Hunted Love (A Dangerous Kind of Love Book 2) (6 page)

Holly crossed her arms. “No kidding. You know what I was doing last year this time. I was at this beautiful winery dating this absolutely gorgeous actor. He surprised me with a dozen roses and a diamond necklace, and then took me on a moonlight carriage ride. It was beautiful and very romantic.”

Emily turned to Sarah with a frown. “What were you doing last Valentine’s Day?”

“I was in New York,” Sarah said coming back out of her daydream. She laid the card back down. “I was the principal dancer in a production of Cinderella.”

Emily’s frown deepened. “You know what I was doing? I was sitting in a greasy diner with a head full of day-old cold bacon grease because the deep fryer at the Pork n’ Beans exploded.”

Sarah pressed her lips close together trying to keep from laughing as an image of Emily covered in bacon grease leapt to her mind. She snorted a little bit and then after a few seconds, both of them erupted in a fit of giggles.

“Well,” Emily said in between giggles, “at least, this time I’m not alone.”

“Or covered in bacon grease,” Sarah added.

“I don’t see what’s so funny about this,” Holly groused. “I don’t know why they couldn’t have hired a catering staff instead of using us. Just the three of us and a bartender for all those people out there,” she said flinging her hand to the door. “They’re just being cheap.” She stood up and started walking to the door.

“Oh well, it could be worse,” Emily said rising to her feet and reaching for her own tray.

Holly slapped her palm against the door and pushed it open. “I don’t see how.”

“We could be missing a sense of humor,” Emily answered in a hushed whisper as the door closed behind the other woman.

“It must be difficult,” Sarah said, “having to work at your own cousin’s birthday party. They could have given her the night off and invited her to the party.”

“They did give her the night off,” Emily said filling her tray with sweets. “They also told her she was welcome to come to the party but Holly got all offended and insisted on working.”

“She’s proud,” Sarah said.

“She’s nuts.” Emily picked up her tray. “Kristen’s as sweet as she can be to her, but Holly acts as though she’s hates the woman. I swear she thinks she’s Cinderella, and Kristen and Phoebe are her evil stepsisters.” She stepped through the doorway and waited for Sarah to join her.

Sarah stopped to let an elderly couple take a flute of champagne before turning back to Emily. “I don’t know why she stays. She’s obviously not happy here.”

“I overheard Nathan say that the only reason Holly is sticking around is because she’s hoping to be in some kind of documentary they’re planning on filming at the pub. She thinks it might lead to more acting opportunities.”

“Are they still going to do it? I thought that TV show thing fell apart after the shooting at the pub.”

“Last I heard, it was back on.” Emily started to say something else but shut her mouth and smiled politely as a group of people descended on her, snapping up what was on her tray like hungry wolves.

Sarah moved past them, down the hall to the foyer and then into the living room. She stopped next to a group of women with empty champagne flutes and held out her tray. They barely looked at her as they exchanged their empty glasses for full ones.

My Funny Valentine
played through the speakers situated throughout the house and Sarah closed her eyes for a moment, pretending for just a moment she was there as a guest, dancing with someone she loved. Dancing with Jamie. As soon as the image appeared in her mind, she roughly pushed it away and opened her eyes. She had to stop thinking about him. It hurt too much.

She started to head to a group near the foyer but stopped when she noticed Kristen standing nearby holding an empty glass in her hand.

Sarah started to move toward her but stopped as a rough looking man, with short, thinning black hair, cruel blue eyes and wearing an expensive suit, suddenly moved in close to Kristen, his fingers trailing along her arm. When she tried to pull her arm away, the man tightened his grip as he leaned in closer.

Concerned, Sarah hurried toward him just as Kristen stiffened, putting her hand against the man’s chest to push him back.

“I thought we could be friends,” she heard Kristen whisper as she approached. “Obviously, I was wrong.”

The man loosened the green silk tie at his throat. The expensive looking gold watch on his wrist sparkled underneath the brass chandelier above. “I don’t want to be your friend, Kristen. I want what we once had.”

