A Bad Boy is Good to Find(55)

“So you feel you don’t deserve it because you abandoned your brother? Help me out here. You didn’t have any problem with planning to live the good life on the proceeds of my Grandfather’s corporate greed, and now you’re too moral to inherit your own wealth?”

Con’s head kicked back. His eyes shone, fierce. “Look, I already said I was wrong to have tried to marry you the way I did. That’s why I agreed to go along with your crazy TV wedding scheme and how I ended up back down here in the first place. Now I’m here, the only, and I mean it, the only thing I want is to find my brother. Stapleton can go live in that house himself and party all day and night for all I care.”

Lizzie growled with frustration. “This is why poor people don’t get ahead. You’re afraid to stir up trouble so you let people walk all over you. I liked you better when you were a big faker trying to marry money and claim your place on top of the pie!”

“Can we get the hell out of here before he has us arrested for something?” Con turned to where Dino had parked the Jeep and they both noticed Dino at the same time, backed up against the outside of the building, camera rolling.

“Uh, hi Dino.” Lizzie racked her brain to figure out what they’d revealed. That Con had tried to marry her for her money. Her face turned beet red. “Can you, uh, turn it off?”

He lowered the camera. A smile crept across his face. “I’ll rewind over this on two conditions.”

“What?” snapped Con.

“One, you have to buy me a six pack of beer.”

“Done.”

“Two, you have to go after that sonofabitch. I was listening at the window. His type makes me want to spit nails. Con, wouldn’t you like to see Maisie sharpen her journalistic claws on that bastard?”

Con raised an eyebrow very slightly. “When you put it that way, I think we can make a deal.”

“Any fine local brew will be acceptable.”

Lizzie let out a silent sigh of relief. “Dino, you are a man in a million.”

“And for the record, I think you two are made for each other.”

Lizzie frowned and tossed her hair. “Let’s go find a grocery store.”





Chapter 20





The power was still out when the local news crew arrived to do the arranged interview with Con. They brought their own lighting, which was lucky as dusk was falling and candles didn’t do more than punctuate the sweaty darkness descending on the house. The dining room was ablaze with spotlights and floodlights and people milled about, stepping over trailing wires and talking urgently into cell phones.

The perky local reporter with her spackled-on makeup and molded wire hair made Maisie look washed out and girlish by comparison, but Maisie didn’t seem to notice. She was too busy glad handing and name dropping.

Lizzie shook her head. She had ample opportunity to shake her head since she wasn’t wanted on camera. No, it was The Con Beale Show and his impending wedding rated only a brief mention in the interviewer’s introduction.

“The camera does love him, doesn’t it,” whispered Raoul, as he and Lizzie stood side by side in the shadows, watching Con’s elegant profile on a monitor. “Cool under pressure, that one. You picked a winner when you chose him. And you didn’t even know he owned this place!” Raoul slid his arm around Lizzie’s shoulders and squeezed her affectionately.

A spore of guilt exploded inside her. Did Raoul really think she loved Con? Despite overhearing them in the bedroom, he didn’t seem to get that they were just doing this for the money. Amazing what people will believe when they want to badly enough.

She knew how that went.

“He doesn’t own it yet,” she muttered.

“But these reporters are hot on the trail. Miss Thing there just said it.” He nodded his head at the female reporter. “He’ll get his due. I know it. You’ll be living the high life again, by his side. It’s like a fairy tale.”

She froze. The script she’d written for her and Con didn’t extend past payday, and here was Raoul conjuring up a Spanish-moss-bedecked happily-ever-after. Somehow, after last night’s unexpected intimacy, that scared the hell out of her.

She blew out a slow, silent breath. “Can you really see Con living here in swamp-ville again?”

“Yes.” He didn’t even look at her. “He loves this place. Can’t you tell? The way he’s always pointing out the birds and the trees and all that. He’s right at home here.”

Huh? Were they talking about the same person? Or was Con giving jovial swamp tours while she holed up in the bedroom?

What did it matter? “Even if the house does turn out to be his, he couldn’t afford to keep it. The lawyer’s already spent the money and a place like this costs a fortune to maintain.”

“Con will think of something. He’s a hustler,” Raoul said cheerfully.

“I won’t argue with that,” she murmured.

The reporter turned to face the camera. “So, Daniel Beale, Danny, Tiny, if you are out there, or if anyone out there knows where he is, please contact Eyewitness News at the number on your screen and reunite this family torn apart by tragedy.”

“I guess they dub the violins in later.” Dino snuck up behind them.

“Shut your mouth,” whispered Raoul. “I’m all choked up.”

He wasn’t kidding. Raoul still had his arm around her, and Lizzie could feel his chest heaving. She slid her arm around him and patted his back. “You’re a very caring person, Raoul.”

“It’s my downfall, sweetheart.”

“That’s a wrap,” called the female reporter. “We’re going to head back and cut a segment for the late news. We’ll pass any information we get right along to you. Thanks so much, Conroy, I think your story will touch a lot of hearts.”

Con said something inaudible and shook her hand. He searched the darkness, and when he found Lizzie, the look he gave her made her catch her breath.

This was all your idea.

“Excuse me.” She disentangled herself from Raoul and pushed past Dino toward Con. “You did great.” She stepped over a lighting cable just as someone swished it from between her legs.

“It feels weird to have people know so much about me.” He looked rather dazed.

“Weird but good, though, right?” She squeezed his upper arm.

“Let’s go outside.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the back door.

With a burst of excitement she followed him out into the darkened garden. The screech of tree frogs filled her ears and grass pricked her toes through her sandals as he pulled her off the slate patio out onto the lawn.

“Where are we going? I can’t see a thing!”

She swatted at mosquitoes she could hear but not see. A firefly glow in front of her face made her gasp.

Con’s gripped her hand tightly and sped into a run as they plunged deeper into the muggy blackness. He untucked his shirt with his other hand, and she smelled the raw tang of his sweat.

“You stink!” She laughed.