Soft Target (14 page)

Chapter Seventeen

“How can you not remember where you parked?” Maggie laughed as they trudged through the parking deck of the Boise airport.

“Hey!” Gray protested. “In my defense, I had a lot on my mind when I got here on Sunday. I’ll find it. I think it’s on the purple floor, maybe the blue one. Let’s get your car, then we’ll find mine.”

Gimme three steps, gimme three steps mister
...
Shelby’s ringtone.

Stopping in midstride, Gray yanked the phone from his pocket. Dread pooled in his gut. “Hi.”

“Hello,” Shelby drawled. “Can you talk?”

“No.”

“You aren’t alone, are you?”

Maggie came to his side and tugged the handle of her suitcase.

“No, I’m not.” He tightened his grip and shook his head, resuming his ascent to her car. Rather than playing tug-of-war, she quickened her pace.

“Can you meet me for lunch?” Shelby asked. “Same place? Or would you like me to come to Fiddler?”

“What?” He hurried to catch Maggie. “I can’t—”

“Go,” Maggie whispered. “I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll call you back in five minutes,” he snapped and hung up. He took a deep breath. “Maggie—”

“I’ve been driving myself home for twenty years. I’ll be fine.”

He didn’t want to leave her alone. “You’ll stay on the highway and the main road?”

“I thought I’d take the Ketchum Pass,” she snarled.

Her teasing tone, her laughter, had vanished. Four days’ worth of work, gone in seconds. “Don’t be a smart-ass.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Yes. Highway and main roads, just like I always do.”

“I’ll see you tonight.”

“Don’t rush.” She climbed behind the wheel and fumbled with her keys, refusing to look at him. “Be careful coming ho—back.”

He dialed the phone, and the call connected as her car disappeared around a corner. “I’m on my way.”

Fifteen minutes later, he sat opposite Shelby in a corner booth in the bar of the Holiday Inn. She smiled. He didn’t. At least they were doing this in public.

“You look much better,” she said.

“I thought you went home.”

She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “The Seattle office needed help on a case, and I scheduled a long layover so I could check on you.” She sipped her coffee. “You were already in Boise?”

“Our plane just arrived.”

“Our?”

“I got married in Vegas.” He’d intended to rip the Band-Aid off quickly, but the declaration had more conviction than he’d expected.

“Married?! Well... Congratulations! Did you leave her in the truck?”

“She’s at the bookstore around the corner.” The lie slipped across his tongue.

“Who is she?”

He recognized the brittle shine in her eyes and the shape of her thin smile. He didn’t want to tell her any more than he had to, but he couldn’t deny her an answer without sounding childish.

“Her name is Maggie.”
And I’m worried about her on the road alone.
“I need to go. We need to get home.”
Home. My borrowed home, with my temporary wife who won’t call herself that. She won’t even live with me
.

“Do you want me to tell Bob you need a transfer?”

“I’ll talk to Bob myself,” he insisted.
Once I figure out how to explain it without sounding like a moron.

“I’ve always wanted what was best for you. If she’s what’s best, then—it’s a shock, but I’m happy for you. Truly. I hope we can stay friends.”

Were we ever friends?
He thought about nights out with Bob, Jeff and Amanda. Then about working with Nate, Kevin and Michael. Sunday dinners with Faith, Charlene and Tiffany. Bachelor parties. Wedding photos. Summers. Funerals.

Maggie. Dancing with her, Sunday rides, laughing over investment pages. He’d done this, all of this, because she was more than Nate’s sister. She was his friend in a way Shelby never had been and would never understand.

He stood, put cash on the table and left his coffee. He missed his wife. “Good luck with the case.”

He never looked back. Instead, he merged onto the highway and increased his speed until the truck’s suspension shook. His hopes were raised every time he saw a green car, but he never caught up with Maggie.

Arriving at Orrin’s for first call, he celebrated the end of the week with the guys. Maggie handed him a beer, and he breathed a sigh of relief. She was safe. They were home.

She kept hold of the bottle until he looked at her. “They put Sarah Mitchell in the hospital while we were gone. Your surgeon friend is reviewing her records to see if there are any options.”