“That ended a long time ago. I’m married now and I love my husband. Now let go of me, Wade.”

Sarah started to clear her throat but was distracted as several hands reached out and snatched a few drinks from her tray. She stood still as they traded their empty glasses for full ones, keeping part of her attention on the couple behind her, ready to interrupt if it looked like Kristen needed help.

“You don’t love Nathan,” the man said from somewhere behind her. “I know you, Kristen. You can’t love him. Not like you love me.”

“Nathan is a good man.”

The man snorted. “Unlike me?”

“I love Nathan,” Kristen said, her voice trembling slightly. “He was there when Phoebe and I lost everyone we loved.” Her voice hitched. “When I lost you.”

Sarah turned around with her tray just as the man grabbed Kristen’s arm again.

“You never lost me, Kristen,” he whispered harshly.

“Wade, stop,” Kristen pleaded. Her face blushed as several people nearby looked her way. “People are staring,” she hissed.

Sarah cleared her throat as she moved in close. “Would you like a drink?”

The man dropped his hand from around Kristen’s arm and glanced around uncomfortably as Kristen turned, a smile already plastered to her face. “Yes, thank you, Sarah.” She gave the man a polite nod. “If you would excuse me, Wade, I see an old friend I must talk to. Good night,” she said pointedly.

Wade scowled, his ice blue eyes never leaving Kristen as she quickly moved away from them. He grabbed a champagne flute off the tray and gulped it down in one shot. “Nice save,” he said placing the drink back on the tray. “Did Nathan send you over to keep me away from his wife?”

Before Sarah could answer, Wade stalked off across the room.

“Excuse me, miss,” a deep masculine voice said from behind her.

Sarah turned.

“I’d like—” Brian Shaw, his arm already outstretched and reaching for a glass, paused when he noticed her face. He smiled. “Sorry. May I?” he asked gesturing to the tray.

“Of course, Doctor,” she said.

A dark eyebrow rose. “Doctor?” He glanced down at his suit. “Nope, I’m not wearing scrubs.” He tilted his head to the side. “How did you know I was a doctor?”

Sarah, her heart hammering against her chest, looked over his shoulder, trying to spot Jamie in the crowd of people.

Brian glanced over his shoulder and then back at her with a quizzical look on his handsome face. “Looking for someone in particular?”

Her gaze flew back to him. She straightened her shoulders. “No.”

“Really? Are you sure? Cause it seems like you’re looking for someone.”

“I was just . . . I just thought Jamie might have come with you.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “How do you know . . .” He grinned. “You were awake that night, weren’t you? You should have said something.”

“I didn’t want to interrupt. You two seemed like you had a lot to talk about.”

The smile suddenly fell from his face. “Didn’t your mama teach you that it is rude to eavesdrop? It can get you into a lot of trouble. How much did you hear?”

Before she could answer, Kristen returned and took his arm. “About time you showed up,” she said. “Come on. I want you to meet someone.”

He brushed her arm away. “Oh no, I have told you more than once I don’t want to meet any producer or writer friend of yours. I don’t want to be involved, Kristen.”

“You don’t have to worry,” she said tightly. “The TV show’s been placed on the back burner for the moment.”

“Well, good.”

Kristen’s tilted her head to the side. “Why don’t you want to find Robin’s killer? You don’t believe Jamie killed her. I know you don’t.”

“No, of course not, but I also don’t think some crappy TV show is going to unearth her murderer.”

Kristen tucked a lock of her short dark hair behind her ear. “I agree.”

Brian looked at her in surprise.

“After much thought, Phoebe and I have decided to hold off on the TV show. We don’t have much choice in the matter since they want Jamie involved and no one can find him. Phoebe and I have decided to go a different route.”

Brian stilled. “What do you mean?”

“We’re thinking about hiring a private detective.”

“A private eye,” Brian said with a chuckle.

