by Dana Mason
“Your sister told me you were worried about forgetting your mom. This book should help so you don’t. You can look at it every night before you go to bed and remember her. You can ask your dad, or Erin, to tell you a story about the pictures they remember. I have a few great stories, too, I can share with you.”
Cody looked up with sad eyes. “I told Erin not to tell anyone.”
“I know, and she didn’t want to tell me, but she thought I could help.” Melissa reached over and took the book from him. She flipped the pages and found the picture she was looking for. “See this one here? That’s of me and my sister with your mom.” She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “Did you know that Auntie Ali and I lost our dad when we were your age?”
He lifted his eyes up to her face and stared at her without saying anything for a long time. It looked as if he didn’t want to believe her. He finally said, “I didn’t know your daddy was dead. Did you cry when he died?”
“Yes, sweetheart. I cried a lot. Auntie Ali, too. It was hard for us. Just like this is hard for you.”
“Did your mom cry, too?”
“Yes, she cried a lot, too, every day for a long time.”
“My daddy cries sometimes.” His eyes drifted to the floor, and Melissa wondered if Cody thought he was betraying Brian by telling her that.
“I know, honey.” She reached over and took his hand. “We all miss her, especially you, Erin, and Daddy, but it’s normal to cry when we lose someone we love.” She tried to smile. “Even big, strong dads cry when they’re sad. That’s not a bad thing.”
He flipped through a few more pages and landed on a photo of him as a baby with Julie. Brian moved over from the arm chair and sat next to him.
“That’s you, Cody. You were only a couple of weeks old.” Brian chuckled. “Look how happy your mom was. Look at that smile.”
“I love that one,” Melissa said. “I wish I wouldn’t have missed those years with you and your sister . . . and Julie.” She swallowed against the lump forming in her throat.
“I’m glad you’re here now,” Cody said.
Brian reached a hand around Cody and gripped Melissa’s shoulder. “Me, too.” Then he lifted the hand and rested it on Cody’s shoulders.
“Dad, you should open your present.”
“Oh, uh, no, buddy, I can wait until Christmas,” Brian said, glancing at Melissa.
“I think you should open it.” Melissa handed him a small box.
Brian tilted his head from side to side. “All right then.” He took the box and pulled the ribbon, then ripped at the seam in the paper. As soon as the paper was off, he popped the top with wide eyes. “Wow, Melissa, wow! This is awesome—too much!” The watch had a thick black strap and a black face, simple and masculine, not overstated, and absolutely perfect for Brian. That’s why she’d bought it.
“Bvlgari is a good name in watches. It should hold up well to your abuse,” she said, smiling.
“Ha, I hope so for the price.” He frowned. “I wish you wouldn’t spend your money on me.”
“It wasn’t bad, and you needed one.”
Brian pulled the watch out of the box and examined it closely. That’s when he noticed the inscription on the underside. He read it aloud: Embrace every moment, for each is a gift.
He held his hand over his mouth, staring at the inscription. “Melissa . . .”
“Do you like it?” she murmured.
He nodded, lifting his eyes to look at her. “Thank you. It’s incredible.”
“I’ve learned a lot over the last year, but the most important thing I’ve learned is that life is short.”
Brian nodded in agreement, his eyes a little misty. “Makes seventeen years of silence a lot harder to swallow.”
“Yes,” she whispered.
Brian reached over Cody and hugged her. Cody laughed within their embrace, pulling the photo album to his chest. When Brian withdrew from the hug, he said, “I have a great idea! Let’s pile into the car, stop at Starbucks for some hot chocolate, then drive around and look at Christmas lights.”
Matty reached over to take her hand. “Did you like it?”
Erin nodded, trying to fight her giddy grin. “Yeah, good ending. I was upset at first because it wasn’t like the book, but I’m glad they did that last minute switch to trick the audience. It worked, too, I totally fell for it.”
Matt chuckled. “I haven’t read the book, but it was pretty cool watching a bunch of vampires kill each other.” He steered her toward the mall instead of the parking lot. “Your dad gave us until ten. Do you want to walk through the mall and do some late-night Christmas shopping?”
Erin squeezed his hand and agreed. He lead her from the theater entrance into the adjacent mall. When they turned, Erin walked smack into the chest of a man and was nearly knocked off her feet. She glanced up to apologize, but the words froze in her throat.
Dread seeped through her, chilling her and chasing away the warmth Matt’s presence had provided. Coach Jeffries sneered down at her. Erin couldn’t control the instant tremors as they shook from her core all the way to her shoulders, down her arms, and into her hands.
Matty pulled her closer and put his arm around her. A ringing attacked her ears, and she couldn’t get her mouth to move. Coach straightened his jacket, his eyes still firmly focused on her. When he looked up at Matty, he put on a fake smile.
“Well . . . I guess now we understand why you’re too busy for water polo.”
Erin’s tremors increased at the insinuation and the indignant expression on his face.
Coach eyed her from head to toe. “The apple truly doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?”
Matt’s chest went up. “What did you say?”
