Michael's House (Reunion: Hannah, Michael & Kate #2)

by Pat Warren

  “Yes, I do want to hear,” she said quietly.

  He hadn’t really thought she would say no. Maybe he didn’t want her to. Maybe it was the best way to explain himself to Fallon. “Because of the years I’d spent on the streets, it took me a while to catch up on my education. I was twenty when I entered college, although I finished in three years. Despite all the places I’d been, I’d never met a woman who truly interested me. Not until Paige Hanley.”

  At last, she would learn about this mysterious woman, Fallon thought, trying not to reveal her keen interest.

  His eyes were gazing out the window at the setting sun, but what he saw was something entirely different. “She was beautiful, tall and willowy, with this great auburn hair.”

  Fallon’s eyes grew wide, recalling that Jonathan had mentioned Paige’s resemblance to her. Was that why Michael found her attractive, because she looked like his first love?

  “Well, what can I say? I was young and ripe to be overwhelmed, I guess. I couldn’t believe she cared as much as she said she did.” He gave a bitter laugh as he raised his knees, tenting the sheet. “I should have followed my instincts. When it’s too good to be true, it usually isn’t.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  “Anyway, for the first time, I asked Jonathan for something more than he’d offered. He’d paid for the dorm and I all but begged him for my own apartment. He hesitated, and lectured me, even though it all went over my head, but finally gave in. The ink wasn’t dry on the lease before I’d moved Paige in with me.

  “You can probably guess the rest. Two months later, she told me she was pregnant. She played it cool and waited until I insisted we get married.” He met her intense gaze. “You know how I grew up, losing my father when I was fourteen, having to live hand-to-mouth for years. I wasn’t about to allow a child of mine to go through that. I went to Jonathan and promised him I’d pay back every dime if he’d help me. To his credit, he didn’t lecture me again, just made the arrangements.”

  “So you married her?”

  “Yes.” Michael fell into momentary melancholia, remembering all the feelings he usually kept buried. “Jonathan gave us a nice wedding—not nearly as large as Paige and her mother wanted, but plenty big enough for me. I hardly remember any of it. I knew I didn’t love Paige. Hell, I don’t think I loved anyone. I was grateful to Jonathan and good friends with Paul, but love? I’d left any feelings of love behind in Michigan along with my childhood, when my family was taken from me years ago.”

  As she had once before when he’d talked of his youth, Fallon felt a deep sadness for the boy he’d been, but decided to let him continue at his own pace.

  “Jonathan continued with the checks, supporting us both in a larger apartment. I stayed in school, but Paige quit, saying she had morning sickness. But it didn’t keep her from shopping almost daily with her mother, using my charge cards. Then one day, I came home and found her in bed all rolled up in a ball. She’d lost the baby, she told me.”

  “Oh, no.” The child had been the only reason he’d married her. “How did you react?”

  “Not good, I’m afraid. She stayed in bed crying and I tried to comfort her, but my heart wasn’t in it. First chance, I went to Jonathan again, hat in hand, and asked if perhaps I should think about a divorce. He told me to wait awhile, that moving too fast would devastate the girl when she’d just had a terrible shock. Reluctantly, I agreed.”

  Michael found himself smiling finally. “I have to hand it to Jonathan. He’s a fox. He’d used his connections and had Paige checked out, discovering that she’d never been pregnant at all. Actually, I’d been suspicious because I always use protection, but I figured no method is foolproof.”

  “You didn’t ask to see the doctor’s report?”

  “No. But we found out that she lied anyhow, using her knowledge of my background to get me to marry her, that I wouldn’t walk away from my own child, hoping to get her bands on Jonathan’s money eventually. Apparently she figured that Jonathan and I were tied together financially, that I was his adopted son because of the name, which isn’t so.”

  “So what did you do?”

  “Got a quiet, uncontested divorce. I had no assets in my name, so she wound up with nothing. I wound up feeling betrayed.” Michael shook his head. “And that was my first and last experience with Cupid’s arrow.”

  Sitting back against the pillows, Fallon studied his face and saw the resentment he still carried. “That was a terrible thing that happened. But surely you know that few women would go to such extremes.”

