Colin. I wanted to meet you so I could make sure that you were everything he said you were.”

“You really care about him.”

“I love him like a brother,” Lily admitted. “He’s very important to me. And I know what you’re probably thinking. We couldn’t be more different, and I didn’t understand what Evan saw in him at first, either. All those tattoos and muscles and all the violence in his past…” Lily shook her head. “I must have visited Evan four or five times before I ever said a word to Colin, and when I finally did, the first thing that came out of my mouth was that I thought he should find a new place to live. And do you know what Colin said to me?”

“ ‘Okay’?” Maria mimicked, and Lily laughed.

“He does that with you, too? Bless his heart. I have been trying to break that habit to no avail, but lately I’ve come to admit that it suits him. At the time, I do remember being offended. I complained to Evan and he promised to talk to Colin, but only on the condition that I talk to him first. Which of course I refused to do on principle.”

“So who ended up breaking the ice? You or him?”

“Colin did. I’d purchased Evan a television for his birthday around that time, and it was in the trunk. Colin happened to come across me struggling with the box. He immediately offered to help. He brought it in and asked if I wanted to have it mounted or left in the box. Which was something I hadn’t thought about. I told him that Evan would do it, but he sort of laughed and said that Evan wouldn’t know how to do such a thing. The next thing I knew, he was on his way to the hardware store, and twenty minutes later, he was mounting it on the wall. He’d also picked up a big ribbon and bow, and it was that, more than anything, that made me wonder whether there was something about him that was worth getting to know. So we talked. It took about thirty seconds of asking him questions before I realized that he wasn’t like anyone I’d ever met before.”

“Colin said you recommended that he go back to college. And that you helped him with his studies.”

“Someone had to. The poor man hadn’t cracked a book in years. But he made it easy, because once he’d decided to go back, he was determined to do his best. And he’s intelligent. Despite having moved from school to school, he must have picked up something along the way.”

“And he’s Evan’s best man?”

Lily pulled a tissue from her purse and dabbed at her lipstick as she nodded. “Yes. Of course, my parents are absolutely aghast at the idea. As far as they know, he’s Evan’s friend, not mine, and they continually hint that I should keep my distance. The first time my daddy saw Colin, he actually flinched, and my mama has gone so far as to suggest that he shouldn’t even be invited to the wedding, let alone be the best man. Even when I tell them that he’s my friend, too, they pretend they didn’t hear me say it. They are rooted in their ways and I will always be their precious child, bless their hearts.”

“My mom and dad weren’t too thrilled with Colin, either.”

“It’s understandable. But unlike my parents, I’ll bet yours will give him a chance and eventually change their minds. I did, after all. Even now, I sometimes have trouble understanding it. In all candor, Colin and I don’t have much in common.”

“I’d have to agree.”

Lily smiled, straightening her pearls before turning to Maria. “Still, there’s something about that heartfelt honesty of his, coupled with not giving a damn about what other people think about him, that just gets to me.”

Maria couldn’t help smiling in agreement.

“You must believe me when I tell you,” Lily added, “that he’s much less rough around the edges than when I first met him. It’s been an extraordinary effort on my part.” She winked. “But there’s no reason to thank me. You ready? I’m sure the lads are already pining for us.”

“I don’t think Colin pines.”

“He’s pining,” she said. “He might not admit it, but he is.”

 

 

“I wasn’t pining,” Colin said on the way to his car. Up ahead, Lily was walking with Evan toward his Prius. “I was talking to Evan about my fight.”

“The one in Myrtle Beach?”

“No. The one next weekend.”

“What fight?”

Colin filled her in, then added, “Evan will be coming. You should come, too.”

“Will Lily come?”

“No,” Colin said. “Fighting’s not really Lily’s thing.”

“I’m surprised it’s Evan’s thing.”

“He always goes to my fights. He enjoys them.”

“Really? He doesn’t seem the type.”

“And what type is that?”

“People who resemble you,” Maria teased. “Big muscles and tattoos, but mainly people who don’t look like they’ll faint at the first sign of blood.”

He smiled. “Do you want to come?”

“Sure. But the same rule applies. You can’t get too beat up or it’ll bring back memories of the first night we met.”