Another Chance to Love You

by Robin Lee Hatcher

  Her stomach tightened.

  He met her gaze. “Okay, Charley. I’ll do it… I’ll call you as soon as I know when. Bye.”

  She stood as he hung up the phone.

  “That was Charley Cooper.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Ed Tuskin, one of our reporters, was shot. They’re not sure he’ll make it.”

  “Oh, Daniel, I’m sorry. Was he a close friend of yours?”

  “Close enough.” His eyes searched hers for understanding. “Charley wants me back in Chicago as quick as I can get there. Ed was covering an important assignment, and Charley needs me to take over.”

  “He wants you now?”

  He nodded.

  “What about the wedding?”

  He stepped forward and took hold of her shoulders. “I’ll be back for the wedding. Nothing will keep me from it.”

  “I’ll miss you horribly.” She blinked at the rising tears.

  She was being silly. She knew it. It wasn’t all that long. Just a few weeks. She could stand a few weeks without him. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been on her own for years. After the wedding, they would be together for the rest of their lives.

  “Come with me, Monica.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise.

  “You and Heather. Come with me.”

  “But there’s so much—”

  “Nothing your mother can’t handle.”

  “But—”

  He pulled her closer. His voice lowered. “Come with me. Call it a vacation. You could familiarize yourself with Chicago. You and Heather could stay in my apartment and decide what we need to make it more of a home. I can bunk with a friend who lives in the same building.” He kissed her forehead. “I don’t want to be without you. This would give us a chance to visit some churches, too. To look for our new church home.”

  “Mother will have a fit.”

  He kissed her again.

  “It would be such a crazy thing to do.”

  He drew her into the circle of his arms.

  “How can I—”

  “Just for a couple of weeks.” His breath was warm against her forehead. “Then you can come back to take care of all those last-minute things. Please go with me.”

  “I shouldn’t. I know I shouldn’t.” She sighed. “All right, Daniel. We’ll go with you.” She pulled back and looked at him. “But you have to tell Mom.”

  He smiled. “Done.”

  Daniel was able to book them on a direct flight to Chicago the next afternoon. Monica couldn’t believe it happened so quickly.

  Their seats were in the first-class cabin. Heather chose the window, and Monica sat next to her. Daniel was directly across the aisle from them.

  Monica made certain her daughter’s seat belt was fastened snugly around her waist, then did the same for herself. She retrieved a book and her reading glasses out of her purse, took a swig from her water bottle, and tucked the soft airline blanket around her legs. Poking at her carry-on bag with the toe of her shoe, she made sure it was properly stowed, according to the attendant’s instructions. Then she checked Heather’s seat belt a second time.

  Monica didn’t realize how tense she was until she heard Daniel say, “Relax, sweetheart.”

  The airplane began to taxi toward the runway.

  She gave him a tight smile. “I’m not a very good flier.” She didn’t bother to tell him she could count on one hand the number of trips she’d made by air, all of them many years ago.

  The captain announced they were next in line for takeoff and asked for the flight attendants to be seated. Monica gripped her armrests, all the while telling herself to relax.

  The plane began to roll forward. Faster and faster and faster.

  “Wow, Mama, look at that! This is way cool. We’re off the ground.”

  She couldn’t have looked to save her soul. Her eyes were squeezed shut. She even had to remind herself to breathe.

  Yes, breathe. That would be a good idea. In… Out…In… Out…

  “Mama, I can see our house. Look.”

  Monica opened her eyes a slit just as the airplane banked sharply to the right. Maybe she could have seen their house as she stared straight down at the ground, but it took all her concentration to keep from screaming.

  As the plane leveled off, she squeezed her eyes shut again, mentally repeating lines from the Twenty-third Psalm. She skipped the part about the valley of the shadow of death, vaguely aware of Daniel’s hand covering hers on the armrest.

  It seemed an eternity before the flight attendant’s voice came over the speaker, saying passengers could get up and move around the cabin. Not on a bet, she thought.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Daniel asked, his voice deep with concern.

  “I thought it might not be so bad. The last time I flew I was in my early twenties. I thought I would have outgrown it.” She dared to open her eyes. He was hunkered down in the aisle beside her seat. She tried to smile at him. “Guess not, huh?”

  “Want to listen to music? I’ve got some good tunes on my iPod. Maybe it’ll help.”

  Monica was willing to try anything at this point. She nodded. “Okay.”

  He slipped back into his seat and pulled his carry-on bag onto his lap. Meanwhile, the flight attendant serving the first-class cabin came down the aisle. She stopped at Monica’s and Heather’s row.

  “Ms. Fletcher, would you and your daughter like a beverage?”

  “My mom’s scared,” Heather volunteered.

  The flight attendant, a pretty woman about Monica’s age, gave her a sympathetic look. “This isn’t a long flight, ma’am. We’ll be on the ground before you know it.”

  “Have you been flying long?” Monica managed to ask.

  She nodded. “Thirteen years. I promise you, it really is safe.”

  Monica forced a smile, but she suspected it was more of a grimace. “Thanks.”

  The woman looked at Heather. “Would you like something to drink?”

  “I’ll take an orange soda, please.”

