Forever Hers

by Walters, Ednah

  Sleep eluded him, so he pulled on a swimsuit and left his room. The light inside the room she was sharing with Raelynn was off. Was she thinking about him in there? Regretting their fight?

  An hour later, physically exhausted from attacking the water, he was back in his room, pacing. Then he remembered her manuscript, which she’d printed days ago, but he’d put off reading because of Raelynn’s illness.

  He went to his computer bag and retrieved it then settled on the bed and started reading.

  CHAPTER 20

  Amy woke up to aromatic blend of coffee, eggs and bacon. She reached across the bed and her hand came up empty. Then she remembered their fight last night. Eddie was the most impossible man she’d ever dealt with. She loved him with every breath she took, but he had acted like a jerk.

  How could he pretend he loved her just to manipulate her? As her anger had ebbed, she’d hoped that maybe, just maybe he’d meant it. That he truly loved her. If he did, he’d come for her, she’d told herself. So after crawling in bed with Raelynn, she’d waited for him. She’d even heard his footsteps move toward her room then nothing.

  It had all been a game.

  Sleep hadn’t come easy. Her daughter was a kicker and a bed hog, and worries about the future and where her relationship with Eddie was headed had kept her awake. Funny she hadn’t worried about their relationship until he pulled that calculated stunt. It showed her a side of him she didn’t like.

  About midnight, she’d gotten up, turned on her computer and did something she might come to regret. She’d gone to her mother’s university page and sent her a long e-mail, pouring out all her hurt, pain and anger at the way they’d treated her. She’d even told her mother that she doubted she’d ever forgive them.

  Stupid move on her part. Of course, she would forgive them. Eventually. They were her only living relatives and Raelynn’s grandparents. By now she ought to have learned to never write or say anything when angry.

  Oh well, what’s done is done.

  Amy slid out of bed and put on a pair of capris and a T-shirt then headed downstairs. As she got closer, Raelynn’s high-pitched voice and Eddie’s deeper one reached her ear. The family-like picture that greeted her in the kitchen would have made her smile a few days ago. The table was set for three, and Raelynn played on the floor with her new dollhouse while Eddie cooked.

  He wore a white T-shirt that hugged his masculine chest and washboard abs, and sweatpants that rode low on his hips. His hair was mussed as though he’d run his fingers through it. Add in his unshaven chin and you had every woman’s dream man.

  Just not mine.

  As though aware of her scrutiny, he looked over his shoulder and their gazes locked. Amy’s breath froze in her chest as she waited to see what he would say, her heart thumping hard. His grin was heart melting.

  “Look who’s finally awake,” Eddie said cheerfully.

  “Mommy! Look at my new dollhouse.” Raelynn jumped up and ran to grab Amy’s hand then pulled her to the floor and started pointing at the dolls. “That’s you and me, and Uncle Eddie, and Granma and Grampa.”

  The dollhouse came with a family of five and one set of grandparents. “And who are these two?” Amy pointed at the boy halfway in a dog house and the baby in a crib.

  “That’s Sam and Kimberly.”

  Kimberly was Sam’s baby sister. “Why is he in a doghouse?”

  “They’re visiting and Sam is being mean to Raelynn,” Eddie added.

  “I told him to stop, but he didn’t listen. Uncle Eddie said he should be in the doghouse. That’s where mean people go.”

  Amy chuckled. She got up and slowly approached Eddie as one would a feral animal. That she was tense and unsure of herself annoyed her. “Something smells good.”

  “Thank you.” He turned off the stove and pulled her into his arms before she realized his intention. She stiffened. If he noticed, he didn’t show it. But he didn’t try to kiss her.

  She tried to put some space between them, but his arms tightened.

  “Am I still in the doghouse?” he whispered.

  “Chained to the wall indefinitely.”

  He chuckled. “Even after this?”

  “After what?”

