Reluctant Witness (62 page)

“I need you to stay on the island a while
longer, spend some time with your dad, Chris. I’ll fly out a few
times over the next couple of months, on the pretext of visiting my
mother.”

“Why?” I felt my heart flutter momentarily.
We had only just been reunited, and now he was telling me we needed
to part once more. I barely had a chance to spend any time with
Jeff, and it didn’t look like I’d get to do that any time soon. Was
he dumping me and this was supposed to soften the eventual
blow?

“We need people to believe we met in Hawaii,
so that when I bring you back to Atlanta, we’ll have a public
history.”

“I don’t understand. You used your address to
on my new Georgia driver’s license. I thought that meant we
were....”

“You needed the required identification in
order to board your flight. Now we need you to establish your
residency in Hawaii. You’ll have to apply for a driver’s license
here.”

“That sounds like we’ll be separated for
quite some time,” I sighed, my disappointment growing. “Are you
trying to tell me you feel that we rushed into this relationship
too quickly?”

Jeff’s eyes grew wide as he stared at me.
“What? God, no! Is that what you think?”

“Why can’t I be with you in Atlanta?” My
throat was tight as I pushed back the tears. “What about the condo
project?”

“We have to lay the groundwork for the
creation of Chrisanth Neeson. I’m a public figure, Chris. That
means the press will want to know all about you, and we just can’t
afford for anyone to dig too deeply into your past.”

“Oh.” I leaned over and hugged Cooper, trying
to get my anxiety under control. Jared Spears had ruined my life.
He had manipulated me, pretending to care when all he really wanted
was to steal my identity. I had wasted too much time on him,
squandered too much of the life I had built for myself, and it all
evaporated into thin air because Jared was a criminal and I didn’t
know it. Now Jeff was insisting that we needed to establish my life
as Chrisanth Neeson. Without Jared, it would have been possible to
be with Jeff. I told him so.

“Is that what you believe, Chris?” He put his
hand on my knee. “Without Jared, you and I would never have met.
The Cornwall family and the Neeson family would have remained in
their separate orbits, far, far apart. Why, if you hadn’t needed my
help, I’d probably have gone on living my life as it was, thinking
women like you only exist on the pages of a book.”

“You would have?”

He pulled me close, pressing his open mouth
on mine with a hunger that was unmistakable. His kiss tasted of
passion fruit and promise. When he finally let me go, he wiped my
tears gently with his fingertips.

“Relax. I intend to marry you. That’s why I
brought you in Hawaii and put you in a two-bedroom condo, Chris. I
want you to invite your father to stay with you for the duration of
your time on the island. You two need time to get reacquainted.
Camille and Étienne will introduce our botanists to other farmers
on Kauai dealing with pests and diseases; Lara and Woody will have
plenty of opportunities for more agricultural projects. They won’t
want for work.”

Some of my initial panic subsided as I
considered the immediate future. I might have lost my naïveté about
human nature, but I gained in new experience in self-preservation.
I was older and wiser now, no longer the timid Marigold Flowers who
always looked over her shoulder in fear. It had been so long since
I had seen my dad; so much had happened, we were almost strangers.
I could never share the story of Jared Spears, especially now that
the bastard was a protected witness; that was something my father
didn’t need to know. But it would be nice to be reunited with my
father and eventually my sisters, to recapture the sense of
belonging somewhere in this crazy world. The Cornwall brothers had
brought that back to me. As I got to know them, I began to
understand why Liz was so determined to keep her brood together.
She made sure they understood the power of family. Maybe some of
her magic would rub off on the Neesons.

“I haven’t seen him this excited about a
fungus in years.” I brushed away a stray tear.

“That’s because he can tell the farmers here
really need the help. So much of the agricultural land is now being
sold for development as the families give up the struggle. The
coffee industry has suffered great losses over the last few years
because of the crop damage. Your father can have a positive impact
on their lives by developing new environmentally friendly
techniques for disease and pest control.”

