Wild Thing (22 page)

When the plane arrived, he grabbed his duffel and ran for the tarmac. He’d have to buy clothes tomorrow. After all, he couldn’t walk around New York looking like a mountain man. He climbed up the steps of the Gulfstream, handed his bag to the flight attendant, and cursed when he saw Grampa Joe talking to the pilot.

The old man smiled. “I thought since I was payin’ for the ride, I might as well enjoy it. Sit down, and tell me what the hell happened.”

Hunter took the shot of whiskey Gramps offered and downed it, passing it back for a refill. “I love her, Gramps.”

“Ah hell, I knew that the minute I saw the way you looked at her. What did you do that got her knickers in a twist?”

“What’s it matter? She’s gone, and her friend James wouldn’t give me her address or number. She thinks I lied to her.”

“Did you?”

“Yeah, but—”

“No buts about it son, never lie to a woman. They always find out the truth eventually. Didn’t I teach you anything?”

“I’m a slow learner, remember?”

“The hell you are. You’re just stubborn and ornery—same as your mama. Everyone always said you’re like your daddy, but I never saw it. You’re your mama’s boy through and through.”

“No, I’m not. My father was the one who was always too busy to be there when Mom needed him. I just did the same thing with Toni. I was too busy to tell her the truth. It wasn’t something I could explain in under two minutes, so I lied. Just like my dad.”

“Your daddy didn’t lie. He just never grew up. He never realized that when a man has a family his responsibility to his wife and kids comes before going huntin’ and fishin’ with his friends. You don’t have that problem. You’re the most responsible person I know. Just look at what you do with those kids you bring out.”

“Yeah, I’m just great. That’s why Emilio is cooling his heels in the county jail.”

“Son, you’re not God. You can’t control everything, and certainly not a troubled teenage boy. The only things you can control are your own actions.”

Gramps poured them each another shot of whiskey as they taxied to the runway. “Buckle up, boy. I have a feeling it’s gonna be a bumpy ride, and I’m not just talking about the flight.”

Hunter downed the shot and then buckled his seat belt, wishing he could relive the day and do everything differently. He should have told Toni about Bianca’s offer, the kiss, everything.

Gramps patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry about Emilio. We’ll see what we can do for him. Hell, I’ll have someone out there first thing in the morning to pay his bond if that’s what you want. Trapper can make a few phone calls and get one of his friends to represent him, and you can fly back to LA after you’ve straightened things out with Toni.”

If
he
could
straighten
things
out
with
Toni. If he could find her. If she gave him another chance.

The jet took off, the G-force pushing Hunter back in his seat as it climbed rapidly over the mountains surrounding the Wood River Valley. After a few minutes of climbing, the pilot announced they could move around the cabin.

Gramps took the opportunity to pour more shots. “I nearly fell out of my chair when you called. I think that’s the first time you asked me for help since you learned how to tie your shoes. Now come on. Let’s put our heads together and come up with a way to lasso that little filly of yours.”

***

Toni’s plane was rerouted to avoid nasty summer thunderstorms. She pulled her seat belt tighter and bounced around in the tin can with two hundred other souls wondering if she’d ever had a worse day. There was that time in the Pine Barrens when she was lost and alone, but the sense of disorientation and complete and utter isolation she experienced now was eerily similar.

The plane finally landed at JFK, four hours later than scheduled due to an emergency stop at Chicago O’Hare. She grabbed her luggage, hailed a cab, and crossed the Triborough Bridge, praying for some semblance of the sangfroid that had eluded her since her conversation with James.

As the east side of Manhattan came into view, the familiar streets, the scents and sounds of her home, did nothing but make her feel like the same ant on a larger anthill. Nothing had changed. She was alone, lost, and not sure of what direction to take. She sat still in the back of the cab and listened to her iPod as Robert Downey Jr. sang “Smile.” The energy of the city washed over, around, and through her, but failed to take with it the despair that engulfed her soul.

