Dark Water

by Talty, Jen

  “Trust me, okay?” He squeezed her hip. “I think I know who to call and how to handle this situation. You just enjoy the rest of the afternoon.”

  She sighed, looking out over the lake. The wind had picked up and a storm brewed behind Black Mountain. Her mind wanted to fight him and whatever plan he’d devised in the course of the last few minutes, but when he cupped her face, forcing her to look at him, she couldn’t deny the tenderness staring back at her. “I’ll try.” She closed her eyes tight when his lips brushed against her forehead.

  “I’ll be back at five. It’s casual, so what you’re wearing is fine.”

  “I really don’t want to have dinner with your family.” Boy, was that the truth. It felt too much like they’d crossed the line into dating, or worse, more. She pushed herself from his gentle embrace. “I hope your plan works, because Andy’s the only one who will suffer in all of this.”

  He smiled. “It’ll work.”

  God, she hoped she hadn’t just ruined everything, and for what? A single night of pleasure? One night of feeling like a woman? A simple orgasm? Her eyes watered as she watched Frank pull away from the dock. He flipped his baseball cap forward again and gave her a mini-salute. The boat picked up speed and sent waves crashing to the shoreline.

  “You okay, Aunt Lacy?” Andy asked coming up behind her.

  “Thought you two headed toward the house,” she said without letting the tears fall to her face as she turned. No reason to worry Andy.

  “Things looked kind of serious with you two.”

  “Not really.”

  “My brother is always serious, especially about the girls he dates. Mom says when he falls, he’ll fall like a ton of bricks and won’t even see it coming,” Jake said. He stood next to Andy with a serious expression of his own. He was about three inches taller than Andy and at least twenty pounds heavier. He had the same buzz cut Frank had. Same eyes and same damned determined expression. It was as if he knew he too could conquer anything. All he had to do was put his mind to it.

  “How come I didn’t see any fish?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Because we didn’t catch any,” Jake said. “My brother’s not the best fisherman in the world. Besides, he kept nodding off most of the time, but we had fun.”

  “Yeah, it was cool.” Andy inched closer. “Did something happen? Did Dad do something?”

  Why did kids have to be so in tune with the real world? They should be able to go about their youth without knowing, or sensing, what the grown-ups in their lives were facing, even if it directly affected them.

  “Taylor just wanted to make sure everything was set for Sunday. Says he misses you.” She cringed at the thought. He didn’t miss his kid.

  “I don’t want to go,” Andy whispered.

  She looped her arm over his now rigid body. “You know you can tell the social worker that, right?”

  “I have, but she says I have to go unless I give her what she thinks is a valid reason or something.”

  “If you have one, tell her.” She paused to gauge his reaction, but there was none.

  “Nothing to tell. So I guess I go,” Andy said without any conviction. “Can we go swimming before the storm comes?”

  “Sure.” She figured Andy needed a little time to digest her words. She’d never really encouraged him to speak his mind with anyone other than her and the shrink, but time was running out. If she didn’t prove Taylor was a no-good scumbag, Andy would end up living with him and visiting her. She squared her shoulders and took in a deep breath determined to enjoy the afternoon and try to forget she’d be spending the evening with Frank and his family.

  Chapter Six

  THE RIDE FROM LACY’S trailer to Frank’s family home, about four miles outside the village, had been uneventful, but uncomfortable. She’d been dying to ask him who he called and what they said. Ms. Lazzery had said dating wasn’t such a horrible thing, but having a man sleep over would probably give the judge all the reason he needed to yank Andy from her care.

  “Relax,” Frank said, squeezing her waist as he opened the white picket fence surrounding the back of a quaint white house with black shutters. The house was nestled on a hill overlooking the lake. A private road continued past the house and toward the water. She could see maybe four other homes, all similar in style, all saying families lived here.

