Between Friends (36 page)

“Okay, okay. I get it.” Vin waved his hand to make Alex stop.

“It’s not going to take a lot of time, Vin. Offer something at your shop that nobody else in the area can do. Then people will come to you first.”

Lillian looked back and forth between them. “Vin … is Alex … is he going to help you?”

“I didn’t say that,” Vin pointed out to his wife. “Don’t get excited. I only asked a question,” he murmured.

“Stubborn,” Lillian accused him without rancor.

She didn’t ask or say more, but her gaze on Alex was filled with hope. Vin’s goodwill was hard to come by. And Alex didn’t want to build up Lillian’s hope for a full reconciliation between them if Vin was going to turn difficult about accepting his help.

Alex glanced to Vin. “The offer stands,” he said casually. “If you want to go ahead with new plans for the business, let me know.”

“Ummmm,” Vin murmured.

Alex stood up. He’d tell them another time. “I gotta go.”

“I wish you could stay longer. I didn’t even tell you Vin and I are going to California for our anniversary. I’ve always wanted to. It’ll be good for us, especially since Nicky. And did you know poor Dallas had quite a scare this week. I’m thinking of turning Nicky’s room into a …”

“What was that about Dallas?” Alex asked, trying to keep his tone mildly curious. But he was surprised by the jolt of concern. Distinct memories flashed through his mind of the past.

“Her father had a heart attack,” Vin said. “Lillian cooked up something and took it over. You know. Trying to help out.”

“Dallas has been at her parents’ house since it happened. I just saw her this morning. We ran into each other at the corner market.”

Alex listened thoughtfully. He was remembering things he’d read in her journal. About her father and stepmother. Her sense of not being wanted. He looked at Vin and Lillian, glanced at the wall clock. “Can I use your phone?”

“Of course.” Lillian nodded.

Alex excused himself and went into the kitchen. He picked up the phone and punched in a number. He felt relief when the line was finally picked up.

“Hey, it’s me. I figured you’d still be there. You got any plans for tonight? … No, nothing’s wrong, but I need you to do me a favor …”

When Dallas opened the door and saw Alex standing there, she felt an odd displacement of time. She was suddenly sixteen again. When she’d needed someone to turn to, Alex had been there. Like now. She didn’t even question his presence, but seeing him brought her perilously close to tears. Only this time there wasn’t anything he could do to rescue her.

Dallas’s mind was still reeling from the contents of the box her father had told her about. She’d expected something big, packed with mementos and books, albums and sentimental heirlooms. It was only a shoe box tied with string. But it held the entire story of her father and mother’s relationship, the beginning, middle … and end.

The letters had been painful enough to read, the ones between her parents expressing fear, doubt, love, and finally regret. Years later there had been letters from cousins, relatives of her mother who’d tracked her down, tried to communicate with her, to let her know she had more family. And they wanted to know her. The letters had all been addressed to her, all had been opened and read … and she’d never seen one of them before that afternoon. The last one had been written ten years ago.

They’d given up.

Far worse, however, were the news clippings reporting the brutal attack on a young black man who was known to be married to a white woman. Her parents. The details had been so horrifying that Dallas couldn’t adequately respond. She’d gone numb with shock, reading them over and over again with the realization that people really were capable of doing such hideous things. Her parents had endured atrocities because they loved each other. And decisions had been made to protect her, Dallas realized, because they loved her, the child of their union.

She stood staring blankly at Alex, and hoped that he would speak first, so that she wouldn’t have to. She was afraid of what would come out.

“How’s your father?” he asked without preamble.

“Fine. He’s … fine. It wasn’t serious,” she said in a thin voice.

“Lillian told me what happened. Are you here alone?”

“My stepmother is upstairs with my father.”

“Good. Go get a coat or something.”

“Why?”

“We’re going for a walk.”

It reminded her of Valerie’s visit the day before. But this time she shook her head. “I don’t think …”

“I’ll wait out here for you,” Alex said, turning away.

Dallas was too flustered to offer excuses, and too tired to argue. Her mind felt crammed with too much information, too many feelings to be able to make decisions. Right now it was much easier to let someone else tell her what to do. She went to the hall closet and reached in for a coat. She extracted a denim jacket belonging to Dean. Way too big, but it didn’t matter.

