“We were going to. We thought we were ready…I was ready…but Luke had a change of heart. He said he would feel like he was trying to replace Penny, and that he didn’t know if he would ever be able to look at another child without thinking they were only here to make up for what we had lost. I didn’t see it that way, but…if both partners aren’t on board, it’s a no-go. We were consumed by the whole partnership thing after that, and well…” she says.
I remember Claire telling me about the brass ring Gregory Meyer held out for them as the youngest attorneys in the history of the firm to be up for partnership. That’s when they shut everything out and pursued their careers hard core. So much so that they didn’t even know Gram died until too late, which was their wake-up call.
“I’m sorry about that,” I say softly. It’s all I can say really. They should have had more kids. They’re two of the best people I’ve ever known and it seems unfair that they didn’t bring another one just like them into the world.
“We got our second chance with you.” Claire smiles her sweet, loving, motherly smile at me and I know how she feels because I got my second chance with them, too.
Luke and Wes stumble down the hall with more than just the overnight bags Claire requested. Each of them has at least three pieces of luggage on them and they’re both laughing as they rumble through the hall like two pack mules.
“Hey babe,” Luke says passing us and going straight to their bedroom followed by Wes. “I’m just going to toss these in here for now, ok?” he calls.
“That’s fine,” she calls back to him. “Hey,” she says to Luke when he enters the room.
“Hey.” Luke kisses Claire’s temple and slides his arm around her waist. “You doing ok in here?”
“Yeah, I’m good, thanks.” Claire wraps both arms around Luke’s waist and rests her head on his chest. It’s not until this moment that I realize Claire probably hasn’t been in this room in a very long time. Even when we moved to Florida, Caroline’s mom must have handled this room.
“Thank you, both, so much. It means a lot to me that you’re opening this room to Eliana.” Technically it’s for Eliana and Wes, but Will doesn’t like to talk about that. He says he’d feel better if, as he put it, Wes “put a ring on it.”
“Of course, Layla,” Luke says. Claire sighs and it seems to be a cue for Luke to move things along. “You know what? It’s late. Let’s divvy up these sheets and get everyone to bed.”
I find Will and Eliana in the kitchen cleaning up the game and Chinese food remnants. I’m surprised there was anything left considering we were feeding Will, Tyler and Chris. Those boys can each down an entire large pizza and a two-liter of soda on their own. They’ll all be spending more time here in the coming days as everyone soaks in as much Will time as they can before the big announcement. Once that happens, the potential for media craziness is imminent and we’ve told them that they’ll have to keep their distance for their own good. We don’t want them having to answer questions from the press.
“Luke says it’s time for bed,” I say as I wet a paper towel and wipe down the counters. I’ll have to remember to put cleaning supplies on the list for what to pull out of the boxes first tomorrow.
“You ready, babe?” Wes asks Eliana as he enters the kitchen just a moment behind me. He kisses Eliana sweetly and Will cringes just slightly, but then smiles as he shakes his head. I can imagine it’s weird to see your mom like that, but at the core he’s really happy that she’s found with Wes what she had been denied for so long. Wes treats her like gold and that’s what matters most to Will.
“We’ve got the rest of this. You two go to bed,” I tell them. Will doesn’t look up from his garbage-gathering task. He’s trying, but sometimes trying means that you’re containing what would be your natural reaction. He knows that Wes is good for his mom, but he’s just really protective of her, especially now that we’re back in Davidson. He doesn’t want anyone to think poorly of her because she’s moved on and in a new relationship.
“If you’re sure,” Eliana says. I nod and she and Wes make their way to the door. “William?” Will turns around and looks at his mother. Eliana looks like she’s not sure exactly what to say; just that she wants to say something. We’re headed into a media firestorm and Will is carrying so much of the responsibility for how it goes. Eliana may make a statement, but Will is the one who will field all the questions. “Get some good rest, sweetheart. We’ve got some big days ahead of us.” Will just nods again and smiles sweetly.
