by MK Harkins
Braydon and Jain looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Colin crossed his arms and looked at me. “Well, that’s insulting.”
“I’m sorry,” Jain said. “We invited you over to talk about the baby, not babysit. She’s only six days old, we couldn’t leave her this soon.”
“Thank God!” Colin flopped back in his chair.
“We could have done it,” I assured everyone.
“You’re only acting all confident now that we’ve been let off the hook.” Colin chuckled.
“True.”
“Where is she anyway?” Colin asked.
“Morning nap. She sleeps a lot.” Jain smiled.
I studied Jain and Braydon. They seemed to be holding in a secret.
Jain cleared her throat. “We have an announcement and a question for both of you.” She took Braydon’s hand. “We’ve chosen our baby’s name and godparents.
Colin reached out for my hand. We were totally going to rock the godparent role.
“The name…” Jain paused and smiled. “The name we picked is a sentimental one.”
“I hope you didn’t pick one of those god-awful homely names. Your daughter will be beautiful, but you don’t want her to have to overcome ‘Gertrude’, or ‘Bertha.’” Colin shuddered in mock horror.
“No,” Braydon jumped in. “We picked a beautiful name after someone we’ve come to love and respect. We’re naming her Tiffany Marie Decker. Marie was my mom’s name.”
The room went silent. I almost burst with pride and happiness. Colin squeezed my hand, and I said the first thing that popped into my head.
“This is the best day ever!”
Everyone laughed and hugged.
Jain wiped tears from her eyes. “And of course, we want both of you to be her godparents.”
“Of course you do,” Colin and I said in unison. We snickered like children. Colin and I always had so much fun together.
“Oh, by the way, is your phone off?” Jain asked me.
“No. It’s dead. I haven’t had a chance to charge it. Why? Did you try to call me this morning?”
“I didn’t, but your dad tried. He called me and left a message. I guess he has something he needs to talk to you about, but he didn’t mention what it was. He did say he hoped your babysitting shift went all right last night. Here. At our house.” She smiled and winked.
Colin leaned over and said, “Girl, you need to move out, like, yesterday.”
I stood. “Okay, here’s the deal. You’re all my best friends, so I’m going to tell you what happened.” I took a deep breath. I didn’t think they’d be shocked, but maybe surprised by what I was about to tell them. “I spent the night with Todd, and well, we’re a couple now. There might have been…” I hesitated before I decided to tell all, “…sex involved.” I cringed and waited for their reaction, but they just sat in their chairs and smiled, so I felt comfortable enough to move forward. “And it was great. No, not great. It was the best in the history of mankind. Or is it womankind? No, humankind. It was the best in humankind history. On the planet. Yep. It was that good. Oh, and I also love him. He’s handsome, and kind, and just beautiful. Did I say that yet?”
Colin smiled and put a finger to his mouth.
“I know, I’m going on and on. But you three are my best friends. I can tell you everything.”
“You can, but you’ll need to add a fourth.” All three pairs of eyes looked over my shoulder.
“Jain, do you have a maid?” I asked.
She giggled and shook her head.
“A gardener?”
“No, I’m afraid not.”
“A gun?”
More laughter and shaking heads.
I slowly turned, dreading the outcome. And yes, there was Todd, leaning against the doorframe with his hair a little messy and a sexy smirk on his face. But he didn’t look angry like I feared. I had blurted out things he probably wanted to keep private. Instead, he looked…pleased.
He walked to me, took me in his arms, and kissed me. It wasn’t a hello kiss either. It was ‘I haven’t seen you for a year’ type of kiss.
Braydon cleared his throat and said, “We’ve got the picture.” And in a lower voice, added, “And then some.”
All three of them laughed.
Todd ignored them. “I came to help you babysit. I didn’t realize I’d be interrupting your announcement.” He smiled.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to tell everyone so soon. I wouldn’t blame you if you were upset with me.” I was sure my face was somewhere in the spectrum between beet and fire engine red.
“Upset? The best sex in the history of humankind?” He shook his head and laughed. “You can say that to as many people as you like. As a matter of fact, you can go on television and broadcast it.”
“I’m going to be teased about this for a long time, aren’t I?” I asked.
“Yes,” he replied with a twinkle in his eyes.
There was that honesty again
Chapter Twenty-One
Tiffany
“SPILL IT,” I coaxed.
We’d left Braydon and Jain’s and were enjoying a strong cup of espresso down the block at Tully’s—Starbuck’s last competitor in Seattle. I placed my coffee on the wooden table and waited.
Todd shifted in his seat, visibly uncomfortable.
“I’m kidding, Todd. You seem like you want to tell me something, but you keep stopping. If you want to wait until another time…”
“You may change your mind about me.”
“I won’t change my mind.” I wouldn’t, but his face held doubt and maybe fear. “You can trust me.”
Nodding, he took both my hands across the table and said, “Tiffany, I have what some would call a traumatic past. And, to be honest, it was horrible and painful. But, I want you to know about it. I want to share this with you.”
I sat up straighter.
“My parents,” he stopped for a moment. “My parents were murdered when I was seventeen. At the beginning of my senior year.”
