Rock Harbor Series - 03 - Into the Deep (29 page)

“I sympathize, Mr. O’Reilly,” Ms. Wright said. “It’s necessary that I ask the children a few questions. Alone. If we don’t do everything by the book, someone not so sympathetic to your circumstances may be assigned to this case.”

“I think I’ll consult my lawyer before I agree to that.” Donovan stared back at her.

Ms. Wright sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers. “Very well.” She dropped her notebook into her briefcase and snapped it shut. “But you’re not helping yourself, Mr. O’Reilly.”

“What kinds of things would you ask them?” Naomi put in.

Ms. Wright shrugged. “What kinds of things they eat, what time they go to bed, that type of thing. I won’t ask them which parent they wish to live with. My job is to ascertain how well they’re being cared for.”

“It’s okay, Donovan. Let her talk to the kids,” Naomi said. “Let’s just get it over with and put it behind us.”

“I want to be in the room,” Donovan said.

“Fine. I can agree to that as long as you don’t coach the children on what to say.”

“This way.” Donovan stalked down the hall to the living room.

Emily looked up when the adults appeared. “I’ve got my homework almost done, Dad. You want to look it over?”

“In a minute, sweetheart. This lady would like to talk to you and Timmy.”

Her eyes got round. “What about? Am I in trouble?”

“No, of course not. She—”

“I’ll explain,” Ms. Wright said, stepping forward. “Hello, Emily. I’m Ms. Wright. I’d just like to see how things are going with you and your brother.” She seated herself on the sofa and leaned forward with a warm smile on her face.

Naomi tried to quench the burning in her stomach by sheer willpower. Things would be okay. She just had to leave this in the Lord’s hands.

“Now, I’d just like to know what you had for dinner tonight.”

“Pizza!” Timmy put in.

“We did not,” Emily said. “That’s what you wanted, but Naomi wouldn’t let you have it.” She fixed Naomi with a haughty stare. “Our mother lets us have pizza, but Naomi won’t.” The resentment in her
voice let everyone know pizza would have been her choice too. “She made us eat grilled chicken and baked potatoes. Ugh! And peas. I hate peas,” she said.

“I like peas,” Timmy said. “I had a bunch of them.”

“And sugar-free Jell-O with pears,” Emily added. “Artificial sweeteners are bad for you.”

“And broccoli salad,” Timmy reminded her.

“Sounds like a good dinner,” Ms. Wright said.

“She never lets us eat good stuff,” Emily said.

“It was good,” Timmy said. “Not as good as pizza, but Naomi is a good cook.”

“Mommy is better,” Emily said. “And she lets us go with her to play Bingo. Naomi says gambling is bad, but it’s just a game, not gambling. Mommy says we don’t have to be a hypocrite like her.”

Naomi wanted to cry. How did she reach the little girl and assure her it was okay to love her and her mother both—that she didn’t have to choose sides?

“What time do you go to bed?” Ms. Wright wanted to know.

“Eight thirty, like we’re babies!”

“Yeah, babies,” Timmy echoed.

A twitch of amusement lifted Ms. Wright’s lips. She shared a commiserating glance with Naomi. “I think I’ve heard enough,” she said, standing and turning toward the door. “You’ve both been very helpful.”

23

S
he had fifteen minutes to meet the team for the Wisconsin FEMA training. Would Kade want to come with them? She’d like some backup when she met with the guy at Jackson Pharmaceutical whom Cassie had on the payroll. She wouldn’t know unless she asked. She wished she’d thought of it sooner. Bree dialed her cell phone.

“Hi, it’s me. Are you busy this weekend?”

“No, but you are. Aren’t you going to Wisconsin with your students for the FEMA certification?”

“Yep. Would you be up to sharing a room with Ryan? I want to go talk to Jackson Pharmaceuticals while I’m there, and I could use some backup. Want to come with us?”

“Now?”

Was that happiness in his voice? “Yes, right away. Can you get here in half an hour? We can wait for you.”

“As long as you don’t care if my clothes match.” There was laughter in his voice, then he paused. “Thanks for asking me. Want me to drive?”

“We’ll take my Jeep so there’s room for Naomi and Davy. I’ll meet you at the center.”

Driving to the center, she couldn’t deny the way she felt inside. All warm and soft like a toasted marshmallow. They’d have the weekend together, though it would be mostly business. She wanted to get to know this new Kade better.

