"Now," Dani said once their order was delivered. "Take a nice big drink, sample this scrumptious cheesecake, and then tell me what has Regina's panties in a twist this time."
Portia stopped herself from doing a spit take with her lemonade and, since Dani would have been the recipient, she appreciated the woman's control.
"It's the box of pictures, the ones I gave you before."
"I'm very familiar with the ones you mean."
"Of course. It seems Mrs. Harper needs them back—immediately." Portia dabbed a drop of liquid from the side of her mouth. "She hadn't mentioned it before today and then all of a sudden getting those pictures back became vitally important. I was here in town doing other errands when she called out of the blue. I needed to drop everything else and make sure you gave me all of them. Though I'm not sure how I'm supposed to know if you don't."
Dani's brain was spinning. Had they gotten it wrong? Was it possible that the picture of Regina and Tyler's father had gotten in with the others by accident? If that were true, a whole new set of implications had just arisen. Tangled web, indeed.
Whatever the case, Portia Nessmith seemed oblivious to everything swirling around her. She was just a nice woman trying to do her job, and Dani was about to help her.
"Do you have a car with you?"
Portia, savoring the last bite of creamy cheesecake goodness, shook her head.
"I'm to call Honshu, Mrs. Harper's driver, when I have the box of pictures.
"What do you say we save Honshu a trip? I'll give you a ride and I can thank Mrs. Harper in person for so generously providing them."
"I don't know," Portia said with a frown. "Maybe if I called ahead to tell her you were coming."
"And spoil the surprise?" Dani paid the check, waving absently at several friends. No time to chat today. "We'll pick up the pictures and head across the river, no problem."
"You'd think." Portia sighed. "But I've found with Mrs. Harper, problems have a way of popping up like dandelions. One second your lawn is green and weed-free, and then bam, hundreds of the nasty little suckers have taken over."
"And once they're there, good luck getting rid of them."
"Exactly," the woman said, happy to have someone who understood.
Dani hustled Portia along before the woman could figure out why this was a bad idea. They were almost to the loft when her companion leaned close, a concerned frown on her face.
"I don't know if you're aware of this, but a very large man wearing baggy shorts and a Hawaiian shirt has been following us ever since we left the restaurant. In fact, I think he followed us when we went in."
Not bothering to look, Dani took her garage door opener out of her crossbody bag and hit the button.
"Don't worry about Boyd, he's become my constant companion."
"He looks like a tropical bodyguard. But I thought you took pictures. Do photographers have troublesome groupies?"
Dani wished that was her only concern. As explanations went, it was as good as any.
HARPER HOUSE. IT had loomed over the town that shared its name for almost a century. Being close up was a different experience than just catching a glimpse every now and then out of the corner of your eye. It was almost like going back in time. There were no outward signs of the twenty-first century, though Dani knew it had every modern convenience—well hidden to the naked eye. It just wouldn't do for anything as crass as a light switch or telephone box to be visible and break the illusion.
As they stepped from Dani's car, Portia straightened her skirt, smoothing back her already perfect hair. She had spent the short trip fixing her makeup and wiping any speck of dust from her shoes. She glanced over at Dani's casual attire and cringed.
"You really should have taken the time to change."
Dani disagreed. She had showered that morning, put on clean underwear. She'd even given in and brushed her hair before they left her loft, fastening it back into a bun that was only slightly less messy than usual. True, she wasn't wearing stilettos, but flip flops went with everything these days.
"I'm not expecting Regina to make a fuss, why should she expect me to?"
"But she never sees anyone without an appointment," Portia hissed, glancing furtively at the house.
"I have a feeling she'll make an exception just this once."
Boyd and his truck had followed her car at a not so discreet distance and then once there, proceeded to check the area for anything suspicious. Dani had gotten past the eye rolling, you've got to be kidding me stage. The man had a job to do and she tried not to be too much of a pain in his backside.
"Would you like me to carry that in for you?"
"No, thank you, Boyd." Dani lifted the box out of her trunk and indicated for Portia to go ahead.
"This sun is brutal. Be sure to get back in your truck and turn on the air conditioner. I don't know how long I'll be."
Alex's men were held to a strict code of rules and regulations, but as a boss he wasn't a complete hardass. As long as Boyd didn't fall asleep, enjoying the comforts of shade and cooled air would be just fine.
Before they could reach the front door, it swung open, a thin, expressionless, gray haired man momentarily blocking their way.
"Good afternoon, Miss Nessmith. Honshu has been expecting your call."
"Yes." Portia's eyes shifted nervously. "Dani, I mean, Ms. Wilde was kind enough to give me a ride. She wanted to return Mrs. Harper's pictures and thank her personally."
"You should have called."
And you should pull the stick out of your ass and let us in out of the heat.
Like his employer, Potts seemed to only display good manners to those he deemed worthy. Fine, Dani thought, but her mother had taught her better. So, instead of pushing her way in, she waited.
"It really is my fault, Mr. Potts. Portia wanted to call, but I convinced her that it would be so much more fun if I just dropped in."
