BILLIONAIRE ANGEL (Point St. Claire, where true love finds a way) (7 page)

The not knowing was driving Jax crazy.

Today was Billy’s audition day. She’d promised to phone straight away and let him know how she’d gone. It had just gone five. The ‘day’ was pretty much over. He’d left a text. No response.

So, this silence meant one of two things.

Billy was either making plans with the director, too busy and excited to call. Or she’d flunked out. In which case he was two hundred percent there for her.

After making a reservation for dinner at a new place that had amazing reviews, he couldn’t wait any longer. He phoned. Billy’s recorded voice asked him to leave a message.
Just wanted to know how you’re doing
, he said, and willed her to phone him straight back.

Then he opened that bottom drawer. Popping off a few imaginary rounds was usually a sure-fire way to lose himself. He would start thinking about how to right a butt-ugly wrong...how to correct a mistake that, in reality, he could never undo.

But today, playing with a toy pistol wouldn’t cut it.

So he went for a walk, moving through the various areas of the Lodge. After making sure the kitchen was on course for dinner reservations, and the gym was tidy and clean, he found himself near Margo’s office.

As he wandered in, Margo was headed out. They bumped into each other, and hard enough for Margo to bounce off his chest. As she stumbled backward, he lunged to catch her. His hands locked around her forearms before he dragged her back up onto her five inch heels.

With wide eyes, she let out a breath.

“I should watch where I’m going,” she said.

“My fault.”
Head in another space.
“Are you hurt?”

“No. A miracle because your chest’s harder than granite.”

So, no harm done. Unless he counted the fact that her palms had somehow come to rest on his shirt front, and her smile said she was in no hurry to let go.

Stepping away, Jax cleared his throat while Margo crossed back to her desk.

“Here. Have a look at the invites.” Holding a few slips of paper, she headed back. “They’ve gone out by email, too, of course. I’m a little worried at the short notice. Ladies like to know well ahead.”

He examined the invitations. Neat and official. But with a hint of ‘this will be different’.
Cool.
“Looks good.”

“I’ve picked out an evening gown. Something sophisticated but party-mode, too.”

“Make sure you put in an expense claim.”

With a grin, she plucked the invites out of his hand. “It’s going to be an amazing night.”

“As long as the patrons are happy.”

“I’m hoping we enjoy ourselves, too.”

Jax focused on the expectant sparkle in her smile, and then tucked in his chin.

Oookay
. The way she was looking at him, all dewy eyed. Was he delusional or was Margo hitting on him? She was an attractive, intelligent, self-assured woman. She’d make some guy really happy someday.

Just not him.

He hoped this wouldn’t affect their working relationship. Then again, if he didn’t acknowledge the suggestion, how could it?

As soon as Jax was back in his office, he phoned Billy again. This time she picked up. He was so relieved. And not.

Billy’s response was
not
what he’d hoped for.

“I stank worse than boys’ gym socks,” Billy told Jax over the phone. “The guy actually cut me off halfway through the audition to say he’d be in touch.”

“They do that sometimes, don’t they? Producers. Directors. They see how good you are and phone later.”

Billy plopped down into a chair out the back of Emma Bagwell’s Realty Office. After the audition from hell, she’d driven here, her vision blurred through tears and her confidence in shreds. She’d promised to finish up Emma’s accounts for the month. Emma had asked what was wrong―why she’d been crying?

Billy had told her friend everything. She had never needed a hug more. Emma had said all the right things, too.
Her big break was just around the corner. That director would kick himself one day.

But Billy only wanted to crumple. A soggy house of cards in a downpour.

On the phone, Jax firmed up his tone. “You need to get out. Recharge your batteries. I’ve got an idea...”

But Billy had switched off. All the years she’d spent believing it would happen, like thousands of other hopefuls busting their gut to catch any wave that might land them on a red carpet.

She’d invested so much of herself in this journey.

How much longer could it possibly take?

