by Julie Cannon
Kathy smiled triumphantly, like she was responsible for the two who stood together at her door. “Come on in,” she said, stepping aside. “There’s a bouncing little boy running amok in the backyard waiting for you two.”
“For Luca,” Stephanie said, correcting her quickly. Kathy and Luca looked at Stephanie. Thick silence followed.
Luca’s face dropped. “Steph, you’re his aunt. He’s definitely excited to see you.”
“He’s crazy about you and I totally get why.” Stephanie pulled Luca even closer. The small confession cut through the tension that had filled the entryway.
Kathy clapped her hands together. “Well, all right then. This has become too cute for my liking. Let’s head out back.”
Luca waited for Kathy to be a few steps ahead of them before pulling Stephanie in for a brief but hard kiss. When she pulled back, she grinned at how shocked Stephanie was. “Crazy about me and interested in me? Watch out, I’m going to start thinking you like me.”
“Shut up.”
Luca laughed all the way to the backyard as Stephanie pulled her along. They stepped onto the large deck together. The day was sunny but not too hot, making it the perfect day for a barbecue. Luca stood still for a moment, soaking up the feeling of the warm air and Stephanie’s hand in hers. Life had definitely taken an unexpected turn for the better. Stephanie tugged her hand.
“Are you ready to meet my brother?”
“I am. Which one is he?” Luca surveyed a group of men standing both by the grill and a cooler. One man with shaggy blond hair and stubbly face jumped out. Luca was sure she had won the guessing game, so she stepped away from Stephanie and walked right up to him. “Hi, I’m Luca. It’s great to finally meet you, Rick.” Luca thrust out her hand and waited for him to take it, but Stephanie swept in and redirected Luca’s offered hand to someone else entirely. A dark-haired gentleman with even darker eyes and a blinding smile winked at Luca. He was the polar opposite of Stephanie in appearance, with a skin tone closer to Luca’s and considerably taller. You’d never think they were siblings.
“Luca, this is my brother, Rick. Rick, this is Luca, my—”
“Something special enough to bring to a family barbecue. No need to label it anymore. Come here.” Rick pulled Luca into a tight bear hug. His warm first impression was definitely opposite of his sister, too. “It’s great to meet you.” He pulled away from Luca and looked at his sister, who was red faced from laughing so hard. “And to think, my sister hated you in the beginning.”
“Rick.” Stephanie punched his upper arm. Rick genuinely looked pained for a second, but it wasn’t long before he broke out into a deep, animated laugh. Stephanie looked at Luca with earnest eyes. “I never hated you.”
Luca drew Stephanie into her body with an arm around her waist. “You didn’t hate me, but you did hate the idea of me. And that’s okay because I got to prove Stephanie Austin wrong. How many people can say that?” Rick raised his large hand and Luca high-fived him.
“I like her, Steph. Feel free to bring her around any time.”
“That’s it? No intense big brother interview?” Stephanie huffed.
“Nah,” Rick said with a shake of his head. He turned his attention back to the grill. When he opened the lid, Luca’s stomach growled at the smell of charred burgers and hot dogs. She saw one nearly black hot dog to the back with her name on it. “The thing with Steph is that she’s so hardheaded that by the time she figures out she even likes a girl, she’s known her forever. Thereby doing the screening process for me. My son was a big help with screening, too.”
“Speaking of,” Stephanie said. She looked around the yard. “Where is Mitchell?”
“After we promised him for the thirtieth time today that Luca was coming, he insisted on changing into a new shirt. Maybe I do need to watch out for you.” Rick pointed at his eyes and then at Luca. “Everyone else in my family is smitten with you. Kathy may be next.”
“It’ll never happen,” Kathy said from behind Luca. When Luca turned around, Mitchell launched himself into her arms. “No offense, Luca, but you’re not my type. I like burly and hairy.” Kathy patted Rick’s cheek and scratched at his thick black beard.
“I’ll come back for you in the winter, then.” Luca winked at Kathy. She yelped when Stephanie pinched her backside. “Fine, I won’t come back for her in the winter.”
“I’m pinching you because I don’t like hairy and burly.”
