Love Remains

by Zrinka Jelic

  Another piece of the puzzle fell into its place. Baldwin had filed for divorce and Mrs. hadn’t liked it. Now what was it she held over his head? “Maria, so pure and innocent. She taught me the importance of being honest. Nine years of hiding is long enough.” He lowered his voice as he continued, “An embarrassing medical condition … ” His swallow filled the long pause. “I had gallbladder removed … I … well … often I can’t hold it.”

  The frail man’s furrowed face told Tom he wasn’t comfortable disclosing the details of his humiliation.

  “It’s alright, Mr. Baldwin. I understand.”

  But Baldwin licked his parched lips and went on, his voice gaining in strength. “The doc said ‘happens in ten percent of cases.’ Wouldn’t change a thing if I sued him. There’s no cure for my benign condition. Not so harmless in the circles I move in. This is … unacceptable. But to live in constant fear of discovery is worse. Let them know and if they want to report on this … ” He waved his hand, dismissing the subject.

  Tom drew in a sharp breath and leaned on his elbows. The tangled yarn of his first major criminal case had begun to unravel. Until today he felt like he’d been spinning in circles. Now the connection between this case, Olivia and her long pawned gun seemed stronger.

  Why turn Mr. Baldwin into a laughingstock when they could use so many excuses and keep this man’s condition a secret? He wasn’t a sacrificial lamb to be thrown to the lions with flashing cameras so that they could sell the snapshots and stories to the highest paying tabloid. Tom would come up with a feasible story.

  With a heavy sigh, he pushed away from the chair. “No Mr. Baldwin, we can do this without disclosing your embarrassment. Right now your priority is to get well and on your feet so you can take the stand and defend Maria.”

  A weak smile tugged the corners of Baldwin’s lips. “Tell her to stay strong. For me.”

  Tom nodded to Alex and the young intern pocketed his pen and writing pad. “She’ll be glad to hear from you.” With one hand on the knob, he cast one more look at the patient. “I’ll see you again.”

  Baldwin blinked his heavy lids and nodded once. Tom turned the knob, but let it go and spun to face the man in the bed. “One more question. Do you know a man named Jim Hiltorn?”

  Baldwin’s eyes snapped open, rage flashed in them. “He pushed for a merger, but I wasn’t up to inheriting his company’s debts. Hiltorn took it pretty hard when the deal fell through.”

  CHAPTER 15

  After Milo and Rosie succumbed to sleep, Olivia turned off the lights in the house and stood in front of the bay window, overlooking the empty street. Where was Tom? He never took this long at work. Each time a car’s headlights cast beams on the pavement, her heart sped, only to drop in disappointment when the vehicle continued on.

  She slid the diamond along the necklace. The whirr-whirr of the pendant against the chain calmed her nerves and brought the memory of their passionate night. Not that the images ever left her. Her husband had given her not two, but five soaring orgasms. The little sex toy, both delightful and wicked, had driven her crazy. What else could he be hiding in his closet?

  He would be home any minute, and hopefully, ready to show her his collection. If he had one. By now the anticipation soaked her panties. In the last hour, a single car passed by. Should she call him? No, she was just a temporary wife, she couldn’t appear that needy. But what she shared with Tom was nothing like her previous one-night stands. Her whole body tingled with life, however surreal. For the first time, she was in a relationship that was going somewhere. But where? She refused to return to her lone existence now that she’d fallen in love with the family life.

  The garage door rumbled on its way up, and the sound thrilled her. Tom was home. She ran up the stairs, shed her house coat and slipped under the covers of their bed. Back propped against the pillow, book in hand, she waited on him, shifting her eyes from the blurry words on the page to the doorway.

  A moment later, he entered the bedroom. His slumped shoulders and long yawn showed his exhaustion.

  He closed the door, exhaling loudly. “Still awake?”

  She thumbed the corners of pages. “I couldn’t sleep.”

  In one swift movement, he removed his jeans and shirt as he headed straight for the bed, leaving his clothes scattered on the floor. “Baldwin’s lawyer scrutinized me for showing up in my casual clothes.”

