“Jasmine Ware?”
“Yes.”
“Flowers for you.”
Surprised, she took the hefty gift. “Hold on. Let me get you a tip.”
“Not necessary. He tipped us when he put in the order.”
Her surprise deepened. “Okay, thanks.”
“Enjoy your evening.”
As she walked back to the living room, a sweet scent wafted from within the wrapping. “Somebody sent me flowers.”
Her curiosity piqued, she placed the package on the coffee table and gently removed the paper. Inside was a beautiful navy-blue vase filled with white lilies. Her mouth dropped. “Casa Blancas?”
“Somebody spent a pretty penny on those, my friend,” Terri pointed out. “Casa Blancas aren’t cheap.”
Jas searched through the blooms for a card. Finding it, she opened it and read: See you soon. Torr the Brave
Hand to her mouth, she passed it to Terri.
“Mr. Jet Pilot?”
The speechless Jasmine nodded. Casa Blancas were an oriental hybrid she was very familiar with. Her mother grew them, and the big, white, starfish-shaped blooms had always been her favorite.
“Now you can start vetting reception halls. My man is not playing.”
“I told him I liked lilies, but I didn’t expect him to send me some.” She was outdone and overwhelmed by the sweet gesture.
“What color is my maid of honor dress going to be?”
Jas laughed. “Stop.”
“Just asking. Does this man have brothers? Cousins?”
Still staring at the flowers, she told Terri about Kel and how she knew him. “He’s about five, maybe six, years younger than we are.”
“Young boys are too much work.”
“This was so nice of him.”
“I agree. Why’d he sign the card Torr the Brave?”
Jasmine explained.
Terri nodded. “Cute. He’s going to need that bravery when Mama Ellen and Daddy Rick put him under the lights and give him the third degree.”
Still taken by the lilies, Jas smiled.
Terri stood. “Okay, I’m going home. I have some media interviews to do in the morning.”
“Thanks for the dinner.”
“As you said, I owed you for Wayman Childs.”
“And you will for the rest of your life.”
Laughing, they walked to the door and shared a parting hug. Terri kissed her on the cheek. “Love you.”
“Backatcha,” Jas replied softly. Terri was such a blessing in her life.
“Make sure you thank that man for the flowers.”
“Yes, Mom.”
Outside, the sun was setting. As she watched Terri walk to her vehicle, Jas scanned the lot for the town car but didn’t see it. With a honk and a wave, Terri drove off, and Jasmine went back inside.
After using a pair of scissors to remove the lilies’ red stamens so the blooms would last longer, Jasmine viewed the beauties with another smile. Picking up her phone, she debated whether to text her thanks to Torr or to call him. She opted for a text because she didn’t know what he might be in the middle of, and she didn’t want to come off as being desperate to talk to him, even though admittedly, she now was. But as her second-oldest sister, India, was fond of saying about men: Never let ’em see you sweat.
Torr was seated outside on his deck, enjoying the sunset, the evening breeze, and the sounds of the river when the text came through.
Thanks so much for the beautiful lilies. Casa Blancas are a favorite. Where are we having lunch?
He was glad she liked them but cringed, realizing he’d forgotten to send her the name of the restaurant he’d chosen. He texted back.
So glad my choice pleased you. Sorry for not letting you know about the restaurant. How about Andre’s at 1130?
No worries. 1130 it is. Thanks again.
Pleased, he set the phone aside. He blamed his screwup on the Vernon problem. He’d spent the past twenty-four hours talking to everyone he knew who might be able to help him begin putting the pieces of the puzzle together. During his talk with Kel, Torr suggested he not say anything to Jasmine, but Kel threatened to tell her himself if Torr didn’t come clean with her, leaving him little choice but to let her in on the details. He was interested in how she’d respond. For him, the jury was still out as to whether it was a good idea, but his brother had been working with her for over a year and knew Jasmine in ways Torr didn’t. Plus, Kel had always been a good judge of character. So, he’d tell her what was going on when they met for lunch and hope the choice didn’t come back to bite him in the ass. Yes, he found her fascinating, smart, and gorgeous, but underneath all that sassy sexiness could be someone he couldn’t trust. If that proved to be the case, he’d give her up in a heartbeat and not look back if it kept Kel out of harm’s way.
His phone chimed, and he looked at the text. It was from his crew. The Yemen mission had been successful. One less thing to worry about. Fifteen years ago, Torr would’ve personally headed up the mission. The adventure, the adrenaline, and yes, the danger had been as much a part of him as his love for wolves. Like many of his current employees, after his stint with the military, he’d contracted himself out to one of the world’s largest and best-known paramilitary companies. The squads fought insurgents, rescued diplomats held hostage, supplied guns to rebels, and handled clandestine undertakings the government wanted kept on the down low. He’d been paid insane amounts of money, and as a result, he would never have to work another day in his life. However, he’d probably still be working for them had the missions and culture not changed. Crews began going rogue, endangering missions, and employing questionable tactics. Those at the top began taking on jobs commissioned by multinational corporations that used them as strikebreakers and muscle to protect buildings being constructed on stolen sacred lands. The day he was ordered to fly a team to the Amazon to join in a fight against indigenous farmers and their families trying to protect their way of life, he’d had enough and resigned with no regrets. In hindsight, it had been a good decision.
His phone rang. Seeing Jasmine’s name on the caller ID put a smile on his face. “Hey, lady.”
“Are you home?”
The frostiness in her voice caught him off guard. “Yes. Why?”
“I’d like to stop by if you don’t mind. Need to talk to you about something. I’ll only be there a few minutes.”
He got the impression he was in trouble. “Um. Sure. Come on by. I’ll turn the porch light on.”
“Thanks.”
He sent Kel a question by text.
The reply he received made him drop his head. “Shit!”
Driving to his place, Jas supposed this was something that could’ve been handled on the phone, but she wanted to see his face when she told him how she felt. How dare he send her flowers but not be up front enough to ask her outright if she was involved with this Vernon mess! Thank God Kel had called a short while ago to ask if she and Torr had talked, and when she told him they hadn’t, he’d cared enough to let her in on the investigation. Granted, she and Torr had known each other only a few days, but their attraction had been blooming like the lilies he sent. Didn’t that mean anything? Maybe she was being unreasonable, but her feelings were bruised. Here she was thinking he was all that, and he couldn’t even talk to her about something that could land her in jail? Her parents were cops, for heaven’s sake. She’d never gotten so much as a parking ticket her entire life. No way would she be a party to something so illegal.