Divorced, Desperate and Deceived

by Christie Craig

  Sue jumped in. “And Jason said, even after the plumber was shot, he wouldn’t put his gun down because he thought they might hurt you. According to my husband, a wounded man doesn’t put his life on the line unless he’s gotten lucky.”

  Sue and Lacy both laughed again, but to Kathy the thought of Luke shot and trying to protect her didn’t seem funny. More tears threatened.

  “Why won’t they let me talk to him?” she muttered.

  “Stupid rules,” Sue complained.

  Kathy picked up her glass and swirled its caramel-colored contents. “They are stupid.”

  “Okay, we all agree it’s a stupid rule,” Lacy said. “Now that we got that figured out, spill it.”

  “Yeah, we want to hear the good stuff,” Sue said.

  Kathy brought her glass to her lips again. “There was a dead guy in a porta-potty.”

  Sue’s and Lacy’s mouths fell open. Kathy knew this wasn’t the story they wanted to hear, but for some reason she wasn’t ready to bare her soul about the sex. Maybe after a few more drinks.

  “How did he get in the porta-potty?” Sue asked.

  “That’s still a mystery.” Kathy went to take a big gulp of whiskey, but only managed to get down a sip. “But the funny part was, he had the perfect hat.”

  Kathy told them the whole story. She went back to the beginning and explained being at Luke’s when the gunfire started. Her friends’ reactions changed quickly. But when she got to the part about the cabin, Kathy paused again, still not wanting to share.

  “And…?” Sue said.

  “Okay.” Kathy held up her hand and knew she wasn’t going to get out of telling them at least part of what happened, though some details were too raw to share. Or too special. “I slept with him. I’m not really certain what it means. He says he’s coming back but…you know how men say one thing and then do another.” Her throat felt tight, and she swallowed really hard.

  “If he said he’ll be back, I bet he’ll be back,” Lacy said.

  “Do you want him to come back?” Sue asked.

  “Yes. And no. I mean, yes.” She dropped her face into her hands. “I’m so confused. I want him to, but I don’t know if I can do this.”

  “Do what?” Lacy asked.

  “Do a serious relationship. I failed at it once.”

  “Duh!” Sue said. “Lacy and I failed, too, and look at us now.”

  Kathy stared into her drink. “Yeah, but…Tom left me for a woman twice my age.”

  “Seriously?” Lacy asked.

  “Seriously,” Kathy said.

  For some reason, telling them was so much easier than she’d thought. Was it because she’d already bared her soul to Luke? She let go of a deep breath and added, “Tom said I was a cold fish in bed, and—”

  “Did the plumber think you were a cold fish?” Lacy interrupted. “Because, let me tell you, my ex said pretty much the same thing. It took me a while to accept that he just didn’t have what it took to turn me on. Still, I know how much that kind of self-doubt can eat at you.”

  Kathy looked down at her drink again. “At least your ex left you for a younger model.”

  “She wasn’t that young,” Lacy replied.

  “Yes, she was,” Kathy said. “I found the video on the Internet where he did her in the elevator.”

  “Oh gawd, wasn’t that funny!” Sue chortled. “Did you see him fall when he first tried to take off his pants?”

  “It wasn’t funny,” Lacy retorted—but then she laughed. “Oh, hell, did you see how she kept telling him ‘go deeper,’ but he couldn’t because he’s got a little bitty dick?”

  They all chuckled, and then Sue broke in, “Hey, I made my ex want to be a woman, so I don’t know what you two are bitching about.”

  They laughed some more. And it felt so good.

  When Kathy finally stopped laughing, she pointed out, “But my husband’s TOW was old and not even a cougar.”

  Sue and Lacy regarded each other, then Sue leaned in. “Did she have false teeth?”

  Kathy stared at her. “Why?”

  Sue chuckled. “You didn’t see that movie? Older women take their teeth out and…” She stuck her finger in her mouth.

  “Oh, that’s gross,” Lacy said.

  Kathy leaned back in her chair, laughing some more. It felt calming just having them there, having a bit of normalcy back in her life. Now all she needed was her son home and everything would be fine.