  The lush green grass looked healthy and felt soft against her bare ankles. She could hear laughter coming from the front of the house and it finally hit her that all the cars in the driveway meant this wasn’t just a small family gathering. “Is the entire neighborhood here?”

  “Just my family, which is kind of the neighborhood. I actually live about five houses down the drive and right on the lake.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “Nope.” His fingers laced around her arm and he stopped walking. “Jake, take Andy around to the front yard; we’ll be right there.”

  Something told her she was about to get some bad news. Her body responded as if someone’s fist had landed dead center in her gut. She took in a few calming breaths, getting tired of near panic attacks. She hadn’t gotten one since she’d been about twelve, until recently. When she opened her mouth to ask him what had happened, no sound came out. She swallowed and tried again, but this time his finger hushed her lips.

  “I know you don’t completely trust me, and that’s okay, but go along with everything I say and do tonight. I promise everything will work itself out.” His thumb gently stroked her cheek.

  The way he searched her eyes with his understanding gaze made her want to melt into his arms and forget the world around her, but that wouldn’t help her or Andy. “It’s not that I don’t want to trust you, it’s that I don’t know how.” She didn’t believe her problems would work themselves out, as he put it. “Do you know something I don’t?” Her heart raced with the possibility that maybe Taylor was being investigated for something, and Frank just happened to be on that case.

  “I know there are things we can do to help prove you are the better guardian for Andy than Taylor.” Suddenly, a broad, playful smile replaced his normally serious expression. He kissed her nose and chuckled. “Follow my lead and everything will be fine.” He slipped his hand in hers and started walking toward the back of the house.

  “Wait.” She yanked her hand away. A million questions flashed through her mind. “What does your family have to do with me getting full custody of Andy? Is someone important to my case going to be here?”

  “I’m not related to anyone who’s involved in this case,” he said grabbing her hand again. “But tonight will help you, I promise.”

  “That’s a pretty big promise.” What kind of game was Frank playing? And how much of a fool had she been? She wanted to grab Andy and run. She’d spent the day doing nothing, because Frank told her to, when she should’ve been doing everything in her power to fix her mistake.

  An older woman glided across the yard. “There you are,” she said before hugging Frank. “That Andy is a cute kid.” The woman released Frank and turned her attention to Lacy. She wanted to crawl in a hole and hide for the rest of the night. “This must be Lacy.” She pulled Lacy in for a hug. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

  “Lacy, this is my mom,” Frank added.

  “Mrs. Harmon,” Lacy said as her lungs once again struggled for air.

  “Please, call me Sandy.” Sandy took Lacy by the arm. “Frank, dear, get our guest something to drink.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Frank gave Lacy a playful wink before he disappeared into the sea of people milling about the spacious yard. She could see most of the other houses on the road. Some were directly on the water and some were on the hill like this one. She wondered which one Frank lived in.

  Lacy smiled and nodded to everyone Sandy introduced her to, unable to remember one name from the next. She stood on the brick patio by a sliding door and looked out at the spacious yard. Talk about a male dominated family. Seemed the only fem
ales were wives, and maybe three female cousins. Worse, all the men were tall, broad, and looked like Frank with various baseball caps. Or maybe Frank looked like them.

  “We are a bit overwhelming, aren’t we?” Sandy said. “But you’ll get used to it.”

  Get used to them? Frank must have been talking up the fake dating stuff. She glanced across the yard at Andy who was immersed in a game of flag football. Frank held the ball as he jogged backward, giving her a smile before unloading the ball toward Andy. Her heart lurched into her throat as Andy reached for ball and snagged it before getting tagged by some older guy, but it was too late, Andy scored.

  “I’m so sorry about his mother,” Sandy said, resting her hand on Lacy’s forearm. “Were you close?”

  She hated the question because it reminded her of what a horrible sister she had been. “Yes,” she said, but it felt like a lie.

  “No other family?”

  Lacy shook her head.

  “Well, you can count on us. Don’t ever hesitate to call me if I can help in any way. If any of us can help.” Sandy sounded sincere, and probably was.

