A Family Man At Last

by Cynthia Thomason

  “Hello, chico,” she said, her voice still in control. “How are you?” She told Emilio that she would tell the night manager at McDonald’s to give him whatever he wanted to eat. “I’ll be there in a few minutes,” she added. “I’m in the really fast car with the lights on top.” She said goodbye and seemed to focus entirely on the white lines of the road in front of her. The only sign that she was succumbing to her emotions was when she swiped a tear from under her eye.

  Edward’s admiration for her grew. She was a good cop, staying in control despite the desperation she’d felt only moments before. “Would you like me to drive?” he asked.

  She glanced over at him and smiled. “No. I’m going to go fast. You might get a ticket, but I won’t. Just hold on tight.”

  * * *

  EDWARD WAS RELIEVED when he saw the Golden Arches glaring at them from farther down the highway. Monica slowed her car and pulled into the parking lot. She slammed the vehicle into Park and jumped from the seat. He followed, keeping up as best he could. She couldn’t get inside the restaurant fast enough.

  It was after ten o’clock. There were a few cars in the drive-through, but no customers inside. None except for a uniformed police officer and a small boy. Emilio pushed aside his paper cup and ran to his aunt. “Tía ’Nica, I thought you were never going to get here.”

  She hugged her nephew tight. “I came as fast as I could. You know I can’t go over the speed limit.” She grinned up at Edward.

  “How are you, sweetheart?” She ran her hands down his arms, settled her palms on his face.

  “I’m fine,” he said. “But I’m glad you came and got me. I didn’t know where Papa was taking me.”

  “I want you to tell me all about your trip with Papa when we get in the car, okay?”

  He nodded. “It wasn’t so much fun, really.”

  She led him back to the booth where he’d been sitting. “Finish your drink, chico. It’s late and we have to go.”

  “Can I have another Happy Meal?” he asked.

  Monica chuckled, a good sign. “How many have you had?”

  Emi showed her two toys.

  “That’s probably enough for tonight.”

  When Emilio was occupied with a game on Monica’s phone, Monica motioned to the female police officer to follow her. They were out of Em’s earshot. “Thank you so much for sitting with him.”

  “My pleasure,” the officer said. “I understand this was a child-endangerment situation and I was happy to help. Got a couple of little ones myself.”

  “This case has a happy ending,” Monica said.

  Edward went to the counter and asked to pay the bill for anything Emilio had ordered.

  The young man at the register said, “Forget it. I’m just happy to see the little guy with his mommy and daddy. He seems like a nice kid.”

  Edward didn’t bother to correct him about who were and were not Emilio’s parents. At this point Edward was just glad that Emilio was okay. Several times during the harrowing drive from Sweet Pine, Edward had thought about other possible endings for this situation, and each went from bad to worse.

  Monica and Emilio walked up beside him. “Everything settled up here?” she asked.

  “It’s on the house,” the young man said again.

  She thanked him, looked at Edward and said, “Let’s go home. We’ve got a sleepy boy here.”

  They piled into Monica’s car. Emilio crawled into the back seat, and Monica covered him with a department blanket she kept for emergencies. She turned the air conditioner on low, opened her window slightly, so fresh air could soothe the boy, and they left McDonald’s. Within minutes, Emilio was sleeping soundly.

  Driving at a safe speed now, Monica kept her eyes on the road. Edward figured she had to be as exhausted as Emilio was, both physically and emotionally. She’d been through a myriad of feelings since this afternoon.

  They’d traveled a few miles when Edward spoke softly, expressing the concerns that had been bothering him. “Monica, I want you to know how sorry I am that this happened. You know that I never would have interviewed Miguel if I’d known he’d pull something like this.”

  She took a long, deep breath. “Of course I know that, Edward. But how could you know? I never thought Miguel would do this, either, and I’ve known him all my life.” She half chuckled, half sighed. “Though not so well these last five years, I admit.”

  “But I promised you I wouldn’t upset him, and obviously that promise was not kept.”

  “You didn’t break your promise, Edward. You need to get to the truth. As a police detective, I understand that. We both want the same thing—the truth. You say now that you don’t consider Miguel a suspect. I hope that’s true.”

  “It’s true,” he said. “But it turned out to be a difficult path getting to this conclusion. Miguel was not what I would call a cooperative participant.” He turned slightly to study her profile. Her hair was mussed and glossy in the dashboard light. She blinked rapidly, trying to stay alert. Her hands were gripped tightly on the steering wheel. But inside, he knew her heart was filled with joy. It seemed a miraculous thing, the love she had for this child. And alien to everything Edward had known in his own youth. He envied Emilio the utter devotion she showed him.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?” he said to her. “I promise I won’t get a speeding ticket. And you can put your head back and rest...”

  She made a sound that startled him, something between a cough and a hiccup, and he realized she was close to tears. She put on her blinker and pulled off the road into a deserted parking lot in what used to be a gas station. The lot was dark, the pumps abandoned.

  “You’re exhausted, Monica,” he said. “Let me help you. I can at least drive.”

  She put the car in Park, then she turned to Edward. “You have helped. So much.”

