Betrayal of Trust (6 page)

She squared her shoulders and a deep frown formed a
V
in her forehead, diminishing her pixieish charm. “I’m working as hard as anyone else. I deserve a promotion just as much as…” She gathered a long breath. “Oh, never mind. It doesn’t matter. But don’t think just because Daddy got me the job, that I’m coasting by.”

Matthew held up his hands in surrender. “I wasn’t implying you don’t work hard. I’m happy that you like your job.”

“But no quote?”

“Sorry, you’ll just have to get that promotion on your own.”

She scowled. “If Raven doesn’t steal it out from under me.”

“Raven?”

She scowled. “Yes,
Raven
.”

“What’s she got to do with your promotion?”

She opened her car door and slid under the wheel. “Your sexy little ex-y and I are up for the same anchor job. So don’t be fooled if she acts like she wants to rekindle an old flame. It was nice seeing you again.” She handed him a card. “Take this and call if you change your mind.”

Unease crept into Matthew’s gut as drove home. Was Raven’s re-entry into his life too convenient to be coincidence?

H
er favorite late-night talk show wasn’t particularly funny this evening.

“Get some new material,” Raven grouched. She snatched up the remote and flipped from channel to channel trying to find something, anything to keep her thoughts from reliving that world-shattering kiss a thousand more times.

Why hadn’t she invited him over to help her eat the Chinese takeout? He’d gotten enough for two, as he always had during their college years. Guilt plagued her. That was why. She knew a relationship was the last thing she intended to pursue with her old flame. Knew that in all likelihood he was still in love with her. But, her own feelings notwithstanding, she just had too much baggage to attempt anything resembling commitment. And part of that baggage included her desperate need to get this anchor spot.

She snatched up the phone and dialed Denni’s number. She knew her sister was barely back from her Hawaiian honeymoon, but she had the rest of her life to snuggle with her hunky cop husband, Reece Corrigan.

“Aloha! Mrs. Corrigan speaking.” The pure joy in Denni’s voice sent a jolt of warmth through Raven and a smile touched her lips without warning.

“Aloha yourself, Mrs. Corrigan. Is that the way you answer all your calls now?”

Denni laughed. “Caller ID. I knew it was you.”

“Oh, duh. I wonder if there’s anything in the Constitution about privacy that we could bring up to ban caller ID. Talk about your lack of privacy.”

“Only if you’re a stalker, telemarketer or bill collector. Otherwise you’re going to want the person you’re calling to know who you are anyway.”

“Oh philosophical one, marriage must be making you think deeply.”

“Marriage is wonderful.” Denni gave a sigh and Raven’s heart clenched. This time with just a twinge of longing. “Hawaii is definitely paradise.”

“Reece didn’t run off with a hula girl, I guess.”

“No way,” a male voice piped in. “I only have eyes for one woman.”

“Denni! I’m on speaker?”

“Sorry, I was unpacking.”

Raven heard a click. “All right. I’m all yours. I’m walking down the hall to my little office and you can tell me why you’re really calling.”

“Oh, just to see how you’ve been.” Raven cringed. Good thing she hadn’t dreamed of being an actress, because she couldn’t act her way out of a paper bag.

“What’s wrong, Rave?” Denni’s sympathetic tone forced sudden tears to Raven’s eyes.

“I’ve been seeing Matt again.”

“Matthew Strong?”

“Who else?”

“Raven, that’s great. I never thought you were over him in the first place.”

The rush of matrimonial bliss in Denni’s tone grated on Raven. Especially when romantic feelings had nothing to do with anything in this situation.

“Well, it’s not quite like that.”

“What do you…?” A gasp shot through the line with all the indignation of a woman in love. “Raven, you are
not
playing with that poor man’s heart just to get a story!”

“Don’t be absurd.” Raven winced. There was that bad acting again.

“You
are
. Oh, Rave. That’s low even for you.”

“
Even
for me?” What an assessment from her own sister.

“Don’t pretend to be offended by that. You are the one who says the end always justifies the means and usually you don’t cross the line too much, but this is just wrong. You broke Matt’s heart fifteen years ago and now you want to get his hopes up and break it all over again?”

“Hey, I have feelings too, ya know.”

Raven pushed up from the couch, grabbed Ginger and padded toward the bedroom.