It only takes us another five minutes to get the kitchen tidied. With the kitchen boxes still packed in the garage there are no actual dishes to tend to. Ours was a mission of trash pick-up.
“C’mon. Your turn.” I grab Will’s hand and escort him to his new room. Wes and Eliana’s door is now closed and the box of sheets is in the hallway. I grab a set from the box and begin undoing the perfection of its folding and drop them on Will’s bed. Will is quiet as I shake the fitted sheet out and begin adjusting it on the mattress. “You want to talk about it?”
“Talk about what?” he says. He doesn’t make eye contact with me as he grabs the pillows and begins to fit them with their cases.
“Why are you acting like I don’t know you? I know when you’re deep in thought, when you’re worried.” I stop what I’m doing and take the pillow from him. “Talk to me, Will.”
“It’s…a lot.” His eyes are tired and I know he’s been running through infinite scenarios of the upcoming days.
“I know. I also know that you can do this.” I take Will’s hands in mine hold them tight. “You’ve already come this far. I believe in you.”
“I’m glad someone thinks I can pull this off.”
“Will, what you have to do this week is nothing compared to what you had to pull off to get away from your father. You and Luke coordinated your disappearance and faked your death, which proves you’re brave. You can’t let having to explain all of that to the press scare you.”
“I’m not worried about me, Layla. I’m worried about you, my mom, my family in Hickory…oh, my gosh! What are my grandparents going to think?” Will sits down on the side of the bed and puts his face in his hands.
“They’re going to understand, Will. They knew what your father was like. They’re just going to be happy to have you back, and they’re going to be thrilled to finally have the kind of relationship with you they always wanted.” I sit next to Will and put my arm around his back. It’s so small compared to his athletically strong body, and doesn’t compare to the blanket-like feeling his arms have when they wrap around me. “What’s your mom said about it?”
“She hasn’t. I haven’t asked her about it. It was enough to tell her about the ex-wives, Loretta, and Erin.” Will’s answer is muffled but audible through his hands.
“How did she take that news?” I ask.
“She feels terribly for them, especially Loretta. She’s the only one who knew my dad before the switch got flipped. My mom, and I’m sure the others, can look back and see how my dad manipulated her. Not Loretta. She got to know my dad as a person with a heart who cared about her, cared about their baby. She got blindsided and there was no hindsight. Mom was more concerned with how I felt about Erin.” Will stands and takes the pillow to finish getting the bed ready. I follow his lead and grab the sheet.
“How do you feel about Erin?” I ask, getting back to the task of making Will’s bed.
“Better than I did before. I can’t do anything about how she feels about me but…I think I’d really like to get to know her her…if she wants to get to know me. What do you think she wants?” Will looks at me and I can see the frightened little boy in him. After years of his father’s rejection I don’t think he could take any more. If his father had allowed it, Will would have loved to have had a relationship with Marcus when they were younger, but Will didn’t find out that Marcus was his brother until their father had already done too much damage to both of them.
“I thi
nk she wants to know you. From everything Luke has said about Loretta, Erin’s experience growing up was the polar opposite of Marcus’. She didn’t spend her life hearing about how evil Gregory Meyer was. Her mother left because she wanted a better life for Erin, not because she was forced out. And…Erin is, like, 40 years old, Will. I’d like to think she’s adult enough to know not to hold you responsible for your father’s choices.” I know this isn’t always the case, but my gut tells me Erin’s motives are good.
Will breathes a heavy sigh and helps me straighten the blanket onto the bed. He hands me a pillow and we place both of them against the headboard. When we’re done making his bed, Will grabs another set of sheets from the hall, takes my hand, and leads me up the stairs to my room. He’s silent so I know he’s digesting and thinking.
