Hot and Irresistible (17 page)

Bebe stood. “That’s it! I am so done with Ray Cleveland as a killer. We’re going to go talk to him right now and end this connection idea before it goes any further. I know he’s innocent, but everything keep coming back to him and we have to find out why.” She got in the PT, Donovan on the other side, and she floored the accelerator, tires squealing. Dodging other cars, she hit seventy, eighty, eight-five across the bridge and into the dense black of sky-over-sea of Thunderbolt Island.

“You could get a ticket driving like this, you know.”

“I’ve got connections at the police department, and, besides, everyone knows the PT. I just want this done with, and the reason you’re here is because when I do find out what’s going on, I want you around to hear it for yourself.” She swung onto the sandy road, fishtailing right and left, the lights of the restaurant looming ahead. She pulled to a stop in the less-than-crowded Monday-night parking lot and reached for the handle to get out till Donovan stopped her.

“We’re going in there. I didn’t come here for nothing. I want to know what’s going on and—”

“Sh.” Donovan pointed out the window. “You’re going to have to wait in line if you want to see Cleveland tonight. Isn’t that him and Judge Montgomery over there on the end of the docks? And they aren’t discussing the price of boats and fish.” Donovan sunk down, Bebe following. “Cleveland looks pissed as hell. He and the judge, now that’s a meeting I never expected and…holy crap, he just punched out the judge!” They watched Montgomery stagger to his feet, then leave, and Cleveland storm his way back to the restaurant.

“What the hell was that all about? It was a lot more than ‘keep your son away from my daughter.’ Cleveland would just have told the judge to go suck an egg and that Beau and Brie could do anything they wanted. Besides, the judge would have taken it up with Brie. Why go to Cleveland? This was something between the two of them. Something personal. Now what’s their connection?”

Donovan stroked his chin. “BrieAnn’s their link, but why would they be fighting over her?”

Bebe grabbed Donovan’s arm. “Oh crap, the reason BrieAnn, Charlotte, Prissy, and I are blood sisters is because we were all adopted at the same time, had no brothers and sisters and were pretty much outcasts at school because we weren’t really part of any family. Who your mama and daddy are matters down here. A few weeks ago Charlotte found out her parents were the Carswells, who were murdered, Prissy found out her grandmother is Minerva, I’m the bastard child of some debutante who paid Dara to take me, and that leaves BrieAnn the orphan and Cleveland with his daughter missing at the exact same time.”

“Wouldn’t Cleveland connect the dots if we did?”

“There were four baby adoptions that year and all of them questionable as to who the real parents were. Cleveland assumed his daughter went with his wife, so there was no reason to narrow it down to BrieAnn. Now the three of us know our pasts and that leaves…”

“BrieAnn. She was the one who gave the bullet to Prissy, not me. I’m guessing the judge has known all along and figured with things heating up, he better come clean. He probably got Brie from Ray’s wife. She said she’d ruin Ray’s life and what better why than to have his daughter right here all the time? The judge figured he’d save Brie from being raised by Cleveland, a crook, someone on the brink of going to jail, least that’s what he thought then, and Cleveland’s been under a cloud of suspicion ever since. The judge decided to tell Cleveland before he starts to suspect. With all that’s happened he’d put it together soon enough.”

“What do we do now? Cleveland is in no frame of mind for a little chat. And we can’t tell BrieAnn anything yet. We’re just operating on speculation here, nothing but circumstantial evidence. It’s not like we’re sitting on birth certificates or adoption papers. We don’t know the particulars of what happened thirty years ago when Cleveland’s wife left him, and it could be we got this all wrong. Only one person has all the details. Tomorrow I’m paying the judge a visit and getting some answers.” She fired up the PT and headed out of the parking lot.

“How do you think Brie’s going to take the news if all this is right?”

“She loves the judge; they’ll get beyond what happened all those years ago. After all, he was trying to protect her, do what was best at the time. She and Ray Cleveland have always gotten along, too. He respects her charity work, even had a few fund-raisers out at the Cove, though to tell you the truth I don’t see much of Ray in Brie. The girl can’t gamble at all. She doesn’t know twenty-one from sixty-one, she has no poker face, all her emotions are right out there on her face, and she’d pass out cold if she ever touched a gun. But the kindness and caring for others is there. She’s got Ray’s good qualities that way, and now she’ll have a brother and…Holy jumping Jehoshaphat!”

“People really say things like that?”

Bebe swerved the car to the side of the road and hit the brakes. “There’s another glitch. Brie and Beau together.”

