About That Man (5 page)

“In a few days with you?” Walker asked.

She gave him a defiant look. “Exactly. Because he knows I care about him. He doesn't even know who you are. Why would you expect him to choose you over me?”

“I guess the gloves are off,” the other newcomer observed with a sigh. “Sis, you're not helping matters.”

Walker grinned as she whirled on the other man.

“Bobby Spencer, you're supposed to be on my side,” she said indignantly.

“I am, always,” he insisted. “And right now you need to keep your mouth shut.”

Fury danced in her eyes. “I most certainly will not.”

Walker grinned. “Don't shut her up. I'm finding her comments enlightening.”

“Enough,” Tucker said firmly. “Let's all settle down and establish what we know. Daisy, when was the last time you saw Tommy?”

“He was finishing his supper when his uncle and Frances arrived. I left him in the kitchen. That was around six.”

“And it's nearly seven now. Why the delay?”

“I had a few questions,” Daisy said defensively.

Bobby rolled his eyes and shot a sympathetic look at Walker.

“How did Tommy feel about meeting his uncle?” the sheriff asked.

“I've already told you. He wasn't happy about it,” she said.

“And I'm sure you did everything you could to see that he felt that way,” Walker said, surprised by the depth of his anger that someone who didn't even know him would try to turn his own nephew against him.

“I did not. I told him he had to give you a chance, that I was sure there was an explanation for why he'd never even heard of you or why you'd never been to visit.”

“Phrased like that, I can see why he'd be anxious to meet me,” Walker snapped.

Daisy Spencer looked exactly the way he imagined a mother tiger would look right before it took on a predator threatening her young. Despite his exasperation with the woman, he couldn't help admiring her fierce protectiveness when it came to Tommy. A part of him was glad that his nephew had someone like that in his corner.

“Shouldn't we stop wasting time hurling accusations and look for Tommy?” Frances suggested mildly. “It'll be dark soon, and I don't like the idea of him being outside all alone once the temperature starts to drop. It gets cold along the river this time of year. And there are the cliffs…” Her voice trailed off, leaving the dire implication unspoken.

“Absolutely,” Tucker agreed. “Frances, you stay right here in case Tommy shows up. Bobby, you go search along the river. I'll go door-to-door here in town. Walker, you and Daisy can drive up and down the streets and along the highway.”

“Together?” Daisy asked as if she'd rather eat worms.

“Yes,” Tucker said in a tone that didn't permit an argument. “Walker doesn't know his way around the area.”

“Fine,” she said. “But I'm driving.”

“Whatever,” Walker agreed, following her to a nice, sedate little sedan that suited her perfectly. No flash and dazzle for this woman. She probably never drove the car over the speed limit.

Her agitation was plain as she started the car, grinding the engine in the process. She threw it into reverse and shot out of her driveway in a way that had even a veteran of high-speed chases clinging to the armrest with a white-knuckled grip. It was the second time today he'd misjudged a woman in this town.

“Don't take out your frustration with me on the car,” he suggested quietly as she skidded around the corner onto another tree-lined street. “Getting us killed won't help anyone, least of all Tommy.”

“Oh, go to hell,” she snapped. “This is all your fault.”

“You'll have to explain that one to me.”

“It just is.”

Walker bit back a grin. “Now there's a rational bit of logic. How very female.”

She slammed on the brakes so hard, he almost banged his head on the windshield. When he'd recovered, he turned to find her staring straight ahead with what might have been tears glistening on her cheeks.

“I'm sorry,” she said so softly he almost didn't hear her.

“What? I thought I heard you apologizing.”

“Don't let it go to your head,” she retorted.

“Maybe we ought to start over. I don't think we understand each other's point of view here.”

“Probably not,” she conceded with a sigh. “It's just that Tommy means a lot to me. I don't want to see him hurt.”

“Believe it or not, Ms. Spencer, neither do I.”

She finally turned to face him. “Since it looks like it's going to be a long night, maybe you ought to call me Daisy.”

Walker chuckled. “I always prefer to be on a first-name basis when I'm spending the night with a woman.”

“Yes, I imagine you do.”

He was pretty sure he saw a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. It wouldn't do to focus on that, though. He had the feeling that thinking about those lips could get him into a whole lot of trouble.

“How well do you know Tommy?” he asked instead.