I take a moment at the top of the stairs recalling the first time I made this trip. I scan the room and it’s like we never left. I remember being in awe of the wall of books that became a source of salvation for me. I glance at the couch and then at Will and we both smile remembering our day of nothing, the day that I knew what it felt like to be absolutely consumed with passion. My eyes lift to the wall of windows and I’m overwhelmed with anticipation for tomorrow, knowing that Will and I will be able to walk the familiar path down the flagstone to the dock and take our rightful places by the lake.
“You got quiet,” I say as I begin the same bed-making routine that we just finished.
“I’m just thinking. I’m sure you’re right about Erin. I guess…I just never factored in any of the other stuff. I didn’t think about how my mom’s family was going to feel. I was just so obsessed with coming home…getting back what should never have been taken away from us…giving you the life I’ve wanted to give you from the moment I knew you loved me as much as I loved you.” Will takes my hand and I sit on the side of the bed with him. “I may be a really crappy fiancé until all of this is settled. Please don’t think that I don’t want you or want to marry you or build our life together or…”
“I get it. You’re ridiculously in love with me and nothing, not even the complications involved with coming back from the dead, is going to keep us from being together,” I smile, grateful that Will is aware and communicating with me about the possibility of me feeling shut out as he deals with everything in front of us. “I love you, too, Will. I know it’s going to be crazy and frustrating and scary until everything is out in the open, but we have been through and conquered worse.”
“Well…since we both agree that it’s going to be pretty crazy around here for a while, and that I’m ridiculously in love with you, and our time together may be limited, I should probably go ahead and do this before it’s too late.” Will leans in and kisses my neck before I even have a chance to respond.
“Oh, wow, um…” I stutter as my head hits the bed and Will’s body is pressed against mine. “Yeah, I think you’re right,” I say as Will continues to kiss the spot behind my ear that we both discovered drives me crazy. “Ah….I’m glad you’re feeling better. I was starting to worry about you.”
“Layla?” Will stops kissing me and I’m afraid this is it for the night. “Shut up.”
“Right. Shutting up now.” I smile and grab the back of Will’s head, crushing our lips together.
Will’s hand travels the length of my body and hitches my knee up to his waist. We can’t seem to get enough of each other. We both let ourselves go farther than we normally would have, but not so far that we compromise the boundary that we’ve abided by since day one. I think we’re both just so nervous about the days to come. There are confrontations, revelations, and unknowns out there. Our solace comes from each other and right now we need as much solace as we can get.
Chapter 8
I’ve tried not to, but I’ve been thinking a lot about the surveillance photos I found of the night my parents died. I replay the night I found them, flipping through each horrific picture in my mind, and remembering how painful it was to relive that night. After Luke and Claire found me in a huddled mess on the office floor Luke promised he would explain them when Gregory Meyer’s trial was over. Since there is no longer a Gregory Meyer trial, I’m hoping Luke will make good on his promise and tell me who took the pictures, and why Meyer had them.
Eliana is helping Claire unpack the kitchen boxes and Will is in the loft going over the statement he and Luke wrote. Luke said he can just read it, but Will really wants to memorize it. He wants to look the press in the eyes when he tells them the truth. He said that a real man looks people in the eyes when he makes a confession.
With everyone else occupied I find Luke in his and Claire’s bedroom. There’s a sitting area as part of the room that they’re making into their office area now that we’ve expanded our family. Wes is with him and they’re sorting through some file boxes.
“Hey, Dad,” I say.
“Hey, Layla. What’s up?” Luke looks at me long enough to smile and goes back to his files.
“I need to talk to you…about the surveillance photos.” I don’t even care that Wes is there. I learned a lot time ago not to worry about what I say in front of him since he already knows everything, and if he doesn’t he’s a steel trap for information he gains.
“I’ll leave you two to talk.” Wes starts toward the door when Luke stops him.
“You need to stay, Wes. There are things only you can explain,” Luke says, putting the file in his hands back in the box.
“Where are the pictures?” I ask. “I want to see them.”