  What about Luke? The question bounced around her head.

  Lacy noticed Kathy’s worry, and reached over to pour her another shot of whiskey. “You’re not drinking,” she said.

  Kathy looked at her glass and lifted it to her lips, then lowered it. “Maybe it’s a wine night.”

  “You gotta drink something.” Sue spared Lacy a quick glance before fixing back on Kathy. “Come on, let’s toast.”

  Something about the look that passed between her friends hinted at secrets. “Why do I have to drink?” Kathy asked, and her mind raced. “Do you guys know something about Luke that you’re not telling me? Is he okay? I swear to God, if you two know—”

  “No,” Sue said. “We just want you to spill the beans.”

  “I did spill the beans!”

  “All the beans?” Sue asked.

  “What other beans are there?”

  Kathy’s thoughts were on pork-’n’-beans. But one look into her friends’ eyes and she knew what beans they were talking about. They knew. They knew about her father. A lump crawled back up her throat and she swallowed, not sure whether she was relieved or mortified.

  “Hey.” Jason walked into the kitchen. He clutched his phone in his hand. “You’re not going to believe this.”

  “What?” all three women asked at the same time.

  “There’s not going to be a trial. They just found Richard Lorenzo dead. Somebody capped his ass and saved the taxpayers a whole heck of a lot of money.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Luke stood in his hotel room and tossed the few clothes the US Marshals had provided him into a plastic bag. He was more than ready to be gone.

  The moment he’d learned Lorenzo had been killed, he’d been ready to head back to Kathy, but the DA and US Marshals planned otherwise. There was tons of red tape yet to be untangled. Also, with Lorenzo dead, one of his ex-wives had come forth and offered to name names, primarily people her husband had had in his pocket. Supposedly she’d already gotten a book deal for a tell-all. The heads of some high-powered people were about to roll…but Luke was thankful his time was mostly done.

  He’d called Kathy at least six times but only got her voice machine. He’d left messages. The last time he’d even left a number. She hadn’t called back. It had forced him to break down and call Jason Dodd, who had told him that Kathy was taking some time off to see her mother. But knowing Kathy the way Luke did, he figured she wouldn’t abandon her business long.

  She was probably back, and she still hadn’t called him. His gut told him she was trying to push him away. Sure, he’d expected it, but it still hurt. Not that he was going to let her succeed. No more phone calls. In person, he’d have some leverage. If she gave him fifteen minutes alone with her, she’d be naked and putty in his hands. At least, that was the way his fantasy went.

  The memory of their time together was never far from his mind. It was difficult to focus on anything else, no matter what other details threatened to intrude.

  The job is yours if you want it.

  His old boss with the FBI had dropped by yesterday and offered him his old job back. Luke admitted it had been good to see John Patterson but he’d turned him down flat. The truth was, all he wanted was a certain redhead. And if she wasn’t so inclined to get naked in fifteen minutes…? It didn’t matter. If it took another two and a half years, he would win her heart for keeps. He loved her, and he knew she felt the same way about him.

  As Luke stuffed his last pair of jeans into the plastic bag, he recalled the conversation with his o
ld boss about the whole Lorenzo case. The fact that they hadn’t found Lorenzo’s killer left a lot of questions. Questions Luke wasn’t sure they’d ever answer. He felt pretty damn certain, though, the man who’d killed Lorenzo was probably somehow connected to whoever took out Lorenzo’s men back at the cabin and the state trooper, who evidence was now showing was dirty.

  Patterson had gone so far as to warn Luke that he might want to watch his back, since he might be a link to putting away the killer. Luke had chewed on that thought for a minute, thinking more about Kathy’s safety than his own. But then he remembered that the trooper’s autopsy put his time of death hours before the shootout at the cabin. If the trooper’s killer wanted Luke or Kathy out of the way, he could have easily made a move then. And considering this person had taken out Lorenzo’s men without ever taking a shot at Luke on that day, Luke just didn’t feel the need to be paranoid. Chances were this person had a personal vendetta against Lorenzo and had enough balls to see it through. Not that Luke wouldn’t be careful. Who knew how a killer’s mind worked? That said, Luke pretty much owed the guy a freaking huge pat on the back.

