Covert Affairs

by Rhonda Laurel

  “Theresa is too smart for that,” Robert replied. “She’d see right through that and give him the boot.”

  Dana popped her head out the door. “Grandma said no one’s above getting a whooping if she has to come out here.”

  “Meeting adjourned,” Robert announced.

  Trina linked Trevor’s arm with hers. “Theresa is a grown woman who’s more than capable of judging someone’s character. If she says anything that sounds like someone she’s seeing is a nut, I’d shout it from the rooftops. Now come on inside and have some cake.”

  “You’re right.” He looked at them. “You’re all right. I’m too close.”

  “If it upsets you so much, maybe you should stick around and do something about it,” Jared mused.

  They went back inside and gobbled down their grandmother’s delicious chocolate cake while watching the rest of the game. The family continued to chat into the night, and he felt like he’d been away for ten years and was just now catching up with everyone’s lives.

  He also kept an ear out for Theresa returning home, and when he heard the car, he couldn’t help but go to the window. She kissed Lawrence on the cheek and bade him goodnight, but she didn’t invite him inside.

  Trevor looked at his phone. He’d received a text message from his employer. He opened the message app and read the text.

  Latest photo assignment notes required at headquarters.

  He closed his phone. His boss would have to wait. Right now he was in the process of putting the past back together one fragile piece at a time.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Trevor watched the numbers light up as the elevator passed each floor on its way to Derek and Charisma’s apartment. Life was blissful in suburbia but he still had a hard time adjusting to the normalcy. He still slept with his gun under his pillow, but he locked it away in a safe in his room every morning. He monitored the people he saw around the neighborhood, curious about any new faces. Old habits died hard, but he was mindful of anyone who appeared to be surveilling the houses. He was suspicious about the mailman, but Grandma Reed said he’d been working the route for more than ten years.

  He was on his way to visit his parents, but he was pretty sure he’d need a buffer, so he’d coaxed his sister into joining him. He was here to pick her up. Her bringing Alexis along was a bonus. He’d just seen the little tyke the other day, but it felt like months. It was beginning to weigh on him that he’d been missing her grow up. She was too young to know that he was hardly ever in town. Right now her eyes lit up whenever she saw him, and he hadn’t yet disappointed her in some way. It made him feel good to know he had a chance to watch her grow and could be a part of her life. If he chose to take that chance…

  The visit would give him something to do besides peering out the window at Theresa. He wanted to go over and talk to her again, but he figured he’d let her cool down after what had happened the other night. He’d waved at her Sunday morning when she left for church. He was pretty sure if his grandma hadn’t been there, Theresa would have given him the finger. But he remained staunch on his stance that he was only looking out for her and he didn’t like the looks of Lawrence. A quick check of the DMV records had yielded the man’s full name and address. If he didn’t find anything, he’d leave it alone.

  When the bell dinged and the elevators opened, he stepped off to find their door open. Alexis ran into his arms. Derek was right behind her.

  “Hi, Uncle Trev.”

  “Hey, jelly bean.” He gave her a squeeze and spied the ball in her hand. “What have you been up to?”

  “Eight ball in the corner pocket.” Alexis held up an eight ball.

  Derek grinned. “I’m teaching her how to play pool. She’s a natural.”

  “Are you going to be a good pool player like your mom?” He kissed her cheek and looked around.

  “I’m going to be a shark.” She nodded. “Right, Daddy?”

  “Pool shark.” Derek looked behind him. “Don’t tell your mother about that.”

  Trevor laughed. “Where is your mom?”

  “She’s on the phone,” Alexis said.

  “Charisma is in the study, video chatting with Morgan and Isabelle.”

  “That phone call won’t end any time soon. The three of them can talk for hours.”

  “Lex. Can you go tell your mom that Uncle Trev is here?” Derek took the ball out of her hand.

  “OK, Daddy.”

  Trevor put her down so she could scurry out of the room in search of her mom.

  “Want a beverage?” Derek asked.

