Hidden Truths (Intertwined Souls Series Book 3)

by Mary D. Brooks

“I saw what Larissa did to you.”

  “I’ll have you beside me,” Eva replied before kissing Zoe’s hand.

  “Do you think family is so important?”

  “Yes.”

  “So if we go to Greece, will we go to Germany?”

  Eva sighed.

  “You are willing to go back to hell for me,” Zoe said as she held Eva’s hands in her own. “We will go to Germany. For you. You need to visit your mama’s grave.”

  “I can’t argue against it when I’ve just told you about your family.”

  “No, you can’t. I know you don’t want to, but you won’t get another chance, as I won’t want to stay in Larissa after these property issues are resolved. We don’t know if we will ever go back to Europe, so now would be a good time to pay respects to your mama.”

  “I know.” Eva nodded. “Germany...that will mean you will go into hell for me.”

  “I’ll have you beside me.” Zoe gazed at Eva in the dim light for several moments. “I’m getting a boyfriend.”

  “Sounds like we're getting a puppy.”

  Zoe looked up and smiled. “Boys are like puppies.”

  “I hear they are house trained.”

  “So are puppies after a while.” Zoe giggled. “Patrick? Earl's Patrick?”

  “How many Patricks do we know?” Eva chuckled. “Earl seems to be in love with him. He's a teacher, and he looks alright.”

  “Mousy-colored hair, grey eyes, good looking, he's got a scar above his eye, but that's okay,” Zoe stopped and noticed Eva's incredulous look. “I'm an artist, so I notice these things. He's a little taller than you.”

  “So he's good boyfriend material?”

  “Earl seems to think so.” Zoe laughed at her own joke. “Hey, that's a good one.”

  “If you say so,” Eva chuckled as she cupped Zoe’s face. “I'm sorry I was insensitive.”

  “I'm sorry I blew up,” Zoe responded.

  Eva slipped her hand behind Zoe’s neck and gave her a passionate and sultry kiss. The kiss turned into two, and then three, until Zoe moaned at the extraordinary feel of the tongue teasing her own.

  Bam.

  Eva broke off the kiss, and Zoe groaned in frustration. They looked in the direction of the noise.

  Earl took two steps from his back yard to their yard through the adjoining gate. He grinned and sat down cross-legged in front of them. “You were kissing.”

  “Yes.” Zoe growled in frustration.

  Earl chuckled. “Hmm, I interrupted.”

  “You did,” Eva replied.

  “So how did you like my warning signal?”

  “What was that?”

  “My cricket bat.” Earl chuckled. “Do you often make out under the tree?”

  “How long were you there for?” Zoe asked.

  “Just saw you kissing.”

  “We had a fight,” Eva responded.

  “Oh, so I really interrupted some good kissing.” Earl pushed up on his arms to get up. “I'll let you continue your making up.”

  “Sit down.” Zoe pulled Earl's hand. “We can continue the kissing later.”

  Out of the darkness, Patrick walked up to them with a bottle of wine and some flowers. “Good evening, ladies...” He leaned down for a quick kiss on the cheek to Eva and Zoe, sat down gracefully, and crossed his legs. “So what are we doing tonight?”

  “We interrupted their kissing,” Earl said.

  “You interrupted our kissing,” Eva corrected him. “Patrick was more polite.”

  “Pfft.” Earl waved his hand. “When's dinner?”

  “Soon,” Eva replied as Zoe turned and sat between her legs and leaned back against her chest. “We have something to ask Patrick.”

  “Now?” Zoe turned slightly and looked up.

  “It's a good time.”

  “Alright.”

  “Patrick, we have a favor to ask of you.”

  “Hmm?”

  “Zoe is going to need a boyfriend, and you need a girlfriend.”

  Earl and Patrick exchanged looks and then gazed at Eva.

  “We were talking about that before we got here,” Earl said.

  “I'm getting transferred to Earl's school next week, and you know how those people are about knowing all about your life.” Patrick got up and went down on one knee in front of Zoe and took her hand. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

  Zoe was stunned into silence and blinked. “Uh...”

