“What?” Remi screamed.
“Think about the position she was in, and imagine what drove her to have to do that. She took what she learned in that life and created one she could live out with a lot more dignity. What’s wrong with that?”
“I’m not knocking her, but why in the hell did she think she needed to hide that? These days, she probably could’ve gotten bigger roles if people had known that’s where she started.”
Remi’s rage was hard to miss, and Cain gave her a few minutes to calm down. “While I can see where she wouldn’t be proud of that period of her life, I think she needed Nathan for another reason. To find that answer we need to go back a little further. This had to have begun in Sparta.”
“Where in the hell does Bob fit into all of this?”
“From what Nathan told me, he was there from the beginning, but only Dallas can tell us what that beginning was. I assume Bob knows every secret she wanted to bury. But I don’t think he knows about Dallas’s sister.” The cigar Remi had been holding was now in two pieces on the floor. “And we’re going to work together to make sure it stays that way.”
“How do we discover the rest?” Remi asked, pressing her fingers to the sides of her head.
“I’m going to have Muriel locate someone I can talk to.”
“If you do, this will be in the tabloids by tomorrow afternoon.”
Cain shook her head, pulled out a twenty, and handed it to Remi. “There’s more than one way to keep someone quiet.” She held up the bill.
“You can offer money to anyone, but if the story’s good enough, someone’s offer will be that much better.”
“Remi, if I give you this bill and tell you something, you probably wouldn’t tell anyone if I ask you not to, right?”
“You know it.”
“But how could I guarantee that you wouldn’t, legally, that is?”
“If I’m your attorney you could give me the money as a retainer,” Remi said, shaking her head and laughing.
“Don’t worry. I hit you with a lot tonight, and eventually you’d have figured that one out on your own. I’m going to hire a local attorney to do the digging for me. If the attorney-client privilege doesn’t convince him to keep quiet, my threat to rip out his tongue with a fingernail clipper might do the trick.”
Remi stood up and held out her hand. “Thanks, I owe you.”
“You owe me nothing.” Cain shook her hand and started for the door. “Does this change how you feel about her?”
“Not in the way you think. I’ve held back because I was wary of her, but now she’s exactly what I hoped she’d be. If I’m lucky she needs me in her life just a little.”
“I saw how she kept her eyes on you all through dinner. You don’t have a thing to worry about.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Remi passed the door of Dallas’s room and paused before continuing to her favorite spot in the penthouse. With the lights off inside, the traffic on the river was easy to see, as was the skyline of the downtown area and the aquarium. Here, twenty floors up, she couldn’t hear any noise from the Natchez Steamboat’s organ or from the tourists milling around having a good time. The quiet in the midst of all the commotion let her think.
Since they’d gotten back from Cain and Emma’s, Dallas had said little as she walked around and peered at the view. She seemed tired and withdrawn and hadn’t wanted to talk after the conversation they’d had when they got home, so Remi had walked her to her room and told her good night. The one thing Dallas had accepted before Remi closed the door was a kiss and a long hug.
To get Dallas to trust her, Remi had done something highly unusual for her. She’d given Dallas a clear picture of who she was, and hadn’t hidden behind innuendo or conjecture. If Dallas chose she could use the truth Remi had revealed to seriously damage her, but she couldn’t expect Dallas to open up to her if she wasn’t willing to do the same. She hadn’t expected Dallas to answer her phone and clam up immediately afterward, though. She’d tried asking if she could help, but after their kiss Dallas had simply lowered her head and closed the door.
“Patience,” Remi said softly to her reflection on the glass, “that’s what Emma keeps preaching.” From the pocket of her robe she retrieved her cigar clipper, opened the humidor sitting on the nearby table, and pulled out one of her favorite brands, ritualistically getting it ready to smoke.
For an instant, the darkness was broken by the powerful cigar lighter her father had given her, then blue smoke outlined in moonlight billowed over her head. She watched it rise and thought about Dallas and everything Cain had told her. Could she live with the truth of Dallas’s choices? But who the hell was she to even consider judging her? Remi knew all about making difficult choices for the sake of taking care of her family.
The door of the guest bedroom opened quietly, and Dallas stepped out in bare feet, stopping at the end of the hallway, content to watch Remi smoke. She’d fallen asleep almost instantly when she lay down, wanting to escape the fear that had blossomed after she hung up with Kristen, but when her eyes opened again, something had energized her. The way Remi had so methodically laid out the truth meant they’d crossed some barrier Remi had mentally erected to keep her from getting too close. Dallas could imagine how her silence and sudden withdrawal had affected Remi. Most people interpreted silence as rejection, which was the last thing Dallas wanted.
As the smoke rings drifted slowly toward the ceiling she caught the slightest hint of the cigar, and while she’d never really cared for smoking, the aroma from the brand Remi was partial to wasn’t unpleasant. The humidor’s nearness to Remi told Dallas she sat here and smoked frequently. Taking a deep breath to settle her nerves, she walked until she stood in front of Remi, blocking her view. Remi’s eyes roved slowly up and down, making Dallas feel like she’d been caressed.
That was exactly what Remi wanted to do—touch Dallas until she’d memorized every curve and inch of skin. Instead, she curled the fingers of her free hand until they pressed against her palm.
Dallas stepped closer, making Remi concentrate on the sway of her hips and how mesmerizing the movement was because of the long white silk nightgown.
“I thought I told you my feelings about smoking inside?” Dallas asked, placing her hands on the arms of Remi’s chair. When she leaned forward in challenge, Remi had a delightful view down the low scoop neck.
Smiling up at Dallas she said, “I thought you meant inside your house.”
As Remi began to take another drag, Dallas plucked the cigar from Remi’s fingers and ground it out in the ashtray next to the chair. “Inside means inside anywhere.”
Dallas leaned in the final inches and kissed her until Remi was aware only of Dallas’s lips against hers and her tongue pushing insistently against her own. The kiss ended when Dallas stood, and Remi froze as Dallas lifted the soft silk enough so she could straddle her lap. When she got comfortable Dallas placed her palms under Remi’s soft T-shirt and touched as much skin as she could reach, making Remi surmise she was trying to prove to herself this was real.
“I don’t want you to give up something you love, but I want to take care of you, keep you healthy and happy so you’ll be around for years to come. That’s really important to me,” Dallas said as Remi’s hands slid up and under the pooled gown.
“What else do you want, besides limited smoking?” Remi asked.
“I want you.” Dallas placed her hands on Remi’s shoulders just under the neck of her T-shirt. “I’m sorry about how I handled tonight, but it had nothing to do with what you told me. What you said doesn’t change how much I want to be with you. The truth of who you are is safe with me.”