FLOWERS and CAGES (7 page)

"You were going to tell me your dream? What will you do when you leave Midas, Colleen?"

Dalton thought he knew the answer, but he wanted to hear the words from her.

Colleen's smile turned into a grin. "I am going to be the best damn classic car restorer in the country. Eventually, the world."

It made perfect sense. Dalton knew first hand that Colleen had the skill to make her dream come true.

"I would say it's a sure bet."

"You think so?"

"My money is on you."

"WHAT IS HE doing in Midas?"

"Having dinner." The second the words were out of Drum Anders' mouth, he wished them back.

There was a long pause. "Was that an attempt at humor?"

More like sarcasm, but Drum wisely kept that to himself.

"No, sir. It's a fact. Shaw spent the afternoon visiting his sister. Then he checked into
The Midas Manor
. After picking up Colleen McNamara, they drove to
The Sidewinder
. Dinner, drinks, and conversation, sir. That's all there is to report."

"After seven years, Dalton Shaw chooses now to show his face in this town again?"

"It could be a coincidence. Like I said, the first thing Shaw did was visit his sister."

"You don't get to my position in life believing in coincidence. Keep an eye on him. Perhaps you're right, and I have nothing to worry about."

"I'll call if he does anything out of the ordinary."

"You'll call if all he does is scratch his ass. I will decide what's important and what isn't. I want everything documented. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

With a resigned sigh, Drum took another picture. Same angle. Nothing new. For everyone's sake, he hoped this ended soon. The last time Dalton Shaw came to Midas, he was a two-bit drummer in a struggling band. Now, he was a world-famous rock star. He could go anywhere in the world. Why here? Unless his boss was right. Was Shaw going to cause trouble?

Raising his phone, Drum caught Shaw kissing Colleen McNamara's hand. She was a good-looking woman but hardly worth coming to this shithole town. There had to be more to it than sex.

Because he messed with the wrong family, Dalton Shaw had been railroaded. He was sent to prison for doing something that in any other part of the country would have gotten him a medal. Or at the very least a suspended sentence. Was his return a coincidence? Or was he back for revenge?

IT HAD TO be the oddest date Colleen had ever been on. It was also the best. They began the evening relative strangers with little more than an instant attraction between them. Now? The connection had grown to something bigger, better—and a bit frightening. Sharing her inner-most thoughts and dreams went beyond the casual. To what, she couldn't say.

However, Colleen knew one thing. She liked the feeling—whatever it was. She
liked
Dalton Shaw. And there weren't many people she could honestly say that about.

"I'm surprised we made it through dinner without someone recognizing you."

Dalton helped Colleen from her seat. It was a little gesture but not one she saw every day. Or, thinking back, ever. The man turned out to be a big, sexy anachronism—in the best sense of the word.

"You mean because I'm a celebrity?

Colleen took Dalton's proffered arm as they walked toward the exit.

"You're a rock star. Celebrity is something else. Like a Kardashian or one of those
Bachelor
people."

"I appreciate the distinction." Dalton paused outside the restaurant, scanning the parking lot before moving to the car.

Feeling she missed something, Colleen frowned. "Is there a problem?"

"I hope not."

With what seemed to her to be undue haste, Dalton hustled Colleen into the car. Before he could start the engine, she stayed his hand.

"Do you want to explain?" Deciding that was too easily shot down, Colleen amended her question to a statement. "Tell me what's going on, Dalton. You were relaxed and easy during dinner. Now you're as tense as a dog anticipating a thunderstorm. No clouds. No lightning. So what changed?"

Dalton gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles showing white.

"How hard would it be for you to trust me?"

"Do you want money? Or a vital organ?"

Colleen wasn't certain, but she thought the sound Dalton made was close to a laugh.

"No on both."

"Do I have to lie, cheat, or steal? Because I'm fine with two of those—for the most part. The third is tricky but on occasion? Sure."

"When are you okay with stealing?"

