Heartbreaker

  Nick carefully draped the dress over the dining room table and headed for the kitchen to grab a cool drink.

  Laurant rushed to get ready. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice and come out of the bathroom wearing an ugly, old, ragged robe, and so she gathered up everything she would need, including her sling-back shoes.

  Twenty-five minutes later she decided she was as good as she was going to get. She was pulling out all the stops tonight, and so she wore the dress. It was short, it was black, and it had just enough spandex in the material to make it cling in all the right places. The flattering square neckline showed only a hint of cleavage. She’d worn the dress only once since moving to Holy Oaks, and that was when she had taken Michelle and Christopher out to dinner to celebrate their engagement. Michelle had nicknamed the outfit “the killer dress,” said it was indecently decent, and insisted that it was the sexiest thing Laurant owned. Christopher had been emphatic in his agreement.

  Laurant stood in front of the mirror primping. She even curled her hair, but because she was so out of practice, she burned her ear in the process. She stared at her reflection and let out a loud groan. Why was she going to so much trouble to look pretty? She wasn’t a teenager in the throes of her first love, but she certainly was acting like one.

  My God, was she falling in love with him? The possibility sent chills down her spine. When his job was over, he would leave.

  “This is nuts,” she whispered as she slammed the brush down on the counter. She had a stupid crush on her big brother’s friend. That was all there was to it.

  Her ego took a real beating when Nick entered the room. He barely noticed her. After giving her one quick once-over—probably making sure her shoes were on the right feet—he told her Pete was on the phone, and when Joe finished talking to him, Pete wanted to speak to her. Nick’s voice sounded strained, and she wondered why he seemed so preoccupied.

  He was looking over her head. “Nothing important,” he said. “He just wants to hear how you’re doing.”

  Nick got a whiff of her perfume as he passed her on his way to the bathroom. He pretended not to notice, just as he’d pretended not to notice how incredibly sexy she looked in that tight black dress. Until he closed the door. Then he leaned against it, bowed his head, and whispered, “Damn, am I in trouble.”

  They were fifteen minutes late picking up Noah and Tommy. Nick drove the car up the back driveway behind the abbey and pulled up to the steps. He and Laurant were getting out when Tommy appeared in the doorway and came running down the steps. Noah was nowhere in sight.

  He hugged Laurant. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine,” she assured him.

  “Get back in the car.” He let go of her, opened the door, and tried to shove her inside, his anxiety apparent. “Nick, this is a bad idea.”

  “Where’s Noah?” Nick asked. He waited until Tommy had gotten into the backseat, then slid in behind the wheel again.

  “He’s coming,” Tommy said. “Why don’t we get carryout and go to Laurant’s house and eat. I don’t like the idea of her being out in public. It’s dangerous.”

  She turned in the seat so she could see his face. “Tommy, I can’t stay locked in the house.”

  “I don’t see why not.”

  “The plan is to be seen, remember?”

  “I know what the plan is,” he snapped. “Incite the madman to come after you.”

  “He’s going to come after her,” Nick said quietly. “But we’d like it to happen sooner rather than later. We’ll be ready for him.”

  “Like I said, this is a bad plan. Things can go wrong—”

  Laurant interrupted him. “Did you know there are agents watching us right now?” She didn’t know if that were true or not. She was trying to calm her brother.

  “Where are they?” he asked, craning his neck to look out the back window.

  “You aren’t supposed to see them,” she said, sounding like an authority.

  Tommy seemed to relax a little then. “Yeah, okay. Ah, heck. I forgot my wallet.”

  “You’re not supposed to say that until the check comes,” Nick joked.

  “I’ll just be a minute.”

  Laurant watched her brother run up the steps and go back inside. “He’s more nervous than he was in Kansas City.”

  “It’s understandable.”

  Tommy came back outside a minute later and took the steps two at a time with his long stride. Noah was hot on his tail. It was then that Nick and Laurant saw what Noah was wearing. Nick started laughing first, but Laurant quickly joined in.

  Noah was dressed like a priest in a black suit, black clerical shirt, and a white Roman collar.

  “He’s gonna go straight to hell,” Nick said.

