Orange Blossom Brides (14 page)

Max grinned. All it took was a girl to make Bart rethink his life choices. “Would you excuse me for a minute?”

Bart sat straighter in his chair. “Sure.”

Max left his office, closing the door behind him. “You heard all that?”

“Yep,” Blanche replied.

“What do you think?”

She eyed him with all seriousness. “I think Bart is you twelve years ago. You had the chief. Bart has you.”

“I don’t know if I’m up for this.”

“You are. Give him a chance.”

Max walked away from Blanche’s desk to stand before the window, staring down at Main Street. Deep inside he knew helping Bart was the right thing to do. And if he could help Bart make positive changes in his life, maybe people in this town would see he’d changed, too.

He returned to the office. Bart stood as soon as Max entered.

“Okay, here’s the deal,” Max informed him. “We’ll start out slow so I can teach you the basics. When we pick up more cases, I’ll see about paying you. You will take classes and you will stay out of trouble.”

“I can do that,” Bart assured him, relief and happiness lighting his face. “I promise. You won’t be disappointed.”

“I better not be.”

“So, when do we start?”

“I’ve got a few appointments today. You stay here and go over the upcoming schedule with Blanche. Make notes about what kind of security the customer is interested in. We’ll go over it later.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

Boss. Max hoped he wouldn’t regret this.

* * ** * *

MILD
WAVES
LAPPED
the sand as seagulls dipped and dove in the shallow water. Max stood on the expansive pool deck of the newly remodeled Grand Cypress Hotel. He remembered this place, since he’d hung out here from time to time the summer Dane worked at the hotel. The elegant feel of the place had been missing back then—it’d been run-down and past its prime. Dane had modernized the entire hotel and breathed in new life.

“The hotel looks great,” Max remarked as Dane joined him at the railing separating the deck from the sprawling, manicured lawn leading to the beach. “I’m impressed.”

“It’s been a lot of work, but worth it.”

Max rested his lower back against the rail, crossing his arms over his chest. Intensely bright noon sun reflected off the pool water. Max squinted behind his dark sunglasses. “I’m surprised you don’t already have a security system lined up.”

“I do, but the company I’m using isn’t as on top of things as I’d like. I need a second opinion.”

“No problem.”

“Let’s have coffee out here on the terrace and discuss it.” Dane led them to the outdoor restaurant, spoke to the hostess then picked out the table farthest away from other diners. A waitress took their orders and after she left, Dane laid out his concerns.

Twenty minutes later, Max had a good idea of what Dane needed. He hoped for a chance to implement those ideas.

Dane leaned back in his chair. “I’m glad you came back to town. You know what you’re doing.”

Max laughed. “You seem surprised.”

“Nah. I expected as much. When you put your mind to it, things always got done.”

“Like causing trouble and getting us both in hot water.”

“True, but this security business is a good fit for you.”

“Thanks...I think. Designing or improving a system comes easy. Everything else?” he shrugged.

Dane scrutinized his friend from across the table. “So, Lilli Barclay, huh?”

No point in denying it. Dane must have noticed Max’s reaction to Lilli at the forum. “You’d think I’d stay far, far away, wouldn’t you.”

“You could do worse.”

Max didn’t respond. He hadn’t been great at picking out girlfriends and they both knew it.

“Things serious?”

“No. I’m keeping it all business between us. I volunteered for the wedding benefit, like she asked, but only so I can keep an eye on security without being obvious.”

“A pretty woman asked for your help and you couldn’t refuse. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, I suppose.”

“The Max I knew would look at it as a challenge. He would have wanted to know pretty Miss Barclay better.”

“The teenage Max would have been all over it, but now that I’m slowly getting business I don’t want to mess things up.”

“Then don’t.” Dane leveled Max with a searing stare. “Look, we got into trouble when we were kids. We both admit it. You straightened out. So did I. You can’t change the past, buddy, but you can make a difference in your future.”

