by Linda Mooney
The family chuckled amid their tears. She managed a watery smile as she turned to where another family was seated to her right. “Mister and Mrs. Postert, I’ll never forget your daughter Waneea. She and I played on the same volleyball and basketball team in high school. She was a superb teammate, but more importantly she was a wonderful person and friend to all who knew her.”
She glanced back down at the single sheet of paper clutched in her hand. It gave her something solid to hold on to. Brenda sniffed and looked back up into the lenses of half a dozen cameras quietly taking everything in. At the far end of the room, she could barely make out three distinct figures also watching and listening. Lorne had told her he and his brothers would be there at the press conference, if for nothing else than to give her moral support.
“They say no good deed goes unpunished, and ever since the accident, I have lived that saying every day. I am truly, truly sorry for what happened. As a representative of Dobbling Enterprises, and as a fellow Fullertonite, I offer you our…my…deepest sympathies for your loss.”
She gave a little nod to show she was finished. What she didn’t expect was for several additional microphones being thrust into her face.
“Miss McKay, is it true the explosion was the result of a new chemical being manufactured and funded by the U.S. military?”
“Miss McKay, are you aware of the number of lawsuits being filed against Dobbling by the families of the victims?”
“Rumors say the real nature of this lab was deliberately kept secret from the public, and that Dobbling knew all along that the chemicals being kept here could cause this kind of reaction. Is that true?”
To the last question, she returned with a hard stare. “One of those chemicals was being manufactured here. One, understand? And its manufacturing was clearly spelled out before the factory was given its permits. Every precaution required by law was exercised, and then some. At no time was there ever any danger of an explosion of this magnitude.”
“Then what is your take on the explosion, Miss McKay?” the reporter asked, taking advantage of her momentary attention. “What do you think caused it? And who do you think is responsible?”
“We’ll have to wait until the final reports are in,” Brenda informed the newsman. “I’m as much in the dark as you are.”
Lorne picked up the remote and turned off the TV. “Enough of that. At least they’re not placing the full blame on you,” he told her.
Brenda nodded. “But, in a way, they are. I’m guilty by association. I’m guilty because I’m the person who convinced Dobbling to build here in the first place. I’m guilty because I talked up the project to everyone, urging them to apply for jobs there, and convincing them that this factory would practically pull Fullerton out of its economic slump.” She sighed heavily and buried her face in the sofa pillow. She was lying across most of the couch, leaving Lorne with just a small amount of space at one end to sit.
“You didn’t cause that explosion,” he softly said.
Reaching down, he tucked a bit of hair behind her ear. The simple gesture warmed her inside.
“No, but who else are they gonna blame? The lab workers?”
“So what happens next? Are you going to get to keep your job?”
“I don’t know.” She gave a half-hearted shrug of one shoulder. “I can’t think anymore. I can’t anticipate what’ll happen next. I’m just…numb inside. Numb and tired.”
Lorne patted her arm and got up from the sofa. “You’re still grieving. You need to rest. If you decide you want some company, give me a call. If you need anything, ditto.”
“Thanks, Lo,” she sleepily said, already sinking into sleep. If she was lucky, she would dream about the mysterious man in black. If she was luckier, the dream would be filled with nice, nasty erotic images. Anything to get her mind off of her present situation.
She never heard Lorne leave, closing and locking the door securely behind him.
Chapter 12
Walk
If she dreamed, she couldn’t remember any of it. But after waking from her nap, Brenda knew she needed to go to the market to stock up on some necessities. It was clear she wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon, and frankly she wasn’t ready to go back to the city. Lorne was right. She needed time to grieve and the chance to heal. This whole horrible mess with Dobbling was unavoidable, but for the moment it had to come second.
Walking into the house, her arms loaded down, she paused in the doorway as a sense of relief washed over her. The place smelled the way she believed a home should smell, and looked the way a loving home should look. In fact, she felt more comfortable and content here than she did in the apartment she rented back in Ocean City. Coming back here, instead of staying at a motel as she had initially considered, was the smartest thing she’d ever done, her father’s funeral notwithstanding. Here, she could forget about the stressful pace of her job.
Better yet, the people who meant more to her than anything else lived right next door. Almost unconsciously, her thoughts drifted to Lorne. Scruffy, shy Lorne. Handsome, reliable, gentle Lorne.
In the next instant, The Defender loomed into her mind’s eye. She slowly shook her head. He was the one who made her inner thighs wet. He was the man who jolted her bloodstream as if a hundred caffeine drinks had been dumped into it simultaneously. A man whose touch even now burned her skin at the memory.
Yet, Lorne was more comfortable and trustworthy than a pair of old bunny slippers. If her heart had to make a choice, she wouldn’t hesitate to choose Mr. Palmer. He was more than a friend. Always had been. Except Lorne never looked at her that way. He never touched her, or eyed her, or gave her any nonverbal signal that said he wanted to become more than friends, no matter how much she wished he would. Too bad she was too chicken shit to make the first move, damn her.
But she could see her and Lorne making a life together. Maybe even living in this house, right next door to his brothers. He’d like that. Only, there was one small obstacle standing in the way of believing everything would be all hunky-dory between them if they did become a couple.