“True,” I admitted reluctantly. As much as I
could understand his reasons for wanting us to remain apart, I
still didn’t like it and I told him so. He kissed me again.

“I feel the same way, Chris, but we just have
to muddle through. Besides, you haven’t figured out yet what we
have in common. When you do, you’ll understand why I’m doing things
this way and why you can trust me when I say I have no intention of
letting you go.”

“We have something in common and I don’t yet
know about it?”

“Yes.”

Those dark eyes were intense as he studied
me. It was as if he was willing me to dig deeper. Whatever physical
distance there might be between us, this unknown bond would somehow
be enough to keep us going in the months ahead. It was up to me to
figure it out.

“But....” My doubts seemed to rise up,
overwhelming me. Did Jeff and I really have any chance of a
lifetime together? What if something got in the way, something we
weren’t expecting, something unforeseen?

“I don’t intend to walk away from you, let
alone run. We’re in this for keeps, Chris. We’ll be able to stay in
touch by phone, emails, and even video chat,” he promised, as we
walked back to the SUV, crossing the public parking lot. What had
Jefferson Cornwall discovered in me that touched a chord deep
within him as a man, so deep that he was willing to commit himself
to our future together? “My father has to go back to Ithaca at the
end of the week, but my mother is staying on to do some research
for a new romantic suspense novel set in Hawaii. She usually hires
someone to assist her, so why can’t it be you?”

“You want me to work for your mother, for
Serena Duvall?” That was the last thing I expected to hear.

“Sure. You’re clever and you have a good head
on your shoulders. You’re also a wonderful companion. Jojo and
Nancy adore you.”

“What if your mother says no?”

He laughed, throwing back his head with great
amusement. “You think my mother will say no to the chance to get to
know her future daughter-in-law? Good God, woman, have you not
already noticed her efforts to put us together?”

“That was rather hard to miss,” I
acknowledged with a smile.

Something flashed in his eyes. It was only
there for a second, but I saw it. And with it, I found unexpected
intuition came into my conscious mind, some little glimmer of
insight as I observed his reaction. Lisbeth Causley was the public
face of the Cornwall family, but somewhere behind the scenes, Jeff
was directing some action of his own. How could he do that if he
was only the author of thrillers, the producer of television
programs?

“Jeff, when I was
reading
Dangerous
Deception
, I noticed that Fin reminded me
of someone I know.” I glanced at the man beside me. He kept his
strong hands on the steering wheel and his determined eyes on the
road ahead of us, as if he were concerned he might give too much of
himself away.

“Did you?” he replied
evenly. Nothing seemed to betray him; there wasn’t a muscle that
twitched or an extra blink of the eyes, but I knew just the same.
Jefferson Cornwall was the real inspiration for the hero called Fin
Manetti. The mastermind behind bringing Nora’s story of deceit and
betrayal out in the open hadn’t been Lisbeth Causley -- it had been
Jefferson Cornwall. He put the two women together and made sure
that
Vanilla Orchid Magic
was written. Did that also mean he played a role
in bringing down the real Scorpion?

Chapter Fifty
Five

“I haven’t had a chance to finish the book
yet,” I continued. “I’ve been so busy with other things.”

“You should finish it. I think you’ll enjoy
it.” As he pressed his lips firmly together, a tiny shadow of a
smile escaped. Was he trying to prevent all those secrets of his
from spilling out at once?

“I’m sure I will,” I smiled too, putting my
hand on the back of his neck and ruffling his hair affectionately
as we made our way back down the Coconut Coast.

Just before five, Jeff pulled the SUV into
the parking lot behind his parents’ condo. As I put my hand on the
door latch, he stopped me.

“Thanks, Chris.” He kissed me again, this
time tenderly, longingly.

“For what?” I asked him when we parted from
our brief, yet intimate embrace.

“For being the woman you are...and for
understanding me.” The answer I had been looking for was written on
his face. It was in the deep intensity of his gaze, in the set of
his determined chin, and even on those hungry lips of his.
Jefferson Cornwall was a man of mystery. He lived a public life as
an author and TV producer, but some of that was pure fiction. The
real man had a hidden past few people knew of, and I was privileged
to be included in that very small circle.