Before she thought about what she was doing, Erin’s hand leaped out and connected with his face, the sound of her smack echoing off the walls and the tile floor of the mall. She glared at the angry read handprint and the three distinct scratches down his cheek. “Don’t you ever speak about my mother! Ever!”
Matt grabbed her jacket and pulled her back, thrusting himself between her and Coach.
Coach wiped a hand across his cheek. “You’re a Hammel through and through, you little bitch.”
“Hey!” Matt stepped closer and stared down at him. “You asked for it, Coach.”
“Back off, Wilson.” Coach took a step back and stared at Erin. “I might have to share your actions with a wider audience. You’re on Facebook, aren’t you, Miss Hammel?”
“No, you back off, Coach, or I’ll make sure you answer for it.”
“Threatening a teacher . . . really, Wilson? I thought you were smarter than that.” Coach glared at her one more time before stalking away.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“What the hell was that?” Matt asked as Coach Jeffries push through the door and out into the parking lot.”
Erin tried to inhale, but she couldn’t breathe. She put a hand to her chest and slumped down to the ground, fighting for air. Matt dropped to his knees and got right in her face.
“Erin, look at me and concentrate on your breathing. In . . . out . . . in . . . out, slowly. Okay, big belly breaths.” He placed a hand on her stomach. “Breathe from here.”
She did as he said, then relaxed into it. When her breathing steadied, she looked around at all the people staring at her. “Oh God . . .”
“It’s okay.” He tucked his hands under her arms and lifted her to her feet. “The show’s over people.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her out of the mall. “What the hell was that about?”
“Oh my God . . .” Erin said again. “Matty, you can’t tell my dad about that!” She stopped walking and covered her face with her hands. “I hate him. I really hate him.” She hiccupped a sob, but couldn’t stop once she’d started crying. What was she going to do now? What if he posted those photos online? Oh my God! Oh my God!
He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s okay. That wasn�
��t your fault. He was asking for it.”
She felt so stupid. What was she thinking when she let Coach talk her into taking her freaking clothes off. She sobbed for another couple of minutes, then felt stupid when she couldn’t stop her tears. She fought to control her crying and pulled back to free herself of Matty’s embrace. “You cannot tell my dad about that. You can’t, Matt.”
“If I’m going to lie to your dad, I need a good reason.” He threw his hands out. “Why does he keep messing with you? What’s he trying to pull? You need to speak up because this isn’t only about your mom.”
Erin stiffened, straightening her back. “You don’t know anything about me or my mom, so don’t act like you do.”
“Something is going on. I see the way he tries to talk to you at school, and I know you had to have had a good reason for dropping water polo. You love being in the water. That, I know, Erin, so why don’t you be straight with me before you ask me to lie to your dad.”
She shook her head and turned to walk away from him. “Take me home.”
“Come on, Erin . . . I’m sorry, stop, please just . . .” He grabbed her arm. “I’m sorry. Can you just stop—talk to me?”
Erin jerked her arm out of his grasp and swiped at the tears drying on her face.
“I see that you’re going through something.”
“I just lost my mother so it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out.”
“No, sorry, nice try, but I know you better than that. This started before your mom’s death.” He sighed and dropped his hands to his sides. “I’m worried about you. Everyone is worried about you.”
“Is that why you asked me out? Did my dad tell you to spy on me?”
“Erin, seriously? Are you seriously asking me that?”
“Yes!” she said, choking up again, scared of his answer. “Why else would you want to be with me?”
“What? Why would you say that?” When she didn’t answer, he said, “I asked you out because you’re incredible . . . and I like you. I like hanging out with you, and I care about you.” He reached out for her, but she resisted. “I’ve spilled my guts in a damn parking lot. Can you give me a break here?”
Erin smiled in spite of her tears and gave in, leaning into his chest as he engulfed her in the warmest hug she’d had since her mom died. “I’m sorry he ruined our night.”
“Nothing is ruined. Don’t give him so much power over you, Erin.”
She nodded and relaxed into him, letting him chase the chill away.
“I won’t say anything if you don’t want me to, but if Coach so much as looks at you again, I’m going straight to your dad and telling him everything.”
Brian glanced at his new watch as he climbed out of the car. “You’re a half hour early,” he said, smiling until the expression on Matty’s face caught his attention. “What happened?”
Erin scoffed. “Nothing happened, Dad, except the movie ended so we came home. Why do you always expect something bad to happen?”
Matt gave a half-hearted smile. “I need to get home. Thanks, Erin. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Erin stood on her tip-toes and gave him a friendly hug. “Thank you for the movie. I had a great time.”
He stepped back and said, “You’re welcome.” Then he glanced at Brian, Melissa, and Cody and gave a little wave. “See you guys later.”
Brian watched as Matt strapped himself into his old pickup and drove away. He couldn’t shake the unnerving feeling that something was off. What went down? Why weren’t they talking? “Erin!”
“Dad, I’m right here. You don’t need to scream at me.”
“Did something happen at the movies? What’s going on?”
She rolled her eyes. “Nothing happened. We had a good time. Can we not turn it into something it wasn’t?”
“Okay, smartass, get in the house.” He led Melissa and Cody inside behind Erin and watched as both kids climbed the stairs.