  “And you, Ms. Fletcher?”

  “Nothing for me, thank you.”

  The flight attendant nodded and moved to the next row. As soon as she was out of the way, Daniel reached across the aisle and handed Monica his iPod device.

  “I think we should reconsider our plans for a honeymoon in Hawaii.” There wasn’t any resentment in his suggestion. Only sympathy. “We can spend our wedding night in Boise, then drive over to the coast. It’s only about eight hours to Portland.”

  Goodness! She hadn’t even thought about the long flight to Hawaii. How many hours would they have been in the air, nearly all of it over the ocean?

  She felt faint at the mere idea.

  Something told her she wasn’t cut out to be a jet-setter or even much of a business traveler. She was, and always would be, a hometown girl.

  In a secret corner of her heart, she felt the first hint of homesickness.

  A haze lingered over the Chicago skyline, tinged a pale lavender by the setting sun at their backs. The limousine headed east, one link in a giant chain of nonstop traffic on the John F. Kennedy Expressway leading from O’Hare International Airport.

  Heather talked excitedly about everything she saw out the windows of the long, black automobile, but her mother didn’t say a word. Daniel was glad to see color returning to Monica’s cheeks. He’d wondered more than once during the flight if she would pass out.

  He squeezed her hand. “You okay?”

  She nodded.

  He didn’t want to say anything to her now, but this put a definite damper on more than an Hawaiian honeymoon. Daniel traveled with his job, and he’d thought it would be great if Monica and Heather accompanied him some of the time. At least during the summer months when Heather was out of school. But if Monica was this afraid to fly, there was no way he would subject her to it. Which would mean separation when he was on assignment, sometimes for weeks at a stretch.

  That reality didn’t s
it well with him.

  Nearly an hour later, he unlocked the door to his apartment and ushered Monica and Heather inside.

  “Wow!” his daughter exclaimed when she went from the foyer into the living room. The wall of glass windows offered a spectacular view of twinkling lights as night began to blanket the city.

  Daniel closed the door. “Are either of you hungry? We can order in for tonight, and tomorrow we’ll stock up on groceries.”

  “I’m hungry!” Heather answered.

  Monica shook her head. “I think all I want is to go to bed.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’ll be fine in the morning. Honest I will.”

  Daniel had an odd sensation in his gut, something telling him there was more wrong here than a fear of flying. But for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what it was. Especially if she wouldn’t talk to him.

  “Why don’t I order a pizza, then I’ll show you both around the apartment? You can get settled in, make an early night of it and get a good night’s sleep.”

  “Thanks,” she whispered.

  After placing the pizza order, Daniel gave them the tour of the place he’d called home for several years. In addition to the spacious living area, there was a large gourmet kitchen, with copper pots and pans hanging above the island stove. Off the master suite was an office with a computer and modem, fax machine, printer, copier, bookcases and file cabinets. It was tidy at the moment because he’d been away, but when he was working, the room always looked as if a tornado had blown through. Across the hall from the office were two smaller guest bedrooms, one on either side of a bathroom.

  “I thought Heather might like this one for her room,” Daniel said as he flipped on the light in the larger of the two bedrooms. Other than the double-size bed, a nightstand with lamp and a dresser, the room was empty, devoid of any personal touches. “It doesn’t look like much now, but I figured you could decorate it like you want,” he told his daughter.

  “Whatever I want?”

  “Sure. Your mom can take you shopping. Fix it up real nice so when we move back here after the wedding, it’ll already feel like home.”

  Monica cast a surreptitious glance in Daniel’s direction. Will it ever be like home? she wanted to ask him. She felt small and petty and spoiled. “And my room?”

  The second guest bedroom was as sparsely furnished as the other. Monica didn’t care, as long as the bed was comfortable. She just wanted to sleep and forget the terror of their flight here.

  The phone rang, and Daniel went to answer it. From down the hall, she heard his voice.

  “I’d like to take the weekend to help Monica and Heather get familiar with the city. They haven’t… Well, sure, I understand… No, if that’s what you need, Charley… Okay, I’ll be in by ten… All right. Good night.”

  When Daniel returned to her, he said, “I’ve got to go into the office tomorrow.”

  “I heard.”

  “I’ll come over for an early breakfast, but then I’ll have to leave you. Think you and Heather will be all right on your own for a few hours?”

  She gave him a smile she didn’t feel. “Of course we’ll be all right. It isn’t like we’re not used to being on our own.” Just not in a strange city.

  “Monica…” He said her name softly, tenderly, as he turned her to face him. “What’s wrong?”

  She fought unwanted tears. “I don’t know. It’s silly really. I feel like such a child.”

  He brushed his fingertips across her cheeks. “Homesick?”

  She nodded.

  “It’s not a crime to feel that way.” He gathered her close against him. His hand stroked her hair. “I love you, Monica. It’ll be all right.”

  She nodded again, but the heavy knot in her stomach wouldn’t go away.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Monica awoke early the next morning, resolved to fall in love with Daniel’s city. As long as she was with him, she could be happy anywhere. She loved him, and he loved her. That was more than enough to smooth over any rough edges associated with her relocation.

