his bag. There wasn't much time to waste; already they were announcing final boarding.
He was tired. It was more than driving all over town and finding few answers that caused the fatigue. On the ride over, Tessa had shared nothing of her conversations at the Kid's Club and he'd only heard one side of the discussion with Father Luke. She wasn't acting much like his partner any more. A little of his cheerful front cracked, a frown settling between his brows as he stalked on towards the gate.
Tessa felt the twinges of guilt tightening her chest. What was she doing? What had she done? She chastised herself for not taking the chance and talking with Cy. She rubbed at a spot on her brow; trying to run from Cy was no different than trying to run from the Mob. And now she was dragging Scott down with her.
Maybe it made better sense to let Scott go on alone, Tessa pondered, trying to decide between the right move and the right thing to do.
She would stay back, make a few calls, try and get a few things straightened out and then meet up with him in New York. Decision made, Tessa stopped a few feet short of the attendant who stood sentry at the boarding gate. She reached for Scott's arm.
"What are we doing?" she questioned, lifting her eyes to meet his. "You have plans made, and hell, I don't even have a room."
He looked down at her hand on his arm, and she pulled back. Now she could add embarrassment to her anxiety list.
"What?" Scott said, clearly confused. There were at least a million hotel rooms in New York; surely she knew there would be at least one vacant.
The gate attendant said something, urging them onboard. Scott ignored her, his attention on Tessa. "You can't stay here," he explained. Snatching the tickets, he handed them to the clerk as he added, "If you don't come with me, I won't tell you what the ticket cost, so you won't be able to pay me back, which means you'll owe me and that will drive you nuts."
He took a tentative step toward the open door to the jetway. "I'm awake, you're awake. You have two hours to try and get the information out of me."
The smart remark she planned to throw at him was interrupted by the sound of her cell phone ringing.
Scott held out an expectant hand as the persistent sound continued. "Are you surprised? I did say I'd call him back." He tapped his foot. "Hate to keep him waiting."
Tessa hesitated, and then rummaged through her purse for the phone. She handed it to Scott, who dispersed with the pleasantries, cutting right to the chase, by giving directions to Cy for a meeting. "Four a.m., Tessa's place."
Flipping the phone closed and handing it back to her, Scott said, "Now you can pick, him or me."
Cocking an eyebrow, she kept any form of smile at bay. "You don't even play fair," she said, feigning slight annoyance. "Trying to plead to Cy's sense of reason now would be about as futile as trying to light a match in a hurricane."
"All he wants is a piece of paper—or so you say."
The gate attendant moved forward. "I'm sorry, Sir, we need to..."
Scott swept a dramatic hand towards the open door, saying, "After you."
The attendant was waiting, with one hand on the door and motioning inside with the other. Not as gallantly as Scott, but the message was the same. Unless Tessa could come up with a damn good reason why not, she was expected to get on the plane. Accepting defeat, she followed the direction they pointed.
Her phone rang again. This time she ignored it.
Following Tessa down the jetway, Scott said, "Let's see if we can keep the focus on Darla. Might make this easier for both of us."
"I doubt it," she said, ending that conversation.
There were only two seats open in first class. Stepping to the side, Tessa motioned to the window seat. "I guess since you're bankrolling this little getaway, you get the seat of honor."
The need to look at the world from thousands of feet in the air did not appeal to her, nor did the feeling of helplessness when the plane banked. Scott
He was tired. It was more than driving all over town and finding few answers that caused the fatigue. On the ride over, Tessa had shared nothing of her conversations at the Kid's Club and he'd only heard one side of the discussion with Father Luke. She wasn't acting much like his partner any more. A little of his cheerful front cracked, a frown settling between his brows as he stalked on towards the gate.
Tessa felt the twinges of guilt tightening her chest. What was she doing? What had she done? She chastised herself for not taking the chance and talking with Cy. She rubbed at a spot on her brow; trying to run from Cy was no different than trying to run from the Mob. And now she was dragging Scott down with her.
Maybe it made better sense to let Scott go on alone, Tessa pondered, trying to decide between the right move and the right thing to do.
She would stay back, make a few calls, try and get a few things straightened out and then meet up with him in New York. Decision made, Tessa stopped a few feet short of the attendant who stood sentry at the boarding gate. She reached for Scott's arm.
"What are we doing?" she questioned, lifting her eyes to meet his. "You have plans made, and hell, I don't even have a room."
He looked down at her hand on his arm, and she pulled back. Now she could add embarrassment to her anxiety list.
"What?" Scott said, clearly confused. There were at least a million hotel rooms in New York; surely she knew there would be at least one vacant.
The gate attendant said something, urging them onboard. Scott ignored her, his attention on Tessa. "You can't stay here," he explained. Snatching the tickets, he handed them to the clerk as he added, "If you don't come with me, I won't tell you what the ticket cost, so you won't be able to pay me back, which means you'll owe me and that will drive you nuts."
He took a tentative step toward the open door to the jetway. "I'm awake, you're awake. You have two hours to try and get the information out of me."
The smart remark she planned to throw at him was interrupted by the sound of her cell phone ringing.
Scott held out an expectant hand as the persistent sound continued. "Are you surprised? I did say I'd call him back." He tapped his foot. "Hate to keep him waiting."
Tessa hesitated, and then rummaged through her purse for the phone. She handed it to Scott, who dispersed with the pleasantries, cutting right to the chase, by giving directions to Cy for a meeting. "Four a.m., Tessa's place."
Flipping the phone closed and handing it back to her, Scott said, "Now you can pick, him or me."
Cocking an eyebrow, she kept any form of smile at bay. "You don't even play fair," she said, feigning slight annoyance. "Trying to plead to Cy's sense of reason now would be about as futile as trying to light a match in a hurricane."
"All he wants is a piece of paper—or so you say."
The gate attendant moved forward. "I'm sorry, Sir, we need to..."
Scott swept a dramatic hand towards the open door, saying, "After you."
The attendant was waiting, with one hand on the door and motioning inside with the other. Not as gallantly as Scott, but the message was the same. Unless Tessa could come up with a damn good reason why not, she was expected to get on the plane. Accepting defeat, she followed the direction they pointed.
Her phone rang again. This time she ignored it.
Following Tessa down the jetway, Scott said, "Let's see if we can keep the focus on Darla. Might make this easier for both of us."
"I doubt it," she said, ending that conversation.
There were only two seats open in first class. Stepping to the side, Tessa motioned to the window seat. "I guess since you're bankrolling this little getaway, you get the seat of honor."
The need to look at the world from thousands of feet in the air did not appeal to her, nor did the feeling of helplessness when the plane banked. Scott
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