  “Well, you won't see that every day...Zoe is speechless,” Eva said.

  “Stop that.” Zoe tapped Eva on the knee. “Of course...I guess this works for the both of us.”

  Patrick kissed Zoe on the cheek. “I'm going steady...hey E, I'm going steady with a girl. My mother would be so proud.” He chuckled and sat back down. “I know it's going to be difficult for you and for me.”

  “We were also discussing that before you two came,” Zoe said.

  “So was that what the fight was about?” Earl asked. “Can we talk about this at dinner? I'm starving.” He signaled his watch.

  “Alright, let's go eat and we can figure this out,” Eva said as Zoe got up and held out her hand for her. Eva stood and looked down at Zoe for a moment. “I love you,” she whispered and kissed her.

  “Ewww, stop that. I'm going to go blind,” Earl said as they walked inside the house.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Two Days Later

  Soft moonlight filtered through the lace curtains, and a stiff breeze caused the curtains to flutter as Zoe stirred in bed. The other half of the bed was empty. She yawned and lifted her head to look into the bassinet to make sure little Rebecca was asleep. The bassinet was also empty. It was their first night babysitting, which allowed the Jacobs to get a good night’s rest. Someone is going to be very sleepy tomorrow. Should I get up? I’d better, and also see if Eva needs help. She yawned again and stayed where she was for a few more minutes. She threw back the blanket, got out of bed, and put on her slippers.

  She heard Eva’s voice. She stood still for a moment and then decided to sit on the floor beside the door, which was ajar.

  “So little Rebecca, it’s just you and me. Aunty Zoe is asleep,” Eva said. “Your mutti and papa are also asleep.”

  Zoe shook her head at Eva’s soft voice.

  “I hope one day you will be kind and gentle like your mama,” Eva said. “I also wish you would be like your Aunty Zoe and be fearless, strong, and just have the gentleness she does. She is my knight in shining armor. The look in her eyes when she sees me, whoo. Burns me right up. You don't know anything about that now, but wait until you grow up. You will find someone who loves you that much. Your papa and mutti love you so much and one day you will see their love.”

  Zoe brought her knees up and rested her chin on them, unable to stop herself from listening. I'm a knight in shining armor? She knew Eva loved her. There was no doubt about it. But she never saw herself the way Eva did.

  “Do you know what I would love to have in the whole wide world?” Eva said, and then stopped, causing Zoe to lean forward in anticipation.

  “I want to have a baby, Rebecca. Just like you. I want to hold one of my own, and to give them a loving home. It won’t happen, little one. My stepfather saw to that. Your papa won't be like that. He's a good man. He won't rip your heart out and shred it into a thousand pieces. I want to give Zoe what she wants too. A little Zoe running around would be just about be perfect. Just like you.”

  Zoe’s eyes glistened on hearing Eva’s desire, the longing in her voice, and the despair at her stepfather's treatment. Eva’s wish would never be realized for herself. It was impossible.

  “You know, little one, I think I’d better put you back to bed because if I don’t get some sleep, I’m going to be a very cranky Aunty Eva.”

  Zoe very quietly and quickly got back to bed and lay there, waiting for Eva to return. Eva’s heartfelt longing broke her heart. If she could give Eva that wish, she would. She wasn’t sure how, but there had to be a wa
y.

  The bedroom door opened, and Eva walked in with Rebecca, who was now fast asleep. Eva very quietly put the baby in the bassinet. She removed her robe and slipped under the covers. Just as she closed her eyes, Zoe leaned over and kissed her.

  “Oh, I woke you,” Eva whispered. “I’m sorry, love, the baby wanted a feed.”

  “I heard you, Evy.” Zoe wrapped herself around Eva. She took her hand and held it. “I want to give you what you want.”

  “How much did you hear?”

  “All of it,” Zoe replied as Eva gazed back at her, the moonlight catching the unshed tears in her eyes making Zoe’s heart ache that much more.

  “I can’t ask you to do that. I can’t.”

  “You’re not. I want to do it. I want to give you what that bastard stole from you. I want to have a baby with you. I’m not sure how we’re going to do that, but there has to be a way.”

