by Daria White
Bianca exhaled a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding.
Detective Sims faced her. His eyes softened.
“I could have taken him, you know,” she said. “I know self-defense.”
He chuckled. “I’m sure you could have, Ms. Wallace.”
“But… thank you for your help.”
“My pleasure. Are you all right?” he asked.
“I will be. Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome.” He cleared his throat. “You come here often?”
Bianca laughed. “Well, that’s a classic line.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean… this is my first time working out here. I jog, but I try to switch it up.”
“Me too. I’m here sometimes or I work out at home or the park.” She folded her arms over her chest. The night air chilled her skin.
“Which is your favorite spot?” he asked.
She bit her bottom lip.
“What’s that face for?”
She shook her head. “I don’t have a favorite. To be honest, I don’t enjoy working out. Especially cardio.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Okay, I wasn’t expecting that.”
Bianca shrugged. “I only do it to stay healthy, but if I had my way, I’d find another alternative. I’ve gotten used to it in the last few years. You?” She focused on his expression. He seemed much more relaxed. Was that why he hadn’t left yet?
“I do it for my job, but I like to jog in the park. Gives me a chance to clear my head.”
She smiled. “That is necessary in your line of work. Difficult, I’m sure.”
“Yes.”
“At least in my work, I’ve always been creative, so my job feels second nature to me. It doesn’t feel like work.”
“Graphic design, right?” He’d asked her profession when he’d questioned her on the night of the murder. He’d remembered?
“Right,” she said. Her heart perked up. “I never imagined I would run my own company, but I love working for myself.” The wind picked up again, and she rubbed at her arms. Though she enjoyed this side of him, she couldn’t stay longer. Though deep down she wanted to. “I… um… need to get home and clean up. I’m having takeout with my teenage daughter.”
“Teenager?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Surprised?”
“You just…” He eyed her from head to toe. “You don’t look… I mean, you look…”
She raised a hand to stop him. “I think I get what you mean, so thank you. I married young, so she’s sixteen.”
“Sixteen. I remember those days. That age sounds so long ago now,” he said.
“I know. Before I know it, she’ll be graduating.” She shrugged. “I’ll be an empty nester.”
“What about your… I mean?” He glanced at her hands.
Bianca rubbed at her bare left ring finger. “Divorced. Almost three years.”
He bobbed his head. “Sorry to hear that.”
Despite the sincerity she heard in his voice, the way his eyes lingered on her face made her belly flutter. Her lips parted at the tiny glimpse of hope she felt on the inside, but she shook her head. “Don’t be. I have my daughter so I don’t regret everything. You have kids?” She could stay longer if he wanted to.
Detective Sims shook his head. “No, not yet. I want them, so I’m hopeful.”
Bianca smiled. “Maybe you will someday.” She glanced at his bare left hand but refused to ask him.
He bobbed his head. “Well… I’m glad you’re all right, Ms. Wallace. I’ll let you get home to your daughter.”
“Will you ever call me ‘Bianca’?” she asked.
The corners of his mouth turned up. “You’ll know when I do, Ms. Wallace.”
Bianca licked her bottom lip. “Goodnight, detective.”
“Goodnight, Ms. Wallace.” He backed away from her car with a nod.
Bianca gave a slight wave to him and slid into the driver’s seat of her car. Gripping the steering wheel, she ignored the tingles on her skin. One conversation.
That was all it had been. Nothing more. She wouldn’t let her thoughts run wild.
Chapter 11
That evening Bianca exhaled. Her slouchy sweatshirt hung off her shoulders. After a relaxing bath, her muscles felt loose. Though her mirror appeared steamed, the hot bath had been worth it after squats, lunges, and her least favorite—burpees. Whoever had created that move must have had it out for her. Breathing in the steamy air, she smoothed the last of her lotion onto her hands and wrists.
Sniffing her wrist, she took in the tea tree scent. Not her favorite, but it was soothing. Wrapping her curls into a messy bun, Bianca walked out of her bathroom and into her bedroom. The restaurant, Mobile Aztec, would deliver her takeout meal any moment, but with a thirty-minute wait, she’d bathed and changed from her sweaty gym clothes.
