Hands On Page 13

  “Desperation.”

  “To hold on to the marriage?”

  “They aren’t thinking clearly, and it takes only one partner to be charmed by Bask into signing up.”

  “That’s so sad.”

  Dalton went to the closet to get some clothes. She’d never been married. She didn’t understand how vulnerable a committed, forever-do-us-part relationship made a person. How good sense flies out the window, and you think and do things you’d never have dreamed possible.

  Nasty business. Somebody ought to write about that in Bride’s Magazine. He poked through his suitcase, not anxious to resume a conversation about the subject of marriage. He sure wished he knew what today’s activities were about since he’d only brought two pairs of shorts.

  “Dalton, are you coming out sometime this decade?”

  He couldn’t help but smile at her impatient tone. One thing about Cassie, you didn’t have to guess where she was coming from.

  “Good grief. How long does it take you to pick out clothes?”

  He came out of the closet laughing. “Yep, you have the wife role down pat. On second thought, you sound more like a husband.”

  “Don’t be sexist.”

  “Never.”

  “Right.” She finger-combed her hair, tugging out the tangles. “You didn’t tell me about last night.”

  That was another interesting thing about Cassie. With the puzzling exception of her need for approval on the job, she wasn’t just comfortable with her body, but with herself in general. She didn’t have to look her best at all times. Practical. Simple. He liked that about her.

  Linda had spent hours grooming herself, applying makeup, getting manicures and pedicures, the whole nine yards, and he’d always preferred the way she looked when she first woke up in the morning. But when he’d tell her that, she never believed him.

  “I fessed up and admitted I drove around.” He shrugged. “What else did you want to know?”

  Disappointment clouded her face. “So you really didn’t check on a hunch?”

  “Oh, that.” Dammit. He was losing it. His thoughts were too much about her and not the case. “Yeah. I called a buddy of mine, my former partner in fact, and he’s running a background check on Simone and Grant.”

  She nodded, clearly not surprised. “I figured. There’s an odd undercurrent between Simone and Mary Jane. And then Bask pulled Simone aside last night. Something ain’t kosher there.”

  He grinned. “Spoken like a true, hard-boiled detective.”

  “Hey, hey, no teasing the rookie.”

  “Yeah, right, a rookie. As if.” He chuckled.

  She gave him a startled look and then glanced away. “So I take it you’ll have to call your friend some time today for the results?”

  “Wait a minute…you really are a rookie?”

  Her eyes grudgingly met his. “This is sort of my first case.”

  That explained a lot. But now he was even more impressed with her calm and poise.

  “Technically it isn’t.” She made a sound of frustration. “I said that wrong. Technically it is my first case for this agency, but I’ve been in the business for a couple of years. Before, I was more of an assistant. I did the grunt work for this guy. He kept promising me I’d go solo but he never made good, and I finally got another job.”

  “Well, it was his loss. You’ve got good instincts and you’re composed under pressure. I’d never have guessed you haven’t been in the field a while.”

  Cassie’s smile stretched so wide, it had to have set a record. “You’d better not just be saying that.”

  “Why would I?” He shrugged. “But I gotta admit, I’m glad I didn’t know this at the go.”

  Her expression crumbled. “Because you wouldn’t have trusted me to help with the assignment.”

  “Probably not. But I would have been wrong, and it would’ve been my loss.”

  She smiled again. “Well, you’re right. It’s Chet’s loss now, the idiot.”

  “Your old boss?”

  She nodded and something in her expression told him he might even have been more than a boss. “He asked me to stay, started with the list of promises again, but I told him to shove it.”

  “Good for you.” He wanted to ask about this Chet guy, but he wouldn’t. None of his business. Just like his former marriage was none of hers. No sense opening a can of worms.

  “I guess I’d better get my lazy butt up. Unless I can talk you into playing hooky with me.” She gave him a sly smile that was belied by her pushing the sheets aside and swinging her legs to the floor.

