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Book: Courting Trouble (The Texas Two-Step Series, Book 3) by Kathy Carmichael
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Authors: Kathy Carmichael
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boy-next-door good looks. He scored highly, which didn't please A.C. at all. He didn't like the idea of attractive louts checking out Diedra.
Hawkins had better be damn good at his job.
Entering the well-lit bar, they sat down without placing orders first. That could wait. "Have you located Jeff?"
"Yes, sir."
Sir??? While Hawkins pulled a small notebook from his jacket pocket, A.C. glared at him. So, okay, he was a few years older than Hawkins, but the lad didn't have to rub it in.
"Call me A.C. All my—" he shot a warning look at Diedra "—business associates do."
"Sure, A.C. I found Jeff. He's on flight 409 back to Dallas."
A.C. jumped from his seat. "What?"
"Have a seat, A.C. I've booked you on the next flight. It leaves in over an hour. That'll give me enough time to fill you in on what I've learned before you have to go through security."
A.C. sat. What the hell was Jeff up to? He'd been in New Orleans for less than four hours. Why make a trip at all if the business could be accomplished in such a short time?
"Did you find out where he went?"
"No. I do know he took a cab to the French Quarter, but beyond that, I don't have anything else to tell you."
"Mr. Hawkins." Diedra reached out and placed her hand on the detective's wrist. "Tell me you know where my sister is."
"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I can't help you there."
The detective had given A.C. more information than he'd expected to receive. Hawkins was good, he had to grant him that, but if Diedra didn't remove her hand from the man's wrist, A.C. would be extremely tempted to break Hawkins's arm and any other body part he could manage to body slam.
Diedra must have sensed the tension. She sat back and primly folded both her hands in her lap.
A.C. stood to shake hands. "Thanks for what you were able to glean on such short notice."
"My pleasure. Anytime you need some help in the New Orleans area, feel free to give me a shout." He laid two airline tickets on the table and left.
"Let me call my office to see if someone can catch Jeff at the airport, and then we'll hop on the next flight."
Diedra paled. "You go, Alec. I—I need a little time. I'll rent a car and drive back."
What was she talking about? Did she have some idea of what Jeff was up to? Is that why she wanted to stay? "I thought we were in this together."
Her brows narrowed. "Of course we are. At least, that's what I'd hoped."
"Then why do you want to stay in New Orleans?"
"It's not so much that I want to stay in New Orleans. It's more that I don't want to fly back to Dallas."
A.C. rubbed his face with his hands. Sometimes talking with Diedra was even—impossible as it might seem—more confusing than following a conversation with his mother. He rubbed his eyes. He rubbed his forehead. He rubbed his neck. Then he scowled. "Talk. Now."
"I don't know where to start."
"Try the beginning." So far, A.C. had managed not to grit his teeth. His mother always made him grit his teeth.
"All these rapid-fire questions. I wish you'd stop talking to me in lawyer-speak. It makes me nervous."
"I'm sorry. It just comes naturally." He gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile.
"Well. I have this problem."
"Go on. No stalling. I'll miss the next flight if I have to."
"What you see before you is Murphy's Law in action. If I'm anywhere in the vicinity, anything that can go wrong always does." Her voice came out low, almost whisper-like and wavery. He felt guilty about forcing her to say whatever she was going to say, but what choice did he have?
Diedra, meanwhile, knew she was done for. Once she told Alec the full truth, he'd want even less to do with her than he had before. But she had to do it.
"I'm electromagnetically impaired. Lights go out. Watches stop or speed up. Machinery does things it was never intended to do. Engines..." She couldn't continue.
He took one of her hands into his.
Diedra was nervous enough already, without that physical contact. She figured he intended to be reassuring,
Hawkins had better be damn good at his job.
Entering the well-lit bar, they sat down without placing orders first. That could wait. "Have you located Jeff?"
"Yes, sir."
Sir??? While Hawkins pulled a small notebook from his jacket pocket, A.C. glared at him. So, okay, he was a few years older than Hawkins, but the lad didn't have to rub it in.
"Call me A.C. All my—" he shot a warning look at Diedra "—business associates do."
"Sure, A.C. I found Jeff. He's on flight 409 back to Dallas."
A.C. jumped from his seat. "What?"
"Have a seat, A.C. I've booked you on the next flight. It leaves in over an hour. That'll give me enough time to fill you in on what I've learned before you have to go through security."
A.C. sat. What the hell was Jeff up to? He'd been in New Orleans for less than four hours. Why make a trip at all if the business could be accomplished in such a short time?
"Did you find out where he went?"
"No. I do know he took a cab to the French Quarter, but beyond that, I don't have anything else to tell you."
"Mr. Hawkins." Diedra reached out and placed her hand on the detective's wrist. "Tell me you know where my sister is."
"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I can't help you there."
The detective had given A.C. more information than he'd expected to receive. Hawkins was good, he had to grant him that, but if Diedra didn't remove her hand from the man's wrist, A.C. would be extremely tempted to break Hawkins's arm and any other body part he could manage to body slam.
Diedra must have sensed the tension. She sat back and primly folded both her hands in her lap.
A.C. stood to shake hands. "Thanks for what you were able to glean on such short notice."
"My pleasure. Anytime you need some help in the New Orleans area, feel free to give me a shout." He laid two airline tickets on the table and left.
"Let me call my office to see if someone can catch Jeff at the airport, and then we'll hop on the next flight."
Diedra paled. "You go, Alec. I—I need a little time. I'll rent a car and drive back."
What was she talking about? Did she have some idea of what Jeff was up to? Is that why she wanted to stay? "I thought we were in this together."
Her brows narrowed. "Of course we are. At least, that's what I'd hoped."
"Then why do you want to stay in New Orleans?"
"It's not so much that I want to stay in New Orleans. It's more that I don't want to fly back to Dallas."
A.C. rubbed his face with his hands. Sometimes talking with Diedra was even—impossible as it might seem—more confusing than following a conversation with his mother. He rubbed his eyes. He rubbed his forehead. He rubbed his neck. Then he scowled. "Talk. Now."
"I don't know where to start."
"Try the beginning." So far, A.C. had managed not to grit his teeth. His mother always made him grit his teeth.
"All these rapid-fire questions. I wish you'd stop talking to me in lawyer-speak. It makes me nervous."
"I'm sorry. It just comes naturally." He gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile.
"Well. I have this problem."
"Go on. No stalling. I'll miss the next flight if I have to."
"What you see before you is Murphy's Law in action. If I'm anywhere in the vicinity, anything that can go wrong always does." Her voice came out low, almost whisper-like and wavery. He felt guilty about forcing her to say whatever she was going to say, but what choice did he have?
Diedra, meanwhile, knew she was done for. Once she told Alec the full truth, he'd want even less to do with her than he had before. But she had to do it.
"I'm electromagnetically impaired. Lights go out. Watches stop or speed up. Machinery does things it was never intended to do. Engines..." She couldn't continue.
He took one of her hands into his.
Diedra was nervous enough already, without that physical contact. She figured he intended to be reassuring,
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