He hated to think of the cheerful little girl, of any child, that ill. “I’ll go visit her as soon as things get back to normal.”

Maggie’s ring glinted under the lights, and he stroked his thumb across his. “Have you said anything?”

His smile faded at the frantic shake of her head. Their marriage would be over before their rings tarnished, but he wasn’t ashamed of his wife and he didn’t want her to be ashamed of him.

“I don’t want to lie to them,” she whispered.

“If they notice the ring, I won’t lie either.”

No one noticed, and after closing Gray watched his wife move through her apartment until she stood in the window and waved goodnight. He went home alone. Just like he’d gone to his room in Vegas alone every night.

He’d managed to negotiate a platonic honeymoon of sorts. Every night she’d talked about flights back until he’d distracted her with tourist brochures. Watching her eyes light up with every new experience had become addictive. And he’d paid for that fix every night as he’d stared at her door and talked himself out of making it a real honeymoon. Maybe it would be easier to be separated when she was across town rather than down the hall.

* * *

Married? He was fucking married? To the heiress? After one date? How had that happened? He didn’t even share his bathroom.
She
hadn’t even had a drawer in his apartment. How? Why?

Shelby’s imagination sputtered. She’d put everything on hold for him.
Waited
for him to come around. She’d never once looked at someone else because she knew,
knew
, anyone else was second best. And she’d never settle.

He never would either. He never had. So who was best, and who was second?

Apparently,
Maggie
was best.

Shelby threw her hairbrush at her mirror, screaming in frustration as the cheap thing broke and the mirror shattered.
Bullshit!

She was never second.

Never.

Chapter Eighteen

Gray stood in the park on Saturday, manning his post at the dog wash. Between each pet, he looked across the lawn to watch Maggie at the kitten rescue. At least she was laughing again, although he fought the urge to pummel Chet every time she smiled at him.

“I’ve heard she needs a husband.”

Gray looked over his shoulder to see two women under a tree. One was Amber, who smiled and waved as she caught his stare. Shoving his hands in the water, Gray nodded back at her. Apparently they didn’t know he could hear them.

“It’s all over town.” The other woman sneered. “The princess needs to kiss a frog, and quick.”

The whole thing was supposed to be a secret, so of course the whole town knew.

Gray watched the crowd with new interest. Most were families, some were widowers. Bill Granger waved, and Gray lifted a soapy hand in return. His stomach plummeted as he realized he was looking not for suspects, but for suitors.

The line at the kitten rescue was usually full of little girls. Today it was full of men. Carefully groomed, well-dressed men. Some of them weren’t recognizable, and Gray didn’t know if that was because they weren’t wearing their hats or because they were from out of town.

At the head of the line, Maggie’s laughter had faded. She’d gone from playing with the orange tabby to holding it in front of her like a shield. Wide-eyed, pale, she was shaking her head. But the guy at the head of the line wouldn’t be deterred. Chet stepped over the low fence and between her and the persistent frog.

It wasn’t Chet’s job to protect her.

Drying his hands, Gray stalked across the lawn and into the pen.

“...dinner on Saturday night?” the guy croaked.

“She already has plans,” Gray snarled as he took the kitten from Maggie. Shoving it at Chet, Gray pulled her away and toward the parking lot.

“What are you doing?” she whispered as she jogged beside him, yanking on her arm.

“I’m not going to sit here fending off schoolteachers while you refuse dates. We
are
married, whether you like it or not,” he grumbled.

“Graham—”

He shook his head. “I’ll give you a day to get used to it, but we’re telling everyone tomorrow. At church. Right now, Max will follow you ho—to Orrin’s.”

* * *

He halfway expected her to hide, but he should’ve known better. The next morning, she was waiting at the top of the church’s steps. He took her shaky fingers in his and opened the door. Reverend Ferguson was waiting, and his eyes twinkled when he saw their joined hands.

“We got married in Vegas, Joe,” Gray said in a rush. “We’d like you to announce it after the service.”

“Can’t say I’m surprised,” the minister replied. “There was always something about you two.” He enveloped Maggie in a hug. “It’s about time, dear.”

