He could see the big guy was protective of Ivy. He felt that way with Dahlia too and hadn’t even known her that long.

  “That is what I tell Jasmine too,” Wesley said. “I know the girls don’t talk too much about their childhoods.”

  “I don’t have a problem with it,” Dahlia said. “It’s done now. We learn from it.”

  Hugh looked at her and wondered if that was the case or not. From what he saw what she learned was that she was alone more than she should have been.

  18

  DIFFERENT FEELINGS

  “Hugh is nice,” Jasmine said the next morning when she was dropping Cori off.

  “I think he is,” she said. “Come see Aunt Dahlia.”

  She picked Cori up and hugged her. She’d played with her on the patio at her sister’s yesterday with Hugh too.

  She found it sweet how good he was with her niece.

  She felt bad the topic of kids came up, but he didn’t seem bothered by it. Or that she asked if he wanted kids.

  It was way too early for her to even be thinking of a future with Hugh even if he made her feel like no one else had ever before.

  Would she say she might be falling in love? She didn’t know.

  She just knew that she wasn’t sure she’d ever really loved another man before and yet with Hugh different feelings were forming in her brain.

  “He got along with everyone too,” Jasmine said.

  “He’s not a hard person to get along with,” she said. “He’s not as boring as Ivy thought he’d be either, is he?”

  “No,” Jasmine said. “I need to run, but I want to talk to you more about Hugh when I get back. I should just be two hours or less. She’s been changed and she ate. She’ll go down for a nap soon if you just want to throw some pillows on the floor.”

  “I should get a playpen here,” she said. “Or I should have gone to your house.”

  “Stop,” Jasmine said. “We’ve slept on the floor plenty as kids and we turned out just fine.”

  “I know,” she said. “Go have fun.”

  “You know I love playing with my flowers. We are blessed to enjoy the careers we have.”

  She watched her sister leave and realized how true that was.

  Not many could say they loved what they did for a living.

  Though most thought her job was repetitive, for her it was stable.

  She didn’t want to talk about her childhood much because she hated how nothing had ever been settled.

  They’d only live somewhere for a few years; they could never really relax. Nothing was ever their own.

  They went from one rented place after another, living with leftover old furniture.

  It wasn’t a life many would say was glamorous.

  She had an appreciation for her life now. For what she owned, and if she moved again, she could take those things with her.

  She knew her sisters felt she wasn’t a happy person, but she never thought she was miserable or sad. Everyone just expressed things differently.

  “Come on, Cori. Let’s play and tire you out.”

  She wanted a few hours of playtime but would take what she could get. She wouldn’t alter the schedule Jasmine had her daughter on. Or the routine.

  For a person who lived her life in an orderly way, it was the last thing she’d do to someone else.

  Two hours later, Jasmine returned.

  “She’s out cold,” Dahlia said. “Do you want a drink to relax or are you in a hurry?”

  “I’ll take a coffee,” Jasmine said. “I didn’t get my second cup this morning. It feels like all I do is rush out the door in the mornings because I want to play with Cori rather than get her ready.”

  “I know that feeling,” she said. “I could have played with her for hours but know how you are about her morning nap.”

  “And it works out well for you to tell me more about Hugh.”

  “What is there to say?” she asked.

  “It looks as if things are going well. You like him, that’s easy enough. I'm not sure I’ve seen you laugh as much as you had yesterday.”

  “Really? Is it that obvious?”

  “It is,” Jasmine said. “I know it’s early yet. Just a few weeks. We never really talked much about you and your relationships. Do you think you could see yourself with him?”

  “I think so,” she said. “I’m trying not to do that though.”

  “Why?” Jasmine asked.

  “Because he has only been divorced about four months. Not even split a full year. I doubt he’s rushing for anything.”

  “You make a good point. Is this his first relationship since his marriage ended?” Jasmine asked.

  “Yes.”

  “And you’re worried about a rebound thing?”

  “It’s come up. I think I’m fine.”

  “Do you know what caused his marriage to end?” Jasmine asked. “I know it took Wesley a while to tell me about his and Noelle’s marriage. It wasn’t perfect by any means.”

  “He has told me things. Nothing I care to repeat.”

  That would bring up too many questions about what Hugh did for a living.

  “You don’t need to.”

  They were in the kitchen. Jasmine used to live here and felt at home enough to make her own coffee while Dahlia pulled out the muffins she’d made this morning.

  “Hungry?” she asked.

  “I could eat,” Jasmine said.

  When they were in the living room, Jasmine picked up her coffee and took a sip, some of it spilling on her shirt.

  “I’ll get you a napkin,” she said quietly. Cori was on the couch sleeping and tucked in by pillows so she couldn’t fall off.

  “I’ve got it,” Jasmine said, walking to the kitchen.

  Dahlia stayed in the living room watching Cori quietly sleeping while Jasmine was in the other room.

  Her sister was in there longer than it should have taken.

  When Jasmine came back in she had a piece of paper in her hand.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “You ran out of paper towels. I opened the drawer to get a dish towel, but you don’t keep them where I did. I found this in there on top.”

