by Brenda Gayle
“Hey, happy birthday,” Becca said, pulling out a small wrapped present from behind her back.
“Thanks,” Nora said. She’d been doing her best to forget her birthday, too—thirty-five wasn’t a number she’d been looking forward to. Karen had wanted to hold a big celebration, but Nora had begged off saying she had a reception to attend and perhaps they could do brunch on the weekend.
She took the package from Becca and smiled at her young assistant. She felt badly for her. She didn’t know what was going to happen when the new executive director arrived. Becca had proven her worth to Nora, but the new boss may want to bring her own assistant. Becca hadn’t said anything, but Nora knew she was worried.
She carefully peeled the tape off the wrapping paper.
“Just rip it,” Becca said impatiently. “It’s not like you’re going to use the paper again.”
Nora laughed. She was right. Her parents had ingrained in her the process of carefully unwrapping presents. Funny how some things stick with you.
Inside the small rectangular box was a cloth pouch. Nora lifted it and dumped a brass business card holder into her hand. Her name, N. Cross, was engraved on one side.
“I always thought these were so cool, so professional,” Becca said, bouncing up and down. “I figured if you’re out pounding the pavement, looking for a job, it would add to your prestige. Look inside.”
Nora opened the case and withdrew a business card. The card was white and in the top left corner a small graphic showed the outline of two children standing hand-in-hand on top of an upturned palm. Written in a classic font was:
Nora Cross
Childcare Advocate
“Oh my,” Nora said, wiping a tear from her eye.
“I was going to put ‘Childcare Advocate Extraordinaire’ or something like that, but I thought you’d think it was a bit over-the-top. Do you like it?”
“I love it. Thank you Becca, it’s wonderful.” She hugged her assistant. “You’re wonderful.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Becca waved her hand dismissively. “I figured you could start using them today when you’re at the reception. It’s the big send-off for the legislature members, so you may be able to make some good contacts.”
“I’m going there as a CAN representative. I can’t be handing out my résumé.”
“Why not? After what those creeps on the board did to you, you don’t owe them anything. I’m going to miss you, but I’m really proud of how you stood up to that witch, Sylvia, and told her where to go.”
“It didn’t quite happen like that, but yes, I did tell the board they couldn’t dictate my personal life.”
“And then you quit.”
“Just as she fired me.”
“Well, it’s their loss. And as I said, you don’t owe them a thing.”
“No, but I do owe CAN. And regardless of the board’s behavior, I intend to be professional about this.”
****
The late afternoon reception at the State Capitol Complex was crowded when Nora arrived. Some of the representatives and senators had already left for their home districts, but the majority remained in Santa Fe to clear up the last bit of formal business until they were scheduled to meet again next January.
It has been a good session, Nora reflected. The school curriculum bill she’d been lobbying for the last few years finally passed, and she’d been successful in getting many of CAN’s issues on the agendas of various committees.
Representative Christopher Pritcher nodded when he saw her enter the room and then scurried away, presumably having remembered someone he had to see immediately. She smiled slightly, remembering Hunter’s reaction to her pigeonholing him at Libby’s party. Hunter was right, damn him. Pritcher had avoided her calls ever since.
She scanned the room, seeking the few people she intended to target for the evening. David Begay, the senator from Shiprock, stood by the bar talking with Robert. She didn’t really want to talk to Begay, but she should at least say hello to her brother-in-law. Besides, her throat was parched. She’d chosen to walk from her office to the reception.
“Nora, happy birthday.” Robert bent and kissed her cheek. “I’ll have to let Karen know you really did have plans, and weren’t simply trying to get out of the party she wanted to throw for you.”
Nora laughed. The more time she spent with Robert, the more she liked him. “Please do. I’m surprised she hasn’t installed a tracking device on me, she calls so often to see where I am and what I’m doing.”
Robert chuckled, but beside him Begay choked. Something must have caught in his throat and his face turned red. Robert pounded him on the back. “You okay, David?”
The man nodded as the choking subsided. “Sorry about that. I’m fine. Thanks.”
“David, do you know my sister-in-law, Nora Cross? Nora, this is—”
“Senator David Begay. Yes, we met a few weeks back. It’s nice to see you again, Senator.” His hand was clammy and his skin seemed to have turned from ruddy red to gray.
“Yes, very nice to see you, too, Miss Cross. If you’ll excuse me, I see someone I must talk to.” He nodded to them both and left.
Nora was surprised by his hasty retreat. Last time she couldn’t get rid of him, this time he stared at her as if he’d seen a ghost.
“Can I get you a drink?” Robert asked, apparently undisturbed by Begay’s abruptness.
“Just water, thanks.”
The sound of a ringing cell phone created a stir among the various people standing nearby as they looked around to see where the ringing was coming from.
“It’s mine,” Robert said, lifting the phone out of his breast pocket and checking the number of the incoming call. “I’m going to have to take this. Excuse me.”
As Nora watched him wind his way through the crowd in search of a quiet spot to complete his call, she wondered if the end of the legislative sitting meant he and Karen would return to Albuquerque. She had never asked Karen about that.