When the cabbie stopped in front of her building, she paid the man, and followed Robert Downey’s orders to smile. Humming “Lonely in New York,” Toni dug for her keys and let herself in. The wet stink of rain followed her in to mingle with the scent of pizza and fried food from the shop on the first floor. She shivered at the coffin-like feel of the elevator as the doors closed mechanically. Ascending to the eleventh floor felt as if it took a lifetime.

Dragging her suitcase behind her, she unlocked the three locks, and wondered if they were more to keep people out or to keep her in. Toni kicked open the door and took in a breath of stale apartment air. Exhaustion weighed heavy, but the need to see the sky surpassed it as she dropped her things, went out to the terrace, and sat on the still-damp metal chair until the sun rose over Manhattan.

She sat alone atop an anthill watching life go on. Morning delivery trucks tossed bundles of the
New
York
Times
and the
Post
at corner newsstands on Lexington, bread and liquor delivery trucks crowded the side streets, and lights in the apartments around hers flickered on. As John Lennon so famously said, “Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.”

What happens when life as you know it comes crashing to a halt? When there are no other plans? When the life you once lived isn’t there for you to go back to, and the life you thought you’d live disappears in the blink of an eye? What do you do then?

Toni cried alone. There was no one other than James to call, and he was out of reach. There was no other shoulder to lean on, no one who cared. She sat on her terrace in the hazy, morning light, watching the other ants work on the hill and wished she could still smell the scent of fresh coffee mixed with pine and Hunter.

***

Hunter paced his cousin Ben’s house in Brooklyn wishing Ben and Gina were there instead of back in Idaho. If they were, they’d help corral Gramps at the very least. Maybe Sam and Tina, Ben’s live-in brother and sister-in-law would help with that. After spending half the night walking their baby Lea last night so Tina could get some sleep, she’d been awful grateful. Not that Hunter had minded. He liked babies. They were good listeners. And three-month-old Lea was just as pretty as her momma. He looked at his watch. Sam would be home from working the night shift in a few hours. Maybe Hunter would talk to him then.

Gramps meant well, but when he tried to help Ben and Gina’s relationship, he almost destroyed it. Hunter did a good enough job at that all on his own. He sipped coffee and tried to figure out how to find Toni, since he didn’t want to have this conversation at her office. With his luck, she wouldn’t let him in the doors.

Last night on the phone Trapper had agreed to look into Emilio’s case and get him decent representation, which was a load off Hunter’s mind. Trapper also said he’d try to work on James, but Hunter didn’t hold out much hope on that front.

Gramps, always an early riser, came into the kitchen wearing a bathrobe. “I figured I’d find you here. Did you even try to sleep?”

“No sense messing up a bed when I’m too wired to sleep.” He leaned against the granite countertop and took a sip of his coffee.

“Maybe if you didn’t drink so much of that damn stuff, you wouldn’t be as jumpy as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.”

Hunter shrugged and poured a cup for Gramps. He thought Gramps would be happy that Hunter’s mom wasn’t there to insist the old goat drink decaf. At least Hunter didn’t have to listen to them fighting about it. He figured if the eighty-two-year-old wanted a real cup of coffee, he should have it. “I’ve been replaying every conversation I’ve had with Toni, and the only thing I remember her saying about where she lived was that she was on the eleventh floor. She didn’t say what building, what street, or even if it was on the east or west side.”

“I don’t suppose you tried anything as old-fashioned as a phone book?”

“There was no listing for an Antonia Russo, but since she sublet her mother’s place, the phone is probably under her name. With five husbands under her belt, God only knows Clarissa’s last name.”

Gramps took a sip of his coffee and slicked what was left of his hair back. “It’s gonna be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.”

“Clarissa. That’s it!” Hunter grabbed his phone and scrolled through his calls. “Toni used my phone to call her mom the other day, which means somewhere in my phone is her mother’s number.”

“Good. Then just call her momma, and get her address. Send her flowers, buy her a gift, and knock on her door.”

“Found it.” Hunter checked his watch. “It’s too early to call her, especially since I’ve never spoken to her before. I better wait until nine.” He looked out into the small back yard of the massive brownstone. “I feel like a caged animal all cooped up like this. I’m going for a run.”