Jax was still pep talking. “We’ll go somewhere nice for dinner—”

“I don’t want to go out.”

Jax was only trying to help.
Again
. But he couldn’t. Not with this. Maybe not even with solving the secret behind the disappearance of her ring. He’d told her from the start: tracking down the thief now would be near impossible. Even if they did manage to put a name to the crime, what then? Ask Mrs. Garfield for the ring back? Sure. Take a powerful pillar of society to court to have her post-insurance paid out property returned.

Good luck with that.

“Then we’ll stay in,” Jax said. “I’ll take the day off tomorrow and―”

“You don’t want to be around me right now.” Pity fests were worse than broiled liver. Broiled liver with the flu. She couldn’t put Jax through it.

“Billy, you’re a great actor. You fooled me, didn’t you?”

“And where did that get me?”

“Working with a private investigator, remember?”

She had to ask, “Jax, do you really think we can find out who took that ring?”

“You’re the one who convinced me that we can.”

Billy bit her lip as a tear rolled down her hot cheek. “Yeah...well...maybe I was wrong.”

Wrong about a lot of things.

There was long silence followed by a groan. “Really? You want to give up? Chuck it in? Tell me to take a walk?”

Billy wiped at the moisture on her face. “I didn’t say that.”

“That’s how I heard it.”

She exhaled. “I know what you’re trying to do.”

“Trying to figure out if I’ve been wasting my time.”

“This won’t work.” He was prodding her, wanting to get her riled enough to get up and punch that bag again.

“If you can throw it all away after so long,” he said, “that’s fine. That’s good. Means I can get back to my life. I’ve got plenty of other stuff to do.”

She bit back. “
Hey
. Just a minute. You were having fun.”

“We were
both
having fun.”

That made her smile. They did work well together.

“Billy, we need to sit down with your sister and her husband,” he said. “We need to contact your aunt. And you should tag along when I interview your old friend Fay, too.”

“You’re really not letting me off the hook, are you?”

She heard the sexy grin in his voice. “You don’t want me to.”

An hour later, Billy was finished with Emma’s books. After getting her stuff together, she headed for the front section of the office. Emma was speaking with a woman Billy hadn’t seen here at the Point before, a new client, she guessed, wanting to rent or buy a property.

She was around Billy’s age. The most vibrant classic red hair cascaded down her Vogue-model straight back. Her chin and its dimple were held high, too. When she glanced across to the connecting door where Billy was waiting, Billy could tell that this woman had been crying earlier, too.

Emma was handing over a set of keys. “I’m sure you’ll love the cottage, Ms. Toomey.”

Slotting on a pair of dark glasses, the woman replied, “Call me Vanessa.”

“If there’s anything else I can help you with―”

“One thing.” Vanessa Toomey lowered her voice. “If anyone should happen to come in and ask about me... Well, I’m a private person.”

Understanding, Emma nodded. “I never saw you.”

A moment later, as the woman slipped into a luxury vehicle parked outside of the realty office, Billy joined Emma.

“How you feeling?” Emma asked, giving her friend another hug.

“Better.”

“So, back on the horse. When’s the next audition?”

“Guess I’ll have to start looking.”

“I couldn’t help overhearing earlier. Whoever you were talking with on the phone...sounds like they care a lot.”

Billy couldn’t tell Emma about the investigation; that was part of the deal she’d made with Jax when they’d started out. Zipped lips all round. But she could share something with Emma about Jax Angel. About
them
.

“Jax is helping me out with a problem.”

“To do with acting?”

“It’s something that goes back a while.”

“Something private.”

As Emma flicked a glance outside at Vanessa Toomey driving away, Billy nodded.

“Private is the word.”

“So, is he good looking?”

“That would be an understatement.”

With a cheeky grin, Emma crossed her arms and leaned a hip against the counter. “I think Damon and I should have you two over for dinner.”

Dr. Damon Knight was the amazing man who had saved Emma last Christmas in more ways than one. The town was still talking about it.

