The Perfect Confidence, page 2
She waved. “Dominic!” But he didn’t see her or hear her through the noise of the fire. He glanced back at the hose, his phone to his ear. When he saw the emergency vehicles coming toward them, he put his head down and walked to a little car parked near the end of the street.
Heather shook off the memory and drove back into town with her stomach rumbling from hunger. Noon. Just enough time to grab a bite then maybe she could relax, head over to the library and find a book. Tomorrow, was win time, and she’d show him. He might walk in like he owned the place, but not for long.
Heather Slate was going to kick Nic out on his very fine rear. She shook the thought away. He didn’t deserve any of her admiration. The gall! The man was actually proud of the fact that her dad was dead. As if her dad would commit suicide or something…getting out of the game. No way.
Her throat closed at the unexpected swell of regret that filled her. “Damn, damn, damn. What a jerk.”
But she couldn’t help remembering him from fifteen years ago and her crush. He’d been ten years her senior; she a shy eleven-year-old. He’d drawn her out and been kind. Dad had lots of friends, not all of them decent. In every town across most states, they’d been welcomed by some old buddy of his. Dominic had been decent to her when others had looked at her with calculating and leering eyes.
“Heather?”
Heather turned at the sound of the familiar voice, and she couldn’t help but smile. “Craig. How are you?”
“I’m doing well. How’s your truck running?”
She’d conned Craig her first day in town. “Oh, that.” Yes, she’d loosened a few bolts and stabbed the radiator, but even so, the remorse that clung to her conscience was completely atypical. “Works like new since you fixed it.”
The fix had given her an excuse to stick around and get a feel for her surroundings. Would the town be open to a stranger dropping in?
Yes. As a matter of fact, so open she’d had three job offers before the day was out. When he’d finished the job, Craig had found her at the diner, and they’d talked over her meal and then coffee, too. He’d been sweet. A little shy, but friendly and confident.
And when the Foster house burnt to the ground, she would be standing around with everyone else, sad as can be, supportive and sympathetic with no one the wiser. No one would even consider she had anything to do with it. Except Dominic.
“You’re still here.”
Heather cocked her head and studied him. He was an honest to God, straight-flying, nice guy. Too polite to outright ask her what the hell she was up to.
“I left. Came back,” she answered, staying as close to the truth as possible. He deserved it. “Thought I’d check out the real estate, and see what was available. I found the Foster house and wanted to get a look at it.”
“Small town life seems tame, but it can really bite. Like a dog with a bone. Once it gets ya; it doesn’t let go.”
“Oh, well. I’m not sure about all that.” Wasn’t she? Hadn’t she made nice with Sandra already? Not to mention Craig and Sky over at the diner. People liked her…and damn it, she liked the people. “Maybe I’ll just flip it and head back out.”
“Sure,” Craig said, a smile tugging on his lips. “I gotta run. I’ll see you around.”
But Heather frowned as he strode down the sidewalk toward his garage.
“Damn it,” she whispered. He was right. She was getting in too deep. If she was smart like her dad, she’d quit while she was ahead. Every man had a limit. She was starting to wonder if she’d met hers. It wouldn’t work to get in with the locals so they remembered her later, when the police started talking.
…if the police started talking.
She had to be very careful that every detail was perfectly planned. No mistakes. An accident. But that house was going to burn if it was the last thing she did.
“Heather!”
As a warm feeling of happiness flooded through her at the sound of her name, she groaned. Her dad would be thoroughly disgusted with her.
“Heather, over here!”
Heather turned to the entry of the diner as a cold wind whipped through, and she saw Sky waving a towel over her head. When her stomach rumbled, she gave in and followed the impulse to eat. “Hiya, Sky.”
Sky dragged her through the door. “You will not believe it. Guess who’s back in town to stay?”
“Gregory?” She remembered Sky going on about her old high school beau and how he’d left to attend college several years ago. She so wanted to advise the poor woman to move on, but Sky seemed the eternal optimist, and part of Heather didn’t want to mess with that.
“No, silly.” Sky grinned and fairly skipped around to the other side of the counter to pour Heather a cup of coffee. A menu appeared in front of her, followed by a glass of water. “Order something. Meatloaf is the special today. Don’t bother with the mashed potatoes. Randy is the cook and he always adds too much milk.”
Heather perused the menu. “The B.L.T. with a side of fries.” She set the menu down and took a sip of the mediocre coffee. “So, tell me what’s new.”
The woman leaned in and lifted the menu to create a wall of secrecy. “I heard from Derrick who heard from Patty who’s friends with Barbara Foster that Dominic plans to buy up his parents’ old place. He is here to stay.”
Her mouth fell open a little, but she quickly regained her composure and carefully set the mug on the saucer. She was being charmed by the town. She was being charmed by the town’s version of Dominic. And he was coming home? To stay? She’d had her suspicions, now confirmed.
“Yup. I saw him speaking with Joe over at the bank two days ago.” Sky she looked up and waved at another customer. “Mark will be out with your order in a jiffy and I’ll be right back. You eat, get some meat on those bones, girl. You know a man wants something he can hold on to!”
