Hot Pursuit

by Jennifer Bernard

  Aiden's mouth fell open, his face flushed.

  "They were living in a commune-type place there. When Mom saw me, she had a complete meltdown and started screaming and crying. Cassie came running out. She calmed Mom down and got her inside. I think she was seventeen by then. She begged me to stay away. She told me that any mention of us made her freak out because it reminded her of Dad and the trauma of the murder."

  "Jesus," breathed Ben. "Why didn't you get Cassie out of there?"

  "Or get Mom some help?" asked Tobias.

  "I said the same thing to Cassie. I wanted her to come back with me. But she insisted that Mom was fine as long as she didn't have to talk about her old life, or Dad, or us. She said she takes her to support groups and therapists. I didn't like it, but in the end, she convinced me to let things continue as they were. So I left them some money and agreed to let them be, as long as Cassie kept sending updates."

  "You mean postcards."

  "Yeah. Postcards. One came on Saturday, but I didn't get a chance to show you guys before the party."

  Will dug in his pocket and took out Cassie's latest card. He passed it around so they could all take in the photo of Graceland and the writing on the back.

  He'd memorized it, so he mentally followed along as Aiden read it.

  Remember peanut butter and banana sandwiches washed down with Gatorade? Mmmmm. We were rock stars just like Elvis. Just passing through his turf, then on to a job in Georgia. Did I tell you I got my mechanic's license? Hot diggity! Mom's doing great. The other day she actually mentioned that it was Ben's birthday. I mean, it wasn't his birthday, but the fact that she spoke his name means a lot. I'm working up to telling her about Knight and Day. I'm really excited for you guys. I wish I was there, and maybe I will be someday. Give Tobias and Ben and Aiden hugs from me. Or wedgies. Or both. I love you. Cassie.

  Aiden finished, then passed the card to Ben. "I miss Cassie. I miss how she used to tease me. Remember when she told me that the Easter Bunny was living in the treehouse?"

  Will chuckled. Every single member of the Knight family had a wild streak, but Cassie, the only girl, put her own special twist on it.

  "I have all her postcards memorized," Tobias admitted. "I used to recite them to myself when I had to keep myself awake when I was on watch."

  "She might have been the biggest rebel of us all," Ben said as he passed the postcard to Tobias. "She was fearless."

  Tobias read silently, then looked up. An intense scowl dented his forehead. He flipped the card back to Will and aimed a laser glare at him. "Fuck. Why'd you never tell us you saw them?"

  "You guys were gone, Aiden was finally getting into a normal routine. Cassie begged me to keep it quiet. She didn't want anyone else showing up out of the blue. I don't know, fuck. Maybe I should have."

  "Damn right you should have." That came from Ben, which cut Will even closer to the bone. Ben was gentler than Tobias, slower to anger. "It's our family too."

  "I wanted you guys to have a life," he shot back.

  "What, like you didn't? Because of me?" Aiden looked about ready to throw his burger at Will.

  Stunned, Will surged to his feet. "Don't put words in my mouth. I didn't say that. Yeah, it might have been tough sometimes. I wished Mom was around. I did the best I could, but I know you needed more and—" He broke off before his voice could crack. He clenched his jaw so hard his molars hurt.

  He didn't do this kind of thing. He didn't lose his cool and get all emotional. That just wasn't him.

  His throat worked as he stared at the ground. A trail of ants led from the picnic table to a pile of dirt. He fixed his gaze on their busy, heedless highway. Tension gripped the four of them like a fist squeezing tight.

  "Look, bro. You've been the anchor all along. You kept our shit together." Tobias's deep voice broke the silence. "No one blames you."

  Everyone murmured agreement.

  "No." Will shook his head, still watching those ants, because it was easier than seeing the expressions on his brothers' faces. "I was trying to keep a lid on things. Keep control, somehow. Because everything was so nuts."

  Ben came closer, leaning on the picnic table next to Aiden. "Sometimes things are like that. They go FUBAR. All you can do is hang on and hope the crash landing works out. You don't have to do it all yourself, you know."

  "Huh?"

