A Time to Gain, A Time to Lose
Blurb:
When PI Zane Turner needs help tracking down a stalker he turns to Axel
Hayward, a blind profiler. Axel agrees, in exchange for Zane helping to
protect him against the man who was the cause of his blindness, a man
who has suddenly reappeared in his life.
As the two men, plus Rex Turner, Zane's cousin and business partner,
work to find the person stalking several of the Turners' new clients
Axel and Zane find themselves drawn together in more than the case.
Then Axel is targeted and they must decide is it the stalker or the man from his past who is responsible?
Excerpt:
"Get that animal out of here!"
Axel tilted his head to locate the person speaking and then turned to face him. "What part of 'service animals allowed' don't you understand?" he replied scathingly.
"This is a restaurant. I don't want no dirty animal around my food."
"The feeling's mutual, so why don't you leave?"
"Fuck you. You're the one impeding on my rights to sit here and enjoy my meal. Bet you ain't even blind."
"It's 'infringing', and you'd lose the bet." Axel tightened his grip on the harness when Jazz growled softly. "It's okay, boy, some people 'ain't got no couth', to quote Betty."
At that point, the hostess came over, hugging Axel. "Did I hear my name used in vain?"
"Always," he replied with a smile. "Do you have any empty tables, preferably on the other side of the room from the animal lover here?"
"For you, you bet." She placed his hand on her arm as he'd taught her, leading him across the half-filled restaurant to a table set for one. After he sat down with Jazz lying beside his chair, Betty beckoned one of the waiters over.
"Axel, this is Brandon, he's new but he's trained up pretty good, for a male." She winked at the young man.
He chuckled in response. "I even know how to say, Good evening, Sir. I'll be your waiter for tonight. The specials are..."
Axel laughed. "I probably know the menu better than even Betty here. I'll start with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. I think, for the entrée, blackened swordfish, and crème brûlée with fresh berries for dessert."
"And for your companion? Perhaps a bowl of sparkling water?"
"Plain water," Axel told him with a chuckle. "Jazz is a plebeian when it comes to his tastes in liquids, water or occasionally beer, that's his limits."
"Beer?" Brandon's voice was full of surprise.
"He's developed a taste for it so I sometimes let him share mine when we're at home--watered down, of course. An inebriated guide dog is not something I really want."
Brandon nodded, realized Axel couldn't see that, and said, "I understand. That does give me an umm, interesting mental image."
"Does, doesn't it? A potentially catastrophic one at that." Axel grinned, reaching down to pat Jazz's head.
With a laugh, Brandon went to get Axel's wine and place his dinner order.
"Trying to set me up again, Bets?" Axel asked with a chuckle after Brandon had left.
"Now would I do that?"
"In a heartbeat. You've done it before."
Betty glanced around to make certain no one needed her attention at the moment and then sat down. "Axel, I've known you forever. You can't go through life living like a hermit except for work."
"Hey, I'm here, aren't I?"
"That's not what I meant and you know it," she huffed in response.
He gave her a tense smile. "I know. I just... I'm not ready for a relationship. You know how badly the last one ended."
"He was an idiot!" she declared adamantly, "Worse than an idiot. He should have ended up in jail if you want my opinion."
"Yes, and no, and most men are idiots according to you." Axel grinned then. "Maybe you and I should hook up."
Betty swatted his arm. "I have a feeling Nell might have something to say about that, and not something positive." Patting his arm now, she said, "I'm not giving up on you, not yet."
"If you did I'd think you didn't love me anymore." He paused when he heard the sound of his glass of wine being set on the table, reaching for it just as Brandon told him where it was. He thanked him and took a sip. "Excellent," he declared.
"Of course it is," Betty replied and the sound of her chair moving told him she was getting up.
"That, my dear friend, is why I continue to frequent this fine establishment." His face was quite serious until a small grin quirked his lips. "That and your pseudo-matchmaking skills."
"Axel Hayward, I swear, what am I going to do with you?"
He laughed. "Not a damned thing except love me for what I am."
Kissing his cheek, she told him seriously, "Always."
Axel tilted his head to locate the person speaking and then turned to face him. "What part of 'service animals allowed' don't you understand?" he replied scathingly.
"This is a restaurant. I don't want no dirty animal around my food."
"The feeling's mutual, so why don't you leave?"
"Fuck you. You're the one impeding on my rights to sit here and enjoy my meal. Bet you ain't even blind."
"It's 'infringing', and you'd lose the bet." Axel tightened his grip on the harness when Jazz growled softly. "It's okay, boy, some people 'ain't got no couth', to quote Betty."
At that point, the hostess came over, hugging Axel. "Did I hear my name used in vain?"
"Always," he replied with a smile. "Do you have any empty tables, preferably on the other side of the room from the animal lover here?"
"For you, you bet." She placed his hand on her arm as he'd taught her, leading him across the half-filled restaurant to a table set for one. After he sat down with Jazz lying beside his chair, Betty beckoned one of the waiters over.
"Axel, this is Brandon, he's new but he's trained up pretty good, for a male." She winked at the young man.
He chuckled in response. "I even know how to say, Good evening, Sir. I'll be your waiter for tonight. The specials are..."
Axel laughed. "I probably know the menu better than even Betty here. I'll start with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. I think, for the entrée, blackened swordfish, and crème brûlée with fresh berries for dessert."
"And for your companion? Perhaps a bowl of sparkling water?"
"Plain water," Axel told him with a chuckle. "Jazz is a plebeian when it comes to his tastes in liquids, water or occasionally beer, that's his limits."
"Beer?" Brandon's voice was full of surprise.
"He's developed a taste for it so I sometimes let him share mine when we're at home--watered down, of course. An inebriated guide dog is not something I really want."
Brandon nodded, realized Axel couldn't see that, and said, "I understand. That does give me an umm, interesting mental image."
"Does, doesn't it? A potentially catastrophic one at that." Axel grinned, reaching down to pat Jazz's head.
With a laugh, Brandon went to get Axel's wine and place his dinner order.
"Trying to set me up again, Bets?" Axel asked with a chuckle after Brandon had left.
"Now would I do that?"
"In a heartbeat. You've done it before."
Betty glanced around to make certain no one needed her attention at the moment and then sat down. "Axel, I've known you forever. You can't go through life living like a hermit except for work."
"Hey, I'm here, aren't I?"
"That's not what I meant and you know it," she huffed in response.
He gave her a tense smile. "I know. I just... I'm not ready for a relationship. You know how badly the last one ended."
"He was an idiot!" she declared adamantly, "Worse than an idiot. He should have ended up in jail if you want my opinion."
"Yes, and no, and most men are idiots according to you." Axel grinned then. "Maybe you and I should hook up."
Betty swatted his arm. "I have a feeling Nell might have something to say about that, and not something positive." Patting his arm now, she said, "I'm not giving up on you, not yet."
"If you did I'd think you didn't love me anymore." He paused when he heard the sound of his glass of wine being set on the table, reaching for it just as Brandon told him where it was. He thanked him and took a sip. "Excellent," he declared.
"Of course it is," Betty replied and the sound of her chair moving told him she was getting up.
"That, my dear friend, is why I continue to frequent this fine establishment." His face was quite serious until a small grin quirked his lips. "That and your pseudo-matchmaking skills."
"Axel Hayward, I swear, what am I going to do with you?"
He laughed. "Not a damned thing except love me for what I am."
Kissing his cheek, she told him seriously, "Always."
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