"
Ocean's Eleven
. I didn't like the casino owner. Of course, they lost all their money, but not until the sequel."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Colleen had no idea. But it made Dalton smile.

"I trust you. Up to a point."

Dalton nodded. "Smart woman." He started the car, cautiously pulling out of the parking lot. "I want you to take the T-Bird back to your place."

"Are you leaving town sooner than expected?" Colleen thought that would be a damn shame. "I tinkered with your car, but even if I get it running, I wouldn't suggest trying to drive it back to Los Angeles."

"I'm not leaving town. Not yet. And I'm holding you to the rental agreement. I don't want to leave the car in an unprotected parking lot."

"Because…?"

"This is where that trust part comes in. Can you cut me some slack?"

"Slack equals patience. That has never been my strong suit." However, if Dalton thought her car was in danger, she wouldn't push. At least, not tonight. "I can put a few pieces together. Does this concern what happened to you seven years ago?"

"Yes."

"Will you tell me the whole story?"

"Probably."

"Is probably the best I'm going to get?"

"Yes."

Suddenly Mr. Chatty morphed into the monosyllabic man. It should have been funny, but Colleen didn't feel like laughing.

"Stay at my place."

"No."

"Damn it, Dalton. My apartment comes with a locked garage. I have double bolts on my front door. My car and you will be safe."

"I'll stay if I can share your bed."

"Okay."

"We won't get much sleep, Colleen."

"I know."

This time, when Dalton laughed, Colleen heard it loud and clear.

"Jesus. Really, Colleen? You would have sex with me? Why?"

"I'm worried about you. If you're in my bed, I know you'll be safe."

"I appreciate the thought, but no. I'll be fine in my motel room."

Colleen wondered about men. Ninety-nine percent of the time they seemed to think with their dicks. Until
a woman wanted him to. Then he decided to exercise that one percent of his brain that mostly lay dormant.

"It isn't as though it would be a hardship. I planned on us having sex by the weekend. What's wrong with speeding up the timetable?"

The streetlights illuminated the interior of the car enough to allow her to see Dalton's face and his bemused expression. Deciphering his thoughts wasn't as easy. He pulled the car to a stop outside the motel. Within a minute, he was out of the driver's seat and Colleen replaced him. When she rolled down the window, he leaned down.

"Drive straight home, lock your doors, then give me a call."

"One of the few good things about living in Midas is the lack of crime."

Giving her another enigmatic look, Dalton stood back.

"Lock your front door, Colleen. Then call me."

"Fine. But you first." Colleen motioned toward the door to Dalton's room. "You're making me nervous. I'm not leaving until you are safely inside."

Dalton looked as if he might argue. His blue eyes narrowed. But to her surprise, he nodded.

"The car doors are locked. Roll up your windows. And Colleen?" he said as she began to comply.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for trusting me."

"You're welcome. Dalton?" Colleen called out as he entered the motel.

"Yes?"

"Don't make me regret it."

DALTON WAITED FOR Colleen to call. She didn't play games. Fifteen minutes after she pulled out of the parking lot, she checked in.

"We should exchange passwords. Or a secret knock," Colleen said the second he answered.

"That won't be necessary." Dalton knew he overreacted, but he'd had a strange feeling since leaving the restaurant. He would risk looking foolish if it meant keeping Colleen safe. "Are you free for lunch tomorrow?"

"I usually work straight through. Why don't I pick you up around eight o'clock? I'll drive us to the garage, and you can have the car for the rest of the day."

"That's a plan."

"Good night, Dalton."

"Good night."

Dalton turned the air conditioner on high before stripping off his clothes. The water pressure in the bathroom wasn't great, but it was good enough for a cool shower. After drying off, he stretched out naked on the bed before calling Ryder.

"It's about time," Ryder answered after the second ring.

"Hello to you too."

"Everybody is here. Just a second while I put you on speaker."

Everybody included Ashe, Zoe, and Ryder's girlfriend, Quinn Abernathy. She was new to the group, but Ryder trusted her implicitly. That was good enough for Dalton.

