One Step Away (Hazel Green Book 2)

by Cindy Kirk

  Nell’s eyes widened. Had she just seen a firefly light up? Could it be a sign? She shook aside the fanciful thought and refocused on Marty. “Some senators maintain homes in two locations.”

  “We did for a while, but it’s difficult when you have a family. Sacrifices must be made.” Marty’s blue eyes settled on Nell. “When Tim and I were dating, I wasn’t convinced I was the right woman for him. Even as a young man, well before he dipped his toes into politics, he had high aspirations. I’m a homebody. I never wanted a fast-paced lifestyle.”

  “Yet, you married a man destined for bigger and better.”

  “I loved him too much to let him go.” Marty began to slowly rock back and forth, the chair creaking in a soothing rhythm. “I spoke with Tim about my fears. He promised he’d only ask me to participate in events when absolutely necessary. He also agreed that we would spend as much time as possible in Hazel Green.”

  Nell fought a pang of envy. “Why are you telling me all this?”

  “To let you know that sometimes if love is deep enough—and if both parties are willing to make sacrifices—what appears impossible can work.” Marty gave a little laugh. “The road isn’t always easy. For me, it’s been well worth the effort.”

  If only what stood between her and Leo was as simple as compromising on public events or where to live. If only she could count on Dixon’s assurances that he’d covered her tracks so thoroughly that her past and her mother would never catch up to her.

  If only—

  “I wondered where you two had disappeared to.”

  Nell’s heart flip-flopped as Leo strode up to the porch.

  He winked at Nell before shifting his gaze to his mother. “Dad is looking for you. Something about a photo op.”

  Marty pushed herself up from the chair. “I’d best get back.”

  When Nell started to rise, Marty waved a hand. “You and Leo enjoy a few moments of quiet.”

  Nell settled back into the chair while Leo walked Marty to the sidewalk.

  Leo stopped, and Marty gave her son a hug.

  “I like her,” his mother told him in a voice that carried easily on the breeze.

  Nell felt a rush of warmth. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized just how much having Marty’s approval meant.

  “I like her, too.” Leo brushed his lips against Marty’s cheek. “Very much.”

  “I want you to be happy.”

  Nell doubted the two realized she could hear every word they spoke.

  Leo slanted a look back at Nell before assuring his mother, “I couldn’t be happier.”

  But for how much longer? Nell wondered.

  Would Leo still be happy with her…once he knew all her secrets?

  Chapter Twelve

  The memory of Nell’s smile when he’d left her apartment buoyed Leo’s mood on the short walk back to the cottage. He’d been willing to wait while she got out of her Hazel garb and removed the gunk from her face, but she’d sent him on his way.

  Nell insisted his parents would be in town only a short while, and this was his opportunity to spend some one-to-one time with them. Though she told him she was perfectly comfortable walking to the cottage alone, he’d made her promise to call him as soon as she was ready to leave.

  “It’s me,” Leo called out as he stepped inside the cottage.

  “Out in a minute,” his mother responded from the bedroom.

  He wondered if she, like Nell, was changing into something more comfortable.

  Leo had just grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and dropped down on the sofa when his father entered the cottage from the backyard.

  The senator still wore the suit and tie he’d had on this afternoon. The only concession he’d made once he was out of the public eye had been to loosen his tie.

  “That didn’t take long.” Tim took a seat in the chair next to the sofa.

  “She doesn’t live far. It takes a while for her to change from Hazel back to Nell, so she’ll text me when she’s ready.” Leo lifted the bottle of his father’s favorite craft beer and took a long sip. “Like I said, it isn’t a great distance, but I don’t want her to walk here alone.”

  When she’d accepted his invitation to spend the evening with his family, Leo had known she was serious about giving their relationship a chance.

  “Nell is a lovely woman.” His mother appeared from the bedroom, only to detour into the kitchen to get a beer for his dad.

  Marty handed Tim a beer, then perched on the arm of his father’s chair.

