Mad, Bad and Blonde - Cathie Linz [88]
She hadn’t melted under pressure. No way. She’d stood with that weapon in her hand, as mad as hell, an Amazon warrior in polka-dot shoes who’d rushed to the bathroom the instant things were over, muttering something about not wanting to wet her pants.
Faith was such a strange combination of vulnerability and strength, of power and empathy, of primness and passion. And he loved her, God help him.
Caine had spent so much of his life refusing to open himself up to that kind of intense emotion. No soul mate for him.
He slowly moved his hand over the dates on his father’s gravestone. A higher power would decide Fred Belkin Sr.’s final resting place, and the justice system would take care of Fred Jr.
Caine knew one thing for sure regarding his dad. “You’re finally with Mom again.”
Setting the flowers on his father’s grave, he released the pain and the guilt, silently acknowledging how much he loved and missed his dad and finally admitting that the salty wetness on his face wasn’t really caused by the rain after all.
Faith had no idea where Caine was. She’d checked the waiting room, and he wasn’t there. She couldn’t blame him for taking off. He needed some time alone to process the fact that his father had been murdered.
She still didn’t know how Caine knew she was at Nolan’s house. She’d have to ask him next time she saw him. If she saw him again.
The investigation was over. Did that mean that his relationship with her was over? Did he consider it to even be a relationship? They’d never really clarified that issue. She knew she loved him. She didn’t know how he felt about her.
She knew he wanted her. She knew she still pictured him as her Dark Knight. She knew he had the ability to touch her in ways no one else ever had or could. And not just physical ways, although those were awesome. But in other ways—like the way he grinned at her over the top of her Hello Kitty mug. It took a tough man to carry that off.
Her thoughts were interrupted by her mother’s arrival to the ER. She hugged Faith before going to her husband’s bedside. Tears ran down her face as she cupped his face with her hand.
“You heard I’m not having an affair, right?” he said. “As if I’d ever cheat on you.” He shook his head then groaned. “Bad move.”
“I’m sorry,” Faith’s mom said.
“No, I’m sorry for not telling you what I was doing reopening the investigation into Karl Hunter’s case. I screwed up badly,” he said. “The facts, or what we thought were facts, were too neat and tidy. I should have caught that. Faith caught it. She’s good at her job.”
That might be, but Faith was no longer sure that working for West Investigations was the right job for her after all.
She left her parents together and caught a cab home. It had been one hell of a day that got worse when she arrived at her building to find her runaway groom, Alan, standing there waiting for her.
He eyed her new blonde, bad self uncertainly. “Faith, is that you?”
She nodded.
“Good news. I’m baa . . . ack.” As if expecting a hero’s welcome, he opened his arms to her.
Chapter Eighteen
When Faith didn’t run into his tanned arms, Alan appeared taken aback. He stood there, perfectly groomed as always, his light brown hair expertly gelled, his eyes greener as a result of his tinted contact lenses. “What’s happened to you?”
“What happened to me? I got over you, that’s what happened. As well as being held at gunpoint this afternoon, but that’s another story. What are you doing here? If you’ve come to pick up your Wagner opera CD collection, you’re about a month too late.”
“I didn’t come for my CDs, although I can’t believe you got rid of them.” Seeing the dangerous look on her face, he hurriedly said, “Never mind. I copied them onto my iPod, so that’s okay. It’s just that for sentimental reasons I really liked that set . . . Never mind. I can see talking about that upsets you. I came back for you.”
“Then you