“No you don’t. That was the most horrific night of your life. Looking at them again is the last thing you need to do,” Luke says. He’s being stern, but the look in his eyes tells me that the idea of me reliving that night again pains him as much as it pained me that night on the office floor.
“Are you going to tell me why those pictures were in with the Meyer evidence?” My heart is racing and my breathing is on the shallow side. I’m not sure if I really want to know the answer or if I’m just being my stubborn self and demanding answers for the sake of being in the loop. Part of me is saying that I have a right to know, while the other part is telling me to move on. My parents are dead and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
“Are you sure you want to know? You know the answer to any question that involves Gregory Meyer is never good.” Luke is stoic and fearful. “I won’t be able to undo this once you know.”
“I’m sure,” I say as I sit on the other side of Luke’s desk. Wes sits in the chair next to me and even though I’m about to hear something that I’m sure is going to change things forever, I feel warm and loved. Sitting with me are two of the three men I trust most in this world. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I’m both physically and emotionally safe.
“Ok. Well…” Luke takes a deep breath which seems fitting since he’s about to dive into a pretty deep story. “A few years after Penny died Claire and I felt like we were ready to have another baby. I wasn’t as sure as Claire, but I knew that she wouldn’t be complete without another child, and I wanted to give that to her. But…our lives at the firm were busier than they ever had been. We threw ourselves into our work as a way to self-medicate the pain of losing Penny, and we became even more important to firm. I didn’t talk with Claire about it first, but I decided I would let Greg know that we were going to try for another baby, and that I felt it would better if we left Meyer, Fincher, and Marks. There were less demanding firms in Charlotte that would allow me to practice and still be there for Claire, who I knew would want to stay home with the baby this time.
“The day I decided to talk with Greg I walked into his office after two quick knocks as I frequently did. This particular day I walked in on him and a female client in a compromising position. Flustered and embarrassed, I immediately left the room. After she put her top back on and left, I went back in to see Greg. I apologized for intruding and he waved his hand, dismissing the whole thing like it was no big deal. He asked what I needed so I told
him about Claire and I wanting another baby and that I knew she would want to stay home. He was great about it. He was happy for us, really. I don’t think the idea of Claire leaving bothered him. He always erred on the side of chauvinism. Then I told him how I thought it would be better for our family if I left the firm for a less prominent one that would allow more time for me to spend with Claire and the baby. That’s when things started going downhill.”
“What do you mean? How could things go downhill because you wanted to leave, and what could it possibly have to do with my parents?” I’m already confused but I have a feeling my confusion is about to escalate.
“No one quits Meyer, Fincher, and Marks. You leave the firm because you’re dead or you’ve been dismissed. I knew this but thought that because of the reasons why I was leaving, and because I thought I had a different relationship with him, that Greg would understand. Greg told me I was too valuable to the firm and his particular secrets that he couldn’t risk me leaving. I stressed my position, assuring him I took attorney/client confidentiality very seriously and he had nothing to worry about. When he emphasized that there was no way in hell I was leaving and that he’d make sure I never practiced law in North Carolina or any states we have reciprocity with, I did something stupid.”
“What did you do?” I ask. My eyes are wide and by the looks on their faces it must be clear to both Luke and Wes that I’m shocked that Luke would think he could ever do something stupid. Irresponsibility is not in his repertoire.
“I threatened him.” I’ve never seen this look on Luke’s face before. He’s sad and embarrassed and angry all at once.
“How?” I ask softly.
“That day wasn’t the first time I caught him being inappropriate with a female client. I told him I was obligated to report him to the ethics board, but that I could overlook his indiscretions for an uncomplicated release from the firm as well as a stellar letter of recommendation. He complimented my style, took credit for the influence, and asked me to give him one month, reiterating my importance to the firm and the mess redistribution of cases can be. I thanked him, apologized for my brash behavior, and went back to work. Two weeks later your parents were dead.”
Safe Harbor (The Lake Trilogy, Book 3) Page 7