Running Away With You (Running #3) (30 page)

“Suit yourself,” he replies, easily finishing off every last morsel until there’s not a drop left.  Evan leaves the house with a little bit of a spring in his step today.  It makes me more than happy to know I had something to do with that.

The moment I hear his car pull out of the driveway, I toss on my sneakers and put on a few layers of workout clothes.  Maddy knows what my intentions are, and rushes to the back door, her tail wagging furiously.  “Sorry, girl – not today.  It’s going to be a long one.”  I set my iPod to shuffle and head out for a nice long run. 

I decide to run the neighborhood today.  The ocean looks a little angry and I think a change of scenery might do me some good.  The air is cool and crisp this morning, hovering just above freezing.  Fortunately, there’s hardly any wind or sign of rain, so this run should be a good one.  Running in the cold is not about speed, but endurance, which makes it the perfect conditions for me. 

As I run, I think over and over about David’s demands and contemplate my options.  Do I face him alone, or bring backup once again?  It turned out that I didn’t really need Adam in Denver.  Aside from emotional support, he wasn’t really necessary.  If I reach out to him for help again, he will surely tell Evan, and I can’t risk it.  I can’t ask Emmy to go with me – I won’t do a single thing to put her within a mile of that sleazebag.  Auggie won’t fly and Reese will be gone for a week visiting with her family in Wisconsin for the holidays.  That leaves Derek, and he’s already done too much.

My mind is settled.  I’ll fly out to Indianapolis and face David alone.  I can join some of the other football wives who like to travel with the team.  I will not show fear and I will not show weakness.  I will do whatever it takes to end this once and for all.

By the time I return home, I feel rejuvenated and recharged, almost like I could conquer the world.  All I need is a quick shower to warm me back up again.

I grab a banana and check my messages, only to find that I’ve missed a message from Evan.  He’s going to be home early.  The coach is sending everyone home after the team meeting.  He’s going to stay and work out a little with the trainer, and then come straight home.  Shit.  That doesn’t give me much time.

I decide to call Derek right away.  He’s running errands with Shea, but agrees to meet with me around noon.  I can’t invite him here.  How would I explain that to Evan?  He doesn’t want to meet at his house, so the only option left is to meet him at Rush.  Since we’re closed on Mondays, it’s the perfect meeting place.

It’s still early, even though I’ve been up for a few hours.  There’s lots of time to waste until lunch, so I decide to take advantage of this rare alone-time and get a little last minute Christmas shopping done.

Time waits for no man or woman, and before I know it, it’s time to meet up with Derek.  The restaurant is empty when I arrive and I’m glad he’s not sitting there waiting for me. 

While I wait, I walk around checking on things that I normally don’t have time to follow up on.  The kitchen crew is doing a great job keeping things clean and tidy.  Behind the bar is just as good.  I’ll have to remember to compliment Marcus for making cleaning a priority for our staff. 

With nothing left to do, I busy myself watering my amaryllis flowers.  They’re the perfect flower for a restaurant, because they are fragrance-free and don’t interfere with the tastes and smells of our food and drinks.  I wonder if Evan knew that when he selected them for the bar.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.

Suddenly the door swings open and Derek comes waltzing into the bar looking like a million dollars.  He’s gotten a new, shorter haircut and he’s dressed in what I know to be very expensive jeans and shoes.  “Put your tongue back in your mouth, boss lady.  I know I look good, but you’re a day late and a dollar short.”

“My loss is Shea’s gain.  She’s one lucky girl.”

“Don’t I know it,” he boasts.  “So let’s get down to business.  I have something for you, but before I hand it over, I want to know what sort of plan you’ve hatched in that pretty little head of yours.”  He places his hand on the small of my back and leads me to a nearby table, pulling out a chair for me to sit.  I should have realized it wouldn’t be so easy.

Derek takes a seat directly across from me and waits for me to explain.

