Across the lawn, Kate leaned against the door of the car where Tim had been seated in the back. Her attention stayed focused on the shadows where Jack stood. “You okay, Jack?”
He breathed deep, numbness settling over his too tight nerves. “This was the last thing I expected.”
“Probably why you didn’t think you needed me to be here,” Kate said. “I would have figured he’d be in Florida or Mexico by now. You shouldn’t have gone in without backup, though. I know you’re angry. I know this is your family. But really, Jack?” Kate stopped and stared at him, then raised her eyebrow and cocked her head to the side.
“It wasn’t my plan, Kate. I just wanted to see Lisa.”
“You’re going to have to explain this to the chief. It isn’t going to go over well.”
“I know.” Jack slammed his fist against the roof of the car. Leslie was going to marry Tim. After what he’d done to Lisa. That the chief was going to chew on him about losing his temper was of little consequence.
He climbed into his car and started the journey back across town to his condo. He just wanted to sit on his deck and try to figure out what had gone wrong. How had he managed to fail every single member of his family that really mattered to him?
His iPhone belted out the theme from “Cops” and yanked him back to reality. Kate thought it would be funny when she set the ringtone up and although it annoyed him, Jack hadn’t taken the time to learn how to change it. He pulled the phone from the clip on his belt, fighting the seatbelt. Before it finally came loose, he was more aggravated than he should have been.
“What?” He figured it would be Kate on the other end of the line, lecturing him about leaving before the paperwork was done.
He was wrong.
TEN
“Jack, it’s Dana.” Instantly, electricity buzzed across his already jangled nerves. What was it about her that caused that reaction in him? “I thought you might like to get dinner.”
He tried to filter what Dana was asking through the web of thoughts consuming his mind. Yes, they had discussed having dinner tonight, but it was the farthest thing from his mind right now. He thought of Leslie and Lisa. And it occurred to him that he might not get to see Lisa again for a while. If ever. Even though she seemed angry with the world right now, Lisa was his favorite—and only—niece.
He could remember her as the sweet child she used to be. The child that existed before tongue rings and naval piercings and raspberry hair and gothic style clothing. And anger that he should have long ago recognized for what it was: a call for help dealing with her very screwed up mother’s life. The realization overwhelmed him, and a lump rose in his throat.
“Jack?” Silence again.
“Dana, I’m not sure this is a good night. They just picked up Tim Burris. He was at Leslie’s house.”
“Well now, that would seem to me to be a good thing, Jack. Come on, let’s celebrate.” She waited again through the silence and then said, “Jack what aren’t you telling me?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I’ve got time. And I’m a good listener.” She rattled off a restaurant for them to meet at and disconnected the call.
“I really--.” The kind of dead silence you get when someone has hung up filled the space between him and Dana. She was gone. All he really wanted to do was go back to his condo, sit on the deck, and figure out where he’d gone wrong.
Because he had gone wrong somewhere. He knew Leslie was screwed up. He had personal knowledge of the damage she could do. Leslie had been the reason that Susan started doing drugs while he was in Afghanistan. Leslie had gotten her hooked.
And Leslie had thrown the party at which Susan got stoned and then tried to drive home. It was on that trip home that Susan had run a red light. His daughter, Lilly, was killed on impact. He’d let his daughter die because he brought Leslie and Susan together. He had known then that Leslie had a drug problem. But he thought she was past it. And he never would have believed that Susan would fall into that trap.
Susan had walked away from that accident with cuts and bruises and a load of guilt. Three months later, she killed herself with an overdose of drugs that Leslie had provided. Jack could have stopped it. He was home then. But he was angry at Susan for being stupid, and he hadn’t even asked where she was going the day she died. He let her walk out the door. He let her die, too.
So Jack should have known that Lisa was in danger. He should have known that Leslie would screw up her life or put her in a position to have someone else screw it up. He did know. And just like he had failed Susan and Lilly, he failed Lisa.
“Great,” Jack said to the interior of the car as he dropped the iPhone into the cup holder. The last thing he wanted was to talk to anyone about anything. What if Dana found out about his past? She already knew he’d failed Lisa. If she pushed too hard, she’d see right through his carefully constructed life and see just how useless he really was to the people he cared the most about.
He turned the car onto Highway 90 and cruised past the beach. His window was down and the salty smell of the Gulf eased his tense muscles a little.
The Gulf of Mexico had always been a sort of enigma to Jack. He thought of it as the joining of two very different worlds and he tried to use that realization to keep his mind open. But sometimes, all the philosophy in the world couldn’t remove the shadowed beliefs that a person was raised with. What Tim had done to Lisa, regardless of the circumstances, was one of those crimes for which Jack believed there was no forgiveness.
It was the worst crime Jack could imagine. Other crimes, like murder were nowhere near as bad as teaching a child that the way to gain love was through physical and mental pain. And despite her age, Lisa was still a child.
Thoughts whirled through his mind as the miles of darkened beach slipped by. He almost missed the restaurant.
When he walked inside, Dana was waiting for him at the door. She surprised him with a quick hug and then stood back and looked at him.