“Sounds like you’ve had experience in that department.” Max nodded to the now-elegant, sweeping two-story building. “It’s a long way from working here to owning the place.”

Dane shrugged. “I made some money so I invested in my dream. Trust me, in the beginning I wondered if I’d made a huge mistake. But despite my past, I dug my heels in and proved I could do this. Proved it to myself and others.”

“A lot of that going on.”

“Don’t let anyone say otherwise.”

Max nodded toward the hotel. “I guess if you can pull this off, I can handle a business and a simple charity event.”

“Nothing worth having is ever easy.”

“True.”

Dane grinned. “I’m glad you stopped by. You owe me for all the trouble you talked me into when we were younger.”

“I did, didn’t I?”

“You didn’t exactly twist my arm. Still, if you hadn’t come up with those crazy ideas...”

“We wouldn’t have gotten into trouble. I know.” Max leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. “I’m sorry, Dane.”

“I had a choice.”

“Yeah, but because of me, you got into scrapes with the law. And then you left without a word.”

“Unlike your grandmother, my parents had had enough of my antics. Moving to Tampa to live with my uncle wasn’t great, but it opened my eyes.”

“Do you mind if I ask what happened?”

Dane looked over the water, his face devoid of expression. “Let’s just say it had to do with a girl and a car.”

Max thought back to that last summer together. Dane had been serious with a girl.... What was her name? Oh yeah: Nealy. Obviously a sore subject, judging by his friend’s body language.

Dane turned back to Max and spoke with an even voice. “So, back to security.”

Okay, topic closed. He understood.

“Give me a shot, Dane. After the couple of cases I’ve worked on so far, I want to get out of the P.I. stuff and deal mainly with security concerns. I have experience with surveillance equipment and I like that end of the business.” He grimaced. “Chasing after pickpockets, not so much.”

Dane turned, humor lurking in his eyes. “Bart?”

“He’s a decent guy. Needs someone to change his focus.”

“Soft spot there?”

“Could be.”

“I’ll give you the blueprints of the hotel before you leave, along with the schematics of the current system. Since I’ve already told you my concerns, call me when you put a proposal together.”

With business concluded, the men rose. Max fished in his pocket for cash to pay for the coffee.

Dane stopped him. “Not today. It’s on me.”

Max removed his hand from his pocket, holding it out to Dane. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

Shaking his hand, Dane said, “Just come up with a good plan.”

Max rocked back on his bootheels. “No pressure, huh?”

“I know you can do this.”

The two men walked back to the building. “Let’s go to my office. I’ll get you the prints.”

Max followed Dane inside, for the first time noticing the man’s attire. Dressed in a crisp white polo shirt, creased khaki slacks and brown loafers, he looked like he’d stepped out of GQ, a far cry from his rocker days when shaggy long hair had been the rage. Now, his short, styled hair held highlights. Max wondered if his buddy spent time in the sun or in a salon. Nah, he couldn’t picture Dane sitting long enough to get his hair colored. Still, he had the look Lilli would probably go for. Glancing down at his own T-shirt, jeans and boots, he decided he had more of a
Guns & Ammo
look.

They’d both come a long way from long-haired, troubled juveniles, but he was still kind of dressing like one.

“Dane, can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Where do you buy your clothes?”

One eyebrow arched. “Seriously?”

He nodded.

“Banana Republic. At the mall.”

Max groaned. It had been years since he’d set foot in a mall. Too many stores with too many choices. But if he wanted to change his image, he’d have to suck it up and plan a visit. “That’s what I thought.”

CHAPTER TEN

“I
THINK
THIS
is the color,” Jewel said, passing Lilli yet another torn-out magazine page. The two had holed up at the historical society offices to go over Jewel’s selections for the mock wedding reception. Mary Gibbons, the head of the decorating committee, had given Jewel the green light to jump right in after reviewing Jewel’s ideas. With Mrs. Rumpold out for lunch, they were able to work in relative quiet.