  “Thanks.” Lacy kept her eyes on Frank as he high-fived Andy, ruffled his hair, and tossed him to the ground in fun. Andy laughed like she’d never heard before. He smiled wide as if he didn’t have a care in the world. She wasn’t doing nearly enough to give Andy what he deserved. She didn’t know what she could do to put that smile on his face, but she’d die trying.

  “Lacy.” Sandy increased her grip. “We are all here for you.”

  The words here for you echoed in her mind as the football game continued. No one was there for her. Sure, people offered to help here and there with watching Andy and giving her advice on how to handle the custody case. However, no one stood by her side just because. A sense of dread overwhelmed her, but she couldn’t cave to it. She shook the negative feelings away.

  “Why don’t you sit and rest, dear.” Sandy patted her shoulder. “You look tired.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s been a long day.” Lacy allowed herself to relax into one of the lounge chairs. It was nice to be around people. That’s why she like working at the restaurant. People. The noise. The chatter. The football game seemed to be winding down. Andy raced off past her with Jake mumbling something about some video game. Frank smiled and headed toward her.

  She couldn’t help it and smiled back as she watched him saunter across the lawn, stopping a few times for a brief conversation and a slap on the back. She noticed he was barefoot. Come to think of it, the man pretty much only wore flip-flops. She’d always thought that funny when she’d serve him in the bar. Funny, but sexy as hell.

  “Having a good time?” Frank asked, taking the seat next to her.

  “I’ll leave you two alone,” Sandy said and disappeared into the house.

  Lacy’s stomach gurgled, but she wasn’t sure if it was from hunger or nerves. “Your mom is very nice,” she said for lack of anything better. She wanted to fit in with Frank’s family, but felt uncomfortable, like an outsider looking in. That shouldn’t surprise her. Even when she’d been a little girl, her family never had picnics or gatherings.

  When Hannah had first married Taylor, she’d gone to a few family gatherings at his house. It was nice. Weird, but nice. They didn’t seem as close as Frank’s family. Frank’s family chatted, hugged, and finished each other’s sentences. Taylor’s family appeared tight, but they were more polite with each other. Maybe Taylor’s fiancé had a family like this.

  Yeah right. Get a hold of yourself. The man is a dickhead regardless of whom he’s hanging out with. “Andy is having a really nice time.” She forced herself to stare off across the yard not really looking at anything or anyone. Frank rested his hand on her thigh and a warm sensation tingled deep into her soul.

  “I didn’t ask about Andy. I asked about you.”

  “Sure.”

  “What’s bugging you?” He slid his hand up and down her leg in a protective motion.

  “I’m worried that I should have contacted Ms. Lazzery right off the bat.” She was also terrified by the way he made her feel. She should swat his hand away, but instead she looked down at her legs and watched his hand caress her, enjoying every wonderful sensation.

  “And tell her that you slept with me while Andy was in the other room?”

  “Shhhh.” She glanced around. “No need to shout it from the rooftops.”

  “Just my point.” He pulled her chair closer to him. “Taylor is full of shit. Not only would he have to explain why he was there, but it’s his word against mine.”

  “Taylor is dangerous.”

  “Not as dangerous as I am,” Frank said behind a clenched jaw. “He tries anything and he’ll have to deal with me and the State of New York.”

  “Why do you care so much? You barely know me.”

  “I know you.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  He leaned in and whispered, “I don’t go to bed with just anyone.”

  She swallowed. She’d like to believe him. Maybe she did, but it didn’t matter. “You don’t have to say that. We both know what last night was…or wasn’t.”

  “Last night changed both our lives.” He pressed his lips against her cheek and raised his hand to cup her chin. “For the better.”

  She held her breath as she stared into the warmest set of eyes she’d ever seen. Her heart hammered against her chest so hard she figured everyone could hear it. She blinked her eyes as he moved closer, moistening his lips. When his mouth molded with hers, fireworks erupted in her head.

