Wish of the Heart

by Malia Mallory

  Wish of the Heart

  A Fountain of Love Story

  By Malia Mallory

  Macie Connor can't resist throwing a penny in Bethesda Fountain every time she goes on a date—even though the date never works out. Who knows? Maybe luck will smile on her this time.

  Or maybe she's just unlucky, like her dead sister Karen.

  Karen's handsome ex-boyfriend Rylan wants Macie to help him find her sister's killer. All she wants is to put it behind her—and end her attraction to a man she can't have. But the closer they get to the murderer, the closer danger draws them together.

  ~ * ~ * ~

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  Copyright © 2014 by Malia Mallory

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact the author below.

  http://www.maliamallory.com

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  License Notes: This eBook is licensed for the personal enjoyment of the original purchaser only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this eBook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Even if you received this book free for promotional purposes, it does not grant a right of redistribution. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Wish of the Heart/Malia Mallory — 1st Ed.

  ISBN

  Chapter 1

  Macie’s eyes flickered toward her boss’s office door as she fished out the vibrating cell phone from her pocket. Her boss wasn’t a big fan of personal cell phone use in the office, and she tried to avoid it.

  A little zing of excitement passed through her. It was a text from Kenny. They’d been corresponding for over a week since making contact on an online dating site.

  Hey hey how’s your day? What do you say we finally meet up?

  Macie’s nose wrinkled. Was all that rhyming on purpose?

  Kenny was right, though. It was time to move to a phone call or perhaps a cup of coffee. Macie liked to meet her potentials at Bethesda Fountain. Every time, she hoped to turn a prospective boyfriend into an actual boyfriend, but so far, no one stuck more than a few months. Macie didn’t let it get her down. She knew the right person was out there somewhere, and she was determined to find him.

  Bethesda Fountain, a prominent Central Park landmark, was easily located. There were always lots of people around, and Macie considered it relatively low risk. She’d never had any trouble, despite her mother’s constant concern about “that online dating thing.” Sure, there were creeps, but they couldn’t all be bad, right? After all, Macie herself was right there on the site with her own profile.

  Meeting someone at a party or being introduced by friends didn’t lessen the risk in her mind. One of her worst dating experiences ever had been the roommate of a friend she’d been set up with.

  Macie entered her response to Kenny, checking carefully for any errors before she hit send.

  What do you think about meeting at Bethesda Fountain?

  Macie’s hand slid to the mouse on her desk, and she looked at her e-mail while she waited for Kenny’s reply. There was a note from her boss with a new spreadsheet attached. He wanted her to incorporate the new numbers into her project. She clicked to open the spreadsheet and gasped as she saw column after column of data appear on her screen.

  Macie’s cell phone vibrated again, and she glanced at the screen.

  Sure. How about after work?

  Macie tapped her feet in a tiny dance. This could be it! She was finally going to meet Kenny. He seemed nice and had a good job with an accounting firm. According to his profile pictures, he loved to ski. He had a dog. No one who had a dog could be that bad, could they?

  The spreadsheet mocked her from the computer screen. There was no way she could merge all that data into the project and get out at five. Did her boss want it today? Of course, he wanted it today. She knew without even asking. Working late made setting a time more difficult. Macie didn’t want to make a poor first impression by being late, but neither did she want to hang out too long and get nervous. Allowing the little voice inside time to break down her confidence was asking for trouble.

  What time do you leave the office? I usually leave at 5 but I have to finish a project today.

  Macie’s boss poked his head out of his office. “Did you get my email?”

  Macie kept her phone on her lap out of sight. “Uh, yes. I’m looking it over right now.”

  “Great. I need it for my meeting tomorrow, and I’ll want to review it tonight. Send it back as soon as you’re done.”

  “Yes. I sure will.” Grrrr. Her boss was usually a decent guy. He didn’t yell. He didn’t throw things. But he did have pretty unrealistic ideas about how long projects took to complete.

  I normally leave the office at 6.

  Macie scrolled through the spreadsheet. If she worked through lunch, maybe she could get out by six.

  How about 6:30?

  Her fingertips drummed on her thigh as she waited for a response.

  Sounds great.

  Macie headed toward the kitchenette for coffee. She was going to need it.

  ~ * ~ * ~

  Macie’s eyes darted around. She felt more conspicuous than usual sitting on the side of the fountain today. The blouse and skirt that seemed so stylish this morning were hot and confining outside of the air-conditioned office. She tapped her foot and fingered the strap of her bag. So far, she hadn’t seen anyone who resembled Kenny among the mass of bodies moving through the park.

  The area was crowded with people milling about and others heading toward unknown destinations. Most of the benches were occupied and a group of teenagers congregated across from her. Their loud voices filled the air.

  Macie stared up at the angel that topped the fountain. She closed her eyes, made her wish, and flipped a penny into the water. Her luck hadn’t panned out yet, but she knew it would eventually.