“Better the last few days, but even before that, he and I had a certain rapport. He was in my Sunday school class. He has an irreverent attitude that reminds me of the way I always longed to be when I was his age. Because of that I let him get away with quite a lot.” A full-fledged smile spread across her face. “I suppose this is payback for that leniency.”

Walker seized on the hint of wistfulness in her voice when she talked about yearning to rebel. “Somehow I can't envision you ever having a rebellious streak.”

“You'd have to talk to my brothers and my father, then. They could tell you. Especially Tucker. He knows exactly how many times I came really, really close to trying to break free of my father.”

“But you never did it?”

“Not until now,” she confessed with obvious regret. “Well, my moving into town put his nerves on edge, but he got over that.”

“And what have you done recently?”

“I took in Tommy. Believe me, it has my father in an uproar, though he hasn't shown his face around here
himself. He's sent everybody else to do his dirty work. I'm sure Tucker and Bobby showing up tonight was no accident. That pie they were carrying came straight from my father's kitchen. They were probably here with yet another lecture on how I'm trying to ruin my life.”

“By taking in a little boy?”

“A little boy who tried to steal my jewelry,” she said.

This was the first Walker had heard about any jewelry being taken. His gut clenched at the thought. “Tommy tried to steal your jewelry?”

Her expression fell. “Damn, me and my big mouth. Yes, he tried to take it. He intended to sell it to get money for food in case I wouldn't let him stay.”

“But you caught him?”

“Actually, Tucker caught him. It was incredibly inconvenient since it only added fuel to the fire, but I managed to assure them both that it would not, under any circumstances, happen again. I think Tommy got the message.”

Walker sighed. “I hope you're right,” he said, envisioning his nephew well on his way to a life of crime.

“Tommy is not a thief,” Daisy said, as if she'd read his mind.

“What would you call it?”

“He's scared and he's acting out.”

“Stealing is stealing, no matter the reason. Don't make excuses for him.”

“Spoken like a true cop.”

“I
am
a cop.”

“That doesn't mean you can't make allowances for circumstances.”

“Making allowances is the reason petty thieves turn into career criminals.”

“Tommy doesn't need a hard-liner in his life. He needs someone with a little compassion.”

Walker shook his head. Daisy's soft-hearted, do-gooder nature had just come out into the open. The woman was too naive for her own good. He'd met a hundred others just like her, always eager to defend the juvenile offender as being “just a kid.”

He was tempted to enlighten her with a few stories of kids who'd been let off too easy by the courts, only to turn right around and commit the kind of serious crimes that gave the justice system a bad name. She wouldn't get it, though. She wouldn't give a hoot about
those
kids, when they were talking about Tommy.

“Maybe we should just concentrate on finding my nephew,” he said finally. “And agree to disagree about the rest of it.”

“Maybe we should,” she concurred, though she looked oddly disappointed.

He studied her speculatively. “Unless you'd rather argue about it some more.”

She grinned. “And waste my breath? I don't think so.”

“So, where do you think Tommy might be hiding?”

“Could be anywhere,” she said with a shrug. “Just about every house in this area has some kind of garage or toolshed in back. And a lot of them have docks on the river with boats tied up. Tommy's fascinated with boats.”

“Would he steal one?”

She looked taken aback, but she considered the question before shaking her head. “I don't think so. Not with night coming on, anyway.”

“Okay, then, what about those cliffs Mrs. Jackson mentioned? Are they dangerous?”

“They're clay and they're slippery, but I doubt Tommy would be anywhere near them. Frances just said that to get all of us moving.”

“Why don't you think he's headed in that direction?”

“Because the cliffs are at the state park miles away from here. Trinity Harbor has nice sandy beaches. The only danger to Tommy there would be catching a chill if he were foolish enough to go in the river.”

“You're not really worried about him, are you?” he guessed.

“Not especially. Trinity Harbor is a safe place. Tucker sees to it.”

“Then why the ruckus back at your house?”

“I think my brothers and Frances just wanted to get us out from underfoot so they could decide what's best for Tommy without our input.”

“And we're supposed to live with whatever they decide?” Walker asked incredulously.

“Not me,” Daisy said at once. “I'm rebelling, remember?”

Walker chuckled. “And doing a darn fine job of it, I might add.”