  “He wouldn’t know you rushed to the hospital from the jail.” So much for lovemaking tonight, but at least they would snuggle and maybe he’d muster enough energy after he rested for a bit.

  “Eh, the guy is a jerk, took me for an amateur.” Tom’s hand slid under the blanket and caressed her bare thigh. “Sorry, lost the track of time going over the notes with Alex. What a day.”

  Her libido nosedived as she closed and placed her book on the nightstand. She laced her fingers with his. Her poor husband pulled a double shift today, the least she could do was give him time to rest. “Are you hungry? I can warm some chicken soup.”

  “No, thanks, we ordered in.” He yawned.

  “I figured you’d be in the office, but didn’t want to disturb you. So, Baldwin’s out of his coma. Wow, after how many months?”

  “Three. He’s very thin, but otherwise normal and doctors seem optimistic.”

  “That’s good.” She tried to sound enthusiastic, but a tremor crept to her voice. She couldn’t shake off the premonition once the trial was over, she’d be yanked away from this life. After all, the entity that sent her had placed her here at the beginning of the trial. She held a key to solving it. The cold gut sense that her old gun had been used to commit the crime increased.

  He propped his head on his arm and stared at her. The same hunger of last night burned in his warm eyes. She shivered imagining the possibilities. Yet she couldn’t ignore his tiredness.

  He ceased circling his thumb on her hand. “Did you know Hiltorn wanted to merge his company with Baldwin’s?”

  “There were some rumors over a year ago on the executive level. Intelcorp was supposed to be C-Two’s division. But then all the talk died down when it started. How did you find out about it? I mean, even I never knew if it was real.”

  He rubbed his temple and groaned. “Baldwin said so today.”

  “What prompted you to ask this?” Why would Baldwin disclose something like that? Maybe his meds made him babble about the unsuccessful merger.

  Tom rolled to his back, slid his hand under his head, and blew out a breath. “I can’t discuss it.”

  She wrapped her arm around his hard chest and nestled against him. He nuzzled her neck. His warm breath brushed her skin. “You know, you never did tell me how you obtained that gun.”

  She froze. They were back to the weapon discussion. She had known this would surface at some point. “A couple years ago, I attended a corporate retreat. We played a business edition of truth or dare, but the game quickly turned to the teenager’s version.” She swallowed in anticipation of spilling this next part, but anger flared in her. How stupid she’d been, willing to do anything to please her boss, even accept an unregistered firearm. “I got encouraged by the dares of others, and I confessed more than I should. A few days later, my boss handed me the gun. Said it was for my own protection. To scare pushy guys from getting what they wanted. Seemed logical at the time so I took it — he was my boss — how could I say no? But I refused the bullets.”

  She closed her eyes. It was time to tell the truth. “In my world, I still have that gun and didn’t have any intention of turning it in.”

  “You do?” Surprise in his voice and his furrowing brow stirred sharp nails in her stomach.

  Afraid where Tom was going with these questions, she wrapped a lock of her hair around her index finger. “Did the ballistics prove where the gun came from?”

  His pause turned into foreboding silence. “Yes, it’s your old gun.”

  She stifled a whimper in her throat. Her forewarning was correct. He tightened hi
s hold around her waist. The warmth of his body calmed her unease. “You didn’t have a motive or the opportunity to shoot Mr. Baldwin. The only thing you could be charged with is illegal possession of a firearm. Not even that since in this life, you got rid of it long before the shooting. All I know is before you returned from Vancouver all confused, my case was going nowhere. Do you think that gun has something to do with this alternate world happening?”

  Surrounded by his arms, her body relaxed. “Yeah, I think so. Does this mean the trial will be soon?”

  “This is a high profile case and all involved parties share connections. They can pull strings and set the trial for next month if Mr. Baldwin regains his strength. Even then, trials of this nature could take months to close.”

  She pressed her lips tight, stifling a whimper. A month before the beginning of an end. That was all she had left with her wickedly skilled husband and two wonderful children. She resolved to find a way to buy more time, to search for a way to stay with them forever.

