Chapter 1 Read online

  After I demonstrated with Blanco, Nick did the same with Noche, moving the treat in front of his nose, gently pulling Noche’s collar until he was also down. “Good boy,” Nick said, patting him gingerly on the head.

  “Good job, Nick!” I said, thinking he might be of help after all.

  “That’s mean.” Carmen whined like Noche. “Choking him like that.”

  “It’s not mean, and he’s not choking. If he does what Nick wants him to, then he’ll get a reward. Does Berto get paid if he doesn’t do his job? Or Ramón?” I added.

  “Or you?” Carmen asked.

  Her unfair remark caused me to draw back, but I didn’t take the bait.

  Nick, who’d been squatting next to Noche, stood up, towering over Carmen. “You’re way out of line,” he said, his words clipped. “Julie’s doing everything she can to help you, and you’ve resisted her at every turn.”

  Carmen’s face puckered at the reprimand. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” I said quickly. Wow. Talk about an alpha. Nick had just assumed the position of leader in our little pack. Was it possible he might be a white knight after all?

  I looked up to see Berto peering at us from behind a tree. Judging by the look on his face, he wasn’t impressed with our little dog school. When he caught my eye, he stiffened, then tried to cover up his snooping by reaching up and grabbing a branch, pretending to examine the foliage.

  Nick spotted him and called out. “Hey, Berto! Want to watch Julie in action?”

  I cringed at the thought of one more man watching me “perform.”

  “Just checking for oak wilt,” Berto replied.

  He was lying. The tree was definitely a magnolia.

  ****

  Since Nick had helped with the dogs, I now had to fulfill my deal with the devil and fly with him. That meant facing my dislike of small planes, plus once again having to fight the spell he was casting over me. I took a quick shower, and Nick whisked me away to the airport, telling Carmen he’d see to my lunch.

  I hated takeoffs, but once we were in the air, I felt calmer. When I finally opened my eyes, I could tell Nick was really in his element from the euphoric look on his face.

  “You love this, don’t you?” I asked.

  “Nothing like it. Soaring above the cares of the world. Feeling free.”

  “Don’t start feeling too free. I wouldn’t want you to forget to move an important flap or something.”

  He chuckled as if I’d said something funny. “So you’re also a back-seat driver. You ever think you might have control issues? Maybe you’d feel better if you were the pilot.” He looked over at me and grinned.

  “Ha. No way I’d ever fly a plane.”

  “Take hold of the yoke.” He pointed to the odd-shaped steering wheel on my side of the cockpit. “It’s okay. I’m a flight instructor.”

  I thought of my father and the trips our family used to take, but I was always seated in the back. Then his accident…I closed my eyes…trying to forget.

  “You can do it.”

  At first I hesitated, but the yoke looked like little arms reaching up, beckoning me to hold them. I reached out and grasped each one.

  “I’ve got you covered over here,” Nick said. “I’ve trimmed for straight and level. Relax your grip. Hold it loosely. Keep your wings level with the horizon.”

  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  “Good, now let’s try a slow turn.”

  I followed his instructions, and the plane banked to the right.

  “See, now you’re making her do what you want.”

  “Her?” I asked. “The plane’s a female?”

  “Just a manner of speaking. You know, like ships.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  So women are like planes. A mere touch of Nick Worthington’s hands and they soar. I was more likely to go into a tailspin, crash, and burn. I needed to avoid another romantic nosedive. “That’s enough. You take over,” I said, though he’d never really given me full control at all.

  We flew in a comfortable silence after that, Nick somewhere in the clouds, me in my own private hell. Wanting him, but knowing better. I stole a glance from time to time, pretending to look at cloud formations. His hands looked strong and competent, but they’d been gentle when he held me, kissed me. Stop it! I told myself. Once we landed, my side of the bargain would be fulfilled. Then maybe he’d go back wherever he came from. I was only human, after all. I also planned to think up an excuse not to have lunch with him.

