Undercover Father

by Mary Anne Wilson

  “Through the transom over the fire escape window.”

  “The transom’s open?”

  “It was when I left.”

  “Stay right here. I’ll see what I can do,” he said, then jogged off to the far side of the warehouse, to a narrow walkway that led to the alley behind the structure. He disappeared from sight, but she could hear his shoes striking the ground until they faded off into the distance. And she was alone.

  She hugged her briefcase to her, and that sense of loneliness started to seep back into her spirit. But before long, the door buzzed and clicked. Grateful to finally be inside, she practically ran to the elevator and headed upstairs. When she reached the loft, Rafe stood in the doorway.

  “What did you do?” she asked.

  “It’s a long story,” he said, brushing his hands together. “But I got in.”

  She fought the urge to brush at the soot on his cheek. She put her briefcase on a table by the entry, closed the door and turned to see Rafe disappearing into the kitchen. Then there was the sound of water running. “Just cleaning up,” he called out to her.

  “Sure,” she murmured, and kicked off her shoes. Then he was there, coming back into the room, his shirt untucked from his slacks and completely unbuttoned. The soot was gone from his face and hands, but his shirt was ruined. “I owe you a shirt,” she said as he came closer to where she stood.

  He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Are you going to tell me how you got in?”

  He motioned to the fire escape window and she noticed it was half-open now. “The transom was open, and I managed to get the lock off the window. The rest, as they say, was a piece of cake.”

  “But how did you get up on the fire escape to begin with?”

  He looked a bit sheepish. “Old habits die hard, I’m afraid.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “When I was a kid, we played a game to see who could get a fire escape ladder down the fastest. I usually won.” He raked both hands through his slightly damp hair and gave her a wry grin. “No, I wasn’t poor and roaming the streets looking for houses to rob. I just had a knack for getting into places. Fire escapes are easy, except pretty dirty.” He brushed at his shirt. “Back then I didn’t care about the mess.”

  “I’ll...I’ll get you another shirt,” she said, her voice tight as he came closer, stopping about a foot away from her.

  “No. Thanks, but no,” he murmured softly.

  She crossed her arms on her chest, as if that could protect her from what was happening. “You never said why you came back,” she managed to murmur, barely recognizing her own voice.

  Rafe knew exactly why he’d come back to this woman. He’d known the minute he’d pulled away from the curb that he had to return. But once he’d seen her, he’d withdrawn from the truth. Now it stared him right in the eye. He’d come back because he had to. He couldn’t just drive away. He had to be here, and do what he’d wanted to for what seemed forever. He touched her shoulders, felt her tense at the contact, then leaned even closer and found her lips with his.

  As soon as he kissed her he knew that he’d done the right thing.

  Rafe waited for that moment when he knew he’d betrayed everything he’d had in his life. That moment when he knew this was wrong. But it never came. There was no sense that he’d been unfaithful to the memory of his wife. He’d loved Gabriella, but in a stunning moment of truth, he knew it was okay to love Megan. This love was all hers. It wasn’t some secondhand version. It was different and unique, all Megan, and it filled his heart.

  He felt his eyes smart as relief flowed over him. It was okay. Okay! He loved her. As he hugged her, he kissed the top of her head, inhaling that scent of flowers and sweetness that clung to her. He loved her, and it was okay. He closed his eyes, a sense of completion filling him, as if he’d found what he’d been looking for. That didn’t make sense, but he wasn’t going down that road now. Not yet.

  There was a muffled ringing sound. A phone. His cell phone? He said in a low voice, “Yes?”

  “You told me to call if there was activity from LynTech after eight.”

  It took Rafe a long moment to recognize the voice of one of the people he’d contacted over the weekend when he’d been in Fort Worth having Greg checked by their family doctor. Stanley Green was one of the best wiretappers in the business. “What have you got?”

  “Out line use from an office marked on the grid as empty.”

  “What use?”

  “Computer fax.”

  “Any destination?” He listened and then replied, “Yeah, just where I thought it would go.”

