Blaze: A Texas Heat Novel (8 page)

Donavan seated Emerson by the bay window draped with white Christmas lights. They ordered glasses of Chardonnay, a creamy lobster bisque and tender Kobe steak.

Emerson dressed with care in a knock out little black dress that hugged her every curve. Her strawberry blond curls tumbled over her bare shoulders. She crossed her legs demurely and wore a pair of crystal and black heels. Several men followed her with their eyes, openly gaping. Donavan drew equal feminine attention. He wore all black. It set off his blond hair, chiseled face and blue eyes to perfection.

Emerson told herself to relax, have a good time, even though this was going nowhere. She couldn’t shake the suspicion that Harper had feelings for him. If there was the slightest possibility, Emerson wasn’t going to break her girl code. No way could she betray her friend. She took a sip of wine and nearly choked. Dylan sat several tables away. His narrowed eyes blazing. She stared back defiantly. If he didn’t want her permanently then he could just go suck it! Her bravado lasted until she noticed the stunning icy blond sitting next to him. She looked like a Victoria Secret model. Her rippling platinum hair draped over her fake tanned shoulders and naked back. The red dress she wore left little to the imagination. Her boobs looked perky, her waist flat and toned. Her legs long, shapely and golden.

Emerson instantly felt ridiculous. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t compete with a woman who looked like she just stepped out of the pages of
Vogue Magazine
. Emerson felt the pain to the core of her being. Donavan took her hand in his.

“Hey, he’s being an idiot.”

Emerson bit her lip. “Am I that transparent?”

“Only when it comes to him,” Donavan said.

“Why did you ask me out?” Emerson asked miserably.

“Because you’re sweet, pretty and I knew it would piss Dylan off.”

Emerson took a long sip of wine. “You’re wrong, he doesn’t want me.”

Donavan grinned wickedly. “Let’s put that to the test shall we?”

He kissed the back of her hand. “Whoa! What are you doing?”

He scooted his chair closer, kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear. From a distance they looked intimate. Emerson nearly yelped when he place a hand on her knee. Dylan stood up. For a moment, Emerson felt a flare of hope.

Until Dylan clinked a glass and announced. “Doctor Lea Saint James has just agreed to marry me!” The gorgeous young woman held up her hand for all to see. A five carat diamond winked from her ring finger. All the diners clapped. Women exclaimed delight and envy, sounds of oh, ah, wow, filled the dining room as Lea displayed her blinding ring. The piano man played
Here
Comes the Bride
. The Maître de rushed over with a bottle of complimentary champagne. People took out cell phones and snapped pictures of the happy couple.

Donavan took one look at Emerson’s pale, ashen face and squeezed her hand. “Oh God Em, I’m so sorry.”

She felt dizzy, hot, freezing cold.

“Breathe,” Donavan urged.

Emerson felt as if the heartbreak would kill her. She loved Dylan so much she ached just looking at him. Right now, she couldn’t bear to be in the same room with him. She gripped her hands together to keep from visibly trembling.

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Donavan said.

Before they could move, Andy, a local paramedic, pulled up a chair.

“Sorry to be a buzz kill but I need to talk to both of you.”

Emerson tore her eyes away from Dylan and his fiancé. Donavan raised an eyebrow.

“It’s about Harper, something ain’t right with her.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying for years,” Donavan grumbled.

“Maybe I was wrong about you,” Andy said, “But I thought beneath all that hostility – you care.”

Donavan went very still. He didn’t deny it. Andy nodded.

“She’s afraid of something or someone.”

Every muscle in Donavan’s body tensed.

Emerson paled. “What makes you think-”

“I was an Army Medic for three years, when I was deployed in Iraq, I saw a lot of things I’d rather forget. I know men who saw combat that were never the same. They had a haunted look, like they’ve seen the worst in humanity. Sometimes Harper has that look, like post-traumatic stress.”

Donavan shook his head. “You’re imagining things, Harper comes from a great family and as far as I know, she hasn’t had a serious boyfriend.”

He looked swiftly at Emerson as if to confirm this. “No, she hasn’t.”

“Believe me that girl can hold her own,” Donavan said briskly, “We didn’t call her Amazon back in high school for nothing.”

Andy leaned forward. His boyish face lined with worry. He glanced about, making sure they weren’t overheard.

