Emergency Ex (5 page)

Maybe Mara Lynn had everything wrong. Hand shaking, he dialed his brother’s cell. Really a shame the two of them weren’t closer…

To Keith’s amazement, Ryan picked up. “Tarrant.”

“It’s Keith. Look, man, Mara Lynn just stormed into my office to hire me. She had some fantastic story. She wanted me to track you and some woman she says you’re cheating on her with. What the hell’s going on?”

“You’re not working for her, are you?”

“No, but she will hire someone else. Accused you of being with a bimbo—”

Ryan made an ugly sound. “Look, the marriage was over before I met Janine.”

Keith exhaled. “You’re getting divorced? Ryan, why didn’t you tell me anything about this before?”

“You’ve got your life and I’ve got mine. I appreciate the heads’ up about Mara Lynn. Gotta run.”

“Wait.” Ryan was gone. When Keith redialed his brother’s number, he got a prompt for voice mail.

Communication for the moment impossible, he paced the length and width of his office. If Ryan had screwed up and thrown away his life—sounded at least as bad as what their father had pulled—would Keith be the next Tarrant to destroy a relationship? How could he possibly be sure he had more and better to offer Brenda than the rest of the men in his family? Maybe cheating was in their DNA.

Could he even talk about this with Brenda or would the topic freak her out? Hell, it freaked him out.

He was about to go out for a walk around the block to clear his mind when his next appointment showed up.

A tall redhead with all her curves in just the right places extended a cool white hand. “Taylor Hammond,” she enunciated, glistening cherry-red lips moving to form the syllables. He wondered what it would be like to kiss those lips, then shook off the thought. He was, after all, a professional. Usually made it a point not to mix business and pleasure. Always. His body took exception. His brain chimed in with the reminder that he should at least find out why she’d come to him before he mentally ravaged her. An image of Brenda flashed before his eyes, diminishing the attraction Taylor exuded. Great. After just hearing how his brother’s cheating was turning that whole branch of the family upside down, he immediately started lusting after a new woman. A client yet. What the hell was wrong with him?

He took the extended hand in his and cringed at the ensuing electric jolt. Taylor was hot, and she posed a challenge he didn’t want to deal with right now. “Keith Tarrant. Have a seat, Ms. Hammond, and tell me why you’re here.”

She sat and crossed one perfect leg over the other, hiking up her already short, tight skirt to expose black-mesh-encased flesh. He swallowed hard and tried to pretend he didn’t notice.

“I understand you specialize in tracking down cheating husbands.” She glanced at him from beneath hooded lids heavy with lashes, blue eyes sparkling like sapphires caught in a glacier. He cringed again as he remembered Mara Lynn’s hate-filled glare.

That’s one of my specialties.
His body tingled in reminder of other talents, but this woman came with a husband. Cheating husband or not, Keith drew the line at getting involved with married women. At least one line he could toe. He once again thought of Brenda and the direction of their relationship, their becoming a solid couple. He’d only stopped seeing other women when they decided together to commit to each other. She, on the other hand, had been true blue since day one. But what if Brenda ever went out with another guy? A surprise surge of heated jealousy nearly knocked him off his chair.

He needed to focus on business. “Tracking down cheating spouses is one of my specialties. Who recommended you?”

She raised a meticulously shaped brow. “Delores Del Lobo.”

“San Francisco’s Dominatrix Queen?”

“That’s right. Now happily divorced and enjoying the fruits of her ex’s business empire, thanks to your evidence.” A large grin lit up her face.

“Always happy to hear the client’s happy. So tell me about your case. You suspect your husband is cheating on you?” Right now he needed to lose himself in someone else’s misery. Later, he’d have to deal with his own.

She rolled her eyes. “As if I’d ever let that happen,” she growled. “I’m single and loving it. The bastard I want you to catch is married to my baby sister.”

So Taylor Hammond was single. He shouldn’t let that matter. First things first. He got the info about the sister and the cheating husband, then outlined his services. Without blinking an eye, Taylor agreed to pay his hefty fee. Then she said, “Now that you know about my baby sister’s situation, I want to explore more possible ways to engage your services. My business associates and I need a good investigator. Let’s discuss our needs in more congenial surroundings. Dinner tonight, Bistro Bacchanalia?”

He sure could use the business and she seemed to have money. Something was nagging at the back of his mind, but she needed an answer fast. “Sure. What time?”

“Seven.” She swept out of the room. At another time in his life, he might have followed her and taken the rest of the day off. Not now. He was
happy
about his and Brenda’s commitment.

If only his hand would stop shaking.

He set up a new file, including online background data for his latest case. From what Taylor told him, it didn’t sound as if the wandering brother-in-law would be too hard to catch
in flagrante
. Was the same true regarding his brother Ryan?

The rest of Taylor’s offer intrigued him. With recent hits to his cash flow, he could really use a client with a lot of work and deep pockets.

Only on his way out the door to grab a quick lunch did he remember his date with Brenda for tonight. He smacked himself upside the head. He’d wanted to give her a special night at Bistro Bacchanalia and felt like a schmuck for disappointing her. An ache gnawed in the vicinity of his heart.