  “Lacy?” Andy questioned quietly.

  “What?” She pulled away from Frank. He still held her hand and didn’t let go. If she was being honest, she didn’t try too hard to pull it away.

  “Can I watch a PG-13 movie?” he asked with a puzzled expression.

  She was going to have a lot of explaining to do now. “That depends. Where is the sleeve?”

  “My mom’s pretty strict with my brothers so I’m sure it’s not too bad,” Frank said.

  “I still want to see why it’s rated that.” She slipped her hand from Frank’s and stood. Everything she allowed Andy to do could be suspect to any number of people involved in the case. Even if Ms. Lazzery were going to be watching the movie with Andy, Lacy would need to be the one to approve it. “Lead the way.” She followed Andy into the house, through a kitchen that smelled like sweet potatoes, and down a hallway that was lined with family portraits. She tried to ignore them. They just reminded her of what she could never give Andy.

  Andy suddenly stopped. “Are you really dating Frank?” he asked fiddling with his pocketknife. “I mean that would be cool if you were. I like him and I like hanging out with his brothers.”

  She rested her hands on his shoulders and leaned over. “Me going out with Frank would be cool with you, huh?”

  He giggled. “Jake said Frank’s been talking about this girl from The Lake Pub for like a whole month now.”

  She tried not to smile. “Really. What else has Jake said?”

  “Just that Frank’s got it bad.”

  Her body heated from the inside out. “I think Jake’s exaggerating.”

  Andy shook his head. “No he’s not. His whole family has been thinking he’s secretly dating someone for months now. He does that, you know. So, you don’t have to try to and hide it from me. Probably don’t need to hide it from Ms. Lazzery anymore either. He’s a cop, one of the good guys.” Andy’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.

  “He is a good guy, but…” But what? Frank hadn’t done anything other than be there for her. He’d been trying to help ever since she met him. Could it be just because he liked her? Would that be such a stretch? “I like him, too.”

  “Cool.”

  “Andy,” Jake said, peeking his head from a door. “Well?”

  “She’s got to see the sleeve first.”

  “My mom’s the same way.” Jake rolled his eyes. “No naked female bodies. No sex. And only a
few bad words. Lots of blood though.”

  “Well, then.” She smiled at the pair of boys. “I guess it’s all right.”

  “Thanks, Aunt Lacy,” Andy said as he took off into Jake’s room. “They were kissing,” he said as the door slammed shut.

  “Great.” She pressed her finger to her lip as she turned and walked right into a sold mass of something. “Sorry.”

  “No problem,” Frank said with a chuckle.

  “This isn’t funny.”

  He cleared his throat. “What isn’t funny?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Everything. You know, Andy thinks we’ve been secretly dating.”

  “That’s pretty much what everyone else around here thinks.” He winked. “Besides, you like me.”

  She let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re a pain in the ass. I still worry that this will all backfire on us.”

  “I think it can only help your situation.”

  “I don’t see how.” Arguing with this man was very tiresome and pointless. “Now we actually have to play the part.”

  “That won’t be too hard.” He took her hands and rested them on his shoulders. “And it won’t be such a stretch when we tell them we’re getting married.”

  “What?” she screeched. “You’ve got to be kidding.” He couldn’t really be serious about getting married. Could he? That would be insane. It could only cause more problems than it would solve. They didn’t love each other and good sex didn’t make for a marriage.

  Did it?

  “I can’t believe you’d even suggest it.” She put her hand on his chest and pushed him to the side. “I need a drink.”

  “Wait,” he said grabbing her arm. “While I’m not proposing marriage right now, I’m setting us up for it. You had to know that. Dating wouldn’t be enough. We need to make a family.”

  “Make that drink a double.” She blinked, shaking her head, unwilling to look at him. Something in his tone told her he was dead serious. A family? Who was he, Mike fucking Brady?