  A knock sounded at the door, and he hurried to answer, thinking it was US Marshal Wells with his walking papers. The thought that in less than six hours he might be with Kathy put a bounce in his step. But the moment he opened the door, he realized his mistake. The media had been hounding him, wanting an interview.

  It wasn’t a reporter, but someone he wanted to see even less: his ex-wife. Luke swore rather colorfully.

  “Not exactly the warm welcome I was hoping for.” She smiled and pushed her way inside. She still looked like she’d just walked off the page of a fashion magazine, was tall and blonde.

  Luke didn’t return the smile, even considered pushing her right back outside. But then he recalled some of the other things he’d been thinking about the past few days—at least when he wasn’t thinking about Kathy. He’d been determined to figure out where everything went wrong with his first marriage so that he wouldn’t make the same mistakes again. And yes, after being honest with himself, he realized he’d made a hell of a lot of mistakes. Sure, he’d been dealing with a shitload of grief. Add to that a job he didn’t like, living in a fancy condo that his wife required for mixing and mingling with her high-profile friends he hated, and plainly put, he’d been miserable. Part of him had resented her for being happy when he wasn’t. Which had led him to a more important conclusion: His marriage had been in trouble long before people started dying on him. He and Sandy had simply wanted different things in life.

  “Can’t you at least say hi?” she asked.

  “Sorry, Sandy,” he said. “I was expecting someone else.”

  She nodded, and her gaze moved over him. “I heard you were shot. How’s the shoulder?”

  “It’s fine.”

  She smiled in earnest. “You look healthy. Still as good-looking as ever.”

  He just stared, confused.

  She set her purse on the sofa. “That was your cue to tell me that I look good, too.”

  He shook his head. “I must be missing my cues today.”

  “Three and a half years and you’re still in a bad mood, huh?”

  He raked a hand over his face. “What do you want, Sandy? You want an apology? Okay, I’ll admit it: I spent the last two years of our marriage in a bad mood.” He held up his hand. “Granted, I had reasons. But they weren’t your fault, were they?”

  “No, they weren’t,” she said. “But for the record, if I had to do over again…I would be more understanding.”

  Her words shocked him, and he wasn’t sure what to say.

  She sighed. “We both made some mistakes, didn’t we?”

  He wondered if she was talking about aborting his child. He looked into her eyes and saw the answer. She regretted it. That didn’t change the past, but knowing she regretted the abortion brought some consolation.

  “Yes,” he agreed. “We both made mistakes.”

  She looked around the room, as if nervous. “I’d hoped you would come to see me.”

  “Why?” Her reasons for being here still puzzled him. Was facing him and admitting her mistake that important to her? It sure as hell wouldn’t have been to the old Sandy. But then again, he’d changed these last few years. Who was to say she hadn’t also?

  When she didn’t answer, he continued. “Look, I don’t understand what you want. To rehash things is futile. Plain and simple, we were wrong for each other.”

  “It wasn’t all bad,” she said.

  He remembered that there was a time when he loved her. But what he felt for Kathy was so much more. He liked Kathy, respected Kathy. His relationship with Sandy had been based on lust. Sure, he’d grown to love her, but until this moment, when she’d admitted she’d made some mistakes, he hadn’t found a lot to respect. Sandy, an only child of rich parents, had been accustomed to getting her way. Making her happy had made him happy—at least in the beginning.

  “You’re right. It wasn’t all bad. But it’s in the past.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not in the past, yet. That’s why I’m here.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The day you left, I lost it.” She took a step toward him and then a step back. “I ripped up the divorce papers, Luke. I never filed them. Legally, we’re still married.”

  Kathy sat in the middle of her living room floor with the television remote control in her hand. Every few seconds she’d hit play and rewatch the segment of the news that she’d TiVo’d hoping to get an update on the Lorenzo case. She’d gotten more than she expected.