“Th-thank you.”

Fuck. She sounded like she was ready to cry. Maybe everyone would chalk it up to happy tears. Before Gray could pull her away, Joe hugged him, too.

“She’ll be the best thing for you, son.”

Gray lost his breath, and it had nothing to do with pain from the tight hug. “Thanks. We’d better get up there. Nate and Faith haven’t heard.”

“Run on up.” Joe shooed them away as the choir filed in.

Gray and Maggie scurried to their spots on the first row and grabbed their hymnals as the pipe organ wheezed to life. It was too late to warn anyone now.

The sermon was too short.

“Breathe.” Gray’s whispered reminder was as much for him as for her.

The reverend’s smile dented far into the apples of his cheeks. “I’ve spent almost forty years in this parish. That’s a lot of christenings, confirmations, weddings and funerals. I celebrate with you, I mourn with you and I watch you grow up and grow old. I pray about all of you, some more than others, and I have private celebrations when those prayers are answered. Today I get to share that joy with all of you. We’ve had a second wedding this week. They eloped, which doesn’t surprise me.”

Gray stared into his wife’s terrified eyes.

“Please join me in celebrating the marriage of Gray and Maggie Harper.”

Silence greeted the announcement, and Maggie’s head dropped. Gray lifted her hand to his lips before he rested his forehead to hers.

Tiffany squealed, Charlene laughed and the applause started with Kevin but rippled through the crowd. Rhett’s whistles grew to a chorus.

They were swamped by well-wishers, and by the time they emerged from church no one was left to wonder why the bride and groom were in separate cars. Gray practiced his explanation all the way to Nate’s.

His solemn brother-in-law was waiting at the door. He hugged Maggie but glared over her shoulder. “Give us a minute, sis.”

She pulled away. “Nathan, I’m a big girl.”

“Uh-huh,” Nate grunted as he started down the hall.

Gray was stuck between them again. He winked at Maggie. “Don’t worry. He’s never gotten the better of me.”

She walked behind him. “But—”

He turned and rested his hands on her shoulders. “Let me do this on my own, please. It’s important.”

For a moment she looked determined to argue, then she nodded and walked away. Once he heard her visiting with Faith in the kitchen, Gray walked down the hall and into Nate’s office.

“You married my sister?” Nate hissed as he pushed the door closed.

“She ran off to Vegas. What did you expect me to do?”

“I didn’t expect to go on my honeymoon and have you
marry
my sister.” Nate’s ration of quiet was exhausted.

“It was me or Roger Baker.”

“Scrawny California vegan Roger?”

“Yep.” Gray perched on the arm of a chair.

“What are you gonna do when you find her secret admirer? Have you thought of that?” Nate asked as he paced.

Gray fidgeted on his perch. He’d thought about that longer than Nate needed to know.

“This was supposed to be over by now,” Nate continued. “Are you even looking for him?”

“What was I supposed to do? Stand there while she married some random guy? You know, as brothers-in-law go, I’m not so—”

“I’m paying you to protect her, not to be my brother-in-law.”

The gasp from the hallway was their first hint of an audience. Nate bolted around his desk and down the hall. “Mags, let me explain.”

When his plea was answered by a slamming door, Gray trudged after them. He stopped at Nate’s shoulder and grumbled, “You have always had the worst timing. Stay in here and let me handle this. And don’t watch. It’s going to be bad enough.”

He waited for Nate to fade into the shadows before he closed the door.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
He’d walked into her room in Vegas, intent on telling her. Then he’d seen her in white and touched the ring she’d chosen for him. And kissed her. And gone sightseeing with her, and told her goodnight. But he’d never told her the truth. He’d told himself it was because she’d run, but in reality he didn’t want to hurt her.

Shit.

Across the yard, under a stormy sky, Maggie was dwarfed by the large firs thwarting her escape. They wouldn’t hold her long. He lengthened to his full stride, coming to a silent stop at her shoulder. All week she’d moved closer. Now she stepped away.

“Who are you?” Though she questioned him, she stared at the trees.

“Who I’ve always been.”