“So high maintenance.”
“Hi!” Mitchell yelled directly into Luca’s ear. Her mistake for not acknowledging him right away.
“Hey, Mitchell. How have you been?” He buried his face into her neck. She looked to Kathy, who mouthed that Luca made him shy. “Your aunt and I are very happy to see you again. What’s that on your shirt?”
Mitchell leaned back and picked up the front of his T-shirt. “El’phants.”
“Aren’t elephants your favorite?” He nodded so emphatically that Luca’s grip almost faltered. “Do you know what your aunt’s favorite animal is?” He shook his head and batted his large eyes. “Me either. Let’s ask her.” They both turned to Stephanie, who looked shocked by such a question.
“I guess I like peacocks.” Mitchell looked unimpressed by her answer, so Luca silently encouraged her to pick a better, more child-friendly animal. “I like giraffes.”
“Their necks are so long.” Mitchell reached up over his head, almost smacking Luca’s forehead in the process.
“So long.” Luca agreed and added, “And they have long, long legs, just like Aunt Stephanie.” She shot Stephanie a wink. Stephanie’s cheeks colored instantly. Warm thoughts of kissing up those legs that morning made Luca’s cheeks light up, too. She cleared her throat. “You hungry, bud?”
“Very,” he said dramatically. “I could—I could eat a giraffe!” Luca and Stephanie laughed loudly and shared in Mitchell’s sentiment. They had only managed a small breakfast together before Luca had to rush home for a change of clothes. Which, of course, took place after a long shower together.
Stephanie wrapped her arm around Luca’s waist and leaned in to whisper, “I think the food’s almost done. I’ll sneak up and grab some. You two go get us some seats. Deal?”
“Deal,” Mitchell and Luca said simultaneously. Luca watched Stephanie sneak off like a thief in the night. She played it up to entertain Mitchell, and Luca couldn’t believe this was the same woman who initially seemed so awkward around kids. Maybe Luca had helped chisel away at that barrier a bit, maybe she hadn’t. All Luca knew was that the blonde who was snatching up burgers and hot dogs was surprising her more and more every day. Mitchell wiggled in her arms, which were straining to keep him up. She set him on the ground.
“Okay, Mitchell, lead me to the best seats in the house.” Luca followed Mitchell, and it wasn’t until they were halfway up the stairs that led off the living room that she grabbed his shoulders and turned him around. “Maybe we should stay out on the patio where the rest of your family is.”
“But the best seat in my house is my room.”
“I bet it is, kid, I bet it is.”
Once Luca and Mitchell rejoined Stephanie and the growing crowd in the backyard, the barbecue was in full swing. Luca tried her best to keep up with introductions and random conversations. The entire afternoon was a great success. Every one of Stephanie’s family members, whether blood or by marriage, was welcoming and warm. She sat with her arm across the back of Stephanie’s chair and Stephanie’s hand resting on her thigh. Luca felt the small gesture in her chest, warm and significant.
The sun was beginning to set and Stephanie had not so discreetly checked her watch multiple times. They were gearing up to leave when Luca’s phone rang. She lifted it from where it sat facedown on the table and frowned at the screen. The caller ID read “unknown number” and Luca declined the call. She shrugged at Stephanie, who looked concerned and turned her attention back to Kathy’s best friend, Rita.
“Our date was terrible,
horrible, and the kiss at the end of the night was even worse, but he was persistent.”
“I would say so, considering you’ve now been married for ten years.” Kathy laughed and swallowed the rest of her chardonnay. “We all married pretty young, except Stephanie here.”
“To be fair, I wasn’t able to legally marry until recently.”
“How old are you, Stephanie?” Rita’s question was met with a cold moment of silence. Luca shifted uncomfortably.
Stephanie twirled the singular ice cube in her glass of sweet tea twice. “I’m thirty-seven.”
Rita leaned forward on her elbows with a mischievous grin. She looked directly at Luca and said, “Please tell me she’s a cradle robber.”
Luca’s phone buzzed with a new voice mail. She picked it up and waved it around. “Saved by the bell. Excuse me while I go check this.” She kissed the side of Stephanie’s head and left the table.
