Wilde One (25 page)

“Shit. I didn’t get a good look at his face, but no one else is that tall” —Griff lowered his voice— “except maybe another NBA player. What’re the chances?”

“I can’t believe Parnell Jones is camping here.
In a motor home.
”

“He must have rented it. Wow, behind all the fame and fortune, Parnell might just be a regular guy.”

Ainslee gripped the edge of the table. “Do you think he’s the one who was following us? The one who
shot
at us this morning?”

“Not unless he switched vehicles. The person following us was in a car not an RV. I guess he could have gone to a rental agency to trade in the car, but it doesn’t seem very likely.”

“What do we do?” Ainslee whispered. “He’s sure to see us sooner or later, unless you want to hide out in the tent all evening. I was looking forward to sitting around the fire tonight.”

“I’d say the decision’s been taken out of our hands. He’s already spotted us. Just stay cool.”

At her feet, Rocky growled then barked as Jones approached. His white teeth gleamed in the fading light.

“I thought that was you. Can’t mistake all those amazing curls.” He held out his hand. “Ainslee, right?”

She nodded, only hesitating for a moment before shaking the offered hand. Surely this superstar, who probably had more money than God, wasn’t trying to murder them over Victor’s treasure. The man was obviously competitive by nature to achieve his current level of fame on the basketball court, but would he try to kill them just to claim the victory?

“Nice to see you again, Griff.”

Griff gripped the extended palm. “Under the circumstances, I don’t know if I’d go that far…”

Jones laughed, and Rocky stopped growling to sniff his oversized athletic shoes. Apparently the dog had decided the man wasn’t a threat. Ainslee was inclined to agree.

“I wanted to say hello, but I’ll let you finish your dinner.”

She gave him a shy smile. “I can’t believe you’re here in a motor home.”

He grimaced. “I’ve been flying up to this leg of our journey, but I needed some down time. Literally. Anyway, what’s the point in rushing to our next destination before I’ve figured out exactly where it is? I intend to spend my evening working on the picture puzzles. How many have you put together so far?”

Griff glanced over at her before answering. “Four.”

“Well, damn. I only worked out two of them. I took a chance when I recognized the Golden Gate Bridge and headed west.”

She nodded. “That’s what we did, too.”

Jones offered Ainslee a broad smile in response. “I don’t suppose you’d like to collaborate?” The question ended on a hopeful note.

She was sorely tempted to say yes. His star power and gorgeousness seemed to be sapping her common sense.

“Not a chance.”

Obviously Griff’s moral fiber wasn’t as weak as hers.

“I didn’t think so.” Jones stepped back and lifted a hand to wave. “Have a nice evening.”

Ainslee let out a breath as he walked away. “He didn’t try to murder us. That’s a plus.”

“I don’t think he’s responsible for the attacks.” Griff took a bite of chicken and chewed. “My money’s on the banker.”

“Why not Marietta?” She stabbed a tomato with her fork. “Kind of sexist to dismiss her just because she’s a woman.”

“Not because she’s a woman. Because she’s the type of woman she is.”

Ainslee’s brows lowered. “What type is that?”

“Dependent. Unable to make a decision on her own.” He waved his chicken leg. “When have we seen her when she’s not talking to someone on her cell to get guidance? She flat-out asked me to partner up with her despite the fact we’re together. Then there’re those heels and tight dresses. Sorry, but I don’t see the woman as a serious threat to anyone but a hairstylist who gives her a bad cut.”

She choked on a bite of rice. “I’d be offended in the name of women everywhere if I didn’t happen to agree with your assessment of Marietta’s character.”

He tossed the chicken bone on his plate and wiped his fingers on a napkin. “So we stay alert for any sign of Morris once we get to San Francisco.”

“It’s a big city. We still need to figure out where we’re going.”

Griff sighed. “I know. I suppose holding hands by the campfire before we slip into the tent isn’t going to happen tonight.”

“Not unless you can hold hands and assemble photo fragments at the same time.” Ainslee grinned. “I’m willing to give it a try.”

“There can’t be more than two pictures left to put together. If we work fast, we’ll still have time for handholding—among other things.”