  I looked at my watch. We’d been gone over two hours, and we were still headed in the same direction best I could tell. I should be back working with the dogs. Now.

  My reverie was broken when the plane began a bumpy descent. The terrain below looked different somehow. And in the distance, I could see several large planes landing and taking off.

  “Where are we?” I leaned over and looked down. “This doesn’t look like the Waco airport.”

  “I told Carmen I was going to feed you before I brought you home.”

  “I’m not sure I’ll have time. I’ve got another session with the dogs later this afternoon. Where are we?”

  “Ever been to New Orleans?” He pronounced it Nwahlins, like a native.

  I bristled at his insinuation. “You think I’ve never been out of Big A, right?” When he didn’t answer, I clarified for him. “You think I’m some vet tech who’s never been out of Abilene, right?” His gigawatt smile could have powered runway lighting.

  “Welcome to the Big Easy, lady.”

  Big Easy, Big Apple, Big D, Big A—you name it, I’d been there. Big, or not so big, they were just towns, and I saw no glamour attached to having been to any of them.

  Soon we were on the ground and Nick was opening the door to a rental car and waving me in. I didn’t try to disguise my irritation. The moment he seated himself behind the wheel, I began to lecture. “I don’t like surprises. You of all people should know I don’t have time for this. You were the one who kept telling me how important it was to get those dogs trained. And you never said anything about flying out of town.”

  He adjusted the rearview mirror and turned the key. “Fasten your seat belt. It’s only for a few hours. I promise I’ll have you back well before sundown.”

  He reached over to pat my hand, but I jerked it away. “Sundown comes at nine o’clock this time of year! I need to be back way before then.”

  Nick navigated the traffic around the airport with ease. “Relax. We’re in one of the most romantic, laid-back cities in the world. We’ll be back in plenty of time for you to work with the dogs.”

  I shot him a look of disapproval. “I’m not dressed for this.” Then I looked down at my jeans and over at his jeans and realized I didn’t have a boot-cut leg to stand on.

  When he reached over and placed his hand on my thigh, I thought my jeans would surely ignite. “You look mighty fine to me.”

  I might as well have stuck my finger in a light socket considering the surge of electricity that shot through me. Inside I moaned, but my sense of self-preservation prevailed. It took all my willpower to pluck that hand off my thigh and return it to its owner.

  “Better keep an eye on the road.” I took a deep breath and held it till I was even dizzier. “Dangerous. Lots of traffic.”

  Nick merely smiled, turned on the radio, and hummed along with some song I’d never heard.

  I fished in my purse for some lip gloss and smeared it on. “Will you tell me now why we’re here?” Best I could tell, we were headed for the French Quarter.

  “It’s a surprise.”

  “I told you I don’t like surprises.”

  “I thought women loved surprises.”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not like most women.”

  This time he didn’t look at me, just lifted a brow. “Oh, that I have noticed.”

  A few minutes later, he was pulling into the parking garage of a large hotel. When he killed the engine, I
reached for the door handle. As long as we were here, I was hungry and ready to eat.

  “Wait here. I’ll be right back.” Then he was gone. We were in covered parking, but it was still hot. I opened the door for some air. Other than running after him, which I was not about to do, I had no choice but to wait. Where had he gone? Surely he wasn’t renting a room. I thought about it some more and decided that wasn’t his style. Men like Nick could afford to wait until women begged. For him, it was all about the chase, the conquest.

  I looked at my watch. Five minutes had passed. I hated waiting, especially with nothing to do but stare at a concrete wall. I rummaged in my purse for the paperback I’d been reading, but it wasn’t there. Damn. Then I remembered leaving it on the bedside table.

  I opened the glove compartment and poked around, hoping some previous renter had left something to read. Even a romance novel or a western would be better than nothing. No luck. All I found was the owner’s manual. I pulled it out and read the instructions for adjusting the clock and the recommended tire pressure. I’d worked my way up to the anti-lock brake system when I heard footsteps approaching. I checked my watch. Twenty minutes he’d been gone. I was steaming, and not just from the heat.

