by Natalie Ann
Emery had done his homework and simplified the formalities for them and for his client.
“I will submit this form to the court and the hospital tomorrow, and send you a new original birth certificate and a copy.” He put the form in the folder.
“Item number two: here is a copy of the trust established by Steve Homer for his daughter Elizabeth Rose Homer.”
“Thank you, Meredith, for giving my mother’s name as a middle name to Lizzie,” Steve interrupted, and squeezed her hand.
“I’ll read it,” Emery continued. “The grantor, Steve Homer, set up a trust fund of up to one million dollars for his daughter, Elizabeth Rose Homer, to pay for the beneficiary’s education: private schools, educational trips, college, graduate studies, etc. Any remaining sum would be given to her after the age of twenty-five at her request.”
Daniel leaned in to study the trust.
Startled, Meredith blurted, “One million? No way. It’s too much.”
“Meredith, this is already set. Joe is just showing you the copy. It’s different from her inheritance.”
“There will be no inheritance. I don’t want your sons to resent my daughter and make her life a living hell. Money is not worth suffering.”
“Believe me, my sons are well taken care of. They won’t be able to complain. Meredith, I am a dying man. Before I die, I want to relieve my guilty conscience. When I married you, I knew you had your share of problems, and I promised to make you forget them. Instead, I added to your problems. I’m so sorry, but being sorry doesn’t help.”
“It’s okay.”
“Not for me. If you don’t want monetary compensation, I’ll accept that. Is there anything that you want? Anything you wish for from the bottom of your heart? I vow I’ll move heaven and earth to get it for you.”
“No,” she snapped, and averted her eyes. “Nothing at all.”
Daniel had been expecting her to answer with a joke or a vague sentence about love, or even to look at him because she knew he loved her. Instead, she focused on the table, and he could swear he saw wetness in her eyes.
What on earth was gnawing at her insides? What had brought that desperate note to her eyes?
Why couldn’t she trust him and confide her pain?
Daniel saw the glances exchanged between Steve and his lawyer. They must have reached the same conclusion.
“Meredith, you are back with Daniel O’Malley, the first boyfriend you told me about. I assume you let go of the past and reached your own peace. Am I right or wrong?” Steve asked.
“You’re right. I let go of the past long ago.” She lowered her head and sighed, then quickly lifted her chin. “Daniel is a wonderful man who is doing a lot for me and my daughter.”
Relieved, Daniel squeezed her hand. “Thank you, Meredith. You know I’ll do anything for you.”
“Well, I’m glad to know that,” Steve said. “And I’ll count on you to make her happy.”
“Excuse me, Steve?” Meredith barked at her ex-husband. “Are you the father of the bride warning the groom to be good to his daughter? I’m not a kid you have to shield from problems. Believe me, I can take care of myself.”
Steve burst out laughing. “Oh well, I wish you good luck, O’Malley.”
“Are we done with your official business? I have to check on the kids.” She pushed her chair back and marched to the back door, her heels clicking on the tiles.
Daniel smiled, admiring the sway of her hips, and then he frowned when he noticed the smiles of the two other men were even wider.
“I’m getting tired.” Steve sighed and leaned on the back of his chair. “We’ll continue next week. Thank you, Joe.”
The lawyer collected his laptop and folder and left.
“O’Malley, I heard you’re a good lawyer.”
Daniel’s lips twitched. “I would hope so.”
“If you want to live happily ever after with Meredith, you’d better discover the deep reason for her sorrow. When we were married, she often had these bouts of sadness, almost despair. I couldn’t guess the cause. I realized I’d never be able to make her happy. Or be happy with her. And I started looking elsewhere.”
Daniel sobered. “I noticed that on occasion she has desperate looks, immediately concealed. And I’m often wondering what she’s hiding or trying to forget.”
“Whatever it is, she can’t forget it. I wasn’t able to help her. Instead, she’s the one helping me now.”
“She would help anyone in need,” Daniel muttered.