  He raised a questioning eyebrow. “And surely you know that all men aren’t controlling.”

  Fallon found a smile. “Touché. I guess we’ve both been burned once.”

  “I, for one, don’t intend to repeat that mistake.” Michael shifted, moving closer to her. “When two people enjoy being together, in bed and out, what more is there? Getting legally entangled with marriage documents and such is unnecessary. Unless you want a houseful of kids, which I certainly do not. I’ve got all the kids I can handle at the house.”

  Another brick wall. He kept tossing them up. She drew in a shaky breath. So she’d just have to keep tearing them down, Fallon decided. It was a dirty job, but someone had to do it.

  Turning toward him, she let her hands roam over his broad chest, the muscles of his back and shoulders. As always, his strength drew her and his devotion to his kids, the responsibilities he took on on behalf of others, the integrity of the man he’d become. All of that made up what Michael Redfield was, and those qualities aroused her as much as his body, his wonderful mouth, his deep, deep dimples, his clever hands.

  Unable to hold off any longer, she pressed her lips to his.

  Michael laid her back on the soft bed, leaning over and giving himself up to the kiss, gently but thoroughly. No woman had ever aroused tenderness in him the way Fallon did. She’d been hurt, as he also had been—betrayed and deceived. Yet here she was, up at bat again, risking herself, as he was.

  Only this time, neither would get hurt. Michael promised himself that, as he wound his arms around her and took her deeper.

  Niko Eustasius was a second-generation Greek with black hair and dark eyes, almost Hollywood handsome. He held court in a red fake leather booth at the back of his restaurant, sipping ouzo and watching the customers come and go. Facing the lake, the place was popular with locals and tourists alike. The food had to be good, Fallon thought as she inhaled the spicy scented air, since a lunchtime crowd filled the place to nearly overflowing.

  The sun had been shining brightly when the mechanic had finally called and said the van was fixed. Fallon sensed a reluctance in Michael to end their nearly idyllic stay at Perkins B and B in the mountains, a reluctance that she shared. They’d spent two days and nights in the cozy attic room, leaving only to get something to eat in the comfortable dining room downstairs.

  They’d shared with one another more than their bodies, talking almost nonstop about their less-than-wonderful childhoods, their memories of their parents and siblings, the hodgepodge past that had formed them into the adults they were today. Fallon felt as if she knew Michael better than when they’d left San Diego, and yet the moment they’d gotten into the van, he was once more the dedicated, somewhat-distant guardian of runaways, bent on the search.

  That was what she’d wanted, of course, Fallon reminded herself; a knowledgeable man experienced in dealing with street kids, who would help her. But somewhere along the way, she’d begun to view him in another way, too—as the tender lover she’d been subconsciously seeking all her adult life. Even as she now watched him study Niko from across the room, she wondered if Michael ever let anyone get really close to him.

  Michael thanked the bartender for pointing out Niko and, with his hand at Fallon’s back, walked over to the owner’s booth, still favoring his wrapped ankle. “Niko?” he asked, as the man’s almost-black eyes assessed, them both.

  “Yeah, that’s me. Do I kn
ow you?”

  “Not yet.” Michael held out his hand in a friendly gesture. He needed this guy’s cooperation, so it would be wise to win him over. “Michael Redfield, and this is Fallon McKenzie. We just want to ask you a couple of questions. Do you mind if we sit down?”

  The dark eyes narrowed. “Are you cops? I thought I knew all the local cops around here.”

  Michael shook his head. “We’re not with the police.”

  Niko waved a manicured hand and invited them to join him.

  “So, what do you want to know?”

  Fallon slid into the booth ahead of Michael and reached into her shoulder bag for the picture. “Have you seen this girl?”

  Niko studied the photo, his face expressionless, then looked up at Fallon. “Why are you looking for her?”

  “She’s my sister.”

  “Yeah, so?”

  His challenging tone took Fallon aback, but she persisted. “Laurie’s only sixteen and she’s run away from her home and family in Colorado. We love her. We want her back.”