  Her sister, Karen, came to mind and she twisted the ring on her finger that had belonged to her. Karen was gone, having been killed in a home invasion, but Macie knew Karen was rooting for her.

  Taking a calming breath, Macie’s eyes settled on a boat in the lake, which was a short distance away. A laughing couple in a rowboat drifted by and longing clutched at her heart.

  “Macie?”

  Macie jumped to her feet, extending her hand. “Kenny, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

  Kenny took her hand between both of his and held on a shade too long. “You’re as lovely as I knew you would be. Your profile picture doesn’t do you justice.”

  Macie resisted the urge to wipe her palm on her skirt. Nerves flooded her stomach and up her throat. Macie swallowed and forced a friendly smile on her face. “How was work?”

  “Great, actually. I did a favor for a VP and I think it’ll pay off come bonus time.” Kenny’s tailored suit fit perfectly, and his hair
swept back off his forehead with not a single strand out of place.

  “It’s always great when your work is recognized.” If only her boss would do so, Macie knew she’d be happier at her job.

  “Well, it wasn’t exactly work-related.” Kenny smirked.

  Something about Kenny’s demeanor told her she didn’t want to know any more about the favor. Macie, Macie, she admonished herself. Give the guy a chance. You met him five seconds ago.

  “So, shall we walk a bit?” Kenny gestured toward the path.

  “Sure, that sounds great.” Macie fell in step beside Kenny and peeked up at the clouds. The sky had darkened, and not just from the impending dusk. Rain looked like a distinct possibility.

  Kenny placed his hand on her elbow. “You said you had an important project, were you able to finish?”

  “Yes. It needed to be done today, so I worked through lunch.” Hopefully next time, her boss would give her more lead time.

  “That hardly seems fair.” Kenny eyed her up and down. “I suppose you must do that often though, trying to watch your weight.”

  Did he imply I’m fat? Macie tended toward the curvy side, but many men liked her full breasts and rounded hips. In fact, she had a devil of a time finding clothing. Just because a woman was petite, didn’t mean she was tiny all over.

  “My boss needed the information for a meeting first thing in the morning.” The path sloped up as they headed toward the wooden bridge spanning the water. Macie frowned as she saw a few sprinkles of rain dot the surface of the lake.

  Kenny glanced at the sky warily. “Do you think it’s going to rain?”

  Macie nodded. “It looks like it might.” Mother Nature seemed to want to cut their walk short.

  Kenny pointed at the gray clouds massing in the sky. “I hope you won’t take this the wrong way, but I can’t get my shoes wet. These things are Australian ostrich leather. Cost me over a grand.”

  “Uh …” Macie was at a loss as to how to respond.

  “I’m going to hotfoot it over to 72nd Street and try to get a cab. I’ll text you later, okay?” Without even waiting for a response, Kenny whipped around and loped away.

  “What the hell just happened?” Macie whispered to herself. Who spends a thousand dollars on shoes? Who tells people they spent a thousand dollars on shoes?

  Macie dug around in her tote and pulled out the small travel umbrella she kept there just in case. She opened the umbrella as the light drops turned heavier. Maybe she’d treat herself to a vanilla latte on the way home and drown her sorrows in sweet, creamy foam.

  Chapter 2

  By the time Friday arrived, Macie was more than ready for the weekend. Kenny called to ask her to dinner and she declined. He hadn’t been so polite in return, implying she was missing out on something big. She was, she thought. His ego. She’d almost asked how his shoes were, but restrained herself. Somehow, she didn’t think Kenny would appreciate humor at his expense.

  Macie kept positive about it, though. She was already messaging with another guy, James. He seemed reserved, but Macie chalked it up to the awkwardness of online dating communications. He was well-spoken and clearly intelligent. Both were huge pluses for Macie. His profile picture wasn’t the best. His face was in shadow and a bit pixelated, but she didn’t hold it against him. Pictures often didn’t convey the energy of a person. Besides, Macie always found if she liked someone, they became more attractive to her, anyway.

  She appreciated handsome men. Who didn’t? But she knew there had to be much more than looks, especially as youth gave way to receding hairlines and middle-aged spread.

  Macie had no weekend plans, but she hoped she could arrange an initial meet up with James. He hadn’t indicated an interest in moving forward yet, but she suspected he would soon. She tried to leave it to the men, not because she didn’t believe in asking men out, but more because she’d found if she initiated, some of the men accepted but weren’t really interested. If they weren’t willing to make a push in that direction, they were probably seeing someone else or hoping it might turn into an uncomplicated hook-up.

  As the clock hit noon, Macie grabbed her purse and headed out of the building. Most days she brought a lunch to economize, but today she was treating herself and wanted to get to the deli before the lunchtime rush was in full swing.

  Macie pulled her phone out to check her email as she waited to order. A text alert caught her eye.