When the investigation was sewn up, maybe they
should
have a double date. Jax certainly was good for her, on so many levels, in so many ways. And now that she’d stopped feeling sorry for herself over botching that audition, Billy could admit...

She didn’t want to give up on her other dream, either.

Only, no more pussy-footing around. If she wanted to be serious about being an actress, she needed to immerse herself in that world. Go to every audition around. Totally back herself from here on in.

Which meant just one thing.

Maybe Emma had some realty connections in L.A.

If Billy
Up-And-Coming-Starlet
Slade was moving to Hollywood, she’d need a place to stay.

Jax hated that part of himself. The devil who occasionally sat on his shoulder and whispered in his ear.

It was flat out selfish on his part, but if Billy had blown that director away with her obvious talent, she would be winging her way over to the west coast within the week. L.A. was a long way from Point St. Claire, and in more ways than one.

The burglary that had knocked Billy down ten years ago was chicken feed compared to big city crime. Unfortunately, every type of law-breaking was too much a part of daily life there. A life that Jax wanted no part of. But Billy was an adult. She should absolutely lead her own life.

In the meantime...they had a mystery to solve.

When the weekend rocked around, Jax jumped on his motorcycle and cruised up the coast to see his girl slash client. Billy kissed him at the door, a soul-lifting
thanks for being there after I crashed
caress. Then she saw his wheels and burst out laughing.

“Well, of course you ride a motorcycle.”

“I brought a spare helmet.”

Her eyes widened. “I’ve never been on the back of a bike.”

“And I thought you’d done everything.”

Almost
everything...

He took another kiss. Then another. When her palms slid up the front of his tee shirt and fingers knotted in the interlock, Jax forgot about bikes. He might’ve forgotten his own name.

As her lips reluctantly left his, she sighed. “I thought we were going for a ride.”

“Mmm...” Eyes closed, Jax angled his head to claim another kiss. “Okay.”

When she backed up, he moved to bring her close again. But she was already skipping off inside, heading for her bedroom. Which was sign he ought to follow.

Right?

Jax was about to go see what was what when she reappeared. Grinning, he drove a hand through his hair. Talk about ‘dressed to kill’.

“Billy, black leather jacket
and
pants?”

She bit her lip. “Too much?”

“Where you’re concerned―” he grabbed her hand and dragged her into his arms “―it’s never too much.

Thirty minutes later, Jax pulled the motorcycle off to the side of the road. Together, he and Billy crossed to a lookout perched on the edge of a cliff. Then he took her hand as they drank in an amazing view of beautiful slow-breathing blue sea.

After inhaling a lungful of fresh briny air, Billy glanced across. Hawkish nose. Jutting jaw. An ocean breeze was combing through his glossy dark hair and a faint smile tugged at his lips.

The way he held himself, the confidence surrounding him...

If a girl wasn’t careful, she could fall really hard.

His brow pinched like he realized he was being watched. When he glanced across, his white smile grew, lighting up Billy’s heart like a flare.

“We’re not far away now,” he told her, looping an arm around her waist.

“I didn’t know we were going anywhere special.” Billy was happy just to leave the world and its hang-ups behind. To be with, and hold onto, gorgeous Jax Angel for a while.

“Fay’s place is a five minute ride from here.”

Billy’s stomach dropped. Guess Jax saw the hesitation on her face. He pulled her close and nuzzled her crown.

“Don’t you want to catch up with an old friend?” he asked. “I phoned ahead. Fay’s looking forward to seeing you.”

And Billy was looking forward to seeing Fay again, too. It was just... She’d thought so much about this lately. She loved being with Jax. It just sucked that the two things she wanted most in this life were mutually exclusive.

Hunting down that thief and being with Jax.

Pursuing her acting career and moving to L.A.

She snuggled into Jax’s side, breathed in his masculine scent. “This’ll sound weird but I’m not in that big of a hurry to solve our case anymore.”

He pulled away, looked at her hard. “Are you firing me?”

