Snoops in the City (A Romantic Comedy) Read online

  Except Lorelei never imagined the commotion would be taking place at Palmer Construction.

  Muffled shouts came from somewhere in the building, loud enough that Lorelei recognized the voices.

  Grady. . . and the jerk who’d broken her heart.

  She followed the ruckus to her brother's office door. It was closed but didn't afford much privacy because of the glass window that took up part of the front wall.

  Her brother and her jerk stood about six inches apart, making angry hand gestures and yapping at each other.

  Her jerk was giving as good, or possibly better, than he got, which was surprising considering his geeky tendencies.

  If she hadn't been so angry and hurt, she might have found his new tough-guy persona sexy. Even then she'd be forced to intervene because he looked like he might pop Grady one in the nose.

  Unsurprised to find the door cracked — really, the decibel level was ear-splitting — she burst into the office.

  Neither man noticed her arrival.

  "I mean it. Stay away from my sister," Grady shouted.

  "Standing right here," Lorelei said.

  Wade's response drowned out her words. "That's not up to you. It's up to Lorelei."

  "Darn right it is," she said.

  This time Grady's shout swallowed her voice."I know what's best for my sister, and it’s not you.”

  Lorelei clapped her hands together three times, the way M.K. and Ash's preschool teachers did when they needed to restore order.

  The men turned toward her in unison, and the shouting abruptly stopped.

  "What’s going on here?" Lorelei addressed her brother. She wasn't ready to look at Wade, even if he were wearing the pink squiggle-print DKNY shirt she'd bought him.

  "I told Morrison to get out, but he won't leave," Grady said in a heated tone.

  "I said I wasn’t going anywhere until I talked to you," Wade said.

  Lorelei forced herself to look at Wade. With that wayward strand of dark hair in his face and his mouth set in a determined line beneath his geeky glasses, he looked so damned good she wanted to hit him. Her throat grew thick, but she made her vocal chords work.

  "I can't believe you actually thought talking to me here would be a good idea," she said, trying to sound sassy.

  "You wouldn't come to your door last night and you won't return my calls." Wade sounded exasperated. "What else was I supposed to do?"

  "Leave her alone," Grady answered.

  Lorelei ignored Grady and kept her expression carefully irritable as she continued to address Wade. "What makes you think I want to talk to you?"

  "I don't need you to talk," Wade said. "I need you to listen."

  "She doesn't have to listen to you," Grady interjected. "Lorelei, tell this guy to stay away from you. He's in trouble, and I don't want him dragging you into it."

  The serious tone in her brother's voice alarmed Lorelei. "What do you mean he's in trouble?"

  "You've probably heard by now that indictments are being handed out this afternoon," Grady said. "My guess is Morrison here will get one."

  "He will not!" Lorelei said at the same time Wade expressed his own protest.

  "Don't listen to him, Lorelei. He’s mixed up in the corruption at City Hall," Grady said.

  "Look who's talking," Wade retorted. "You've given out so much bribe money it's a wonder you're not bankrupt."

  Lorelei clapped again, appalled at the testosterone running rampant in the room.

  "Quiet! Both of you!" She used her most authoritative voice. She strode to the door and pulled it shut, probably disappointing the eavesdroppers in the outer office.

  "First of all, Grady is one of the most honest people I know," she said to Wade. "If it's true he's been giving out bribes, then he's working for the government. Nothing else makes sense."

  "How did you—?" Grady began.

  She swung her eyes to her brother. "Don't interrupt, Grady. I'm not through talking. I have a few things to say to you, too. Wade will not be indicted. He's every bit as good a man as you are."

  "You can't know that," Grady scoffed. "You only met the guy a few weeks ago."

  "Don't argue with me, Grady Palmer. When I say I know something, I know it. And I know this like I know how to breathe."

  "How do you know it?" Grady persisted.

  "I know it in here.” She thumped her chest above her heart. "When you love somebody, you've got to take that leap of faith."