“They don’t have the same parents. Ray isn’t Beau’s biological dad.”

“In this town that’s close enough. They both have the same father and if they do get married that’s what it’s going to look like. There will always be talk and tongues wagging and if they have kids that will just add to it. It’s not wrong but it sure muddies the waters. Brie has to know what’s going on. No wonder the judge and Aldeen have been moving heaven and earth to get Brie to go with Lamont. She’s spending the night with Prissy, but tomorrow…”

“Tomorrow you visit the judge and see what he has to say and it ain’t gonna be pretty. Want me to come?”

“I can do this and you need some rest.” She touched his cheek. “Thanks for not jumping out of the speeding car on our way here. I think I’m losing it.”

“I think you’ve got everything you need and more.” He kissed her slowly, his lips making love to hers. “I know a nice apartment where three cats are hanging out, one in a purple cast. Maybe we should grab a pizza and cans of tuna and see what happens next.”

“You’re an invalid, Yank, and you double-crossed me and—”

He kissed her, shutting her up. “Can we not keep score for tonight? It gets you and me farther and farther apart. I don’t want to be apart, I want us together and the only thing we have to worry about till tomorrow morning is pepperoni or sausage, thick crust or hand-tossed, and do we really want anchovies and extra cheese?”

She closed her eyes for a moment. A few hours of sleep with Donovan would be heaven. “If we don’t do anchovies, three cats will be pissed. Why can’t every night be this way? Pizza, cats, your place or mine?”

“It could get boring.”

“I love boring.” She kissed him. “And I think I’m falling in love with you.”

B
rieAnn handed her keys and a tip to the valet driver at the Magnolia House. “Morning, Ms. BrieAnn,” he greeted her with a smile. It was kind of silly to drive here when she could just as well slip though the back, but the shrubs were terrible overgrown. That might be fine and dandy for privacy, but could very well give a woman bad hair and that was one of the three major sins of a Southern lady. The other two sins were bad manners and bad cooking. But besides all that, she needed to look her best because Ms. BrieAnn Montgomery had set her mind on seducing Mr. Beau Cleveland nice and early this fine Savannah morning and nothing was going to stop her.

She headed for the elevator till she spotted Daemon Rutledge. Just the man she needed. “What an excellent morning it is, Mr. Rutledge,” she greeted, hooking her arm though his and guiding him to a nook in the lobby. “I was wondering if you could do me a teensy little favor?” She lowered her voice. “Might you tell me what room Beau Cleveland’s staying in while he’s here?”

“I believe he’s getting ready to check out.”

“Then I suppose I should make my visit right quick. And I do have a little something else. With you appreciating the evening spring garden tours as much as I do, I made a reservation for you and a guest followed by dinner at the Pink House. We both know they have the best garlic grits in Savannah, and this month they’re featuring California wines. I think you’ll have a fine time.”

“I do need to be watching my cholesterol; the old ticker isn’t what it used to be. All this good Savannah eating. But now and then it can’t hurt to enjoy life a bit.” He smiled and kissed her cheek. “That is certainly nice of you, but not necessary at all and—”

“My sincere pleasure, Mr. Rutledge. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Rutledge printed numbers on a pad he took from his inside pocket and handed it and the rose from his lapel to Brie. “I know white ones are your favorite, but red’s lovely, too. It is indeed a lovely day, almost as lovely as you, my dear.”

Brie caught the elevator to the third floor. She stuck the red rose in the buttonhole of her green sweater and smoothed out the matching dress from page one-thirty-six of Neiman Marcus spring catalog, then knocked on Beau’s door.

“Brie? What are you doing here?” Beau took her hand and all but yanked her inside, then looked both ways as if the FBI was sure to be on her trail. She handed her fine handsome man the blue box tied in a white bow. “For us.”

He opened the box. “Two dishes?”

“From Blue Ridge pottery. The little apples aren’t too fussy, so I thought you’d like them and they’re perfect for picnics.” She put the box on the fireplace mantel. “But you’re looking all flustered, sugar.” She pressed herself to him and teasingly fluttered her lashes. “And I’m here to make you feel even more that way. In fact when I get through with you, Beau honey, you’re going to be downright spent!” She backed him flat against the wall, enjoying all his fine hard muscles pressing against her.

“This isn’t a good idea, Brie,” he said panting. Nice to know she wasn’t the only one excited. “Did anyone see you come here?”

