Wild Irish (Book 1 of the Weldon Series) (25 page)

“
What’s wrong with you?” Jesse slid into the booth. Paul looked like hell. Bags hung under his bloodshot, tearing eyes, and he pressed a handkerchief to his nose, constantly.

“
Allergies,” Paul mumbled. “It’s just my damn luck that the first gorgeous babe that I’m Johnny on the spot to save, lives in a freaking forest. I’m allergic to any pollen.”

“
What in the hell are you talking about?”

“
Nan. The woman is a dream centerfold from the top zipper of her nurse’s uniform to her squeaky white shoes. But she’s a plant fanatic,” Paul said then sneezed three times. “Her apartment is wall to wall plants. It’s a nightmare.”

Jesse shook his head. “Any more trouble last night?”

“
Four more hang-up calls. The dude quit calling at one.”

“
Our caller’s male? Did he say anything?”

“
No. Just a feeling I had. I thought I could hear the smack of pool balls in the background, but it was strange. Too fast and rhythmic to be someone playing the game though.” Paul kept his nose pinched, making his words obnoxiously nasal.

“
Can you let go of your nose?”

“
Nope. I sneeze constantly then.”

“
There’s got to be something you can do. Go to the drugstore and load up. But for now, what else have you got?”

“
More of the same. Holstead’s still coming up clean. He plays golf at the Country Club. Works in the bank and that’s about it. Nothing has turned up yet to cut him out of his golden boy mold. Gossip is he got stiffed for his wedding.”

“
I know. I’m the man who carted off the bride.”

Paul grinned; the draping handkerchief only revealed the corners of his mouth, making him more comical. “I know. I was about to tell you that the guy who kidnapped the bride is a much more unsavory character.”

“
Very funny.”

“
Yeah, unfortunately, the jilted groom is coming up clean.”

“
That isn’t something I want to hear. What about Andy Larson?”

“
That dude’s weird and fits the stalker profile if you ask me. Spends hours talking to hubcaps then bangs on them. Have you met him?”

“
Just today. I wasn’t impressed. Pretty antisocial. Anything on Benny?”

“
Harmless so far, if a bit reclusive. He works then goes home—a big historic Victorian on—”

“
I know,” Jesse held up his hand.

Paul nodded then sneezed three more time. “Damn. You and Wes failed to mention that this job came with plant hazards.”

“
I could send you to do security detail at the next Home and Garden Exhibition unless you give me something more to work with here. Nobody can be as squeaky clean as Roger and Benny are coming up.”

“
I’ll keep digging on all of them. Oh, you’ll get a laugh out of this. Benny’s an avid bird watcher. The postman says he delivers gobs of stuff and the man at the hardware store says that Benny’s backyard is a virtual Disney Land for our fine feathered friends.”

“
Great. Next you’re going to tell me he’s an Audubon--”

“
Yep. The society meets at the library every month and he’s there. Even leads bird-watching expeditions to the parks in the area.”

“
So I’ve got a golfing golden boy, a flaming bird empathizer, and an antisocial hubcap hammerer.”

“
You’ve summed it up rather well, boss.”

“
I was afraid of that.” Jesse tossed money onto the table.

Paul stood. “Oh there’s one thing. When I spoke to Wes this morning, he said Reed may have picked up a line on this Taylor guy you’re looking for, but the trail went cold at some homeless mission in Hardeeville, South Carolina. That was three years ago. It’s just over the Savannah River from here. I’ll pop over there and ask a few questions while Roger and Benny are at work.”

“
Good. Let me know what you turn up.” Jesse left a sneezing Paul and headed out of the pub. So, Reed had been able to track down Lucy’s father. It was rather interesting that the man’s last known address was not more than fifty miles away.

He wished the inquiries about the situation surrounding Alexi had produced more answers.

* * *

“
All right. Out with it. What’s wrong?” Nan asked, sliding her lunch tray next to Alexi’s on the gray table.

“
Nothing’s wrong,” Alexi said, pulling out her chair. She absently glanced at her shoes.
Wear them to bed tonight?

“
Hello. Earth to Alexi. Not only are you fading out on me here, but did I hear you just say nothing is wrong?”

“
I’m not fading and you’re not in need of a hearing aid.”

“
Then if nothing is wrong, why in the ever living world are you calling me on the phone for a lunch date when,” she lowered her voice to a whisper, “you’ve got a man like Jesse to be in bed with?”

“
You can’t spend all day in bed.” Alexi whispered back as she forked her salad.

“
You can’t?”

Alexi blushed. She could darn well spend the whole day in bed with Jesse and that was the problem. “Well, sometimes—“

“
Stop stalling and spill the beans. What’s up?”

Alexi tossed down her fork and leaned in close so no one else could possibly hear. “What’s not up? We’re like rabbits on Viagra. He just looks at me and I’m ready to come, ready for that orgasm that never fails to take my breath away. He’s literally leading me around by the tip of his finger.”

“
Oh, my, that sounds like pure heaven.”

“
Yeah. And that’s the problem. It feels too good.” Alexi sat back and sighed.