  Complete silence greeted her declaration. Grady's eyes grew so round she might have laughed had she been in a more jovial mood. She slowly shifted her gaze to Wade.

  A smile spread across the face that she’d rather see filled with contrition. No way would she forgive him until he groveled sufficiently.

  "I thought you changed your mind about loving me," Wade reminded her.

  She shook her index finger at him. "If you pull another stunt like you did yesterday, I'll change it back again."

  "I still don't trust him," Grady interjected.

  "That's your problem, Grady. You don't trust anyone." Lorelei nodded toward a still-smiling Wade. "Clear up his confusion, Wade. Tell him why you won't be indicted."

  "Because I've been providing the government with the names of every person who has offered me a bribe to lower their tax bills,” Wade said.

  Nobody said anything for long moments.

  "Now it all makes sense.” Grady sounded like he was talking to himself. "That's why they weren't keen on me approaching you. They knew I'd be wasting my time."

  "What are you talking about?" Wade asked. "Who is they?"

  "The FBI," Grady said. "That’s where I got the money to bribe city officials."

  Lorelei turned to give Wade a smug look. "I told you Grady was working for Uncle Sam."

  "How did you know?" Grady asked.

  "What other explanation could there be?" Lorelei answered. "I'm not stupid, you know."

  "Just irresponsible," Grady muttered under his breath.

  "Take that back."

  Those very words tapped against the backs of Lorelei's teeth. It was Wade who spoke them. That was a curious development, considering the accusations he'd thrown at her the night before.

  "I can't," Grady said. "I love Lorelei, but responsibility is not one of her virtues. Take today, for example. She's three hours late for work."

  "She must have a good reason.” Wade crossed his arms over his chest. He nodded toward Lorelei. "Tell him what it is, Lorelei."

  "I was at the preschool where Wade's twin girls go to school,” Lorelei said. “The director offered me a job, and I've decided to take it.”

  "You? Work at a preschool?" Grady's disbelief seemed to radiate from him in waves. "Has anyone ever left you alone with a child before?"

  "I've trusted her with my daughters," Wade said before Lorelei could take offense. "She's wonderful with them. The children at the preschool will be lucky to have her."

  Lorelei smiled at him. "Thank you.”

  Wade smiled back. “You’re welcome.”

  "Grady," Lorelei said without breaking eye contact with Wade, "don't you have somewhere you need to be?"

  "This is my office," he reminded her.

  "Let me put it another way," Lorelei said. "Get out of here, Grady."

  "If you hadn't quit, I'd fire you," Grady groused, but mercifully he left.

  Before Wade could completely close the gap between them, Lorelei placed a restraining hand on his chest.

  "Not so fast, buster," she said. "You came here to talk to me. So talk."

  "I acted like an idiot last night.” He looked so cute she could just eat him up. Or lick him. Yes, licking him would be better.

  "So far, so good," Lorelei said encouragingly. "Go on."

  "When I met you, it seemed like all you wanted to do was have fun. I didn't know how to handle that." Behind his glasses, his eyes were earnest. "I didn't know how to handle you."

  "So you tried to keep me away by claiming I was too young an
d irresponsible?"

  "That's about the sum of it.” He sounded disappointed with himself, as well he should be. "Somewhere along the line, with the responsibility of raising the girls, I forgot how to have fun."

  "I don't have any problem with being your good-time girl," she said, making her eyebrows waggle. “I should point out, though, I'm starting to get a handle on that responsibility thing."

  "I've noticed," he said.

  "You darn well better have," Lorelei said. "I'm getting more responsible every day. I even cut up one of my credit cards today."

  "How many do you have left?"

  "Two."

  He made a face.

  "Hey, I didn't say I was perfectly responsible," Lorelei said with spirit. "I said I was improving."

  "I can help you with that," he said.

  "Only if you let me help you have fun."

  A corner of his mouth quirked. "So you forgive me?"

  "That depends on why you want me to forgive you."