  A few days ago he’d finally realized what was probably going on and had set things up with Stanley. But he hadn’t expected results this quickly. “Good. Get that to me at...” He looked over at Megan, who had wandered into the kitchen to give him privacy. “Send it to my house. I’ll look at it and get back to you in two hours.”

  “You got it,” Stanley said, and hung up.

  Rafe turned his phone off, then looked at the wedding band on his finger. Slowly, he slipped it off and put it in his pocket. He’d find a safe place to keep it, but he wouldn’t wear it anymore.

  Rafe walked into the kitchen, crossed to Megan’s side and kissed her. “Sorry, have to leave.”

  “Go. I’ll see you later.”

  He kissed her again and then left the loft, hurrying down to the street and his car. He got in, took out his cell phone and put in a call to Zane. Tomorrow he’d see Megan. That simple thought brought him real pleasure. Tomorrow. And for the first time in a long time, he looked forward to all the tomorrows in his life.

  Megan awoke early the next morning. Her shower was quick. She needed to get to the office. When she got out and dried off, she dressed in taupe linen slacks and a rich gold shirt. When she stepped back out into the main room, she stopped when the phone rang. She hurried to it, wanting it to be Rafe, but felt her heart lurch when Ryan spoke over the line.

  “Megan?”

  She glanced at the clock by the computer. It was five in the morning in California. “Ryan. It’s so early,” she said, because she really didn’t know what else to say.

  “I’ve been giving you space. I wanted you to think on what you said about breaking things off. I wanted...” His voice trailed off, then he said, “Is it really over?”

  Megan closed her eyes. “Yes. I’m sorry, I can’t do this. I told you. It’s not right. I’ll send your grandmother’s ring back as soon as I can. I love you, but I’m not in love with you.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She was so very sure. She loved Rafe. Now she knew what love was supposed to be. And she knew how much it could hurt, too. “I’m sure.”

  There was silence, then the line clicked on the other end, and Ryan was gone. She took a deep breath, and knew she’d let go of Ryan and any plans they had the moment she’d met Rafe.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  FOR THE REST of the day, Megan didn’t see Rafe. She went to LynTech and was sent down to the center to work on tax forms for the money made at the ball. She waited, expecting Rafe to come into Mary’s office at any moment, but time moved with aching slowness, and he didn’t appear. Around noon, Mary came in and said, “How’s it going?”

  “Almost done.” She sat back in the chair and stretched her arms to ease the tension in her shoulders. “Are Greg and Gabe in today?”

  “Yes, they are, and Greg is doing fine,” Mary said, crossing to the desk to pick up her purse. “Now, I need to leave for a little while.” She glanced at the wall clock. “I’ll be back around one.”

  Megan had tried to sound casual asking about the boys, and really tried to ask the next question in a casual manner. “Who brought the boys in?”

  Mary looked up at her. �
��Oh, their babysitter.”

  “Not Rafe...Mr. Diaz?”

  “No, he wasn’t here. He probably had to get right to work.” Mary started for the door. “See you soon,” she said, and left.

  Megan sat there for a while, then decided to do what she wanted to do instead of acting mature and controlled. She went out into the main room, where she spotted the twins. They were huddled over something on the floor, both of them intent on the object of their fascination. She went closer, trying to absorb the fact that she was so happy to see the two of them. Then Gabe turned, as if he sensed her there, and smiled, the smile that exposed the dimple...just like his dad’s.

  In a blur, Gabe was on his feet and he ran right at her, but this time she welcomed the contact, and the feeling of his tiny arms hugging her around her knees. “Megan!”

  She crouched near him, ruffling his dark hair. “Hey, buddy boy, how are you doing?”

  “We rode horses and did stuff, and had a good time,” Gabe said. Then Greg stood up, hesitated, then came over to look up at her.

  “Yeah, we did cowboy stuff and I didn’t fall.” He had a small Band-Aid on his forehead, but he looked as if he’d had a great victory. “I was real careful and I never falled.”