  I turned around and stared at him as he popped open the trunk and placed a small cardboard box inside.

  “Mission accomplished. We’re good to go now. You look hot.” He didn’t mean it in a good way. “I’m sorry. I should have left the key so you could turn on the A/C. But then you might have run off and left me.” He winked.

  Since I’d promised to be nicer, I bit my tongue, but I tasted blood.

  Considering the royal treatment I’d received at the Espositos, I was expecting a five-star restaurant. I was surprised when we ended up at The Coffee Pot, a hole-in-the-wall consisting of five tables covered with red and white checked plastic tablecloths. We must have hit at a slow time because we were the only people in the place. Nick led me to a table by the window. Did he bring other women here?

  A stoop-shouldered black man brought us menus. Nick ordered coffee and crawfish étouffée for both of us without bothering to look at the offerings.

  “Wait a minute. Crawfish?” I asked. “As in crawdads?”

  “That’s a specialty here.” Nick handed the man his menu.

  I opened mine and quickly glanced through it. “I’ll have the beans and rice.”

  Nick looked to the waiter for help.

  “Crawfish étouffée is very popular,” the waiter said, looking at me.

  “See, come on, Julie,” Nick said. “Live a little. They’re like little lobsters.”

  “I know. When I was twelve, I had one for a pet. His name was Charlie.” Next thing I knew he’d be ordering frog legs.

  Nick glanced at the waiter and shrugged. “For the lady, beans and rice it is.” I’d half expected him to make fun of me, but he didn’t.

  We people-watched as we waited for our food, which was out in no time. I tried not to look as Nick ate the little Charlies.

  Afterward, he insisted we ride the trolley through a tree-lined area with old two-story homes, watch artists painting and selling their wares around Jackson Square, and walk down Bourbon Street, listening to the music that seeped out onto the street from the bars.

  He was right about one thing. New Orleans was a romantic city with someone like him squiring me around. Even the devastation of Katrina hadn’t broken the city’s spirit. I tried to forget about the dogs and what the Espositos would think about my extended absence, but the worry hunkered in the back of my mind.

  By the time we got back to the airport, it was late afternoon. Nick left me in a waiting room of the FBO while he filed a flight plan for our return. FBO or fixed base operator provides ground support for private planes. This one was particularly nice, but I had no desire to explore. All I could think about was getting back to Waco.

  I plunked down on a seat and stared out the window. With Nick gone, my old fears returned. Too many times I’d been taken in by men like him, only to regret it later. Attracted by good looks and sex appeal, I fell hard, but in the end was crushed. These affairs of the heart always followed the same flight pattern. When we were together, these men seemed to have eyes only for me, but when I wasn’t around, some other woman took my place. I was always last to know and left feeling like a fool. Why should this time be any different?

  Where was he anyway? I checked my watch. I should have been back in Waco hours ago, and he should have been back by now. Restless, I scouted around for something to do.

  I found a row of vending machines and studied the options. None of it looked too healthy. Besides, I was still full from my beans and rice. I went back to my seat and tried to read one of the complimentary newspapers but couldn’t concentrate. No way could we make it back in time for another lesson. I checked my watch again. Nick had been gone over an hour. I nervously jiggled my leg as I chalked up another debit in my mental Nick-ledger.

  That’s when I saw the man, homed in on me and walking swiftly. Our eyes met, his never wavering, even though I tried to break the connection by looking down.

  It wasn’t Nick. This man wore a business suit. As he moved closer, I noticed the shoulder holster under his jacket. “You Julie Shields?” His voice was gruff.

  “Yes,” I gulped.

  He flashed a badge. “Federal Marshal Solomon. Come with me.”

  Chapter Five

  Agent Solomon took me by the elbow and propelled me through a group of people congregated outside the waiting room, laughing and talking. My head swiveled like a pole dancer as I looked for Nick, but he was nowhere in sight. “What is it? Has something happened to Nick?” The agent didn’t answer, and I had to do some Texas two-stepping to keep up with his long stride. “Where are we going? What’s going on? Has he been hurt?” Agent Solomon’s face was immobile, and he said nothing.