  She took a shower, then dressed in a cotton blouse and skirt, remembering how warm it had been when they arrived yesterday. A comfortable pair of sandals completed her outfit. A final glance in the mirror told her she looked much better than when she’d gone to bed the night before.

  As she walked down the hallway, she was surprised to hear the clatter of pots and pans coming from the kitchen. She hadn’t heard Daniel let himself in.

  Daniel turned as she entered the room. For a moment, he assessed her appearance with his eyes. Apparently she’d been correct about looking better because he looked pleased. “You must have slept well.”

  “Yes, thanks.”

  He strode across the spacious kitchen and caught her up in his arms, kissing her tenderly. “In fact, you look more beautiful every time I see you,” he said when their lips parted at long last.

  She smiled in reply.

  “I wish I didn’t have to go into work today.” His voice was husky. “I want to be with you.”

  She felt the same way.

  “I love you, Monica.”

  “And I love you.”

  He kissed her again, and she couldn’t help thinking that July 18 seemed a long way off.

  “Oooh, gross!”

  Daniel grinned as he put his arm around Monica’s shoulders and turned toward Heather, who watched them from the doorway. “You’d better get used to seeing me kissing your mom, squirt, ’cause I plan to do it as often as I can.”

  Heather wrinkled her nose, but she looked delighted despite herself.

  Daniel gave Monica one last kiss on the cheek, then went to the stove. “I stopped on my way over for some groceries. Enough to see us through breakfast anyway. Do you like Cream of Wheat or oatmeal with raisins? I fixed both, just in case.”

  Monica opted for Cream of Wheat. Heather asked for oatmeal. While Daniel filled bowls with the hot cereals, Monica poured herself a cup of coffee.

  Before she could ask, Daniel offered, “I got some of that nonfat French vanilla creamer you like. It’s in the fridge on the top shelf.”

  Her heart did a little skip. It was a small thing, remembering that she liked flavored cream in her coffee, yet it seemed a great deal to Monica. As an adult, as a woman, she’d never had anyone around to do things like that for her. Until now.

  Her apprehensions of yesterday melted away, and she allowed herself to bask in thoughts of her sunny future with Daniel.

  They ate breakfast in the kitchen eating nook, the three of them seated around a small glass-and-chrome table. Daniel apologized again for having to go into work their first day in Chicago, then made a few suggestions about what they might want to do while he was gone.

  “Why don’t you get the lay of the land today. Familiarize yourself with the neighborhood. Maybe take a walk along the lakeshore. Tomorrow, we could go to Lincoln Park Zoo, if that’s what Heather would like to do.”

  “The zoo? That’d be cool, Dad!”

  “Okay then, it’s a date.” He got up from the table and carried his dishes to the sink. “I’d better go. Charley’ll be waiting for me.”

  Monica followed him into the living room, then waited there while he went to his office to get his briefcase. A few moments later, he returned.

  As he gave her a goodbye hug, he said, “Remember, you’re not in Boise now. Take the usual big city precautions. Be aware of what’s going on around you. That sort of thing.”

  She gave him an amused smile. “Boise isn’t that small. I know what to do. We’ll be careful.”

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can. In time for dinner if not before.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll miss you.”

  “We’ll miss you, too.”

  The story was the hottest thing Daniel had seen since he was assigned to the Henderson investigation over three years ago. If Ed was correct—and it appeared he was—this could blow the lid off drug trafficking and other
illegal activities in the entire state of Illinois and beyond to Washington. There were some names in the file one would never expect to see connected with heroin and cocaine and money laundering: state and federal government officials, law enforcement officers, entertainers, even a well-known talk show host.

  “You can see why I wanted you to cover this,” Charley said after he’d given Daniel some time to glance through the thick file.

  He looked up. “Was Ed shot because he got too close to the truth?”

  “That’s my personal feeling. But he was in a seedy part of town. It could be unrelated.” By his tone of voice, it was apparent Charley didn’t think it was remotely possible that the shooting was unrelated to the investigation.

  Despite the potential danger, Daniel felt a spark of excitement. It was the sort of investigative reporting he thrived on. This was the kind of story that made people rush for their papers every morning.

  Charley leaned forward in his chair. “We’re close to cracking this thing wide-open, Rourke. Real close. We can’t let this trail get cold now or it could all go down the drain.”

  “I know.”

  “So far, there haven’t been any leaks that I’m aware of. If there are any, we’ll lose our edge. The television affiliates will be all over it, like ants on picnic leftovers.”

  “Is it possible for me to talk to Ed?”

  The editor shook his head. “He’s in a coma, although they’re more optimistic now that he may survive. But even if he does, he could be paralyzed from the waist down.”

  Daniel felt sick at the news. Ed had a wife and two young kids. What would happen to Yvonne and the boys?

  “I want you on this day and night until we’ve got everything we need.”

  “Remember, I’m getting married the middle of July.”

  Charley barked a laugh. “If you don’t have this wrapped up before then, Rourke, you’re fired.”

  Daniel figured his boss was only half joking. This sort of coverage would generate incredible attention and accolades for the paper that broke it first.

  He rose from his chair. “I’d better get to my office and read through this file.”