“
No
.” She grabbed his collar and dragged him down to murmur against his lips. “I wanna keep you around as long as possible.”

His voice lowered. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Billy’s heart squeezed. She’d made up her mind and she couldn’t change it. Not if she wanted to get real about who she was, what she hoped to be. As soon as they’d finished their investigation, interviewing the last of the ‘suspects’, she was moving on.

She’d die if she had to sit in a room balancing books the rest of her life.

Then an idea popped into her head.

She coiled her arms around his neck and grinned into his eyes. “I was wrong. You’re way better than Ryan Gosling. Better than Chris Hemsworth.”

“Right. I’m totally the next silver screen heartthrob.”

“I’m serious.”

When she pressed in against him, his palms rode up under the back of her leather jacket and he grazed his lips over hers. “You taste amazing, know that?”

She persisted. “I bet the camera would love you, too. Your face, your smile, your shoulders.” She squeezed what she could of each upper arm. “
Hollywood
would love you.”

“Except I’m not a big fan of Hollywood. Too much crime for me.”

“Crime is your
thing
. Cracking cases. Seeing justice done.”

His thumbs rubbed her back as he emphasised each word. “You. Are. My. Last.”

She rubbed his nose with hers. “I don’t have to be.”

“Yeah. You really do. But I’m grateful your ruby ring with gold wings led you to me.” His mouth brushed her cheek, brushed her lips. “Now, let’s give the cars passing something to talk about.”

As his mouth claimed hers, Billy eased up onto her tiptoes and clung on.

She was super glad she’d kept looking, too.

And, yeah, she was definitely interested to hear what Fay had to say.

When they arrived at Fay Beckett’s home in a quiet town much like Point St. Claire, Billy couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something was off.

Something felt wrong.

“When Jax called,” Fay said to Billy as she ushered her guests through, “I was like,
why didn’t I keep in touch?
So crazy. You know?”

“It’s a two way street,” Billy smiled. “Time just gets away.”

Fay had always been a nervous type. If she stood up front of the class and spoke, she’d turn beet red every time. Now, as an adult, Fay was pale rather than flushed. But her smile was still shaky and her words were rushed. Same old Nervous Nelly.

Or was there another reason Fay was anxious today?

Fay’s house was small and neat with pretty pink swags on the windows and brushed mauve furniture. When they moved out back, a double-story castle cubby-house complete with slide took pride of place beneath a huge elm.

Fay called out and a young girl in a flouncy lilac dress appeared at the ‘castle’ entrance.

“Alice, sweetie,” Fay said, “say hello to mommy’s friends.”

As Alice performed a regal bow, the ‘jewels’ hanging from her neck and wrists tinkled and shone. Billy couldn’t help it. She had never suspected her friend as far as the disappearance of her ruby ring was concerned, but now she sneaked a glance at Fay’s hands.

Only a sparkling engagement ring and wedding band. 

Fay offered a plate of food. “Fairy bread, anyone?”

Billy took a triangle and nibbled a corner while Alice hurried up to do the same.

Jax held up his hands. “I’m good.”

“It was a long time ago,” Billy said, “but do you remember when my house was broken into. It was ninth grade?”

“I remember you saying police had come around. Something went missing, right?”

“Jewelry. A special ring. I told you about it.”

Fay chewed her fairy bread thoughtfully then shrugged. “I’m a blank.”

After Alice took a fat strawberry from another plate and disappeared back into her castle, Jax went through his usual spiel. Had Fay noticed anything unusual around that time? Were any of their friends, or enemies, acting strangely? Was there any information Fay thought might help?

“I really wish I
could
help. That ring sounds like something out of a dream.” Fay studied her left hand. “Noah had my engagement and wedding rings specially made, you know.”

“Your husband,” Jax noted and Fay nodded then went on.

“Ceylon sapphires. He knows they’re my favorite. I’ll pass them onto Alice when... Well, when she’s old enough.”

Billy was curious to know. “And if you have another daughter or two?”