"I see."
Dani shifted the box. It wasn't particularly heavy but if he noticed it in her arms, maybe the man would move aside.
"I suppose you should enter." Potts let her in, just barely. "Wait here and I will make Mrs. Harper aware of your presence."
She would bet her entire camera collection that the lady of the house already knew. That didn't stop her butler from making this charade into a major production. The man's movements were slow and measured. One Mississippi, two Mississippi. It took him fifteen of the states to get across the small foyer. If she had to wait for him to open the heavy oak floor-to-ceiling doors, she thought she might scream.
"You know what, Potts." Dani raised her voice, just in case a pair of tastefully jewel encrusted ears were listening. "I'll just leave the box with you. All of the pictures are accounted for. Including the one of Mrs. Harper and—"
"That's quite enough," a stern voice interrupted. "If you will join me, Miss Wilde? Potts, this shouldn't take long, but make sure we are not disturbed."
"Of course, Mrs. Harper."
Poor Potts. The nasty look he gave her as she passed was probably meant to intimidate. He didn't know that Dani had grown up with a best friend who made glaring an art form. It was going to take a lot more than a raised nose and haughty sniff to take her down. Regina Harper, on the other hand, only needed one icy glance to freeze someone solid, even on a day like today. Dani had been expecting it, had been prepared, and she still felt a slight shiver zip through her body.
"Shall we get down to business?"
"Business?" Dani rolled the word around for a moment. "Is that how you see it? Do you consider anything you do personal, or just a means to an end?"
Regina didn't answer. She moved, a bit faster than Potts but just as measured, to the desk. Mahogany, Dani would have guessed, and very old. Presidents probably sat behind it, or maybe Napoleon. Someone powerful who provided Regina with a story to impress visitors One of which Dani clearly was not.
"You're still a very attractive woman."
"I beg your pardon?
"Just saying, you're aging well."
"I hadn't heard that you were simple." Regina opened a drawer and took out some kind of ledger. "There is no need to make an attempt at flattering me. You're about to get what you want, just name your price."
"Maybe I am simple." Though Dani hated the outdated, offensive word, she knew what Regina meant. "Because I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You want money to keep quiet. Why else would you make such a production of showing up here, flaunting your knowledge of that picture."
Now it was clear—Regina's thinking was muddied—but finally Dani understood what was going on. Blackmail. If it hadn't been so pathetically ridiculous, it would have been funny.
"I don't need or want your money, Mrs. Harper."
Regina looked at her for a moment, her hand hovering over the checkbook. She must have decided that Dani was telling the truth and put it away, back in the desk.
"Then what do you want?"
"The truth."
"About?" She asked the question as though it were a foreign concept, amazed anyone would expect such a thing from her. Maybe no one ever had.
"I came here to tell you where you could shove those pictures. Of course, we found the one of you and Martin Jones. But we thought you put it in there deliberately knowing Tyler would see it."
Dani heard Regina's intake of breath. Tyler was the woman's Achilles heel. Just her name was enough to take away the woman's breath.
"I owe you no explanations. And as for your—friend—she cost the Harper family its future, its heir. My only consolation is that Andrew finally wised up and disentangled himself from her claws."
Dani was speechless. How could you argue with a woman who spoke of her son in such a cold, detached manner? One thing was clear, the answers that she had so impulsively come for weren't going to be answered, not today.
"Goodbye, Mrs. Harper."
Dani turned and left. She had come full of self-righteous anger. And she left feeling—nothing. She did regret not finding out the story behind the picture, but Regina had been right; she didn't owe Dani an explanation. That was Tyler's prerogative. If someday her friend wanted answers, she would have Dani's full support, but until then the mystery would remain just that.
She let herself out, the foyer empty of both Portia and Potts. Dani paused, letting the sun's heat seep into her chilled bones. There was no warmth in Harper House and as she got into her car and drove away, she hoped she wouldn't have to return anytime soon.
ALEX HAD NEVER been a big fan of sharing his feelings with strangers. The Army had highly trained professionals, but he hadn't been able to open up enough for them to help him. Now that he wanted that help and had actively sought it out on his own, he still found it difficult.
This was his fourth session with Dr. Wanda Tolliver. After his first visit, Alex had felt a stirring of hope, but now three weeks later, he felt like he was going in circles. He was certain it wasn't the doctors fault. She knew her business. She was compassionate, sensitive, insightful, and when necessary, tough as old shoe leather. Ten years out, she was still a Marine, through and through. Drill sergeant, Alex had asked? He figured anyone who could bark out orders in a psychiatrist's office must have had a lot of practice. But, no, she informed him, she had been a field nurse. She had seen it all, most not repeatable in any company. When she'd gotten out, she went back to school, determined to help heal the whole soldier. Too often, she would help patch up men and women, send them back to active duty, but no one dealt with the mental wounds until it was too late. It was her mission to get to the problems before they turned into another tragedy reported after the fact on the evening news.
No, Dr. Tolliver was the person to help. He just couldn't, or wouldn't let her.