Working on the details made her think about attending the event with Max. She still couldn’t figure out why every time she met up with him she lost her usual cool. He seemed to drag out her inner prim and proper when in reality she wanted to show him she could be exciting and daring. Could she? Did she even want to try? More than anything. But she had to acknowledge that not being hurt by a man ranked high on her self-preservation chart. And Max was a man. Boy-oh-boy, a hunky man.

“Lilli. The color?”

“Tiffany blue. Very spring.”

“It’s rich and elegant. Plus, your mom will love it.”

“That’s true. Anything to do with Tiffany’s makes Celeste happy.”

“We should drape the chairs,” Jewel said, “adding very sheer silver tulle over the blue material to give a luster effect.”

They sat cross-legged on the carpeted floor before the wedding gowns from the Renata Ogilvy collection. What better place for inspiration? “Have we settled on the centerpiece?”

“Earth to Lilli. Hello? About ten minutes ago.”

“Sorry.” Lilli picked up the legal pad with her notes. “Clear vase filled with creamy white faux pearls to conceal the stems of the flowers. Paper-white narcissus, right?”

“That’s right.” Jewel sorted through another stack of pictures. “Let’s add orange blossoms at each table setting. The flowers are small and the petals are white so they fit the color scheme we’ve picked. Plus, they’re meant to symbolize good fortune to a wedding.”

“We can use all the good fortune we can get.”

Jewel chuckled. “Good. Now we have two decisions made.”

“Hmm?”

“Where is your head?” Jewel looked up. “Let me guess. Thinking about Max?”

“I still can’t believe we’re working together.”

“It’s a good thing your mother hired him. These dresses are stunning.”

“They are incredible.” Lilli sighed as she took a long look at the priceless creations before her. She didn’t know the dollar amount of their worth, or if you could even come up with an exact figure. Even with insurance, her mother had been right to update the security system—the dresses were irreplaceable. And since Max had installed the system personally, Lilli felt at ease keeping them here. After all, these dresses were her responsibility, not only because she’d arranged to have them showcased, but her friend Gab had taken a professional risk by talking the designer into loaning the dresses to the historical society. Then there was her mom, excited by the publicity the collection would draw. Celeste was counting on Lilli to maintain her reputation for high standards.

“Look, Max is doing his job. I don’t know him, but he seems serious about his work.”

And smart and professional. Nothing personal involved in the job. Is that what bothered her?

“I know it’s all for the sake of the benefit.” She sighed. “I’ll figure out how I feel about this after the event.”

Lilli picked up another magazine clipping of a beautifully set reception table. “You know, I saw some table coverings in the closet when I arrived. Let me get one and see if it’s in our color palette.”

Leaving Jewel to sift through pictures, Lilli headed down the short hallway that led to the storage closet and back door. As she reached the closet, she noticed a spot of light shining on the floor. Had Mrs. R. forgotten to close the outside door tightly when she’d come in this morning? Inspecting further, she realized the door was closed, but there was light shining through a gap around the knob. She unlocked the door and opened it, peering cautiously into the back alley, but it appeared to be empty. When she stepped back inside and grabbed the handle to close the door securely, the knob nearly fell out of the door.

“What in the world?”

She looked closer, noted the knob jiggled when she touched it. She reopened the door to check outside. Scratches marred the wood around the outside knob.

“Jewel, come here.”

“What’s up?”

“Does this look weird to you?”

“The knob?” Jewel checked it out and nodded. “It’s not fitting right.”

“Exactly.”

“Think Mrs. R. did something to it?”

“No. If she knew it was broken, she would have gotten someone to fix it.”

Lilli exchanged an uneasy glance with Jewel. “Do you think—”

“—someone tried to break in?” Jewel finished.

“This is creepy.”

“Mrs. R. was here all alone this morning. What if someone had broken in?”

Lilli hated to even consider the consequences.

“Better call Max. This falls under his job description.”