Kristen narrowed her eyes. “What’s so funny?”

Sarah cleared her throat. “I know a very good private eye that you could use. My sister—”

“Kristen,” Brian interrupted, “you’re wasting your money.”

“It’s my money to waste, Brian,” Kristen said. “Once Jamie comes back—”

“Jamie is not coming back,” Brian said. “Ever. He’s gone, Kristen. You need to accept that.”

“Is he all right?” Sarah asked trying to sound nonchalant but failing. “He is all right, isn’t he? His arm didn’t get infected, did it?”

Kristen looked panicked for a moment. “What are you talking about? What’s wrong with his arm?”

Sarah ignored her, desperately searching Brian’s face for some kind of clue as to how Jamie was. “I mean, you were able to get his fever down, weren’t you?” When Brian didn’t answer right away, she felt her stomach drop as all the worry she had been trying to suppress since she last seen Jamie came bubbling to the surface. “Where did you take him? Where is he?”

Brian closed his eyes as if in pain.

For a moment, Sarah’s heart constricted in her chest and tears sprung to her eyes. “Please tell me that he’s all right. Please.”

“Why wouldn’t he be all right?” Kristen asked sharply, turning her gaze from Sarah to Brian. Kristen wagged her finger at him, her anger growing. “I knew you were lying, Brian. I knew you knew something about Jamie and weren’t telling us.”

Brian reached for Kristen’s hand. “I don’t know—” His eyes widened in surprise as she jerked her hand back and strode across the room toward her husband. “Oh, that’s not good,” he said watching as Kristen and Nathan spoke to each other in low tones. They motioned for Phoebe to join them. Soon all three were staring at Brian with angry and annoyed looks on their faces. “Oh, this is bad. Jamie isn’t going to like this.”

Sarah sagged in relief. For a moment there, when Brian hadn’t answered, she had assumed the worst.

Brian pointed his finger at her. “Just so you know, when this hits the fan, I’m blaming you.” He took a nervous half-step back as Kristen, Phoebe and Nathan descended on him, pulling him out of the living room and towards the library across the foyer.

Sarah winced as the door slammed shut behind them.

*  *  *

An hour later the library door opened and Brian, Phoebe, Nathan and Kristen left, each going their separate ways. It was shortly after that, that Sarah noticed that her and Jamie’s name began popping up in conversations around her. Whenever she tried to get close enough to overhear what was being said, the conversation would stop and change to another subject until she moved on.

Irritated, she searched the downstairs until she found Brian leaning up against the bar in the study talking to two of the pub’s regulars: Danny Dwyer and Mickey something or other. She had never been able to find out Mickey’s full name. Not that it mattered. To everyone, he was known simply as Moose.

She stopped next to them just as Danny and Moose broke out into peals of laughter.

“Oh, come on, Brian,” Moose said, “associating with us isn’t going to kill your career.”

“It’s not going to help it either.” Brian turned to her with a sour expression on his face. “Well, this has been fun,” he whispered cryptically before hurrying away.

She started to follow but found herself sandwiched between Danny and Moose. Danny wrapped an arm around her neck before she could leave, causing a slight shudder of revulsion to course through her body.

“Here’s our good luck charm,” he said drawing her closer to the bar. “I hope you stick around forever.”

Sarah raised her eyebrows, trying not to make a face at the smell of liquor covering him. She ducked her head, gracefully stepping out of his embrace. “Why is that?” she said twirling back around to face him.

Danny held his arm out suspended for a moment before casually letting it drop. “I heard Jamie won’t come back until you leave.” His thin mouth stretched across his thin face, ear to ear in a cruel sort of smile.

Sarah felt a little piece of her heart breaking. She swallowed hard. “That’s ridiculous. Where did you hear that?”

“Brian.” Danny smoothed back an errant strand of red hair on his forehead before reaching for his drink. “He told us that Jamie got shot trying to protect you. Did you really hire that loser to follow you around like some kind of bodyguard?”