The timer on the coffeepot had gone off since I’d been back in the bedrooms and the kitchen smelled like freshly brewed coffee. Maddie poured me a cup and one for herself, then she got the milk out and took out a cup for the baby.
“He’s got milk somewhere,” I said looking around, and Maddie gave me a surprised expression. “The boys have been hanging out together this morning,” I informed her. “Right Max?” I said, and the kid laughed.
I’d never realized how easily entertained a one-year-old was. What was the big deal? All you had to do was speak to the little guy and he’d reward you with a great big smile. If only women were that easily entertained.
“I have to say I’m shocked,” Maddie said, staring at me like I was a stranger.
I feigned ignorance. “Why?”
“I don’t know. I got the feeling you didn’t much care for babies.”
If it hadn’t been such an accurate statement I would have been offended. As it was, I just pretended to be. “Why would you say that? I have nothing against babies.” Except when they crap all over the place, I wanted to say.
Maddie shrugged her shoulders. “My mistake,” she said nonchalantly. She looked at me over her cup as she sipped her coffee and I got the feeling she was hiding a smile.
“What?” I asked.
“What what?” she said innocently.
I moved towards her and took her coffee cup out of her hand and placed it on the counter.
“I want to kiss you one time, just to get it out of my system,” I said.
I waited long enough for her to tell me no, but she didn’t say anything, so I gave her a long, intense kiss. I wasn’t sure if she was teasing me or if she really meant it like it felt; because it felt like she enjoyed it every bit as much as I did.
One kiss wasn’t enough. She was definitely not out of my system. I wrapped my good arm around her and pulled her closer and I went to kiss her again, but she put her hand up to my chest and stopped me.
“You said one kiss,” she said. She was looking me right in the eye, and I got the feeling she was challenging me to something.
“I meant two,” I submitted, but she had squirmed out from underneath my arm and was reaching for her coffee.
“As much as I enjoy kissing you, Samuel, it’s not a good idea.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“Why not?” she repeated. “Whale, I can think of about five or six reasons off the top of my head. For one, you’re my boss.”
“That’s easy to fix. You’re fired.”
Maddie laughed. “Seriously though. You’re also my neighbor. Can you imagine how awful to have to live next door to someone you dated? You’d have to sell your house because I was here first,” she said. “Then there’s the fact that I have two children to consider. And last, but by no means least, you have a girlfriend.”
I’d already thought of all those myself. “That’s only four.”
“Oh, there’s more. I just figured that would be enough to get my point across.”
“I get your point, but just out of curiosity what are the other reasons?”
She set her cup down again without ever taking a sip. “Don’t you wonder why you have this sudden interest in me, Samuel?”
“What makes you think it’s sudden?”
She either didn’t hear me or she ignored me. “Its onset coincided with Oliver being kidnapped and you being shot. Can’t you see that? It’s classic . . . something. I don’t know the technical term for it – when two people go through some crisis together and they come out of it having these . . . these feelings for each other,” she said, waving her hands in the air.
“So you have feelings for me?” I said.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You did too. You said, they come out of it having these feelings for each other.” I waved my hands just like she had done.
She was trying to be serious, but I was making her laugh. “What I meant was that in some cases it’s reciprocated. But not in this case. And even if it was, it wouldn’t be something I could act on – not with everything else I just mentioned.”
I was pretty sure she was wrong about her psychological explanation for my feelings for her, but she did have a point. “Maybe you’re right,” I said, trying to think it through. “So let me get this straight . . . I went through a traumatic experience and came out of it craving my next-door neighbor?”
Maddie laughed. “Hey, it could have been worse. You could have been stranded up there with Mrs. Howard.”
“Gross me out!”
Maddie laughed out loud. She was standing there so casual with this smile on her face, just playing with me, and it hit me that it wasn’t worth ruining a great friendship over what in all likelihood was a post traumatic crisis syndrome. There. I gave it a name. I was more comfortable with Maddie than pretty much any other person I knew, with the possible exception of Landra. And with Maddie, I didn’t have the excess baggage of being in a relationship with her. That wasn’t something I was willing to throw away, so I’d just have to buck-up until I got over it, and keep my damn hands and lips to myself.
“Try not to look cute until my syndrome passes,” I said.
* * * *
I decided the best thing to do was stay as far away from Maddie as possible until I got over my post traumatic crisis syndrome, which meant I didn’t go into the office at all on Friday. The grand jury had reconvened after a 2-day hiatus while the missing photos were located – and they were eventually located. I had to believe that Calvin was instrumental in their reappearance. He had assured me that he would look into the matter, and from what I could tell, there was no love lost between him and ADA assigned to Landra’s case.
I passed the day watching talk shows, going through old mail, and cleaning out my briefcase, and by the end of the day I felt absolutely useless. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that my brain had turned to mush.
Landra had called to check on me in the morning just after I’d gotten back from Maddie’s. I can’t say with certainty that I wouldn’t have lied if she’d asked me anything about the evening before, but the topic never came up so I didn’t have to decide one way or the other.