Heather laughed. Lord, what was she doing here?
She needed to get to the bank and talk to Joe again, make sure the auction was still on for tomorrow. A glance out the diner’s front window showed the bank two doors down on the opposite side of the street. The parking lot was empty.
She merely had to put off any of Dominic’s plans. How had he been here two days ago? Without her knowing it?
People claimed that nothing went down in a small town without everyone knowing.
She checked her watch. Twelve forty-five. What if he swooped into town with a large payment to save his parents from foreclosure before the auction? She couldn’t think it. It had to be too late for heroics, right?
With hours until the bank closed, that was a lot of time to have to distract a man from coming to town to do business, but she had to try. Failing this close to the end wasn’t an option. Her mind went to the man in question--charming, friendly, a tad sarcastic… and attractive.
Maybe she could seduce him. Keep him busy for a few hours until the day ended.
“One B.L.T. and a side of fries.” Mark set the plate on the counter, adding a grin and a friendly slap against the Formica as well. “That’ll be five seventy-six.”
Heather grimaced, realizing her mistake to sit and eat, and rose from her seat. “I need that to go, Mark. I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize how late it was.” She dug through her purse and pulled out cash and set it on the counter.
Mark moved to box up her food, and she sighed in relief when he handed over the Styrofoam container.
“Thank you. Thank you.”
“No problem. Any friend of Dominic’s is a friend of mine.”
Heather paused. “Now, how in hell— wait, I never— how the hell do you know that I know Dominic?”
Mark hesitated as a flush rose on his neck. “Did I say Dominic?”
“Yes,” she answered, the word long and drawn out, lifting her brow.
“Word gets around in a small town.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sure.”
“You visited the bank, been asking questions about the old place. And you just came from the same place Dominic drove out to after eating brunch in that very same stool not three hours ago.”
Her hand automatically reached for the seat in front of her and she snatched it back. “Dominic is no friend of mine.”
Mark just grinned with a nod as if they were sharing a secret.
“No worries. His secret is safe with me.”
She sputtered, the words not coming at first. “You mean his secret that he’s a lying, conniving bastard?”
Mark whipped the towel in his hand over his shoulder and leaned in with a wink. “You be good now, hear? And be careful out there. Radio says there’s a blizzard coming this way.”
She swiped her container off the counter and headed for the door. Did everyone in this town know that Dominic Foster was a con man? Did they actually embrace his way of life? Or was Mark referring to some other secret? “I’ll be careful, all right.”
A ball of frustration burned in her chest.
“See ya later, Sky!” she called out before the door slammed behind her. The words made her stop, made the muscles in her shoulders tighten, and her eyes squeeze shut. “Shut the hell up, Heather,” she muttered to herself. “These people are not your friends. They are not going to be happy with you after you break Dominic’s heart. Con man or not, he is a hometown boy, and the town protects their own.”
Chapter Three
Dominic walked the rooms of the old house. At the base of the stairs, he planted a palm on the banister and slid his hand up, taking each step with care. For the first time in a good ten years, he was doing a job he cared about. Aside from the promised money, Jack had been a mentor once and then a friend. Seeing Heather reminded him of that and the fact that Jack had asked him to check up on her.
For some reason, Jack was worried about his daughter being out on her own.
And though he couldn’t be sure of her intentions, she was showing great interest in his family home. For the first time since he’d decided to settle down, he was nervous. She could outbid him, no doubt. He’d lost almost everything in the con with Richards, and she had all that insurance money…including his share.
He was going to have to broach the topic, bring up her dad and the money. He felt weird about it. Part of him wondered if he’d really earned it. Didn’t take much to light a match. But still, a promise was a promise, and he was determined to settle down here, quit the lifestyle.
For a moment, he imagined she’d join him. If she was so interested in the house, they could share it. Hell, he could imagine a lot of things--some of them completely inappropriate for his old friend’s daughter--to do with Heather. And it was that inserted thought that had him putting his imagination back in its place.
His phone rang at his waist, and he took it off the clip and settled it on his ear. “Yello.”
“Dominic. We have to postpone the auction.”
“What happened?”
“Storm’s coming in. We’ve got a few people coming down from the city. State department is closing the roads at five tonight.”
“That’s no good.”
“Now, Dominic. I know you want the house and are looking to come up with some cash—”
“This will give me more time to…fundraise.” He gazed out the window at the landing on the stairwell and saw the dark clouds moving in from the northwest. Typical plains weather system. Sunny and bright one minute, dark and threatening the next. No warning.
“Auctions are on the first Saturday of the month. You have four weeks to do your thing.”
He wanted to be in Las Vegas on Tuesday for his last con. He loved Vegas. Not for living in, but for that quick getaway. Plus, he liked sitting at the Blackjack tables. What could he say? Life was a gamble and he was about to settle in one of the most boring towns in the country.
Hell, he might even have to get a job. He swallowed hard. “Thanks, Joe. I appreciate the update.”