"How's it going?" Ashe asked after everyone had said hello.

"It started off great. The drive was relaxing. About ten miles short of Midas, my car went to shit."

Dalton explained about the smoke and how he barely made it into town before the car gave up the ghost.

"You're lucky you found a garage," Ryder said.

"What are you doing about transportation?" The question came from Zoe.

"The mechanic had a car to rent."

Dalton didn't go into detail about Colleen. Or that there even
was
a Colleen. At this point, what was there to say? Except that he met a sexy redhead who made him laugh. In all likelihood, that was as far as it would go. If he and Colleen became lovers—a hope, not a certainty—it was nobody's business but theirs.

As a group, Dalton and his friends shared almost everything. There were no secrets. Trust was rock solid. However, when it came to his—or anyone's—sex life, they respected each other's privacy.

"Did you speak with your sister?" Ashe asked.

"I suppose you could call it that."

It helped to share the details of his meeting with Maggie. Talking it out clarified things in his mind—at least as much as possible.

"It sounds like a muddled mess." The concern in Ryder's voice was to be expected. He took his responsibilities as leader seriously. He didn't like to be so far away and powerless.

"You know Maggie. Vague is her middle name. Unless Norris has some earthshaking revelation to impart, I plan on cutting them off for good."

"Hallelujah," Zoe called out. "It's about time. Maggie's big-eyed wounded doe routine makes me gag."

"She
is
my sister, Zoe." Dalton couldn't defend Maggie, but he wasn't going to trash her either.

"Anything else?"

Dalton didn't have to ask what Ryder meant.

"Nothing concrete. Tonight at dinner, it felt as though someone was watching me. But…" Someone was always watching. Fame—and all its perks—meant a certain loss of privacy. Dalton was used to it and barely noticed anymore. However, while he was in Midas, his radar was on high alert.

"What happened?" Ryder demanded.

"Nothing. I was fine until we left the restaurant. That was when my sense of unease shifted into high."

"
We
left the restaurant?"

Dalton sighed. Leave it to Ashe to latch onto his slip of the tongue.

"I had dinner with my mechanic. It was nice to have some company."

Dalton thought that was the end of it. He should have known better. Ashe and Ryder would have assumed the mechanic was a man. Sure, it was sexist. But even an enlightened man was allowed a slip or two. There weren't a lot of women who worked on cars. It was hard to blame his friends for their linear points of view. It took a woman—or two—to think outside that particular box.

"What's her name?" Zoe asked.

"Well, shit," Dalton muttered.

Laughing, Quinn added, "What does she look like?"

"Your mechanic is a woman?" Ashe whistled. "Maybe Midas isn't as backward as we thought."

Knowing he was stuck, Dalton took his only way out. Just the facts, ma'am.

"Her name is Colleen McNamara. She has red hair. Green eyes. The sweetest smile and fantastic legs." Dalton left out Colleen's fine ass. He considered that too much information even between best friends.

"It figures." Zoe had an expert sneer, but to her credit, the one she sent Dalton's way was toned down. "It took you less than a day to find a playmate."

"We shared one meal. No playing involved." Dalton didn't add that he hoped that would change. His friends knew him too well to assume otherwise.

"I shouldn't have to remind you what happened the last time you fooled around in Midas."

Ryder was right. Dalton didn't need reminding. However, he was older and wiser. And Colleen was neither married nor a lying, cold-hearted bitch.

"I'll be careful. Maybe too careful."

"What do you mean?"

Dalton gave a brief account of his bout of post-dinner paranoia.

"I'll give Colleen credit. She did as I asked—once I promised I would explain at a later date. If the tables were turned, I don't think I would have been as understanding."

"You trusted your instincts," Ryder said. "Keep doing that."

"I will." Dalton yawned. His early start and the day's drama had finally taken its toll. "I'll call tomorrow night."

"If you need
anything
, Dalton. Don't hesitate."