  “Nell is the total package.” Just thinking of her made Leo smile. “When Heather and I split, I wondered if I’d ever find someone I could love again. I’m starting to believe Nell is that someone.”

  “Sounds serious.” His father lifted the bottle of pale lager and studied him over the top.

  “The potential is there.” Leo leaned against the back of the sofa. The windows were open, and the sounds of crickets chirping brought memories of long-ago summers flooding back.

  “Does she have family around here?” his mother asked.

  “No.” Leo hoped that was accurate. He assumed Nell would have told him if she had family nearby.

  “Where did she grow up?” his mother pressed, more, he knew, out of genuine interest rather than a desire to pry.

  “I’m not exactly sure where she would call home. She moved a lot when she was younger.”

  Tim cocked his head. “Does she have a parent in the military?”

  “She never knew her father. Her mother doesn’t sound like the type for military service.” Leo didn’t want to break any confidences, so he would tread carefully. “From what she’s told me, her childhood wasn’t a happy one. But she’s done well for herself. She went to college at Madison and got her JD from Marquette.”

  Of that, he was certain. He’d seen the diplomas on her office wall.

  “How did she end up in Hazel Green?” His father took a sip of beer and loosened his tie even further.

  “She decided this would be a good place to set up her law practice.” Leo hoped his dad would let it go at that, but when his father opened his mouth, Leo knew he wouldn’t be that lucky.

  “Why here?”

  His mother spoke up. “I got the feeling from our talk that she likes the sense of community. It’s how I’ve always felt about Hazel Green.”

  Tim’s brows pulled together. “She doesn’t like big-city life?”

  “Why so many questions, Dad?” Leo asked curiously.

  “My own career might be damaged beyond repair, but you’ve got a bright future in politics.”

  “You didn’t do anything wrong,” Leo asserted. “You’ll be fine.”

  “You and I both know innocence doesn’t always matter. Those around us can bring us down just as easily as our own actions.” A bleakness filled Tim’s eyes. “Look what happened with Steve. If you don’t know who you’re in bed with—figuratively and literally—then you’re rolling the dice with your future.”

  “Surely you’re not saying you think me being with Nell could damage my reputation.” It took great effort for Leo to keep his tone even.

  “I honestly don’t know. She seems like a lovely woman, but I don’t know her.” Tim expelled a breath. “I’m not sure you even know her.”

  “You knew Steve for forty years,” Leo pointed out. “He was like a brother to you.”

  “Exactly. And because I had a friendship with him, I let emotion override diligence. I didn’t question him like I should have. I trusted, but didn’t verify.”

  “Fine, you had too much confidence in Steve. This isn’t the same. Nell doesn’t work for me—”

  “No, but she could be angling for a position much closer. She wouldn’t be the first woman to try and trap—”

  “Tim.” Marty slapped a hand against her husband’s arm.

  “Nell isn’t angling for anything.” Leo felt a muscle in his jaw jump. He didn’t add that it had taken a lot of convincing just to get Nell to agree to
date him. “She’s not like that. Like you said, you don’t know her.”

  “And do you, son? Do you really know this woman you’re falling in love with?”

  Leo took a calming breath. “Look, I understand you feel betrayed, but on this you need to trust my judgment. The way I see it, if someone you care about betrays your trust, you deal with it then.”

  “It doesn’t always work that way.”

  When Leo’s gaze turned puzzled, Tim continued, “If you run for reelection as mayor, or decide to seek a seat at the state level, you can bet your opponents will try to destroy your reputation.”

  “I understand that—” Leo began.

  “All I’m asking is that you be practical. Before you get in too deep with Nell, take time to get to know her. Sometimes, we see in a person what we want to see. Or what they want us to see.” When Leo opened his mouth again, his father held up a hand. “You’ve wanted to be in politics since you ran for student council in middle school. I only ask that you make sure you know the person you may be trusting with your future.”