She stopped outside the O’Reillys’ house and honked. Naomi and Charley came running out. Naomi slung her suitcase in the carrier on top. She and Charley got in. “You’re late,” Naomi said.

“I know.” Bree put in an Elvis CD and turned up the first song, “It’s Now or Never.” She began to sing along with him.

“What’s up?” Naomi’s forehead wrinkled with suspicion. “You look like Charley when he’s found something particularly noxious to roll in.”

Bree laughed. “I invited Kade to come along this weekend.”

“What?” Naomi screamed, and Charley began to bark. She lowered her voice a notch. “You sly thing. You didn’t say a word.”

“I just now did it.” Bree couldn’t stop smiling. “You’re right. I love him.”

Naomi whooped and the dog started barking again.

“What’s wrong?” Davy asked plaintively from the backseat.

“Nothing. Aunty Naomi is just being goofy,” Bree said.

“And you’re finally wising up,” Naomi said with a smug grin.

Bree parked behind Ryan’s SUV. “Not a word,” she cautioned.

Naomi gave her an offended look. “As if I would. I don’t see his truck.”

“I gave him half an hour. He’ll be here.”

The team was assembled by the front door. They were talking with excitement and enthusiasm. Bree let Charley out to run until Kade got there. “You all ready for this?”

“You bet!” Eva was dressed in a sleek red pantsuit that showed off her stunning figure. Ryan had already noticed, in spite of them being on the outs.

Karen, Lauri, and Eva were riding with Ryan. Bree had room for Naomi, Davy, and Kade. His truck pulled behind her Jeep by the time everyone was loaded up. Kade embraced her, pulling her against his chest. Her nose buried in his chest, she inhaled his masculine scent over-laid with the aroma of soap. He wore a hint of aftershave today too, something spicy.

He bent his head and kissed her, his lips sparking a response she tried to hide. She pulled away. “Thanks for coming with me. But we won’t get very far if you keep that up.”

He grinned. “That’s the plan. Keys?”

“In the Jeep.” They linked arms and strolled to her Jeep. Naomi was waiting with Davy in the vehicle. Charley followed at her heels. With the sunshine glimmering on the full summer foliage, Bree inhaled a breath of pure enjoyment.

“So why are we going to see a pharmaceutical company?” Kade asked, starting the Jeep and pulling onto the road. Naomi was entertaining Davy in the backseat.

“Denise told me Jackson Pharmaceuticals had offered Phil a job. And a half-million-dollar bonus if he’d come work for them and bring the formula with him. He refused.”

“So you’re wondering if they killed him? What would be the point?”

“To gain time for them to catch up in their own research. What if they’re also behind the attempts on Cassie’s life? It makes sense.”

“Maybe. But I can’t see a big company pulling something like that. It could bring them down. There are lots of research projects going on. They could just focus on another one. Besides, they couldn’t legally use any work that had been done by MJ.”

“They could if no one knew it was the same research. If the researchers were dead.”

“What research could be that important?”

“Denise and Cassie have both said this project is special. That it has applications for Alzheimer’s. The company that brings it out will make billions of dollars.”

“That certainly ups the stakes,” Kade admitted. “And it sounds dangerous. I don’t want to see you put yourself in the line of fire.”

“But this is my sister we’re talking about. I have to help her.”

“I know. I just don’t want to see you hurt. Whoever is behind this is dangerous.”

“I have you to protect me. Besides, I’m just going to talk to a guy Cassie says might know what’s going on.” She gave him a cheeky smile and leaned over to fiddle with the CD player. Soon Elvis’s mellow voice filled the Jeep with the lyrics of “Love Me Tender.”

Kade reached out his hand, and Bree took it. The warm touch of
his fingers laced with hers made her feel melancholy for some reason. The intense emotion made her want to cry. She felt ready now, ready to accept Kade’s love. She wasn’t sure how to let him know. The anticipation grew in her until she realized she was holding her breath. She should say something, but she didn’t know how. All these months of holding him off had turned into a habit, one she didn’t know how to break.

She licked her dry lips. “Um, Kade?”

His thumb traced patterns on her palm, and she felt her temperature rise. “Hmm?”

“I . . . I just wanted to say . . .” She trailed off, feeling stupid and tongue-tied.

“What?” His voice sounded more alert. He took his eyes off the road a moment and glanced at her, then focused on the highway again.