  “Really?” Eva lifted herself up and rested her back against the headrest. She gazed at Zoe in amazement. “You would do that?”

  “Yes,” Zoe whispered as she put her hand on Eva’s scarred lower belly, the constant reminder of her unbearable loss. “I want to be the one to give you what they took away.”

  “Don’t promise me that. I don’t think I could bear if it you changed your mind.” Eva’s voice broke in a strangled cry.

  Zoe didn’t need light to know Eva was crying. She sat with her legs tucked under her, took Eva’s hand, and met her gaze. She wiped the tears from Eva’s cheek. “I promise I won’t change my mind. I give you my word.”

  Eva swallowed and nodded, and then kissed Zoe tenderly. “You know what this will mean.”

  “Yes, I know.” Zoe nodded. “I may have a solution to that.”

  “What?”

  “I was raised on a farm, Evy. I saw Papa trying to impregnate the animals...”

  “Your father was impregnating the animals?” Eva smiled through the tears.

  Zoe stopped and blinked in the darkness. She chuckled. “Um, no. I saw Papa do it once.”

  “You saw your papa doing it once?”

  “Stop that.” Zoe tapped Eva on the arm, which only made Eva chuckle. “You know what I mean.”

  “I don’t know how we are going to do that, Zo.”

  “I do. We get a book and we study up on impregnating animals. I’m sure there is a book on that. Then we follow what they say. Nine months later, we have a baby.”

  Eva gazed at Zoe for a long moment. “I don’t think it’s that easy.”

  “Well, I saw my father do it, and nearly nine months later we had a calf.”

  “A cow is pregnant for nine months?”

  Zoe giggled and nodded. “Actually it’s eight months and a half. You didn’t know that?”

  “I’m not from a farm, and it never occurred to me to ask about cows,” Eva responded.

  “Well, lucky for you, I was born and raised on a farm and I know these things.”

  “Wasn’t the pregnancy courtesy of the bull?”

  “Sure, when there was a handsome bull around,” Zoe replied and grinned on seeing Eva’s eyes widen. “Sometimes we couldn’t get the bull, but Papa could get bull semen.”

  “You watched when all of this was going on?”

  “Of course. Mama hated it because she said it was no place for a young lady, but I would watch. I was also there when the cow gave birth.”

  “Let me guess, you named the calf?”

  “Yes! You can’t go nameless even if you are a cow,” Zoe replied.

  “So how are we going to do it? There may be a lot of handsome boys, but I don’t want them anywhere near you.”

  “Well, Papa used a long syringe that looked like a turkey baster.”

  Eva blinked. “A turkey baster? You mean like the one we use for turkeys? Really?”

  Zoe giggled. “Have you used a turkey baster, Evy? You city girls have a lot to learn about farming. Yes, Papa used a long thing that just pushed the semen into the cow.”

  Eva screwed up her face, which only made Zoe laugh. “I’m sure we will find a more elegant way.”

  Zoe gently cupped Eva’s cheek and kissed her. “We’re going to make a baby and it won’t involve finding the most handsome boy around.”

  “We’re going to make,” Eva’s voice broke, “a baby.” She closed her eyes.

  Zoe kissed her and Eva sniffed back tears. Zoe laid the pillows flat, opened her arms, and Eva curled up with her head on Zoe’s shoulder.

  “I have one condition,” Zoe said.

  “What’s that?” Eva sniffed back the tears.

  Zoe gazed at her and smiled. “I want the baby to look like you. I want her to have dark hair, blue eyes, and a dimpled chin.”

  “I don’t think you can order one like that.”

  “We will find a way. God owes us.” Zoe looked down to find Eva’s eyes were closed, her cheeks tear stained, but Zoe was sure they were happy tears. She drifted off to sleep, dreaming of dark haired children with blue eyes.

  Chapter Fifteen

  A Week Later…

  A lot had changed since they finally decided to head back to Greece and Germany. It was a whirlwind of activity to get the necessary leave from work to allow them to be in Greece before the government’s deadline.

  They also decided on the ship and date for going back to Europe. Eva knew the ship’s schedule since the latest batch of migrants was in the waiting room. They only had four weeks to make all the necessary arrangements.