“Well, I’m going to fly out to Indianapolis with Brianna and Jocelyn.  Brianna is married to Cornerback Anthony Romeo Santos and Jocelyn is engaged to Running Back Xander Parish.  We haven’t spent much time together all season and I think it’s best if I go out there with some friends.”  It’s true enough that I’ll be travelling with them, but there’s no chance in hell I’ll involve them in any of this drama.

“That’s good.  You’ll all be staying at the same hotel?” he asks.

“Yes.  I booked my room this morning after I called the girls.”

“And how will the hand-off work?  I don’t like the idea of you going all the way out there to an unfamiliar place and being alone with this scumbag.”

I have to think quickly.  My plan is to meet David alone, but I can’t tell Derek that.  The first thing that comes to my mind is the movie
Pretty Woman
with Julia Roberts.  She leaves an envelope full of money at the front desk for her roommate to pick up.  It’s not a great plan, but it’s all I’ve got at the moment.  Maybe he’ll buy it.

“I think the best way to handle it is to not have any physical contact with him at all.  I’ll leave an envelope for him at the front desk of my hotel.  He can pick it up and leave me the memory card.” 

I can see him considering my scheme and looking for holes in my strategy.  “How do you know he’ll leave you the memory card?  We know he doesn’t give a shit about honor or integrity.” 

He’s right, and there’s no use in arguing, so I have no choice but to agree.  “True.  But isn’t that the chance you take when you negotiate with someone who’s blackmailing you?  Even if he does leave me the memory card, how do I know he doesn’t have a dozen more back home?”

“You don’t.”

“Exactly.”

“You’ll call me once the exchange is made?”

“I will.”

He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a very thick envelope and hands it to me.  “Please be safe.  If you think at any moment that things are not going as planned, walk away.  Do you understand?”

Just as I’m about to make a final promise to Derek, the door swings open, and for a moment I fear it’s Evan.  But rather, in walks Shea with a young boy at her side, no older than two or three years old.  “I’m so sorry to interrupt, but Kai needs to use the bathroom and he says he can’t wait.”  She looks directly at me. “Would that be okay?”

“Of course, do you know where it is?” I ask.

“Sure I do, no problem.  Derek, honey, we’ll be right out, then we can go, okay?”

“Yeah, we’re just finishing up here anyway.”

As soon as Shea is out of earshot, I grill Derek for information.  “Derek, who is that adorable little boy?  He’s as cute as a button.”

“That’s Laci’s son.  He just turned two.  Shea’s been doing a great job helping her parents raise that little guy since her sister died.  It breaks my heart every time he asks when his mommy is coming home.”  I don’t think it’s public knowledge that Laci had a child. 

“Wow, I had no idea.  Where’s the father?  Isn’t he in the picture?  Can’t he pitch in to help?”  Every child needs his father in his life, especially a little boy.

“Laci would never tell anyone who the father was.  She said it was a one-night stand and the guy wasn’t worthy of being a part of Kai’s life.”

One of the greatest tragedies in my life is my ability to put puzzles together.  Sometimes it comes in handy, like when there’s a problem to solve and I can see how all the pieces fit together and I can identify exactly what’s missing or precisely where the next piece goes.  But not this time.  This isn’t a puzzle, it’s a chain that’s been forged together and I can see how each link is attached to the one before it.

This child is two years old.  I know Evan slept with Laci somewhere between two and three years ago, which places him at the scene of the crime, so to speak.  But someone as beautiful as Laci would likely have more than one sex partner during that time, so the chances of Evan being the guilty party are slim.

“So Shea has no idea at all who the father is?” I ask.

“Not that I know of.  If she does, she hasn’t shared it with me.”  Derek looks around and checks to see if Shea is around before continuing.  “Can I tell you something?”

“Of course, Derek.  You can tell me anything.”

“I know it’s only been a month, but I really think Shea could be the
one
, if you know what I mean.  How soon after meeting Mac did you know?”

“To tell you the truth, Derek, I think I fell in love with him the first time I saw him.  Something just clicked, and I’m pretty sure it was mutual.”

