“There is something about Judy,” she said as she moved her neck like she was trying to remove some kind of invisible noose. “She is a worrier. If she hears about what has happened, it will be a whole thing. I don’t think it best that we cause her any undue stress.”
“So how do you want to handle showing up at her door? Won’t she ask questions? I don’t expect that you would normally just randomly show up at her door on a weekday.”
She nodded. “We talk once a week and I only get to see her sporadically, when my schedule allows. Which, as of late, has been very infrequently. In fact, I don’t think I’ve come to see her since I was elected. I’ve been horribly remiss in my duties as an honorary daughter.” There was the hint of guilt in her tone. “But I’m hoping she won’t ask too many questions on how we found ourselves on her doorstep.”
In theory, he could understand why she would feel guilty, but since losing his own parents a few years ago he’d lost touch with what exactly she had to be going through. The closest thing he had to even an adoptive parent were his siblings. They had always gone out of their way to make sure they worked as a group, but the key word was worked. As members of the STEALTH team, they didn’t mess around with the touchy-feely things about family. Emotional wounds were left untouched so they could knit naturally. None of them dared to pick at the scabs.
“Anyway,” Judge DeSalvo continued, “I think it best if you just let me handle things with her. Okay?”
“I didn’t intend on anything else.” He smiled.
She gave an appreciative nod. “Perfect.”
“It may surprise you, but I’m pretty good at just blending into the background.” As he spoke, he couldn’t shut up the little voice in his head that told him that the one place he wanted to be was at the forefront of her life.
The little voice was an idiot.
Chapter Five
Judy was going to be beside herself with excitement. Or, at least she usually was when they got the opportunity to chat. Her second mom was always upbeat and full of life, fiery and wild in a way that made Natalie feel guilty for not having the same zest.
After her parents had died, some of what little zest she had been born with had slipped away. But even before, she had gone at life more linearly and methodically than the woman who had stepped in to raise her.
The last time she had seen Judy, she had flowers stuffed in her hair and an apron she had crocheted for collecting eggs from her bevy of chickens. And though she was in her late sixties, she was often mistaken for being at least two decades younger. If Natalie had to guess why, it was because of the unshaded light in her mother’s eyes and the glorious smile that always rested on her lips.
It was strange, though, as Judy had lived a life full of tragedies. She had lost a daughter at birth and a son when he was thirteen in a boating accident, which had also taken her husband. Maybe it was tragedy that drew the two orphans together; their nearly perfect lives had been pulled out from under their feet.
Judy didn’t focus on the past, though. She felt it, spoke about it and lived it, but she had moved forward with her life and it had grown no less dim. She was the most resilient and courageous woman that Natalie had ever known. If only she could be half as strong, she would be satisfied.
As Natalie pointed to the last house on the left, Evan pulled into the gravel driveway. The home was a simple, aged, single-story ranch house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms—one of which was still 1950s pink. It didn’t seem to fit the bigger-than-life, grandiose Judy.
Natalie nibbled on her lip as she picked up her briefcase and he stopped the car. Walking around, he opened her door. “Ready for this?” Evan asked.
“As I will ever be,” she said, suddenly nervous about what could come. She didn’t want Judy to get upset. Sure, Judy could handle the news, but it would get blown completely out of proportion if she told her the truth. And she didn’t want to lie, but white lies were made to keep people from getting hurt.
As she carried her briefcase up the askew concrete-slab sidewalk, she was brought back to the day she had first come to this house to live. Instead of a briefcase, she had been carrying her Winnie-the-Pooh suitcase, complete with a Piglet-shaped handle, though she had been sixteen.
Those had been some rough years, the time in life when a girl was expected to act like a woman but still had the mind of a girl. But she had grown up fast. She had only gone on one date by the time she was a senior in high school. And yet, even without the complication of first love and first heartbreak, there were many growing pains that had come in the years she had lived in this little house.
How had she found herself feeling just as scared and lost as she had when she was sixteen and walking up this walkway with Piglet in hand? The only thing that had changed was the kind of bag she carried and the start of crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes.
The front door opened and Judy flung herself in her direction before Natalie’s foot had even hit the bottom step. “Natty! You didn’t tell me you were coming! What are you doing here?” she squealed with delight as she threw her arms around Natalie’s neck.
Natalie laughed into her mother’s gray hair. No flowers today. But she did have a large red-tailed hawk feather poking out of her braid in the back. Knowing her, it was probably a feather she had found somewhere in the woods on her daily hike. Judy had always found beauty in nature and celebrated the littlest things.
And then there was Natalie, not even calling her before showing up on her doorstep. She was a terrible daughter. Here was the woman who had practically raised her after some of the hardest years of her life, a woman who could be satisfied with the littlest signs of appreciation and love, and she had brought her nothing.
“Hi, Mom, sorry. I should have called.”
Judy gave her a kiss on the cheek and backed up, holding her by the shoulders and inspecting her. “You haven’t been eating enough, and you look like you’ve been through the wringer. What happened?”