“Can I make you dinner tonight?” she’d asked.
“Absolutely. Come over early. I’m not working today.”
I must have fallen asleep because I didn’t even hear her come in. She came back to the fortress and dumped her backpack on the floor and I woke up disoriented. It took me a good 10 or 15 seconds to even realize where I was. I decided I was going to stop taking my pain pills.
Landra came over and sat on the couch beside me. She leaned down and kissed me and ran her fingers through my hair. “Hi,” she smiled. She had her hair up, with little wispy pieces hanging down around her face.
“You look pretty. I like your hair like that.”
“Thanks.” She unwrapped a mint and popped it into her mouth. “Want one?” she asked, but I shook my head. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, now that you’re here.” I sat up and waited for the aching to stop, then I stood up and stretched as best I could. “What can I get you to drink?”
“Water’s fine.”
When I came back in the room, Landra was sitting in front of a big stack of papers I’d cleaned out of my briefcase and she was holding one of the documents in her hand.
“Why do you have a copy of Sara’s will?” she asked.
I took the papers out of her hand and returned them to the stack and sat down beside her. “Because I prepared it.”
“Really? You never mentioned it.”
“It wasn’t my place. Besides, I assumed Mrs. Howard would have told you since you’re a beneficiary.”
Landra snapped her head around. “I’m what?”
“You didn’t know?” I said surprised. “I didn’t think you and Mrs. Howard had any secrets.”
She sat there in silence for a second, then she lit into me. “How could you let her do that?” she
exclaimed.
“What do you mean, how could I let her? All I did was act as her attorney and draw up the document. It wasn’t my decision who she did or didn’t include as a beneficiary.”
“Look what I’m going through, all because I was Drake’s beneficiary. I can’t believe you would have let her do that!”
She’d attacked me out of nowhere and I was feeling defensive for no reason. “First of all, they revised their wills before any of this happened with Drake – before I even met you,” I started to explain, but she interrupted me before I could finish.
“What do you mean, they?” she said.
Oops. “The Johnses included you in their will too.” I couldn’t even look at her when I said it.
Landra covered her face and slouched down into the sofa. “Oh my God! And Sara’s in and out of the hospital. She’s going to die and they’re going to come after me all over again. Just like with my husband and just like with Drake.”
“No one’s going to come after you,” I said. “Now, calm down, Landra.”
“Calm down? Are you crazy? My life is in complete upheaval because some jerk left me as his beneficiary. And I’ll probably rot in jail because of it! And now you tell me that not one, but two more people have left me as a beneficiary. I don’t need that kind of favor right now, Sam. That kind of favor could put me away for life!”
“You’re overreacting,” I told her, but I could see her point. I went to put my arm around her but she was as rigid as a post. “Come on. Don’t worry about it. Everything will be fine,” I tried to assure her.
“I’ve got to get them to change it back. They have to take me out.”
“We’ll talk to them,” I said. “Now, come on. Please don’t let this upset you.”
“Okay,” she said, but it wasn’t convincing.
I made her look at me. “We’ll take care of it. I promise.”
She took a deep breath and nodded her head. “Okay.”
I smiled at her and kissed her, and she tasted like peppermint. “Uhmm. You taste good,” I said, and I kissed her again.
She rested her body against mine and I could feel her start to relax and the tension leaving her body. Sitting there, holding her close, I realized how much I’d missed her while I’d been going through my syndrome. We stayed like that for a few minutes, not speaking, while I thought about everything she’d just said. I felt confident that nothing would come of her concerns. I had specifically addressed the matter of Landra’s inclusion as a beneficiary with both Mrs. Howard and the Johnses, and they had all been adamant about her inclusion. At some point, I’d discuss that with Landra, but I didn’t want to get into it right then.
“Will you stay here tonight?” I asked her.
“I’d like that,” she said. She was resting her head against my chest and I was playing with her hair. “I’m sorry I yelled at you,” she said.
“Damn well better be.”
She lifted her head and looked at me with those big brown eyes and smiled. “I have a great idea. Why don’t we get a couple pounds of shrimp and rent some movies, and we can have a picnic in your fortress. Lay a bunch of blankets down in front of the TV . . . get a bottle of champagne. And if you’re real nice, maybe I’ll even give you a back rub.”
“That’s why I date you. Because of your great ideas.”
“You want to?”
“What, am I stupid? Hell yes, I want to.”
Chapter 28
Monday was back to business as usual. I’d gotten off the pain pills completely over the weekend and I was thinking with a clear head again. I greeted Mrs. Howard at the door to accept my muffins, then I took them and a big mug of coffee with me in the Suburban and ate breakfast on my way to the office. My shoulder and arm were mobile again and I was feeling pretty much back to my old self.
I got to the office to find Penny already back in the kitchen making coffee. Maddie hadn’t arrived yet, but I was anxious to see how I felt about her now that I was clean and sober. It had been a great weekend with Landra, and Maddie had cropped up in my thoughts only a handful of times since Friday. I felt like I was ready to test the waters again, and I didn’t have to wait long. Maddie’s heels clicking down the hall alerted me to her presence. I braced myself.
