He looked at his watch again, his anxiety slowly turning into fear.
“Hey, buddy. Are you just going to stand there all day or are you going to get in?”
Travis’s head jerked up at the familiar voice and an instant grin covered his face. “Smokey! I’ll be damned. What the hell are you doing here?” He grabbed his belongings and headed to the car.
“Doing you a favor. If you didn’t buy Val that jalopy, she would have been here to pick you up.”
Relief swelled in Travis’s chest as he jerked the door open and tossed his things into the backseat. “If you think that this junker of yours is more reliable, then you need to get your head examined.” He climbed into the passenger seat.
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Great. Now let’s see if we can make it back.”
The men slapped each other’s backs and laughed. During the drive home, Travis gazed out the window, admiring his hometown and the welcoming landscape. “I miss this place,” he whispered.
Smokey chuckled. “Spoken like a man coming back from a war. I’d imagine anything would look good to you right now.”
“You don’t know how right you are, my friend,” Travis agreed. “But I have to admit, I’ve learned a lot about myself—about the world.”
“I wouldn’t doubt it. Especially after all you’ve been through.” Smokey glanced in his direction. “Val told me you took one in the gut a while back.”
“Man, I took a lot of things. I’ve got scars in places I’d be ashamed to show my own mother.”
“Then definitely don’t show me. I’ll just take your word for it.”
“Deal.”
For a while, the men rode in silence before Smokey added, “I’m glad you’ve made it back.”
Travis turned and met his direct gaze. “Thanks. That’s good to hear.”
A few minutes later, Smokey passed his neighborhood. “Where are we going?”
“To your apartment.”
“Apartment? What happened to the house?”
Their astonished gazes locked.
“She didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“With all due respect, buddy, I think I need to let her tell you.”
That nagging feeling returned, and this time Travis knew better than to shrug it off.
The apartment was small—too small. Travis forced a brave face. Maybe Val fell on hard times and had to sell the house. Yet he wondered why she hadn’t mentioned it in her letters. None of that mattered, he told himself. He was back home and would fix everything.
The moment he opened the door, six-year-old Nathan sprinted toward him. “Daddy, Daddy.”
Travis dropped his bags and swept his son high into the air. “Hey! Did ya miss me?”
“Yeah!” Nathan laughed as his father spun him around in a circle.
“Welcome home.” Val’s soft voice somehow penetrated the father and son reunion. All eyes turned toward her.
Travis drew in a sharp breath. “My God.”
“Mommy, you look pretty,” Nathan exclaimed when his father lowered him to the floor.
She stood in the entranceway with her tightly coiled hair in a neat Afro. Her clear chestnut complexion glowed, and when she smiled, the room lit up.
He moved toward her, his gaze soaking in every detail. “It’s been a long time,” he whispered.
“Too long.” She rushed into his open arms, their lips instantly locking in an inferno of passion.
“I guess you two would like to be alone.”
The couple separated as Travis turned, laughing at his best friend. “I’d forgotten you were still here.”
“I see you weren’t the only one.” Smokey’s gaze landed on Val briefly, then he held his arms out to Nathan. “Come and tell your uncle Smokey goodbye.”
Nathan happily did as he was instructed. “Aren’t you going to stay for dinner tonight?”
“Nah, not tonight. I’ll try and stop by and see ya tomorrow.”
Travis, with his arm looped around his wife, walked over to his best friend. “Thanks, man. I really appreciate your coming to pick me up.” He tightened his embrace. “And I want to thank you for looking after my little family. It looks like you did a terrific job.” He held out his free hand.
Smokey’s smile suddenly appeared tight and forced, Travis noted fleetingly as his friend accepted his hand in a tight handshake.
“It was my pleasure.”
An awkward silence encircled the small group before Smokey spoke again. “I’ll catch you guys later.” He put Nathan down and left the apartment, the door slamming slightly behind him.
Puzzled, Travis stood looking at the door. “Did I miss something?”
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Val reassured him. She reached up and gently turned his face toward her. “Are you hungry? I made your favorite dish.”
He smiled. “I’m hungry, but trust me, it isn’t for food.”
“Behave. Don’t forget your son is still in the room,” she whispered. “But I think I can help you satisfy your hunger a little later.”
Days later, Travis returned home from the bank, disgusted that he had been unable to get a loan. As it had turned out, Val had lost her job nearly a year ago when the county had rezoned their old area and a few schools were closed. Since that time, she and Nathan had been surviving off welfare.
The army had already informed him that there would be a delay in his receiving his disability pay. But what bothered him most was the five-thousand-dollar loan Val accepted from Smokey. He didn’t know why the transaction bothered him. He’d been friends with Smokey since grade school. He should have been grateful that Smokey had helped his family. But he wasn’t.
When he closed the front door, his hackles stood at attention. His ears perked up at the explosive argument coming from the kitchen.
“What do you expect me to do?” Smokey barked. “I can’t sit by and watch you with him. It’s killing me. I thought that I could let you go because I love you and Nathan. I love Travis. We’re like brothers.”