  The wig came off first. Then the dress and underbust corset and brassiere. Finally free of the corset’s constraints, Nell inhaled fully.

  She reveled in being able to draw a deep breath for the first time in hours. Nell pulled on cotton pants and a faded Marquette tee, then sat down to clear all traces of Hazel from her face. Once she looked like herself again, she’d pull on a dress and call Leo.

  Tonight, she’d spend the evening getting to know Leo’s family.

  Though Tim seemed like a nice man, the look in his eyes when he’d studied her made Nell uneasy. She’d seen that same look on the faces of countless detectives and police officers in the years she lived with her mother.

  Concern. Suspicion. Disapproval.

  The authorities had rarely been able to prove their suspicions, and their frustration had been evident. Gloria had spun her lies—lies she fully believed—while Nell and her brother had done as she demanded and kept their mouths shut.

  Nell had learned early on what happened when you spoke up. She’d been fourteen when she added what she thought was a helpful comment supporting her mother’s lies. It had been the first, and the last, time she made that mistake. After the cops left, her mother had beaten her viciously. Ky--er Dixon--had attempted to intervene, but he’d been only ten and no match for the woman’s fury and strength.

  The next day, Gloria was all solicitous, telling Nell she was her best girl and so smart. Just remembering had Nell’s hands shaking as she applied moisturizer to her now clean face.

  Leo seemed confident his father would weather this latest crisis. Nell wished she could be so certain. Even though up until the scandal, his father had enjoyed a stellar reputation, Nell knew there were people who loved keeping things stirred up.

  Her mother had ruined many lives and reputations with a few well-placed lies. Sometimes—many times—there had been nothing in it for her. She’d done it simply for the fun of seeing someone she envied—or detested—squirm.

  It would be the same for Tim Pomeroy. Some people would fan the fires of the scandal, hoping he’d get scorched simply because he’d been close to the source, or because they had political aspirations he could thwart in some way. Or simply because they enjoyed seeing a good man fall.

  A buzz pulled Nell from her reverie. She set down the mascara brush and saw Anthony’s name on the screen. “Ms. Ambrose, Leo Pomeroy is here.”

  “Send him up.” Nell padded across the floor and opened her door.

  Several seconds later, the elevator dinged and Leo strode off.

  When he reached her, Nell moved to the side and made a sweeping gesture for him to step inside.

  He looked so yummy in his cargo shorts and graphic T-shirt, Nell felt desire surge as the door to her apartment clicked shut.

  “I couldn’t wait.” Leo wasted no time in kissing her soundly.

  “You smell wonderful.” Nell slid her fingers into his hair and savored the taste of him.

  She felt his mouth curve as Leo continued pressing his lips lightly to hers, teasingly. Finally, with one hand, he pushed Nell’s hair back from her face. It was such a tender gesture that her heart lurched.

  His gaze searched her face. “You look amazing.”

  “Yeah, right.” She gave a little laugh. “I was just about to put on some makeup.”

  “Not necessary.” Leo touched her cheek, one finger trailing slowly along her skin, leaving heat in its wake. “You’re beautiful without it.”

  The words pleased her more than he knew. Her mother had always insisted she had to be perfectly put together to even meet minimum standards.

  “I think you might be just a bit prejudiced,” she teased.

  “Guilty.”

  With a quiet laugh, she gazed up at him. “I wish we could stay in tonight.”

  “My parents are eager to get to know you better, but I promise we won’t stay long.” The desire shimmering in his eyes wrapped around Nell like a caress.

  For a second, she imagined the touch of his strong hands on her bare skin, and her pulse jumped.

  “Screw it,” he said abruptly, as if fighting his own desperate ache. Leo pulled the phone from his pocket. “I’ll call and tell them something came up.”

  “We need to be there.” Nell shoved aside temptation and placed a staying hand on his phone. “Whether he admits it or not, your father needs you. As a politician, you, more than your brothers, understand what he’s going through.”