She stepped outside and closed the door. Without a word they fell into step together and began slowly walking. Dallas expected Alex to ask her questions about her father, or to express sympathy or offer advice. But he didn’t look like he felt there had to be any conversation. That was okay. She was comfortable with him and the silence. And she was grateful.

Alex knew full well that there was nothing he could say that would make a difference. Besides, that was not the point. He just knew he had to be here with Dallas. They got to the corner and made a left turn. He admired her smooth, graceful walk. No matter what was happening to her, she’d always had a certain strength of spirit.

Dallas was so glad that Alex knew he didn’t have to say anything. She was still preoccupied with those grainy newsprint images, and their graphic details.

Her father had been attacked.

Dallas felt her throat clog. Her ears were ringing. She felt like she was having trouble breathing. She didn’t jump when Alex put his hand on the top of her shoulder and squeezed gently. His fingers curved to the side of her neck. She felt a quiver at his touch.

They turned at the corner again. They had no real destination. She just kept moving. She was thinking of her parents, split apart by ignorance and bigotry, and their love destroyed.

She and Alex walked around the entire block without a word said between them. She slowed her steps when she realized they were almost at her parents’ house again. It had been like coming full circle. She stopped, and Alex stopped with her. His fingertips were rubbing at her nape. Dallas didn’t know for sure if Alex knew exactly what he was doing, or what this was doing to her. But it certainly seemed right. Knowing that there was no place else to go, Alex made it easy for her to turn into his chest. He held her gently and easily and for a long time she just cried.

“I don’t believe you,” Megan scoffed. “You never jumped out of a plane.”

Ross nodded while smoothly turning his car at the corner and driving slowly down the darkened street. “Oh, yes, I did. Ask Alex if you don’t believe me. He’s done it, too.”

“Well, what else can you do? I bet you don’t know how to roller blade …”

Valerie sighed. “Megan, please. Can’t you sit still and not talk so much?”

Ross glanced at Valerie’s stiff profile. “I don’t mind. It’s nice to have someone to talk to,” he hinted broadly, and Valerie tightened her mouth impatiently. “No, I gotta admit I’ve never been on them, Megan.”

“Well, I can. It’s easy. Aunt Dallas got me a pair for Christmas.”

“Maybe you can show me sometime.”

“Yeah, that would be cool,” Megan readily agreed.

“Well … here we are. Home again, jiggity-jig.”

Megan giggled as Ross parked the car in front of the house. “You’re a lot of fun. Just like my godmother.”

“Why, thank you, Megan. I consider that a great compliment. I think your godmother is pretty neat myself.”

Valerie didn’t wait for Ross to turn off the engine, and had already gotten out of the car by the time Megan had thanked Ross for taking them to dinner.

“Megan, please go on in and turn on some lights. It’s getting late.”

“I know, I know … go get ready for bed. I’m almost thirteen. Can’t I stay up another hour?”

“When you’re thirteen we’ll discuss it,” Valerie said firmly. She tugged her daughter’s hair and gave her a brief hug. Megan sighed and turned to flounce toward the house.

“Night, Ross,” she called out as she opened the door. “Thanks for dinner.”

Ross waved to the young girl, and walked slowly around the front of his car toward Valerie. She stood her ground, waiting for him. Not an ounce of the annoyance she felt that he’d taken her and Megan to dinner in place of Alex had abated during the whole evening.

“Now, admit it … that wasn’t so bad, was it? Nice dinner, so you didn’t have to cook. Good company …”

Valerie averted her gaze briefly and smiled, despite herself. “Okay. I appreciate it. You didn’t have to fill in for Alex,” she said, trying to be gracious, but finding that being around Ross seemed to make her testy.

“Nice of you to say so, but I bet you’re pretty ticked off with Alex for standing you up.”

Valerie turned on her heel, ignoring the comment, and walked to her door. She turned and faced Ross as he followed her. “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me who the sick friend was?”

Ross shook his head. “Alex didn’t say, and I didn’t ask. If he thought it was important for me—or you—to know, he would have said something.”

She regarded Ross with open speculation. “You know, you have the wrong idea about me.”