  He frowned. "I love you."

  She smacked him once on the chest. "Ya think you could have told me that before now?"

  He gently massaged the spot she'd assaulted. "Careful, or I might change my mind about loving you."

  "You better not if you know what's good for you," she said, then started to drag his head down to hers.

  "You're good for me," he said, making her smile.

  At the last instant, before their lips could meet, he stiffened.

  "What's wrong?" she breathed.

  "The window," he said. "Everybody will see us kissing."

  "So what?"

  "So your brother might come in here and punch me in the nose."

  "If he does, I'll punch him back for you."

  His mouth was so close to hers that she felt his smile against her lips, felt the breath from his laugh, saw his glasses begin to fog.

  "You're right," he said. "So what?"

  And then the ultra-responsible, mega-conservative Wade Morrison kissed her in full view of anyone who happened to look their way.

  As her love for him rose up and spilled into her kiss, Lorelei thought it was the start of something beautiful.

  CHAPTER T HIRTY-SIX

  Gordo clawed at Grady's leg until he decided that continuing to ignore her would be hazardous to the material of his pants.

  "Okay, okay.” He bent over to pick up the cat and tried to put her on his lap.

  Gordo had other ideas. She placed her front paws on his desk, struggling to pull herself onto it. Then she plopped down on a stack of papers, rested her head on her paws and stared at him.

  "You think I don't know you disapprove of how I handled things with Tori?" he asked. "It's tearing me up inside, too, but this is her fault."

  Gordo's stare seemed to turn to a glare.

  "Don't look at me that way," he said. "She's the one who can't be trusted. You know that, right?"

  The cat, of course, didn't respond.

  Grady put his arms on his desk and dropped his head into the cradle they made. He still had it bad for Tori if he'd resorted to explaining himself to a cat. That was tough. He had to get over her.

  He determinedly raised his head and noticed that Gordo had settled on his copy of the community-center bid. He'd normally shoo the cat from his papers, but he wouldn't need that document anymore.

  The contract the city had awarded would surely be nullified, if it hadn't been already. Palmer Construction couldn't go ahead with the development of the center when the bid process had been blatantly unfair.

  Because his company had won the contract, questions already abounded about what role Grady may have played in the sweep the FBI had made of City Hall that afternoon.

  The truth would soon come out but Grady didn't feel comfortable announcing his part in Operation Citygate, not when all the indicted parties had yet to surrender to federal authorities.

  To escape the curious, he'd spent the day in his office, ignoring the phone.

  The intercom on his desk buzzed, followed by Lorelei's voice. His sister must have finally returned from the long lunch she'd taken with Wade Morrison.

  She'd gone with his permission even though she'd put in about zero minutes of actual work since the day had officially begun at nine.

  He couldn't get too upset about that. It wasn't every day a man realized his sister had grown up and become a responsible citizen.

  "Grady, someone is here to see you," Lorelei said.

  Tori, Grady thought. Tori had come to ask him to reconsider her apology.

  "I told him you weren't seeing anybody today, but he says this is personal," Lorelei continued, eliminating the possibility that his visitor was Tori. "He says his name is Forest Richardson."

  The air left Grady's lungs.

  "Grady, did you hear me?" Lorelei asked when he didn't respond. "I said Forest Richardson is here to see you."

  "I heard you." Grady could breathe again, which meant he could speak. Hopefully, he could also get through the upcoming meeting which he both looked forward to and dreaded. "Send him in."

  Grady had run into Forest Richardson a dozen times over the past few years. He felt as though he were seeing the other man for the first time when he entered the office.

  Richardson stared, and Grady stared back.

  About as tall as Grady himself, Richardson had thick, graying hair that might have once been the same color as Grady's but his facial features were broader. The way he carried himself was the same, though. Shoulders back, head high, chin slightly tilted.

  He didn't sit down, and Grady didn't rise.

  Richardson nodded at Gordo, who had stopped staring at Grady long enough to gawk at Richardson. "There's a white rat on your desk."