  She had to look away so she could stop laughing. “Do you think he’s wearing a gun?” she asked.

  “He has to carry a gun,” Nick said.

  “All the time?”

  “All the time,” he answered.

  Noah didn’t bother with a greeting. He was determined to make Tommy agree with him on a subject the two of them had obviously been arguing about.

  “I’m telling you, it isn’t normal.”

  “Maybe not for you,” Tommy answered.

  Noah snorted. “Not for any man.”

  Nick guessed what they were quarreling about. “Celibacy, right?”

  “Yeah,” Noah answered. “A priest never getting to have sex . . . that’s just not right.”

  Nick laughed. Tommy shook his head and then tried to change the subject. “Where are we eating?”

  Noah wouldn’t let the matter go. He couldn’t seem to get past the celibacy rule. “It’s just not healthy,” he said. “You don’t even notice all those women coming on to you. Do you?”

  Tommy’s patience was wearing thin. “Yes, I notice,” he said. “And I ignore them.”

  “That’s what I mean. It’s just not—”

  Tommy cut him off. “Yeah, I know. It’s just not normal. Now let it go, Noah.”

  Noah decided to accommodate him. “Damn, you smell good, Laurant. Or is that you, Nick?” he joked.

  Before either one of them could answer, Noah said, “Have you noticed the ungodly number of vans in this town? Hell, they’re everywhere. I figure Wesson’s running the plates. He is, isn’t he?”

  The question broke the carefree mood and the conversation became serious.

  “I called him earlier to find out if he had any news. I figured he had run the plates on the cars of the workmen on Laurant’s block, but Wesson wouldn’t tell me anything.”

  “What did he say?”

  “ ‘I’m doing my job.’ That’s a quote.”

  Noah sighed. “So, we’re the hired guns, is that it? He’s gonna keep us out in the cold.”

  “It looks that way.”

  “The hell with that. I’m not going to work blindfolded.”

  Tommy began to grill Nick with questions and suggestions, and by the time they parked in the back of the Rosebriar Restaurant, Laurant had lost her appetite.

  Noah grabbed Tommy’s arm when he tried to get out of the car. “Listen up, priest. You stay close. You go running off again, and I’ll shoot you myself.”

  “Yes, all right. It won’t happen again.”

  Noah smiled, his good mood restored. Tommy got out of the car and opened Laurant’s door for her. She swung her legs out and stood, self-consciously tugging on her skirt.

  Noah let out a low whistle of appreciation. “You’ve got a beautiful sister, Tom.”

  “It’s inappropriate for priests to whistle at pretty women.”

  Noah glanced at Nick. “It’s been nonstop criticism since I put on this collar. I’m trying to be patient and helpful, but he’s making it tough.”

  Tommy walked ahead with Laurant, his head bent down toward hers as they talked, and Nick fell into step beside Noah.

  “Helpful in what way?” he asked.

  Noah shrugged. “I offered to hear confe
ssion for one of the other priests, but Tom got all bent out of shape and wouldn’t let me.”

  Tommy heard the comment and glanced back. “Of course I wouldn’t let you.”

  “Your friend takes this priest stuff seriously.”

  “All priests are supposed to take their job seriously,” Nick said. “I should have warned Tommy about your warped sense of humor.”

  “He’s easy to rattle.”

  “That’s because you know what buttons to push.”

  “What about Laurant?”

  “What about her?”

  Noah winked. “Have you been pushing any of her buttons? I noticed the way you’ve been looking at her.”

  “She’s off-limits. Wait up, Tommy,” he called out. “Let one of us go inside first.”

  “Off-limits for you, or for me?”

  “For both of us. She’s not the kind of woman you mess around with unless you’ve made a commitment.”

  The cobblestone path curved around the building. Noah strode ahead of Tommy and Laurant while Nick trailed behind. Both agents were busy looking at the terrain.

  Terra-cotta pots brimming with red and white geraniums lined the path to the door. The Rosebriar was an old sprawling Victorian-style house that had been converted into a restaurant. The dining room was richly appointed with crystal vases filled with spring flowers on all the white linen tablecloths. The china looked old and expensive.