Gramps opened up the morning paper. “I was wondering how long you’d last in here. Go ahead and take a run. It’ll clear your head. Don’t be too long. We have a lot left to do.”

Hunter rubbed his unshaven cheeks. “I thought you were just coming along for the ride.”

“And leave something as important as this to an amateur? Not a chance. No, I like Toni too much to let you screw it up any more than you already have.”

***

The park was just a stone’s throw away from the house, so after stretching on the sidewalk, Hunter made a beeline for the trees. Even as he ran through the wooded area, the air so thick he felt as if he could drink it, he still didn’t feel free. Man, did he miss the sights and sounds of home. If he and Toni were back in Idaho, they’d be snuggled up in bed together sleeping peacefully with nothing but the rustle of trees, the hoot of an owl, or the howl of a wolf to disturb them. Not the sounds of garbage trucks, police cars, and ambulances. How anyone could live with all this noise was a mystery.

The hair on the back of his neck stood up as his instincts kicked in. He wasn’t sure why, but he could swear he was being followed. He turned off the paved running path onto the dirt one he knew headed toward a little pond and slowed his pace. Sure enough, two men wearing knee socks, tennis shoes, and shorts that must have been circa 1970, turned in behind him. Hunter poured on the speed and once out of sight, stepped off the path, and doubled back through the woods, thankful for the dense foliage.

The two men, huffing like freight trains, passed within feet of him without even a look around. Hunter got a picture of them on his cell phone. The city must have dulled their senses. Hunter waited a few seconds and then followed the two guys. It was obvious neither of them were runners. They were too big and bulky. They both looked like linebackers without the agility as they lumbered down the path. These guys were meant to look intimidating, but Hunter didn’t think they could live up to the image. Not with him at least. He closed in on them. Neither noticed until he was about six feet away. One slowed the other and looked over his shoulder.

“Hi.” Hunter stopped, keeping his distance.

“Hey, how did you get behind us? We were following you.”

“I know. And just why is that?”

The bigger guy put his hands on his thighs, leaned over, and tried to catch his breath. “We want you to call your dogs off. That private dick, Dick Sommers, is sticking his nose into something that’s best left alone. You get my drift?”

The other guy stuck his hands in his jacket, and for the first time Hunter wondered if confronting them was a smart move. It occurred to him that the only reason to wear a jacket while running in New York in July was if you were packing. He stepped closer to the edge of the trail. “Do you want to be more specific?”

“Look Mr. Walsh. We know where you live, where you work, and all about your cute little wife. You’re a smart guy. Take this as a friendly warning, and call Dick Sommers off.”

Oh God, they thought he was Ben, and they knew about Gina too. “How about this for a friendly warning? If you so much as look at anyone in my family, I’ll hunt you down just like I did a few minutes ago, and you’ll never see me coming. You get my drift?”

Both guys nodded. “Look. We don’t want no trouble. We’re just doing our job.”

Hunter was disgusted. “Who do you work for?”

The bigger guy held out his hands. “We were just paid to deliver a message, and that’s it.”

The guys looked around nervously. Hunter didn’t want to push his luck. “Tell your boss I’ll call off Dick Sommers. Just leave my family alone.”

The two guys nodded and backed away from him before turning and running away.

Finally the search for Rafael had taken a turn in the right direction. At least the kid was alive. That was a welcome piece of information. Hunter waited a few minutes before running toward Ben’s brownstone. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit speed-dial. First things first, he needed to talk to Ben, email him the pictures, and tell him they were on to him and Dick Sommers. It looked as if Fisher had gotten his wish. The family had to take over the investigation now. He just hoped they’d do a better job of flying under the radar than Dick Sommers had.

Chapter 18

Toni rose stiffly from the wrought iron chair she’d sat on for hours and went back into the apartment. She had yet to go grocery shopping, so there was no food worth eating, not that she even had an appetite, but coffee always sounded good. She fixed herself a pot and after tasting it realized her mistake—compared to Hunter’s, her coffee sucked.

Taking a sip and grimacing, she made her way to the bathroom, pulling her suitcase behind her while trying not to spill her terrible coffee. Maybe she’d break down and buy Starbucks. Even then, she doubted it would be half as good as his. There was something wonderful about a guy bringing her coffee in bed and kissing her awake, or better yet, loving her awake.