Natalie shot Evan a look before answering. “Nothing. Just took a tumble. I’m fine.”
“Come in. I just made fresh fry bread. You and your friend here can pour some cinnamon and sugar on it and fatten yourselves up.” She turned around and motioned them inside.
It shouldn’t have surprised Natalie that Judy hadn’t even batted an eyelash about her feeble explanation of her injuries or her bringing a stranger to her house—and not just any stranger, but an incredibly good-looking one. She had called him “her friend,” which meant she must have assumed there was some kind of relationship between them, and in doing so she was clearly assuming that Natalie could bat in the same league that this man played in. She did not.
Evan opened the door and waited for them to enter. He gave her a confused look, like he wondered if it was just normal that a stranger would walk right into their house without so much as a simple introduction. Oh, Judy.
As Natalie walked by him, she made sure to take a quick glance at his ass. It was just as tight and muscular as the rest of him, and it solidly cinched the fact that he was too much of a man for her. If she had to bet on it, not that she was a betting woman, she would have put money on the probability that he dated model types. The last kind of woman he would be after would be one who was most comfortable in a beautiful black muumuu robe. The collar was nice, though. Maybe he had a collar fetish.
She chuckled at the thought as she stepped around him and went inside.
Though she couldn’t turn around without being conspicuous, she was sure that she could feel his gaze trailing down her backside. She smiled at the thought. Maybe it was just wishful thinking.
She sucked in a breath, trying to collect herself.
If merely the disparity in looks wasn’t a problem, there was also the fact that they lived and operated in entirely different worlds. He was the kind of man who came so close to breaking the law that he put cracks in
it, while she was the one who was forced to come behind people like him and patch up the holes and repair the damage.
Yes, if they were friends at the end of this it would be a miracle. Actually, if he came out of this without her putting him in jail for breaking laws, she would be impressed. He had already skirted around procedures by sneaking her out of a crime scene before she could give a statement to law enforcement, something she needed to rectify.
She grumbled slightly as she thought about all the work she would have to do when she went back to Missoula. Things were going to be a mess, but at least she wouldn’t have to worry about any trials for the rest of the week.
“Why the face?” Judy asked, looking at her as they made their way into the kitchen.
She forced a smile, even though she knew her second mom would see right through it. “Nothing. I was just thinking.”
“Well, at some point I hope you do enough thinking to tell me how you got so beat-up looking. Must have been some fall you took.” She gave Natalie a once-over. “I don’t know how you do what you do, lady. So exhausting. And oh, the things you must see every day—I can’t even imagine,” she said, pulling a plate of fresh fry bread out of the oven and setting it on the island with a shaker of sugar and cinnamon. “I hope your friend here knows what a catch he has gotten in you. You are quite the woman.”
Natalie could feel the fire rise in her cheeks. Judy may not have been her mother by blood, but she didn’t miss a beat in acting like she was—especially when it came to embarrassing her.
“Did you know that Natty graduated first in her class and was valedictorian in her high school? She is a smart cookie.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Evan said, finally piping up. “I didn’t know she was valedictorian, but knew from the first moment I saw her that she was an incredible woman. I feel lucky to have her even grace me with her presence.”
What in the hell was he playing at?
“Mom, Evan is—”
Judy waved her to a stop. “Shush now, Evan and I are discussing you. Just listen in and take the compliments.”
She clenched her teeth, the muscles in her jaw protruding. Her mom knew exactly how much she hated being the center of attention, especially when accolades were being awarded. She would much rather have been getting yelled at by a defendant and telling them to stand down—at least there she could be in control.
“I hope your intentions are pure with our girl here,” Judy continued.
Natalie sent Evan a look that said “get us out of here” in a thousand languages. Yet, he pitched his head back with a laugh. “I can tell you, ma’am, I’ll be nothing if not a gentleman when it comes to your daughter.”
Judy took him by the arm and led him to the plate. She nearly fed him herself after she fussed about a piece of bread and held it to him. He seemed to be soaking it all in with a level of aplomb that even Queen Elizabeth would have been proud of.
Judy whispered something to Evan she couldn’t quite hear, but it made her even more uncomfortable. Knowing her, it could have been a threat against his life if he hurt her, or a promise of cookies and cakes if he was a good boy. Though Natalie was fine with her mother saying either, she wished she could at least hear so she could talk about it with Evan later and make sure he understood that whatever Judy said, it was coming from a place of love.
There was a reason Natalie had never brought a man here before. Not even when she had been dating had she wanted to bring them within a hundred yards of this house. Her mom was a wonderful woman, but she could get attached quickly. Attachment would lead to entanglements and when the relationship ended, which they always did, it would be even harder to disengage if Judy harbored feelings, as well.
Natalie glanced down at her watch. It was about an hour back to the city; if they left now, she could be back to her own bed at her regular time—death threats be damned.
“You know, Natty, looking at your watch when we have guests is rude.”