  Eva walked back into the Interpreter Department with a hot cup of tea and was about to take a sip when she caught sight of Debbie trying to attract her attention without calling out in the middle of a very busy waiting area. It was yet another busy Monday. Migrants speaking in hushed voices crowded into the small waiting area, which was not the most welcoming of places. Hard wooden chairs and dog-eared copies of the Woman’s Weekly magazine littered a corner of the room.

  “Psst!”

  Eva looked around to see if anyone was behind her. She turned back to the now bemused receptionist.

  Eva smiled and approached Debbie. “Psst?”

  “Where have you been?”

  “Morning tea, tea room, over there.” Eva pointed towards the Staff Room. “Before that I went to Personnel.”

  “I have something for you.”

  “Every time you tell me that, I’m busy for the rest of the day,” Eva grumbled good-naturedly. “How many today?”

  “You have four waiting, but that’s not it. This is.” Debbie handed Eva a flyer. “You’re sailing on the Arcadia, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.” Eva took it and read aloud. “Filmmakers following Returning Refugees Back to Europe.”

  “That’s interesting, isn’t it?”

  “It is. They usually want interpreters to be on staff permanently.” Eva wanted to get back to her office and drink her tea before it got cold.

  “Yes, normally that’s what they are after, but I spoke to the lady who was giving these flyers out, and she tells me that they are looking for one or two interpreters for this trip to help out with the regular staff. I asked her what type of people they wanted and how much they paid and all of that. I specifically mentioned that you were sailing on the ship.”

  “You told her about me?”

  “Yes, I hope you don’t mind. I know you are very private, what with your father being who he is...”

  “Yes.”

  “I thought you wouldn’t have a problem. Turns out that since you are sailing on the ship, if you get the interpreter job, then your cabin will be upgraded to first class. You booked the tickets already, didn’t you?”

  “Yes.” Eva nodded.

  “I told Miss Pinfold you can speak four languages and you were travelling on the same ship.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She asked if you were Jewish.”

  “Ah.” Eva sighed.

  “She wasn’t enthusiastic at first, but when I told her you were German, she was very interes
ted. I told her you were travelling with your friend. She wanted to speak to you if you would be interested. If you accepted the job, then Zoe would be included since you are sharing the same cabin.”

  Eva pursed her lips in thought. She would have to work, but that meant they would get a first class cabin and more room. She could give Zoe four weeks of luxury before leaving the ship in Athens. She smiled. “I’ll give her a call.”

  “I took the liberty of making an appointment for you to see her at three pm after your final client.” Debbie handed Eva a piece of paper with the woman’s name, the office location, and the time.

  “Thank you, Debbie.” Eva took the paper and, teacup in hand, she proceeded to her office.

  She closed the door and gazed down at the paper. Zoe is going to be so happy. She smiled.

  Eva went to her desk and sat down still smiling. She sipped her tea as her eyes fell on the silver ring on her finger. Her mind went back to another ship and a tiny cabin. She had been quite sick with the flu that was running through the refugees. She spent the day trying to pluck up the courage to ask Zoe about their future together. They were on the same journey, but Eva wasn’t sure if at the end of the voyage they would still be together. It was not the best way to ask Zoe to be with her but it turned out better than she had hoped for.

  Eva sighed contentedly as she played with the ring. Yes, that was some journey, and Zoe patiently waited for her to start healing from the damage done to her in Aiden.

  “I think a first class cabin for my girl on this trip is perfect,” she said to the empty office.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes, I’m serious,” Zoe said as she made a funny face at the baby in her arms and played with the tiny fist. “You are adorable.”

  “Zoe, focus for a moment.” Elena clicked her fingers in front of Zoe’s face. “You are going back to Greece?”

  “Yes.”

  “I thought you said you didn’t want to.”

  Zoe looked up and shrugged. “Eva convinced me that my family’s inheritance is worth it.”

  “That doesn’t sound right to me.”

  “Which part?”

  “All of it,” Elena replied. “You don’t care about the inheritance and you don’t want to go back to Greece.”