  He indicated the pans on the stove with a nod. “My humble offering. I used egg whites, cooked both turkey and regular bacon. And the toast is—”

  “Burning.” Amy wiggled out of his arms and popped up the toaster lever. She looked at him and tried hard not to laugh. He looked devastated. At least the bacon looked crispy. The eggs, on the other hand, were a white glob of goo.

  “Your offering looks great, so thank you.” He grinned as though her praise pleased him. Then something else registered. The clock on the microwave said it was nine-ten. “Aren’t you supposed to meet your father at nine?”

  “I rescheduled. Coffee?”

  “Yes, thank you.” She watched him pour the dark brew then add vanilla creamer. Not only had he thought of her preference while preparing breakfast, he had let her sleep in. He made it so hard to stay mad at him. She wasn’t one to hold a grudge, but she needed to guard her heart.

  He turned and offered her the drink, then studied her. “How are you feeling?”

  “Great. You?”

  “Not so great. I hate sleeping alone.”

  Me too. “You’ll get used to it.”

  He laughed. “You’re funny.”

  “I know. Go and get ready for your meeting while I finish here.”

  “Thank you,” he said with relief then stole a kiss and sauntered out of the room. She had no chance in hell of resisting him, but she was determined to try. After all, after the trip to Charlottesville, he would be back in L.A. while she...

  Her throat closed. She couldn’t continue to work at the lake house or accept the position at Chase’s restaurant. Lauren might have a different family that needed a housesitter/housekeeper, so all hope wasn’t lost.

  Refusing to become a cliché and mope around like a tragic heroine, she got busy fixing his mess. The eggs tasted worse than they looked, so she did her best to fix them then adjusted the setting on the toaster and popped in more bread. When they settled around the table to eat, it was to a scrumptious breakfast. Raelynn wolfed down her food then went back to her dollhouse, leaving the two of them alone.

  Eddie didn’t appear to be in a hurry to leave. He leaned back against his chair and sipped his coffee, his gaze on her. She squirmed.

  “Shouldn’t you be going? If our flight is at noon, we’ll need to be at the airport at least an hour early to check in and go through security.”

  “We won’t need to. Lex insisted we use the company jet. I’ll try to keep the meeting with my father short, but be ready to leave by eleven. I want us in Charlottesville before dinner, which reminds me. I spoke with Briggs this morning. Everything is going according to plan. I’ll fill you in later.”

  He’d been cagey about his so-called plan, but now she wanted to know everything. She might love him, but she couldn’t afford to be too trusting. She hated having doubts about him now, but last night soured things between them.

  “What about Lori? Is she coming here or will she meet us at the airport?”

  “She’s coming here. I spoke with her already.” He glanced at Raelynn, who was lost in her make-believe world. “We can take all Raelynn’s new toys if you like. It’s a long flight and since it will be just the four of us, there will be enough space for her to play.”

  “Okay.”

  He looked at his watch and got up, then he walked to her side, cupped her face and lifted her chin. He studied her face for such a long time she thought he’d say he loved her again.

  “Be ready by eleven,” he said instead, then pressed his lips to hers.

  She watched him leave; wishing she knew what went on in his head. Before he walked through the door, he glanced back, smiled and put on his aviator sunglasses. She forced her heart to behave.

  She was still lingering at the table when
the doorbell chimed. Lori stood in the doorway with a designer suitcase with her initials on it. Wearing boots, floral dress shirt and a white vest, she epitomized Boho-chic. “Is my brother gone?”

  Amy forced a smile. “Yes.”

  “Good, because I have someone here who’s dying to meet you.” She stepped aside and an older woman stepped out from the car at the curb. The gray eyes and black hair sprinkled with gray gave her identity away before Lori said, “This is my mother, Iona Fitzgerald. Mom, Amy Kincaid.”

  ***

  Eddie entered the building, looked around and grinned. It didn’t matter that it was a Saturday, his station was overcrowded and loud, cheap perfume and coffee permeating the air. After Sandpoint Police Department, it was nice to be back.