“Are your feelings getting involved here, Raven?” Denni’s point-blank question shot through Raven as she flopped onto her stomach across her bed, resting on her elbows.

“How could they not? You know how much he meant to me.”

“Yes, I do.” She spoke softly, in true Denni fashion. Now was the time for her to stop and listen to whatever Raven had to say, to help her find her own answer to whatever problem she might be facing. Only, Raven didn’t know what to say.

“Raven, are you still in love with Matt?”

A deep sigh welled up within her and she blew it out in a cleansing breath. “I am. Yes. Wow, I can’t believe I just said that.”

Denni laughed. “You have to tell him.”

“Oh, Denni. I can’t. I don’t know if I’m ready for a relationship.”

“What are you afraid of? What happened between the two of you back then that was so awful you couldn’t work it out?”

“I—I can’t tell you. I wish I could and I probably will some day soon. But not yet. Okay?”

“All right. But promise me you’ll give up this story about Matt.”

“I would if I could just find something else to knock out of the park so Mr. Cruise will give me that anchor job and not his perky little daughter.”

“You will. I’ll pray for just the most awesome story ever.”

Raven frowned. She had pushed her childhood faith so far into the depths of her being that when her family brought up religion, it always filled her with bittersweetness.

Memories of church services, singing, clapping, listening with awe as Mama sang “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.” Raven wanted to trust. She did, but how could she trust when everything she knew about who she was turned out to be a lie?

“If you want to wish me luck, I’ll take it,” she blurted into the mouthpiece. “But save your prayers. They mean nothing to me.”

Denni paused only for a second. “They may not mean anything to you,” she said, with no condemnation in her tone. “But they mean something to God.”

“Believe that if it makes you feel better, Denni. Be
lieve that there is some great big Daddy Warbucks in the sky just waiting to give me a great news story, but I’m not going to hold my breath.”

“Fine. Have you heard from Dad, lately?”

“I’ve had a couple of messages from him, but I haven’t had time to call him back.”

A frustrated sigh reached her ears. “Raven. What’s it going to hurt for you to call him?”

“I’ve been busy all week.”

A beep indicated another caller. “Hang on a sec. I’m getting another call.”

“Hello?”

A pause.

“Hello?”

“Where were you today?”

“Who is this?”

“Sonny.”

“What do you mean, where was I? I was at the deli we agreed upon. I waited for twenty-five stinking minutes and missed lunch while you stood me up, so don’t ask where I was. Where were you?”

He chuckled and she could hear the crackle as he took a drag on a cigarette. “Got quite the temper. I guess you come by that naturally enough.”

“Sorry. It’s been a long day.”

“No problem. We must have gotten our delis mixed up. Can we try again this weekend?”

“I’m sorry, Sonny. I have plans for the weekend.”

“Plans?” His tone hardened. “What sort of plans?”

“Private ones.”

“I see,” came the clipped response. “I suppose we’ll have to make it another time, then.”

“I suppose. Call me next week and we’ll set something up, okay?”

“Sure.” He hung up without saying goodbye.

“Sheesh, talk about a temper,” Raven muttered. She clicked the button to take her back to Denni. “Sorry, Den.”

“Oh, hi. You’re back.” She giggled and in the background Raven could hear Reece’s muffled voice.

Raven smiled. Reece wasn’t the type of man to be kept waiting long. Apparently he’d tired of his wife yakking with her sister.

“I’ll call you in a few days, Denni.”

“All right. And Raven, give yourself a chance to love again. Seriously. Finding the love of your life is the most wonderful experience in the world.”

Raven pictured Denni and Reece. She could imagine Denni looking deep into his eyes as she said those words. A lump lodged in Raven’s throat. “Goodbye,” she whispered.

The problem was that she had already found the love of her life. She had given him up. And now, with his reemergence into her life, she faced a hard decision. If she wanted Matthew, she couldn’t use him to get a story. The question was…which did she want more?

Fear shot through Matthew’s heart as he stared at the letter in his hands. Ray Marx must have spent all of his money and was looking for more.

SHE’S MINE, NOT YOURS.

Capital letters, typewritten. No signature. How clichéd, and yet terrifying at the same time. Clearly, Ray was letting Matthew know that he wouldn’t go away. No matter what.

Matthew shook his head. He knew one thing for sure.
He couldn’t go to the river tomorrow with Raven and leave Jamie home. He’d be worried sick the entire time.