“Maybe if we didn’t have a second box to piece together.”

Griff groaned. “Crap, I totally forgot about that.”

“I did, too, until Parnell mentioned collaborating. It reminded me we weren’t a team when this started.”

Reaching across the table, he covered her hand with his big, warm palm. “Hard to believe we only met a little over a week ago.”

She turned her hand to entwine their fingers. “Honestly, Griff, I can’t image not having you in my life.”

“I agree. It feels like we’ve known each other forever. Maybe we were bound together in a past existence.”

“Soul mates.”

He released her hand. “Finish your dinner. I want to solve the puzzle so we can get on with the business of making more memories. In this lifetime.”

Ainslee held tight to Rocky and lowered the car window as they crossed the Bay Bridge, then craned her neck to get the full effect of the spectacular San Francisco skyline. “Wow! Impressive.”

“As I recall from my visits to New York, the only way to get this kind of view of the city is from the water.” When traffic stalled, Griff slowed the SUV and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “I don’t know how people live in this congestion, and we managed to miss rush hour. Cities make me want to run screaming back to the ranch. Either that, or take my boat out onto the open sea just to escape.”

“I didn’t own a car while I was in New York. I took the subway or walked. A whole lot less stressful. I bought this one used after I quit my job.”

“Smart, but from what I’ve seen, Californians are addicted to their vehicles. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve worked along the Pacific coast. The last time was down near Los Angeles, but I like Northern and Central California better. Wait until you see Big Sur. There’s nothing like it in the world for rugged coastal beauty.”

Warmth filled Ainslee as she pulled her head back through the window when the traffic began to move again. The fact that Griff expected her to spend time in the area where he intended to work spoke volumes for the progress they’d made in their relationship. A few icy shards of doubt took the edge off her warm glow. She still had to find a job, and that might provide a huge obstacle to any future together. Also, he hadn’t exactly mentioned love or commitment, but at least they seemed to be headed in that direction.

“I guess we should go check into the bed and breakfast and figure out where to go from there. No point in randomly driving around the city until we have a destination.”

Ainslee frowned. They’d pieced together the final two photographs the night before, but neither had given them the big
ah-ha
moment they’d been hoping for. The only positive note came in learning each box contained the exact same photographs. Surely an indication this was their final destination.
If
they could unravel the mystery behind the three unidentified pictures.

“Damn Victor. Why the hell couldn’t he have included a street sign in the house photo to give us a little direction? If the old geezer wasn’t dead already, I’d strangle him.”

“If he wasn’t dead, we wouldn’t be on this wild goose chase.”

Griff exited the freeway before glancing over. “Good point. I think this is the way we want to go to get to the B and B you found that takes dogs.”

“The online description sounded quaint, and I like the idea of a garden where I can walk Rocky before bed.”

“The Richmond district is a nice area. Close to the ocean and Golden Gate Park. We might as well settle in and be comfortable while we decipher the pictures.” He stopped at a red light then accelerated up a hill when the signal turned green. “You had a good idea about tracking down property owned by the Talbots. You’d think Victor would have hidden his treasure somewhere easy for him to access, not buried in a random location.”

“Exactly.”

They crept through the city, stopping at a half dozen more red lights before Griff flipped on his blinker. “Isn’t that the street we want up ahead?”

“You can’t turn left. It’s one way. Are you sure you know where you’re going?”

“I thought I did, but apparently not. You’d better get out the map again.” He pulled over next to a fireplug. “I have a decent sense of direction, but these one-way streets make me crazy.”

“We’re close.” She studied the map she’d purchased at the convenience store where they’d stopped for Griff’s mid-morning snack. “Looks like we can make a left in two blocks then another left three blocks up from there to get to the street we want.”

“In other words, backtrack.” He flipped on the turn signal and merged into traffic. A few minutes later he squeezed into a parking space only half a block away from the bed and breakfast inn. “That was easier than I expected.”

Ainslee lifted Rocky down and set him on the sidewalk before grabbing her purse, laptop and overnight bag off the backseat. “I hope they’ll let us check in early. It isn’t even noon yet.”