He raised his brows. “Do I?”

“You think I’m calculating, and trouble. And you probably believe that I’m not good for Alex, or he’s not what I want …”

“Most of that is true,” Ross conceded. “But I guess it never occurred to you that Alex might want someone else.”

Valerie just stared at him. Ross could see that the idea clearly had not occurred to her.

“How do you know that?” she asked in a strained voice.

“I don’t know. But it might be something to think about.”

Valerie was dumbfounded. She had it all worked out. She’d made plans. When Ross reached out to hold her arm, however, she didn’t perceive it as a threat but, oddly, as comfort. She wanted to rail at him, but she didn’t know about what. She’d never met anyone like him before. She decided on the spot that it wasn’t dislike she felt for Ross Manning so much as fear. He was overwhelming. He knew entirely too much. He had strange powers.

Valerie looked into his eyes and saw something else. She thought she’d seen it the first time they’d met, and had found it so impertinent in him. Now … it seemed different. She narrowed her gaze and shook her head. She put a hand on his chest to maintain the distance between them.

“You wouldn’t dare,” she said in a whisper.

Ross smiled warmly at her, and his hand on her arm tightened. He took a step closer to Valerie, towering over her. “Never say that to a man when he’s got your back against a door.”

He didn’t give her a chance to say anything else, but bent to kiss her. Ross didn’t attempt to take Valerie in his arms. There was no need. They were as close as he wanted them to be. His lips knew what he wanted, and immediately forced her mouth open to his tongue and warm breath. The surprise was that he only felt an infinitesimal resistance in her. But he didn’t give her a chance to reconsider her options, or the kiss. He explored her mouth sensually but briefly and gently ended it, releasing her lips slowly.

Valerie hadn’t closed her eyes, and was staring at him. Then she blinked at him rapidly. Finally, she pulled away.

Seeing her startled features, he lifted a corner of his mouth. “Now’s your chance,” he murmured.

“Wh-what?”

“To slug me, knee me in the groin … or kiss me back.”

Valerie did none of those. She turned abruptly to open the door, went inside, and closed it.

Ross sighed and turned away to his car. But the smile and amusement were gone from his mouth. He realized that if he was wrong about Valerie, Alex, or himself … he was in deep trouble.

Dallas stared at Valerie across the table.

Valerie glanced at her watch for what must have been the hundredth time since they’d sat down to breakfast. Either Valerie had other things on her mind that distracted her, or she was being deliberately obtuse. Dallas decided it was the latter.

“I want another muffin,” Megan announced, pushing back her chair from the table.

“Go ahead,” Dallas encouraged.

“No. Sit still, Megan. You’ve already eaten too much.” Valerie looked at her watch again. “We have to leave soon anyway for home.”

Megan gasped in surprise. “How come?”

“I thought we were going to take Megan to Central Park so she can skate on Wollman Rink?” Dallas said.

“Yeah, and Aunt Dallas said we were going to the Motown Café for lunch.”

“I don’t think so. Not today.”

“Mom …” Megan started to whine.

“I’m sorry, Meg. I need to get home. I have things to do.”

“What things? You said we wouldn’t go home until tonight. We have all day …”

Valerie lost her patience and pointed a warning finger at her daughter. “Megan, don’t argue with me. I said I need to go, and that’s the end of it.”

Dallas could feel Megan’s stunned surprise at her mother’s hard tone. For a moment the only sound was the Saturday morning TV program on the set in the living room.

“It’s okay, sweetie.” Dallas smiled calmly at her godchild. “I’ll give you a rain check. That means we’ll do this some other time. Maybe next month when you come in, okay?”

“But …” Megan tried again.

“Do me a favor and go turn off the TV. Did you make up the futon in my office?”

“No,” Megan pouted.

“Well, go do it now. Get your stuff together and get dressed,” her mother commanded.

Megan looked beseechingly at Dallas, hoping for her to run interference. But Dallas knew better than to counter any orders from Valerie to her daughter. Besides, she had her own reasons for wanting to be alone with Val.

Megan, deeply aggrieved, slid from her chair. Then she bent to cup her hand to Dallas’s ear and whisper, “Can I have another piece of bacon?”