Somewhere deep in his gut a thread of darkness took hold. He shook his head again. He couldn’t deny his attraction to Taylor. Maybe this latest wrinkle proved what Ryan was acting out—that the Tarrant men were hopeless players who would mess up any relationship an unlucky woman dragged them into. Maybe Brenda had been less cheerful these days because her instincts warned her that he’d mess up. That heart hiccup struck again. He couldn’t bear to risk what he and Brenda had, but he had to figure out the truth about himself before they went any farther.

Luckily for him, most of the time Brenda was the Rock of Gibraltar, the greatest—never pulled any diva acts. Still, even the most fantastic person had limits. She’d been bummed out that he didn’t remember their three-month anniversary of committing to each other. Then, when he brought up running into that old girlfriend and the time Brenda had role played
Emergency Ex,
she freaked out. Nearly walked out on him. Probably would have if he hadn’t come up with the plan to go to Bistro Bacchanalia.

What if changing tonight’s plans would push her over the edge? What if it wasn’t just her birthday turning her weird? In the past she’d given him so many breaks, cut him so much slack. Surely she’d do it again one more time. He’d make it up to her, if he could. First though, he’d call to explain, change the date. She’d understand. Again.

The call from Keith came just before Brenda, lunching at her desk, held a fork aloft to dig into her Deluxe Veggie Delite salad. She had to scrimp on daytime calories so she could indulge that night at Bistro Bacchanalia. After all, since Keith was treating and he enjoyed seeing her enjoy her food…

She put down her fork and, despite the internal toll of warning bells, answered cheerfully. “I’m really psyched. What time is our reservation for Bistro Bacchanalia?”

“Brenda, I hate to tell you this.”

Chilly little bumps erupted along her arms, spine and the back of her neck.
I bet I’m going to hate hearing it also.
“You couldn’t get a reservation?” Not a big deal. Not like there weren’t tons of other great restaurants in San Francisco. They could always go to Bistro Bacchanalia some other time.

He cleared his throat. “Uh, no. I’ve got a business meeting there for tonight that I have to show up for.”

“There? And you forgot about it?”

“Wasn’t thinking clearly.”

A jagged hot coal took residence in Brenda’s gut and sent up streams of discomfort. “Are you thinking clearly now?”

“Heh, heh.”

She didn’t find his laugh funny.

“Bottom line, Keith? I don’t have much time.” Yeah, she did. She had all the time in the world, especially since she wouldn’t be meeting him that night.

“We’ll make it another time, Brenda. Real soon.”

Or not. Her internal red flags went wild. “I have a bad feeling about this, Keith.”

“I’m really sorry.” Sorry enough to disappoint the “client” instead of her?

Usually Brenda was quick to let him off the hook, but not this time. As the worm squirms… “Tonight was important to me. I was counting on you.”

“I know, babe, but it’s unavoidable. Got my signals crossed. Won’t happen again.”

Really?
Doubt turned her stomach sour.

“Gotta go. I knew you’d understand.”

She so didn’t.

“
Hasta la vista
, babe.”

Brenda put down the phone and started chewing on a slice of steamed okra, only to fling away her fork and toss the Styrofoam container. She hated okra, especially steamed. Heck, if she wasn’t going to have a luscious Bistro Bacchanalia dinner, she’d at least do better for lunch. She phoned for a single serving fig-and-goat-cheese thin-crust pizza. Single. She didn’t feel single, but her gut told her he still probably did. Heck, she’d go for comfort and treat herself to dessert.

She rose from her desk to pace while she waited for the pizza delivery. This broken date after the whole meeting the old girlfriend the day before… Her gut twisted and she considered canceling her lunch order. Aargh. She was getting too old to go through such angst. Why not just cut her losses and say good-bye?

Because he meant too much to her. His being hot and so good-looking wouldn’t have cut it if they didn’t have so much in common. They loved the same everything. They had the same taste in art, in music. Even in places to go on vacation. He was nice to children and little old ladies crossing the street and small and large animals. He recycled. He made her smile and laugh. She sighed.

In tender mode, he could make her weep tears of joy. Like the time he’d taken her to a park at midnight, blasted a new song he loved on his car’s CD player and led her in the most romantic dance. He surprised her with lilacs when she had cramps. He could read her mind—when he cared to expend the energy. Which wasn’t often. Didn’t have to be often. Or maybe it was time to update her wish list.

Ironic, wasn’t it? In business, Brenda was regarded as tough but fair. Maybe tougher than fairer, which suited her just fine. Making her first million before her thirtieth birthday was an early goal, one she accomplished with ease before her twenty-fifth. But when it came to Keith Tarrant— Why did tonight’s dinner disappointment feel more like a betrayal than just a change of plans? A
business
meeting for a private investigator at Bistro Bacchanalia? Really?

When the phone rang again, Brenda got it on the first ring. Keith calling back to reinstate their plans? Not.

“I just wanted to tell you how much I love your idea about pairing your chocolate and my book,” K.C. said. “It’s such a natural, I’m surprised we haven’t thought of it before.”

Brenda was grateful for the good excuse to switch gears. “With ‘Love is the emotional chocolate of the universe.’ as the theme for a whole campaign, I think we’ve got a winner. You can help me think up new kinds of chocolates for the campaign. So far I’ve come up with Mercury Mint and Venus Vanilla.”