  He knew he should’ve stayed in the closet longer. In vain he tried to look away. When she stretched her arms over her head, the hem of her nightshirt riding up almost to her panties, he had to give himself a good mental shake.

  “I have another confession to make,” he said when she didn’t seem in any hurry to get moving. “There is nothing I want to do more right now than to crawl back into bed and strip you naked.”

  She blinked. “Oh.”

  “So I suggest you get your cute little fanny up and into the bathroom before we do something we’ll both regret.”

  “Speak for yourself.” She didn’t budge. “You had second thoughts, huh?”

  “Didn’t you?”

  She got out of bed, but then stopped at the bathroom door. “How are you going to make contact with your friend?”

  “This afternoon we have another in-your-face session. I’ll pretend to get steamed again and take another ride to cool off.”

  Cassie grimaced. “I forgot about the group session. Maybe we should practice.”

  He knew she was thinking about how he’d gone off before. “Tell you what, this time you take the lead and I’ll follow whatever avenue you take.”

  “I still don’t know what to say.”

  “Whatever the topic is, express your own opinions if that’s easier. I’ll ad-lib from there.”

  “Hope it doesn’t end up being too hot a topic.”

  “Don’t worry.” He sighed. “No more surprises.”

  She started to enter the bathroom but then hesitated. “Dalton?”

  Dread filled every pore in his body. Her tentative tone said it all. She was about to ask a question he didn’t want to answer. He wouldn’t discuss his marriage or Linda. The past was the past. The end. “Yeah?”

  She didn’t react to his impersonal tone. “I have a confession to make, too. Dammit, but I’m starting to like you.”

  “I HEAR Y’ALL murmuring back there.” Mary Jane’s disposition was a little too chipper for Cassie’s mood, even more so than usual. “Don’t worry. We only have ten minutes more of hiking.”

  “Don’t look so enthusiastic.” Dalton nudged her with his elbow. “Exercise is good for you.”

  “I don’t mind exercising. In fact, I actually enjoy working out. I just want to know what the hell we’re doing in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Me, too,” Zelda said, obviously having overheard. “This is ridiculous. It’s getting frightfully hot and we still have to walk back yet.”

  “Amen. Maybe we ought to start back now.” Cassie made a face at the back of Mary Jane’s perky high-stepping. “Miss Sunshine probably won’t even miss us.”

  Zelda’s eyes lit with hope. “Are you serious?”

  Cassie peered at the thicket of trees ahead of them. They’d already plodded down a dirt road, trampled over shrubbery tall enough to scratch her legs and had to dodge two large tumbleweeds. As green as the grounds were at Back to Basics, the surrounding area was arid and undeveloped.

  “I’m game,” she said, thinking she could do some more snooping around. “I’m pretty sure I know the way back.”

  “Honey…” Dalton took her arm. “You’re the one who thought this week was such a good idea. I think we should stick with the program.”

  “But Zelda’s right. What is this stupid hike going to prove?”

  He didn’t answer, but nor did he have to. She sa
w in his eyes that it was important that they stay with the group.

  She gave Zelda an apologetic look. “Sorry, but I guess my husband is right. This was my idea.”

  “Well, this was my idea, too…the first time, anyway. But I’m sure sorry I ever met Mr. Blankenship.” Zelda stopped to mop her face with a white linen handkerchief.

  Cassie waited for her but waved Dalton on when he slowed. He nodded, probably realizing Zelda may be more open to talking alone with Cassie.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I don’t know.” The older woman sighed. “He’s got this way about him that makes it hard to say no.”

  “To what?”

  Zelda’s gaze flew to Cassie. “Not that. I mean nothing immoral, if that’s what you’re thinking.” She lowered her voice and added, “Although my friend Maude and her husband attended the encounter week two months ago and she thought Mr. Blankenship had gotten awfully chummy with one of the other wives.”

  “Really?”

  Zelda gave a smug nod.

  “That’s interesting.” Cassie paused dramatically. “Do you think that’s why he called Simone out of the dining room last night?”

