Fantasy Man (10 page)

She’d lived her entire life in a beachside resort community. It stood to reason she spent a fair amount of time at the beach. For all Reif knew, she ran on a regular basis. If so, no wonder she had such a difficult time having her freedom curtailed.

She was in better shape than he was, that was for sure. If he was going to keep up with her he should probably start using his treadmill instead of just hanging his dry cleaning on it.

While he was distracted he almost ran into her. She’d slowed down without him noticing and he almost knocked her over. Instinctively he reached out, steadying both her and himself by catching her upper arm.

She stared hard at him, but he couldn’t tell what was going on in her head. When she smiled at him he only grew more confused. “I
knew
it.”

He released his hold on her. “Knew what?” he asked between pants. She wasn’t even breathing that hard.

“That you’d follow me.”

She started walking again so he fell into step beside her. “You don’t seem upset about it.” When she didn’t say anything but kept trudging along he said, “Are you?”

“I don’t know how I feel.”

That makes two of us.
“Are you having fun?”

She gave him a sideways glance. “Not really.” She walked on for a few more steps. “They all seem, I don’t know, so much younger than me. So, carefree, I guess.”

Because no one’s trying to track them down and shut them up.

“I want to pretend I can have a normal life. But that’s not possible until this is over, is it? So maybe I should stop pretending.” After a moment she added, “I’m sorry I make you worry about me.”

“I don’t mind.”

Quinn laughed. “Yes, you do. I’m a giant pain in the ass. You wish Tony had never sent me here.”

“Yes to the first part. But not the second.”

“Funny. I feel exactly the same way about you.”

“
I’m
a pain in
your
ass? How’s that?”

Quinn held up the wrist with the bracelet on it.

“Oh. Well there is that.” Reif had no wish to begin an argument with her. “Hey, I have an alternative suggestion for an afternoon of fun.”

“I’m listening.”

“Want to go see a movie?”

“Oh. Do I get to pick which movie?”

“Within reason. No chick flicks or dysfunctional family dramas.”

“You have to buy the popcorn.”

“Of course.”

“And gummy worms.”

“Anything you want.”

Chapter Fourteen

Vinnie frowned at each of his computer screens in turn. He pictured taking a sledgehammer to each of them as payback for doing nothing but feeding him false leads. Quinn Fontana was a fairly unusual name; it should have been easy to spot online. But the way the software programs tracked through the search engines looking for anything close to the parameters he set meant what had popped up so far were dead ends.

A shiny metal ball pinged against the base of his chair. Snatch barreled toward it and batted it across the room where it zinged off the baseboard and went spiraling toward Snitch. He hopped over his buddy then chased it into the living room.

The pair of balls had been a success. He’d seen them in the window of an Oriental gift shop. Their intended purpose was for stress relief, but he’d known the ferrets would get a kick out of them. For a few minutes anyway.

He turned back to the computers. He knew his patience would be rewarded. Eventually. But Pops was getting pressure from the big man himself, who wasn’t happy that his favorite nephew hadn’t been sprung yet. Pops was nagging Vinnie daily for results. Vinnie once again urged Pops to put some pressure on Tony if he wanted to find her so badly, but Pops was saving that as a last resort.

The only thing Vinnie had learned was that Quinn Fontana was a snitch, just like her brother. He’d had a private conversation with Tony about that. Vinnie decided Tony Fontana must have balls of steel. He hadn’t denied anything Vinnie said. Tony claimed he’d been locked out of knowing about anything to do with Quinn
because
he was related to her.

That could actually be true. Conflict of interest and all that. But Vinnie’s nose told him Tony knew
something
, even if he didn’t know everything. All Vinnie had to do was prove it.

* * * * *

Quinn closed the French door behind her and stopped dead in her tracks. A gorgeous strawberry blond who seemed just as surprised to see her stared at her across the living room.

“Sorry,” the woman said. “I wasn’t expecting anyone to be here.”

“Me neither.” There was something vaguely familiar about the woman but Quinn couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

“I’m Emma Callaghan.”

“Quinn.” Of course, that was why the woman looked familiar. She was Reif’s sister. One of them, anyway.

“Reif didn’t mention that he had a—a houseguest.”

“He didn’t mention that you had a key.” She wasn’t quite certain of the proper protocol here. Somehow she felt like the interloper, despite having been here for over a month.

Emma gave a nervous laugh. “Oh, well. We have an agreement. If I have a layover anywhere near LA, I’m welcome to crash here for a night or two. That way if I’m lucky I get to spend a little bit of time with my big brother. Otherwise, I’d never see him.”

“He’ll be home this evening. I’m marinating some salmon and making salad—hey, are you okay?”

“E—excuse me.” Emma bolted for the downstairs powder room, her hand over her mouth.

Quinn raised an eyebrow when Emma slammed the door and water started running. It did little to hide the fact that Emma was throwing up. Quinn had seen the exact same reaction when she’d mentioned the new Ahi tuna entrée to one of the other hostesses at The Turtle Club. Staci had turned a sickening shade of green and raced to the restroom.