She grabbed her phone from her nightstand and entered the hallway. Checking Alyssa’s room, she spotted her shut door. Melanie was out on a date, so she wouldn’t expect her back until later.
Was Alyssa finished with her homework? Leaning in, Bianca heard her daughter giggling. Shaking her head, she recalled her years as a teenage girl.
Everything she’d taken seriously at sixteen didn’t carry the same weight to her as a woman in her thirties. Bianca tapped on her daughter’s door.
“Yes?” Alyssa’s voice didn’t sound too annoyed.
Bianca opened the door. “Dinner will be here soon. Finished your homework yet?”
Alyssa sat on her bed, but her eyes diverted to her desk. Her notebooks covered it along with her open laptop. Bianca wondered how her daughter got any work done.
“Just taking a break,” her daughter said. She pressed her phone to her chest.
“Is that Chloe?” Bianca asked, although her instincts told her otherwise.
Alyssa shook her head.
“I see.”
“Mom, can we talk later? Please?” Alyssa tilted her head to the side with a pleading look.
“Sure. I’ll call you when the takeout arrives.” Bianca smiled to herself and closed the door. This was the phase that her mother had warned her about. Alyssa was becoming a young woman. Pacing down the hallway and into the living room, Bianca wondered when her baby girl had grown up.
Her smile grew at the memory of when the nurse had placed her newborn baby in her arms. Alyssa’s high-pitched cries had filled the room, but the moment she’d rested her head on Bianca’s chest, she’d calmed in her mother’s arms.
Malcom had leaned over to kiss her along with baby Alyssa on the forehead. He had been so nervous to hold her, afraid he would break her. Bianca had assured him he wouldn’t. The moment Malcom’s large hands had held his daughter, she’d had him wrapped around her little finger. Until the divorce.
Bianca plopped on the couch, only to hear the patting of paws on her hardwood floors. Casper reached up on his hind legs. Eyeing him and his wagging tail, she helped him up to sit with her.
“You’re getting used to it here, aren’t you?” she asked.
He didn’t answer, not even with a bark.
A deep breath escaped her mouth just as her phone rang. Her lips parted at the name on the screen. Malcom? Her fingers curled, but she wouldn’t let her emotions get the better of her. Though she had forgiven him, Bianca still felt a twinge in her chest.
She answered. “Malcom?”
“Hey, Bianca. How are you?” he asked. There was a time when his bass voice made her knees wobble. Now, it made her neck stiffen.
“I’m fine. You?”
“I’m okay. You got a minute?”
Not for him, but she wouldn’t be rude. Besides, she had a boundary. No small talk. The only thing they shared was Alyssa. If Malcom asked about her personal life or if she didn’t want to answer his questions, she ended the call. He knew that by now, although sometimes she wondered if he pushed her buttons on purpose.
“Sure.” She hoped the conversation wouldn’
t last long.
“I wanted to ask about Alyssa. I thought about asking her to come and stay with me for the summer.”
Bianca’s eyebrows shot up. This was the most time he’d asked to spend with Alyssa since their split.
He continued. “I’ve been talking to her and—”
“You have? She didn’t mention it.”
Malcom sighed. “I know, Bianca. Look, I know I haven’t done the best job at being a dad, especially since… Anyway, I want to change that.”
Bianca poked a tongue into her cheek and inhaled a deep breath. “The entire summer?”
“I don’t think it would hurt. There’s a lot she can do here in California, and we can spend time together.”
“How does your… wife feel about Alyssa coming?”
“She doesn’t mind. Alyssa’s more than welcome,” Malcom said.
Bianca stood and paced the floor. “Malcom, I understand you want to make amends, but I don’t want Alyssa disappointed. I’m not trying to bring up the past, but you don’t have an excellent track record of keeping your word.”
Silence.