With another gulp of the bitter sludge, she reminded herself that it hadn’t been love at all. It had been nothing but a game. He’d faked her out, led her on, and she followed like a needy puppy. God, how embarrassing was that? Worse, she missed him like she’d miss an amputated limb—the phantom pain making her believe it was still there, until she opened her eyes and found it gone. She was alone.

Toni opened her shower door and turned the water on to scorching, remembering how Hunter hated hot showers, but then, he had a way of warming her up even in the coldest water. Crap, she couldn’t even take a shower without thinking of him. He had infused himself into her life so completely, she wasn’t sure how to extract him without losing what little was left of herself.

Her phone rang, and she ignored it. There was no one she wanted to talk to. There was nothing left to say.

She finished her shower and went through her closet, finding nothing she was interested in wearing. She put on her favorite black plaid kilt and black T-shirt to match her mood with thigh-highs and the clunkiest pair of kick-ass boots she owned. Mechanically, she clipped on her collar and wristbands and took the subway downtown to her office. The whole way Toni kept fingering her collar. Nothing felt right. The boots were even heavier than the hiking boots Hunter had bought her and a whole lot less comfortable, her wristbands snagged on her skirt, and when she got pushed up against some big guy in the subway, they almost punctured her chest. Sheesh, she looked at the people walking by her and felt like a clown. She’d never felt that way before, but now… yup, definitely clownish. She pulled off her wristbands in the revolving door to her office building and shoved them in her bleeding heart backpack. Maybe she needed to change that too.

When she stepped off the elevator, Terri, the receptionist, met her at the door. “Toni, what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in Idaho.”

Toni brushed her bangs out of her eyes. “Bianca took over the shoot and said I was needed here.”

“Was it a disaster? Is that why Bianca ran to Idaho?”

“I guess that depends on your definition of disaster. The shoot went fine.” She walked past Terri to her office, went in, and closed the door. Sitting at her desk was a red folder that hadn’t been there when she left. It contained a list of projects from Bianca. Toni dug through her backpack and found the file Bianca had sent home with her. Pushing aside the green River Runners folder, she opened Bianca’s file for the first time and booted up her computer.

It took Toni all of four hours to see she didn’t belong there anymore. She felt like an impostor. She wasn’t sure if she’d changed or if she’d just woken up—maybe a little of both. She knew if she stayed at Action Models she could have a very secure future doing the exact same thing she’d always done. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either. The few days she had with Hunter taught her more than what a broken heart feels like. It taught her what great felt like. Suddenly, not bad wasn’t nearly enough—not anymore.

She no longer fit into her old life. She had to make a change.

Toni typed up her letter of resignation, walked it over to Bianca’s office, and laid it on her desk. On the way back, she stopped at the copy room and grabbed an empty box. When she looked up, Terri was at the door watching.

“What are you doing?”

“I just tendered my resignation.” She strode back to her office, Terri following in her wake. The walls of the hallway were covered with photos of shoots Toni had worked on, but when it came down to it, there was no part of her in them. She’d been as invisible in them as she’d been to Bianca, and that’s one thing that would never change. As Clarissa always said, there’s only room for one in the mirror, and that one was Bianca Ferrari.

Terri followed her into her office and closed the door. “Toni, please don’t leave. Bianca will be back Monday. I’m sure you two will straighten everything out then.”

Toni shook her head. “There’s really nothing to straighten out. I’ve outgrown the job, and I need to find something more.” Besides, the last thing Toni needed was to hear about, or God forbid, see Hunter. With he and Bianca working a deal together, there’d be no way to avoid him, and that was more than she could deal with. “No. I’ll start looking for a new job on Monday.”

“Bianca’s not going to be happy about this.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that.” Toni pulled out a thumb drive and copied her contact list—all the photographers, magazine editors, and everyone she’d ever worked with in the three years she’d been at Action Models—all the while praying she’d be able to find a job soon.

“She’s hardly here anymore. You’ve practically run the place over the last year.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t be hard to replace, and Bianca will be back Monday.”