The thought that they may be leaving town made her sad. She knew Albuquerque was only an hour away, but she was getting used to having her sister nearby. It would be lonely if she were gone. Maybe Nora should consider moving to Albuquerque. It would be a new start and she’d be away from—
“Nora, dear, how lovely to see you.”
She felt a hand on her elbow and turned. A smile broke her face as she saw Libby Hunter looking up, seeming equally pleased to see her.
“Mrs. Hunter—Libby. I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“Oh well, old habits die hard, so they say. Even though Stewart’s gone, I still like to come to these things once in a while—keep my hand on the pulse, so to speak. So far, no one’s thrown me out.”
“And they won’t. You’re an asset wherever you go.”
“Oh my, I think some of my grandson’s b.s. has rubbed off on you. He can always be relied upon for superfluous flattery.”
Nora flushed. “I didn’t mean—”
Libby patted her hand. “It was a compliment, my dear. As frustrating and pig-headed as that boy can be, he’s always sincere in his praise.”
“How is he?” The words were out before Nora could stop herself. It was torture thinking about him with other women, but even worse not knowing.
“Why don’t you call and ask him yourself?”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea. We’ve both moved on. I was just wondering, that’s all.”
“Talk about frustrating and pig-headed. Superfluous flattery isn’t all you have in common.” Libby spoke the words under her breath, but Nora was quite certain she was meant to hear them.
Nora was about to excuse herself when Libby grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her close. “I’m not supposed to tell anyone this, but I think I can trust you.”
“What? Is something wrong? Did something happen to Hunter?” Nora felt the color drain from her face and her limbs grew cold in dread.
“Not here. Too many ears. Come with me.” Libby l
ed Nora from the room and down a long corridor. They passed door after door before finally stopping in front of one at the end of the hall. Libby turned the knob, and said over her shoulder, “Justin never locks his door. Come in.”
It was a small office, belonging to a clerk of some kind. There were bookshelves lined with old volumes, magazine boxes stuffed with papers, and piles of files covering the desk and floor.
“Justin’s been here for ages. He worked for Stewart.” Libby sighed and looked weary. “He must be about ready to retire, though. They’re all getting older. Soon there’ll be no one left from the old days—from Stewart’s time.”
Nora led Libby to a chair. She was worried about her. She suddenly seemed frail—very unLibby-like. Please, don’t let anything have happened to Hunter. Nora wheeled out the chair from behind the desk and sat down facing her. “What’s wrong? Is Hunter okay?”
“You really care about him, don’t you?”
Libby’s eyes seemed to pierce into Nora’s heart. Of course she cared. They had shared some wonderful times together. She didn’t stop caring simply because they weren’t together anymore.
“It’s Hunter’s cousin, Michael,” Libby said. “He’s disappeared—presumed dead.”
“Oh no.” Nora’s hand went to her mouth. She remembered Hunter’s family discussing Michael leaving his office for fieldwork, and the jokes that had caused. “What happened?”
“We don’t know for sure. As you can imagine, the family’s distraught. With Chad overseas, Hunter’s the only one who can hold them together.”
Nora could just imagine Hunter bearing the weight of his family’s suffering, trying to keep their spirits up and solve all their problems. He had done it for her when her apartment had been broken into. He had tried to do it after she’d been shot. How much more distressing would it be when it was his own family?
“Why the secrecy?” Nora asked.
“Because they haven’t found the body. You have to understand what it’s like for people like the Grahams, Nora. They are wealthy and well-connected. As a result, unscrupulous people often prey upon them. If Michael’s disappearance becomes public knowledge, there could be all kinds of crazy people making accusations and demands—trying to profit from the Graham’s misfortune. It happened before, you know—when Abraham died. I don’t think Betty’s ever recovered from it.”
“If there’s no body, why do they think he’s dead?”
“Hunter tells me there was a witness who saw him carried away by the river. It’s important that no one knows about this until the situation is resolved,” Libby slumped back in her chair. “I thought you should know.”
“Why me?”
“Because you care about my grandson. And despite his delusions of being every woman’s fantasy, and his determination to prove that as fact, I believe he cares very much about you. Given his strained relationship with his father and Ike, I’m not sure his shoulders are broad enough to carry this burden alone.” Tears ran down Libby’s cheeks. She leaned forward, took Nora’s hands in her own and stared up at her, pleading. “Please help him, Nora. You’re the only one who can.”
****
Nora hurried away from the reception and headed north to the Roundtree Hotel. She thought about calling Hunter, but was afraid he’d brush her off. She wanted to see for herself how he was.
Her stomach rumbled as she crossed the lobby to Prime. The restaurant’s delicious smells reminded her she hadn’t had anything to eat since mid-morning. She’d held off on lunch assuming she’d have her fill of the delicious appetizers they usually served at the legislative receptions. She’d left immediately after talking with Libby, completely by-passing the room where the reception was being held.
Mandy, Prime’s hostess, met her at the entrance of the restaurant and informed her that Hunter wasn’t there. Nora wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but the woman’s attitude seemed cooler than she remembered.