I left him on the lanai of his parents’
condo, chatting with his father, and went up to change for dinner.
Briefly stopping in the kitchen, I poured kibble into Cooper’s dish
on my way to the master bedroom. Throwing open the closet door, I
decided it was time to impress my future in-laws. I selected the
vibrant floral sundress Nancy and I bought in St. Augustine at a
tiny shop in the historic district. It would do nicely. Once my
makeup and jewelry were on, I slipped my feet into a pair of white
sandals, sprayed myself with a light floral scent, and pulled my
hair into a twist. I pinned it up and added a pink Swarovski
crystal butterfly clip. And then, when I was satisfied, I studied
my reflection in the mirror.

For the first time in a long time, the woman
staring back at me didn’t have that haunted look in her eyes. The
corners of her mouth were relaxed, instead of tightly drawn. Was
this really me? I liked what I saw. I was definitely older than the
person Jared Spears conned, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad
thing. There might be a few more crow’s feet around my eyes, but
with those came wisdom. Life wasn’t quite as scary anymore. I
understood now that things often do happen for a reason, and the
more you glean the truth, the easier it is to comprehend the pieces
of the puzzle.

I scooped up the tiny terrier sitting on my
bed, kissing the top of his head. “It’s time for you to have a nap
in your crate, little boy. I’ll be back later.”

The elevator took me down to the vestibule,
accompanied by a couple with a pair of teens; they were on their
way to the pool. This was their first vacation in eighteen months
and they loved Hawaii. Listening to their happy chatter about how
different life was back at home in Denver, it was hard not to be
swept along by their energy. I couldn’t help myself; my curiosity
got the better of me.

“What’s your favorite thing about being
here?” I asked the younger girl. There was a long pause as she
considered the question.

“Everything!” she crowed, her braces
glinting.

“Good answer,” her father said, patting her
on the head. She and her sister padded away down the carpeted hall
in their flip-flops, towels slung over their shoulders. Their
parents didn’t rush; there was no need. It was family time, but
they were comfortable letting their children go ahead to the pool.
It reminded me of vacations with my parents so long ago, when
Tensie, Nealie, and I would hurry down to the beach and throw
ourselves into the ocean with pure, unadulterated abandon. My
mother and father would follow us with folded beach chairs, tote
bags, and sun hats. They would set the chairs in the sand and sit,
content to watch us bob up and down in the waves until we were
exhausted and hungry.

I stepped out under the starlit sky, letting
the door close behind me. I was all too aware of the new sense of
freedom I carried with me. Marigold Flowers was nothing more than a
fictional character, someone I pretended to be. But Chrisanth
Neeson -- that was the real me. I had a real childhood filled with
memories and people I loved.

My life was changing so quickly, in such
unexpected ways. I wondered if my father was having a similar
experience. It must feel strange to him, too, to reclaim his own
past. I wondered how much Lara knew about his life.

Everyone was assembled on the Cornwalls’
lanai when I arrived. Jeff and his dad were casually dressed in
golf shirts and dark slacks; the family resemblance was all the
more obvious as father and son stood side by side. Liz, in a chic
short-sleeved pant suit that was the color of a refreshing
strawberry daiquiri, looked every inch the successful author she
was, right down to the gold bracelets that dangled from her wrists.
Abandoning her usual botanist uniform of cotton blouse and slacks
paired with sensible shoes, Lara wore a classic dark floral-print
sheath dress and short heels, making the most of her good looks,
right down to the pink lip gloss that brought shine to her smile. I
suspected that was Liz’s handiwork. But it was my father who was
the real surprise. The middle-aged, slightly stogy man unexpectedly
departed from his own standard man-of-science wardrobe. In place of
the usual button-down Oxford cloth dress shirt, he wore a blue
banana leaf-print Hawaiian shirt.

“Looking dapper, Dad.”

“Oh, you think so? It’s not too much?” He
glanced down at the vibrant foliage on his chest.