  "You're carrying the whole world on your shoulders. All of us. Aiden. Mom and Cassie. All of Jupiter Point County. Maybe you should give it a rest, Will. Lighten the load, maybe take a vacation."

  Finally, Will looked up at the tight circle of his brothers. They were all watching him with similar expressions, something he couldn't identify. It made him uneasy, as if they knew something he didn't.

  "A vacation? What are you talking about? I don't need a vacation."

  "When's the last time you had a break?" Tobias asked, balancing a beer on his thigh.

  The last time Will had taken any time off was when he'd gone to see Mom and Cassie. For a moment, he indulged in a fantasy of him and Merry on a remote beach in Mexico. Possibly clothing optional. A hotel room nearby where they could make love all night.

  Except that Merry had just thrown his proposal back in his face. Had she dumped him? Was it over? How did you go forward after that?

  He shook it off. "Let's get back to the main topic here. This so-called intervention isn't about me. Right, Aiden?" He turned to his youngest brother for help.

  "Not really, but this is fun." The little traitor grinned at him. "Merry's cool. You should take her on vacation."

  "I'm not going on vacation," he ground out. "Definitely not with Merry."

  "Dude, you're not still pissed about the article, are you?" Ben asked. "Sounds like it wasn't so bad. Just a rehash. Nothing that hasn't been all over town before."

  Tobias grunted in agreement, and bit into his burger. Aiden licked mustard off the side of his bun. Will blinked at them. They all seemed to agree. No biggie, said their body language. All their anger over the article, Merry getting fired, him getting upset with her…all for what?

  "You probably owe Merry an apology," said Aiden, flicking a sesame seed off his bun. "I actually have an idea about that."

  "Look, it doesn't matter." Will set aside his beer bottle, having barely taken a sip. "She doesn't need an apology. She doesn't even work there anymore."

  "What do you mean?" Ben picked up the paper from the picnic table. "I just saw her name on a story about the new roundabouts."

  "It just happened. She got fired."

  "Because of this?" Tobias grabbed the paper from Ben and glared at it, as if he actually might open fire on it. "That's not right. That's bullshit."

  "It's not our business. I tried to help out, but she kicked me to the curb. Merry's her own woman. She doesn't want or need…" His throat clenched tight. "Me."

  Aware of the gaze of his brothers, he fought for control. He put a hand over his eyes and battled his vocal cords, which wanted to seize up instead of working. The moment dragged on. He felt a hand on his back, another on his head—his brothers reaching out. He felt their love and sympathy flowing toward him, into him, surrounding him.

  But this was his problem. His mess. His brothers couldn't help him win back Merry's heart. And without it, his future held no joy.

  "Is this family meeting over yet?" he finally managed. "This thing is going to kill me."

  All his brothers laughed…and that did help.

  27

  Merry couldn't seem to get motivated to get out of bed. When she missed her usual morning latte at the Venus and Mars, word got back to Suzanne. Suzanne called her immediately. Merry didn't have the will to withstand her worried questioning. As soon as Merry told her what had happened at the newspaper, her party-planner friend took action.

  Suzanne was basically the border collie of friends, the one who got everyone in one place and made it a party. Calls were made. Lisa was sent to pick Merry up. Merry called Carolyn, who was around for fall br
eak. Late that afternoon, they all gathered at the Orbit for emergency margaritas.

  Packed into a booth with Evie, Brianna, Suzanne, Lisa, and Carolyn, Merry related the story of her firing. Which meant she had to explain about the Knight murder story in the Sunday paper, and exactly why she'd slow-mo-ed it, dooming her job.

  "So it's true. You and Will," said Suzanne triumphantly. "I knew it!"

  "Was Will the online mystery man?" Brianna wriggled with excitement. "I never would have pegged him for a secret sensitive guy."

  "I would," Evie said. "I always thought he had hidden depths. He's helped my mom out a few times."

  Lisa was smiling widely. "Will is a great guy. He really is. And I think you're perfect for each other. This is fantastic news. Does it make up a little bit for losing your job?"

  "Who's Will?" Carolyn asked in confusion.

  "Will Knight," Suzanne explained. "He's a Jupiter Point sheriff's deputy."