“Wow! You look really bad.” Dana scrutinized him. “What happened to you? Would you rather have dinner at my place? I live close.”
Dinner at her house? Jack shook his head afraid that kind of proximity would lead to something neither of them wanted. Something born of the kind of need that could never be truly satisfied.
At the table, Jack sunk low in his seat, recognizing the intense stares of the people around them. Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea. He should have called Dana back and made her understand he wanted to be alone.
But he was here now. Might as well just get through it so he could get home to his deck and a little solitude. He wearily opened his menu and studied it without seeing it until the silence got to him. “I had a run in with Leslie’s boyfriend tonight.”
*~*~*
“And?” Dana watched him intently, careful to maintain a mask of passive curiosity.
She wanted Jack to open up to her, to confide in her. And she knew that if she was patient enough, he would. Most men let their guard down so much easier than women. A man could justify almost any action. Woman would hold onto their secrets forever if necessary.
Jack told her about the fight and how he had lost it. How he had seen Tim inside Leslie’s house and allowed himself to lose control.
“I just can’t believe she would even let him back in the house. It’s as if she doesn’t care about what he did with Lisa. Could she really still want him after that? What is she thinking?” Jack drew a long, ragged breath.
Dana sat perfectly still. She had to control her own temper. It still made her angry every time one of her patients put the abuser ahead of the rest of the family. It was far too common, and by now she should be able to handle it better. But she couldn’t. And anger would be of no use in this conversation.
“There’s more you aren’t telling me.” Her voice wasn’t quite solid. She cleared her throat. Of course there was more Jack wasn’t telling her. And she wanted to keep him talking. She needed to know everyth
ing that was happening with Leslie and Lisa.
“It’s not important, Dana.” Jack looked away. He focused across the room and the muscles in his jaw flexed. There was more he wanted to say, but he was holding back. He would tell her. They always did.
“So you won’t tell me. You want me to guess?” Her counselor voice. Professional, interested, but detached. Non-threatening.
“No, I want you to leave it alone. I want to change the subject and forget all about it.” He still wouldn’t look at her.
“Did he hurt Leslie or Lisa?”
“No, Leslie and Lisa are fine. They hate me, but they’re fine.” He took a drink. Rearranged his legs under the table. Pushed himself straighter in the chair.
“I can’t do this right now.” He shook his head and pushed away from the table. He pulled two twenties from his wallet and dropped them between their drinks even though their food had not yet arrived. Without another word he walked out of the restaurant.
“Jack, wait.” She hadn’t expected him to leave. She watched his back, thinking he would turn around, but he continued without looking back. Then she rushed after him.
He almost made it to the car before she caught up with him.
“Jack.” She pulled at his arm.
He spun on her, his face red. “Leave it alone, Dana. I’m not your client. Leslie and Lisa are.”
“I don’t want you to be one of my clients, Jack. Can’t we just talk like friends?”
“Your job is to help Lisa and Leslie. Not me.” He ran his hands through his thick hair and then dropped his arms to his side. His hands clenched into fists.
If she was a weaker woman, she would be frightened of his anger. But she wasn’t weak. And she wasn’t scared. She stepped between him and the car door.
“Look, Jack.” Her voice serious, but calm. “It is my job to help them. But you and I are friends, right? And as your friend, I’d like to know what’s going on with you.” She placed her hand on Jack’s broad chest and felt his warmth through his thick shirt. She knew the touch projected concern; she had practiced it many times. A well-placed touch could knock down walls and loosen tongues. Especially between a man and woman.
Jack’s shoulders drooped. “He was there when I went to check on them. I could hear him and Leslie arguing through the door. At first, Leslie sounded angry, so I went around the side of the house so I could see what was happening.” Jack exhaled deeply. “When I got to the back window, they were hugging. And Leslie looked happy. She looked like she was glad he was touching her.”
Dana stared at him, not speaking. She leaned forward, her attention focused on only him, waiting for him to continue.
“I lost my temper, Dana. I busted into the house and beat the man nearly unconscious. I would have killed him if Kate hadn’t shown up with the backup and pulled me off.”
Dana took his hand and whispered, “It’s no less than any one of us would do if we had been in your place, Jack.”
She touched his face, gently coaxing him to look at her. His jaw was hard, but his gaze slid up to hers. “What’s important is that you did stop, even if someone had to help you.” Dana explored his eyes, looking for any sign of the things he wouldn’t say. And there would be things he wouldn’t say. Yet. But eventually he would tell her everything.
She maintained direct eye contact. “Is there more?”
Jack sucked in a great gulp of air and turned to face the water. “I think they’re planning on getting married. I saw him give her a ring. And she was furious when I busted in. She screamed at me to get out, and she wouldn’t even let me see Lisa.” He shook his head. “Not that Lisa wanted to see me. I think she’s angry with me for getting Tim arrested. But I don’t know. She could be angry with Leslie.”
Jack turned slowly back to look at Dana. “But you can’t let this affect the way you help Lisa. You can’t let this change the way you think of them.” To Dana he sounded almost desperate and she wondered why. There was still something more that Jack wasn’t saying. And Dana suspected it was something more than just what happened tonight. Maybe something from his past? She felt his anger at Leslie, yet he still wanted to defend her. Or maybe it was something about Lisa. Dana would have to find out what drove Jack.