Val muffled her sobs when her hands covered her face. “Don’t do this to us, Smokey. I’ve told you that I love my husband. What happened between us…”
Her sentence trailed off when she removed her hands and saw Travis standing just inches behind Smokey. “Oh, my God.”
Startled, Smokey jerked around. “Travis.”
Chapter 16
Carissa couldn’t sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, Nathan’s dark, soulful eyes stared back at her. Her heartbeat accelerated and her body grew warm as she realized that she was falling hard. It was the worst thing that could have happened.
Minutes later, she gave up on sleep and headed for the kitchen. She jerked open the refrigerator door and stared blankly inside. What the hell was she doing? Food was the last thing she wanted. She slammed the door and went over to the dining-room table.
As if on cue, the front door swept open and a singing Helena sauntered into the penthouse.
Carissa glanced at her watch. “It’s five in the morning.”
Helena turned toward her voice. “Good. That means it’s still early.” She spun around and danced with an imaginary partner. “Girl, I love this town.”
“Let me guess. You found your Black Chippendale dancers.”
“Honey, I discovered paradise. I swear if I was just a few years younger I would have snagged one of those young whippersnappers.”
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”
Helena danced toward Carissa. “Don’t start raining on my parade just because I know how to have a good time. Let me guess, you had the handsome hunk bring you home by nine-thirty.”
“No. I just made it in a couple of hours ago. And speaking of which, you had some nerve just dumping me like that. What were you thinking? I’d just explained why I needed to avoid the man.”
Helena waved off her niece’s argument. “I know if I were you, that man would be the last person I’d avoid
.”
“Will you please be serious for a moment. I’m trying to prevent this from blowing up in my face and you’re sitting there trying to play matchmaker.”
“Risa, love isn’t a deadly disease. Stop trying to do everything to make yourself undesirable.” Helena pulled the hair band from Carissa’s head. Thick, full curls tumbled to her shoulders. “You’re beautiful.”
Carissa stood, shaking her head. “Sometimes I wonder if we’re even from the same planet, let alone share the same genes.”
Her aunt crossed her arms. “Are you trying to tell me that there aren’t nights when you lie awake craving the touch of a soul mate, a man who understands you, someone who is an extension of yourself?”
Carissa fell silent.
“No?” Helena went on. “How about a man who makes you feel safe whenever you’re in his arms, or has a way of making you feel beautiful just by looking at you.” Helena shook her head. “If you can look me in the eyes and tell me that you’ve never craved any of those things, then I agree, we are from two different planets.”
Carissa’s shoulders sagged in defeat. “Of course I want those things. But this is the wrong time, the wrong guy.”
“How do you know? I saw the way he looks at you. I bet he can sketch you with his eyes closed. Hell, after six marriages, I can tell you that none of my husbands looked at me like that.”
“You’re imagining things.”
“No. You’re in denial and about to throw away a chance of a lifetime.”
Helena spun on her heels and left Carissa to think on what she’d said.
Carissa watched her departure with a growing sense of hopelessness. How her aunt continued to look at life through rose-colored glasses was beyond her. Sure there were a few things she liked about Nathan other than that he was easy on the eyes.
His complex personality intrigued her. When he talked about his work, she heard his passion and love for his art.
Before long, Carissa found herself wondering what really ended his engagement to India. The woman’s name soured in her mouth. No doubt she was a knockout with legs up to her neck.
She sat at the table, depressed. Why in the hell did she care who the man dated—or what kind of woman he preferred? Since he was a photographer, she had no trouble believing he preferred the model type. She stood and went over to a mirror hanging in the living room and took a good look at herself.
She posed playfully, assessing her appearance. I’m all right, she concluded, but she was unhappy that there wasn’t anything that stood out about her features—other than her hair.
Running her fingers through the thick mass, she watched how her natural curls framed her face and enhanced the shape of her eyes.
“See, I told you you were beautiful.”
Carissa jumped at the sound of her aunt’s voice. “Don’t you ever sleep? I thought you’d gone to bed.”
Helena waved her off. “I told you, it’s still early. Have you thought more about what I said?”
“I admit that I would love to find a special someone and eventually go on to raise a family.” She exhaled and crossed her arms. “But like I said, it’s the wrong time and the wrong man.”
Nathan woke to a ringing phone. “Hello.”
“Ah, so you’re alive.”
“Smokey?” Nathan sat up and glanced around. “What time is it?”
“Six-thirty.”
“A.M.?”
He laughed. “I take it you had another all-nighter at the hospital.”
“Yes and no. What happened to you last night? I thought we were going to have dinner.”
“I’m sorry. I was called away. I left you a message at the door. You didn’t get it?”
“Yeah, I got it. It’s just that I’ve never been stood up before. Lucky for me, I ran into Dad’s—I mean Travis’s friend from the hospital. I had dinner with her.”
There was a slight pause over the line before Smokey said, “I see.”