“People at the front desk, of course, and Mr. Rutledge. He is a sweet man. What is your problem? It’s no crime for me to be coming up here, now is it? I’m old enough and you’re old enough and we’re both consenting.” She kissed him hard. “In fact I’m consenting all over to the point where I can hardly contain myself.” She took off her sweater. “You like?” she asked twirling around, her dress fluffing out in a circle.

“Yeah, right, sure. Very pretty.”

“Well, it’s going to look a lot prettier on the floor.” She unzipped the back and let the dress slide off, leaving red bikini pants and bra. “See,” she said putting her hands under her breasts. “Sweet and Perky. I named them just for you.” Then she jumped into his arms and locked her legs around his waist, his hand supporting her bottom. “You came to my place two nights ago, sugar, so it’s my turn to come over to your place and play. Take me to bed, Beau, and make me a happy woman.”

“I can’t.”

She laughed. “That there bulge I saw a second ago is either some piece of big old hose you happen to be carrying around in your pocket for some reason, or you’re as glad to see me as I am to see you. And now that we have all that misunderstanding about you thinking I’d be put off by your injuries out of the way, we can start dating and romancing.”

She slid down to a standing position, then tugged him over to the bed, pushing him backward, sprawling across the comforter. “And here comes some romance,” she said. “Ready or not and I know you’re plenty ready.”

She leaped onto the bed, the mattress quivering when she landed beside him, except Beau scrambled away and stood by the side of the bed. He ran his hand through his blond-streaked hair that she loved so much.

“No! This isn’t a good idea.” He held up his hands. “We’re done here, Brie.”

“Beau, honey, we haven’t even got a good start, but I promise we’re going to have a fine finish.”

He picked up her dress and her sweater and tossed them to her on the bed. “I mean it, we’re through. I shouldn’t have come to your house the other night. That was a mistake. Bad judgment on my account, really, really bad judgment. What the hell was I thinking? You have to go right now and not come back and I’m not coming to you, either.”

She knelt on the bed, her heart pounding. “You have someone else?”

“Well, sort of, that’s one way of putting it. There is another person I’m involved with and—”

“Another! Someone else besides me? How could you! I hate you, Beau Cleveland!” She hopped off the bed, stomped up to him, and socked him in the jaw. He stumbled back, knocking over a chair.

She held her hand. “That hurt! It never looks like it hurts in the movies; they just do it.”

Holding his jaw, he said, “Let me see your hand.”

“No!” She yanked it away. “I’m fine. Don’t you dare touch me.” She snatched her dress up and pulled it on, then retrieved her cardigan and started for the door, stopped, and turned. “Is LulaJean back in the picture?”

“It’s not LulaJean, it never has been. It’s another interest, like you said.”

“You betrayed me, Beau Cleveland, and I hope you rot in hell! I hope your big old do-da falls off. I hope you become a girl and then you’ll know how it feels to get messed over by a guy. I hate you and we are finished for good. You can toy with a girl’s heart just so many times before she throws in the towel! Well, I’m throwing.”

Brie stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her. How could she be so wrong about Beau? She kicked the door, putting a scuff on her taupe strappy sandals.

“Ohmygod, there you are,” Bebe said, running down the hall full tilt. She flattened herself across Beau’s door, looking like a big old spider with her arms and legs extended out. “You can’t go in there.”

“Too late.”

“What!” Bebe turned the color of Brie’s sweater. “Why didn’t you pick up your phone? I called and called and you were spending the night with Prissy, so I thought I was safe especially since you said you and Beau were quits and so when I couldn’t reach you this morning I came here right quick and Donovan went to your house to see if you were there and why didn’t you pick up your blessed phone?”

“I had other things on my mind like a special morning with a certain someone, but that sure didn’t work out the way I planned and I’m taking away your Starbucks card. You are on double espresso overload. You’re acting downright nutty as a fruitcake.”

Bebe squinted her eyes shut and gritted her teeth. “Did you and Beau…do it?”

“Once and for all, we are done broken up for good.” She lowered her voice. “And that we never did the nasty is probably for the best and why in the world are you so concerned about all this that you’d come over here in the first place?”

“Let’s get out of here.”

“Amen to that.” BrieAnn stomped to the elevator that was already waiting. When it shut, she said, “Beau finally opens up to me about things and why he can’t perform and now he doesn’t want to perform and has someone else in his life, which makes no sense at all, but since when did men make sense and what is wrong with you? Honey you look like you’re going to have heart failure right here in this elevator.”

Bebe held out her trembling hand. “Aftershock.”

“We’ll get you something to eat and you’ll be better in no time. Soak up some of that caffeine. I think it’s already starting to curl your hair, it looks a bit fried today. What kind of conditioner are you using?”