  Her eyes spilled over with tears. Her lips trembled with the effort to stay strong. He couldn’t stop himself. He held her tightly to his chest, letting her sob out her frustration and her relief. She’d been so strong and was only now showing the first signs of release.

  “Edward, I was so scared. I’ve never been so frightened in my life. Emilio means...”

  “I know,” he whispered through her hair. “It’s okay. I can’t imagine that Miguel would ever do anything like this again. In fact, I think his conscience was getting to him. He proved his point but couldn’t go through with whatever he had planned. Perhaps he really does care deep down about Emilio and all of you.”

  She nodded, burying her face against his neck. Her breath was warm on his skin. He smoothed her tangled hair, lifting her bangs from her forehead. When she calmed a bit, he stroked her arm and moved his thumb up to caress her cheek. She didn’t pull back. She offered a teary smile, letting him comfort her. At the same time, he was comforted by helping her. He never wanted to let her down again.

  When her body stopped trembling, he spoke again. “You’re okay, Officer Cortez. You did good. And it’s okay to cry. You don’t have to be strong every minute.” He cupped her face with his hands and she stared into his eyes. She didn’t speak, and he didn’t, either. He just leaned in and kissed her forehead, her swollen eyelids, her cheeks.

  When she presented her moist, full lips to his, he kissed her deeply. His mouth moved over hers, his tongue found entry into her sweet mouth. They kissed like lost lovers who had just discovered each other again. Longingly, hungrily. Edward’s admiration became something more, something intense and meaningful. He wanted to heal her pain. He wanted to be the one she turned to.

  When they finally parted, both were breathless. He almost hated to look into her deep, dark eyes again for fear he would see regret or shame. But her eyes were wide and bright. She laughed softly. “I don’t know what just happened here,” she said. “But I suddenly feel much better.”

  He chuckled lo
w in his throat. “I get it.” He kissed her briefly one more time and got out of the car to go around to the driver’s side. “Scoot over. I’m going to drive, and think about...well, why we both feel better. You close your eyes and let your mind wander to happy days ahead with Emi.”

  She nodded. “Thank you, Edward. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come to the house tonight. You may not realize this, but your presence kept me calm and hopeful. I am so—”

  “Stop,” he said. “I wouldn’t have wanted to be any place but here next to you.” He was almost embarrassed by her gratitude because his words just then had come from his heart.

  He put the car in Drive and pulled out of the empty gas station. In a half hour he delivered Monica and Emilio to their front door. Her family was waiting. Exclamations of joy and relief filled the small yard. Monica’s relatives touched Emilio, brushed his thick dark hair and cooed their love for the child. Such displays of emotion were alien to Edward, who had never experienced such overt expressions of love with anyone. Judge Smith had loved him, but feelings between the two men were nothing like this. Their fondness for each other had been from mutual respect, not an outpouring of raw emotion. Emilio slept through his family’s happiness at his return.

  And Edward went home to the big house at the marina, where he pondered exactly what had happened tonight. And Monica... Her passion, when she had allowed herself to feel it, was also great, again almost beyond Edward’s comprehension. But she had awakened a passion in him that he’d often believed did not exist.

  * * *

  ONCE EMILIO WAS tucked in bed and the small house on Lantana Lane was quiet once more, Monica went into the living room and sat on the sofa next to her mother. The porcelain clock on the mantel, one of the few treasures Rosa had brought with her from Cuba, ticked past the midnight hour.

  “How are you, hija?” she asked her daughter. “This has been a terrible ordeal for all of us, but especially for you.”

  “I never want to relive anything like this again, Mama,” she said. “I don’t want to upset you even more, but I have to tell you that I don’t care if I never see Miguel again.”

  “Oh, ’Nica, don’t say something you might live to regret. What Miguel did today was a horrible thing, but he is family, and in our hearts we must find a path to forgiveness.”

  “Mama, I can’t.”

  “But ’Nica, he dropped our Emilio in a safe place. He could have taken Emi to Miami and we might never have seen him again.” She shivered as she often did when talking of Miami, a place she believed was different from their laid-back island.

  Monica knew her mother’s words held some truth. Miami was a big city, and if Miguel had wanted to, he could have kept Emilio from his family if he chose to. What Miguel didn’t know was that Monica wouldn’t have stopped looking for her nephew. Thank goodness Emilio was safe in his bed tonight.

  When Monica had joined the police force, she’d realized her destiny was in this small town. And then Emilio came into her life, and her purpose to protect her family became her guiding force. She would never betray her word to her father and move the family away from their secure little home.

  She took her mother’s hand. “Mama, I can’t promise you that I’ll ever forgive Miguel. I can’t tell you that I will ever want Emilio to spend one hour with his father again. But I can promise you that if redemption is in Miguel’s future, true redemption, I’ll rethink my feelings then.”

  “I trust you, hija,” Rosa said. “You are a good girl. You will do what’s best for us.”

  Monica rested her head on her mother’s shoulder. Her thoughts wandered to a few hours ago when she’d been in a deserted parking lot with Emilio securely asleep in the car, and Edward, strong and capable, holding her close. She and Rosa just sat that way until the dawn was almost breaking.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  EDWARD AWOKE EARLY the next morning. As he prepared the rental boats for customers, his mind returned to images of Monica, and the joy that he felt privileged to have shared with her.