“What I’m about to say doesn’t leave this table,” he whispered, “Agreed?”

Donavan and Emerson nodded. Andy swallowed hard as if he were trying mightily to keep his composure.

“The other day we were restocking the rig, we were low on IV tubing. Harper kneeled down and I saw,” he closed his eyes for a moment, “She had bruises at the base of her spine.”

Donavan didn’t move an inch. Emerson blanched. “M-Maybe she fell.”

Harper didn’t have a clumsy bone in her body. “No,” Andy said, “I’ve seen enough injuries to know what a kidney punch looks like.”

Blood drained from Donavan’s face. Emerson blinked back tears.

“I think she’s in trouble,” Andy said, “She won’t talk to me, I hope you two might have better luck.”

Emerson pat his hand, like Donavan, she was incapable of speech. Long after Andy left an awful silence settle between them.

Donavan leveled a piercing blue gaze on her that could’ve pulverized rock. “Tell me what you know.”

Emerson squirmed under his relentless scrutiny.

“Emerson,” his voice lashed out, “What.do.you.know?”

She gulped. “I-I don’t want to betray my friend’s confidence.”

Donavan’s big muscled body had the stillness of a snake about to strike. Gone was the charming date. He was every bit the law enforcement officer now. “Make no mistake,” he growled, “I’m going to find the son of a bitch who hurt her, break every bone in his body and ram them down his throat.”

Emerson stared at him for a long moment then she made her decision. “You’ve heard of Doctors without Borders?”

“Yeah, the physicians who go overseas to third world countries to treat the poor?” he said.

“There’s an underground organization like that here in the US but the medical personal treat people who fall through the cracks of the system – the poor, homeless, uninsured, the undocumented immigrants.”

Donavan leaned back in his chair as comprehension dawned. “So Harper is a part of this network?”

“Yes, she goes into slums and rundown neighborhoods in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.”

“You go with her group to feed the homeless there, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

Donavan grunted in admiration. “I could ring your necks, do you know how dangerous-”

“We all have concealed carry permits, I have a Smith and Wesson Revolver, Harper has a Glock and we wear bullet proof vests.”

That they’d have a need for that level of protection made Donavan pale.

“We work in pairs, no one wanders off alone.”

“Do you think she sustained these injuries by someone she tried to help?” he asked.

“No,” Emerson said, “I would’ve heard, besides, Harper would bury anyone who dared.”

Donavan’s jaw clenched. “Then the assailant was someone she knows, it’s personal.”

Something flickered in Emerson’s eyes. She quickly looked away. Donavan pounced.

“What?”

She shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

“Spit it out.”

“I promised never to tell.”

“What if he does it again?” Donavan growled. “He hit hard enough to leave bruises.”

Emerson couldn’t bear the thought of anyone hurting her friend.

“It’s common knowledge that Harper was adopted.”

Donavan nodded. Everyone knows that. “The Grants are good people. If you’re insinuating that Carl Grant would ever hurt her-”

“No! Her parents are wonderful, she adores them.”

“Then what the hell?”

Emerson bit her lip. “Harper was adopted from the foster care system.”

Donavan frowned. “No, she came from an orphanage up north.”

“Mister Grant didn’t want her to have the stigma of being from the system. His sister is a social worker at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. She knew her brother and his wife desperately wanted a child so she helped them adopt-”

“Wait, back up,” Donavan glared at Emerson, “What does this have to do with Harper?”  

“Her biological father put her in the hospital.”

Donavan blanched. “No,” the denial tore from him.

Emerson nodded miserably.

Years on the police force, Donavan saw his share of monsters that hurt children. The thought of Harper having someone in her life who could do something like that pained him beyond bearing.

“How old was she?”

“Five or six.”

Donavan cursed under his breath. “Why didn’t she tell me?”

“You were too busy fighting.”

“You think the bastard tracked her down after all these years?”

Emerson shuddered. “I hope not, but who else would do this?”

Donavan unfolded his tall, muscular body and rose to his feet. “I’m sorry, I have to go.” Find her. The words were left unspoken. Emerson understood. She took his hand in hers and squeezed. “Go help our girl.” He nodded and left.