“Thank you.” She slanted a look his way. “I really do love Tommy, you know.”

“I know,” Walker said. “And I just want the chance to get to know my sister's son. I don't have any idea what's best or how this is going to work out.”

“You'll keep an open mind, then?” she asked.

Her eyes were shining with what he guessed to be hope, though he couldn't begin to interpret exactly what she was wishing for or why. “If you will,” he agreed.

She nodded slowly. “I can do that.”

Walker held out his hand. “Then we have a deal.”

But Daisy evidently wasn't satisfied with a handshake. She stopped the car and, before he realized what she intended, slid across the seat and gave him a fierce hug.

Walker froze at the feel of her soft curves pressing into him, at the whisper of her breath against his cheek. The latter meant those incredibly tempting lips of hers were too close to be ignored. He turned and without taking the time to think about what was smart or right or anything else, he kissed her.

And realized belatedly that he'd just slammed smack into more danger than he ever had on the streets of D.C.

“M
aybe we'd better go back,” Daisy whispered, when she could finally unscramble her thoughts after Walker had ended that totally unexpected, mind-boggling kiss. Nobody had ever kissed sensible Daisy Spencer with such total abandon, such wicked hunger. She was too stunned to even contemplate lecturing him on the inappropriateness of his behavior. In fact, she was wondering if she could get him to kiss her again.

Bad idea, her remaining functioning brain cell announced. “We definitely need to go back,” she said more emphatically. “Besides, we've been driving around for two solid hours, and there hasn't been a sign of Tommy. Maybe the others are having better luck.”

“Yeah, good idea,” he said, barely sparing her a glance.

To Daisy he sounded a little too eager. She found it vaguely insulting. Not that she intended to let him see it. She wasn't going to let him think for a second that she was some inexperienced country girl who could be shaken by a simple kiss.

“Well?” he prodded when she still hadn't started the engine. “Are we going back or not? My gut's starting to tell
me that if Tommy felt safe with you, then he didn't wander that far off. He's probably hiding close by.”

“Probably.”

She was very proud that she managed to get the response out without sounding breathless. Obviously they weren't going to talk about the kiss, she concluded with a sigh. She certainly didn't want to focus on it. At least he hadn't apologized and listed a litany of regrets, even if his expression indicated he wasn't at all pleased with the turn of events between them. She could leave it alone, too. She could pretend that nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Or at least she thought she could. The fact that she hadn't risked touching the keys for fear he'd see how badly her hands were shaking indicated she wasn't as cool and calm as she wanted Walker to believe. And the longer they sat there, the worse it got. Darkness had fallen, making the atmosphere in the car just a little too cozy, a little too intimate. The tension sizzling between them wasn't going to go away, which meant it needed to be addressed.

She took a deep breath, then blurted out, “Look, you don't have to be embarrassed. I mean, it was just a kiss. No big deal, right?”

“Right,” he said flatly.

Clearing the air apparently wasn't going to be the snap she'd hoped. Her nerves were still jumpy; his expression was still insultingly grim. She plunged in one more time. “I've been kissed before. I'm sure you have been, too. And I suppose I started it with that hug. I was just so relieved that you were willing to meet me halfway on this.”

He turned then and scowled at her. “Daisy, will you
please let it drop? Maybe it shouldn't have, but it happened. It's over. Forget about it.”

She blinked rapidly at the irritation in his voice. “Of course, yes, I can do that,” she said. With a great deal of concentration, she managed to keep her hand steady as she started the car.

In fact, she even kept her mouth shut until they turned the corner to her block. Then she decided that she couldn't go the rest of the way home without trying one more time to address the ridiculous tension between them. If they walked into the house like this, her brothers would know in an instant that something had happened. For men, they were way more intuitive than they should have been. She'd learned early never to hint by so much as a down-turned mouth that a date had gone badly. Otherwise Tucker and Bobby would threaten to take on the boy who'd hurt her. Billy Inscoe was practically the only boy she'd known that they hadn't scared off. Maybe that was why she'd thought herself in love with him, because he hadn't been intimidated by her brothers.

At any rate, fearing Tucker and Bobby might not have outgrown the habit, she slammed to a stop and cut the lights and the engine, then turned and glowered at Walker.

“That kiss was an impulse, Detective. Nothing more. I'm sure you regret it. So do I. It won't happen again.”