Lorne didn’t push her buttons the way The Defender did.
It was late afternoon, getting close to quitting time. Brenda checked her watch as she phoned her boss.
“Well, what have you found out?” Wagner asked right off, without a hello. “We’re starting to get some major feedback from our dissenters. Did you know we have at least six lawsuits pending? We’re talking millions of dollars, and that’s not taking into consideration having to pay for the clean-up of the grounds.”
“Is the board considering rebuilding?”
“It hasn’t come up yet. I’m thinking they’re going to wait to see what the final report says about the cause of the blast. We have to find out who’s responsible.”
Who’s responsible. Or, in lawyer speak, who to blame. And maybe squeeze a few dollars out of. Brenda frowned. “I watched The Defender fly off with something in his hands. I believe it has something to do with the explosion, but I’ll need more clearance to check it out.”
“You got it. Anything else? Anything we can use right now?”
“I’m sorry. That’s all I have. For God’s sake, Wil, I just buried my father! Can’t you just let me have some uninterrupted downtime just this once? If I find out anything more about the blast, I promise I’ll be in touch!”
Brenda heard the pitiful, whining way her voice sounded, but it couldn’t be helped. She was tired physically and emotionally, and it wouldn’t take much for her to throw up her hands and call it quits. To her surprise, her usually obnoxious, overcompensating boss came back using a more understanding tone of voice than she’d expected.
“I was just checking over your leave status. Take as long as you want, Brenda. As long as you feel is necessary. You’re overdue for some time off, anyway.”
“Thank you,” she replied with a hint of sarcasm. Wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Wilson Wagner was impervious to that sort of thing.
> They signed off when Wagner received another phone call he had to take. Brenda tossed her cell onto the sofa, next to her purse. The man wasn’t as concerned over her taking leave as he was her remaining in Fullerton where The Defender was still attached. The only reason he was willing to coddle her was because she was a hometown girl, and he felt she would be able to open more doors than a total stranger would. The company would always come first and foremost to the man. Brenda felt a shred of pity for Wagner’s own family.
Looking out the sliding glass door leading from the den to the backyard, she felt a twinge of hunger. Sighing, she went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. Inside was dish after covered dish of more food than she would be able to eat in a week, even after much of it had been devoured by the Palmer boys. Unsure what to reheat, she looked around for the half-gallon of milk, when it struck her.
“Hell. No milk.” They had polished off the carton they’d brought with them yesterday, and she hadn’t picked up any more at the store. Well, no harm, no foul. There was a Jiffy Gas two blocks away. She debated whether to drive to it, but the late afternoon was inviting. This was her old stomping grounds where people could still stroll down the sidewalks in relative safety. Besides, the exercise would do her good. She could go there and be back in less than fifteen minutes.
Grabbing her wallet and keys from her purse, she found one of her father’s old windbreakers in the hall closet and put it on, shoving the wallet in one of the deep, flannel-lined pockets, and her keys in the other.
The air smelled pure, filtered clean by the countless trees lining the street and dotting the lawns. Traffic was practically nonexistent. Given another hour, the neighborhood would be bustling with people arriving home after work.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to come home to this place after my kind of day on the job?” she softly wondered aloud. But she knew it was a dream. Fullerton had no airport, for one thing. And in her line of work, airline access was as crucial as her company credentials. If she needed to fly somewhere, she’d have to travel two hours plus to Ocean City and catch a plane at the Intercontinental Airport located on the other side of the metropolis.
Once she got to the little combination mini-market and gas station, she met several people whom she knew, and who had known her father. By the time they offered their condolences, and Brenda had bought milk and a few other odd items, the sun was beginning to set. Hoisting her two plastic bags, she rounded the corner of the store, and nearly ran into a familiar figure.
“Lorne! What are you doing here?”
He gave her a grin, and she felt her heart skip a couple of beats. “Stopping by on the way home for a soda. Hold on a sec, and I’ll help you carry those bags.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but the man had already slipped past her and gone inside. It took him practically no time to grab a canned drink and pay for it before rejoining her. Mutely, he snagged the heaviest bag and casually rolled it over a shoulder.
“You were on the evening news.”
He began the conversation on their stroll back, and slowed his long-legged stride for her benefit.
“Again? Did they superimpose a target over my face this time?”
“They didn’t show your press conference this time. They showed you talking to that new superhero. Mr. What’s-his-name.”
“He’s called The Defender, in case you’re wondering.”
“Thank you. I’ll file that bit of information for further teasing. So, what were you two talking about? Looking for a date?”
Brenda glanced up to see him silently berating her with those warm, woolen-gray eyes. “Lorne! My boss called with an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
“Oh? He wants you to go on a date with the flying man in black? Excuse me. With The Defender,” Lorne teased.
“You’re mean. No. He wants me to help investigate the cause of the explosion. Find out if it was caused by accident or from human error. I was hoping The Defender could provide some information.” She gave him a playful punch in the shoulder. It was like hitting rock. “Why do you tease me like that?”
“Because you know I can read you like a book. Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Did you tell him?”