“She can’t be more than twenty-two. No way,” Rita said, undeterred by the interruption.
Stephanie watched Luca pace as she listened to her message. She looked a bit rattled and made a phone call immediately afterward. Stephanie sipped her iced tea and took an ice cube into her mouth to chew it, releasing a bit of her nervous energy. “She’s twenty-six.” Rita started to cheer, but Stephanie raised her hand to stop her. “I don’t care about age, and honestly, she’s more mature than most women I know.” She glared at Rita, earning a laugh from Kathy.
Kathy looked over her shoulder and back to Stephanie. “How did this happen? I mean, I knew you had a thing, it was so obvious, but how did it become a real thing?”
“We spent a lot of time working together and we sort of evolved from there.” Stephanie started to twirl the ends of her hair as she thought of a way to describe the progression of her feelings for Luca. “We worked side by side, day in and day out, for weeks and didn’t grow tired of one another or annoyed with one another. That speaks volumes of a partnership, besides the fact that she’s absolutely gorgeous.”
“She does have a bit of that girl next door, Sophia Bush and Rachel Bilson thing going on.” Stephanie and Kathy both looked at Rita.
“Who?”
“The O.C.? One Tree Hill?”
Kathy scratched her forehead. “No clue.”
“Nope, me neither,” Stephanie said with shake of her head. She laughed lightly and looked back to where Luca was, only to find her charging back toward the table. “Luca? Is everything all right?”
Luca was pale and refused to make eye contact with anyone. “I have to head out. Will someone give you a ride home?”
“I can leave with you—”
“No, you stay. I insist.” Luca’s behavior was unlike anything Stephanie had ever seen.
Kathy offered. “I can drive her home. It’ll spare me from most of the cleanup.” Luca didn’t acknowledge the joke and barely offered up a curt thank-you before heading out of the yard.
Stephanie sat confused and stunned for a moment before springing to her feet and chasing after Luca. She nearly had to sprint to catch up and met Luca just as she reached her car. “Wait,” she said, reaching out for Luca’s hand, but was dismayed when Luca pulled away forcefully. “What’s wrong?” When Luca turned back, fierce redness colored her cheeks and tears filled her eyes.
“That phone call was from Mr. Witlin.” Stephanie’s stomach sank. “He wanted to call me himself to share the exciting news before it was formally announced tomorrow. Guess who’s shipping out as soon as possible to be taken on as a rookie forensic accountant at LGR’s Chicago branch?”
Stephanie’s head was spinning and she took a deep breath to help collect her thoughts. “He must’ve noticed how great a team we are and decided to send both of us.”
Luca let out a bark of artificial laughter. “I’m so dense, I thought the same thing. I even went as far as saying it. But you’re not going to Chicago, Marvin is. After about the fifteenth time I asked why, Mr. Witlin finally admitted that he was filling your request. You wanted to get rid of me so badly that you didn’t care if I was shipped to another state.”
Stephanie felt the blood drain from her face. She grew unsteady on her feet. When had she made such a stern request? I’ll get rid of her, mark my words. The promise came flooding back powerfully. She closed her eyes and could taste the burn of tequila from that night. She’d gone home after their run-in at the Dollhouse and drunkenly demanded Luca be sent anywhere, to anyone, without a care of where she landed. “Shit,” she said under her breath. “Luca, this was never what I wanted.”
“Yes, it was.” Luca stood yelling on the sidewalk. “From the moment you met me you wanted to get rid of me. I just didn’t know the lengths you would go to.” Luca turned to get in her car, but Stephanie reached out and grabbed her.
“Please—” Stephanie’s voice broke as tears welled in her eyes. “I’ll fix this. I’ll make it right.”
“There’s nothing you can do. I already quit my job.”
“You what?”
“I quit. I’m not going to Chicago. You know how I feel about being away from my family, and I’m definitely not going after a job I’m being forced into because of someone who couldn’t bear to work with me. God, did I earn any of this on my own?” Luca took a deep breath and scratched her head. “I really thought you had changed. No—” Luca stopped herself. She shook her head and gave Stephanie a sad smile, a sight Stephanie knew her heart would wear as a scar. “I thought you were finally allowing yourself to be the person you always were but kept hidden.”