  The room they were shown into was in the back of the house, overlooking a duck pond and the woods. They were led to a round table in front of the window so they could enjoy the view, but Noah nodded toward a corner table and asked to be seated there instead.

  The room was quite full. It was noisy with laughter. Quite a few families were dining with their children. As they threaded their way to the corner, heads turned to watch Laurant. Even the children were mesmerized by her. Laurant seemed oblivious to the admiring gazes of every man in the restaurant.

  The waiter pulled the table out so that Laurant could sit in the corner. Nick sat beside her. Noah and Tommy faced them, but Noah hated having his back to the room, and so he angled his chair to see the other diners. He started to take his jacket off, realized his gun would show, and pulled it back up over his shoulders.

  Tommy couldn’t sit still. Every other second he turned to look around the room. His head snapped up each time he heard a burst of laughter.

  “Sit still and try to relax,” Noah ordered. “You’re drawing attention squirming in your chair like that. And quit staring at the other people. Don’t you know most of them?”

  Tommy shook his head. “No, I don’t. That’s why I’m watching them.”

  “Let us watch them,” Nick suggested. “Now get with the program. Okay?”

  “I think you should try to smile, Tommy,” Laurant whispered. “We’re supposed to be celebrating tonight.”

  “I’m going to order a bottle of champagne,” Nick said.

  “What are we celebrating?” Noah asked.

  Laurant held up her hand. “Nick and I are officially engaged.”

  Tommy did smile then. “So that’s why you got all decked out tonight.”

  “I’m not all decked out.”

  “And you’ve got makeup on too, don’t you? You never wear makeup.”

  She knew her brother wasn’t deliberately trying to embarrass her, but she still wanted to kick him under the table to get him to stop.

  “Your hair’s different too.”

  “I curled it. All right? Honestly, it’s no big deal. And by the way, if anyone asks, you’re thrilled that I’m going to marry your best friend.”

  “Okay,” he said.

  “Actually, I may have to marry your sister after all,” Nick said with a grin.

  “How’s that?”

  “She ran into a friend—”

  “Lorna isn’t my friend.”

  Nick nodded. “And Laurant will do anything to keep Lorna from saying I told you so.”

  Tommy laughed. “Lorna’s always rubbed Laurant the wrong way. I guess you will have to marry her.”

  He leaned back in his chair. His gaze bounced from Laurant to Nick, and then back again, and then he said, “You know that wouldn’t be bad at all. You’re kind of suited for each other.”

  “She doesn’t want to marry me. I’m not safe enough for her.”

  “The wedding’s at seven o’clock on the second Saturday in October, and you’re marrying us,” Laurant said. “I just know Lorna’s going to talk to you, so act happy and don’t forget the date.”

  “Yeah, yeah, the second Saturday in October,” he agreed. “I won’t forget. But when this is over, you’re going to have to tell Lorna the truth.”

  Laurant was vehemently shaking her head. “I’ll move first.”

  “I thought you were going to marry me to save face.”

  She shrugged. “I guess I could.”

  “Marriage is a holy sacrament,” Tommy reminded them.

  “Lighten up, Tommy,” Laurant suggested. “Go with the flow.”

  “In other words, lie through my teeth, right?”

  She smiled. “Right.”

  “Okay, let me ask you this. If I’m marrying you and Nick, who’s going to walk you down the aisle?”

  “I hadn’t thought about that,” she admitted.

  “I’ve got an idea,” Noah said. “How about if I marry Nick and Laurant, and Tom, you can walk your sister down the aisle.”

  “Now that’s a plan,” Nick agreed.

  Tommy looked exasperated. “Okay, Noah, let’s go over the rules one more time. You’re not really a priest. You’re just pretending to be one, and that means you can’t marry anyone, you can’t hear confessions, and you can’t date.”

  Noah laughed, drawing stares from the other diners. “Damn, it doesn’t take much to get you riled up. We’re pretending that Nick and Laurant are getting married, aren’t we? So I’m pretending I’m going to marry them.”

