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Linda smiled as she came around the hostess stand. “Even though you’re now in the main dining room, I’ve taken the liberty of assigning seating one last time. Howard’s great-grandchild was born today and he’s cutting his stay short to return home. I thought the guests who’d met him might want to wish him well. Lola and Lorraine in particular seemed quite attached to him. I’m afraid he’s the only single man in his age group here right now.”
“Sure, no problem.” And it wasn’t. Tony would be seated at the same table as Sterling.
“Follow me.” Linda led him to the appropriate table. The Southwestern decor was the same as in the Copper Dining Room, but this space was much larger, with round tables and crisp white tablecloths. He figured it probably maxed out at a hundred people, though not all the tables were occupied.
Gesturing at an empty chair, she said, “Right over there between Lola and Lorraine.”
He raised an eyebrow.
Leaning close, she whispered, “I split them up to encourage them to mingle more with other guests. They spend plenty of time together as it is. Bicker like crazy, but seem devoted all the same.”
Nodding, Tony took his seat. He located Sterling, sitting on the other side of Lola. And on Sterling’s right, Kat.
She nodded, her gaze frosty.
Her ambivalence would work perfectly for Tony. He could pursue her without having to worry about actually catching her. He had his ethical limits.
The waiter served his salad, which Tony, never a fan of green leafy stuff, moved around with his fork. Vegetables had their place, but he preferred something more…substantial.
He felt someone come up behind him and he turned his head to find Brooke leaning close. “Thank you for helping me out today,” she murmured.
“It was nothing.” He felt the tips of his ears burn, and hoped no one noticed. It wasn’t as if he was unaccustomed to women hitting on him. They did, fairly regularly. Not that Brooke was hitting on him. She’d told him about her boyfriend, who wanted to become a cop, and Tony had given her some Web sites to help him prepare for the exams.
No, his discomfort had more to do with Kat’s smirk, as if he’d confirmed some suspicion she had.
Sterling complimented Lola on her dress, and she preened like a junior high girl at her first dance. Lorraine, however, was unusually quiet, studying Sterling when he wasn’t looking.
Tony wondered if one of the older women would become Sterling’s next victim. He would have to find out more about them.
Howard leaned close to Lorraine. “My granddaughter’s husband sent me this picture of the baby.” He opened his phone and fiddled with the buttons for a minute or so, until he pulled up the photo. “See? Strapping boy.”
“He’s gorgeous,” Lorraine gushed.
“Beautiful,” Lola concurred, passing the phone to Sterling.
“Um, great kid.” Will handed it on to Kat.
Tony watched her eyes cloud for a moment before she smiled. “He’s great, Howard. You have every right to be proud.”
She slid the phone toward Tony, past the two empty spaces where the elusive newlyweds were supposed to sit.
Picking it up, Tony saw a newborn with eyes squeezed tightly shut and brown fuzz for hair. “Handsome boy, just like his great-grandpa.”
“Always nice to know,” Sterling said, “there’s family to carry on after we’re gone.”
“Our father would have dearly loved for Lorraine and I to have lots of children, but it wasn’t to be.” Lola’s lips trembled, but Will smiled at her and she rallied.
Tony sipped from his water glass, acting unconcerned with the interplay.
A waiter brought bread baskets and set them on the table, before moving on to the next.
Sterling grabbed one, peeling back the napkin to present the rolls to Lola with a flourish. “Ladies first.”
“Why, thank you, Will. You’re a lovely boy.”
“You’re a lovely woman.” When she had chosen her roll, he selected one for himself. “Your husband must be very proud.”
“I’ve never married. I had a fiancé once, but he left me at the altar for another woman.”
Sterling touched her arm. “I’m sure he was sorry later. He had to have been an idiot.”
“He was killed during a thunderstorm, drowned in a flash flood. His wife was left a penniless widow. Of course, I would not have been penniless. And I might have had children to carry on the family business.”
Tony watched Sterling closely, but the only emotion he saw was concern for his dinner companion as Will said, “Your father probably appreciated having two daughters. I’m sure he knew you would take care of the business. Didn’t you say you’re in the restaurant trade?”
“We own Nash Brewery.”
“Oh, yes, that’s it.” Will turned to Howard. “And you were a postal carrier, weren’t you?”
“For forty years. I invested well before I retired.”
“And what is it you do, Will?” Kat asked.
“I’m a life coach. I help people develop positive patterns to become more successful in life and relationships.”
“That sounds fascinating,” she said. “Much more interesting than the number crunching I do. I’m a CPA.”
Tony almost did a double take. Kat seemed more the wild, artistic type.
“Kat, dear, tell them about your lottery win. I’m sure everyone will be most entertained. It’s such a cute story,” Lorraine said.
Everyone turned to Kat and waited expectantly.
She hesitated.
“Come on, Kat. You’ve got to tell us now,” Sterling prodded.
“Well, it happened about a month ago. I’d…broken up with my boyfriend and I have this breakup tradition. I buy lottery tickets, and the numbers I use are all the special numbers from the relationship. Our first date, his birthday, my birthday, things like that.”
Lola sighed, obviously a dreamer. “How tragic. And romantic.”
“It gets better,” said Lorraine. “Tell them the rest.”
“I bought tickets the day Zach moved out. And, well, I won with our special numbers.”
Clapping her hands, Lola pronounced, “Then Zach will come back to you. It was meant to be.”
From the way Kat had said her boyfriend’s name, Tony suspected she was well rid of him.
“More likely it means you did the right thing to kick the guy to the curb. Kind of like the universe smiling on your decision,” he said.
Kat selected a roll, taking her time tearing off a piece and slathering it with butter. “Fate is overrated. I think it means the little white balls simply dropped in that order.”