And there she was, put right back into her sixteen-year-old shoes, being chastised by her favorite larger-than-life woman.
“Sorry, I was just—”
Again, she was waved off. “I know, I know.” Judy sighed. “I will put together the back bedroom for you two. I assume you will be sleeping in the same room?”
Holy crap, way to cut right to the quick of things.
“Judy, Mom—”
“Ms. Judy,” Evan jumped in, “for the respect of your house, if it is at all possible, I think it best if we slept in separate rooms. We wouldn’t want any of your friends to think you were anything but a moral, upstanding woman.”
Judy laughed, hard. “Oh my goodness. We don’t live in Victorian times. And I couldn’t give two figs about what any old biddies have to say. If they have a problem with how I live my life, they can take it up with me. Or not. My response will be the same.”
He glanced over at her and Natalie shrugged. There were some things and some fights that Judy was never going to let others win, and she had a feeling that this was one of those spars.
“You go and grab your bags and I’ll pull everything together.” In true Judy fashion, she left them in a flurry of feathers and spice.
It was quiet for the first time since they had stepped on the property. The only sounds were of Judy talking to herself as she made her way down the hallway and to the linen closet.
Natalie let out a long exhale. “I should have warned you. She is a bit of a hurricane in person, but I swear she leaves things better than she found them.”
“Then I would hardly call that a hurricane.”
“Fire, then?”
He tilted his head back and forth like he was letting the idea roll around in his mind, and the effect was even more endearing than she could have imagined. “I’ll allow it. And I can see her ripping through any forest and leaving only ashes and wildflowers behind her.”
Natalie laughed. “I’m sorry that she seems to think we’re dating. I’ll make sure to set things straight with her. And I will get us separate bedrooms.”
Just the thought of having to sleep next to this handsome, charming man made her no-no places clench. She had incredible restraint when it came to men and to falling to the needs of her body, but she wasn’t sure that she would be as strong if she could hear his breath in the still of the night. And if he touched her, game over.
Yes, they definitely needed separate bedrooms. Better yet, they could go back to the city. Yes, the city.
“Ms. Judy seems to be soaking it all up. I think she likes the idea of us being together.”
And I don’t mind it, either. Her mind raced, but she checked it. Don’t be an idiot, woman. Slow your roll.
“That doesn’t mean we should allow her to keep assuming, incorrectly, that we are something we are not.”
“But what does it hurt? In fact, it’s a lot easier letting her believe you brought me here to meet her than telling her we had to run here after someone tried to murder you.”
She paused. “You have a point.”
But there had to be some kind of happy medium that didn’t involve any kind of interrogations about relationships or loss of life. In truth, she didn’t know which was worse when it came to having a conversation with her mom.
“If it makes you feel better, I will sleep on the floor and you can have the bed.”
“Are you sure we shouldn’t head back to Missoula?” she asked, biting the inside of her cheek as she envisioned him shirtless on the floor beside her. “Besides, we didn’t even bring bags. You don’t think my mom will notice?”
He looked at her and sent her a sexy half grin. “You forget—I’m damn near a Boy Scout den leader here. I’m always prepared. I got my go-bag in the truck.” He went to retrieve it.
She found herself standing alone in the kitchen, staring down at the plate of warm carbs, as everyone around her was go
ing out of their way to make sure she was comfortable and taken care of. Lucky; she was incredibly lucky.
But how had her life gone from sitting on the bench and making life and death decisions for others to standing in her mom’s kitchen and making life and death decisions for herself?
She stuffed a piece of bread into her mouth, closing her eyes as the sugar melted on her tongue. What was the world trying to tell her in forcing her to do this, to be here?
Maybe it was a little too ethereal, and she should have been focusing on the danger that she faced, but what if the world or the fates had a plan for her? She didn’t believe in coincidence. Everything a person did in their lives, every decision they made, led them to a place they were meant to be. But what had led her here?
Slipping on a coat Judy had hanging on a peg, she walked through the kitchen and stepped out the back door. The sun was starting to set and she sat down on the fence-rail swing in the center of the yard. She rocked as she ate the last of her bread and stared at the pinks and oranges glowing on the mountaintops that were covered with snow.
It felt wrong to relax, to be enjoying the beauty of nature and life when the world was threatening to burn down around her, but at the same time it felt right to just take time and breathe it all in. Maybe that was the purpose of this, to focus on living the moments that were granted to her—who knew how many she would have left? The thought made her heart lurch. What would it mean to be taken from this earth? And why? What reason would someone have to hate her enough to want to snuff out her life?
Every day she had to face herself in the mirror and answer for the choices and decisions she made when it came to people’s lives. She always tried to do the right thing, to follow the laws, directives and choices that others before her had made. Life was built of injustices—most couldn’t be made right. The vast majority of the tragedies in this life didn’t happen due to random acts of nature, but choices. It could be as simple as making the decision to get in a car or to say yes when a person should say no. It was these simple moments that ruined lives and wrought injustice and mayhem.
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