“What’s up with you?” Melissa asked Brian.
“Matty was acting weird. Guilty about something. What do you think happened?”
Melissa smirked. “I think you’re a paranoid father looking for something where there’s nothing.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “He didn’t seem weird to you?”
“Yes, he seemed a little nervous about hugging your daughter in front of you, but considering your reaction, I can see why.” She chuckled at his expression. “Erin seemed perfectly fine. There’s no point in worrying needlessly.”
Brian grinned. “Okay, I guess my Spidey sense is running on overdrive.” He closed the front door behind them and waved toward the kitchen. “Feel like a cup of coffee?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I shouldn’t. I told Ali I’d meet her in the morning. We have an early appointment with the seamstress for her last gown fitting.”
“Oh, right. Do I need to do anything with that dress for Erin?”
“No, I took her on Wednesday for her last fitting. She’s all set. But you need to meet for your last tux fitting. Did Johnny give you the appointment times?”
“Yes, we’re meeting on Monday.” He lowered himself down on the couch. “How are the plans going?”
“Perfectly.” Melissa smiled. “It’s going to be the most beautiful wedding—and Ali in her dress. She radiates happiness these days.”
“It’s good to see her happy. Bennett, too. Geez, he’s almost unbearable to hang out with.”
Melissa laughed at the expression on his face. “It’s nice though, isn’t it?” Her smile faded a little, and her eyes drifted toward the Christmas tree. “It’s nice to see two people in love . . . seeing them happy.”
”What about you, Lis? You’re not gushing like the two of them.”
“What are you talking about?”
He lifted his hand in question and stared at her. “What am I talking about? Aren’t you getting married in a couple of months, too?”
Her mouth formed into an O, and she said, “Yes, but I have a while before the craziness starts.”
“Melissa?” He shrugged, lifting both hands this time. “Are you happy? You sound so nonchalant about the whole thing.”
“Yes, of course I’m happy, but it’s Ali’s time. I don’t want to deter away from her day.”
“You’re a freaking liar.” He pointed at her. “You’re full of shit right now. Why are you marrying this guy, Lis, when it’s clear you’re questioning the whole thing?”
She frowned and shook her head. “I’m going. Thanks again, Brian, for your support.”
He stood and followed her to the door. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
She turned and glared at him over her shoulder. “God, you’re a jerk sometimes.”
“I am supporting you! That’s what this is, Melissa. I wouldn’t be your friend if I didn’t call you out when I see you making a mistake. You’re not happy. He’s not right for you. And damn it, I hope you’re honest with yourself before you walk down the aisle with him.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The hell I don’t.” He wagged a finger at her. “Don’t forget, I know you better than anyone else on this planet. I’ve seen inside your soul. You can’t hide yourself from me.”
She turned, facing him. “You don’t know anything about me! Don’t you dare pretend like this is you protecting me. This isn’t about me, and it’s not about Chase. It’s about you.”
“Yeah, this is about me, being a good friend to you.”
“No! This is about you and you being unhappy!” She poked his chest. “You can’t stand to see me happy. You can’t stand being the one who’s alone now while I’m the one with the happy ending.”
Brian closed his eyes and took a step back, shaking his head. Ouch. Yeah, he was alone . . . and she was moving forward without him . . . and that’s what he deserved.
He opened his eyes to see Melissa with her hand over her mouth. “Brian,” she mumbled. “I’m sorry.” Her e
yes reflected tears of horror.
“It’s okay. I deserved that.”
“No, you didn’t.” She gripped him in a tight hug, slinging her arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry. That was hateful.”
He pulled her close, inhaling her scent and embracing the ache that came with the knowledge that he’d never hold her as his ever again. He’d lost her.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“You know how it goes, man.” Johnny shrugged. “Can’t do anything about it while you’re suspended.”
“Pisses me off.” Brian ran his fingers through his hair and looked up at the bright blue sky. It was an unusually warm late-December day. “We’ve been working on that case for months.”
“It’s no longer a local matter. Child porn cases get turned over to ICE and Homeland Security. For all we know, this could include child sex-trafficking.”
“Did you call Chief Morgan in Sebastopol and let him know?”
“He’s not happy about it either, and they won’t give him any updates.”
“Did Ackerman talk to you at all before ICE moved him? Did we get anything?”
“No.” Johnny frowned. “The guy would not say a freaking word. I’d pay every dollar in my bank account to know who he’s protecting.”
“Hey, guys,” Ali said, walking out onto the patio with a huge smile.
Brian tried to smile in return. “Hey, Al.”
“What’s crawled up your butt?” she said. “You look like you lost your best friend.”
“Ugh, stupid case we’re working—well, at least I was working on it before getting suspended.”
She sucked air through her teeth. “Sorry about the suspension.”
Brian waved a hand at her. “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. My own stupid temper.”
“You need to stay away from Frank Jeffries, Brian.”
“He’s lucky I didn’t get my hands on him after what he did to Melissa.”
“Stay away from him.” Ali stared him down and said, “Maybe you should stay clear of Melissa, too.”