Summer Reads Box Set: Volume 1

by Freethy, Barbara

  "We've got a long drive home."

  "Where did he go?" Julia asked, suddenly aware that Brady had disappeared from the house.

  "I have no idea. He truly is a spook." Alex took one last look around the house. "I wonder how long my dad lived here."

  "I hope someday you can ask him."

  "I'm not counting on it."

  As they left the house, there was no sign of the Explorer or Brady as they got into Alex's car. Alex started the engine, then moved to release the emergency brake between them.

  "What's this?" he muttered. He pulled out a folded slip of paper that had been tucked under the brake and opened it. "Meet me at Pirate's Cove Cafe, Marine World, four o'clock," he read aloud.

  "Meet who?" Julia asked.

  "It doesn't say." Alex's gaze met hers. "It couldn't be Brady. He was just here. I think he said everything he had to say."

  "Who else could it be?"

  "I'd say it's a fifty-fifty chance it's either the men in the Explorer or my father. I'm not sure who I'd rather see."

  * * *

  "Why would someone want to meet at Marine World?" Julia asked as they pulled into the parking lot of the amusement park near Napa.

  Alex considered her question as he surveyed the parking lot, which was crowded even for a Thursday. "Lots of people, neutral location, good place to blend into a crowd, and even if someone is following us right now, they wouldn't expect we'd be meeting someone here."

  Julia appeared impressed by his deductive reasoning. "You sound like you've been involved in clandestine meetings before."

  "Believe me, I've never done anything like this," he said dryly. And that included getting personally and emotionally involved with a woman he'd spent the night with. He'd managed to keep sex casual and easy the past decade, but there was nothing casual or easy about his relationship with Julia, and it was getting more complicated by the second.

  "Do you like roller coasters?" Julia asked as they approached the main entrance. A monster roller coaster with three wild, curving loops was just off to the right, and they could hear the screams coming from the cars hurtling down the first drop.

  "I haven't been on one in years. What about you?"

  "I love them," she said with a smile, "and I haven't been on one in years, either. We should take a ride while we're here. I could use a good scream right about now. Get out all my frustration." She cast him a quick look. "I really thought your dad would be at the house and he'd tell us everything we wanted to know."

  "It's my fault. We shouldn't have left yesterday. I was just so pissed off, I couldn't think straight."

  "I know, and I completely understood why you had to get out of there."

  Alex bought their admission tickets, and they strolled into the park, stopping at an information sign to check the location of the Pirate's Cove Cafe. When he saw the skull and crossbones next to the name, a funny feeling swept over him, a vague, distant memory teasing the back of his brain. He'd been only five or six, and his dad had taken him to Disneyland for his birthday. They'd ridden on Pirates of the Caribbean, and he'd loved the waterfall drops. He'd made his dad take him on the ride three times in a row. He hadn't wanted that day to end, but it had. And the next day his father had left for another business trip. It was a month before they saw each other again.

  It had been hard, he realized, all the times apart, and even more difficult for his mother. She used to cry when his dad left. He'd forgotten that—until now.

  "I think it's this way," Julia said, tugging his arm. "Is something wrong?"

  He shrugged off the memories. "No, everything is—"

  "Fine," she finished with a smile. "Your favorite word and always a lie."

  "Hey, a little while ago you said I was the most honest man you knew."

  "Not when it comes to yourself. You never let on how you're feeling."

  He flashed her a smile. "I think you figured me out pretty well last night and this morning."

  A warm blush spread across her cheeks, and it made his smile widen. She was so beautiful and sexy, and yet there was also an appealing innocence about her. It was a potent combination and one he probably should have resisted.

  "Let's keep our minds on the present," Julia said.

  "That's fine with me."

  "Yeah, I know," she said with a laugh. "Pirate's Cove is over there."

  Alex let her lead the way, enjoying the view from behind. Julia wore tight blue jeans and a clingy camisole top that left her shoulders bare. Her blond hair danced around her shoulders with each step. He had to stick his hands into his pockets to stop himself from reaching for her. He had the insane desire to hold her hand or put his arm around her, and that kind of casual affection had never been part of his life.

  "There it is," she said, pointing to a wooden shack with a skull and crossbones painted across the front and a dozen tables with umbrellas set amidst thick green plants and a dark pool of water that was probably supposed to be the cove part of Pirate's Cove.

  Only a few of the tables were taken, and those were occupied by families and small children. Alex glanced down at his watch. It was only three thirty. They had a good half hour to wait. "We're early," he said. "Or else they're watching us from somewhere else."

  "That's a creepy thought." She took a step closer to him as she looked around the area. "I don't see anyone suspicious."

  "Neither do I." He paused. "I have an idea. While we're waiting, why don't we take one of those scream-inducing rides you love?"

  Her eyes sparkled. "Really? Do you think we should?"

  "Why not? Why should we sit here and wait? Let 'em wait for us."

  "Okay. Which coaster do you want to ride?"

  "How about that one?" he said, tipping his head toward a square box that rose about six stories, then dropped at breath-stopping speed to the ground.

  "That looks fairly terrifying," she said, adding with a teasing smile, "You won't be scared, will you?"