“Good morning!” she said cheerfully. “How was everyone’s weekend?” She was juggling three paper sacks full of groceries so I reached over and took two from her before she dropped them.
“Good morning, Madeline,” Mother Hen cooed. “I had a wonderful weekend, thank you.”
“Why do you always get paper? The reusables are so much easier to carry,” I asserted. I set the bags down on the counter and gave her a quick sideways glance.
“Good morning to you too, Samuel,” she said, unfazed by my rude behavior. Maddie set her bag down and looked me up and down. “You look great!” she said.
So do you, I wanted to say, but I kept my mouth shut. There was still something there, but in a very toned down version of what I had experienced the previous week. The syndrome was definitely passing.
* * * *
I was ensconced in my office an hour later when Maddie buzzed me on the intercom. “Calvin from the DA’s office is here,” she informed me.
“I’ll be right out.”
I sat back in my chair and took a deep breath, trying to slow my heart rate. Calvin had told me that he would call when he heard something, but I never expected a face-to-face. And I wasn’t sure how to interpret his visit.
I went out to the reception area and found him talking with Maddie. She looked at me and smiled.
“Can I get you another cup of coffee?” she asked me.
“No, thanks,” I said, and I turned to my guest. “Coffee?”
“No thanks. Your assistant already asked me,” he said, and I couldn’t help notice how he smiled at Maddie.
“Come on back,” I told him.
Calvin took a chair in front of my desk, but I was too wound-up to sit. He wasn’t saying anything and I feared the worst.
“All right. Just let me have it!” I said irritated.
Calvin looked morose, then he broke into a huge smile. “The grand jury no-billed it!”
It took a few seconds for it to sink in. “They no-billed it?”
“They no-billed it,” he repeated.
“You son-of-a-bitch!” Part of me wanted to punch his lights out for dicking me around and the other wanted to give him a bear hug. “They no-billed it!” I said laughing.
Calvin shook my hand. “Congratulations. I wanted to see your face when you heard.”
My mind was racing. I’d done my best not to think about the case ever since Landra had testified, but the ordeal had taken a toll on me. I felt incredibly light, like a huge burden had been lifted off my shoulders.
“When did you find out?” I asked.
“Just now. I came straight over when I got word.”
I had to sit down. Every time I leaned back in my new chair, I thought about Landra breaking my old one, and this time was no exception. I ran my hand through my hair and stared out at nothing.
“They no-billed it,” I said to myself. I couldn’t believe it was over. “I’ve got to call Landra,” I said, and I picked up the phone and speed-dialed her number.
“I’ve got to run,” Calvin said. “We’ll talk soon.”
“Thank you!” I called out to him.
He turned around when he got to the door. “Hey, does your assistant have a boyfriend?”
I hated the feeling that surged through my gut at the question, and I thought twice before I answered. “I don’t think so. Ask her.”
He closed the door behind him just as Landra answered.
“They no-billed it,” I told her. I had a huge smile on my face, and I only wished that I could see the look on her face.
“They no-billed it?” she repeated.
“They no-billed it. And I am so in love with you.”
The line went silent, then she broke down sobbing
. She was crying so hard she couldn’t even talk.
“Hey . . . are you okay? Landra . . .?”
“I’m just so relieved,” she cried.
The truth was that I could have cried myself, I was so relieved. “I am too,” I told her.
“I couldn’t have gotten through this without you, Sam. And I can never repay you for everything you’ve done for me.”
“Well you can start by coming down here and having lunch with me. We’ll go out and celebrate.”
“I’d love that,” she sniffed. “But I’m going to have to go home first and change clothes. I’m in my workout gear.”
I flashed back to the first time I’d met Landra in her little black and pink number and I was tempted to meet at her house instead, but I had too much work to get out after my 2-day absence.
“Whenever you can get here is fine,” I said.
“Okay. I’ll hurry.”
“Landra,” I called out before she hung up.
“Yeah?”
“I can’t wait to see you.”
“Me too. Bye Sam.”
When I got out into the reception area, Calvin had just walked out the door. I was going to be pissed if he’d asked Maddie out, and I wondered if she would have said yes.
“Did he tell you?” I asked Maddie.
“Yes! And I’m so happy for Landra! Did you call her?”
“Yeah. She’s coming down for lunch,” I said.
“Congratulations. I know this has been rough on you too.”
“You know, I didn’t realize how rough until I found out it was over. I can’t even imagine what a relief it must be for Landra.”
“Bless her heart. You should get her flowers.”
Never in a million years would the thought have occurred to me, but I had to admit it was a good idea. “Who would I call to do that?” I asked.
Maddie laughed. “How about I run over to Travis and make up a nice arrangement for you to give her?” she offered.
I took out my wallet. “Is $75 enough?”
“Plenty.” She was standing there looking like she wanted to say something, but nothing was coming out of her mouth.
“What?” I asked.
She looked down like she was embarrassed. “I need a favor.”
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