  “Wow, that’s great,” she said, wondering where on earth Rafe had taken them to do all of this. “I don’t know if I could stay on a horse without falling.”

  Greg came closer. “When we go next time to Mamaw’s, you come, too, and you can ride.”

  “Yeah.” Gabe touched her shoulder. “I won’t let you fall.”

  Megan’s eyes burned suddenly, and she instinctively hugged both boys to her. She loved their dad, and shockingly, she knew she loved them, too. It didn’t make sense, not when she’d spent most of her life convinced that she didn’t even like kids that much.

  She must have let the hug last too long, because both boys started to squirm and she reluctantly let them go. She blinked rapidly, then said, “So, what are you two doing over here?”

  Gabe looked bashful, and Greg shrugged. “Nothin’.”

  “Really?”

  “Huh, nothin’,” Gabe echoed, moving to block her view.

  She stood and looked behind them. The rat. “Charlie, huh?”

  “Yeah,” Gabe whispered. “Don’t get scared or nothing. He’s just hungry, and we’re going to feed him.”

  She smiled down at them. “Don’t worry, I won’t get scared. He’s in his cage and you two know how to handle him.”

  “Daddy said we shouldn’t never do that again with Charlie.”

  Daddy. “I’ll thank him when I see him,” she murmured.

  “He’s working,” Greg said. “He’s real busy today.”

  So he was here. “You go ahead and take care of Charlie.”

  The boys went back to the rat, and she looked around the center, fighting the urge to head out and find Rafe.

  But she waited as long as she could and then knew she couldn’t wait until six when he picked up the boys. She needed to see him, alone. She left the office, skirting the kids on her way through the play area. Gabe spotted her and waved. She waved back and smiled, then left to find Rafe.

  Ten minutes later, Megan was no closer to finding him than when she’d started. That was when she spotted the other guard, Brad, by the elevators, hitting the up button. “Excuse me?” she called to him.

  He turned, saw her, then smiled and tapped the bill of his cap. “Yes, ma’am. What can I do for you?”

  “I was looking for Rafe Diaz, one of the guards?”

  “Oh, sure,” he said, his smile shifting as his eyes flicked over her. “Sure.”

  He was making her uncomfortable, but she tried to be polite. “Do you know where he is?”

  “On rounds. Could be anywhere. I can call him on the radio if it’s an emergency?”

  It was an emergency, but not one he’d consider critical. “Oh, no, it’s not. I’ll just wait until later.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said as the elevator dinged softly and the doors opened. “Going up?” he asked.

  There was no way she was going to get into the elevator with this man. “No, I’m not,” she said, and turned to head down the hallway. She didn’t look back, but went to the stairwell door and stepped inside, then headed up.

  She got to the second-floor door, started to push it open, but stopped when she heard a familiar voice: Rafe’s. “What are you talking about?” he asked. He was here, and she almost stepped out into the corridor, but stopped dead when someone else spoke.

  “Yeah, she’s hunting for you, looking kind of panicky, actually. I told her I’d call you on the radio, but she passed.” Megan peeked out just far enough to see Rafe in his uniform, and all she could see of Brad were his hands gesticulating as he spoke. “Yeah, she’s got it good for you, guy.”

  Megan flushed at his words. Was she that transparent? Even to someone like Brad? “Well, I’ll check on her later,” Rafe said.

  He started to turn in her direction, but Brad grabbed his upper arm. Rafe turned, pulling back from the contact. “Hey, I owe you, buddy,” Brad said.

  “No, no, you don’t,” Rafe said.

  “Oh, but I do.” The hand went out of sight, then reappeared in her line of vision, holding money. “Here’s twenty. I’ll get the rest to you on payday.”

  “No,” Rafe said, not taking it.

  “Yeah, I make good on my bets. Don’t bet unless you can afford to lose, I always say, although I thought I had a sure bet. I didn’t think you had it in you to get her to melt down, but boy, you got her more than melted.” He laughed, an ugly sound that seemed to echo in the stairwell. “She’s crazy for you. I can tell. Imagine, someone like her with someone like one of us. Who would have thought?”