The sedate little coffee shop became even quieter. The perky brunette behind the counter drifted out of view, along with all the other patrons. It seemed as if we were on an island, everyone and everything became colorless, only shades of black and white remained. Except for Todd and those brown eyes of his. I looked into them and I saw the same things I had so many times before—intelligence, warmth, even mischief. But this time there was something else. He let me glimpse into the pain he’d always tried to disguise. It was so raw and pure, it took my breath away. My heart started beating triple time, because I knew he didn’t share this often. Maybe he never had. He trusted me. And, he was brave. His story would be excruciating, that was certain. Todd, how could this have happened to you? I pushed my thoughts away because I needed to be strong for him.
“I’ve healed, Tiffany. Years of counseling right here.” He tapped his head, trying to ease the burden of his story.
A tear escaped. Damn.
He took a finger and swiped it across my cheek. “Don’t cry. Really, I’m okay. I’ve been all right about it for a long time.” He got up and came over to my side of the booth, then wrapped an arm around me and said, “I don’t tell many people. Mainly because I don’t want to shove my pain on to anyone else.”
I gathered my strength to hear the rest. “I’m okay. Just surprised. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” I put my head on his shoulder, took one of his hands, and waited for him to continue.
“They were shot during a botched robbery.”
“Oh, Todd.” My throat tightened.
“There’s more.”
“Okay. Tell me what happened.” I braced myself.
“I was questioned about the murders, Tiffany. They considered me ‘a person of interest’.”
My head shot up. No.
I must have heard the words wrong. “You did not just say the police thought you were guilty. I didn’t hear that right.”
“It’s pro
tocol. They had to question me. But…”
“But, what?” Could I stand to hear any more of this story? I knew he needed to tell me, so I took a steadying breath and said, “Go on.”
“Did you know I played football?” he asked.
“Todd, I know the stress of telling me this story has been a lot for you. But, we can talk about football later.”
He smiled. “I can honestly say I never thought I’d smile during this story. Thank you.” His lips met mine for a gentle, lovely kiss. “So, back to the story. I was quarterback for our high school team. We went to nationals three years in a row, and, as a result, I was scouted by all the top universities. Anyway, when the story broke, it was picked up by the AP and went national. The headlines read, ‘Todd Jameson questioned in parents’ murder.’ But they left out that my sister had also been questioned. The murder took place in our home, so all our fingerprints were there. The only reason they were home was because my mom was fighting cancer and Dad stayed home to take care of her.” He winced.
“You don’t have to tell me the rest right now.” I didn’t want to push him; his eyes had filled and his leg bounced under the table.
“I’m okay,” he assured me and I watched him bravely regain his composure. “They had to question both of us, but it was only to eliminate us as suspects. The police were always sensitive to both my sister and I and what we were going through. It was the press that took advantage. They saw a potential juicy story and ran with it.” He paused and rubbed his forehead. “The night of our parents’ murder was homecoming. Both my sister and I were caught on school surveillance cameras the entire evening. I played football and Becca, my sister, sat in the stands. We both had around ten thousand alibis even without the video footage. We were both cleared within twenty-four hours. But the damage had already been done.”
I always disliked the members of the press who took advantage of innocent people for a story. Now, I hated them. I wanted to hunt them down and make them pay for what they’d done. Todd noticed my narrowed eyes and fisted hands.
“Don’t be angry for me.” His hands clasped mine. “I’m over it. If I’d stayed angry, I’d hand over my power. I refused to live in that state of mind. I think of my parents often. But I don’t think about the way they died or the fallout after. I made a decision to honor their memory by living a good, decent life.”
“They would be proud of you, Todd.” They would be. He didn’t say anything, but his conflicted eyes went back to warm and loving.
“Why were they killed? Do you know?”
“It’s still unsolved. The police believed my parents most likely interrupted the robbery. My mom had some pretty strong pain relievers prescribed during her treatments. They took all of her medicines, and a little cash, but the police were never able to trace it back to anyone.”
I laid my head on his shoulder.
“I didn’t grow up with much money, Tiffany,” he whispered. He put his hand under my chin and tilted my head so he could look into my eyes. If he were searching for the truth he would get it.
“So?” I asked.
“It’s been an issue before. I wanted you to know.”
“And you thought it would be an issue for me?”
A small smile lit his beautiful face. “No, I didn’t. I figured that out a while ago. You can add that to your ‘Things to know about Todd’ file.”
“Okay, good. I didn’t want to have to give you a smack down.”
He chuckled and kissed me again. I didn’t care who watched, my feelings were too strong to pull away.
“Thanks for telling me,” I managed to rasp out despite the sudden realization that my life was forever changed. I wouldn’t be coming back from this—the love I felt for him. Even if our new relationship didn’t work out, I’d always love him. It scared me, but filled me with a tenderness I’d never experienced before.
“I’m glad I did.” His lips met mine again, this time with a surge of emotion so overwhelming, it penetrated deep into my soul.
***
TWO HOURS LATER, I arrived home to find my dad pacing the front porch. Which was strange, because on a typical Saturday afternoon, he was usually tucked in his den, watching sports.