“Fine then.” She bit out the words. “
What
are you?”

“I’m an FBI agent. I’m on leave.”

“Why?”

“I’m recovering from a shooting.”

“Someone shot you?” Hard hazel eyes slanted in his direction. Her mouth twisted. “Good.”

“Maggie—”

“I picked Roger because I thought it would be easier to get through this nightmare if I had a friend with me to laugh at the lunacy.”

“I am your friend.”

“Bullshit. You’re Nate’s friend. The friend he
hired
to be close to me, who kept the truth from me, who has made a fool out of me. I can’t even get an annulment and start over. Why?”

“I know you’re afraid, and I saw what the constant surveillance did to you. I thought it was kinder—”

“Kinder? You
married
me!”

“Having another person in this equation would mean I couldn’t protect you.”

Her chin tilted in challenge. “Between ‘for better’ and ‘for worse,’ would it have killed you to say ‘by the way, I’ve been hired—’”

“Yeah, because you wouldn’t have been the least bit stubborn. You wouldn’t have shut me out to the point I couldn’t protect you. You would have listened and seen the wisdom of this on your own.” His words gained speed as he made his point, and he towered over her, pursuing her as she stepped backward. “You wouldn’t have screamed until the cops showed up and then married
Roger
while I was making bail.”

Ragged breaths shook through him while his pulse pounded. He twisted his neck to relieve the tension cording his muscles.

The silence stretched between them, punctuated by raindrops. A few plopped onto her hair, splotching it in honeyed tones. His tongue twitched at the flavors and textures of memories.

“You’re going as soon as you find him?”

He nodded, relieved to finally tell her the truth. Until the spark faded from her eyes and the animation left her face and her body. When she spoke, her voice was cold with reinforcement.

“Why wait until then?”

Her retreat squished against damp grass.

She knew. He didn’t have to hide. It would make it easier to solve the puzzle. It would be over soon, and he could go home. Everyone would get what they wanted. This was good. It was.

He chanted those words with every step as he caught up to her and walked, ignored, at her side. When he reached around her for the door, her flinch made him colder than the rain.

Inside, Nate was dancing in agitation while he held Faith’s hand. If he’d just stay quiet, they could—

“It was for your own good,” Nate blurted.

Gray dropped his head and ran a hand through his wet hair.

“Who else knows?” Maggie’s whisper was almost lost in the large room and the splatter of rain against the windows.

“No one,” Nathan shot back. Gray wanted to kick him.

She turned around. Her hair was golden and her blouse was plastered to her in spots. Her lips were blue. She was cold and alone in the middle of the room.

Honey.

She returned his stare, tilting her chin in defiance and keeping the question contained to the arch of one eyebrow. He gave her the honesty she deserved.

“Well, Faith’s a given. Then everyone at the police station, Diana Fisher, and Joe Ferguson.”

“Reverend Ferguson? He stood at that altar and asked everyone to be happy for us, and he
knew
?”

The squeak in her voice made him more ashamed.

“I can’t go back to the Bureau unless I finish PT and counseling. Diana and Joe are helping with that. They needed to know everything.”

“I’m going home,” Maggie whispered to no one in particular. She jerked to a stop when he followed her. This time she didn’t turn around. “Can’t you just leave me alone?”

“No.”

Her shoulders sagged.

Years ago, his parents had given him a radio-controlled car for Christmas, and he’d snapped its front axle getting it out of the box. Though his dad had glued it, it had always shuddered at every right turn. Guilt had eaten at Gray every time he’d seen it. He couldn’t shake that feeling as he followed Maggie out the front door. He’d broken something special—again.

* * *

The chance to be Maggie’s hero had slipped through his hands. As soon as he’d known she needed a husband, he’d ordered roses for tomorrow. Deep red ones. He’d planned everything carefully. After the delivery, before she could carry them to Faye, he’d go over and propose, promise to take care of her.

But Gray had beaten him to it. Gray had taken her away from town, away from her friends and family—and him—and talked her into a wedding.

He’d cheated.

Heroes didn’t cheat. Ever. Gray was a villain.

Maggie needed a hero.