Wedding Belles. Beth Albright

town,” Bonita added. “I suspect everybody until proven not guilty.”

      This time, my eyebrows raised at the investigative team in front of me. “Okay, then.” It was definitely time for a subject change—they were clearly in business mode, and I didn’t want to be defending my clients to either of them right now. “You coming by Vivi’s for dinner tomorrow night after the station’s dedication ceremony, Bonita?”

      “Yes, ma’am, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

      “Why don’t you come, too, Sonny? It’s gonna be great. Arthur and Vivi are cooking together.” I smiled at him.

      “I’ll walk you back to your car,” Sonny offered. “You can give me the details.”

      “I’m gonna stay here and take a few more pictures. I’ll see you up there in the parking lot in a few minutes,” Bonita said, then walked back toward the front of the boat with her camera.

      Sonny and I headed back up the hill. Once out of view, he slipped his arm around my waist. “What else is going on, Blake? You said you were having quite a day. Anything I can help you with?”

      I told him all about Lewis and the Tressa Mae situation. And how Vivi was just coming undone over the whole thing.

      “Well, it shouldn’t be too hard to track her down,” Sonny said. “Sounds like you have a good start.”

      “Yes, Vivi and I found someone that matches her name in Birmingham. I’m gonna try to get up there by the end of the week,” I said as we reached my car.

      “I’ll help, if you need me,” he said. He bent closer.

      I knew he wanted to kiss me, but we were in public, and I was still the senatorial candidate’s wife. I wished I had never agreed to play that role. I hated all this secrecy.

      “Will you be at the big ground breaking tomorrow?” I asked. “I’ll be there to support Vivi and Lewis.”

      Lewis was holding a media day at the Brooks Mansion, a huge, historic landmark in the center of town where he’d set up his new radio station, and it seemed everyone was going. The restoration of the mansion was starting so the station would be ready for the big Crimson Tide kickoff game the first weekend in September.

      “I’ll be there for sure.” Sonny grinned at me. “I’m not gonna pass up a chance to be with you, for no matter how short a time.”

      “And of course there’s tonight,” I teased, reminding Sonny of our plans later.

      “I wish you could just spend the night every night,” he said.

      I gave him a wink. “See you later, Officer.” I opened my car door, then slid in over the warm leather seats. I slipped my legs in, brushing my bare skin against his pants. He inhaled sharply, and I peered up at him and smiled my best bad-girl smile.

      He laughed, shook his head and shut my door. I was perspiring again, but the heat I was feeling had nothing to do with the hot summer’s day. The plan to spend the night at Sonny’s excited us both.

      I was trying desperately to hang on to whatever tiny part of the good girl that was left in me, but the bad girl was winning the battle, and I was slowly but surely losing all control of her.

      7

      It was just after 9:00 p.m. when I arrived in front of Sonny’s house. I sat looking at the front door, amber light glowing on the huge front porch, contemplating the changes that were taking place by this one, seemingly innocent act.

      I’m just going for dinner, I told myself. But I knew me all too well. It was late, we would have a drink, and his arms would be warm and delicious. I’d been so lonely for so long that my heart ached just at the thought of him holding me.

      Today had been hectic and stressful with the shower plans underway, and the Aaron case developing, not to mention the new search for Tressa. I just wanted to relax and make the world go away.

      But I had never been inside Sonny’s home. Was I making a mistake even being here? My palms were sweaty and my heart began to race. What am I doing? I’m technically still married, at least until the paperwork is official. Good girls don’t do things like this.

      Another errant thought popped in my head: Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go everywhere. Was I a bad girl now?

      Sonny appeared on the porch. Oh, my, I thought. I would happily learn to be a bad girl for him.

      I smiled helplessly at him, his silhouette big and yummy. He looked like a young Tom Selleck, without the mustache. I was a goner. The sight of him made me want to run to him, melt into his arms where it was safe and satisfying. I got out and shut my car door and walked around to the steps.

      He whistled, and a chill ran up my spine. I felt the bad girl coming on. And I liked it.

      “Hey, beautiful, you’re a sight for sore eyes.” Sonny reached out and swept me against him, then kissed me passionately.

      “Mmm—it’s good to see you, too,” I managed between kisses. “But we are on the porch,” I hinted. “I can’t wait to see the inside of your house.”

      He kept kissing me. “Oh, it’s nothing much. I built it myself.” He gripped me around the waist and pulled me even closer. “I like to work with my hands.”

      I giggled lightly, caressing his fingertips as they touched me. “You do have amazing hands.”

      “Well, sweetheart, I’m even better when I have something beautiful to work with,” he said, brushing his fingers up and down my arm.

      I got instantaneous chill bumps. It was after nine o’clock, but I was sure my evening was just getting started. I looked up into his glistening brown eyes.

      He was looking right through me with that sexy grin on his face. I sighed. I had never felt loved liked this. With Harry, it wasn’t ever this deep, this real. I needed this feeling like a drug. How could I ever have walked away from him?

      Standing on the porch of Sonny’s home, I was reminded of a summer’s night many moons ago when we lay in the back of his old red pickup truck and watched the night sky. It was crystal clear and lightning bugs twinkled over his backyard. We counted shooting stars and gazed at Orion.

      Sonny was a lifelong Boy Scout. He was in his element outdoors. I always felt so safe with him. That was the first night he told me he loved me. We were sixteen, but Sonny had a depth to him that made him different from the other boys I knew. I remember being with him on a soggy night on a little dirt road just west of town when we were in our senior year of high school. He saw a baby deer tangled in some old rope in a ditch. The fawn had injured himself trying to wriggle free when Sonny pulled up and got out. He went over to the baby and freed him while I sat in the car and watched. He did this like it was all in a day’s work to him. Like it was nothing. A good scout is never without his pocketknife. He cut the rope and the little deer scampered away.

      Now, years later, I stood on the porch scanning his amber-lit home under the pine trees. It looked like something out of a movie.

      “Welcome to my humble abode,” he said, leaning over to me. “I hope you will find the accommodations quite cozy.”

      “I’m sure I will, Officer,” I said, flirting with him.

      He kept up the playfulness. “Please, let me know if I can make your stay any more comfortable. Your satisfaction is my top priority.” He winked at me and lifted that left eyebrow. He was absolutely the sexiest when he did that.

      “Don’t look at me like that,” I said softly, batting my long lashes and letting him know to please, please keep looking at me like he could devour me with one bite. He could do anything he wanted to do to me, all night long, if he kept it up. He knew it, too. I bit my bottom lip, then rolled my tongue over my lips.

      “Don’t you look at me like that,” he shot back.

      I