  "Not if you hold my hand," he joked.

  She pulled his hand out of his pocket and gave it a squeeze. "I'd be happy to."

  Her warm touch gave him chills, and suddenly he wasn't afraid of falling six stories, but of falling in love. There was no way he could let that happen. He didn't know what love was really all about, and he didn't believe he would be good at it. Just like his father, he'd always be leaving, always be saying good-bye. It wouldn't be fair to put any woman or kid through that. But right now they were just taking a ride. He could handle a ride. It had a beginning, a middle, and an end. When it was over, it was over.

  They waited in line for fifteen minutes before they were strapped into the elevator car that would rise to the top, then shoot to the ground. Alex felt a tingle of nerves as they rose, the ground getting smaller, the view getting bigger. He glanced over at Julia, who stood next to him, her fingers white as she gripped the poles holding her in. She looked scared but brave, which was pretty much the way he'd seen her every day this week; only this time the fear was simple and specific, not vague and complicated.

  The car hit the top with a jarring thud, probably designed to give their hearts a jump start on the thrill ride. A second later they were diving toward the ground. Julia's scream rang through his ears, and he found himself joining in. They landed with a soft, gentle thud that seemed completely out of sync with the breath-stealing pace of the ride.

  "Oh, my God," Julia said. "I think my stomach is still up there."

  "Mine, too," he admitted with a laugh as they exited the car. "But that was great."

  "Did you love it?"

  "I did." And before he could analyze his thoughts or his actions, he leaned over and claimed her mouth with his, tasting her excitement.

  "What was that for?" she asked, looking a bit dazed when they broke apart.

  "No reason. Except you look like a bottle of sparkling champagne right now, and I wanted to take a sip." She licked her lips, and he shook his head. "Don't be doing that or I won't be held responsible for my act
ions."

  "Maybe I don't want you to be responsible."

  He raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like an invitation. Too bad we're in the middle of an amusement park."

  She tossed her hair with a laugh. "I know. Now you have something to look forward to."

  Her words made him think about the coming night, and the next day, and the one after, but he didn't want to plan that far into the future. "Yeah, that's great," he said. "We better go back to the Pirate's Cove."

  "What did I say?" She grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks.

  "Nothing."

  "No, I said something that made you freak out a little."

  "I have a lot on my mind," he said. "Don't be so sensitive."

  "Yeah, I was going to say the same thing to you." She paused, tilting her head as she looked at him. "I get it, you know, Alex. Last night was not the beginning of something for you. It was just a night. Maybe that's all we'll have together, maybe not. I'm not going to tie you down, make you promise to stand by me forever, just because we slept together. But I'm also not going to watch everything I say."

  "I am not freaking out. I am calm. I am fine." He heard her sigh at the word. "Well, I am. So let's get on with it."

  "Fine," she said, the smile returning to her face. She waved her hand toward the cove. "After you."

  Alex's nerves began to tighten as they neared Pirate's Cove. He wondered who would be waiting for them. Would it be his father or someone else?

  * * *

  A man sat at a far table near a thick line of bushes, sipping a soda. He wore a fishing hat, sunglasses, and a short-sleeve shirt over a pair of shorts. He was in his sixties. And he was Alex's father.

  Julia looked at Alex. He was paler now than when they'd exited the thrill ride. She had a feeling it took every last ounce of courage he had to sit down at the table.

  "Thank you for coming," Charles said quietly.

  "Does Brady know you left us the note?" Alex asked.

  Charles shook his head. "I wasn't supposed to have any contact with you. It was part of the deal I made twenty-five years ago. As soon as you left yesterday, a moving truck arrived, as well as a package of papers for a new identity. I had no choice but to leave. However, I had a feeling you'd come back, and I didn't want to disappear on you again. So I watched the house and left the note in your car. I hoped you'd come here after you finished with Brady." He paused. "What did he tell you?"

  "That we'd compromised your safety," Alex said.

  "Mr. Brady also wants to provide me with a background I can show to the press," Julia added. "I told him I wasn't interested. I can't live a lie." She saw Charles flinch at her words, and she almost wished she could take them back, but she didn't. Maybe he and her mother had been able to live their lives pretending to be someone they weren't, but she couldn't do it.

  "You should reconsider," Charles said. "It would make your life easier."

  "My life has been nothing but easy," she replied. "My mother made sure of that." She deliberately brought her mother into the conversation. "There are things I want to ask you about her. Did you read her letter?"

  Charles slowly nodded, a gleam of understanding in his eyes. "Yes, and I imagine you have a lot of questions."

  "Questions my mother should have answered, but she didn't, and you're the only one who seems to know anything about her," Julia continued. "I know she was in Moscow working as a costumer with the theater group. What I don't know is what I was doing over there and how I got into that orphanage." She watched Charles closely for a reaction, but he was staring down at the tabletop now. "Please, you have to tell me. I can't go on not knowing."

  When he raised his gaze to hers, she saw nothing but trouble in his expression, and she had a feeling she was going to be very sorry she'd asked.

  "I don't know how to tell you this," he began.

  "Just spit it out," Alex ordered.

  "Sarah didn't take you to Russia with her. You were already there," Charles said.