  Oh crap. That looked like a business card. Her sister went into her private drawer where she’d thrown Hugh’s card the night he gave it to her.

  She’d forgotten all about it.

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  “Special Agent Hugh Crosby, FBI,” Jasmine said. “Ivy said he was an accountant.”

  “Ivy assumed,” she said. “I didn’t correct her.”

  “Why?” Jasmine asked. “Something is going on. I don’t like that you’re keeping it from me.”

  She sighed. “Come sit down.”

  “Are you in trouble?” Jasmine asked. “Are you dating him for a cover or something?”

  “No,” she said loudly. Then lowered her voice to not wake up Cori. “No to both. Nothing like that. You watch too much TV.”

  “Then what?” Jasmine asked.

  “This is so embarrassing.”

  “Tell me,” Jasmine said.

  “Hugh is with the FBI. White-collar crimes. My ex, Shawn, is under investigation. I can’t say much more. I don’t even know that much.”

  “And the FBI is here asking you questions about it?” Jasmine said.

  “Yes. They have offices everywhere. He came here to question me.”

  “Did they think you had something to do with it?” Jasmine asked. “Be honest because your face is red.”

  “I was being looked into too. He knew a lot about me and you guys.”

  “Us?” Jasmine asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “There was nothing to say. I’m not a person of interest. I’m really not. He had to do his job and he asked me questions. I’ve been cleared. He was telling me that when Ivy saw us together, then she jumped to conclusions and put Hugh on the spot to ask me out.”

  “Dahlia. I’m so mad at you for not saying anything. You shouldn’t have talked to him without having one of us with you. Or an attorney. I don’t care that you are dating now. What could you have been thinking?”

  “I was thinking I didn’t want anyone to know that the guy I dated embezzled millions of dollars under my nose. He did it while we were dating. He was still doing it. The last I knew he was arrested. I haven’t asked for updates. I don’t want to know.”

  “Oh, honey,” Jasmine said softly. “There is nothing to be embarrassed about. But I don’t like this at all. You need to call Thomas or another attorney. You need to make sure you’re officially in the clear. I can’t believe you didn’t think to do this. Or at least call Brooks.”

  Her eyes filled. “I didn’t want you to know.”

  “Did you think we weren’t going to find out what Hugh did for a living?” Jasmine asked.

  “I was trying to figure it all out and how to tell you how we met. It’s funny now, isn’t it?”

  “No,” Jasmine said, pulling her phone out.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Calling Rose to get Thomas on the phone. If you won’t pay for this, I am.”

  “You don’t need to do this,” she argued. “It’s fine. I trust Hugh.”

  “That’s fine you do, but right now I’m not sure I trust you to make the right decision and I’ve never said that before a day in my life.”

  “That’s low,” she said.

  “Too bad,” Jasmine said. “I’m only looking out for you just like you’ve done for us enough. Hi, Rose. Can I talk to Thomas, please?” She put the phone to her chest. “Maybe you should call Ivy to get Brooks here and then call Hugh. This is getting settled before we are in bed tonight.”

  “Doesn’t look like I’ve got much of a choice in the matter, does it?”

  Guess Hugh was right and she should have listened to him.

  19

  CONFLICT ON RECORD

  The last thing Hugh thought was that he’d be back at Jasmine’s today with the same family members as before. This time, one extra person...Thomas Klein.

  “I’m so sorry about this,” Dahlia said.

  “Don’t be,” he said. “I warned you.”

  “What?” Jasmine asked.

  Dahlia sighed. “Hugh said I should have told you who he was. That the longer it went on, the more people get tripped up or it's hard to keep facts straight.”

  “I knew,” Brooks said. “I just didn’t know what. When I went to work on Monday I was going to figure it out. Ivy couldn’t remember your last name, but I would have gotten it.”

  He nodded his head. “I saw it in your eyes.”

  “What did you know?” Ivy asked, slapping Brooks’s big arm. “That he was FBI and you didn’t tell me?”

  “No,” Brooks said, rubbing his arm with a smirk. “That he was in law enforcement. I just didn’t know what. He could have been undercover and I wouldn’t have blown that. If that was the case I might not have even found out about it, but I would have gotten enough.”

  “If I was undercover there would be no trace of you finding out,” he said.

  “Yeah,” Brooks said. “Because FBI and other agencies don’t play nice.”

  “Boys,” Thomas said. “Can we get this worked out? Do we need to do this officially in the office on Monday? That was my suggestion, but everyone wanted to talk today.”

  “There is nothing official to do,” Hugh said. “Thomas, if you want to come to my office tomorrow, I’ll release to you what I can. Dahlia isn’t under investigation. I can’t disclose any information on an ongoing case.”

  “I already told them what I know,” she said. “Thomas said I could do that. It’s not coming from you.”

  “That’s fine,” he said. “What was told?”

  “That Shawn embezzled money from clients at my old employers. I’m assuming millions or the FBI wouldn’t be involved. He was doing it when we were dating and still was until he was caught. He’s been arrested and you’re looking for more evidence.”

  “We are,” he said. “Or they are in Chicago. On my end, all I needed to do was interview Dahlia and see if there was anything she could add. Shawn has been released but can’t leave the area while he’s awaiting trial.”