Why was she going out of her way to help the people around her? Simple altruism or guilt she wanted to compensate for?
“And O’Malley, I want you to find a big house not far from yours. A beautiful two-story house that Meredith would like.”
Daniel sighed. “She may not accept it.”
“She will. Just find it.”
When Meredith returned with the children, Steve asked her about the houses they’d visited in the morning. She described them and told him about her preferred choice for him.
“Thank you, my dear. In that case, Hector will rent it for me. He already booked an appointment for me with Dr. Guertz on Wednesday and reserved an ambulance to drive me to Christ Hospital. The furniture will be removed as soon as we leave this house and transported to the Cincinnati house the same day.” Steve turned to Daniel. “I count on you to help Meredith set the place up for me.”
“I sure will. Do you mind if I take pictures of this house? We’ll arrange the new one the same way.”
“Thank you. I better go rest.”
They all hugged Steve and let Hector accompany him to his room.
After they settled in Daniel’s SUV, and he drove away from the neighborhood, he glanced at Meredith. “I guess we should stop to eat a bite. It’s already two o’clock. The kids must be starved.”
“The nurse brought them mac and cheese around noon. But I’m sure you need to eat before hitting the highway.”
“How about you?”
“I’m not that hungry.” She was probably still pondering whatever was bothering her.
Determined to bring a smile to her face, he drove to a cozy restaurant where he used to eat with his family years ago and parked.
“It’s not a fast-food place,” She remarked.
“No, it’s not.” He chuckled. “I need a good meal.” In this place, Meredith would be forced to eat something substantial.
When they settled and the waiter came to take their drink orders, they ordered water for themselves and milk for the children. The waiter returned with their drinks and read the specials to them, particularly recommending the filet mignon, “And for the children, we cut it into tiny bits they will love.”
“I don’t want that, Mommy,” Lizzie whined.
“Too bad,” Daniel answered. “I was going to suggest we take the leftovers for Taco and Wendy. But if you don’t want—”
“I want mine,” Noah said.
“Me too. I changed my mind.” Lizzie bobbed her head.
Daniel exchanged glances with Meredith and smiled. Seeing her relaxed filled him with joy, and he pledged he wouldn’t rest until he discovered the reason for her ache and helped her overcome her pain.
After lingering on the delicious dinner for another hour, Daniel resumed the long drive to Cincinnati. By the time they arrived at Meredith’s house, both kids were deeply asleep. As he had done the night before, Daniel carried Lizzie to her bed, while Meredith waited with Noah in the car.
At home, he settled his son in his bed, gently put him in his pj’s, and then went to feed the cats. Done with the chores of the night, Daniel changed into his boxers and prepared himself a cup of tea before settling at his computer.
For two hours, he searched all social media and browsed various sites looking for information about Meredith, to no avail. He couldn’t find any posts about her or pictures of her. Obviously she’d been a low-key person all her life. Where should he look next?
Chapter Twelve
Taking advantage of Lizzie’s sleep and the silence in the house, Meredith sat at the kitchen table and opened her laptop to read her notes about Quentin Herb and prepare for her next session with the boy. The two visits to Columbus had emotionally exhausted her, bringing back memories she was determined to bury.
Always generous, Steve was also an autocratic man who’d never taken no for an answer and expected his entourage to do his bidding without discussion. She knew him well enough to recognize that his generosity was his way to control the people around him. He’d done it again this weekend, gaining Lizzie’s affection and Meredith’s gratitude with the trust he’d established for her daughter’s education. He’d known she’d refuse any part of the inheritance and had managed to bypass it while imposing his decision.
Annoyed by her distraction, she boiled water to make herbal tea. As she raised her head toward the window, she caught a glimpse of a shadow crossing the lawn. Her heart sank. Had Les returned to bother her despite her orders not to meander around her house?
A rattling on the window scared the bejeebers out of her. She turned off the kitchen light and peered through the window shades. It was Les, all right.
Should she open the door and let him in?
A knock on the back door followed, and a faint, “Merry, please.”
