Otherwise Engaged

Tyler shook her head. “How about you?”

Nick shrugged. “Phone calls and e-mails can be traced. So far we haven’t been able to trace the want ad. The question is—why is he being so secretive?”

Tyler searched his face. “Does this mean that you don’t think he’s a runaway bridegroom anymore?”

“Nope. It just means that I’m keeping an open mind and trying to explore all the possibilities. That’s another thing they teach us in detective school.” Suddenly his expression grew serious. “You ought to keep an open mind, too. Just in case my initial theory pans out.”

The concern in his eyes was genuine. It surprised her in much the same way his expression of sympathy about her grandmother had. Drawing in a deep breath, she said, “I’ve thought about it, but I can’t believe Richard would just take off. I know—” she raised a hand to stop him from speaking “—you think I’m just being too stubborn to face the possibility, but it’s more than that. Richard was the one who pushed for an early wedding date. I wanted to wait until…until I was sure….”

When she paused, Nick said, “You weren’t sure of your feelings for him?”

She shook her head. “No, I was sure about wanting to marry Richard. I just wanted to wait until my future at Sheridan Trust was…settled.”

Nick studied her. “I thought you were the new boss.”

Turning, Tyler rested her arms on the guardrail and concentrated on keeping her tone even. “I have a year to prove myself to the board of directors. My grandmother’s illness was quite sudden, and she wasn’t sure that I was up to the job, so she gave the board the power to vote me out.”

“What happens if they do that?”

“I become a figurehead. Of course, I still collect a salary and a healthy share of the profits, but I’ll have no decision-making power.” She turned to face him. “I don’t intend to let that happen.”

“So Richard pushed to marry you while you were still at the helm of Sheridan Trust.”

“Are you insinuating—”

“I’m merely theorizing. If he did have a motive for marrying you quick, it makes it much less likely that he’s dumping you. Maybe something else is going on here.”

“I know there is. Sometimes, I get a feeling about things.” Pausing, she studied him for a moment. “Promise you won’t laugh.”

“I promise.”

“I get a sort of premonition when something terrible is wrong. It’s a tingling sensation in my fingers.”

Nick nodded. “Like the witches in Macbeth? ‘By the pricking of my thumbs. Something wicked this way comes.’ That kind of thing?”

“You promised not to laugh.”

Nick raised both hands, palms out. “Hey, I’m with you on this one. My thumbs prick every time something bad is about to go down.”

She couldn’t see any trace of laughter in his eyes. “My fingers have been tingling ever since I first read that ad. I’m sure that Richard is in some kind of trouble.”

Turning, Nick rested his arms on the railing. “Okay. Let’s shelve the runaway bridegroom theory and go with yours. He’s in trouble, so he goes into hiding. He wants to communicate with you in a way that can’t be traced. So he takes out the ad and makes sure it gets to you. ‘Sorry I’ll miss the wedding. I’ll be in touch. Remember Scarlet and Annie.’ So the trouble’s bad enough that he can’t make it to the wedding. And he’s going to contact you again. Is there any particular reason he used the names Scarlet and Annie?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there are a lot of other things he could have said to let you know that the message could only have come from him. Why single out Scarlet and Annie?”

Tyler thought for a moment. “Of course. They’re the tomorrow girls. We talked about that once. Scarlet’s last words are ‘Tomorrow is another day,’ and Annie sings ‘Tomorrow’! They both believe that things just have to get better. He’s telling me not to give up hope!”

“Perhaps he’s being even more specific than that,” Nick said. “Maybe he’s going to get in touch with you tomorrow—which is really today since you got the message yesterday.”

Laying a hand on his arm, she said, “You really are good.”

It wasn’t until she touched him that he realized how close they were. Their bodies were nearly brushing. They would if he stepped away from the railing. Then all he would have to do was put his arms around her, and he would know exactly how her body fit against his. He’d been curious about that ever since she’d walked into his office. But the curiosity was changing to something more urgent.

If he took her into his arms, he could kiss her, too. Her lips were parted, moist, waiting. A stolen kiss in Central Park—what could be the harm in that? Still, he didn’t move. Oh, he could tell himself that the flush he saw in her cheeks, the excitement in her eyes was for another man, but that wasn’t what was stopping him. It was something within him that made him hesitate.

Caution. The word wasn’t foreign to him, but caution certainly wasn’t something he prided himself on. In fact, he’d never known himself to exercise it unless the stakes were very high. A bit shaken at the realization, Nick glanced down to where her hand still rested on his arm. When he met her eyes, he managed a smile. “I think you’re violating the personal space rule.”

Tyler snatched her hand away as if it had been burned. “I—I apologize.”

“No problem. I enjoyed it. And this way I figure I’ve got one personal space violation coming.”

Tyler opened her mouth to reply, when suddenly a ball grazed her shoulder, then bounced away. “Who—?”

The clapping and barking noises had her whirling around. She’d forgotten all about the seal. He didn’t have his ball anymore.

“He wants to play a little catch,” Nick said as he moved down the path to retrieve the ball. Tyler drew in a deep breath and decided that she was grateful for the interruption. Because she wasn’t sure what she would have replied to Nick’s comment.

It wasn’t often that someone left her nonplussed, but Nick Romano had a real knack for doing it. For a moment there, she could have sworn that he was going to kiss her. But he hadn’t. And she certainly hadn’t wanted him to, because it would have been a mistake. It was relief she was feeling. Tyler frowned. Why did she even feel the need to tell herself that? She watched him pick up the ball, then turn back to her. He was the most…

Once more she found herself searching for a word to describe Nick Romano. If she could just pigeonhole him, she could handle him. The clapping and barking behind her made her turn around again. The seal had climbed onto a rock that was catching a steady spray from the fountain. He barked twice, then clapped his fins together.

“He wants his ball back,” Nick said, handing it to her.

Taking careful aim, Tyler tossed it in a high arc, then laughed delightedly when the seal waddled back a little, bounced it off its nose once, then twice before he had it balanced. It was her turn to clap. “Clever,” she said.

“Very. He’s got the best spot in the park right under that cool spray. I’m tempted to join him.”

Something in his tone made her glance quickly up at him. “You’re joking.”

Nick shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. If I did, would you join me?”

She glanced quickly around. “No. I can’t. You can’t, either. You could get arrested.”

“Probably. But I have a few friends on the force. Haven’t you ever done something on impulse, just for the fun of it, consequences be damned?”

“No. Well, almost. Once.”

Nick smiled. “What?”

“It was…nothing.”

“Tell me.”

“Shortly before I graduated from school in Switzerland, I was in Rome with two of my friends. Our parents weren’t going to make it to the graduation ceremony and so we were having our own celebration. They wanted to go wading in the Trevi Fountain. So did I, but I didn’t. I knew if I got caught…”

“Your grandmother would lecture you?”