Gotta Get Next To You (38 page)

“Someone got him drunk?” Andrea said.

“Yes.” Charlene clasped her hands together in
one tight ball.

“Who?” Andrea sat very still and waited for
an answer. She could hear the ticking of a crystal clock on the
bookshelf across the room. “Charlene?”

“I did.” Charlene closed her eyes. “At least,
I might as well have. I pushed him to it. He found out about...”
“That I wasn’t his child,” Andrea said. Her mother’s response
stunned her.

Charlene shook her head. “No, he’d suspected
that all along. But it didn’t matter. He loved you just the same.
In fact, he didn’t want to know for sure. I think he convinced
himself after a while that you really were his daughter. Louis was
like that. So different, even as a little boy.”

“I don’t understand.” Andrea stared at her
mother.

“He was so intense. Sometimes he’d get quiet
for days at a time. Just wouldn’t talk.” Charlene pressed her lips
together as though in pain.

“What happened between you? You weren’t even
with him that night.”

“No, not in the car. Before that, though.”
Charlene took a deep breath and let it out. “Louis found out I’d
started seeing John again.”

“Oh, my God!” Andrea murmured. She gazed at
her mother with a grimace that mirrored the abhorrence she felt.
“How could you do that to him?”

“Let me finish before you pass judgment,
Andrea!” Charlene said, her voice loud and commanding. “My marriage
to Louis was a disaster. He needed to control everything about me.
My hair, my clothes, everything. He insisted on approving anything
I bought. If he thought it wasn’t appropriate, he’d make my life
miserable until I took it back. Three times I refused. Just got fed
up and said no. You know what he did?”

Andrea felt a chill at the look on Charlene’s
face. “What?”

“I came home one day and he’d ripped two
blouses, a

dress and a pantsuit to shreds with a
straight razor.” Charlene hugged herself. “He left them in a pile
on the floor right by the closet. ‘There’s your slut clothes,’ he
said.”

What Charlene described was typical of the
accounts she’d heard from emotionally and physically abused
women.

“Did he ever hit you?” she whispered.

“No, never. But sometimes I’d wish he had.
After years of listening to Mama about my behavior, I tried to make
it work. Everyone said how lucky I was to have such a kind and
steady husband. And they all talked about how good he was with
you.”

“So you turned to John Mandeville again,”
Andrea said in a strained voice, trying to comprehend.

“I was so lonely. I hated being in that house
with him.” Charlene looked at Andrea. “A lot of people might not
believe this, but John can be a sweet, thoughtful man.”

“Was Daddy anything like I remember him?”
Andrea asked. Every memory seemed to be built on lies and
secrets.

“Yes, baby.” Charlene put an arm around her
and hugged her close. “Louis loved making you toys and taking you
fishing. I really think those were the only times he was truly
happy.”

Andrea hugged her mother back. “Why did you
let me put all the blame on you?” she asked, her voice shaking with
emotion.

“Because I was guilty in a way. I didn’t try
to under-stand Louis.” Charlene spoke in a wise, serious voice very
unlike her usual self. “Looking back, I can see that I used Louis.
I married him because it made life easier for me.”

“I’m sorry, Mother,” Andrea said quietly.

Charlene’s eyes filled with tears. She
brushed her fingers through Andrea’s dark curls. “That’s all right,
sweetie pie.”

Andrea had never felt this close to Charlene.
A barrier had been broken down between them. Terrible as it was,
Andrea was not devastated by the truth. Charlene pulled back. She
took a tissue from her purse and dabbed at her eyes.

“Whew! I haven’t been this emotional since
Oprah did that show on people reunited with their lost puppies or
something.”

“Oh, Charlene!” Andrea sniffed and laughed at
the same time.

“It’s true. Those talk shows are
tearjerkers.” Charlene breathed in and out, and then smoothed down
the white cotton shirt she wore. “Am I too wrinkled?”

Andrea gazed at her with affection. “You’re
absolutely beautiful,” she said.

Charlene blushed with pleasure. “Well, I
suppose you want to hear more about Louis. What would you like to
know?”

“As much as possible. Let’s pull all the
skeletons out of the closet.”

