I'm No Angel by Patti Berg

don’t have anything to hide.”
    â€œYour father did. God knows how many people thought that statue he stole—”
    â€œHe didn’t steal it.”
    â€œYeah, well, a lot of people were sure that he did. They were also sure he hid it in the yard you’re standing in now, or in that house you’re living in. Hell, the police searched every inch of the place. They searched my place. And they spent days questioning you and me. Now we’re back in this godforsaken town and all of that crap is being stirred up again. I don’t like it one bit.”
    â€œIf my dad stole The Embrace and hid it here, it would have been found by now. But no one has found it and no one has tried to fence it—”
    â€œThat you know of.”
    â€œDamn it, Pop, let’s not argue.”
    â€œFine by me. We hardly ever argued when we lived in the Glades and you were wrestling gators. If you ask me, we should go back. Open up another gator farm with you running the entire show this time around.”
    â€œYou know I never liked wrestling gators and I sure as hell hated to charm snakes.”
    â€œI suppose you’d prefer wrestling and then charming pretty blond spies?”
    â€œYeah, I suppose I would.”
    Again Pop sighed heavily. “Look, son, I’ve got this god-awful feeling in the pit of my stomach that if we don’t get away from this town you’re going to end up in a heap of trouble.”
    â€œYeah, well, I’ve already come to the conclusion that with enough money you can buy yourself out of any trouble you could possibly get into, especially here in Palm Beach. And I’ve got money to burn.”
    â€œI don’t like hearing that kind of talk. Maybe I should just go back to the Glades by myself so I don’t have to watch you become just another slick-as-swamp-scum rich guy who’s too big for his britches.”
    â€œIf you want to go back—” Tom bit back his words but the silence on the other end of the phone was so deafening that Tom knew Pop understood perfectly well what had been on the tip of his grandson’s tongue.
    â€œYou want me to go back?” Pop asked, his voice a mixture of choked-back hurt and frustration.
    â€œNo, Pop.” Tom shoved his fingers through sweat-soaked hair. “I don’t want you going back any more than I want to go back. I can’t explain it, Pop, but I get the feeling I was meant to be here.”
    â€œWell, hell, if you want to stay, stay.”
    â€œYou, too?” Tom asked softly.
    â€œI suppose. Besides…”
    Tom heard Pop muttering under his breath.
    â€œWhat is it, Pop? Is everything okay?”
    â€œLet’s just say that it’s a good thing I’m sticking around because someone’s got to keep an eye on all the people spying on you.”
    â€œIt’s one person spying on me, Pop, and if I’m not mistaken, that pretty blonde is the woman I’m getting together with tonight.”
    â€œI’m not referring to the pretty blonde. I’m talking about the other boat on the water and the other pair of binoculars trained on you all of a sudden.”
    â€œWhat? You mean I have more than one female admirer trying to check me out?”
    â€œIt’s not a woman, Tom. It’s a man…and if I’m not mistaken, he’s got a devil tattooed on his chest.”

7
    S parks of light glinted off Emma’s emerald-studded hoop earrings as she plucked one of Jazzzzz’s signature pink and green tortilla chips out of the bowl sitting in the center of the table she shared with Angel. “You didn’t really go out on your boat to spy on the Piano Man, did you?”
    â€œOf course I did.” Angel crossed her legs, adjusting the gentle folds of her black silk sundress so they covered her always-present stiletto. “But I’m not the only one who was spying on him.”
    Emma frowned. “No?”
    â€œDagger was