“I am that person, you have to believe me.” Stephanie grasped desperately onto Luca’s arm, trying to pull her close, as if that could shake her into a changing her mind.
Luca stepped up to her and held Stephanie’s face in her hands before pressing a brief, delicate kiss to her lips. Stephanie’s tears felt hot between their cheeks. Luca pulled away and said, “Whether I believe you or not won’t change what you did. Goodbye, Stephanie.”
Stephanie stood on the sidewalk, her hands on her hips and her head thrown back. She tried desperately to rein in her emotions as she stared blankly at the stars. Not ten or a million twinkling lights would make her feel any less like her own little world had just fallen apart.
Chapter Fourteen
Stephanie called out sick for the first time in over a year that Monday. She couldn’t face Mr. Witlin or Marvin, for that matter. She felt betrayed by her entire team, the group of people she had grown with over the years, but deep down she knew that was irrational. She knew her emotional turmoil, the nausea that kept her up, and the tears that made her eyes puffy beyond repair were completely her fault. Stephanie’s stubbornness tore her newfound happiness away before she even realized it was there. Life was cruel. Stephanie was even crueler.
She dragged herself out of bed on Tuesday morning and moved sluggishly through her morning routine. She didn’t care if her hair wasn’t perfect or if a few wrinkles still marred her dress shirt—her day was already doomed, why did a few minor details matter? She threw random pieces of fruit into a brown bag to bring with her, and hated how a banana reminded her of the morning she spent with Luca. She needed sliced banana in her corn flakes, and there was just no settling for anything else. Stephanie teased her all morning about it, laughing openly and easily like she hadn’t done in a while, until Luca shut her up with kisses. Stephanie smiled sadly and left the banana on the counter.
LGR’s building had yet to fully wake up by the time Stephanie arrived. The hustle and bustle hadn’t fully ignited, and the phones were surprisingly tame. As Stephanie walked to her office, she felt multiple sets of eyes follow her. None of them were accompanied by a friendly smile, not even the fake ones she had grown used to. She didn’t dare remove her dark sunglasses until she was in the safety of her office. She silently thanked herself for having the foresight to grab coffee from an outside coffeehouse on her way to work. There’d be too many people crowding the break room.
Stephanie shut her door
and felt compelled to lock it but refrained in the name of professionalism. She set her briefcase down and hung her linen blazer on a hook beside the door. She packed her sunglasses into their case. A green folder caught her eye from her desk. The folder was easily recognizable because she had handed it to Luca only three days prior. Stephanie took a seat and reached out, her hands shook lightly as she flipped the cover open to reveal a small handwritten note. Luca’s crisp, feminine handwriting would haunt Stephanie for some time to come.
Ms. Austin,
My findings were abundant and will more than likely be a surprise, even to you. You’ve stumbled onto something bigger than either of us expected. Not only do you have solid evidence against all parties involved, you have the beginnings of a multi-million-dollar laundering scheme. Read through this file carefully, and check my notes in each highlighted section.
I wish you all the best with this case and every one that finds its way to you in the future. Thank you for taking the time to help me grow as a forensic accountant, and for showing me what can be accomplished with hard work and dedication. My experience with LGR has been invaluable.
Regards,
Luca Garner
The formality of Luca’s final letter tore deeply into Stephanie, so she did the only thing she was capable of: work. She sifted through page after page, finding Luca’s little notes to be her only reason to smile. But the deeper she got into the reports, the wider the web of inconsistent totals grew. Stephanie came across new reports on new businesses that Luca must’ve acquired on her own, leaving Stephanie to wonder when she had done all of this work. All of Stephanie’s regrets hit her in that moment. She’d not only lost a wonderful person who had come into her life, she’d also lost one of the best employees she had ever worked with. Stephanie’s own bullish stupidity had affected her personal and professional life.
“Son of a bitch.” She checked her watch and counted the free minutes she had before her nine o’clock meeting. Stephanie grabbed the file and ran off in the direction of Mr. Witlin’s office.