With the worst secret now revealed, Charlene
was a veritable fountain of information. Andrea Listened for hours,
interrupting only a few times to ask questions.

***

“Hi. I’m back,” Andrea called out as she
entered the clinic.

“Hi,” Troylyn answered from the reception
room. She was now at ease in her duties at the clinic.
“Everything’s going fine.”

“We even handled three patients without
help,” Lisa piped up. The two student nurses grinned with
pride.

“Wonderful. Keep up the good work,” Andrea
called back. With a wave to Terri, she headed for her office.

As she walked down the hall, every nerve
ending was on edge. She had to be prepared to meet Denny or Lee.
Two days had passed and no word from Lee. There was only a cryptic
message on her voice mail at home. She listened to his voice for
any hint of how things were going. All he said was that everything
was going as planned and that they should not talk at the clinic.
He’d call her later. Their exchanges, the few times they met, were
no more than brief greetings. She tried to solve the puzzle of what
it all meant. Thoughts of Lee, Denny, and the gang never left. They
were like constant background noise. It was driving her nuts.

“Now for an even bigger challenge,
concentrate on work,” she muttered as she took off her jacket.

“Hey, Miss Andrea,” Denny said.

Andrea looked up sharply. He shuffled his
feet as though he wanted to run at the slightest provocation. “Hi,
Denny.”

“Uh, looks like you’re really busy.” Denny
stared at her. “I don’t mean to bother you. I was just saying
hello.”

It was obvious he wanted to talk. Andrea
remembered Lee’s warning. Yet she could not turn him away. He
looked lost and forlorn.

“As a matter of fact, I could use a break.
How about getting us both a Coke?” Andrea got change out of her
desk and handed it to him.

Seconds later Denny came back with two cups
and napkins along with the soft drinks.

Andrea nodded to him to sit down. She poured
the cola in her cup and took a drink. “Thanks. I needed that.” She
grinned at him.

Denny smiled, but it faded quickly. “Uh, so
how are things going with you?”

“Good.” Andrea was quiet for a moment. “And
you?” “Okay, I guess. Folks back of the bayou always sayin’ how
much better the clinic is since you took over.”

Andrea pictured the poor community where he
lived. The gang had its roots there, from what Lee had told her.
“I’m glad they’re pleased.”

“Yeah, yeah. They say the clinic is being run
right for the first time since it opened.” Denny toyed with the cup
in his hands. “Guess it means a lot to them.”

“I think we’ve done a lot to help people.
That includes you, Denny. Your work supports us so we can spend
more time with the patients.”

“Nah, not me.” Denny shifted in his chair.
“Half the time I was fooling around.” He would not meet her
gaze.

“Yeah, I had to get your attention a few
times.” Andrea lifted a shoulder.

“More than a few,” Denny said.

“But you’ve done a good job overall. I know
changing old habits is hard, but you’ve come a long way.” “That
means a lot to me,” he said in a quiet voice. “I’m used to hearing
how much trouble I am. They’re right, too. I’m always messing up no
matter how hard I try. But I really liked working here, Miss
Andrea. I want you to know that.” Denny blinked rapidly and cleared
his throat.

A lump rose in her throat. She wanted to tell
him it would be okay. “I like working with you, too, Denny. But you
talk like you’re going somewhere.”

“No, I, uh, just wanted to say...” Denny
stood.

“You’re a good person, Miss Andrea. I’ll
always try to do right by you. I gotta go.”

Denny hurried off and closed the door behind
him before Andrea could reply. She debated whether to follow him,
but decided it was best not to. Minutes later there was a knock on
the door.

Andrea composed herself, half-expecting Denny
to come in and pour out a confession. “Come in.”

Lee walked in instead. His dark eyebrows were
drawn together. “I was looking for Denny and saw him come out of
here. Anything you need to tell me?”

“He didn’t say anything directly. But I had
the feeling he was telling me good-bye. God, I wish I could do
something!” Andrea stood and paced in front of the window.

“I’m going to protect him, Andrea,” Lee said
fiercely. “I promise you.”

“He’s on the edge, Lee. I can feel it. I’m
afraid he’s going to do something desperate.”