Against her better judgment, she switched on the kitchen lights, opened the door, and let him in. She gasped as he stepped inside—a homeless man in tattered clothes, his look haggard.
“My poor Les, what happened to you?”
“I can’t continue to live like this. I need your help, Merry. Do you have a piece of bread?”
“Sit here. I’ll fix you a dinner.”
At the restaurant, she’d eaten only one of the two pieces of filet mignon and half the potato. She transferred them to a plate and warmed them in the microwave, then toasted a piece of bread and buttered it and put them in front of him.
“Here, you’d better eat before you collapse.” She poured a cup of tea for him.
“Do you have any wine?”
“No,” she snapped, and realized her loud tone could wake Lizzie. “No wine, no alcohol. Enough is enough, for heaven’s sake.”
“I’m desperate.”
“Then you’ll do as I say or else I’ll throw you out.”
“You have no pity.”
“What do you want, Les? A glass of wine, and another, and another. And then you’ll go out and hurt another person.”
“I have no car.” He gulped his food, barely chewing.
“When was the last time you ate?”
“Not sure, two to three days ago. I was hiding in a shed, not far from here.”
“Do you want more bread?”
He shook his head.
“Then finish your tea. You need a clear head to understand what I’m about to say,” she said with a firm tone.
“Okay. Go ahead.”
“You’re going to take a shower, because you stink. I have a pair of pants and a shirt you left a long time ago.”
“A shower would be heaven. I don’t have clean underwear.”
She shrugged. “You can borrow mine or go without.”
He laughed. Probably his first laugh in months. “I’ll go without.”
“And please be very quiet. For Lizzie.”
“I understand.”
Although he’d stayed at her house before and knew it well, she led him to the bathroom, gave him a clean towel, and showed him the soap and shampoo.
“Thank you, Merry. I’ll never forget what you’re doing for me.”
“Shower now. We’ll talk later.”
Fifteen minute later, he came out of the bathroom looking like his old self, yet so much thinner that her heart twisted. “Listen to me carefully, Les,” she hissed between gritted teeth, her tone threatening. “You said it yourself. You can’t continue to live like this.”
“You want me to surrender to the police?”
“No, I’m driving you to an AA center fifteen minutes from here. I checked the address. Before you even give them your name, tell them you need a doctor. Tell them you can’t stop drinking and you’re afraid you’ll hurt someone. Besides, with all that alcohol, you may have developed cirrhosis of the liver. A doctor should check you.”
“It’s possible. How are you going to drive me? What about Lizzie?”
“I hope she doesn’t wake up. Otherwise, I’ll explain that Uncle Les is sick and we’re taking him to a doctor. Wait here.” She fixed a stern look on him. “Les, you sit here and wait for me. If you leave or make any wrong move, I swear to God, I’ll never see you again.”
“I promise I’ll be here, Merry. I won’t cheat after all you’ve done and are still doing for me.”
She went to Lizzie’s room, wrapped a blanket around her, grabbed her favorite teddy, and carried her, still asleep, to her SUV. She sat Lizzie in her car seat with her teddy in her arms and buckled her.
“Mommy,” Lizzie grumbled.
“Sleep, sweetie. We’re going for a ride.”
Lizzie continued her blessed sleep, and Meredith signaled to Les to come.
Without a word, she backed up, switched on the GPS on her phone, and followed the instructions. Twenty minutes later, she stopped in front of a three-story brick building.
“Go, Les. Ask for a doctor right away. You badly need one. I’ll pray for you.”
He bent and kissed her cheek. “God bless you, Merry. Who knows? You may have saved my life and my future.”
She nodded. “I’ll wait until the door opens. Go.”
He gave her a last hug and left.
She watched him ring the bell and talk to someone, and then the door closed behind him. And Meredith released a big sigh of relief. Thank God she had done it. Hopefully, Les would be saved from the clutches of an unforgiving prosecutor.
After a glance at the back seat, where Lizzie slept like an angel, Meredith did a U-turn and headed home, determined to keep her nighttime expedition a total secret.