“I know that,” he said emphatically, frowning right back at her. He gestured toward her house. “Why don't we just get back there and see if anyone else has had any luck finding Tommy?”

“You don't deal well with your emotions, do you?” she asked irritably. “I noticed that earlier when we were talking about your sister. You got all stiff and uncomfortable, just the way you are now.”

“Maybe because you were beating the subject to death, just the way
you
are now.”

“It's an interrogation technique,” she said. “Tucker told me. Surely you're familiar with it.”

His lips twitched ever so slightly. “I am, which is why it doesn't work well on me. I get annoyed.”

“I'll try to remember that. I just didn't want Tucker or Bobby to get the idea that you and I have been…” She hesitated, then said, “Arguing. They're very protective.”

Walker's lips twitched. “Your brothers don't scare me. I think I can take care of myself.”

“Okay, then,” she said, forcing herself to let the subject drop. An instant later she faced him as another worrisome issue occurred to her. “You're not going to yell at Tommy for running off, are you?”

His level gaze met hers. “Are you?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why would you assume I might? I do understand what it's like to be a kid and to be scared.”

Daisy was surprised by the admission. “I can't imagine you being scared of anything.”

“Because you don't know me. I wish you'd try to remember that.”

Daisy doubted she could forget it if she wanted to. The kiss might have been a rare display of intimacy, but he hadn't let her into his head or into his heart, not for one single second since they'd met.

Sighing, she put the car into gear and drove the rest of the way down the block, pulling into the driveway next to Tucker's sport-utility vehicle.

“Not much sign of activity,” Walker observed as they left the car.

Just then they heard laughter from the backyard.

“It sounds more like a party,” Daisy said, leading the way around the side of the house. She stopped abruptly at the sight that greeted her.

Her brothers, Frances and Tommy were all sprawled in lawn chairs on the deck facing the river, empty pie plates beside them. Tucker was pointing out some of the constellations visible in the velvet-black sky. Their not-a-care-in-the-world demeanor irked her as much as anything that had happened all day, which was saying something.

“Having fun?” she inquired tartly.

Four pairs of guilty eyes turned her way.

“You might have let us know that Tommy was safe,” she said peevishly.

“You didn't take your cell phone,” Bobby pointed out mildly. “We had no way to get in touch with you.”

“Somebody could have gotten in a car and come after us,” she said, regarding Tucker accusingly. “I'm sure someone could have spotted us since the streets around here are practically deserted at this time of night.”

“The point is that Tommy is back,” Tucker responded quietly, refusing to rise to the bait. He turned to Tommy. “Son, this is your uncle, Walker Ames.”

The introduction brought on a heavy silence. Daisy watched as the boy warily eyed Walker. Neither of them budged an inch. In fact, Walker looked a little shell-shocked. Finally, after a firm nudge by her elbow, he crossed the deck and hunkered down beside Tommy.

“You look just like your mother,” he said softly, a hint of wonder and sorrow in his voice. “Same eyes, same hair, same smile. I noticed that in the picture Mrs. Jackson showed me earlier.”

Tommy's expression remained sullen. “So?”

“It's just that it makes me realize how very much I missed her,” Walker said.

“Then how come you never came to see us?” Tommy demanded.

“Because she didn't tell me where she was and I couldn't find her.”

“Like you really tried,” Tommy scoffed.

“One day, if you like, I'll show you a file with every single thing I did, every place I searched,” Walker offered. “Your mom was my baby sister. I never wanted anything bad to happen to her.”

“Well, something bad did happen,” Tommy shouted, jumping up. “She died! Just like my dad, only I never even knew him. My mom was all I had and she's dead. Now I got nobody.”

“That's not true,” Daisy protested, taking a step toward him.

Before she could reach him, he scrambled away from Walker, skirted around her and ran into the house, letting the screen door slam closed behind him.

“I'll go after him,” she said at once, heartbroken for both of them.

“No,” Bobby said. “Let me. You stay here with Frances and Walker and work things out. You all have a lot of tough decisions to make.”

Daisy reluctantly agreed. Her younger brother had a way with kids. Maybe it would be best to let an unbiased third party try to calm Tommy down.

As Bobby went inside, Tucker stood and gave Walker's shoulder a squeeze. “How about a beer?”

