Read A Match Made in Mystery Online
Authors: JB Lynn
A Match Made in Mystery (19 page)
The other man nodded.
“Where? Did it have something to do with that tape?”
Roscoe held up a finger, indicating Brady should wait a minute, before disappearing back into his apartment.
Brady leaned against the door. Panic clawed at his throat. What if he never saw her again? What if she didn’t give him the chance to explain all the reason why they
were
right together? What if his mother was right and Amy’s criminal father corrupted her?
Re-emerging from his apartment, Roscoe crossed to Amy’s door and unlocked it. “The guy on the tape said he was her dad.” Scooping up Pippin, the big guy entered the barren apartment.
“You saw it?” Brady asked following him into the home of the woman he loved.
“She wanted her friends there.” Roscoe met Brady’s gaze. “She wanted
you
there.”
A surge of hope lifted Brady’s dwindling spirits. “She told you that?”
“Yup.”
“What else was said on the tape?”
“He apologized for taking so long to get in touch, but he’d worried about the safety of her and her mom because he’d ripped off some unsavory blokes but—”
“Blokes?” Brady interrupted incredulously.
Roscoe nodded. “Blokes.”
Brady waved a hand, indicating the story should be continued.
“But now he wanted to make amends and wanted Maggie to come see him.”
“And…?” Brady prompted impatiently when Roscoe fell silent.
“Not much. Just that she was a ‘bonnie lass, who always knew where to go.’ That and the fact that he’d hoped her mom had taken good care of her and Maggie shouldn’t be mad at her, because he’d made her swear to never tell her he was alive.”
Brady thought about his own mother, and the secrets she’d kept, and was suddenly immensely grateful she was still around to explain her choices.
“So where was she going?”
“First to the hospital to quit her job and then to the airport.”
“To go where?”
Roscoe shrugged.
Brady scanned the apartment looking for some indication of where she might be flying. Nothing in the kitchen or living room offered a clue. He stepped into the bedroom area cautiously, feeling like he was invading her most private space.
He almost missed it, but then he heard Armani’s voice in his head: POSTCARD.
Spotting the postcard taped to the dresser mirror, he knew without a doubt where Amy was headed. “Ireland,” he murmured.
Whirling around, he almost barreled into Roscoe.
“Find her,” the big man urged. “The woman’s crazy about you.”
“I will,” Brady yelled, running out of the apartment, hoping he wasn’t too late to catch her at the airport.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Amy hugged him so tightly that she could feel his heartbeat. A tear trickled from the corner of her eye. “Thanks for everything.”
“I drove you to the hospital, the bank, and the airport,” Diego whispered in her ear.
Stepping out of his embrace, she playfully punched his shoulder. “You know I wasn’t talking about today, stupid.”
He grinned. “There’s my girl, hurling insults at me.” Growing serious he added, “You should call him.”
She shook her head. After she’d emptied her Ireland fund at the bank, they’d discussed her calling Brady to tell him what was going on. She’d refused then. She refused now. “He’s a lawyer and I’m on my way to find a criminal.”
“Lawyers deal with criminals all the time,” Diego reminded her. “It’s almost a job requirement.”
“I’m not going to ruin his life.”
“Maybe you’re ruining it by walking out on him.”
“How can I ruin his life when I’ve known him three days? You make it sound like we had some deep, meaningful relationship.”
“Didn’t you?” Diego challenged softly.
“We didn’t even have sex,” she informed him.
“And you regret it,” he deduced with a sly grin.
She punched his shoulder again. “I thought you said you have to leave.”
“Your flight doesn’t leave for another five hours. What are you going to do?”
“I’ll keep myself occupied.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Go before I turn into a blubbering mess.”
“Call me?”
“Of course.”
“Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
Concern shimmered in his dark gaze. “I know you’re hoping to find what you’re looking for there.”
“Me too.”
“I love you. You know that, right?” He choked out awkwardly.
Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead and walked away without another word.
Blinking away tears, she watched her best friend walk away. Wiping them from her cheeks, she took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
“Which flight are you on?” a familiar voice asked from behind her.
Her heartbeat stuttered. A choking sound bubbled up from her throat.
She turned slowly to face him.
Brady smiled down at her. “Sorry. I didn’t catch that. Which flight?”
“What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see you.” His smile disappeared. “No that’s a lie.”
Before she knew what was happening, he pulled her against the length of his body, branding her with his heat, kissing her senseless, despite the fact they were in the middle of a public place.
When they came up for air, she gasped, “You can’t stop me from going.”
Cupping her cheeks in his hands, he stared into her eyes. “I’m not trying to.”
“Then what are you doing?’ she asked breathlessly.
“I’m trying to get you to tell me which flight you’re on.”
Shaking free of his grasp, she took an unsteady backward. “Why?’
“So I can buy a ticket too.”
“You can’t!” Despite her words, a spark of hope and happiness warmed her chest.
“I’m going to,” he assured her. “Thanks to the friendly psychic matchmaker, I’ve got my passport with me.”
“But your job….”
“Don’t have one.”
“You quit your job for me?” She wasn’t sure if she was pleased or horrified.
“Nope. Eric fired me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not. Best thing that could have happened to me.” He leaned close to whisper, “Frees me up to go on an international adventure with the woman I love.”
Amy blinked at his use of the word “love.”
Before she could respond, he silenced her by placing a finger over her lips. “Yes, Amy Winn. I am deeply, irrevocably, wildly in love with you. Everyone says so.”
Pushing his hand away she asked, “Everyone?”
He nodded.
“Who?’
“My mom.”
She frowned. “She hates me.”
“No,” Brady assured her. “We had a long talk. Her concern for my safety was misguided and she admits she behaved abysmally, but she actually likes you.”
Amy shook her head. “I don’t want to come between you and your family.”
“You don’t understand. I had the best conversation with my mom I’ve ever had. She heard me. She listened to me. You’ve brought us closer. She’s thrilled I’m in love with you. As are Lara. Gerald. Jackson. Alyssa. Roscoe. And oh yeah, Diego.”
Despite the fact she wanted to believe him, she eyed him skeptically. “Diego?’
Brady grinned at her, amusement twinkling in her eyes. “How else would I have found you in time?”
Realizing that Diego
had
seemed to be dragging his feet about leaving her, Amy found she inclined to believe Brady. “You think you love me?’
“I know I do. The question is do you love me?”
Her response was to launch herself into his arms and kiss him passionately.
Tearing his mouth from hers, he asked on a laugh, “I take it that means yes?”
“Yes,” she whispered. Then, taking a breath, she bellowed so that the whole world could hear, “I love you, Brady!”
“Knew it,” a familiar voice drawled from beside them.
Without thinking, Amy punched Diego on the shoulder.
Laughing, Diego said, “You should go buy his ticket. Call me when you get back.”
Still chuckling, he strolled away, leaving the two lovebirds to fly away on their adventure.
Find out what happens to Alyssa when she’s forced to work with Armani in The Matchmaker vs. the Catnapped!: Matchmaker Mystery Book 3
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A Match Made in Mystery.
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A Jersey Girl transplanted to the Sunshine State, JB (you can call her Jen) writes laugh-out-loud suspense and mysteries with a dash of romance, but she’s been known to dabble in the occasional goosebump-raising thriller.
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The Matchmaker Mysteries
The Neurotic Hitwoman Series
Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman
Further Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman
The Hitwoman and the Family Jewels
The Hitwoman and the Neurotic Witness
Dark Romantic Suspense
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Copyright © 2014 by Jennifer Baum
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