"I know it's frustrating, Alex. You spent ten years fixing problems, finding solutions, saving lives. You want to be able to do that for yourself—yesterday. Frankly, I would be worried if you didn't feel that way."
Alex leaned his head back and sighed. He was surprisingly relaxed. That at least was different than his visits to other therapists. Dr. Tolliver didn't fill her office with soothing water features or new age music, but it didn't look like a doctor's office, either. It felt like he was visiting someone's home. Bookshelves lined two walls. Yes, they were filled with technical books, but also contained well-worn editions of Dickens, Twain, and Steinbeck. She had achieved a nice balance between feminine and masculine, so both sexes felt comfortable settling down on the plush furniture and spilling their guts. Unfortunately so far, Alex's were nowhere to be seen.
"How are things going with Dani?"
"Great, better than ever."
"Any intimacy problems?"
Alex sighed again. "Look." He tried to keep the mounting frustration out of his voice. "I know you just said intimacy, but why do I hear impotency? Because believe me, of all my problems, that is not one of them."
"Men." Dr. Tolliver chuckled. "As long as you can get an erection you think all is right with your world."
"It doesn't hurt."
"No, but you're an intelligent man, Alex. I shouldn't have to tell you that there are all kinds of impotency. A flaccid penis is only one manifestation."
"I'm a guy, Doc, use the words flaccid and penis next to each other and all I want to do is thump my chest and yell, Not me, no way, never."
"Never?"
Alex reached over and tapped her solid oak desk. "So far, so good."
"But you won't try sharing a bed."
"No." That he wouldn’t joke about.
"And Dani is good? Nothing has changed?"
"She understands," Alex said firmly.
"But…"
"Fine, you want to know my problem? Or at least my newest problem? I wonder why she's so understanding."
"Explain."
Alex got up and started to pace. Dr. Tolliver had noticed that it was something he only did when they were talking about Dani Wilde. On all other topics, he was cool, dispassionate. She knew the rest eventually would come out; he would break through that distance he maintained over his feelings towards the Army and what happened to him. But right now his woman was the only subject that brought his emotions to the surface. Which was why she made sure they talked about her at least once every session. It was her hope that the more he could openly express these feelings, eventually the others would follow.
"Shouldn't she be pissed off that I leave her after we have sex?"
"But you told me she had been upset. That only changed when you told her your reasons."
"And how crazy is it for me to want her to argue?" Alex stopped, giving himself a slap on the side of he head. "I have this understanding, sweet, kind woman and I want something else. I'm really starting to hate that about myself."
"So you're telling me you want to break things off with her."
"What? No," Alex practically shouted the word. "Then I would be crazy. I just want…I don't know what."
"May I make a suggestion?"
"If you don’t, this is going to be a wasted session because I've got nothing."
"You need to tell her how you're feeling. Chances are, she's just as frustrated as you, but she's trying so hard to be supportive that she's afraid to be honest."
"Dani is the most honest person I've ever known."
"I don't doubt that, but all couples go through this, Alex. Naturally, the subject matter varies, but it comes down to this: when you care about someone, telling them something that might hurt or offend or just rile them up is hard. We want to shy away from any confrontatio
ns that could result in an argument, or even worse, the ending of the relationship. What if I tell him he snores and he packs his bags, walks out of my life? I know that's an extreme example, but it is a natural fear."
"I'm not going anywhere." Alex's heart clenched just thinking about leaving Dani again. Never.
"Does Dani know that?"
"I've told her, but…"
"Yes?"
"I left before."
"So you're both afraid. Sometimes the only way to get rid of the monster in the closet is to throw open the door and confront it."
"And it rips your head off?"
"I won't make light of this and say that never happens," she said in her straightforward way. "But ninety-nine percent of the time the monster is much smaller than we imagine. Sometimes it doesn't even exist. Words really are power, Alex. Use them. Talk to Dani. Let some air into that closet. You'll be amazed at how much easier it will be to breathe."
"TELL ME AGAIN why we came back to be tortured by Attila, the Yoga Master?"
"Because I'm having an artistic crisis and I need to sweat out the toxins from my body in order to get my juices flowing freely in the right direction."
Dani looked at Rose for interpretation, but the other woman just shrugged.
"I'm just here for the cucumber water," Rose said, then gulped down the entire glass of liquid. Dani and Tyler both knew she was paraphrasing Everafter, but it would have been too much effort to start a movie conversation.
"Fine, but this was the last time. Once a month I somehow get dragged to this guy and I've barely recovered when I'm dragged back." Dani wiped the continuous flow of sweat from her face. They had been sprawled out for almost ten minutes and the liquid was still pouring from her body. If Tyler had wanted to get her juices flowing freely, she had succeeded and then some.
"Maybe if we came more often we wouldn't kill ourselves when we did."
Dani and Tyler looked over at Rose, both wondering when their friend had totally lost her mind. The first time had been to pull Rose out of a Jack-induced funk—she'd hated it. Now, all of a sudden she wanted to become a regular?
If Tomorrow Never Comes (Harper Falls Book 2) Page 24