His expression numb, Walker nodded. “Sounds great. I'll come with you.”

That left Daisy alone with Frances.

“I'm sorry about accusing you of trying to hide Tommy,” Frances said eventually. “You know how fond I am of you, but I have a job to do.”

“It doesn't matter. We were all upset. We all said some things we shouldn't have,” Daisy conceded. “Where did you find him, by the way?”

“Tucker found him hiding in Madge Jessup's toolshed. She said she'd heard noises out there earlier, but thought it was a raccoon. Tommy was sitting on the riding mower eating a peanut butter sandwich when Tucker checked it out. He swore he'd planned to come back as soon as he knew his uncle and I were gone.”

Daisy sighed. “What a mess. What do we do now?”

“I'm going to try to convince Walker to stay here for a few more days so that he and Tommy can get to know each other. Then we'll see. It's obvious that they can't be united overnight. Neither of them is ready for that.”

A few more days might be the reprieve they all needed. “Do you think he'll agree?” Daisy asked.

“I don't know. And I don't know what to make of the man. What do
you
think?”

An hour ago Daisy would have guessed that Walker Ames would tear out of Trinity Harbor at the first opportunity, but that was before she'd seen the look on his face when he got his first glimpse of his nephew. “I think he'll agree,” she said at last. “He might not be happy about it, but he knows in his heart he owes it to his sister.”

“Agree to what?” Walker asked as he and Tucker came back outside.

“To stay a few more days,” Frances said. “And don't tell me about your job. I'm sure under the circumstances, they could spare you through the weekend. The crime will still be there when you get back.”

“Exactly what my boss said when I spoke to him not five minutes ago,” Walker said. “It seems I'm not indispensable after all.”

Daisy didn't like the way her pulse kicked up at his announcement. She was pretty sure the reaction didn't have a thing to do with Tommy's best interests.

“You're welcome to stay here,” she said impulsively.

His gaze clashed with hers, and for a moment the air sizzled with more of that astonishing electricity. Then he shook his head. “Bad idea.”

“I agree,” Frances said.

“But you're the one who said he and Tommy need time to get to know one another,” Daisy protested. “What better way than if they're under the same roof?”

“Yes, but they'll also need some space. And frankly it won't help if half the town is gossiping about you having a stranger living with you. Somebody will want to make something of it, and you'll be left to live it down.”

“He could stay at Cedar Hill,” Tucker suggested slyly. “There are plenty of rooms to spare over there.”

“Absolutely not,” Daisy said fiercely, scowling at her brother. She knew exactly what he was up to. She could just imagine Walker being subjected to an endless diatribe from her father, probably followed by an attempt to bribe him into taking Tommy away from her.

“What's Cedar Hill?” Walker asked, regarding her curiously.

“My family's home, still ruled by the indomitable
King Spencer,” she explained. “Trust me, you do not want to go there.”

He grinned. “I don't know. You're making it sound like a challenge.”

“My father is a trial, not a challenge.”

Tucker's eyes flashed with amusement. “Trying to keep them apart, Daisy? What are you afraid of?”

“You know perfectly well that Daddy will try to stick his nose in and manipulate this so it works out the way he wants it to.”

“You're not giving me much credit,” Walker said.

“You are no match for my father,” she insisted. “I don't want you anywhere near him.”

“He doesn't matchmake, does he?” Walker asked with a deliberately exaggerated shudder.

“With a Yankee? Heaven forbid,” Daisy said.

“Then I don't see the problem.”

“She's afraid our father will have you and Tommy reunited and out of town before daybreak,” Tucker explained. “No matter how he has to accomplish it.”

A teasing glint appeared in Walker's eyes. “Which one of us are you most afraid of losing?” he inquired.

Daisy could feel heat climbing into her cheeks. She hadn't blushed this much in years, if ever. She avoided glancing at her brother or Frances before she said quite firmly, “Tommy, of course.”

A grin spread across Walker's face. “Of course.”

“Am I missing something here?” Tucker inquired, his brotherly antennae clearly on full alert.

“Nothing,” Daisy said sharply. “Not one damn thing. You all settle this however you want to. Walker can sleep on the ground for all I care. I'm going to say good-night
to Tommy, and then I am going to bed. Breakfast's at eight, Detective. If you're still in town then.”