“Tell who what?” She gave him an exasperated look. “Lorne, have I ever told you how irritating you can be?”
“Yeah. It can become one of my many middle names, like ‘crazy’, ‘thoughtful’, and ‘idiot’. I think I have room to add ‘irritating’.”
Brenda felt the laughter bubbling up inside her. What was it about Lorne Palmer that always made her feel good, even in the worst moments? Luke didn’t affect her like this. Neither did Lee.
“Did you tell him you had the hots for him?” Lorne reminded her.
“Lorne!” She could feel her face burning, and it wasn’t from the sun. “Awright. You’re right. The Defender does turn me on, but I can’t tell him that.”
“Why not? Guys usually like that sort of thing.” They took a couple of steps in silence, then he added, “Do I turn you on?”
For some reason, she’d been expecting him to ask. Sooner or later. “Lorne¼”
He quickly shook his head. “Never mind. That one word said it all.”
“Lorne, look, it’s not that I don’t care. Truth is, I love you lots, but it’s not¼well, you know.”
“It’s not the all hot and bothered type of love,” he teased. “It’s not the ‘ooh, take me now, Mr. Defender!’ kind, right?”
He had her laughing again, damn him. No matter how serious the subject could get, Lorne could always lift her spirits and dispel her melancholy. It was that ability that made her love him all the more.
“So, are you going to tell him? Ever?”
Brenda shook her head, still smiling.
“Why not?”
“Because he’s The Defender! Hell, he could already be married!”
“You think so? Does he wear a wedding ring?”
She made a rude sound. “Superheroes don’t wear wedding rings. Nahh, forget I said anything about him being married.” Funny how the thought of the man in black already being spoken for was like stabbing herself in the heart.
“Well, let’s pretend he’s not married,” Lorne assumed. “What if he approached you and asked you out? Would you go?”
“In a heartbeat, but I’m not holding my breath.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s too busy keeping the world a safe place without having to worry about mundane things like taking some girl out to the movies.”
They turned the corner of the block and began strolling toward home. Already twilight was casting shadows on the sidewalk. Brenda glanced at the man beside her to find him deep in thought. Fishing inside her jacket pocket, she pulled out a penny from the change she’d gotten at the store and held it out to him. Lorne looked down in surprise.
“What’s that for?”
“For your thoughts.”
“I’m thinking about what I saw on the news.”
She gave a nod. “You mean the part where he snuffed out another minor explosion? Did you catch him flying away?”
“Yeah. It looked like he had something in his hands.”
“That’s what I thought, too. I tracked him to the bomb disposal barracks the police have outside the city, but I couldn’t get access in.”
They walked the remaining distance in easy silence, occasionally remarking about one thing or another as they passed by. Once they reached Brenda’s house, Lorne handed over the other sack of groceries.
“Want to come in and have leftover lasagna?” she offered. “I could throw a salad together, and I can make some garlic bread, too.”
“Sounds tempting, but Lee’s fixing dinner tonight, and you know how he is when he thinks no one wants to eat his cooking.” Lorne wrinkled his nose.
“That’s because no one wants to eat his cooking!” Brenda laughed. “All right. Be that way, then. Tell the others ‘hi’ for me.”
He nodded, and turned to head for his front door, but not before she stopped him.
“Lorne?”
He paused to look back at her. He looked so warm and inviting, she was sorely tempted to run up and throw her arms around him. If she did, she knew he would hold her until she was ready for him to let go.
Another thought came to her, almost overwhelming her. Thank goodness the sun was at her back, hiding the growing redness in her face. In the meantime, he continued to patiently wait for her to say what was on her mind.
“Will I see you tomorrow?” God, that’s so lame.
“Sure.” He nodded and smiled. “Any idea when you think you’ll be going back to Ocean City?”
“Maybe next week,” Brenda told him, although she hadn’t made any definite plans.
“That’s good. It’ll give us a little more time to visit,” he said, throwing her a mock salute. “Later, Bren.”
“Yeah. Later, Lo.” She continued watching the tall, handsome middle brother until he disappeared into the next house. When he was finally out of sight, she went into hers, but not without feeling as if an opportunity had come and gone, and she had missed it.
Chapter 13
Seduction
She read the paper she’d bought at the convenience store, then watched a couple of numbing hours of television before deciding to go to bed. After a brief shower, Brenda opened the bedroom window a little ways to let in air. It was a pleasant night, if a bit on the cool side. It reminded her of the times the Fullerton Four would camp out in the backyard, telling ghost stories behind their flashlights, and eating bags of buttery, greasy popcorn Mrs. Palmer would bring to them.
She stared at the little twin bed with its pink patchwork spread. It looked incredibly small, but there was no way she could sleep in her parents’ bedroom, much less in their queen-size bed.
Sighing, she grabbed a quilt from the top of her closet and opened it over the bedspread. That done, she pulled back the coverlet and top sheet, and sank onto the mattress. Despite it being noticeably smaller than her bed back in Ocean City, it remained inviting and overwhelmingly comfortable. And it still fit her curves and bumps, as it should. After all, it was home.