Lilli pulled the door closed then hurried to the front of the office to find her phone. As much as she had hoped not to have to use it, she’d added his office number in her contact list for just such a situation as this.

“Hi, Blanche, it’s Lilli Barclay. Could you let Max know someone might have tried to break in at the historical office? Thanks.”

She ended the call and joined Jewel as her friend collected the scattered pictures. “He’ll be right over.”

“Lilli, this is serious. What if someone wanted the gowns?”

What would anyone do with a bunch of wedding gowns, even if they are priceless?
“It could be nothing.”

“Or it could be a problem.”

“Let’s let Max decide.” She glanced around the office. “I’m sure he’ll do a sweep of the place when he gets here.”

Minutes later voices carried in from the front door. She turned in time to see Mrs. Rumpold let herself in, talking away, followed by none other than Max himself, dressed in the usual jeans and dark T-shirt, now sporting the Sanders Security logo. He’d gotten his hair trimmed, but the ever present five-o’clock shadow covered his jaw. She had to admit the look was growing on her. Just like him. His dark eyes met and searched hers from across the room, concern evident in the clear gray depths.

“I didn’t come in the back way,” Mrs. Rumpold said. “Or I would have called you.”

Lilli walked across the room to join them. “Thanks for getting here so quickly.”

“Are you okay?”

Her heart warmed over being his first concern. “Yes. No one was out back when I noticed the problem.”

He nodded. “Show me.”

As they began to walk down the hallway, Mrs. R. stopped Lilli. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t check the back door this morning. The phone kept ringing and I had messages to answer...” Her voice caught. “I never went back there.”

Worry etched the older woman’s face. No point making her feel worse than she already did. “No problem, Mrs. R. I’m just glad you’re okay. Max will take care of things now.”

Mrs. R. smiled in spite of her tears. “He’s a good man.”

Lilli patted the woman’s arm. “Let’s go see what he’s discovered.”

Mrs. R. took a shaky breath. “Okay.”

She returned to the hallway, Mrs. R. close behind.

“When did you notice the problem?” he asked.

“Right before I called your office. Jewel and I were working. I came to the closet and noticed something off.” She angled her head toward the back door. “It looked to me as though someone tried to break in. The knob is rather cockeyed and loose, like maybe someone tampered with it. If it weren’t for the dresses on display, I wouldn’t worry so much.”

“You didn’t set the alarm?” Max asked Mrs. R.

The older woman’s face fell. “I’m afraid not. To be honest, before the gowns arrived we weren’t very good about setting the alarm every night. It’s an excuse, I know, but I’m not in the habit yet.”

He shot her a stern look. “You have to turn it on when no one is here.”

“I know that. I’m... It’s...”

Lilli placed her arm around Mrs. R.’s shoulder. “It’ll be okay. I guess we needed a scare to make us aware of the importance of arming the system.” Max opened his mouth to say more, but Lilli cut him off. “Just be sure to set the alarm every time you leave the office.”

“I will,” Mrs. R. promised. The phone rang and she scurried off to answer it.

Max’s expression didn’t reveal his frustration, but his jaw flexed. “You have to make Mrs. R., and anyone else who has regular access to the office, understand how important it is to set the alarm.”

“Max, I think she learned her lesson. You saw how upset she is. There’s no point in making her feel worse.”

He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. “I didn’t take you for a soft touch.”

“Normally I’m not, but getting ugly with Mrs. R. wouldn’t help matters.”

Max turned to the back door. “You’re probably right.”

“I am right.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he groused, but she didn’t miss his reluctant grin.

He opened the door, walked outside and studied the doorknob. He reached out and ran a finger over the casement, the frown growing deeper.

“What do you think happened?” she asked.

“Come and see.” He motioned for her to join him. She stepped out into the warm air, catching a whiff of his tangy cologne as he stood close to her. Her heart beat double-time, but she focused on the door. He pointed to the scratches in the wood.