Bianca tapped her foot on the floor. It was true. She didn’t want to bring up the past, but Malcom’s less-than-frequent calls only made Alyssa feel abandoned. Her talking to him baffled Bianca. They would have to have their own talk later.
“I know and I’m sorry.”
What? He was sorry. The words had rarely left his mouth in the past. “You are?” she asked.
“I’m serious,” he said. “I want to do better with Alyssa. She’s my only child and I want to fix this.”
Bianca heard the emotion in his voice, but she knew him. He’d had the same tone in his voice when she’d found out he had been unfaithful in the marriage. He had apologized then, but he’d still filed for divorce and left her to raise their daughter on her own.
“I’ll need to talk to Alyssa first. I want to hear from her if she wants to,” she said.
“No problem. No pressure, okay? I hope she comes. I think it’ll be good for us. Thank you, Bianca.” His voice picked up with a hint of excitement.
Her doorbell rang. “Sure. I have to go. There’s someone at the door.”
“Talk to you later.” He hung up.
Bianca did the same, holding her phone close to her chest. Placing it on the coffee table, she answered her front door. A young boy, no older than twenty, smiled at her and handed her a takeout bag. Bianca tipped him with cash.
“Thank you, miss. Enjoy,” he said with a wave.
“Have a good night.” She closed the door, and carried the plastic bags to the dining table.
“Good. It’s here.” Alyssa walked in and joined her at the table. She sat in her seat and scanned the room. “Where’s Aunt Mel?”
Bianca handed her daughter her Styrofoam plate. “Out on… a date.”
“Oh, I see.” Alyssa grinned. “Grandma must have set her up.”
“No, this is someone she met on her own. Anyway…” She sat in the chair next to her daughter. “Your dad called.”
Alyssa paused opening her plate. She didn’t move at first, but she turned her head to face her mother. “He did?”
Bianca bobbed her head. “First, he said that you two have been talking, and that he wants you to spend the summer with him in California.”
Alyssa blinked. “Really? He told me he had a surprise for me, but he wanted to talk to you first.”
The rustle of plastic filled Bianca’s ears as she pulled apart the knot to reach the plastic silverware. “I have only two questions.”
“Yes, Mom?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you’ve been talking to your dad?”
Alyssa tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “I didn’t want you to get mad at me. I know how you feel about him.”
“What makes you think—?”
“Mom, I know how much he hurt you. For a while… I hated him too. I would hear you cry in your room, or see the fake smiles you would put on for me. I didn’t want him in my life since he left, but…”
Bianca felt jumbled in her midsection. “But what?”
“I still love him. He’s my dad. I didn’t tell you because I know you don’t love each other anymore. I didn’t want to disappoint you knowing that I still care about him, even though you… you…”
Bianca pulled her daughter into a tight embrace. She cradled the back of her head. “Sweetie, I don’t want you to feel that way. I’m sorry if I made you think like this.” Pulling back, she cupped Alyssa’s face. “He is your father. That will never change. Do I still care about him? Not like I used to, but don’t feel like you’re in the middle of having to choose one of us over the other. No matter what, we’ll always have something in common. We both love you.”
Alyssa gave a faint smile. “Really?”
Bianca’s hands fell from her daughter’s face. “Always. I just… didn’t want you to get hurt. I think your dad is still working through some things, but if you want to go, I won’t stop you from seeing him.”
Alyssa wrung her fingers together. “Well… I don’t know. An entire summer?”
“It’s not forever, you know.”
“I know, but I’ll miss you, Grandma, Aunt Mel, Casper, my friends.” At the sound of the name, the dog trotted over and sat at Alyssa’s feet. She bent over and scratched his back.
Bianca tilted her head to the side. “Forgetting someone?”
Alyssa straightened in her seat as her eyes widened. “Mom, please don’t tell me you were listening to me on the phone?”
“No, I wouldn’t do that, but you keep forgetting I used to be your age.”
Alyssa’s shoulders slumped. “I have a lot to think about.”