Staci had
also
developed the same slight roundness to her tummy Quinn had noticed on Emma.

In the kitchen Quinn found a box of saltine crackers. She set a kettle on to brew some tea, combining mint with chamomile in a mug for Emma, something her mother used to swear by for an upset stomach.

Emma reappeared looking wan and unsteady. She dropped into a chair and nibbled the corner of a cracker. Quinn set the tea in front of her. “Thank you.” Emma wrapped her fingers around the mug and stared into the steaming liquid. She blinked rapidly and tears started to leak from her eyes.

Quinn stepped into the bathroom and returned with a box of tissues. She handed one to Emma. “Thank you,” Emma whispered. She blotted her tears and dabbed at her nose. Eventually she blew on her tea and took a sip, then nibbled more of the cracker. A bit of color returned to her cheeks.

“I owe you an apology,” Emma said. “Or at least an explanation.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” Quinn assured her. “You don’t even know me.”

“I did something stupid.”

No shit
.
You let some guy knock you up and he’s probably nowhere to be found.
The same thing had happened to Staci. Quinn had covered for her several times when she’d been in the bathroom. She’d expected more from Reif’s sister, since Reif seemed to have such a rigid code of honor. Then again, Quinn had hardly lived up to her brother’s Puritan expectations.

“You didn’t get that little tummy bulge from too many cheeseburgers and French fries I guess.”

“Reif’s never going to forgive me.”

Emma sent Quinn a pleading look but Quinn didn’t know what to say. In truth, she had no idea how Reif would react to his sister’s predicament. Would he be sympathetic and supportive? Or angry and disappointed? He’d track the guy down, Quinn decided. That much was for sure. And while he’d never want Emma to marry such a cad, Reif would make sure the guy was on the hook for child support for the next eighteen years. Her tea had cooled enough that she could take a decent sip now.

Emma said, “I slept with his best friend.”

Quinn choked, gagged, and spewed tea all over the table. Her eyes watered as she got up to grab some paper towels to clean the mess she’d made. All the while she kept thinking
surely
Reif had more than one best friend. Emma couldn’t possibly mean—

“Are you okay?” Emma asked.

Quinn cleared her throat. “I’m fine. You were saying?”

“His name’s Tony. I’ve been based out of Miami for almost a year. It sounds so corny to say it was love at first sight, so I told myself it was lust at first sight. I met him a few times when he and Reif were in college and I never forgot him. We kind of connected right after they graduated, but I was all set to start college and he was going into the police academy. I hadn’t turned eighteen yet and if I told my parents I was dating a twenty-three-year-old man? They’d have flipped. Tony and I didn’t even stay in touch. But when I saw him on one of my domestic flights I re-introduced myself. We went out for a drink when we landed and there was this chemistry. I can’t explain it.”

She didn’t have to. Quinn had lived it. She had a vague recollection of Reif surrounded by his family after the graduation ceremony, but no one had bothered with introductions.

Emma sipped more tea and took a tiny bite of cracker. “He’s in law enforcement, but he wouldn’t tell me any more than that. Whatever he does is dangerous and he didn’t want to get involved with anyone. He told me that up front, but it didn’t work out that way. I hardly ever saw him but when I did, it was like fireworks every time, you know?”

Quinn nodded.
All too well.

“The last time I saw him, he told me he wouldn’t be around for a while, but not to worry. He’d be in touch when he could. But it’s been months and I haven’t heard from him and I can’t get hold of him. I don’t even know where he lives or who he works for.”

“So he doesn’t know?” Quinn asked carefully.

Emma’s eyes filled with tears and she shook her head. “I’ve been avoiding my family, avoiding Reif, because I don’t know what to tell them. The truth sounds so dumb. If Reif finds out it was Tony who knocked up his sister and abandoned her—it’ll kill him. Tony’s the brother Reif never had and now I’ve come between them.” Emma dropped her head into her hands.

Quinn’s heart went out to her, she looked so miserable. It was like the two of them were living in mirror universes. “Would you like to lie down for a bit? We’ve added a bed to the guest room.”

“Thank you, and thank you for the tea.”

“You’re welcome. I’m sure everything will turn out all right. But maybe, just for now, you shouldn’t tell Reif about Tony? It might be best.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

* * * * *

“We have company,” Quinn said when Reif arrived home that night. She was in the kitchen working on the salad when he walked in, the mail in one hand, his laptop case in the other. Her heart gave its usual pitter-pat whenever he was around.

He stared at her. “Company?”

“Your sister. Emma.”

“Em’s here? Where?”

“She’s upstairs resting.”

“Resting? Em’s never at rest. She’s a ball of energy. I don’t think she ever took a nap in her life—”

He broke off as a floorboard creaked. He set his laptop and the mail down and went back into the hall out of sight. “Hey, Em. This is a nice surprise. How long are you staying?”