  When she’d gone to her mom’s last week, she’d been running away—running away from talking about her father with Sue and Lacy, running away from what she felt for Luke. But the time she’d spent watching daytime soaps and painting her mom’s bathroom had just proved something Kathy should have known: Running away never worked. The crap in her lap had to be dealt with.

  She’d arrived home late last night, prepared to call the number Luke had left on her answering machine. Prepared to tell him she was willing to give everything a shot if they could just please, please take it slow. But then, first thing this morning, she’d been hit right in the gut with the realization that slow wasn’t possible for her and Luke. Because she’d been hit by a serious bout of nausea. Oh, she’d wanted to deny it. For God’s sake, he hadn’t even come inside her. But as she’d discovered seven years ago, all the women in her family were prone to suffering from morning sickness extremely early in the pregnancy. A man’s sperm just had to wink at one of their eggs, and the stomach went south. And once you’d dealt with morning sickness once, you knew that monster’s face when he popped in to say howdy. Of course, trying to deny it now was even more impossible. Kathy stared at the fifteen early-results pregnancy tests littered around her.

  Finding out she was pregnant had taken its toll—a big freaking toll, more toll that she had available in her emotional bank account. However, there might have been the chance she could have dealt with it. Maybe. But an hour after puking her guts out and using all fifteen sticks, yup, she’d prayed one of them would have given at least a little bit of hope, she’d taken the second blow. Funny, how one little sentence on the news could chew her up and spit her out.

  She held out the remote and clicked it again, and the reporter once more spoke into the camera. “Federal Agent Luke Hunter, the primary agent responsible for bringing down Richard Lorenzo’s operation, is still refusing to talk to us. However, we spoke to Special Agent Patterson and he informs us that Agent Hunter is making up for lost time with his wife.”

  Pause. Rewind. Making up for lost time with his wife?

  Pause. Rewind. Making up for lost time with his wife.

  Yup, Kathy Callahan was not just a TOW, she was a pregnant TOW. And it was her own fault! She’d been the one who’d climbed on top and ridden him like some horny cowgirl. Make that a horny TOW cowgirl.

  Pause. Rewind. Making up for lost
time with his wife.

  Kathy heard someone at her door, but she was in no mood for company. Goodwill, who’d been sleeping in her bed, came trotting out of the bedroom and barked. He stopped to smell her pregnancy tests, but in a firm voice she said, “Leave them alone.” The words came out sounding like they’d been voiced by some evil demon. Poor Goodwill dropped to the floor and started whimpering.

  “Sorry,” Kathy said. Her own voice was hoarse from all the whimpering she’d done.

  Pause. Rewind. Making up for lost time with his wife.

  “Kathy?” Sue called.

  The sound of a key turning in the lock had Kathy sweeping all fifteen positive test sticks under her sofa as the door swung open. Lacy and Sue came barreling in. And yes, they barreled; pregnant women barreled. In just a few months, she’d be barreling too.

  Both Sue and Kathy stopped when they saw her on the floor, her eyes obviously swollen. Goodwill, thrilled to see Sue, ran around her feet yapping.

  “What are you doing?” Sue asked. “Why didn’t you answer the door?”

  “Because I didn’t want company.”

  Kathy stood up. Ordinarily, she would have felt terrible about being rude to her pregnant friends, but considering she’d joined their ranks…well, all bets were off.

  Lacy and Sue looked at each other. “What’s wrong?”

  So they hadn’t seen the news. “Wrong? Why does anything have to be wrong?” I’m pregnant with a married man’s child. “I’m just in the mood to be alone. So if you two will be so kind as to skedaddle—”

  “It’s Friday,” Sue said.

  “Is it a law that people can’t be alone on Friday?”

  “We always meet on Friday,” Sue pointed out.

  That’s when Kathy realized she was crying again. She wiped her eyes. “Okay, I forgot it’s Friday. Now we’ve met. Now can you leave?”

  “No,” Lacy said. “We’re not leaving until you tell us what’s wrong.”