  "Cat," Grady corrected. "She's sitting on her tail."

  "Yours?"

  Grady nodded. "It's a long story."

  "Maybe you'll tell it to me one day," he said, then paused. "I heard a remarkable story just this morning from Margo Lazenby. She called me out of the blue to say her daughter Melanie gave up a baby for adoption twenty-nine years ago."

  "She told me the same story with a couple twists that were pretty unbelievable.” Grady watched the other man carefully. "One of them was that the man who got her daughter pregnant never knew a thing about it."

  "Then she must not have told you how she sent Melanie away, allegedly to boarding school. Or how she pressured her not to have anything else to do with the father of the baby."

  "She told me some of it," Grady said, then paused. "I'm wrestling with how much I should believe."

  "All of it," Richardson said. "It's all true."

  His stare was direct, his eyes honest. Doubt still niggled in the back of Grady's mind. "We should take a DNA test to find out for certain.”

  "I don't need a test but I'll provide a sample if you want. I'll do anything if it means you and I can have a relationship."

  "Why?" Grady asked suspiciously.

  "Believe this, too. I was happy about Margo's news. After I got over the shock, of course." Richardson smiled a little. "I always wanted a son or a daughter. Betty and I couldn't have children of our own. Hearing about you was like a miracle."

  Grady swallowed, because the other man — his father — seemed sincere. It seemed incredible that, up until a few days ago when he'd mended his relationship with the parents who raised him, he felt as though he had no fathers. Now he had two. However, skeptical habits died hard.

  "About that relationship," Grady said, forcing himself to take things slowly, "I'd like to hold off until we know for sure."

  Richardson's mouth drooped and his eyes grew sad before he nodded. "I've waited twenty-nine years. I can wait a couple more weeks."

  The phone rang. Grady ignored it, knowing Lorelei or his other secretary would pick it up.

  "It's been a crazy day," Grady said.

  "I heard."

  Even though his response held no censure, Grady felt compelled to explain. "I know some are saying I'm as gui
lty as the people who were indicted today. I want you to know that's not true."

  "I know that," Richardson said mildly.

  Grady blinked, because he hadn't expected the response. "How do you know that?"

  "You're my son," he said simply and walked out of the office.

  Grady was still puzzling over Richardson's reply a few hours later after he dropped a protesting Gordo off at home and arrived in West Palm Beach.

  He checked the address to make sure he was at the right place — a branch office of the Southern District of Florida's United States Attorney's office — then paid scant attention to his surroundings as he entered the building.

  After Grady's vocal support of Honoria Black for mayor, Forest Richardson could have been excused for believing Grady was a guilty player in Operation Citygate.

  Instead Richardson had taken that leap of faith and believed. Just like Lorelei had when Grady wrongly accused Wade Morrison of accepting kickbacks. Just like Grady hadn't when Tori asked him to trust her.

  "Grady, my man." FBI Special Agent Hector Rodriquez appeared to shake Grady's hand. Their face-to-face meetings had been infrequent over their nine months of working together. Hector, though, was much more than a voice on the phone. Because nobody else had known about Grady's part in the sting operation, Hector had become confidant and friend. "The shit has done hit the fan, and we couldn't have made it fly without you."

  Grady smiled at the other man's giddiness. The agent wasn't anything like the serious, dour-faced FBI agents portrayed in film and fiction.

  "That's an image I could have done without," Grady said.

  "As long as you can't do without some celebratory alcohol, I'm cool with it.” Hector referred to his invitation for Grady to join him for a drink, the reason Grady had stopped by. "Give me a couple minutes to finish up and then we can go get happy."

  "I'd be happier if we’d managed to get the goods on Mayor Black," Grady said. "Any indication yet whether one of the others will turn on her?"

  "We don't need anyone to rat on her," Hector said.

  "Why not?"

  Hector's face broke into a huge grin. "You haven't heard, have you?"