She was not going to say it. Not until he did again. “Nothing.” She pulled her hand away and folded it into her lap.

A smile teased the corners of his mouth. “Chicken?”

Her face flamed with heat. “Of course not. Just drive.”

“I have to go potty, Mommy,” Davy called.

Kade pulled into a gas station. “Perfect timing.”

“I’ll take Davy in.” Naomi unbuckled Davy’s car seat and got out. She took him inside the mini mart.

“What were you going to say?” Kade took her hand.

“Later.”

“Now.” He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. “You ready to talk about us?”

She couldn’t look away from the intense blue of his eyes. They seemed to glow from within. She nodded. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” He sighed. “Bree, quit it, okay? Just stop. Don’t play around with me anymore. I love you. That’s the bottom line. We’ve got a future together if you’ll admit it.”

“Okay,” she said in a small voice.

“Okay, what?”

“I’m admitting it. We’ve got a future together. I broke it off with Nick. There, are you happy? You’re the only man in my life.”

His face lit with a joy she’d never seen. It awed her to think she was the reason for it. He took her in his arms and buried his face in her neck.

“Ah, baby, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” He pulled back and cupped her face in his hands. “You love me. Say it.”

“I love you,” she said.

“Say it like you mean it,” he commanded playfully.

She searched his gaze, seeing only unconditional love and acceptance there. “I love you, Kade Matthews. I love the way you tilt your head to one side when you’re talking, and I love your strength of character and your sense of humor. I love everything about you, including your stubbornness and determination to do what’s right.”

He closed his eyes and sighed. “That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear. You’re going to marry me, okay?”

She nodded. “Okay.”

“When?”

“I’m too happy to think straight. Let’s see what Anu says. I’ll need her help to plan the wedding.” Ridiculously, Bree felt her eyes burn and blur as tears found their way to the surface.

“Why are you crying? You’re supposed to be happy.” His alarmed gaze searched her face, but a slow smile started at his eyes. He bent his head to kiss her.

The sweet touch of his lips on hers blotted out every problem and worry she’d had over the weekend. She clung to him and felt her world rock to the tune of “Wear My Ring around Your Neck.”

Kade pulled away first. “We’d better get going if we want to make it before dinner.” He sounded as rattled as she felt.

Bree knew her grin had to make her look manic. She tried to temper it, but it stayed right there, stretching her lips from ear to ear. “I’m not sure I can keep this from anyone,” she said. “Maybe this wasn’t the right time for this conversation.”

Kade’s smoldering look made her giggle. “Ooh, tough guy, you don’t scare me.” She touched his cheek.

He grinned then and reached out to take her hand. “Maybe we’ll look for a ring this afternoon,” he said smugly.

A ring. Somehow the word made panic rise in her belly. A ring was so . . . so . . . permanent. And real. She forced herself to breathe in and out, in and out. She loved Kade. This was right and good. He’d love her and Davy, and any other children who came along, with his whole heart.

She smiled. “Okay.”

Davy and Naomi came back out, and they headed for Wisconsin. It was after six by the time they found the hotel.

“Davy and I have a date with a pizza,” Naomi announced when they got out. “You and Kade go out on the town.”

“You sure?” Bree asked.

“Yep. Go.” Naomi leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Don’t come back without a ring.”

They checked into the hotel, then Bree kissed Davy good night and went down to the lobby to meet Kade.

“Where to now?” he asked.

“Maybe we’ll check out the jewelry stores,” she said.

He grabbed her hand and hustled her to the Jeep. “We’re going before you change your mind!”

By the time Bree stepped back into the hotel, she had a rock on her hand the size of the famous Ontonagon Copper Boulder. At least that’s what she told Kade when he kissed her good night at the door.

Bree hardly slept a wink. By the time she’d told Naomi everything, it was nearly two. Then she kept waking up and looking at her ring in the moonlight. Engaged. She was engaged to marry Kade. It seemed almost surreal.

Now to tell Davy.

She ordered room service for breakfast. No way was she facing Kade looking like a hag. Davy sat on the chair swinging his legs as he ate his oatmeal.

She sat in the chair beside him. “I have something to tell you, Davy.”

He looked up at her. “Am I in trouble?”

“No, sweetheart, not at all. This is good news.” She bit her lip. There was no breaking this easy. “You’re going to have a new daddy.”