“It’s fine, Jack. I will see to their well-being the same way I see to the well-being of all my patients.” She took his hands in hers and traced circles on them with her thumbs. “Leslie carries the burden of the blame for this, Jack. I think you know that. She intentionally endangered Lisa if she agreed to marry Tim. It’s my job to keep her from doing that. And it’s my job to help Lisa heal from this. I won’t promise you it will be easy for either of them. Both have some difficulties to get through to set things right. But my relationship with you? The things you and I share? Those will in no way affect how I deal with them.” Dana already had her plan of action. Nothing Jack could say or do would change that.
Jack cleared his throat, “I just don’t understand how she could even consider giving him the opportunity to prove her wrong. Doesn’t Lisa mean anything to her?”
“I’m sure Lisa means everything to her, but she loves Tim, too. And she wants to believe that there might be a chance for them to have a real life together. It’s what most women want, and what they work toward most of their lives. Security.” Dana continued to rub Jack’s hands, moving so that she was brushing her fingertips over the muscles at his wrist. Gradually, the tension eased out of his arms.
“Unfortunately, security isn’t always achieved through a relationship, and especially for people like Leslie, you can give up way too much of yourself trying to simulate the perfect relationship.” Dana shook her head. “I see it all the time. It’s almost like a sickness, Jack. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to cure them.” Sometimes I’m not. But Dana didn’t say that. Saying it would do nothing to pacify Jack or to make him understand what Leslie needed to go through. To change. To make this better.
They stood in silence, each staring at the lights of Biloxi reflecting off the Gulf.
“Anything more on the murder case?” It was time to change the subject. She leaned back against the door of his car, his hands still held tightly in hers. The action was calculated to signal that the hard conversation was over. She needed Jack to take a step back, like she had just done. She needed him to trust her to handle Leslie and Lisa the best way she knew how. And she would handle them. But right now, changing the subject would give him a bridge to connect on a more personal level. And most of all, she needed Jack to connect with her.
Gently, almost imperceptibly, she pulled Jack closer to her.
“We’re working on it, but nothing ground-breaking, yet.”
“Any suspects?”
“Some.” Jack didn’t offer anything more.
Dana nodded. She knew this was a subject not to press him on. Any information about the investigation he offered up had to seem like his own idea. She could push, but only as far as it seemed like curiosity. Any further, and he would think she was pushing for a reason.
The conversation moved to more casual things. Dana tried to be open. She cracked a few jokes. Shared a few opinions. Told Jack exactly what he wanted to hear.
He moved toward her without her gentle prompts and he intertwined his fingers in hers. He told stories about his childhood and his work, and Dana listened intently. Jack was genuinely interesting. Dana relaxed a little and felt Jack relax along with her. She could like him. It was a shame they had to connect under these current circumstances.
In a different life, she could see herself getting to know him better. Jack seemed sincere. Experience had taught her the first impression was usually wrong, but she wished she had the luxury of finding out with Jack. She thought he might be the one man in her life who wouldn’t disappoint her.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t risk it. With Leslie’s current mindset, Dana really needed to focus on making her see how wrong she was. And Dana would need to keep Jack close to do that. If he was focused on her, then h
e would be much less focused on Leslie.
Finally, the conversation lulled and Jack offered to walk Dana across the dimly lit parking lot to her car. She took his arm and led him toward where she had parked.
“I guess it’s time to say goodnight.” Dana pointed the remote at her car and turned the alarm off.
“I guess it is.” Jack stayed planted where he was standing.
“We could go get a drink.” Dana played to Jack’s reluctance to leave. Earlier he couldn’t leave fast enough. Dana achieved exactly what she had hoped when she called Jack about dinner, it just went a little different than she had scripted.
He looked at his watch. “We could, but we would both regret it in the morning. I know for a fact that your day starts as early as mine. I also know you were up almost as long as I was last night.”
Dana’s mask slipped into place. “How do you know that?”
“You were at the hospital last night after 2 am. And at 8:30 this morning you were in the gym. You couldn’t have gotten much sleep.”
She relaxed and even managed to force out a soft laugh. “Very observant. You’re right, though. I only slept for a couple of hours last night. You?”
“Not at all. I got called to the pier while I was on my way home from the hospital. I had to turn around and go straight to the scene. And I haven’t been home yet.”
“Then you should go home.” Dana pulled open her door stepped back around and quickly kissed his lips. It was a short kiss, but she instantly felt the connection. “Thank you for trusting me. Now you go home and rest, and try not to worry too much about Leslie and Lisa. I have an appointment with them tomorrow. I will help them. And although I may not be able to change Leslie, I promise you I’ll do everything in my power to keep Lisa safe. She’ll be okay. Really.”
ELEVEN
The phone rang in the middle of the night, and Jack grabbed the receiver before the offensive noise could shatter his eardrums.
Biloxi Sunrise (The Biloxi Series Book 1) Page 6