With Heather disappeared to town, his chances of getting his money before Tuesday were looking slim. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. She’d been as slippery as an eel for months. In one town and out before he could even blink. He’d been following her career, and she was good, probably as good as her dad, maybe even better. During a trip to Charleston to visit his brother a few years ago, and he’d seen her. Just a chance encounter. Right away, he could tell she was doing a job—sales, pig in a poke. All day, she’d made money selling trinkets worth not much more than the dirt she was standing on. And then this small girl had approached her, talked to her, and they’d hit it off, chatting about only God knows what for a good fifteen minutes before Heather had dug under into her bag and pulled out a small box. Almost identical to the product she’d been selling all day—almost.
But he knew, she had the real thing deep inside that bag of hers. Any good con would see a cop coming from a mile away. She’d had that piece to throw off a suspecting customer. He bet she even had papers to validate the value.
Minutes after the girl left, Heather split. He followed her, even after she boarded the city bus that took her across town. And then she’d stopped in front of the women’s shelter.
A few subtle questions the next day revealed an anonymous donor. A regular who would come in a few times a year and leave ten grand. He looked for the scam, looked for the loophole, but he hadn’t found one—not even for tax purposes. Shaken by the discovery, he’d left town, and left her behind.
It was then that he’d started thinking about getting out of the game, finding an honest job…settling down. Years later, she was still dead center of everything surrounding that decision.
With a quick glance to the second floor, Dominic left his nostalgic perusing for later. It was definitely time for her to cough up that money.
The rumble of a big engine came up the drive, and he crossed the foyer to the door and watched through the side window as Heather came to a stop in the driveway. She was truly a mystery to come all the way back out here, in this weather, when she’d left in such a huff.
His heart gave a ridiculous flutter at the sight of her. “Jackass,” he muttered as a grin escaped.
The sun was gone now, and the snow came down like a heavy curtain against the backdrop of the hills. Even the trees had that shimmer of frozen moisture on their branches. He went to the thermostat at the bottom of the stairs and turned it up a notch then turned to watch her climb down from the truck with a carry-out container from Sky’s diner. Her gaze swept the front porch and out to the surrounding property. Still on edge, he’d guess.
She took the steps, and he opened the door. “Hey—”
Her foot landed on the second to last stair and came completely out from under her. Her eyes widened and she yelped.
Dominic hurried across the porch and reached for her flailing arms as she fell back. Her fingers slipped through his, and she landed flat on her back. His heart about stopped, seeing her head smack the cement.
“Heather.” He took the steps two at a time and knelt next to her lifeless form. Cradling her head, he carefully touched the back. His hand came away covered in blood. “Shit.” His heart rate sped up at the sight. The shiver that raced over his skin was only partly from the frigid and dropping temperatures. He gently placed an arm under her legs and lifted her from the ground.
Wind whipped over them as he took the few steps onto the porch and into the house. He kicked the door shut behind him and carried her into the living room where he laid her on the old, dusty sofa. The one where he’d spent long winter days with his siblings, John and Moira, watching movies or playing cards.
He brushed the stray hairs from her face. Earlier, she’d been all piss and vinegar, feisty and ready to fight. Right now she looked fragile. He wouldn’t say she looked innocent. Far from it. Even in her sleep, she could make him believe anything.
His heart squeezed a little. Damn it. She was a con artist, alive and kicking.
That meant one thing, she couldn’t be trusted.
~*~
She moaned, coming back to consciousness. “Nic? Oh, God.” She rolled over, nausea filling her stomach and making her head swim. “Bathroom. Toilet.”
Her feet wouldn’t stay under her as she scrambled to get out of the living room.
“Whoa,” Dominic’s hands were on her, holding her up and then dragging her into the foyer and back toward the kitchen. He opened a door on the right, under the stairs. And she practically crawled to the toilet.
He never left her side, though, and when things got worse, he held her hair back.
Her head pounded, her eyes hurt. She rinsed her mouth at the sink and wished for a toothbrush.
“You’ve cut your head open. It’s bleeding.” Dominic moved around her in the too-small space and flushed the toilet. He helped her sit on the lid. “I’ve got a first aid kit upstairs.”
She hummed a response but kept her eyes shut.
“You okay?”
Biting back a laugh, she shook her head. “I don’t feel so good.”
“Just don’t move,” he said as he left, taking with him the comfort he never should’ve offered in the first place.
The cool air surrounded her, a healthy reminder that he wasn’t who he seemed. She wasn’t supposed to like him. Sure, she’d had a crush on him years ago, but he was responsible for her dad’s death. She was here for revenge. He was supposed to be a hardened criminal, not a freaking boy scout. First aid kit. Sheesh.
“Turn around.” She looked up at him in the doorway. As an adolescent, she’d been taken by his good looks, his easy-going manner, his charm. Now, she couldn’t help notice…everything else. He was well-cut, broad in the shoulders and slim in the waist. His face had changed and was more chiseled, but his eyes were the same blue, so sharp and interested.
When she fell off the porch, she’d killed her plan for seduction and distraction. Too bad, too. Seduction would’ve been a far better distraction than making a complete fool of herself by being a klutz.
He lifted the kit up and twirled his finger in a ‘turn around’ gesture. She did as he requested, swallowing at the feel of wet in her hair. “How bad is it?”