  Her features tightened. “Well, if he did, that one would be asking for it. I’ve already warned Harvey. He embarrasses me one more time with that tramp, and he’ll be working for a living.”

  The wheels started to spin in Cassie’s head. Maybe Simone was working with Bask and Mary Jane. Maybe that was Simone’s job…to break up couples. “How did you hear about this place? Your friend Maude?”

  “We really heard about it together. Robert…” She blinked, looking a little embarrassed before hurrying on, “that is, Mr. Blankenship, was at a charity ball we’d both attended and we overheard him talking to a couple about the success rate of the new program he’d started, about how couples benefited from strengthening the marriage bond. Maude loves trying every new wave cure that comes along so she signed up right away.”

  “How did it work for her?”

  Zelda stopped to mop her forehead again, and Cassie waited with her. The others had already pulled way ahead, which was just fine because Cassie wasn’t about to miss this opportunity to pump Zelda for information.

  “I love Maude. I truly do. But the woman’s a flake. She has too much money and too much time on her hands. Any distraction from life amuses her, so of course she loved the program.”

  They continued walking and Zelda added, “Though I must say, Mr. Blankenship was able to accomplish something I haven’t been able to do. I’ve told Maude over and over again that she should find a charity that interests her and get involved. She subscribes to the notion that writing a check is enough.”

  She paused to catch her breath and impatient, Cassie said, “And Blankenship has introduced her to a charity in which she’s become involved.”

  Zelda nodded. “So I guess this particular distraction hasn’t been all bad for Maude.”

  “Hey, what’s keeping you?” Mary Jane called out with her hands cupped around her mouth.

  “Wait until gravity and age gets a hold of that young lady.” Zelda smiled. “It couldn’t happen to a more deserving person.”

  Cassie laughed. “You’re usually so quiet. This is a new side to you. I like it.”

  “The reason I haven’t said much is because most of what comes to mind would be too undignified to verbalize.”

  “I understand completely.” They walked in companionable silence for the next minute, and then Cassie said, “Would you mind if I asked you something personal?”

  “Ask.” Zelda gestured with her hand that it was all right. “That’s not to say I’ll answer.”

  Their conversation made Cassie all the more curious about the woman. She obviously wasn’t some shrinking violet as it had first appeared. “Why are you seeing the week through? Why don’t you just leave?”

  Zelda looked away and fidgeted with her ever-present braid.

  “Robert thinks—” She stopped cold. “I guess I’m going to have to let that question remained unanswered.”

  “No problem,” Cassie said breezily. “But if you have the chance to check with your friend, I’d really like to know about that charity she’s working with. I may be interested myself.”

  “Oh, I don’t need to check with Maude. I’ve decided to get involved, as well. It’s called the R. Bask Scholarship Fund.”

  “BOY, HAVE I got a lot to tell you,” Cassie said under her breath to Dalton as the group gathered around a natural pool.

  “I figured.” He looked straight ahead, pretending to be listening to Mary Jane who seemed to be giving a canned speech about the pool and what it was used for in the old days. “She opened up, huh?”

  “Yep. It’s too hard to get into it now, but I think you’ll be interested.”

  “Hell, dangle the carrot why don’t you?”

  Cassie grinned. “Just doing my job.”

  “I wouldn’t drink the water,” Mary Jane said, her voice rising as she looked pointedly at them. “But it’s just deep enough to make a great swimming hole.”

  Dalton leaned his head toward Cassie. “Feels like we’re back in school, doesn’t it?”

  “Shut up. She’s giving us the eye again.”

  He smiled and straightened but didn’t bother to pay attention to Mary Jane. He kept thinking about Cassie, about how during the last fifteen minutes of the hike when she’d lagged behind with Zelda, he’d missed her like crazy.