  It took a moment for his words to sink in. Then Julia's heart stopped. "Are you saying... ?" She couldn't bring herself to finish the question. "Oh, God!" She put a hand to her mouth, terrified to say more. She couldn't take a breath. She felt as if an elephant had landed on her chest.

  Alex put an arm around her shoulders, which was probably the only reason she didn't keel over. "Breathe," he said.

  "I'm trying." She took several gulps of much-needed air.

  "Tell her the rest," Alex said to his father.

  "Sarah is the one who took you out of the orphanage and brought you to America," Charles continued. "She was a government agent. It was her job to get you out of Russia."

  "No." Julia couldn't believe it. "Then who am I? Who are my parents? Why would she pretend I was her daughter? I don't understand."

  "Your parents were Russian."

  "Were? You make it sound like they're dead. God, are they dead?" Julia pressed her fingers to her temple, feeling a pain racing through her head.

  "Julia, slow down," Alex said.

  Charles looked around, obviously concerned about their conversation being overheard.

  She lowered her voice, then said, "I want to know everything you know. Are my real parents dead?" It felt odd to even use the term real parents, but what else could she call them?

  "Yes, they are. I'm sorry."

  "Really dead or just pretend dead like you and my mother—I mean, Sarah?"

  "They died in an explosion at their home."

  "No," she whispered, grieving for the parents she'd never known and never would know.

  "You were supposed to be in the house with them," Charles continued.

  It took a minute for his words to make sense. "I was supposed to die, too?"

  His gaze didn't waver. "Yes."

  "Why wasn't I there?"

  "You had been taken from the house and hidden in the orphanage until we could get you out of the country. No one was supposed to know you were ever there."

  "But I took a picture of her," Alex said sharply. "I made sure everyone knew she was there."

  Charles looked at his son, his expression one of a deep, aching regret. "I'm sorry you got involved, Alex. I never should have taken you to the square that day. I shouldn't have brought you to Moscow at all. That was selfish of me."

  Alex glanced away. "Let's focus on Julia."

  Charles turned back to her. "What else do you want to know?"

  "How did I get to the United States?" she asked.

  "Sarah brought you out with fake papers. She was supposed to put you in an established home that was set up for you, but she didn't. On the trip over, she fell in love with you, and there were other extenuating circumstances."

  "Like what?"

  He drew in a breath before continuing. "Sarah always had wanted a child, but she'd had a bad pregnancy, ending in miscarriage, and she thought it was doubtful she'd ever have a baby of her own. That fact ate away at her, making her reckless, making her want to take chances. She thought you might be her only opportunity to have a daughter. And she rationalized that she could raise you as well as any other foster home. So why not her? She knew the agency wouldn't agree. They didn't want her connected to you in any way. It would compromise other activities Sarah and I had been involved in while we were in Moscow."

  Julia was beginning to understand. "So my mother—Sarah... I have to stop calling her my mother, don't I?"

  Charles shook his head. "She was your mother. She loved you so much. Don't doubt that."

  "How can I not? Sarah faked her death, just as you did. She let her parents believe she was gone so that she could take me and disappear. She obviously had no moral boundaries. Her life was a lie. And so was mine."

  "She faked her death to protect her parents."

  "Did you cook up that reason together?" Alex asked scornfully. "Sounds like you were following the same script. Were you also having an affair? Mom certainly thought you were."

  "No. Sarah and I were just frie
nds—always. We met in college at Northwestern. We both had an interest in the world. Sarah wanted to go to Russia because her grandmother was Russian. She actually joined the agency before I did. She was the one who suggested I might be able to help with the cover of my photography. Originally I was just supposed to take pictures, but gradually I felt compelled to do more. I met people over there who wanted to be free, and I wanted to help them," Charles said with passion in his voice. "I know you two can't understand. You've never seen what we saw. Back then, there was no freedom. People disappeared. They died on a whim. No one was held accountable."

  "And you were going to make them accountable?" Alex demanded. "Who did you think you were, God?"

  "No, I was just one person who wanted to make a difference."

  "I thought you liked being a photographer. I thought that was your life, your sole ambition. You told me it meant everything to you. Over and over again, you told me that," Alex said. "I grew up thinking it was the most honorable profession in the world, shedding light on the injustices in the world."

  "It was honorable, and it still is. It just wasn't enough for me." Charles took a breath, his eyes offering up an apology. "I never thought my decisions would affect you or your mother. I thought I could keep my second line of work separate. I believed I could leave the danger on the other side of the ocean. I was wrong."

  "What I don't understand," Julia said, drawing the men's attention back to her, "is why you and Sarah were in danger after the picture was published. What could be gained by going after either one of you then?"

  "The people who killed your parents now knew you were alive. They believed I had seen you because I took the picture. If they could find me, they could find you. Since Sarah had you, they could have gone through her as well, or used her parents as leverage. We had to disappear. Without us, there was no trail back to you."

  Julia thought about that. It made sense in a strange way. "All right. Let's say that's true. What about now? Why has someone broken into my apartment as well as Alex's place? Why would they want me dead now? It's been twenty-five years, and I don't even know who I am, much less who they are."