  Though the marina had been his father’s dream, Edward took care to complete every chore, which, in the past, had usually seemed so tedious. He took a deep breath and released it. For a few minutes, he forgot the grief that had been weighing so heavily upon him. He’d never been all that fond of the Keys, but perhaps Monica was changing his attitude. Or perhaps she was changing him.

  His cell phone rang as he walked back onto the porch. He didn’t recognize the number. But he knew the area code originated in South Carolina.

  “Hello.”

  “Hi, Edward. It’s Brooke. I’m calling to see how you are. I haven’t talked to you since your father’s service, which was quite nice, by the way.”

  Oh, yes, his half sister. He’d thought of Brooke last night, after he’d gotten home. And even wondered if he and his sisters might one day have a supportive relationship, like the one he’d witnessed at Monica’s. He was beginning to see that kind of relationship as an important part of his life.

  “Thank you,” he said. “I’m fine. Doing as well as can be expected, as the saying goes.”

  “It will take time, Edward.”

  “Yes, I know. I’m keeping busy at the marina, going through my father’s possessions, donating to charities, saving a few things.”

  “That’s tough,” she said. “I’ve been thinking about you, wondering if you received the results of our DNA test.”

  They had both sent swabs of saliva to the lab.

  “No, not yet. I’m thinking maybe today. The lab said two or three days, at least.”

  “Great. I have to admit I feel like you’re already my brother, and it’d be nice to have you as part of the family officially.”

  He didn’t want to be unkind. But for some reason this woman had placed a great deal of importance on adding him, or another thirty-five-year-old man who might fit the description, to her family tree. Edward wasn’t desperate to belong to any family, but he had decided to give the idea a chance.

  “I hope you hear today,” she continued. “And here’s why. My twin wants to come to the Keys to meet you. We’re hoping for tomorrow. She’s made arrangements for care of her baby. It will just be the three of us—Camryn, Jeremy, whom you already met, and me, of course.”

  Edward had planned to spend the weekend clearing out his father’s belongings. He’d informed his office that he would be back to work a week from Monday. An impromptu visit from his half sisters would put his schedule back at least another few days. He’d also hoped to see more of Monica while he was still in Sweet Pine Key. Assuming she wanted to see more of him.

  “Edward?” Brooke’s voice brought him back from where his thoughts had taken him. “Are you there? Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “We won’t come if you don’t have the proof of our connection yet. But if you do, we really would like to see you. Camryn couldn’t come the last time, and we’ll only stay one night. Maybe you can find a place for us to stay.”

  Edward glanced up at the three stories of Dade pine siding that soared above his head. The house had five bedrooms and three bathrooms. He only used one of each. Brooke had seen the house. She knew he had plenty of room for three people.

  “You can stay here,” he offered. Well, it was the right thing to say. “I’ll let you know if the test results come in today so you can make your plans.”

  “That would be great. There are still seats available on a flight to Miami in the morning, but we’d need to book by tonight. I can’t wait for you to meet Cammie. She’s such a sweetheart.”

  “Okay, then,” he said. “Perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “I hope so,” Brooke said cheerfully.

  * * *

  BY FIVE O’CLOCK, Edward had boxes filled with donations of his father’s belongings. He’d carefully packed a few ke
epsakes to take back to Miami with him. Included were the official adoption papers that made Edward the official son of William Smith. Tired but satisfied with the progress he’d made, Edward called Monica.

  He was disappointed when she didn’t answer. He was hoping to see her tonight, perhaps someplace quiet on the waterfront. All afternoon he’d pictured her in the moonlight, her long dark hair catching the glow of a candlelit table.

  He left a message asking her to call him, then he showered and changed into shorts and a T-shirt. He headed for Tarpon Joe’s. He would enjoy a good dinner that would only have been better with Monica across the table from him.

  Without Monica’s company, he chose the same bar stool he’d sat in the night he happened to meet the attractive homicide investigator at the tavern. Tonight, the bartender, Nick, immediately came over and asked what he wanted to drink. Edward ordered a beer.

  It was nearly seven when the door swung open and Monica came inside. She wore jeans and a red-and-white plaid blouse. She looked like a dream to him, yet her down-to-earth, straightforward attitude and outlook on life captured his senses, too.

  She came to the bar, nodded at Nick and sat next to Edward. “I’m glad I found you. When I tried the house, no one answered, and I took a chance that you would be here.”

  “I left you a message on your cell.”

  “Oh, right. I haven’t checked it in a while.”

  He smiled. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re here. Guess I’m becoming a predictable Tarpon Joe’s patron.”

  She glanced around the bar. “Not too busy for a Friday night,” she said. “Must not be many tourists in town.”

  “I don’t know. I had all my boats out both morning and afternoon.”

  Apparently satisfied with their small talk, Monica slid an envelope along the bar top toward him. “I just got this from the lab. It’s your DNA results,” she said. “I knew you’d be anxious to see them.”