  “Do you have any iced tea?”

  “Yeah.” Derek headed for his game room. “You can check out the new skee-ball machine.”

  “Skee-ball?” Trevor couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Derek had added skee-ball and whack-a-mole machines. But the cutest new addition was the mechanical horse ride. They used to have similar ones outside supermarkets for the kids to ride.

  “My man cave has been taken over by the women in my life.” Derek went into the fridge behind the bar, retrieved a pitcher, and poured him a glass of iced tea.

  “You don’t look too upset about it.”

  “I like that we all have something to do in here. It keeps us together as a family.”

  “And Charisma gets to do her thing. You know she’s never going to stop changing this or tweaking that. It’s just her nature.”

  “If it makes her happy, she can redecorate this whole place on a weekly basis.” Derek put the ball back on the pool table. “But lately she has a distraction. She’s been decorating Jared and Autumn’s place too. Harper’s room is fit for a prince. By the way, Sienna can’t stop raving about having dinner with you in Monte Carlo.”

  “Yeah, I had wonderful time. It was a crazy coincidence. Your sister is an amazing woman.”

  “How much fun did you have?”

  “Just enough to remember that we’re in-laws and to make sure her boyfriend knows there’s always someone watching him.”

  He’d only intended to say hello when he spotted Sienna having drinks with some friends on a hotel patio with a bird's-eye view of the Monaco Grand Prix racetrack. But after a hug and catching up on family news, she’d insisted he join them. He’d partied with her and her fashion model friends and met her on again, off again boyfriend, Alfonso. He remembered Derek mentioning Alfonso, so he thought he owed it to his brother-in-law to check him out.

  “How are things?” Derek asked, bringing Trevor’s thoughts back to the present.

  “Things are good.” He took a sip of his iced tea.

  “Really?” Derek raised an eyebrow. “You look a little tired.”

  “Work has been challenging lately.”

  “How so?”

  What the hell. Derek knew the gist of what he did for a living. He untucked his shirt and lifted it up to show him the bandage. “Close call.”

  “What in the—”

  Derek clammed up when Charisma walked into the game room with Alexis. “Morgan and Isabelle say hi, and if you’re going to be in the country a little longer, they want you to visit the family in Texas.”

  “Will do.” He nodded. “How is everyone?”

  “Happy chaos. They’re getting ready for the autumn festival on the ranch for the kids. They go all out. Hayrides, mazes, the whole thing.”

  “We went one year,” Derek added. “It’s amazing.”

  “Sounds like a good time. How’s Tate making out with his new siblings?” He found his sister’s emails about the family’s goings on very entertaining and informative. The family was growing at breakneck speed. Or maybe it just seemed that way because he was away for long periods of time.

  “He and Leigh get along great. He’s happy that she’s with Rafe, who’s a really nice guy.”

  “Rafe Kendrick?” He was the guy at the airfield with Sam.

  “Yes. He’s in charge of the Blakes’ security. Do you know him?”

  “We may have crossed paths,” he replied. It was
an ambiguous statement without being an outright lie. He was tired of lying to his family about seemingly mundane things like meeting Rafe. He knew the need for making a firmer connection wouldn’t be under more scrutiny because Rafe was involved with Leigh. He knew how his sister’s mind worked.

  “Oh really?” Charisma asked. “Where?”

  “Tell Trevor about Tate and Chance,” Derek interrupted.

  “While Tate and Leigh are blossoming while they bond over her budding music career. Tate and Chance may end up in a caged death match. It’s going to be a hairy Thanksgiving at the ranch.”

  Derek smirked. “Word is going around that you’re going to be landlocked for a while. Dare I say it, you might even attend Thanksgiving dinner.”

  Charisma beamed. “Alexis and I can make a turkey place card for you.”

  “As much as that sweetens the pot, I’ll have to give a reserved maybe on the holiday plans,” Trevor replied.