  Macie, I hope you are having a productive Friday.

  She knew it was James before she even looked at the heading. Most of her friends weren’t so formal and used abbreviations in their texts, which sometimes were almost incomprehensible to her.

  Macie placed her order and stepped to the side to wait. She debated how to respond.

  Lunchtime—best time of the day next to quitting time!

  Macie wanted to put something about the weekend—something—anything to probe his plans or maybe prompt him for an invitation, casual or otherwise.

  Casual would be better and she knew it. It was horrible being stuck across from someone you weren’t clicking with for an extended dinner. Then there was guilt—about taking a person’s time but even more so about the money. She learned her lesson permanently after a guy traveled in from New Jersey and took her to an expensive new “in-spot.” It had been excruciating to sit for hours, desperately trying to break past stilted conversation about the food and restaurant decor.

  Any big weekend plans?

  Macie debated her response. She didn’t want it to seem like she sat at home by herself all weekend, but she also didn’t want to discourage an invitation by appearing busy.

  No. I thought I might go to the park.

  Macie crossed her fingers, hoping he’d ask to join her.

  The counter clerk handed Macie her bag and she exited the deli, phone in hand. Macie sat in a little park between two buildings, waiting for his response. The minutes ticked by and nothing.

  Macie took a bite of her sandwich, and the hot peppers exploded on her tongue. Peppers! She hadn’t asked for peppers. Her eyes watered and she searched her purse for a tissue.

  That was it. She was taking charge and being bold.

  Do you want to meet me in the park late Sat morning? Maybe at the fountain?

  Barely a moment passed before his response popped onto the screen.

  Sure.

  ~ * ~ * ~

  When Macie arrived at the fountain, a man reading a newspaper sat in her usual spot. She was just superstitious enough to consider asking him to move. Don’t be silly, Macie. Besides, maybe that spot wasn’t such good luck, anyway. Mr. Right hadn’t shown up there yet, despite all the pennies she’d tossed in the water.

  Macie seated herself on the opposite side of the fountain. Resisting the urge to check her phone, Macie closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sun.

  “Macie?”

  Her eyes popped open and fixed on a good-looking, dark-haired man. Within seconds, her mind registered disbelief, and she slowly rose to her feet, as if in a trance. “Rylan? What are you doing here?” She hadn’t seen Rylan since her sister’s death almost two years ago. Though officially cleared in Karen’s death, he hadn’t even bothered to attend her funeral.

  “We arranged this meet,” he explained. Rylan’s eyes darted around instead of meeting Macie’s gaze directly.

  “What?” As the shock dissipated, anger crashed over her.

  “I’m James. I mean, James is my middle name.” Rylan smiled, but it was forced.

  “You deceived me,” Macie bit out. Rylan was James, the intelligent introvert?

  “I didn’t think you would meet me if I told you the truth,” Rylan confessed.

  “You got that right.” Macie shook with the force of her anger. “Is this some sick joke?”

  “No, Macie.” He reached for her.

  She jerked away. “Don’t touch me.” His presence brought it all back—her sister’s murder, the grief, the suspicion. It was over a year before Macie
even tried to put it behind her, realizing she might never know the truth. There were even days now and again where she didn’t think about it—didn’t picture her sister’s violent struggle to live. She’d gone from calling the police detective daily, to weekly, and finally, not at all—accepting that there might be no sense to be made of a senseless act.

  Her mother never recovered from the blow, and eventually her father took her away. They lived in Florida now, her mother becoming increasingly delicate as her heartbreak never eased. As she never allowed it to ease.

  Macie turned on her heel and stepped away, anger propelling her down the walkway.

  “Macie, wait! I need to speak to you.” Rylan swore under his breath and stalked after her.

  She didn’t answer. She didn’t want to hear anything Rylan had to say. Her throat was choked with grief and her eyes felt suspiciously wet. Damn him. What did he hope to gain by this?

  Rylan had been questioned in her sister’s death, but never charged or even held. His alibi consisted of “working late,” but Macie suspected there might have been more. Wasn’t it always the boyfriend or the husband? Well, not always, she conceded, but often.

  Her sister’s excited voice rang in her head as she nearly broke into a run. Karen had been an upbeat, fun person. Macie tried to emulate her and always fell short. They’d been close, sharing their personal lives with one another. She knew every detail of her sister’s first date with Rylan—how’d he kissed her and asked her for a second date without making her wait by the phone.

  Karen had been optimistic about her new relationship. Rylan was everything she’d been looking for—intelligent and seemingly ready for a real commitment. The fact that he was both handsome and successful was a bonus.

  Macie burst out onto the sidewalk along the busy avenue, and she dodged a mother pushing a stroller. The car horns snapped her out of her daze, and she hailed a cab. She should walk, but right now she didn’t care. She wanted to get away. She had to get away, but she couldn’t escape her own thoughts which dogged her all the way back to her apartment.