  Carolyn frowned thoughtfully. "I know that name from somewhere."

  "He's an excellent deputy," said Suzanne. "Not to mention all-around good guy and the ultimate hot cop."

  Merry couldn't take it anymore. "We broke up last night. Or at least I think we did."

  They all froze in shock, some in mid-Margarita swallow, others with tortilla chips halfway to their mouths.

  Lisa carefully put down her drink. "What do you mean, you 'think' you did?"

  Merry told that story too. It had definitely been a busy few days.

  "One of the notoriously single Knight brothers asked you to marry him?" Evie asked in surprise.

  "Yes, but he didn't really mean it. He was being protective."

  "I don't know," Suzanne said dubiously. "From what I know of Will, he doesn't do things unless he really means them."

  "Yes, but—" She swallowed, because all of this talk of Will was making her heart ache even more.

  "There are more Knight brothers?" Carolyn asked. She still wore a distracted look as she toyed with the orange slice that came with her drink.

  "Four of them. Each one hunkier than the next," Brianna explained. "All single, including Will…now, I guess…" She trailed off. Trust Brianna to stumble onto something tactless to say.

  Merry gripped the vinyl seat of the booth with both hands. "Can we change the subject?"

  The other women exchanged glances. "Sure," said Lisa. "Good idea. Um…have you thought about your next move?"

  "A little bit. I've been working nonstop since the age of fifteen. I was thinking maybe I should take a vacation." She heard the doubt dripping from her own voice. Vacation? What would she do all alone on a vacation?

  "I can set you up with something fun," Suzanne said promptly. "Honeymooners aren't the only ones who need getaways."

  Merry made a little face, because that just sounded sad. "That's a sweet thought, but—"

  "You could spend some time in the Breton lookout tower," Lisa suggested. "It's a great place to collect your thoughts."

  Alone in a tower in the wilderness? That sounded like a horror movie to Merry. The last time she'd been out in those woods, she'd gotten attacked by a gunman.

  But maybe she should open her mind. "Is there Internet?"

  "It's a little sketchy, but—"

  "Nope, that's out. Thanks anyway, you guys. Look, we've been talking about me this whole time. I'm unemployed and single, blah blah, waah waah. Please, let's move on. Seen any good movies lately? Read any good books? Has anyone met the new observatory director yet? Suzanne, how's Faith doing? Is she walking yet?"

  "She's…uh, only seven months old."

  "Well, is that too early for walking? What do I know?" She picked up her margarita and slurped up a big mouthful. But the sweet, tangy slush didn't make her feel better. It loosened something inside her, something that had been trying to flow out ever since Will left her apartment. "It's not like I'm ever going to have kids."

  "Oh Merry, you don't know that." Carolyn put an arm around her shoulder.

  "I do know that," she said fiercely. "Because I'll never meet a man better than Will and I'm going to be alone forever. I know I kept saying that's what I wanted, that I can only rely on myself, but I miss him."

  To her own shock and amazement, she burst into tears.

  The other women rushed to reassure her, to pat her shoulder, her hand or whatever they could reach. But their soothing "it'll be okays" did nothing for her.

  "It won't be okay. You should have seen the look on his face when I turned him down. I know he comes off as a stern law-officer type, but he has a completely different side to him too. And I really hurt him. And why? Just for my own pride?"

  Next to her, Lisa was rubbing her arm. "You told him how you felt. He's a grown man, a mature man. He can handle it."

  "Think of everything else he's been through," added Evie. "He held his family together after the murder. He has a lot of inner strength."

  That just made Merry sob harder. "I know he does. This is on me. I'm afraid of being weak. Of people not respecting me. But Will does respect me. He loves me. I know he does. Being with him won't take my personal power. And what use is power anyway if it's afraid of love? Huh? Can anyone answer that?"

  From across the table, Carolyn kept feeding her Kleenex. Merry plucked another one from the box as her friend spoke. "If he loves you, and you love him, you can fix this. Maybe this is just a bump in the road."

  "I bet every single one of us had a moment when we totally screwed up with the guy we wanted. I know I did," said Lisa. "I flew back to Houston, letting Finn think I didn't love him."