The next morning, Meredith woke up at seven thirty and slowly emerged from a relaxing slumber. Yesterday had been quite a day, with Steve officially recognizing Lizzie as his daughter and ensuring her education with a trust, and then deciding to move to Cincinnati and undergo more aggressive treatment. And at night, the cherry on top of a productive day was Les knocking on the AA center door, freeing Meredith from a humongous responsibility and stress.
“Mommy,” Lizzie called from her bed, reminding her mother to focus on her daily chores.
“Coming, baby.” Refreshed and in good spirits, she skated to Lizzie’s room, lifted her for a hug, and twirled with her.
“You’re happy, Mommy.”
“Very happy, sweetie.” She peeled off Lizzie’s night clothes and chose a pair of jeans and a shirt for the day.
“Because Uncle Daddy and Noah are coming?” Lizzie rushed to the bathroom but kept babbling through the open door.
“No, they’re not coming. Noah’s going to school, and Uncle Daddy and Mommy are going to work. And you’re getting dressed for daycare. Now put your foot here.” She held the fresh underwear for her daughter to slip her feet in.
“Noah has to bring Wendy here.”
“Oh, I forgot about Wendy.”
“Not me. Wendy’s my baby.” Her hands on her hips, Lizzie stopped the dressing procedure with an indignant pout. “Mommy, Wendy’s been away for three days.”
“Okay, we’ll pick her up in the evening. Hurry up and eat your cereal.”
The day proceeded without problems, too busy for Meredith to call anyone, and probably as busy for Daniel, as she didn’t hear from him. At seven at night, Lizzie insisted they pick up Wendy right away.
“Finish your dinner, and we’ll go get her.”
“Why can’t we all live together?”
“What?” The spoon fell from Meredith’s hand and splashed tomato sauce all over the tile floor.
“If we live together in Uncle Daddy’s bi
g house, it’d be fun for Noah and me, and Taco and Wendy.”
“Fun?” Meredith raised her eyebrows.
“You can have a slumber party with Uncle Daddy too.”
“Yeah, sure.” Meredith huffed. Slumber parties organized by Daniel... She burst out laughing as erotic images popped into her mind.
“See, Mommy, you love slumber parties. Uncle Daddy will love them too.”
“No doubt about that. Let’s go, if you’re done. But listen, we’re not staying. We’re all very busy and have to go to sleep early.”
Sure enough, Daniel seemed quite busy, and somewhat preoccupied. He’d had a hard day in court and complained the police were quite inefficient, unable to locate Mitchell L. Connor, the drunk driver responsible for Quentin’s accident. “As if he’d been swallowed off the surface of the earth,” Daniel added with an irritated scowl while Noah helped Lizzie gather her kitten’s stuff.
“Don’t feel so strung out. Things happen for a reason,” Meredith reassured him with a disarming smile, and wrapped her arms around him. “Can I help you calm down with a herbal tea, or a kiss?”
His scowl melted, and he chuckled. “A kiss or two may help.”
Determined to distract him, she brushed her mouth over his, licked each lip seductively, and let her tongue dig its way into his mouth, while he stood stoically, letting her have her way.
She pulled back and frowned. “It’s not helping. You’re too stiff.”
“You’re not thorough enough. Start again.”
With an impatient huff, she came closer. He laughed and took over, molding his mouth to hers, teasing her tongue, and deepening their kiss until she moaned.
He eased away slowly, and his lips quirked into a half-smile. “I needed your kiss to forget the work pressure. Maybe I could stop by your place tomorrow for some stress antidote?”
“Anytime, Dany O. Lizzie suggested we should do another slumber party.”
“Great idea. How about this weekend?”
“I’m all for it, but don’t tell the kids yet until we find out more about Steve’s tests.”
Her heart light, Meredith collected her daughter and the kitten, and drove home.
With Daniel in her life, and Les out of her hair, she felt carefree, optimistic, almost gleeful.