“Lorraine was right, it’s a great story.” Sterling beamed at Kat, his gaze warm. “We’re honored to have a millionaire in our midst.”
“Three millionaires,” Lola crowed.
Lorraine elbowed her sister, giving her a meaningful look.
Lola didn’t seem to notice. Tony wondered if she’d always been so guileless, or if a small stroke at one time had affected her judgment. Or it could even be the early stages of Alzheimer’s.
Kat held up two fingers. “Just a pair. After the jackpot was split among five winning tickets, and Uncle Sam took his chunk, I received a lot less than people think.” She blotted her mouth with her napkin. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fabulous thing and I’m extremely grateful. But I’m not likely to join the millionaires’ club anytime soon.”
“Still, it’s a nice windfall.” Lorraine leaned forward. “If you need the name of a top-notch investment firm, I can refer you to the one we use. Our advisor has been very helpful in growing and safeguarding our assets. A single woman can never be too careful.”
“No brothers to help?” Sterling asked her. “Or nieces and nephews?”
“No.” Lorraine’s voice was tinged with loss. “We had a younger sister, but she died as an infant.”
Tony could almost see the wheels turning in Sterling’s head. Him selecting a new victim meant Tony might find evidence. But it also meant the Nash sisters would get hurt.
Will leaned forward. “Tony, what is it you do?”
“I’m a security consultant.”
“I bet that’s fascinating work. Foiling corporate espionage and all that?”
“Yes. But because of the spread of identity theft, more and more of my work is securing client information. It’s become a real liability issue.”
“I can imagine. I’ve been meaning to update the security software on my computer to make sure my client files don’t fall into the wrong hands. Do you have a card?”
Removing his wallet from his back pocket, Tony pulled out a pseudo business card. “I’ll give you a discount, since you’re a friend.”
“Great. I’ll call you after I get back from vacation.” Sterling slid the card into the breast pocket of his button-down shirt.
The thought of getting his hands on Sterling’s computer practically made Tony salivate. It was the easy kind of lie that cons used to bond with people, but still…
Lorraine and Lola regaled them with tales of their youth until their meals arrived.
Tony had selected the top sirloin with mixed seasonal vegetables from the Phoenix Rising garden. A footnote on the menu had indicated guests’ help in the garden was always welcome.
“These vegetables are wonderful,” Kat exclaimed. “Why can’t I cook them this way?”
“My guess is they taste so good because they’re fresher than a lot of grocery store produce,” he answered.
“You cook?” She seemed intrigued in spite of herself.
“Not much, but I’m learning. My ex-wife was big on buying locally grown, organic. I don’t cook when I’m working long hours, but now that I have my own business I sometimes have slow times.”
She tried to turn to Sterling, but he was deep in conversation with Lola.
“Do you garden?” Tony asked Kat.
“No, I’ve always been busy, too. But I’m realizing just how close to burning out I was. It’s not good for me to work sixty hours a week and never take vacations….” Shaking her head, she said, “I don’t know why I told you that. My life is fine the way it is.”
Tony was curious. On one hand, Kat seemed independent, with a streak of wildness, on the other she was solid and dependable.
He sipped his wine. “Sure, we all think our lives are fine right before we crash and burn.” He winced at the bitterness in his voice. Where in the hell had that come from? Striving for a more casual tone, he asked, “If there was one thing you could change about your life, what would it be?”
Man, he’d been spending too much time listening to marriage counselors.
She hesitated. “I’d quit expecting other people to make me happy. I’d do more things that were good for me, without considering what anyone else thought. All those activities I’ve dreamed about over the years, but said I didn’t have time for. Maybe learn to cook. Grow a few vegetables and flowers in a garden. I don’t know, it’s something to consider.”
“Sounds like a win-win proposition.” He shook his head. “Don’t tell my ex I said that, though. She was always after me to have more balance in my life. Less work, more play and relaxation.”
“You don’t impress me as the relaxed type.”
The waiter came and refilled their water glasses. Tony was tempted to elbow the guy out of the way so as not to lose the headway he’d made with Kat. At the same time, he tried to follow the conversation between Will and the sisters.
After Kat thanked the waiter, she turned to Tony, raising an eyebrow. “Well, am I right? You’re an adrenaline junkie?”
“Hey, I can be as relaxed as the next guy,” he protested. “But when I’m involved in something, I’m involved one hundred percent.”
“I can relate.” She picked up her water glass and stared into it for a moment before taking a sip. “I’m that way in my relationships. I’ve been told it leaves very little room for the other person…to contribute.”
The last thing Tony wanted to do was contemplate his failed marriage and whether he’d contributed enough. Because, hands down, Corrine had done the lion’s share. At the time it hadn’t been so obvious. Or maybe he simply hadn’t wanted to know.
Shaking his head, he forced his thoughts to the present. “So what made you think I’m an adrenaline junkie?”
She nodded at his feet. “The biker boots. And I saw you in the lobby carrying a helmet. I figure you’re a weekend warrior with a Harley. That, and you’re always scanning the room as you talk, plus there’s this undercurrent to you, as if you’re spring-loaded.”
Tony wondered if he’d chosen the right woman to pursue. She was too damn observant for his comfort. Never a good thing in undercover work.
“You’re sharp,” he said.
“Not really. I simply have a talent for finding the one bad boy in every room. You might even call it a curse.”
CHAPTER FOUR
KAT COULDN’T BELIEVE she’d called Tony a bad boy. Or admitted her Achilles’ heel.
She watched out of the corner of her eye as he cut a piece of steak, speared it with his fork and shoveled it into his mouth.
He wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin and asked, “You had this talent long?”
“Since puberty.”
A smile twitched his lips. “I see.”