  "And I snuck away from Manhattan without telling Rollo, just because I made a fool of myself in front of a bunch of rich people," Brianna added.

  "I got trapped on top of a burning house," said Suzanne.

  "And I nearly got caught in a wildfire," Evie chimed in.

  Carolyn held up the box of tissues again. Merry snagged another and blew her nose.

  Brianna offered her the empty plastic basket that had contained their tortilla chips. She'd cleared everything out of it except the greasy liner. Merry dropped the used Kleenex into it.

  Not to be outdone in the help-offering category, Suzanne snatched up Merry's margarita and held it up for her.

  Merry looked around at her friends—Brianna with the basket, Carolyn with the tissues, Suzanne with the margarita, Evie with the words of comfort, Lisa with an arm around her shoulders.

  And she began sobbing again. "You guys are being so nice to me, and I'm such a prickly porcupine."

  "No, you're not!" Brianna bonked her on the arm with the basket. "You're always here for us. You have the biggest heart in the world. You care about people and you're wicked smart and you're funny too."

  Suzanne was nodding in agreement, still holding up the margarita for her. "You were totally there for me when I was trying to figure out what to do about the baby. You were the first person I told because I knew I could trust you and that you'd give me great advice. You're not prickly, you're just smart. And every single one of us is lucky to have you as a friend."

  "There is no one I'd rather have in my corner," said Lisa. "You always have our backs."

  "But I didn't even tell you I have a brother!"

  Everyone froze and stared at her in shock. "A what?" said Brianna.

  "A half-brother. He's white, so you probably didn't put it together—"

  "The intern from the newspaper!" Evie exclaimed. "The one tagging along after you like a puppy."

  "Yes. And I've been a total bitch to him when all he wants is to get to know me." She snatched another tissue from the box.

  "You had your reasons," Carolyn said firmly. "Good ones."

  "No. Don't be nice to me." She blew her nose. "I told Will he had a big 'keep out' sign, but who am I to talk? I've said nothing but 'keep out' to Chase." She blew her nose. "And I was a lot meaner about it too. I've screwed everything up with everyone."

  She balled up the Kleenex and tossed it in the basket.
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br />   "Not with us," said Lisa firmly. "We're here for you. What do you want us to do? Find Will? Send you both to a tropical island where you can work things out?"

  "We can make that happen," Suzanne said confidently. "I know some guys with planes."

  Merry produced a loud, wet, embarrassing sob. This was ridiculous. She was the cynical one, the self-sufficient, fast-talking, take-no-crap one. What was she doing crying her eyes out like a sentimental fool?

  The answer was blindingly obvious.

  She was in love with Will.

  Funny how she could help everyone else with their problems, but have such a massive blind spot about her own heart.

  She loved Will. She loved him in a way that was completely new to her. It was nothing like what she'd felt for any previous boyfriend. Will wasn't about a fun, wild surface. He was about the strength and caring that existed underneath. Strong, thoughtful, patient, smart, wry Will.

  And her feelings for him went deep. They'd taken root in her heart, and every beat made them grow stronger. So unless she intended to rip the entire thing out once and for all, she'd better face it.

  She loved Will Knight.

  With sudden determination, she wiped the tears off her face. "You guys are right. I need to find Will." She rose to her feet, and Lisa scooted over to let her out. She looked around the little circle of concerned faces. "This might sound unusual coming from the jaded one of the crew, but I seriously love you all. With all my heart."

  "We love you, too, Merry," said Suzanne, stepping up as spokesperson. "But where are you going? Didn't you drive with Brianna?"

  "I can walk home from here. I just want to clear my head. I need to come up with the right words to say. I am a writer, after all. I gotta get this right."

  Outside the Orbit, night had fallen. The wrought iron streetlamps gave the downtown streets a cozy glow. Honeymooners wandered hand in hand down Constellation Way, peering into the storefronts and kissing at random moments.

  Her phone buzzed. Her wild hope that it might be Will disappeared when she saw the text from Chase.

  Big news! I have a present for you! You're going to love this. It's something big about your drug story. Where R U? Anywhere near the Gazette?