  Ignoring everyone, he walked past people waiting to talk to detectives, those who had just made bail, desks with cops conducting interviews, processing criminals or busy on their computers. He made it clear past the main room before someone noticed him.

  “Fitzgerald is back.”

  “Nice tan, Fitz. Vacation agrees with you.”

  Eddie flipped him off and kept going.

  “Duck. Incoming.”

  Eddie blocked the playful punch, a dig at the incident that got him suspended in the first place.

  “Come on, give it up for Fritz,” someone added. “He was right. Saunders was clean as a whistle.” Applause and whistles followed.

  Eddie grinned, happy to be vindicated. He’d known his former partner was innocent. Funny his father hadn’t mentioned it last night. Eddie gave them a mock salute and continued to the inner office.

  Commander Lucas Fitzgerald was talking to one of the new female detectives, but dismissed her when he saw Eddie.

  “It’s good to have you back, son,” he said as he walked around the desk to give him a hug.

  “I still have a few days of my suspension left. Then anger management class to complete and a psych evaluation.”

  His father chuckled. “I know. I pulled a few strings after the IA cleared Saunders, so your suspension was reduced to three weeks. Officially, you can have your badge back.” His father opened a drawer, removed the badge and slid it across his desk.

  “Thank you.” Eddie turned the badge over and touched the seal. Weird. The excitement of getting it back wasn’t there. Until a month ago, he’d lived and breathed his job. Perhaps he’d get his mojo back once Nolan Reither was behind bars. “What about my gun?”

  “You have to finish anger management class and have a psych evaluation first before you can get it back. You are also confined to your desk until you pass both.”

  Eddie leaned against the chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. “What am I supposed to do in the meantime? Push paper?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s bull.”

  “It is called due process and you are not exempt from it.” His father gave him a thin smile, his expression becoming less fatherly and more his commanding officer. “You wouldn’t be in this mess if you weren’t so damn hot-headed to begin with, Eddie. You can’t keep bending and disregarding rules just because you’re good at what you do. You are a good detective, but you’re not indispensable.”

  Eddie sighed. He’d heard the speech before, but this time, he tried to see things from his father’s point of view. “Yes, sir.”

  His father didn’t mask his surprise. Usually they knocked heads until one of them stormed out. Eddie often did the leaving.

  “I’d like a week off, so I can take care of something first,” Eddie added.

  His father frowned. “We have a backload of cases and need all hands on deck.”

  “This is personal. You can take it out of my vacation time.”

  His father studied him intently then nodded. “Okay, but if you are conducting another unauthorized investigation or doing something that will bring the wrath of IA on your head, I will not protect you.”

  Internal Affairs agents were like hound dogs and one more disciplinary action against him and he could be out the door. That would put a crimp in his plans. He would get the bulk of his inheritance next year and planned to slowly ease into the next phase of his life, not jump in with both feet. Like his cousins, his trust fund was started at birth. He got a small percentage of it when he finished college, which he’d used to buy his condo, but the bulk of it would come to him when he turned thirty-five next year. He planned to start a new venture with his cousin Lex, custom building one-of-a-kind motorcycles.

  Pushing the matter aside, he looked at his father and boldly lied. “It’s nothing like that, sir.” Guilt followed but he pushed it down.

  “Does this involve the young lady I met last night?”

  “Yes.”

  His father nodded. “Okay. You have your week, but I want you in here next week on Friday.”

  Eddie jumped to his feet, partly to escape the guilt and partly because he was running late. “Thank you, Dad. Is it possible to have Mom’s phone number?”

  Surprise flashed in his father’s eyes again. “Of course.” He recited the ten-digit number then smiled. “She tried to call you last night, but your phone went unanswered.”

  “I’ll call her later today.” His phone started to ring before he left the station. It was Briggs.