  “And if you stay until Christmas you could help us decorate our tree and attend the big party we’re planning,” Charisma suggested. “Grandma would love it. Theresa would love it too. Come on, Mom and Dad are hosting it this year. They want to show off their new house.”

  “You are trying to convince me to stay, right?”

  “The holidays are a magical time. Perhaps you can find some common ground with them.”

  He frowned. “I’m going to visit them today, aren’t I?”

  “After Grandma threatened to take you over her knee,” Charisma fired back.

  Derek laughed. “I’d pay to see that.”

  “She wouldn’t do that. I’m her favorite.” Trevor grinned.

  “No, I’m her favorite,” Derek corrected.

  “Let’s go.” Charisma rolled her eyes. “We don’t want to be late.”

  “Have a good time.”

  “Wait. You’re not going?” he asked Derek.

  “Slap Shot franchise business. I have a conference call with Tyler and Anna Beth in an hour.”

  “You lucky dog.”

  “In more ways than one.” Derek rounded the bar and kissed Charisma. “Babe, think over what we talked about this morning.”

  She frowned. “I think we should table the discussion for the time being.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they were in the car headed to their parents’ house. Charisma was still chatting about Morgan and Isabelle, but he could tell something else was on her mind. She didn’t seem too thrilled about what Derek had asked her to consider. They didn’t seem to have any problems, so it sparked his curiosity.

  “Are you OK?” he asked gently.

  “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

  “I could sense some tension between you two.”

  “Oh that. It’s nothing. Well it’s something, and it’s nothing.” She waved a hand. “Derek and I have been talking about having another b-a-b-y.”

  “That’s great news.” He furrowed his eyebrows. “Why are you spelling it out?”

  “Because your niece could rival a parrot for repeating information. I have to bribe her with treats and five extra minutes of bubble bath time. Derek encourages that behavior. He loves it when she spills her guts to him about everything.”

  “I see.” He bit back a smile. Charisma had complained on many occasions that Alexis was a daddy’s girl. No surprise there. “Why the friction?”

  “I don’t want Lex to turn into some raging, jealous monster. She and Harper get along great, and she mixes in well with the kids in Texas, but I’m afraid she’ll feel slighted if another one comes along.”

  “I don’t believe that for a second.”

  “Well, I can’t pinpoint exactly when I turned into a raging monster. It could have been after you were born.”

  “We got along great, especially in our teen years. It was you and me against Marcus and Debra.”

  “About that.” She bit her lip. “It would be a real favor to me if you’d be open to Mom and Dad today. They’ve really been trying the past couple of years. You’ll see the change in them. For me, just give them a chance to be better parents. OK?”

  “Anything for you, Sis.”

  As soon as they pulled into the massive driveway, he couldn’t help but be impressed. It was a nice home, and they lived next door to his Uncle Curtis and Aunt Sydney.

  “Why did they move again?”

  “Several factors. They said they wanted more room for Alexis. Uncle Curtis and Aunt Sydney are right next door. But to be honest, I think they wanted a fresh start. There were too many gloomy memories of us not being a real family in the old house.”

  He unfastened his seat belt. “And you think they’ve changed?”

  “Grandma gave me some good advice.”

  “What pearls of wisdom did Grace Marie have to share about the situation?”

  “She said that Mom and Dad weren’t the best parents, but they’re darn good grandparents. It’s a tradeoff I’m willing to live with because of how much they love Lex. You’ll see. I don’t expect a miracle overnight, but I hope that you can get some resolution about our past as a family.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Look at you, all grown up?”

  “Morgan always says how much Mackenzie and Lex look up to me. It’s my duty to show them how a Reed woman is supposed to behave.”

  “OK. I’ll give it a shot. For you.” He got out of the car and opened the passenger side to release Alexis from the child seat.

  He tried to temper the knot in his stomach when the house’s huge oak door opened. His parents came rushing outside, scooped up Alexis, and began showering her with kisses. He was taken aback at the amount of affection they were showing his niece.