  He steered me through a narrow hallway to a door void of identification. He pulled a key from his pocket and inserted it into the lock. The tumblers clicked. He opened the door and gave me a nudge, but I drew back.

  “Hold it. I’m not going one step further till you tell me what this is about. How do I know you’re really a federal agent? You didn’t exactly give me time to study your credentials.”

  He tried again to ease me through the open doorway, but I put my weight against the door jamb and planted my feet firmly. I’d seen enough crime shows to know about impersonating officers of the law for sinister reasons. What if Nick was dead? The bad guys might think I possessed some secret knowledge, which I didn’t. At least I didn’t think I did.

  “Just go in,” he said, shoving me through the door.

  The windowless room was brightly lit with ceiling-mounted fluorescent bulbs. Except for a rectangular table and some cheap folding chairs, the room was bare. A long-faced man right out of X-Files sat at the table, an open briefcase full of papers beside him.

  Agent Solomon jerked his head toward the other man. “This is Agent Hopper.”

  Hopper wore a black suit with a skinny tie, and from where I stood, I could see black cowboy boots under the table, the kind kids at school used to joke about. The kind that could kill a cockroach in a corner.

  “Sit,” Hopper said without preamble.

  I snorted to clue them in I wasn’t happy to be there, but obediently walked to the table and sat. I looked around, planning my exit strategy in case they started torturing me, but the door we’d entered seemed to be the only way out.

  “You must have me mistaken for someone else,” I said, adopting my mother’s haughty tone.

  “You’re Julie Shields, right?”

  I raised my chin. “Yes, I am. But I haven’t done anything wrong.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I realized I sounded like a character in a TV show, the kind who always talks too much, then wishes she’d asked for a lawyer first.

  Agent Solomon pulled a tape recorder from his pocket and clicked a button. “What’s your business in New Orleans?�
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  I eyeballed the red light on the tape recorder and wondered if he had the right to record me. I’d always hated hearing my voice on tape, afraid I sounded like Lady Bird Johnson, pure Texan. Much as I wanted to say something flip—like I’d come early for Mardi Gras—I decided to tell the truth. “I flew in…with a pilot.” I tried really hard not to say pah-lit. If my mother could have heard me, she’d have been proud she’d spent all that money on elocution lessons.

  The look the two men exchanged made it pretty clear they thought I was an idiot.

  “I mean, I flew in with a pilot who works for some people in Waco. I didn’t even know where we were going.”

  “Are you saying you were taken against your will?” Hopper asked.

  “Yes. I mean, no. What I mean is, I didn’t know we were coming here, to New Orleans. I thought we were just going for a ride...a flight.”

  “Where did you go after you got here?” Solomon asked, his face blank. Good thing we weren’t playing Texas Hold’em. He’d have the edge.

  “I don’t know…I mean, Nick, the pilot, rented a car, and we went to the French Quarter.”

  “Did you make any stops along the way?” Hopper asked. His stern look dared me not to lie.

  The air in the room was stifling, thick with the nauseating, stale smell of tobacco. My beans and rice rumbled. “Only one. Would you tell me what this is all about?”

  Solomon’s eyes looked like bullets. “Where did you stop?”

  “I don’t know. Some hotel. I didn’t notice the name. What difference does it make? I sat in the parking garage.” I could tell from their sad-sack faces they didn’t believe me. Hopper picked up a ballpoint pen and rolled it between his palms. Late for his cigarette break, judging from his yellowed fingernails.

  “And what did you do while you waited in the parking garage?” Hopper stretched out his long legs under the table, catching me in the shin with a pointy toe.

  “Ouch,” I yelled and jumped up. Solomon’s hand started for his gun.

  My hands shot up in surrender and I froze, while a rivulet of sweat began a slow journey down my side.