  ***

  Amy studied Eddie on the sly as they crossed the terminal at Van Nuys Airport. Something was off about him since he came back from seeing his father. She’d noticed his clenched jaw and tight grip on the steering wheel during their drive to the airport. She hadn’t told him about his mother’s surprise visit, so that couldn’t be it.

  “Where are we going, Mommy?”

  Amy smiled. It was the umpteenth time her daughter had asked the same question. She couldn’t tell her they were going to Charlottesville or she’d have a meltdown.

  “On vacation somewhere special.”

  “I like Uncle Eddie’s place. There’s a pool.”

  “There will be a pool at our hotel.” I think. She hadn’t asked Eddie where they’d be staying. They walked towards the private jet, where a handsome blond man stood by the door, smiling and waiting patiently.

  “Can we go swimming at the hotel?” Raelynn continued.

  “Of course,” Lori said before Amy could answer. “The hotel has a swimming pool inside and outside. And do you know something else?”

  “What?” Raelynn asked.

  “Our hotel is right by the mall, so you and I can go shopping,” Lori added.

  “Can I get more things for my dollhouse?”

  Amy groaned.

  Lori grinned. “Sure. We’ll charge it to Uncle Eddie’s credit card.”

  “What’s a credit card?” Raelynn asked.

  “It is this magical plastic that allows you to buy anything you want.”

  The Fitzgeralds, Amy was learning fast, had zero monetary concerns. Lori’s suitcase alone was worth more than what Amy made in a month. She also talked about spending Eddie’s money as though it grew on trees in his backyard. Amy had tried not to worry about how much she’d owe him by the time they were done with Nolan, but she couldn’t help herself. One day, she’d pay him back.

  The flight attendant flashed a smile. “Welcome aboard, Ms. Kincaid, Miss Raelynn, Ms. Fitzgerald. My name is Carlen and I will be your cabin attendant. This way please.”

  “How did he know my name, Mommy?” Raelynn whispered.

  “Carlen is a magician,” Lori whispered back and winked at the man, who flushed.

  He stammered a bit before finding his composure as he showed them around the Boeing 737 jet then he introduce them to the pilot and the copilot. From the cherry-wood paneling, tan leather seats and couches in the living area, a fully-stocked galley, pop up TV consoles to a stateroom which was basically a master bedroom with a double bed and a private bathroom, the jet was pure luxury and elegance. A home away from home.

  Lori disappeared into the galley to continue flirting with the flight attendant, while Raelynn looked around wit
h a sense of wonder. Eddie entered the stateroom to finish making his call and closed the door, but not before Amy heard him say, “Mother” several times. From his expression, it was hard to tell whether the conversation was good or bad.

  Iona Fitzgerald’s surprise visit this morning had been brief, but the woman had appeared contrite. She’d even apologized for missing dinner the previous night and had brought Raelynn a birthday gift—a book on bunnies.

  He finished the call just before takeoff and joined them, tension still shooting off him. He took the couch across from her chair. Raelynn was in a chair, her nose pressed against the window.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “I just spoke with my mother.”

  Amy studied his expression. He didn’t look happy. “She stopped by the house earlier today.”

  “I know. She just told me.”

  “And?”

  A thoughtful expression crossed his face. “I don’t know. There were things that needed to be said and we said them. Other than that, we’ll see how things go.” He turned his attention on Raelynn. “Did you tour the plane, short stack?”

  Raelynn nodded. “Where’s everyone, Uncle Eddie? No one is coming inside the plane.”

  “That’s because we are the only ones flying.” Eddie squatted beside her seat and showed her the button. “This turns on the TV.” He pushed another. “This moves the chair.”

  For a brief moment, Raelynn played with the button and giggled when the chair reclined and lifted up. “Can I play with my dollhouse?”

  Eddie nodded. “Of course, after we take off, but you can have something to drink before lunch. Want to see what they have in the kitchen?”

  Raelynn nodded and hopped off the chair.

  Eddie glanced at Amy. “Would you like something to drink?”

  “Iced tea, if you have some,” she said. “Sweetened, please.”