“That’s exactly what it’s like for us.  She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Jette.  Nothing in my life was going right for me until she walked through that door.  From that moment on, my life hasn’t been the same.”

“I know the feeling,” I confess.

“Wanna know what would really make me happy?  I want to marry her so we can adopt Kai and raise him as our own.  Shea’s a great aunt, and I know she’d be an amazing mother.  That kid deserves a stable family.”  I can see the joy in his eyes when he talks about Shea and Kai.

“And that young boy would be very lucky to have you, Derek Lattimer.”

Just then, Shea emerges from the bathroom with little Kai tagging along behind.  I get my first good look at the cherub and he’s even cuter than I thought.  He’s tall for his age, I’m pretty sure.  But he’s a little shy, hiding behind Shea for protection.

“Shea, if it’s all right with you, I can wrap up a couple of our chocolate chip cookies for the drive home.” 

I see a pair of big, brown eyes peeking out from behind her.  He tugs on her pants and in the cutest little voice I hear him beg, “Pwees?”

With Shea’s consent, I hurry to the back and wrap up a handful of chocolate chip cookies for the road.  I grab another and head back out to the bar.  I hand Derek the bag and kneel down to get a better look at Kai.  “This is a very special cookie that I picked out just for you,” I tell him, holding out a cookie.

He looks up at Shea and she gives him a little encouragement.  “It’s okay, Kai.  That’s Juliette and she’s one of my friends.  You can take the cookie.”

Kai comes over to me cautiously, accepts the cookie, and runs away.

“What do you say to the nice lady?” Shea reminds the toddler.

He walks back over to me and says, “Tank you.”  But before turning and running away again, he smiles up at me with the most adorable pair of dimples I’ve ever seen.

Once Upon a Time

I
cannot be wrong.  I rarely am, and this time the evidence is overwhelming.  The clues are all there, literally staring me in the face.  The only thing I can think of is Auggie.  He’s my best friend and my co-conspirator in all things.  This is too much for me to keep bottled up inside.  I send him a text asking him if I can come over.  Thankfully he agrees, and I hightail it directly to his house.

I drive in complete silence, without any music playing.  It’s too noisy in my own head and I don’t need the additional distraction.

Before I know it, I’m pulling into Auggie’s driveway.  I don’t remember how I got here.  I hope I didn’t run any red lights or stop signs along the way. 

I turn the car off, reach into the back seat and grab the bottle of Southern Comfort I nabbed from the bar before I left.  Without knocking, I march right into Auggie’s house, grab a short glass, and pour myself a shot.  Auggie watches me with an expression of concern laced with fear as I pour myself a second shot and toss it back quickly before he can stop me.

“Jette, my pet, talk to me.  What’s gotten you so tied up into knots that you’re doing shots of SoCo in the middle of the afternoon?”  He walks over to the refrigerator and grabs each of us a bottle of cold water.

The thoughts are coming so quickly, I can hardly get them out in any sensible way.  “There’s a baby.  He’s two years old.  He has no father.  The timing is right.  It all makes sense.  I know why she hated him so much. Her sister hated him too.  He’s adorable and tall for his age.  Did I mention he has dimples too?  How could she keep a secret like this?  It’s not right.  It’s not fair.”

“Jepetto, calm down.  You’re not making any sense, darlin’.  Who are we talking about?  What happened?”

I take a deep, cleansing breath and a sip of cool water before I speak.  “Laci Keilani had a baby.”

“And?”

“And he’s two years old,” I tell him, thinking the answer is obvious to anyone with half a brain.

“Oh, okay.  So there’s a little boy without a father who lost his mother in a helicopter crash.  Is that what’s gotten you so upset?”

“No.  I mean yes.  I mean ... you know it’s impossible to be born without a father, right?”

“Obviously.  Are you saying you know who the father is?”  I look up at Auggie as tears begin to pool in my eyes.  “Do you mean to tell me that ... how can you be so sure?”