“Dad, what’s going on?”
“Good, you’re home. We need to talk. Come with me.” He took my elbow and began propelling me toward his library.
Dread settled over me. “You’re making me nervous.”
“It’s something serious. Come in.”
I loved my dad’s library. It was huge with a massive wooden desk that sat uncluttered in the center of the room. Every inch of wall space was taken up with floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with thousands of books. His book collection was the envy of everyone who entered. The smell reminded me of childhood, book bindings, and cologne.
When my dad traveled, I’d come into his library, curl up in his big, overstuffed chair, and read the afternoon away. It was how I stayed close to him.
But today, the library felt cold, and I was sweating. That didn’t make sense.
“I’ll get right to it.” He straightened up. “You are not allowed to see Todd.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Angela
Six Months Earlier
I WOULD HAVE never thought the sound of genuine laughter could be painful. But it felt much like a punch in the stomach from a cage boxer—sharp and powerful.
Dottie wiped her eyes and said, “Very good. I can see you have everything under control here.”
“Mrs. Rutherford,” I started.
“No, dear! Please, call me Dottie.”
“Okay, Dottie.” I lowered my voice. “I think Ivy would benefit from a change of scenery.” I widened my eyes to get my point across, but she didn’t seem to get it, or she chose to ignore my hint.
“That’s a good idea! I’ll have Jerome take you for a tour. You’ll need to go through orientation in the next few days, and I think a walk around the grounds will be most helpful.” She clapped her hands, happy with her idea.
I, however, was not pleased. “Um, Mrs. Ruth—I mean Dottie?”
“Hmm?” She wore a smile and gazed off into the distance.
I lowered my voice. “I need a shower, so I’m going to have to get you-know-who off my leg.”
Ivy’s head popped up. Nothing got by this little one.
“Another great idea! We couldn’t get Ivy into the shower or change her clothes yesterday.” She paused and studied Ivy. “I don’t think she’ll feel comfortable changing yet, so how about you both get in the shower with your clothes, get a good suds going, and dry off in the sun?”
She wanted me to shower, fully clothed, with this quirky little girl? I considered telling her no, but I was a little curious to see what she looked like under all the dirt and grime covering her face and body. A beautiful girl must be hiding underneath. I glanced at her hair and couldn’t even guess the real color…blonde or brown?
“Okay. I’ll do it. What time should I meet Jerome?” I’d need to see the entire property. When I eventually made my escape from here, it would probably be at night. I wasn’t a prisoner, I knew that, but they would alert my parents. I’d need a head start. First, though, I needed a plan. Today, I’d take the walk with Jerome and check out any areas lacking security.
She checked her wristwatch. “How does twelve sound? That will give you a little over an hour to get washed and dried off.” She pulled out a walkie-talkie from her waistband and pressed the button. “Jerome.” Static followed. She repeated, “Jerome.” Still nothing.
Dottie mumbled, “He’s never available when I need him!” But she still smiled.
What was it with these people? She didn’t seem to be acting, but she always smiled or hummed one show tune after another. That can’t be right. No one could be happy here.
Walking out the door, she said, “Plan to meet Jerome at noon in my office. I’ll make sure he’s there.”
“Okay.” I waved goodbye and turned back to Ivy. “You
and I have to make a deal, okay?”
Those eyes, so big and trusting. She blinked once and nodded.
“We’re going to go into the shower together, like Dottie said. You can keep your clothes on. I’m going to get lots of soap and we’re going to get you nice and clean.”
A sigh. I think she knew she didn’t have a choice. After two days, I was going to get a shower with or without her.
“Once we’re done, we’re going to change things a little. Instead of holding onto my leg, how about we hold hands?”
Her arms tightened around my thigh. I knew what was going on here. I’d felt it myself. Abandonment. You didn’t have to be poor to experience it.
“I’ll make you a promise. I won’t leave you no matter what. We can hang out together for the entire day. Hey, you can even sleep here again.” I had another idea. “And I have more Cheetos and something called a Kit Kat bar.”
I was right; her hold loosened a bit. I took advantage of the pause and took her hand. It was so small. For the first time, I wondered about her age. It was hard to tell with her tiny size, but she could be a lot older than she appeared. I’d try to see if I could find a file on her.
“First thing, we’ll need to make sure the bathroom doesn’t have anything disgusting in it.”
Her eyebrows pulled together, and her head cocked to the side. She wore the cutest, puzzled expression.
“You know, like insects or spiders. Yuck!” I shivered.
She smiled. Well, at least someone liked my humor.
We entered the bathroom slowly. After scanning about twenty times, I ascertained there weren’t any uninvited guests. I turned on both faucets and waited a few minutes for the water to warm up. I’d brought my favorite lavender bubble bath and knew today would be the perfect time to use it. I was pretty sure I’d use the entire bottle on her. My curiosity built—I really wanted to see what she looked like under all that dirt.
I gave her hand a tug and we went in the shower at the same time.
“Argh!” I screamed and jumped back. The water felt like it came straight from a glacier. To say it was freezing would be an understatement.