  Tommy looked at Nick. “Help me out here, will you? The abbot went out on a limb for Noah. Pete talked to him and convinced him to go along with this plan. He agreed to tell everyone that Wesson’s a cousin and that he’s letting him stay in the cabin. The man’s being real accommodating,” he added. “But we don’t like people impersonating priests, and Noah promised he wouldn’t do anything to discredit the collar. Five minutes after we leave the abbot’s office, Noah’s winking at Suzie Johnson and calling her darling.”

  “I’m pretending to be a friendly priest,” Noah explained. “And I still think priests ought to have one day off a week to go—”

  Tommy stopped him. “Yeah, I know. A day off to have sex. That’s not the way it works.”

  Nick’s phone rang. He listened for half a minute, then said, “Yes, sir,” and hung up.

  “The sheriff just got out of a new, red Ford Explorer. He’s headed this way.”

  “Is he alone?” Noah asked.

  “Looks that way.”

  “The lodge holds its weekly meetings here,” Laurant explained. “The others are probably upstairs in one of the smaller dining rooms.”

  “Is Brenner a member of the lodge?”

  “I think so,” she answered.

  “Maybe after we eat, I’ll go up and say hello,” Nick said. “I’d sure like to meet good old Steve Brenner.”

  A minute later the sheriff strutted into the entry. Dressed in his gray uniform and cowboy boots, he didn’t bother to remove his hat when he entered the restaurant. Nick watched the hostess pick up a menu and lead the sheriff up the stairs.

  “Brenner’s the local talent, isn’t he?” Noah asked.

  “It looks that way,” Nick said.

  “What do you mean, ‘the local talent’?” Tommy asked.

  “The guy who tries to run the town. The bully,” Noah explained. “There’s always at least one in every town this size.”

  “Then that’s what Brenner is,” Tommy said. “He is trying to run the town, and my sister is the only person
here who’s willing to stand up to him.” He noticed Laurant was admiring her ring and smiled. “I wouldn’t get too attached to that ring, Laurant.”

  “I’m putting on a show, Tommy,” she whispered. “But the ring is lovely, isn’t it? I had no idea Russell’s carried so many beautiful things.” She began to wonder what it would be like to be married to Nick. To know that when she woke up every morning, he would be there? To be loved by—

  “What kind of return policy does the store have?” Tommy asked, practical to the bone.

  She put her hand back in her lap. “It’s usually ten days, but Mrs. Russell is making an exception for me. She’s giving me thirty days. Do you know what she said to me? ‘Because of your sorry history with men, dear, I’ll allow you a whole month to change your mind.’ ”

  Tommy laughed. “My sister’s got quite a reputation in town for scaring men away.”

  “Thanks to all the lies Lorna prints in the paper about me.”

  “Be honest, Laurant. You do scare men, and just for the record, I think that’s just fine. It keeps the creeps from hounding you.”

  Tommy glanced over his shoulder once again when he heard a commotion behind him. Then he smiled.

  “That’s Frank Hamilton. He’s the high school football coach, and those other two are assistants. They’ve all been dying to meet you, Nick. Come on. Let’s say hello before they head upstairs.”

  “How do they know Nick?” Laurant asked.

  “The football tape the sports channel runs a couple of times a year.”

  “Ah, hell,” Nick muttered. He tossed the napkin on the table and followed Tommy out of the room.

  “Nick’s never going to live that game down, and he hates all the fanfare.”

  “What exactly happened during the game?”

  “You never saw the tape?”

  She shook her head. “No, and Tommy’s never mentioned it.”

  “Nick scored the winning touchdown.”

  “That’s nice.”

  Noah laughed. “There’s a little more to it than that. Nick caught the short pass, then zigzagged his way through the defense, which he was real good at doing. He could turn on a dime, and that’s why he got the nickname Cutter,” he explained. “Anyway, his head was turned and he was looking up at the top of this cement wall. When you see the tape, you hear the announcer asking, ‘What’s number eighty-two looking at?’ That was Nick’s number,” he added. “So then, while the one camera was focused on Nick, there was another camera searching the stands to see what had grabbed his interest, and after the game was over, they spliced those two tapes together.”