Maybe Hunter hadn’t come down yet. She wondered if she should call up to his suite. No, better to just go up, she decided.
She’d told Libby they’d both moved on. That wasn’t true. She hadn’t. She hadn’t been able to get him out of her mind since ending their relationship—she’d gone back and forth between believing that it was best that it end now and wanting to be with him for however long it lasted.
She wasn’t naive enough to believe that she’d be able to resist him if he reached out to her, and a part of her wondered if that was her true motive for coming to him now.
The elevator ride and walk down the corridor felt strange. While only a few weeks had passed since she’d last been here, it felt both as if it was yesterday and a lifetime ago.
She paused outside his door, trying to settle the churning in her stomach. Her breathing was ragged, and she wondered if she really had any right to be there.
Libby’s concern for Hunter pulled at her heart. Nora knew how much his family meant to him—so much so that he was afraid to fully reveal to them his own dreams for fear of alienating them. If she could help him in any way, she needed to try—regardless of what it cost her.
She inhaled deeply, pushing away the thought, and knocked on the door.
She waited and then knocked again.
When he didn’t answer after the third time she pulled out the cardkey to his suite. She didn’t know why she had hung on to it—he’d never asked for it back. There are probably dozens of these keys still in the hands of his former lovers, she thought ruefully as she slid the card into the reader and pushed open the door.
It was all so achingly familiar: the room, the smell. She closed her eyes and breathed in the wonderful blend of cocoa and spice that brought back memories of their time together. She felt a stinging in her eyes and furiously brushed away the tears that were forming.
She could tell by the stillness in the suite that he wasn’t there. I should just go, she thought. He must have found some other source of comfort—no doubt some beautiful, young starlet who would be only too happy to take his mind off his troubles.
Of their own volition her feet moved to the bedroom.
Why are you torturing yourself like this?
It hadn’t changed. She opened the door to the wardrobe and stared in surprise at the sea-green gown she’d worn to the Graham Foundation dinner. She’d sent it back when she found it among her things that the hotel had packed up. She didn’t know what he’d do with it—it had only been worn once. Return it maybe? Or perhaps he’d donate it to charity. Instead he’d kept it. Why? She buried her face in the silky fabric and gave in to her grief.
There was a noise in the outer room and she raised her head abruptly, recognizing the familiar click of the keycard releasing the lock and swish of the door swinging open.
Oh no, he’s back. She couldn’t let him find her like this—another one of his former girlfriends pining away over him. Oh, he’d be kind—he was always kind—but the humiliation of having him discover she was no different from the many other women he’d been with would kill her.
She wiped at her eyes, hoping her face wasn’t too blotchy, and strode into the outer room.
It wasn’t Hunter who glanced up in surprise at her entrance, but rather Taylor Hart who seemed completely at ease to be found sorting through the pile of mail on Hunter’s dining room table. She was dressed as she had been when Nora had seen her at the ranch: skin-tight blue jeans and a hip-length shearling jacket that showed her assets to best effect.
Nora glanced down at her own clothes. Her new raspberry-red all-weather coat was open to reveal the black pencil skirt that stopped just above her knees and a silky turquoise wrap-around blouse. On her feet was an attractive pair of mid-heel black pumps with turquoise trim. All in all, she looked very put-together.
Thank you, Karen. Her sister had taken it upon herself to improve Nora’s wardrobe. She’d also taken her to a hairdresser where her long hair had been styled with several inches cut so it was more comfortable to wear loose.
Nora had initially resisted, but as Karen had pointed out, she was about to begin a job search for the first time in her life, and she needed to look like a stylish professional. Karen had wanted to pay for everything, of course, but Nora had refused.
In the end they’d reached a compromise; Nora accepted Karen paying her Roundtree Hotel bill, but Nora paid for her own makeover. Compromise was a big part of family relations, she was realizing.
“What are you doing here?” Taylor demanded.
“Keycard,” Nora said, holding it up. “I forgot I had it and thought I should bring it back.”
“You know you can leave it at the front desk.” Taylor didn’t sound like she believed her.
“I thought I’d say ‘hi’ while I was here.”
Taylor walked to her, scrutinizing her. “Wow, look at you. So chic. I’m impressed,” she said. “He really had an impact on you, didn’t he? I’d never have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.”
Nora bristled, but didn’t reply.
“Why are you really here?” Taylor said.
Libby had said the family didn’t want Michael’s disappearance made public, but Nora was fairly certain that, given the closeness of the Graham and Hart families, Taylor would already know about it. “I heard about his cousin and I wanted to make sure he was okay.”
“You’ve got it bad, haven’t you?” It was more a statement than a question.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nora said.
“Please.” Taylor rolled her eyes. “I’ve been in love with him since I was a kid. You think I don’t recognize the signs?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nora repeated and turned away.
“Oh yeah, you’re in love with him all right.” Taylor moved to stand in front of her. “He doesn’t do it on purpose, you know. He just has the ability to make every woman he’s with feel like they’re special, like they’re the one. And he’s sincere. He really means it—at the time.”