The elevator doors parted to, “Why, Daddy, what are you doing here?” Her father’s creased forehead morphed smooth and he beamed the way he always did when he looked at her, as if she were the finest prize in all Savannah. “Bebe and I were going for breakfast; she’s in need of nourishment. You simply have to come join us.”

“I should go,” Bebe said. “This isn’t a good idea for me to be here.” She looked at the judge. “But if you’re free later on this morning I’d like to stop by and—”

“But we’re all here right now, so there’s no need for later on,” Brie said, feeling better by the minute. “Nothing like having family and friends around to make a body feel better.” She took Bebe’s hand. “Some Magnolia House blueberry muffins will fix you right up.”

“I’m in total agreement,” the judge said, draping his arm around her and guiding her toward the outdoor patio where other guests were brunching under the blue umbrellas.

The judge held her chair the way a true gentleman does for a lady and the way Beau always did, too. Forget Beau. Beau was a creep, she reminded herself. The judge took his chair and draped his napkin across his lap. “So you two were here visiting Charlotte, I suppose?”

“Not exactly.” Brie huffed. The waiter left a basket of muffins and Brie selected one. “You might as well know it all. I was here to see Beau, but before you get in a state you need to hear that it didn’t work out and now Beau and I are through and this time it’s for real and I’m not going back. He’s made it crystal clear he wants nothing more to do with the likes of me. For a while there, I thought we could truly make things work, but that’s not going to happen, so you can rest easy and tell Mama the same thing.”

The judge arched his brow and selected a muffin. “Is that right?”

“And…” Brie watched her daddy methodically butter just the way he always did, a bit here, a bit there, not too much, just the proper amount. “What did you go and do?”

The judge smiled at Brie. “Excuse me?”

“I know how you and Mama feel about Ray and Beau and that me having anything to do with Beau was driving you both over the edge to the point where you were ready to marry me off to Lamont for a seat on the Telfair Museum board and voting privileges at the Oglethorpe Club. Then I tell you Beau and I are through and all I get is an ‘Is that right?’”

“Well, sweet pea, I am mighty thrilled, but—”

“You should be thrilled to your toes, grinning like a cat lapping cream, kissing me on the cheek, and telling me how I’ll have men lined up from here to Beaufort and I’m not to fret any over the likes of Beau Cleveland. You’d make a big deal of this, but you didn’t.” She folded her hands in her lap. “It was like you knew before I told you. And why were you here in the first place, Daddy? What is going on? I know there’s something. You got that look about you like when you’re trying a big case and can’t tell a soul what you’re thinking, but you’re thinking plenty.”

“BrieAnn, you’re making entirely too much over this breakup and in the presence of company.” He nodded to Bebe, who hadn’t moved since she took her chair but kept her eyes on the judge. He put down his muffin and took Brie’s hand. “Another man more to your liking
will
come along, I promise.”

“You mean more to
your
liking, and I’m thinking that with you being a judge and Ray Cleveland…well, being Ray Cleveland, and Beau suddenly not being Beau at all, you somehow got your fingers in the pie. Am I right? This is my life we’re talking about here. You can’t arrange it to suit you even if you do think you’re doing the right thing.”

“Lower your voice, now, you hear? Since the day I brought you home, I’ve looked out for you, only wanted the best for you, and Ray Cleveland isn’t the best at all.”

“Even if he is your father,” Bebe blurted out in a rush.

Brie dropped her muffin in her lap and stared at Bebe. The judge froze in place, his knife poised in midair. Brie managed, “What are you talking about?”

“Last night I saw the judge talking with Ray Cleveland out at the Cove and it wasn’t a friendly kind of talk. You’re their only link, Brie. The judge couldn’t have you running after Beau if he was your…It just wouldn’t be right at all.”

Brie felt her world start to unravel. Like a piece of yarn on a sweater, pull it and all the stitches that took so long to make simply vanish into a long meaningless line. She looked back to the judge. “Mr. Cleveland? Me? That’s why you and Mama were so adamant to keep Beau and me apart?” She could barely get the words out, she could barely breathe.

“I don’t know where you’re coming from,” the judge said to Bebe, his face more angry than Brie had ever seen. “Or where you got your information, but I can only hope you are a better police officer other times than you are now. I don’t want Brie to have anything to do with the likes of Beau Cleveland because he and his father are criminals. Period, and that is a very big period in my book. I will not have my daughter mixed up with crooks and thieves. And since BrieAnn seemed too smitten to understand the situation, I intervened, and that is all there is to it.”