He and Raven hadn’t spoken since the night he kissed her. After his encounter with Kellie, he wasn’t sure what to say to Raven. His heart wasn’t quite ready to believe she could pretend so well. He remembered what a lousy actress she was. Whatever her motives, her feelings were transparent. Another idea formed and he snatched up the phone. She answered on the first ring.

“Matt?”

“Hi. Change of plans for the weekend, do you mind?”

“No kayaking?” Her voice reflected a mix of relief and disappointment.

“I don’t want to leave my daughter, but she hates kayaking. How about Adventure Park in St. Louis?”

“You…want me to meet your daughter? Are you sure?”

“I’ll introduce you as an old college friend. She’s only eight, so she’s not going ask you to be her new mommy.”

Raven laughed. “That’s a relief. All right. Adventure Park it is. Want to get an earlier start since it’s a four-hour drive?”

“Yeah, can you be ready at five-thirty?”

Raven groaned. “I better go home now and go to sleep.”

Laughter rumbled in Matthew’s chest as a surge of affection rushed through him. “It’s only noon.”

“Yes, but five-thirty comes really, really early.”

He was still smiling when he hung up. Then his gaze drifted downward to the note on his desk. Anger burned through him once again. Ray might have no ammunition to hurt him politically, but the man was obviously threatening to try to make a court case.

Matthew seriously doubted any rational judge would
give a little girl over to the man who’d abused her mother, causing brain damage. A convicted felon on parole. But you never could tell. A judge with a score to settle with Matthew or possibly his father before him. A judge who didn’t like Matthew’s politics. As unlikely as it seemed, Matthew knew he might very well lose Jamie if Ray could find a judge who would believe the Strong family had bullied him into signing away his parental rights to the little girl.

“Hi, Dad.” Jamie rushed in without knocking as usual. “Want to go swimming?”

“Sure. And guess what?”

“What?”

“I have a surprise for you.”

Her beautiful blue eyes lit up. “What is it?”

“How would you like to go to Adventure Park tomorrow?”

A wide grin split her face, revealing a mouthful of part baby teeth, part grown up teeth. “You mean it? You really, really mean it?”

She flung her arms around his neck.

“Of course I mean it.”

“Is Grams coming?”

“I don’t really think Grams would like that sort of thing, do you? I mean can you imagine her on a roller coaster?”

Jamie giggled and shook her head. “It’s just you and me, then? I can’t wait! I’m going to go tell Aunt Casey!”

“Uh, wait, Jamie.” He stopped her just before she could sprint to the door.

She stared back at him, a slight frown marring her perfect skin.

Matthew released a breath. “Actually, I’ve invited an old college friend to join us. Do you mind?”

“Oh. I didn’t know you had any friends. What’s his name?”

Heat warmed Matthew’s ears. “To tell you the truth, he’s a she. And
her
name is Raven Mahoney.”

“You mean you’ve got a
girlfriend?
” The incredulity in her voice relayed much more than Matthew expected she might deduce.

“She’s not a girlfriend. She’s a friend.”

“I can’t believe you invited a girl.” Jamie scowled. “What a joke. You just want me to meet her ’cause you like her.”

“Young lady. You better watch your tone and words with me.”

“Fine. But don’t expect me to like her.”

“You’d best be polite.”

She scowled again. “I’ll see what I can do. But I’m not making any promises.”

“Jamie…I mean it. Raven means a lot to me.”

“I knew she was your girlfriend.”

“No, she isn’t. But once upon a time we were going to be married.”

Jamie’s eyes grew large and round. “Why didn’t you?”

He tweaked her nose, which was peeling from too much sun. “That, my girl, is my business.”

Releasing a heavy sigh, she padded to the door. “You still going to swim with me?”

“Yes, let me go get my suit on. You going to be okay with meeting Raven?”

A shrug lifted her bony shoulders. “I’m getting used to the idea. Think she’ll like the roller coasters, or is she going to scream and hold on to your arm like a sissy?”

Matthew grinned. “If I remember right, I’m the one who screams. She’ll be telling me not to be a wimp.”

Jamie dimpled. “Okay. Then I can probably put up with her for one day.”

“Glad to hear it. I’ll meet you by the pool.” Matthew laughed as she walked out of the room. The girl was a little more savvy than he’d given her credit for.

Tomorrow should prove to be an interesting day.