  “This scandal has been hard on him.” Leo expelled a heavy breath. “The funny thing is, he seems more worried how all this will affect my political future than he is about his.”

  “It’s a valid concern.” As much as she wanted to reassure him, they both knew his father’s worries were realistic. “Actually, everyone around him will likely be impacted to some degree once all this goes down.”

  “I told him he doesn’t have to worry about me. Let them dig into my background, into the decisions I’ve made since taking office.” Pride filled Leo’s voice. “I have nothing to hide.”

  He might not, but she did. Though the odds were low of her background coming out, Leo should know. Then he could decide if being with her was worth the risk of her past one day affecting his career.

  “There’s something I need to tell you. When I was a child…” Nell tried to say more, but nothing came out.

  Don’t do it. Don’t do it. The self-preservation instinct that had been her constant companion since she’d been old enough to talk blocked the words poised on the tip of her tongue.

  “Nell?” Leo stepped to her. He ran his palms up and down her bare arms, but the warmth didn’t touch the chill that invaded her body. “What’s wrong?”

  She cleared her throat, realizing it wasn’t self-preservation that had her pausing, it was painful memories. “When I was a child, my mother—”

  “Sweetheart, you’re shaking.”

  Before she could respond, he pulled her tight against him, pressing her head against his shoulder. His arms were strong, and she let herself lean on him for just a moment.

  Nell steeled her spine. She could do this.

  “My childhood was awful.” Despite the matter-of-fact words, her voice wavered. “Even after all these years, it’s difficult for me to speak of that time. You’ve had questions that I haven’t answered. I need to be honest with you. I—”

  “We don’t need to discuss this now.” He wiped the tears slipping down her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs.

  “If I crossed my mother in any way, if she thought I crossed her, she’d make me pay. One time, she beat me with a lamp.” Nell gave a nervous laugh. “A lamp, of all things. She normally avoided the face, but the cord caught my cheekbone.”

  Her fingers rose to the scar normally carefully hidden with makeup.

  “The woman is a monster.” A muscle in his jaw jumped. “And that wasn’t the only time she hit you. I’ve seen the scars on your body.”
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br />   He’d asked about the scars several times, but Nell always changed the subject.

  “It wasn’t just physical abuse.” She coughed in an attempt to dislodge the lump clogging her throat. “I was the spawn of Satan one day and her little princess the next. I ran away from home at seventeen and never looked back.”

  “You did what you had to do to survive.”

  Leo didn’t realize he’d spoken the words she’d repeated over and over to herself in an attempt to assuage her guilt.

  “I did all sorts of horrible things. Sometimes, I even thought they were fun.” She refused to present herself as some sort of martyr. “I lied and cheated, and then when things got so bad, I ran. I left my little brother in her clutches. He had no one.”

  “I’m sure you did the best—”

  “He had no one.” Nell fisted a hand against her heart. “Dixon had no one to protect him.”

  “Dixon.” Leo cocked his head. “Dixon Carlyle is your brother?”

  Nell met his gaze. She could say it was a different person, maybe even make him believe it was true. But she couldn’t lie. Not with those blue eyes firmly fixed on her, asking only for the truth. “Yes. Dixon is the brother I left behind all those years ago.”

  “You don’t have the same last name.” It was an inane remark, but it appeared Leo’s brain was having difficulty processing.

  “We don’t have the same last name.” She didn’t elaborate. “When he showed up in Hazel Green last fall, that was the first time I’d seen him since I was seventeen.”

  She could almost see the puzzle pieces falling into place in Leo’s head.

  “Why the secrecy? Why not just tell everyone he’s your brother?” Puzzlement filled Leo’s eyes. “It would likely help his business for people to know that he’s got a family connection to someone in Hazel Green. Especially someone like you, who’s so well regarded.”

  “Dixon and I are in the process of mending fences.” Nell cleared her throat and kept to the truth. “He’s a reminder of a time I’ve tried so hard to forget. I wasn’t certain he’d stick. I wasn’t sure I wanted him to stick.”