  “Was Dahlia a person of interest?” Thomas asked.

  “Due to the nature of her relationship at the time of the theft, I’m sure you know that everyone is a suspect until proven otherwise.”

  “What happened to innocent until proven guilty?” Ivy asked.

  “That’s a lawyer’s saying,” Brooks said. “Law enforcement’s job is to find everything they can to make someone guilty most times.”

  Which was why Brooks was narrowing his eyes.

  “It wasn’t what I was doing with Dahlia. I had to look into her and her background. There was nothing to indicate that she had any knowledge of what was going on. It’s not an active case on my desk right now unless they need more from me.”

  “See,” she said. “I told you.”

  “You should have told us when it happened,” Ivy said. “And not lied.”

  “I didn’t lie about anything. And Hugh told me to call an attorney or even Brooks. He never once pressured me to talk to him without anyone.”

  Dahlia was sugarcoating it. He knew that.

  He wouldn’t argue though.

  “This is real,” Ivy said, her hand moving back and forth. “What you two have? Jasmine said you only asked her on a date because I put you on the spot. I’m so sorry, Dahlia. You’ve told me before not to do that.”

  He didn’t want Ivy to feel bad. Nor did he want anyone to think what he had with Dahlia wasn’t real.

  “Let me clear the air here,” he said. “Dahlia and I are a couple. What I feel for her and what we have is between us and has nothing to do with my job or how we met. My superior is aware of the relationship.”

  “What?” she asked. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

  “There is no reason to,” he said. “But I follow the rules. I didn’t want anyone to think I was lying or covering anything up. I was honest and made sure there was no conflict on record.”

  He looked at Brooks and saw the head nod. “And I can verify this tomorrow?” Thomas asked.

  “Easily enough,” he said. Which meant more people would have questions, but he’d just have to deal with it.

  “So you are divorced?” Ivy asked. “Everything else Dahlia has said about you is true?”

  “That’s not your business,” Jasmine said to Ivy.

  “I think it is,” Ivy said. “Dahlia always wanted to know the intentions of people I dated. She asked all sorts of questions when I was seeing Brooks.”

  Brooks laughed. “Your sister had every right to do that.”

  “And I do too,” Ivy said. “Just because I’m the baby between us doesn’t mean that I can’t support my sisters.”

  He liked how these girls were standing up for each other.

  That maybe Dahlia was getting the support he asked her the other day if she ever got.

  By the shocked look on her face, he could tell this was unexpected.

  “I’m not going to say I’m an open book. I don’t think anyone is. Everything Dahlia knows about me is the truth. I’m divorced. My ex-wife and I tried to make it work, but being married to someone in law enforcement isn’t for everyone.”

  “I told you all of that, Ivy,” Brooks said.

  “I know. I understand. I really do. I guess this makes a lot more sense now.”

  “I wasn’t home a lot. I couldn’t be what she wanted or was looking for,” he said.

  “You don’t need to explain anything to them,” Dahlia said. “That’s personal. You all got the answers you needed.”

  “I guess,” Ivy said.

  “We are done now,” she said. “Thomas, I’m not going to argue if you want to go to Hugh’s office and get what you need and make it official. I should have done it myself and didn’t. It was a poor judgment call on my part.”

  “We understand,” Wesley said. “But don’t feel as if you can’t come to us if you need something in the future.”

  Dahlia, he and Thomas left after that. He was positive everyone was going to stay and talk about them, but there wasn’t much he could do about it and he wouldn’t.

  When they were outside, he and Thomas exchanged cards. Thomas left and he was standing there with Dahlia in the driveway.

  “I’m so sorry. You told me. This is on me.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Now that it’s out in the open, it should be easier.”

  “No,” she said. “It won’t be. My sisters are going to have even more questions. Maybe not about Shawn or what happened there but about my life in general and why I didn’t go to them.”

  “I want to ask why you didn’t, but you said it.”

  “Do you believe me?” she asked.

  He pulled her into his arms. “I believe that you think you need to put up a front for your sisters that you’re a strong caregiver and can’t show any weak side. But the truth is they don’t see you that way.”

  She nodded her head against his chest. “What do you see?”

  “I see someone that is starting to find out what she wants and feels and is scared.”

  Or maybe that was what he was feeling and projecting it onto her.

  “Some of that is true,” she said.

  “What part isn’t?” he asked.

  “I know what I want. I’m not sure what I feel.”

  She didn’t address the scared part.

  “Do you want to tell me what it is you want?” he asked.

  “Not right now,” she said. “Not right here. Just know that what I feel for you, I’ve never felt before. It’s foreign to me. What I wanted or thought I did isn’t what I thought I’d feel.”

  He wouldn’t push her.

  His hand was running up and down her back, he took her chin in his hand and tipped her head up, giving her a light kiss.

  “I’m not going to push you but know that I think we might be feeling some of the same things.”

  She hugged him tighter and then turned when the door opened. Brooks and Ivy were walking out.

  “Are you okay?” Ivy asked, running over. “You’re crying. You never cry.”