voice. “From what I understand, Mrs. Stanford tried to make a financial settlement on Tara. It was quite generous from what I remember. But Tara refused.”
No wonder Tara had a chip on her shoulder. “How do you know all this?”
“Servants talk.” Gertie’s gaze settled across the room on Tara and Regina. “You better go intervene. I think Regina needs rescuing.”
He glanced between the two women. They were as different as night and day. Regina was stunning and stylish and enjoyed her privileged life of cocktail parties, fundraisers and trips to Europe. And Tara said what was on her mind, didn’t mind covering the toughest crime stories for the Globe and moonlighted in a bar at night to pay her college loans. In his mind, Regina paled next to Tara.
“I’ll see you later.” Alex kissed his grandmother on the cheek and crossed the room. He stood beside Tara and handed her a beer.
She accepted it with a smile, but didn’t drink. “Thanks. Regina and I were just having the most interesting discussion.”
Alex doubted that. But he wanted to be closer to Tara. Except for his grandmother, she was the only other person in the room he cared about.
Regina looked visibly uncomfortable as Tara leaned toward her and asked, “So what did you and Kit talk about that last time?”
“Just girl talk. Nothing more.” She glanced across the room as if someone had caught her attention. “If you will excuse me. It was lovely visiting, Tara.”
Tara took a long drink of her beer. “Did you know that Regina hated Kit?”
“Doesn’t surprise me. At one time Regina had her sights set on Pierce, and then Kit came to town.”
“Was she a suspect in your investigation?”
“She had an alibi. Regina was in Europe when Kit vanished.” Alex raised his beer to his lips and paused when he caught sight of Robert Stanford. “Heads up.”
Tara turned to see Robert and his wife headed their way. Her face tightened only a fraction as she squared her shoulders.
His slim, athletic frame hadn’t softened in the last nine years and his blond hair was still thick. He rested his hand on the arm of the petite brunette, who was visibly pregnant. Tara could live with the fact that he hadn’t gotten fat or gone bald, but knowing he was about to be a father stung some. They’d talked about having children once.
Robert beamed as he approached. “Tara, is that you?”
She refused to show hints of the angry young woman who nine years ago had called him a coward as she’d stormed out of his parents’ home. “Robert.”
Kirkland moved a fraction closer to her. The gesture felt protective, and she realized he knew about her relationship with Robert. Boston society was a small world.
Still, she was grateful for Kirkland as Robert leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. He still wore the same aftershave.
“You look great,” Robert said as his gaze skimmed her frame.
She smiled. “So do you.”
“I read your articles. They’re good.”
“Thanks.”
Robert’s gaze shifted to Kirkland. “Alex, I never see you at these things.”
Alex’s expression was flat, as it was when he was interviewing a suspect. “Tara and I thought it would be fun.”
Robert lifted a brow. “You and Tara are dating?”
The brunette cleared her throat. “Robert. Are you going to introduce us?”
Robert glanced at his wife and had the good sense to look embarrassed. “I’m sorry, this is my wife, Debra. Debra, this is Tara.”
“Tara?” The extra emphasis on her name told Tara that Debra knew of her husband’s history. “How nice to finally meet you.”
Tara had never been good at small talk. “So when is your baby due?”
Debra’s hand slid proudly to her belly. “November. It’s a boy. He’s our fourth child.”
“Fourth? That’s nice.”
“The girls are eight, six and three.”
Emotion tightened Tara’s throat. Robert must have married Debra within months of their breakup. “Lovely.”
An awkward silence
No wonder Tara had a chip on her shoulder. “How do you know all this?”
“Servants talk.” Gertie’s gaze settled across the room on Tara and Regina. “You better go intervene. I think Regina needs rescuing.”
He glanced between the two women. They were as different as night and day. Regina was stunning and stylish and enjoyed her privileged life of cocktail parties, fundraisers and trips to Europe. And Tara said what was on her mind, didn’t mind covering the toughest crime stories for the Globe and moonlighted in a bar at night to pay her college loans. In his mind, Regina paled next to Tara.
“I’ll see you later.” Alex kissed his grandmother on the cheek and crossed the room. He stood beside Tara and handed her a beer.
She accepted it with a smile, but didn’t drink. “Thanks. Regina and I were just having the most interesting discussion.”
Alex doubted that. But he wanted to be closer to Tara. Except for his grandmother, she was the only other person in the room he cared about.
Regina looked visibly uncomfortable as Tara leaned toward her and asked, “So what did you and Kit talk about that last time?”
“Just girl talk. Nothing more.” She glanced across the room as if someone had caught her attention. “If you will excuse me. It was lovely visiting, Tara.”
Tara took a long drink of her beer. “Did you know that Regina hated Kit?”
“Doesn’t surprise me. At one time Regina had her sights set on Pierce, and then Kit came to town.”
“Was she a suspect in your investigation?”
“She had an alibi. Regina was in Europe when Kit vanished.” Alex raised his beer to his lips and paused when he caught sight of Robert Stanford. “Heads up.”
Tara turned to see Robert and his wife headed their way. Her face tightened only a fraction as she squared her shoulders.
His slim, athletic frame hadn’t softened in the last nine years and his blond hair was still thick. He rested his hand on the arm of the petite brunette, who was visibly pregnant. Tara could live with the fact that he hadn’t gotten fat or gone bald, but knowing he was about to be a father stung some. They’d talked about having children once.
Robert beamed as he approached. “Tara, is that you?”
She refused to show hints of the angry young woman who nine years ago had called him a coward as she’d stormed out of his parents’ home. “Robert.”
Kirkland moved a fraction closer to her. The gesture felt protective, and she realized he knew about her relationship with Robert. Boston society was a small world.
Still, she was grateful for Kirkland as Robert leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. He still wore the same aftershave.
“You look great,” Robert said as his gaze skimmed her frame.
She smiled. “So do you.”
“I read your articles. They’re good.”
“Thanks.”
Robert’s gaze shifted to Kirkland. “Alex, I never see you at these things.”
Alex’s expression was flat, as it was when he was interviewing a suspect. “Tara and I thought it would be fun.”
Robert lifted a brow. “You and Tara are dating?”
The brunette cleared her throat. “Robert. Are you going to introduce us?”
Robert glanced at his wife and had the good sense to look embarrassed. “I’m sorry, this is my wife, Debra. Debra, this is Tara.”
“Tara?” The extra emphasis on her name told Tara that Debra knew of her husband’s history. “How nice to finally meet you.”
Tara had never been good at small talk. “So when is your baby due?”
Debra’s hand slid proudly to her belly. “November. It’s a boy. He’s our fourth child.”
“Fourth? That’s nice.”
“The girls are eight, six and three.”
Emotion tightened Tara’s throat. Robert must have married Debra within months of their breakup. “Lovely.”
An awkward silence
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