Emerson felt numb all over. Between Dylan’s engagement and fear for Harper, it was the worst night of her life. She left the restaurant and the new couple behind. She sat in her car for a long time, just devastated, with a death grip on the steering wheel, she cried until her ribs were sore.

Susie Q and Penny May did a live update from town square.

“Mayor Dylan Chambers won his re-election campaign. It was a tough loss for Mr. Jessup Baldwin, esquire.”

Penny twirled her silver ringlets. “If you need a shoulder to cry on, my number is 512-377-SASS.”

“Really?” Susie Q glared at her twin, who was younger by fifty-two seconds.

Penny May put her hand to her ear like a phone and said without sound, “Call me!”

“In other news,” Susie Q said as she adjusted her stiff girdle. “Mayor Chambers got engaged last night to heiress Lea Saint James.”

“Lucky gal, he’s a cutie patootie,” Penny May chimed in.

“Right you are, Penny May, it’ll be the wedding of the year, bar none. Don’t forget the shindig for our girl, Nell Riley and war hero Arthur Hickman.”

“Ooo can’t wait for that wedding sister,” Penny May said, “If there’s any vets in attendance, I’ll help you raise your flag pole if you know what I mean.”

“Are you kidding me?” Susie Q asked.

“If you have your own teeth and a large life insurance policy, I’m your girl.”

Susie Q glared at her sibling. She looked back at the camera and flashed a smile. “This is Penny May and Susie Q and you’re up to date, happy sunrise!”

Chapter 12

Dylan stood on the veranda staring out at nothing. His twenty year plan was right on track. With this political win, a committee flew in from Washington. They were vetting him for the governor race in two years. His campaign manager did a victory dance followed by a fist pump. Jordan began a war room strategy and new campaign staff hunt for the state race.

Grandmother Menerva grunted her approval. According to her chart projections a Chambers would be president of the United States in twenty years or less. They would be a political dynasty. Menerva had Kennedy, Camelot, American royal family ambitions. The Chambers men had the Ivy League education, political savvy, vast wealth, power, influence and handsome looks to pull it off.

Dylan knew the expectations were high, the pressure to deliver – tremendous, he couldn’t let his family down. Generations were depending on him, the family legacy at stake. He had to stick to the plan. And yet, his heart felt so heavy.

Emerson…

Visceral pain cut him to the bone. His twenty year plan felt bleak without her. He never meant to hurt her, didn’t know how to make it right. He certainly wasn’t proud of the way he treated her. Dylan sighed heavily.

“That bad, huh?” Ava joined her son on the veranda. She pointed out the staff preparing for the wedding. White folded chairs were angled to face the ornate gazebo, decorated with flowers and ribbons. Staff put the finishing touches on a reception tent with Christmas lights.

“So sweet of you to have a local wedding here,” Ava said.

Dylan shrugged. “It’s the least I could do, Arthur Hickman stormed the beaches of Normandy in World War II, helped liberate concentration camps, not to mention all he does for the homeless. He deserves any help I can offer.”

Ava stared at his stubborn profile. “Does she know you’re in love with her?”

They weren’t talking about his fiancé. Dylan didn’t pretend to be ignorant of it. “No,” he said.

Last night, it took every ounce of self-control not to lunge for Donavan’s throat when he touched Emerson. He couldn’t publically humiliate Lea by giving into the burning jealousy that tore his guts out.

“Are you going to tell her?” Ava persisted.

Dylan gave his mom a sideways glance.

“This matters to you, why?”

“Dyl, I want you to be happy. I want you to have a real marriage.”

“Unlike you?” he regretted the question as soon as he said it. His mother blanched.

“Mom, I’m sorry.” He reached for her.

She shrank away from his touch, wounded. “It doesn’t matter anymore,” she whispered.

Dylan mentally kicked himself for being so insensitive.
Way to go Chambers!
“Forgive me, please.”

Ava smiled faintly. “I’m okay.” Clearly she wasn’t. Ava rolled out of bed looking like Malibu Barbie. Dylan noticed, she hardly wore make up, her blond hair, usually stiff with hairspray in an elegant bun was loose in a ponytail. Her usual wardrobe of sleek designer suits and stripper heels was replaced with a hoodie, jeans and cowboy boots.

Dylan frowned. “Mom, what’s going on?”

“I’m divorcing your father.”

Dylan’s jaw dropped. “Why now?”