  Niko threw back the last of his ouzo and signaled the waiter before speaking. “Look, lady, I was a runaway, living on the streets for years. My old man tried finding me, even offered a reward to get me back so he could beat the hell out of me some more. I’d have broken the kneecaps of anyone I met who would have turned me in.” He slid the picture back across the Formica tabletop. “I don’t rat on my friends.”

  “Then she is a friend of yours?” Michael interjected.

  Niko took the fresh glass from the waiter and didn’t invite them to join him in a refreshment. “I didn’t say that.”

  Michael braced his arms on the table and leaned forward. “Look, Rollie at the Rodeo Bar in San Diego sent us to you. He said you were good people, that you help runaways. So do I. I run Michael’s House not far from the Rodeo. You can check me out, if you like.”

  Squinting, Niko studied the blond man, considering. “Yeah, I heard about you. The kids say you’re okay.”

  “Glad to hear it. We have reason to believe that Laurie’s in trouble. She left under suspicious circumstances. Fallon’s honestly trying to help her. We just want to talk with her. If she doesn’t want to go back, I won’t force her. You have my word.”

  Taking his time, Niko took a long sip of the clear liquid, sliding his eyes from one to the other thoughtfully. “She’s a good kid, but she trusted the wrong person.”

  Fallon felt her heart lurch into her throat. He knew Laurie, maybe knew where she was this very minute.

  “What wrong person?” Michael wanted to know.

  “A young punk goes by the name of T.J. He’s owed me money for some time. He borrows from everyone. The kid’s bad news.”

  Sensing Fallon’s tension, Michael gripped her hand beneath the table. “Have you seen either of them lately?”

  Niko nodded. “Like I said, T.J. owed me and he knew better than to welsh. He showed up here coupla nights ago and paid up.” Niko angled his chin toward the picture still on the table. “She was with him.”

  Fallon closed her eyes briefly, grateful that they were on the right track.

  Michael had more questions. “Who did you mean when you said she trusted the wrong man? T.J.?”

  Niko ran a hand wearing a large pinkie ring along the smooth line of his glossy hair. “She’s small-town, easily snowed. T.J. took her for every dime she had, and she had plenty.”

  Fallon felt a rush of anger rising. “You mean he stole money from her?”

  The Greek shook his head. “That’s not how the punk works. He finds a young girl, pretty, new to the scene. He moves in on her, convinces her she can’t survive without him. Makes up stories about his rotten childhood to get her sympathy. Now she trusts him. If she’s got money, he persuades her to give it to him. If she doesn’t, he sets her up, if you know what I mean.”

  Fear clutching at her heart, Fallon looked straight at Niko. “No, what do you mean?”

  Niko’s eyes shifted from Fallon to Michael and back again, clearly uncomfortable. “He acts as her pimp, what else?”

  “Oh, God,” Fallon murmured.

  Michael pressed her hand. He’d told her from the beginning that she was going to learn things she didn’t want to know, yet he couldn’t help but feel for her. He went after Niko for the rest. “You said that Laurie had money, plenty of it. How do you know?”

  “I know because we sat in this very booth and she peeled five C-notes from a wad of money and gave them to me—the money T.J. owed.”

  Fallon brushed back her hair with a shaky hand. “I can’t believe she let that...that vermin convince her to pay his debts. Why did she trust him?”

  Niko shrugged. “Because she wanted to believe. T.J.’sa a creep, but he bats a thousand with the girls.”

  Fallon turned to Michael, her eyes distressed. “That must have been the envelope of money that Rollie saw Tompkins give Laurie at the Rodeo.”

  Michael nodded. “Where’d they go after he paid you off?” he asked Niko.

  “They took a room in my motel, Neptune’s Nest, around the other side of the lake. Next day, she came to me here, told me T.J.’d stolen her money while she was sleeping and left her high and dry.”

  “Oh, no,” Fallon groaned, then gave in to her fury. “I’d like to get a hold of that kid.”

  “Get in line,” Niko said. “He’s not real popular with me, either. I hate it when someone fleeœs the kids. I warned your sister that day she was here shelling out money for T.J. You think she listened to me? Hell, no.”

  “You said she came back to see you after T.J. left,” Michael went on. “What did she want?”