“
You’ve been with this guy for just a few days and already you’re feeling like you’re not allowed to feel good. I think your grandmother’s Victorian ethic is still sitting on your shoulder saying,
You can’t do this. You’re having too much fun
.”

“
Nan. Believe me. I don’t have any Victorian bug in my ear. If anything—”

“
Yes, you do. Why else have you never in twenty-nine years spent the night with a man until this week?”

“
Because it would have been improp—”

“
Ah, ha, gotcha. You’re letting that little devil crash in on your first chance to fly free…”

“
Nan, I’m not being a prude. It’s just…don’t you think that it’s too much, too fast, too soon with Jesse?”

“
Are you having as much fun as you say you are?”

“
Yes.”

“
Is he as incredible of a lover as you said he was?”

“
Yes.”

“
Is he--God forbid such a travesty--a zero out of bed?”

“
No. He’s funny, interesting. He talks to me, and you know when I tell him something personal, it’s like he understands.”

“
This just gets better and better. And you’re wanting to run away from all of this fun because…?”

Alexi sighed. “I sound pretty dumb.”

“
Not dumb, just a misplaced sense of duty. The same problem that kept you on the road to wedded bliss with Roger.”

Shuddering, Alexi grabbed her water and took a hefty drink. No way in hell did she want to be back there.

“
Listen, girlfriend, what you got going on now doesn’t happen often. Are you going to give it up?”

Thirty minutes later, Nan’s question still rambled in Alexi’s head as she slipped into Lucy’s room. But surprise at seeing the usually active Lucy asleep took precedence over the Jesse dilemma. Lucy looked paler and the shadows under her eyes appeared more pronounced. Had the new medicine failed? Surely, Karin would have said something this morning other than Lucy had a restless night.

Maybe that was all that was wrong.
Alexi made a mental note to check with Lucy’s nurse before leaving. The dancing balloons had sunk to beribboned orbs that dangled halfway to the floor and Lucy had Amanda Lee wrapped in a soft blanket propped next to her on the pillow. The sight brought a rush of warmth to Alexi’s heart. By passing on the doll, Alexi had shared a part of her mother--a special love from the shadows of the past to shine upon another little girl’s heart. Even though Lucy was asleep, Alexi felt the need to just be with her a few minutes. It was a selfish need. Being in the hospital and sharing her time with Lucy and the other ill children put life into perspective, and brought the important things into focus.

Moving quietly, she sat by the bed and brushed her fingertips over Amanda Lee’s soft blanket, remembering times when the doll had been her only comfort, her only friend. Life would never be that simple again.

The warmth and strength of a large hand on her shoulder cut through her thoughts. Jesse had found time to come. She looked up at him and realized her life would never be more complicated that it was now. Her breath caught and her stomach tightened when she saw what he held in his hand. Four new red balloons, fresh dancing balloons for Lucy. Leaning over, he tied them to the bed rail. It would be the first thing she’d see when she awoke. Not wanting to disturb Lucy’s sleep, Alexi signaled for Jesse to meet her in the hall.

A deep frown furrowed his brow, making him appear grimly fierce. “She looks so pale, so very tiny, and so frail.” He shook his head and she could see the heartfelt concern weighing him down. “I didn’t realize. She has such bright eyes and such a big smile that I didn’t see how sick she was. Is she worse?”

“
I don’t think so. All Karin said was that Lucy had had a restless night, but I’ll check with the nurse.”

“
Good idea.” Jesse turned and headed to the nurse’s station. He moved like a man on a mission and Alexi almost had to run to keep up. Just before they reached the nurses’ station, she slid her hand into Jesse’s. “Let me talk to the nurse. The look on your face will scare the woman to death.”

“
What look?” Jesse frowned harder.

“
The look that says you’re going to grab life by the throat and shake it upside down until it starts dealing fairly with a little girl who likes to make red balloons dance.” She squeezed Jesse’s hand. “Thanks for thinking of bringing them to her again. I know they’ll make her smile when she wakes.”

“
I wish I could do more.” Jesse kept a hold of her hand.

“
Me too.”

She learned from Lucy’s nurse that they were keeping a close eye on Lucy and running a few more tests to make sure the new medication was helping, otherwise everything was the same.

“
Is that good news?” Jesse questioned after the nurse had left. “I mean shouldn’t the new medication make her better?”

“
Just keeping Lucy’s condition from worsening is a Godsend. Her only hope is a transplant.”

“
I see.”

She let her hand rest in Jesse’s as they left the hospital. Somehow the burden of Lucy’s situation didn’t seem as heavy as before and she realized he had a way of easing her burdens. Like after the wedding when dealing with her family. The concern about the strange incidents, and now her worry over Lucy. He was a man a woman could rely on when difficulties arose and the fact that she was beginning to rely on Jesse didn’t sit well.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

All the way to Roger’s office, Alexi stomach churned with her thoughts turning her insides to butter. Being in Jesse’s constant company did strange things to her heart and her head. Even the prospect of confronting Roger took a back seat to Jesse.

The closer they got to the bank, the grimmer his expression became. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come in with you?”