Griff hefted his duffle bag over his shoulder then slammed the car door he locked with the remote. As Rocky forged ahead to sniff a tall box shrub, he took the leash from her. “We got an early start, but Parnell still beat us out of the campground. The man must have gotten up before dawn.”

“Do you think he figured out what the rest of the pictures mean?”

“Doubtful. My guess is we’ll all be scrambling to find the correct location.”

Ainslee stopped in front of a pale purple row house adorned with window boxes bursting with a variety of colorful blooms. A lavender sign inscribed with the legend
Lilac Inn
hung from a post anchored in a small patch of grass. They climbed a steep set of steps to the front door.

“At least Victor was fair about the final destination and didn’t give anyone an advantage. I don’t imagine any of the group has spent much time in San Francisco.”

“Doesn’t seem like it since none of us are from around here.” Griff opened the door for her then led the way to a short counter near a curving staircase. A brass bell rested on its polished surface. Dropping his bag, he gave the bell a vigorous shake.

Ainslee winced. “Geez, wake the dead, why don’t you?”

“I’d rather just rouse the living.” He glanced into a sitting room to the right of the entry hall and frowned. “Kind of frilly and formal for my taste. Let’s hope the mattresses in this place aren’t as antique as the furniture.”

Standing on tiptoe, she peered around his shoulder. “Victorian style. Very pretty.”

What she’d assumed was a white and tan fur pillow on one of the upholstered sofas uncurled and stretched. A gorgeous Himalayan cat jumped to the floor and strolled over to sniff Rocky. Tail wagging furiously, he lunged forward and sniffed back.

“Ah, I see Aristotle has introduced himself. Welcome. Welcome.” A tiny woman with a mass of snowy white hair piled on her head hurried toward them from the back of the house. “Are you here to check in?”

Ainslee smiled. “We are. I called earlier about a room.”

“You must be the Fontaine party. Your accommodations are ready. I finished stocking the bath with fresh towels not ten minutes ago.” Scurrying around the desk, she pushed across a registration form. “We take all major credit cards.”

Griff slapped a Visa on the counter before Ainslee could reach into her purse. With a shrug, she decided to let him pay. He’d been the one to insist on the more expensive room with the ocean view.

She cleared her throat. “We may need to stay for more than one night. Our plans are sort of…undefined.”

“The room isn’t booked until the weekend, so you’re welcome to extend your visit by another night if you choose to.”

“Great. Thank you.” He signed the form, stuffed his card back into his wallet then took the old fashioned key she laid on the counter.

“If you’ll follow me…” The innkeeper rushed off, taking the stairs to the third floor like a sprinter in training for the Olympics. At the end of the narrow hallway, she pushed open a door. “Here we are. I hope you’ll enjoy your stay.”

“Thank you.” Panting from the climb, Ainslee stepped inside a room decorated in multiple shades of blue and dropped her bag and computer case on the end of the queen-size bed.

Rocky jumped into the middle of it to promptly lie down.

A large window offered a view over rooftops to the Pacific Ocean. Ainslee pressed a hand to her chest. “Beautiful.”

“This is our most popular room for obvious reasons. Luckily, we’d had a cancellation before you called.” Their hostess backed toward the hall. “The bath is just through that doorway beside the armoire. Breakfast is served from seven o’clock until ten. Please let me know if you need anything.”

“We will. Thanks again.” Griff shut the door behind her and leaned against it. “Is she for real?”

“My God, the woman must be pushing eighty, but I could barely keep up with her on the stairs.”

“I swear she’d run circles around most of our ranch hands.” He grinned. “I wonder how many husbands she’s driven into the grave.”

“I don’t know, but I want to be her when I grow up.” Ainslee walked over to the window and sat on the padded bench seat. “I could look at this view all day. Or, better yet, head to the beach and take a stroll to get up close and personal with the ocean.”

He stepped up behind her and dropped his hands on her shoulders then dug his fingers into muscles knotted from hours spent in the car. “Uh, shouldn’t we put in a little effort to figure out the photos first?”

“I suppose so.” She glanced up and smiled then leaned against his braced thighs behind her. A little tingle shot through her at the contact. “One of the pictures is of the beach. We could call our trip research.”