Terri sniffed. “Yeah, thanks for that.”

“You and Bianca will be fine without me.” She set the box on her desk and packed what little was hers. Looking around her office, she realized that she didn’t have much there—nothing personal, no sign of her in any way. She’d been invisible. She took the wilted plant someone had given her last Christmas, not because she wanted it, but because she didn’t want to be responsible for its death. She put it in beside a box of tampons and thigh-highs she kept in her drawer for emergencies, a black jacket she had on the back of her door for when the air conditioner went from comfortable to frigid, and a stained coffee cup that said, “No matter where you go, there you are.” The quote was painfully true.

Toni lifted the box, nodded to Terri, and left. She’d become visible the moment Hunter had set eyes on her. It wasn’t a comfortable transformation, but now she had somehow fallen back into her old self, back into the cocoon of invisibility, only to find it no longer fit.

She just needed to keep moving, putting one foot in front of the other, and maybe she’d get back to normal. Maybe she wouldn’t feel as if she were someplace she didn’t belong. Maybe she wouldn’t miss the silence of the mountains and remember what she loved about the noise and scents of the city. Maybe she wouldn’t think about Hunter every waking moment and feel she was missing a part of her soul.

***

Hunter waited until 9:00 a.m. and called the number he’d prayed was Clarissa’s.

“Hello?” It was apparent where Toni got that husky voice of hers.

“Is this Clarissa?”

“Yes.”

“Hi. I’m Hunter Kincaid, Toni’s…” Shit, what was he? Her boyfriend? Her ex? “Look. I’ve spent the last week in Idaho with your daughter, and I love her. Something happened. She left, and I need to find her. I was hoping you could give me her address.”

“How do I know she wants to be found?”

“Ma’am, you don’t. If you spoke to her she’d probably say she never wants to see me again. I made a mistake, and she left before I even had a chance to explain. I have to see her. I flew to New York last night, and I really don’t want to grovel in her office. I don’t know what else to do.”

“Young man, I hope you don’t think me rude, but I’m going to need more information. You could be some kind of mad stalker for all I know. Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

Hunter couldn’t really blame her; his mother would do the same thing if someone called looking for Karma. “When we first met, I saw that book on dating you sent her.” He couldn’t believe he was telling her this. “
He
Comes
First: How to Find Your Perfect Man and Marry Him.
I called my sister and asked her to pick up a copy of the book for me. I just wanted Toni to feel the same way about me that I felt about her, and well, I used it.”

“You read that book?”

“Yes, ma’am. I even made notes in the margins.” He shook his head. Dumb mistake. “She found my copy and left on the first plane out. I don’t know what Toni thought. I can only imagine.”

“Yes, so can I.”

“I have to talk to her. I love your daughter, ma’am. Whatever happens, I need to make sure she knows that, and it wasn’t a game to me.”

There was silence on the line. “Ma’am? Are you still there?”

“Of course, I’m still here. What do you need from me?”

“Her address and phone number.”

“I can do better than that. I’ll call my old neighbor; she’ll let you in. Just go on up and wait for Toni to come home. Lilly said she saw Toni leave this morning. She got home at an ungodly hour and spent most of the night on the terrace. Lilly was worried and called me.”

“Thank you, ma’am. You’re a real lifesaver.” Hunter wrote down the address and Toni’s phone number. He gave his to Clarissa and got Lilly’s number too.

“Lilly has known Toni all her life and has always kept an eye on her, not that Toni would appreciate that. She’s so independent.”

“I can imagine.”

“So, Hunter. What are your intentions with my daughter?”

Yeah, what were his intentions? “I’m going to do my best to change her opinion of the institution of marriage, ma’am.”

“Are you asking my permission to marry Toni?”

“No, ma’am. But your blessing would be appreciated.”

“Young man, if you can change Toni’s mind about marriage, you’ll have more than my blessing. You’ll have my eternal gratitude. Did you really read that book?”

“Cover to cover.”

“And what did you learn?”

“You mean besides the obvious—never keep anything from Toni?”

“Yes.”