  “A job.”

  “Did you give her one?”

  “Sure.” Niko’s eyes scanned the room before he jerked his head in the direction of the side section. “She’s over there, waiting tables.”

  Fallon gasped out loud, unable to believe her ears. Half rising, she craned her neck around Michael, searching the restaurant. In moments, she spotted a young slender girl with a chestnut ponytail wearing a white blouse and black skirt like the other waitresses. Then she turned and Fallon took in the pale face, the dark eyes, the defeated look. “It’s Laurie.”

  “She didn’t even have enough to buy her uniform,” Niko added. “I popped for it and gave her an advance so she could pay her rent. She said she’s tired of living on the streets.”

  “Please, let me out,” Fallon said to Michael, hemmed in as she was by him on one side and Niko on the other.

  Niko reached out and touched her arm. “Remember what I said, you’re not to force her to go with you. I’ll be watching.”

  She didn’t know whether to be annoyed with him or grateful that he was looking after her sister, in a manner of speaking. “I’ll remember,” Fallon told him as Michael got to his feet.

  Michael gave her a quick hug. “I’ll wait here.”

  Laurie was standing by the food counter, placing an order by clipping the slip to the turnstile used by the short-order cooks. Slowly, Fallon walked over, her pulse pounding. She stopped a foot from her sister and waited.

  Wearily, Laurie rubbed along the back of her neck, then turned to check out her station for new arrivals. What she saw in front of her stopped her in her tracks. “Oh, my God,” she whispered.

  “Laurie,” Fallon said softly, her eyes filling.

  Struggling to hold back tears, Laurie blinked, then looked behind Fallon. “Is anyone with you? Did...did Roy send you?”

  “No one from home except me. I came because I’ve been worried sick about you. Are...are you all right?”

  Laurie’s young face crumpled. “No,” she sobbed, then flung herself into Fallon’s arms.

  On the bench seat of the van, behind Michael who was driving, Fallon sat with an exhausted Laurie’s head in her lap, her fingers brushing back her sister’s oddly dull hair. “Try to get some sleep, honey. When we get to Michael’s House, you can take a long shower, wash your hair and stretch out in a comfort
able bed.”

  “I don’t think I can sleep, even though I’m really tired,” Laurie said, her young face wrinkled in concern. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come with you.” She choked back a sob that kept wanting to escape. “I just don’t know what to do.”

  “You said you didn’t want to stay at Niko’s waiting tables,” Fallon reminded her. They’d managed to convince the obsessively watchful Greek that Laurie was leaving of her own accord—but just barely. Niko had hugged her and told her to come back anytime if she felt the need, and he would have a job for her. He’d then shot a look at Fallon as if in warning. Exerting great control, she’d managed not to tell the overly protective man that he wasn’t Laurie’s father and that he’d only met her days ago, so he could hardly be expected to know what was best for her.

  “I know.” Laurie let out a ragged sigh. “It’s really hard work, being a waitress.”

  “Don’t I know,” Fallon agreed. “I waited tables for two years when I was in college. I didn’t want to be beholden to Roy for my expenses.”

  Hearing her stepfather’s name, Laurie stiffened. “You’re sure Roy didn’t send you?”

  Fallon frowned down into her questioning face. “Why would you think I’d lie to you? I never have before.”

  “I know. I’ve gotten paranoid, I guess. The way I’ve been living lately, well, it makes you distrust everyone.”

  Fallon debated about discussing the punk Laurie had been hanging out with for weeks, then decided she might as well get it over with. “This T.J., I understand he stole some money from you.”

  “Who told you that?” Her tone was defensive.

  “Niko. Is it the truth?”

  Laurie studied the chipped nails of one hand. “I was stupid to trust him. Like I said, it’s hard to know who you can believe.”

  “Where’d you get so much money, Laurie?”

  She gazed out the window. “I closed out my bank account back home.”

  “Yes, I checked with them. A hundred and sixteen dollars. But you gave T.J. five hundred to pay off his debt to Niko, and you had money left over.” She was putting Laurie on the spot deliberately. Fallon felt she’d turned her life upside down for her sister. Laurie owed her a few answers.