Nathan heard the hurt in his voice and mentally kicked himself. “Are you sure you’re all right with all of this? I mean, I want you to understand why—”
“Look, son. You don’t owe me any explanations. If this is important to you, then it’s important to me.”
“You don’t know how much I appreciate hearing that.” Nathan smiled against the phone. “It’s also important to me that you know that I’m not looking to replace you.”
“I know that.”
When Smokey exhaled, it sounded more like a sigh of relief to Nathan.
“So this is the same lady you were telling me about the other day?”
“Yeah. It turns out that she’s not engaged to Travis. She only told the hospital that in order to be able to see my father.”
“She sounds resourceful.”
“Among other things. I can’t blame her, really. I probably would have done the same thing if I were in her position.”
“Mr. Honesty is condoning a lie? This woman really must be something.”
“It’s not that. It just seems that my father doesn’t have too many friends. Hell, she probably thought I wasn’t coming to see him either. Seems to me she’s the only friend Travis has.”
“Sounds like you’re still interested.”
Nathan’s smile widened. “I don’t know what I am, to tell you the truth. But it helps that she’s been through a similar situation with her father. She’s given me a lot to think about.”
“She’s starting to intrigue me, too. What did you say this Angel of Mercy’s name was?”
“Carissa Carnes.”
“Carnes?”
“Yes? Do you know her?”
“N-no. Not a Carissa Carnes, but it’s not like your father and I traveled in the same circles.”
Nathan nodded, but he sensed there was something Smokey wasn’t telling him.
Chapter 17
Carissa’s heartbeat pounded in her ears as she jogged up an inclining hill around the base of Stone Mountain. She had long tuned out the music playing through the headset of her CD player, and she struggled to make sense of the steady stream of conflicting thoughts running through her head.
For the past week, she’d buried herself in her work. However, the attempt did little to ease her guilty conscience. In fact, it seemed to make matters worse. In an effort to avoid any further confrontations with clients or competitors, she had Liz cancel a month’s worth of meetings. It was illogical, she realized, but she couldn’t help how she felt. Just as she couldn’t help how her mind kept returning to Nathan Edwards’s haunting eyes.
She picked up her pace and even increased the volume on her CD player. But when his image persisted, the music was once again forgotten. She’d learned from the nurses the amount of time Nathan spent with his father. Again she envied his possible second chance.
But what would you say if you did have a second chance with your father? Carissa’s mind drew a blank. After she traveled another mile, she stopped and shook her head. She had no idea what she would have said or done differently.
Closing her eyes, she tilted her head up toward the sky, relishing the sun’s warmth as she grabbed the small water bottle strapped to her hip.
She also didn’t know how much longer she could avoid running into Nathan at Cartel Enterprises. The man came every day wanting to talk to C. J. Cartel. Yesterday, she had hidden in the restroom for more than two hours. Something had to give.
She removed her headset just when a loud masculine voice shouted her name close by. She jumped, then pivoted with her hand over her heart.
Nathan’s unexpected appearance startled her.
He jogged to a stop beside her. “I thought I’d never catch up with you.”
When he flashed her a brief smile, for a shocking moment her legs weakened. “What are you doing here?”
“George and I decided to have our morning run up here.” He nodded to a handsome German shepherd panting happily at his side.
At first glance at the dog’s adorable expression, s
he couldn’t help but kneel down and run her hands along the dog’s soft coat.
“Ah, don’t tell me you’re a dog lover as well?”
“Only if they love me back.” She smiled as she looked up and held his gaze.
“Well, George and I are trying to enjoy our short time together. He leaves tomorrow with my assistant.”
An awkward silence passed before she gathered her composure and stood. “How are you doing?” seemed like the only safe thing to ask.
“I’m doing well. All things considered.” His smile never faltered, yet she saw something flicker in his eyes, and she wondered how she should reach out to him. But she was the last person in the world who knew how to reach out to people.
“I’ve missed seeing you at the hospital,” he said, continuing to hold her gaze. “I hope I didn’t run you off.”
“No, not at all. It’s just that I’ve been sort of busy,” she stammered with the excuse and actually felt a rush of heat burn her face.
“I see.” He leaned down and scratched behind George’s ear. “Well, I felt guilty just the same. I realize I can come on a bit strong at times—”
“No. Really, it wasn’t you. I just felt like I was intruding on your time with your father. I don’t belong there.”
“That’s nonsense.” He shrugged off her excuse. “It’s apparent to me that my father’s well-being means a lot to you. And I know about your daily calls to the hospital. Nurse Anne speaks highly of you.”
Carissa’s mouth opened in surprise as she struggled to come up with a response.
“It’s okay,” Nathan added. “I really do understand.”
“You couldn’t possibly.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. There’s no excuse for the way I’ve behaved toward you. But trust me when I say that my not coming to the hospital has very little to do with you and everything to do with my relationship with your father.”
“I see.” Disappointment flashed across his handsome features, but he quickly added, “I know this may sound strange coming from me, especially when you consider the history between me and my father, but I think he needs you right now.”
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