  Stupid, he knew, but it was the oddest feeling. He’d wanted her beside him, sharing a joke, exchanging observations, being able to inhale her private seductive scent. He had to remind himself of the spiel he’d given her. They were co-conspirators, and in a way now that he thought about it, they were almost like hostages, having to rely on each other for survival.

  He knew better than to attach any more weight to their relationship or feelings for each other. It was all a temporary illusion. In fours days it would be over. He’d be sitting in a hotel room somewhere, writing his report, setting up Bask’s arrest, and she’d be back settling into her own life.

  Maybe they’d still keep in touch. But probably only on the phone. And only about the case. What more did they have in common, after all?

  “In about an hour you’ll eat the picnic lunches Tasha packed for each of you,” Mary Jane was saying. “In the meantime I want you to go off in couples and scout the area. Find a place where you’ll both feel comfortable.”

  “To eat our lunch?” Tom asked.

  Mary Jane and Simone both laughed.

  Grant produced a rare smile.

  The rest of the group gave each other confused looks.

  “This is our day in the wild,” Mary Jane explained. “A time to let our inhibitions go. To be comfortable with our bodies and our partners. To bring some of the spark and daring back into the romance.”

  Dalton got the picture but it was obvious the others hadn’t, including Cassie.

  Mary Jane sighed. “To put it simply, you’ll need a place to do the wild thing.”

  12

  “THIS HAS TO BE another ploy to get us out of the house again, don’t you think?” Cassie crawled through the small crevice ahead of him and Dalton nearly fell on his face from keeping his eyes on her tempting backside instead of where he was stepping. “I mean who would think up something stupid like this?”

  “Having a nature romp is stupid?”

  “Well, I don’t know… No, I guess not. But using it as a tool for marriage counseling? Come on.”

  “Mary Jane and Bask have both reminded us this isn’t counseling. The answers are within us. We just have to dig,” Dalton repeated Bask’s words in a perfect imitation of his voice.

  Cassie glanced over her shoulder. “You’re downright spooky.”

  “This is far enough,” he said when it looked as if she were about to climb another level of rocks.

  “I don’t want anyone to see us.”

  “Ah, so you plan on having your w
ay with me, after all.”

  “What do you think the chances are, zero or nothing?” She glanced back at him again and caught him staring at her fanny. Quickly she turned her face. “I misspoke,” she said, “I meant I didn’t want anyone hearing us.”

  “Freudian slip, maybe.”

  “You are a dreamer.” She plopped down on a flat surface. “I think this spot is good.”

  He settled in beside her. “So, tell me…”

  “Tell you what?”

  “Have you ever done the wild thing in the wild?”

  She gave him an admonishing frown. “How is that your business?”

  “Didn’t say it was.”

  “You’re annoying, you know that?”

  “And here you said you were just beginning to like me.”

  A smile played at the corners of her mouth. “I lied.” She opened the sack he’d snitched from Mary Jane. “Sandwiches and chips. Wow, real aphrodisiacs.” She inspected the wrapped sandwiches closer. “You want turkey or ham?”

  He was suddenly struck by the sun shining on her face, making her prefect skin even more luminous. Her lips were perfectly shaped, naturally tinted a pale pink. Screw lunch. He wondered what she’d say if he told her that he wanted her. Right now. Naked. Her legs parted so he could taste her.

  Quickly he uncapped his water bottle and took a long cool sip, and then splashed some of it on his face.

  “If you don’t answer I’m sticking you with the ham.”

  He used the back of his rolled up sleeve to wipe his face. “Ham’s fine.”

  “Too much sodium.” She handed him the sandwich. “I hope you don’t normally eat a lot of it.”

  “No, ma’am.”

  She looked up and tried to hide a smile. “It doesn’t hurt to have good nutrition.”

  “No, it doesn’t,” he agreed. “And a night of hot sex works wonders, too.”

  Her lips parted in surprise. “Don’t start. We agreed.”

  He set down the sandwich and kissed her. She stiffened, but he guessed mostly because he’d caught her off guard since she quickly molded herself against him and returned the kiss with enthusiasm.