Fay’s eyes misted over and her smile trembled before she tacked it back up, a slash of pale purple between the cut angles of her cheekbones. “Noah and I decided to marry because Alice was on the way. Best decision
ever
. Alice was the best baby. She’s a wonderful little girl. So patient and happy.” She clasped her hands together and looked up at the sky. “I’m so,
so
blessed. I wish Noah was here to see how alike they still are.”

Billy stopped. She almost didn’t want to ask. “Fay, has Noah gone somewhere?”

Had he left like Billy’s father had done when she’d been around Alice’s age?

“A year ago,” Fay began, “I saw the report on the news. That’s how I found out about the crash. That he was gone....”

Before Billy could digest the news, tell her how sorry she was, Fay hunched over and started to cry.

*

“Why didn’t you tell me Fay’s husband had died?”

Thirty minutes after leaving her friend’s place, Billy obviously still felt blindsided by Fay Beckett’s heart-wrenching outburst. It had smacked Jax in the chest as well. They hadn’t left until well after Fay had pulled it together. While Billy had consoled her friend, Jax had played around with Alice outside of her make-believe ‘castle’.

Poor little kid.

A moment ago, when he’d pulled the motorcycle up by this field, Billy had started to vent. She was upset that Jax hadn’t forewarned her about her friend’s recent tragedy. But he’d bet that Billy was more upset at herself. That she hadn’t kept in touch. Hadn’t been there when her friend had needed her most.

“I tracked Fay’s details down,” he explained, following Billy into a swaying sea of wild flowers. “I saw she was married with a child...”

He didn’t know how he’d missed that her partner had died in a wreck, particularly given Fay Beckett’s situation was a segment of his life in reverse.

Took time to get over that kind of loss.

Hell, a person never fully recovered.

“We were so close through school. Then I got caught up in my own life.”

“It happens.”

“Fay would give up her wedding rings in a heartbeat if she could have her husband back.” Billy’s expression twisted. “Do you know how that makes me feel?”

He wanted to give her a big hug, let her cry on his shoulder if she wanted. She needed to stomp around some more first.

“In the past weeks,” Billy said, lifting her face to the breeze, “I’ve found out a good friend is dead, Fay is holding it together by a thread, my aunt wanted to sue my mother, and my sister is living with a crook.”

“We don’t know for sure that Rick is behind the theft.”

“We’re kind of running out of suspects, Jax. And if Rick
is
the one, it’s not as if I can do anything about it. I won’t confront them, ruin my sister’s marriage. I can’t do that.”

Jax was patting down the air. “Okay, okay. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. It’s your ballgame. But you can’t undo what’s done, either. No matter how unfair. No matter how much it hurts.”

Billy withered down and after a moment plucked a dandelion then another. She slotted a hole in one stem with a fingernail and threaded the other stem through. Jax crouched down and plucked some flowers, too. They worked there in silence until she finally met his gaze and blew out a weary breath.

“When this is over, I’m moving to L.A. I feel as if I’m stuck
in between
. I need to quit playing around and get serious if I really want to break into the business.”

Jax felt his world tilt and then slide into a ditch.

Billy was leaving?

Of course, Hollywood was the center of the universe where an actress was concerned. Los Angeles made perfect sense for her, just as much as it made no sense at all for him.

Billy brought her dandelions close, drew in a breath. “Emma has a friend over there. He needs a roommate.”

Jax antennae tingled. “A man?”

“An actor. Or
wannabe
actor, like me. I’ll miss Lacie and Thain,” she went on. “Emma and Helene and everyone at the Point.” She looked across. “I’ll miss you, too, Jax. I’ll miss you most of all.”

As tears filled her eyes, she got to feet and started walking back to the bike, the wild flower chain wafting behind her. Jax sat there for a time, letting this latest news sink in. He and Billy shared something special. Something he’d never felt before, not even with the mother of his unborn child. The person he’d betrayed and who’d paid with her life.