  A bet? It had all been a bet? Megan felt as if a fist had been driven into her stomach.

  “Hey, forget about it,” Rafe said. There was no outrage, no denial. “Keep your money.”

  Brad stuffed the bills into Rafe’s breast pocket, much the way Rafe had pushed the hundred-dollar bill into hers. “No way, man. Good job. You’ve made me proud. Just knowing you got her, someone as snobby as she is, as cold and uppity... Man, you’re good.”

  Megan backed up blindly, letting the door click shut. And if the railing hadn’t been there, she would have gone tumbling down the stairs. It was all a bet? The ache in her middle made her nauseous. A bet. He’d done it to prove he could? Nothing he’d said or done was real. Nothing. She blindly reached for the railing, and somehow made it down to the ground floor.

  When she touched the door, she couldn’t open it. She leaned back against the cold walls and slowly sank down until she was crouched, her arms around her legs, her forehead pressed to her knees. And Megan Gallagher cried as if her heart would break. But in fact, it was already broken.

  * * *

  RAFE GOT RID of Brad as quickly as he could, then went to call Zane. He knew what was going on now, and he needed Zane there when he took action. They agreed to meet in Zane’s private offices in an hour. Rafe knew what he’d do with that hour. Brad, as disgusting as the encounter with him had been, had only reminded him how much he needed to see Megan. With everything in place now, he had time. He had an hour, and he was going to take it.

  He’d tried to go and see her today at the center, but hadn’t been able to get down there until now. He rode down in the elevator, got out at the main floor and crossed to the brightly colored doors. He’d see her, talk a bit, then make a date for tonight, when he would tell her the truth—about who he was, and that no matter what his name was, or what he did for a living, he loved her.

  He went inside the center, thankful that the kids were napping and all was quiet. He nodded to the teenager sitting with the sleeping children, then went past them all, past the cartoon tree, into the
back hall to the office.

  He approached the open door, stopping before going inside when he saw Megan at the desk. Rafe felt like a teenager with a crush, the way his heart raced at the sight of her bent over an open ledger. Quietly he went inside, needing to touch her, but not daring to just yet. “Megan?” he said softly, and her head snapped up.

  Her blue eyes were on him, but there was no warmth in them. They looked almost afraid, then they narrowed and she sat back. “Rafe,” she said.

  He felt awkward and didn’t know where to start. “We need to talk.” That sounded reasonable.

  “Talk?” she asked, sitting back in her chair. “No, we don’t, and I’ve got work to do.” With that she stood and came around the desk, as if she was leaving. He stopped her by taking her upper arm. He was struck at how delicate she felt in his grasp and how badly he wanted to hold on to her. He drew back and she turned, looking up at him, her eyes softly blurred as if she’d been crying.

  “We have to talk...about last night.”

  “What about it?” she asked in a low voice.

  This couldn’t be happening. “Last night...” Then he thought he understood. “I had to go. There was an emergency.”

  “No problem,” she murmured tightly.

  “Megan, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Last night was last night. This is now.” She crossed her arms and didn’t blink. “What difference does any of it make?” She looked pale and her expression was pinched at the mouth. “It was nothing. Just a...” She shrugged, gave a vague, fluttery gesture with one hand. “Nothing.”

  Frustration and pain drove him to take her by her shoulders, but she didn’t fight him. She didn’t scream or push him away. She just stood there, looking right at him, her expression bleak. “Nothing?” he breathed.

  “Nothing,” she echoed.

  Then he finally understood, and bitterness rose harshly in his throat. “Oh, sure,” he said, and let her go. He could barely stand to look at her as the realization sunk in. “I understand. I should have understood long before last night, but...” He pushed his hands in his pockets as an ache formed in his middle, and he had to force himself not to hunch protectively. What a fool he’d been, misreading everything because he was so needy.