“The scratches are fresh. I’d guess whoever did this either got spooked or couldn’t pry the door open. It wouldn’t have taken much more work to get the knob off completely.” He jiggled it. The knob fell out of the door and clattered to the ground. Max bent down to pick it up, examining it. “Definitely suspicious.”

“Thanks goodness no one got in.”

Max studied the doorframe and pulled at some splintered wood. “For whatever reason, the door held up long enough to discourage the intruder.”

“It would have been horrible if someone had stolen the gowns.”

Mrs. R. returned from her phone call. “Is it bad?”

“No. I can fix it.”

Mrs. R. looked at Max with stars in her eyes, then said to Lilli, “Leave it to Max to take care of it.”

He glanced at Lilli. “I have a toolbox in the truck.”

She raised her eyebrow. The things she didn’t know about this man.

“I’m kinda handy with tools,” he explained, amusement twinkling in his eyes. Now that the worst of the situation had passed, everyone could rest easier.

“You don’t say?”

The warmth of his gaze made her heart skip. It should have bothered her, this physical reaction, but more and more she looked forward to the way she felt around him. She either had to figure out what she wanted to do about her reaction, or walk away. Since her feet were firmly planted on the ground as he smiled that killer smile at her, her only option was to stick around.

“Give me a minute.”

He brushed past her, lingering just a moment as their arms brushed, before heading back into the office and out the front door. She let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d held on to and hurried to her mother’s office.

Inhaling deeply, she tried to slow her heart rate. This was crazy. She had to get control over this...this...what? Infatuation?
Sheesh.
The benefit couldn’t get here soon enough.

Girlish anticipation rose up and she checked her hair and makeup in the travel mirror she carried in her purse. She smoothed her new jeans and cute T-shirt with the sparkly crystals on the front. Finished fussing, she sauntered out of the office on her spike-heeled sandals, hoping to catch Max’s eye. She only hoped she didn’t come off too obvious, because there was more than infatuation going on here.

“I’ll have this fixed today.” He told Lilli as she rejoined him by the back door. He dropped a screwdriver back into the box. “I’ll head out to the hardware store and get the supplies I need.”

“Thanks, Max. I appreciate it.”

“After I fix the knob, I’ll still run a system check. Although it won’t do much good if the alarm isn’t set when everyone leaves.”

“I’m sure Mrs. R. will be on it now. She’s pretty upset.”

“I don’t mean to put it on you, but you are in charge of things. Make sure it happens.”

Her shoulders went stiff. “If I had known, I would have taken care of the problem.”

“Did Mrs. R. give you the code?”

Lilli hesitated, since he wasn’t going to like her answer. “Not yet.”

He ran a hand over his stubbly chin.

“I planned on getting it today.”

He looked less than pleased. “Make sure you keep it handy. Have you seen the keypad yet?”

“On the wall by my mother’s office.”

“Come with me.”

Max grabbed his toolbox and they walked back to the office. Max stopped by the keypad. “It’s your basic model. Easy to use.”

“I’m sure I’d have figured it out.”

“Give it a try.” He moved so close she felt his breath in her hair. “You don’t have to put heavy pressure on the keypad when you enter the number, but make sure you press firmly.”

Ignoring the jitters Max inspired, Lilli focused on the tiny green glowing button, indicating the system was turned off, then did as instructed. “Got it.”

It might have been her imagination, but it seemed he stood beside her a little longer than necessary, his body heat invading her space, making her flush.

He finally stepped away. “If the alarm is armed properly, we shouldn’t have any more close calls.”

Lilli nodded. From now on she planned to stop by the office on her way home from work every night to make sure the alarm had been set. “Is there anything else I should do?”

“As long as everyone follows protocol, both collections will be safe.”

“After this, I’m even more concerned about the Wingate collection. Do you think keeping it at the country club when it arrives is wise? Should we get a safety deposit box at the bank?”

“Klaus and I went over the security system at the club with a fine-tooth comb and when I make the upgrades, you can rest assured that no one will be able to access the safe.”

“Sounds like you have the situation under control.”