“Yes, you do.” Bianca took a bite from her chicken enchiladas, just as they heard a car pull up. Then the door to the garage opened. Melanie stepped inside and Casper barked at her arrival. Bianca eyed her sister’s outfit of choice. A black jumpsuit accented with red pumps, a red belt around her waist, and Melanie never failed to wearing red lipstick. “Well, look at you.”
“Aunt Mel, you look great,” Alyssa said.
Melanie stepped out of her heels and picked them up. “Thank you.” She spotted the takeout bag. “Yes! Takeout. Did you get me something?”
“Yes, but didn’t you eat?” Bianca’s forehead wrinkled.
Her sister sat at the table next to her. “Well… we had a picnic. He cooked.” She shook her head with her eyes closed. “Didn’t, um… I’d rather not.”
Alyssa giggled.
Bianca nudged her shoulder. “Will you see him again?”
Melanie continued. “No, he’s on his way to his ex-wife’s house. She lives in Oklahoma. He’s got a long drive.”
“Wow.” Alyssa blinked.
Was he related to the same man who’d been at her mother’s matchmaking event? Bianca wouldn’t ask her sister now. “How did that—?”
“That’s the thing.” Melanie held up her index finger as she made her point. “He said I reminded him of her. By the time he told me what had happened, I told him to go make it right.”
Bianca choked. “What?”
“He might as well, since he wouldn’t stop talking about her.” Melanie rested her chin in her palm.
Alyssa covered her mouth to stifle her laugh.
“That is… something,” Bianca said. “Are you okay?”
Her sister waved her question away and reached into the takeout bag. “Don’t worry. I’m good.”
Bianca nodded, but she couldn’t resist. “So… what did he cook?”
Melanie eyeballed her and they burst into laughter.
Chapter 12
A memorial in Martin’s honor, making it a week since his murder. Bianca adjusted the belt on her black knee-length dress. The funeral wouldn’t take place until the police completed their investigation. A few police cars parked in front of the funeral home, but she doubted the killer would show.
A small crowd gathered outside. She didn’t
spot Nicole, Chad, or Priscilla yet, but she clutched to her purse, nodding. People she’d never met before crowded the front of the building. Bianca didn’t know much about Martin’s family, so out of town relatives attending proved logical. Where were Richard and Judy? Inside already?
Her mother, Melanie, and Alyssa exited the car to stand with her. Alyssa wrung her hands together. Her daughter didn’t like memorials or funerals, but Bianca was glad Alyssa wanted to show her support.
“I never thought this would happen,” Melanie said, her arm looped through Alyssa’s.
“Saying goodbye is never easy.” Bianca’s mother swiped a finger under her eye. Was she crying?
“Mom?” Bianca wondered if this reminded her mother of losing her own husband.
Her mother waved her off. “I’m fine. We’re here to give our condolences. Remember?”
Bianca wasn’t quite convinced. If her mother wasn’t up to it, they would leave. “Okay, but if you want to—”
“I wouldn’t think of it. Let’s go.” Her mother assured her.
They bypassed some guests clasping wads of tissues. Bianca gave a slight wave to Ms. Ella, who owned the floral shop in town. Her large brim black hat covered her honey blonde hair, and she waved at Bianca.
Luther Burkes attended, and he didn’t shy from waving either. Walt, the owner of the mechanic shop, bobbed his shaven head in acknowledgement. Bianca returned the gesture. She inhaled the fresh flowers as quiet weeping and sniffling flooded her ears. “Nice turnout.”
“Can we sit in the back?” Alyssa asked.
Bianca nodded and found an empty wooden pew. Sitting, she adjusted despite the discomfort, while tapping her shoe on the thick carpet. Bianca glanced behind her, and since she sat on the end, she had a view of the aisle.
Her mother patted her hand. “I’m sure it’s going to be lovely.”
“I hope so.”
Melanie leaned over to face her sister. She motioned her eyes toward the front, and Bianca saw Nicole, Chad, and Priscilla standing in the front. Richard and Judy were already seated. A large picture of Martin displayed for all to see. Bianca sighed. Priscilla’s sad expression said it all.