Hunter smiled. “You know that saying, ‘Love means never having to say you’re sorry’?”

“I’m familiar with it.”

“That’s a bunch of bunk. I’ve spent more time apologizing to Toni than just about anything else.”

The woman laughed the same husky laugh her daughter had. “I think you’ll do, Hunter. I think you’ll do.”

“Thank you, ma’am. There’s one more thing I was wondering, if you wouldn’t mind?”

“Anything.”

“Do you have any idea what kind of engagement ring Toni would like?”

“Not a clue. I don’t suppose they have any with skulls and crossbones.”

Hunter laughed. “No ma’am, I don’t suppose they do, but I’ll keep it in mind.”

“You do that, but remember, if Toni loves you, you must be a very special young man. I’m sure anything you choose will be perfect. I wish you all the luck in the world.”

“Thanks. I have a feeling I’m going to need it.”

She laughed again. “You’re smart too. I love that in a man. Obviously, so does Toni.”

“Thank you for all your help. Good-bye, ma’am.”

Hunter looked up from his scribbled notes to see Grampa Joe beaming. “I guess you better get your ass over to the diamond district and buy that little filly a ring. Do you need money?”

“No, I’m good. I just wish I knew what to buy her. Her sense of style is a little original.”

“That’s one way to put it. Well, come on, boy. I’ll set you up with my buddy, Scott. He’ll have the perfect ring for Toni, and he’ll give you a good deal. I’ll see to it. But first, go get a shower, and then grab the bag of clothes your mom sent for you. It’s up in my room.”

“What? Mom sent me clothes? From where?”

“She went to your house and packed what she thought you’d need. Why do you think it took me so long to get to Hailey?”

***

Hunter grabbed a cab to the city and dialed his phone. “Pat, it’s Hunter. How’s it going?” Hunter tried not to think of Emilio behind bars and hoped that the only effect this experience had on his life was the realization that jail was one hell of a scary place—a place he never wanted to visit again.

“I was just getting ready to call you. Emilio’s bond hearing is set for Monday. Trapper’s friend showed up and summarily dismissed the court-appointed attorney. She seems to be getting through to Emilio. I’m not sure if it was her no-nonsense legal attitude that impressed him or her legs. For me, it was the legs.”

“Leave it to Trapper to know every long-legged legal beauty in the state of California.

“And she’s smart too. She wasn’t going to put up with any of Emilio’s crap. He’s talking to her, so it’s all good.”

“Well, that’s a load off. Call me if you need anything.”

“I’m off to buy Emilio a suit—Pamela’s orders.”

“Pamela Stacks?”

“You know her?”

“I know
of
her. She’s one of Trapper’s seventy-two-hour flings.”

“Let’s hope it ended well.”

“It must have. She’s there, isn’t she? I have to go, Pat. Keep me in the loop.”

“Will do.”

Hunter ended the call just as the cab came to a halt in front of Scott’s store. Hunter paid the cabbie, walked up to the door, and rang the bell.

“Yes?”

“I’m Hunter Kincaid. I have an appointment with Scott Masters. My grandfather, Joe Walsh, called.”

A buzzer sounded, and when the door clicked Hunter entered the long, narrow shop lined on both sides with display cases.

“I’m Scott Masters.”

“Nice to meet you.” Hunter shook the short, balding man’s hand.

“You’re in the market for an engagement ring?”

“My grandfather said you’re the man to see.”

“I’ll go get my diamonds.”

Hunter swallowed hard. “That would be good. I’ll just look around.”

“Sure. Maybe you’ll see something else you want.”

Scott disappeared through a back door as Hunter browsed the estate jewelry, not sure of what he was looking for, but knowing he couldn’t afford to screw this up. He glanced over the case, and a bloodred stone caught his eye. He found it—the perfect ring. If it was a ruby, it was the most beautiful he’d ever seen—surrounded by diamonds, it looked lit from within. It was unique and beautiful, just like Toni. Since Toni was different from every other woman he’d ever known, he doubted she had a vision of her ideal engagement ring. He knew in that instant this was the one, and buying Toni a ring was a way to prove he knew her inside and out.