“Just a couple of nights.”

Quinn imagined them hugging before she heard Reif say, “Hey, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Emma answered. “A little tired is all.”

They returned to the kitchen. “How about a glass of wine?” Reif opened the refrigerator and removed a bottle of pinot grigio. “This goes great with salmon.” He turned in time to see Emma turn green just before she bolted for the bathroom.

Quinn sighed and retrieved the box of saltines from the cupboard. Reif stared at the doorway Emma’d just exited through. “Sounds like she’s throwing up. He cocked his head. “I hope she doesn’t have the flu.”

Quinn edged him aside and found a can of ginger ale in the refrigerator. “Maybe you shouldn’t mention salmon in front of her.”

He stared at her blankly. “Why?”

“Just don’t, okay?”

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What’s going on?”

“It’s none of my business.”

“Q, if you know something—”

“I’m pregnant,” Emma blurted from the doorway.

Reif turned to her, the bottle of wine still in his hand. “
Pregnant
?”

Emma sank into a chair. She nodded at Quinn when she saw the ginger ale. Quinn set it and the crackers on the table. “I’ll just leave the two of you alone to—”

“No,” Emma said. “You can stay. I’d appreciate the support.” She gave her a weak smile.

Reif glanced at the bottle of wine in his hand. “I think I’m going to need something a hell of a lot stronger than this.” He returned the wine to the refrigerator. From the cabinet above he retrieved a bottle of Crown Royal and splashed some over ice. He took a healthy sip before topping it off and then took the other seat at the table.

Quinn would have liked a glass of that wine, but she could wait for dinner. Although she was pretty sure only two of them would be eating salmon tonight.

“Do you hate me?” Emma asked in a small voice.

Reif reached across the small space and covered Emma’s hand with his own. “Em. Of course I don’t hate you. I could never hate you. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”

“I met—” she glanced at Quinn, “someone.”

“Obviously,” Reif said, his glance once again moving between the two women.

Emma turned back to him. “I thought it was love, but maybe it was just hormones, or pheromones or chemistry or whatever. I don’t know. I haven’t heard from him in months.”

“You’re pregnant and he
dumped
you? Who is this guy? I’ll
kill
him.”

“Reif, no, it’s not like that. He doesn’t know. He told me I might not hear from him for a while and I haven’t. But I didn’t think he would be gone this long and now I don’t know if I’ll ever hear from him again.”

“I’m sure you will,” Quinn put in.

Reif looked at her eyebrows raised. “What makes you so sure about that?”

Quinn glanced at Emma. “We talked. I don’t think this chemistry is one-sided. I think as soon as he’s able he’ll make contact.”

Reif turned his attention back to Emma. “Who is he?”

“It doesn’t matter who he is.”

“It sure as hell does. First, he needs to know. Second, if he’s not going to do the right thing, the very least he’ll do is support you and his child financially. So yeah, it
does
matter. Why can’t he contact you?”

“Because of his job,” Emma hedged.

“What? Military espionage? Navy SEAL? Astronaut on a space station?”

“He’s in law enforcement. Don’t ask me for any details because I don’t know them. Just that what he does is dangerous.”

“Oh, Em, come on. That’s probably a line he fed you so he could take advantage of you.”

“It is not!” Quinn and Emma said together.

Reif stared at them each in turn. “Either one of you want to tell me what’s really going on here?”

“Quinn’s just defending me,” Emma said. “She believes as I do that T—he’ll be in touch when he can. That’s all.”

“And we both know there are people who work in law enforcement who can be hard to reach for one reason or another.” Quinn had to defend her brother’s behavior, even if it was indirectly. There would come a time and place however, where she would delight in pointing out his hypocritical behavior.

“Mmhmm.” Reif drained his glass. “I’m going to start the grill. You two stay here and see if you can’t come up with a better story to tell me than that.”

Emma gave Quinn a questioning look. “Maybe I should tell him the truth.”

“It’s up to you,” Quinn said as she turned to the refrigerator for that bottle of wine. “But personally, I don’t think Reif or any man has to know every single detail of our lives.”

Quinn took a wineglass from the stash she kept in the freezer and poured herself a glass, all the while fighting the twinge of guilt she always felt for withholding information from Reif. She still hadn’t given him the packet and the cell phone Tony wanted him to have.

A lie of omission is still a lie.
Reif’s words haunted her. She checked the cell phone periodically, to make sure all was well, but there’d been no texts. No news was good news as far as she was concerned. Still, if anything happened to her, Reif wouldn’t know he had a way of contacting Tony.

She took a healthy sip of wine and let it slide down her throat. She’d lied to Reif from the beginning for her own self-interest. She’d just encouraged his sister to lie to him, too. She stared into her glass. There wasn’t enough alcohol in the world to drown this level of guilt. She’d have to come clean with Reif soon, and when she did she’d have to bear the brunt of the consequences. So would Emma.