  • • •

  Tom crept to the kitchen door and stared in silence. Olivia lowered the cell phone next to the address book on the table and glanced at him. A nostalgic smile danced on her lips. She placed the pen down and cocked her head, sending her raven hair cascading over her shoulder.

  “How long you’ve been watching me from there?”

  Tom pushed away from the doorframe and stepped to her. He kissed the top of her head, inhaling her floral shampoo. “Less than a minute. And how long you’ve been up?”

  “About an hour. Even made a pot of coffee, but it’s weak.” She scowled, tilting her cup.

  He lifted the lid of the machine and peeked in. “The filter flipped, that’s why. I’ll make a fresh pot.”

  “Thanks, I’m sure you wouldn’t drink this.” She stuck her tongue out.

  After dropping six scoops in the fresh filter, he poured the water into the compartment and pushed brew button. Soon, thick, dark liquid trickled into the pot and rich aroma drifted through the kitchen.

  He joined her at the table, taking his usual seat across from her. “What are you writing there?”

  “Just phone numbers and addresses, emails and such.” She kept her face glued to the paper.

  Curiosity sparked in him. “Whose?”

  “Everyone’s. Friends, family, you know.” She scratched her cheek with the tip of her pen.

  “Don’t you have them already in your contacts? Like in your email or cell phone?”

  “I do, but electronic files can be damaged, or corrupted and can easily be lost or deleted. I feel better if I write them as back up in my little book.”

  Four short beeps indicated the coffee was ready. He stood and tapped her arm. “Good idea. Something my mom would do. She doesn’t trust technology either. You should see how appalled she got when my brother showed her some grocery app on his cell.”

  Olivia’s lips stretched in a grin, matching his. “Why would she get upset over that?”

  He chuckled at the memory and she joined in, but her meek smile and the flicking of her eyebrows indicated she expected him to explain. He ceased laughing with a long sigh. “Ante was so proud showing mom his new cell, but she just looked at it and said, ‘Unless that phone washes my dishes and cleans the kitchen, it’s still a phone.’ Then he showed her the grocery app and she scowled. Mom likes to shop on the piazza with her friends. They must squeeze every pomidoro before buying. No app can do that.”

  Her baffled expression replaced the grin. “What’s pomidoro?”

  “Tomato.” He took two cups from the cupboard and filled them with coffee, the potent scent promising a rich brew. The mugs’ bottoms clinked against the table top and he angled the chair toward her. “Here’s a fresh cup of my joe.”

  She took a sip and smacked her lips, making them glisten. “I can never get enough of your morning brew.”

  A memory of their wild night tugged on the corners of his mouth. He leaned closer. “There was something else you couldn’t get enough of.”

  Her white teeth flashed when she bit on her lower lip, but it was her sucking sound that sent a rush of blood to his groin. A mischievous smile lingered on her face, and she cradled her mug in her hands. “Are there more toys in your closet?”

  “No toys only scented oils and creams.” He studied her. Had she rummaged through his bag? No, she would’ve found the feather tickler. A stimulating toy she couldn’t stand for him use on her. Not without breaking into gales of giggles. But someday soon, he would try again.

  “No ropes or handcuffs?” Her tone carried a hint of disappointment.

  Hanging out with his boasting university buddies he had learned a few tricks on bondage and dominance, but his mama had taught him to respect a woman, not demean her. Plus he’d grown bored of the constant stream of girls throwing themselves at him and their eagerness to submit to humiliation. Olivia’s resistance came as a much needed relief. If only she had had enough guts to refuse the gun from her boss. Well, people tended to act in unpredictable ways when it came to pleasing the management in fear of losing a job or getting passed on for the promotion.

  He tilted his head in suspicion. This was after all a different lady seated across from him. Good thing the kids were still asleep so they could carry on this conversation. “Do you want to try all that stuff?”

  “No. I don’t think I’d go for bondage and submissive slave thing. Some role playing and use of gentle toys is as far as I’d go.”