Andrea turned to him, searching for the
reassurance that could only be found in his arms. Lee had already
crossed the few feet between them. He wrapped her in his strong
embrace and she leaned against him, drawing on his strength. The
scent of spice and mint on his skin was a balm to her frayed
nerves. Andrea took a deep breath and put her arms around him. Her
hands caressed the solid muscles of his back.

“Listen to me, baby,” Lee whispered as he
lifted her face to his. “I know he’s under pressure. Sure, he’s
pissed about working with the cops, but he wants to get Ty’Rance
off his back.”

“What if...” Andrea trembled with desire when
he pressed a finger to her lips. She snuggled against him. “Don’t
drive yourself crazy thinking about it.” Lee

stared into her eyes. “I need you to trust
me,” he whispered.

Andrea felt the power of his request. It went
deeper than Denny or the investigation. Her response was a kiss,
long and deep. She parted his lips gently with her tongue. Lee
moaned, letting her take control. The need to touch and taste him
roared inside Andrea like a fire. She moaned as a powerful mixture
of pleasure and hunger hit her. Lee summoned the control to pull
away first, his breathing hard.

“I better leave. The next few hours are
critical,” he said.

“Yes.” Andrea clung to him for a moment
longer, then let go.

“Andrea, I... There’s so much I want to say
about how we met and ... everything.” Lee stroked her thick locks
with his fingertips. “About me and my life.”

“I know.” She closed her eyes and savored the
sensuous delight of his touch.

“I love you so much,” he whispered. His voice
shook with emotion.

“You just said the one thing I most wanted to
hear.”

He brushed his bps across her forehead and
backed up. “I’ll call you when it’s safe to. You might not see us
for a while.”

She felt cold as he moved away from her and
walked toward the door. “Sure, I’ll think of something to tell the
staff.”

“’Bye, baby. Please don’t worry.” And then he
was gone.

He was gone much too soon. Andrea hugged
herself, trying to recapture the exquisite warmth of his body. She
would follow his instructions to carry on at the clinic as usual.
But she couldn’t obey his appeal not to worry.

The sound of her doorbell woke Andrea from a
fitful sleep. She glanced at the digital clock next to her bed. The
numbers glowed in red. It was two in the morning. Her heart thumped
as she got out of bed and put on her robe. Andrea tiptoed to the
front door and peered through the peephole. Lee stood outside. She
unlocked the door quickly and yanked it open.

“I’ve been driving around for hours. I just
wanted to see you,” he said. “Are you okay?”

“Sure.” Andrea stared at his haggard
expression. “What’s wrong?” she said.

Lee came in and waited until she closed the
door. “His grandmother called the sheriff’s office and reported him
missing.”

“You think he’s run away?”

“That’s one possibility,” Lee said
grimly.

The tone of his voice gave her goose bumps.
“Then we’ve got to look for him.” Andrea headed for her bed-room,
but Lee grabbed her arm.

“Forget it, Andrea. You’re not getting mixed
up in this. Especially not now.”

“Don’t order me around! You got him into this
mess!” Andrea shouted.

Lee let go of her. “You’re right,” he said
quietly. He wiped a shaky hand over his face. “So it’s up to me to
get him out of it.”

Andrea’s heart broke at the anguish in his
tone. “Don’t listen to me, Lee. My nerves are so shot; I don’t know
what I’m saying.” She hugged him and let his head rest on her
shoulder.

“I never should have asked him to inform on
Ty’Rance.”

“Denny set this all in motion by stealing for
the gang. There were no good choices for him after that. You know
that.”

Lee straightened and stepped back. “I’m going
to find him.” His anguished expression gave way to one of
determination.

“He could be in another state by now if he’s
run away.” Andrea shivered with fear. “Lord, I hope he’s run
away.”

“Promise you won’t go looking for him,
Andrea,” Lee insisted.

“Okay, okay. But call me, please''

“I will.” Lee kissed her and left.

Andrea listened to his car start up and the
sound of it fade as he drove away. She paced for a few minutes,
trying to sort through her tangled thoughts. Her thoughts raced as
she reviewed every possibility, none of them good. Finally she
glanced at the clock. It was now three- thirty. She went back to
bed but lay staring at the ceiling for another hour. The phone next
to her bed rang and she snatched the receiver from its cradle.