  He took a deep breath and exhaled. “Mom. Dad. Good to see you.” Trevor winced and rocked back on his heels when his mother came over and gave him a hug. He was still healing from the bullet graze.

  “I’m so glad you’re home,” Debra said.

  “It’s good to be home.” He hugged her back with a less constrictive embrace, then turned to his father. “Dad.”

  “Get over here and give your old man a hug too.” His dad squeezed even harder, then gave him the onceover. “You look great. I keep forgetting that you’re taller than your old man.”

  The enthusiastic sentiment was unexpected and nice, but at the rate he was getting squeezed, he was liable to start bleeding again.

  “So handsome and clean-shaven,” his mom said. “I heard you were a hairy mess when you arrived at your grandmother’s house. I hate it when you hide your face with a beard. You’re too good looking for that.” She eyed him critically. “Have you lost a few pounds?”

  “No. I just work out a lot.” He glanced at the house Charisma had pointed out as his aunt and uncle’s when they’d driven down the street. “Where are Uncle Curtis and Aunt Sydney?”

  “They went to Texas to visit the grandkids.” Debra smoothed the lapel on his coat. “They’re so lucky they have a ton of grandchildren. I’m hoping we’ll be seeing more soon.”

  “Uh.” He cleared his throat.

  “I’m still on the fence,” Charisma mumbled.

  His father scratched at his cheek. “We have a lot of catching up to do. I want to know what you’ve been up to since you were last home. Let’s go inside. I’ll give you a tour of the new abode.”

  He liked his parents’ new home. Its main floor was spacious and had state-of-the-art appliances. His mom’s craft room looked more like a small factory, and his dad’s study had bookshelves stacked with books all the way to the ceiling. There were old family photos on the walls, but the new ones were mostly of Alexis. When he reached the top landing of the stairs, he got a pleasant surprise when he saw one of the photos he’d sent his parents of the sun setting on the Sahara landscape. It had been mounted in a mahogany frame and had a fancy picture light over it. Being a photojournalist may have been a cover, but he was a decent photographer.

  “Your mother loves that photo. She says it’s like having a part of you in the hous
e.” His father stared proudly at the photo.

  They continued down the hallway, with his father rattling off something about square footage and the special reinforced windows to keep out the cold. The bedroom that looked like a thousand colors had erupted into a magical play-land had to be his niece’s room.

  He grinned. “This looks like a toy factory exploded in here.”

  “Your mother and sister went nuts in this room. We love it when Lex stays over.” They moved on to the next room. It was decorated in a blue and gray like his old bedroom. There were even a few of his old posters hung on the wall. “I know you like staying at your grandma’s house when you’re in town, but we also have a room for you. If you ever need one.”

  “Thanks.”

  They went back downstairs to find the ladies in the living room looking at the old family photos. He’d waited for his mom to start in on him about being away so long and his dad to clam up and go off on his own. But it didn’t happen. Instead they went out on the deck and ate lunch and gabbed about their Hawaiian vacation and how they were looking forward to going to Ireland next year. Charisma seemed at ease too, talking to their mom about ideas for Alexis’s Halloween costume. He was shocked when his mom offered to make it herself and Charisma agreed.

  “I can do a bumble bee or a pumpkin with my eyes closed. But I found some nice shimmering fabrics in case she wanted to be a princess or something fancy.” Debra turned to her granddaughter. “Lex, did you decide what you want to be for Halloween?”

  “A cowgirl like Mackenzie!” Alexis said.

  His mother laughed. “You spent the summer at the Twelve Horseshoes. Of course you want to be a cowgirl.”

  “Are you up to the Western design challenge, Mom?” Charisma chuckled. “She already has the boots and the hat, but we could design a nice outfit.”

  “Challenge accepted.” Debra put her finger to her lips. “As a matter of fact, I may have some jean fabric that would make a great prairie skirt.”

  Trevor continued to look on in amazement as the ladies went into the house.

  “Trev, you want another beer?”

  He turned to see his father holding a cold one up. “Sure.”