  “Phew, I can’t picture you as a submissive. And though you turn me on when you take control, I don’t want to be dominated all the time. So our happy medium is perfect.”

  She drained her coffee and handed the empty cup to him. “Yes, it is. Refill.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He stood, brushing his finger along her hand as he took her cup. “Tonight you should draw me a bubble bath and we’ll play, as you put it.”

  Her eyes sparkled with desire and once again she drew her lower lip between her teeth, flashing a wicked grin.

  A long sigh failed to loosen his tight throat. How he hated taking a rain check, though postponing the pleasure promised hotter sex and a mind blowing orgasm. “I have to transform to a lawyer, then I have to go to jail and start prepping my client for a trial. Poor girl has no idea what kind of grueling questions she’ll be put under. Every bit of dirt from her life will get dug out and put on display.”

  “Poor indeed. I cannot even imagine what she must be going through.” Olivia closed her notebook and stood. “I’ll make you some breakfast before you head out.”

  He took off for the stairs, heading to master bedroom. “Toast me a bagel and spread some cream cheese on it.”

  A perfectly golden bagel waited on the plate in the middle of the table. Olivia’s toasting skills had improved. He heard her soft cooing through the baby monitor. She was getting Rosie ready. Switching from a passionate lover to a mom came so naturally to his wife.

  He gobbled his breakfast in four bites and washed it down with a few sips of his coffee. With his travel mug filled, he grabbed his briefcase and opened the coat closet.

  While he scrambled into his coat, Olivia came down the stairs, Rosie on her hip. “Daddy has to go.”

  “But I always have a moment for my girls.” He took Rosie in his hands.

  Fear flashed in Olivia’s eyes and her face crumpled. She turned away from him and walked away. Shifting Rosie to his side, he reached for Olivia’s elbow, pulled her close and placed a reassuring kiss on her temple. “You wrote the contact info because you’re afraid all of this, me and our kids, will disappear one day and we’ll never see each other.”

  She sniffed. “I found that address book tucked in my drawer. I had it before you came to my life and if my fears turn out to be correct, I somehow know I’ll still have the info.” She swallowed. “If I leave, I can still find you.”

  Her trembling voice and shivering body told him he should give her fears some merit. “If we do get separated, I’ll tear t
his planet to shreds to find you.”

  She pulled back and wiped her tears. Her short chuckle chipped a morsel of his worry away. “What if you don’t remember me? If we’re strangers to each other?”

  “Honey, you will never be a stranger.” He cupped her chin. How could he show her his love was strong enough to keep them together? “What we share is not something I can forget.”

  Olivia stared at him. The pleading in her wide eyes ate at his heart. “How will you find me?”

  “I don’t know, but I can promise you, if it comes to that, I will not stop looking for you.” His assuring gaze should put her mind at ease. Rosie’s fidgeting broke his stare. The little girl was picking up on their emotions. He placed a kiss on his baby’s head. Her soft frizzes tickled his nose.

  Olivia took her in her arms and gave him a watery smile. He cupped her face, her tears squeezed his chest. “No more tears. I’m here and nothing will pull us apart.”

  She nodded and drew in a long breath. “Will you be gone all day like yesterday?”

  “I don’t think so.” He buttoned up and with one final peck on Olivia’s cheek he headed out.

  During his hour’s drive to the women’s correctional facility his mind drifted to Olivia’s fears and his failure to assure her. Hell, he’d failed to convince himself. Anything he’d said were mere words. Perhaps he should think of an alternative. If she was right, he should have some way of finding her, remembering her and the life they shared. But what could he plant as a reminder?

  Snow crunched under the tires as he parked in front of the institutional brownstone building. He flashed his card, signed his name in the visitor’s book, clasped his badge to the jacket of his suit and followed the guard down the long corridor.

  At the press of her meaty finger on the button, the loud buzz filled the air and the metal rod door slid open.

  This time Maria waited, seated at the table. Her face lit up when he entered the large room. “Is it true? Did Mr. Baldwin pull through?”