An hour later, she pulled up in front of the office. Despite her assertions that nothing was different, her heart started beating a little faster as she headed for the front door of the building. Would Jim be inside? What would they say when they saw each other? She was determined to act normally, but she had a sudden apprehension that she wouldn’t be able to remember what normal was like.
But when she stepped inside the room, she found that she didn’t have anything to worry about. Jim wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Heather flashed Flo a smile, called out a friendly greeting and went to settle Diane for the day.
“How’s she feeling?” Flo asked as she rose to her feet and came after Heather. “Is she still crying?”
“Most of the time,” Heather admitted. “She slept through the night, but I think that was just to gather strength for her second assault. I thought about setting up the playpen in the office. Is that all right with you?”
“You know she’s the light of my life. Let’s put it by my desk so I’ll have an excuse not to work. I can just play with my little princess.” She stroked Diane’s cheek. “How are you, baby girl? You want to play with your auntie Flo?”
Diane smiled at the familiar face and raised her hands as if indicating she wanted Flo to hold her.
“Do you mind?” Flo asked.
“Be my guest.”
Heather set the diaper bag on the floor, then went to get the playpen from the lunchroom. It had been designed for mobility and she had it set up in less than five minutes. After collecting a couple of Diane’s favorite toys, she snapped a colorful animal mobile in place, then wound up the attached music box.
“Look at what your mommy did for you,” Flo said as she cuddled Diane. “All those toys and a nice, soft place to play. Aren’t you a lucky girl?”
In her tight, sleeveless purple blouse and matching capri pants, Flo looked more like a cocktail waitress than a mom, but to Heather, she was all things maternal. Despite the big hair and bigger makeup, she had a warm and loving heart. Heather’s chest tightened with sadness and sympathy. Flo accepted her childless state gracefully, but Heather thought it was a tragedy. Flo would have been a terrific mother. She would have loved with her whole being and what child could want more than that?
“I’ll be right here,” Flo said as she set Diane in the playpen. “Right beside you. Yes, that’s right.” Then she straightened, looked at Heather and raised her eyebrows. “How was the wild thing?”
Heather blinked in stunned surprise. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. I was asking about your evening. I know that you and Jim were together. And I mean that in the most intimate sense. So how was it?”
Color heated Heather’s cheeks. She pressed her hands to her face and groaned softly. “How did you know? Is it that obvious? Am I wearing a sign or something?”
Flo leaned against her desk. “You’re glowing, honey, and it’s not because of any new makeup or the fact that you got a good night’s sleep. I’d say you didn’t get much sleep at all. But if it makes you feel any better, I had a real big hint from Jim this morning. He’s so happy, I would swear he’d seen the second coming, if you’ll excuse the pun. I thought the man was going to break out in song.”
Heather couldn’t prevent a smile from stealing across her face. So Jim really had enjoyed their time together. Of course, she knew that he had, but it was nice to know he was still floating, too.
Heather walked over to her desk and sat down.
“I won’t press you for details,” Flo went on, “even though I want to. For one thing, I doubt you’ll tell me much. For another, he’s my boss and there are some things an employee just shouldn’t know.”
“I’m an employee.”
“That’s right, honey, and you’ll have to work that one out all on your own.”
Heather knew what her friend was talking about. “I agree. We both talked about it. We can’t make it anything more than it was. Yes, we had a lovely time together and it was very special, but we decided that our friendship, not to mention our working relationship, was more important.”
Flo studied her. “Did you now?”
“Yes. We’re both adults. We can handle this.” Heather felt herself getting a little defensive and she wasn’t sure why.
“Whose idea was that?”
“Both of ours. It’s what I want. I’m not looking for a man in my life. At least not romantically. I like that Jim and I are friends. If we can keep things at that level, they won’t get complicated.”
Flo folded her arms under her impressive bosom. “Life has a way of complicating things whether we want it to or not. But it’s your call. You two have to do what’s right.”
“You don’t approve?”
“It’s not my place to approve or disapprove. I think you’re whistling in the dark. Most women I know can’t spend the night making love with a wonderful man and then walk away without a second thought.”
Heather knew she was right. “It’s not going to be easy, but it can be done.”
“I’m sure it can.” Flo glanced down at Diane. “She’s a sweet thing and you’re a great mom. But life is better when there’s someone to share the load. Jim has a good heart and he needs someone to see that and to love him back.”
“I do care about Jim,” Heather admitted.
“I’m not talking about friendship caring. I’m talking about the real thing. The love between a man and a woman. The marrying kind of love. Jim won’t be easy to convince for a lot of reasons, but the woman who wins him will have a prize worth holding on to. There aren’t many like him.”
Fear clutched at Heather’s insides. “I don’t want marriage. I don’t want to risk falling in love again.”
Flo shrugged. “Then I guess you’re not the one. I keep waiting for her to show up and claim him. Lord knows he needs someone to love him.”
“Everyone does,” Heather agreed. She told herself she wasn’t the one. She’d been down this road and it hadn’t once worked for her. She didn’t want anything to change between her and Jim. “But I can’t fall in love,” she said.
“Nobody is saying you have to.”
But Heather felt pressured in ways she couldn’t understand. “I thought those other men were terrific, too. All of them. And they turned out to be all wrong for me. How can I trust my judgment about Jim?”
“If those other men were as great as him, then I guess you can’t.”
Heather wanted to say that they had been that wonderful, but she knew there was a difference. She’d never met anyone like Jim before. He was a living, breathing hero and that terrified her. How was she supposed to live up to that? If she tried again with someone like him and it didn’t work, then she really wouldn’t have any faith in love.
“It’s too great a risk,” she said slowly. “I’m not willing to take the chance.”
Flo grimaced in impatience. “Do you have any idea what you’re giving up? All because you’re afraid?”
The door to the office opened before Heather could reply. Two policemen entered the room. “We’re looking for Brian Johnson,” the taller of the two said. “We have a warrant for his arrest.”
*
“What the hell is going on?” Jim demanded when he stormed into the office. He tossed the logbook onto Flo’s desk. “When did the police get here?”
Flo’s face was pale, the only color coming from the splotches of blusher on her cheeks. She glanced at the clock, then at Heather. “Maybe an hour ago.”
He glanced at Heather for confirmation. She nodded. “It was over in a matter of minutes. They checked his identification, read him his rights, then took him away. None of us knew what to say to them or what to do.”
He stared at the two frightened women. Heather held little Diane in her arms as if to protect her from all that had happened. Rage and frustration bubbled inside him. What the hell was going on? One minute he’d been flying a couple of executives over to LAX to catch their flight back east and the next Flo had r
adioed him with the news that Brian had been arrested for dealing drugs.
He raked his fingers through his hair and paced to his desk. “There’s nothing you could have done. They had a warrant for his arrest. You couldn’t have stopped them. I’m just sorry I wasn’t here.” Not that he could have done anything, either.
“They searched his locker for drugs,” Heather said quietly.
Jim turned to her. “Did they have a warrant for that?”
She nodded. “Several other police officers arrived as they were taking him away. They didn’t find anything. They’re going to be in touch with you later. I think they want to search the whole place.”
This wasn’t happening, he thought grimly. It couldn’t be. “How could I have been so wrong about that kid?” he asked, not expecting an answer. He thought he knew Brian.
Heather crossed to Flo’s desk and handed her the baby, then she moved next to him. “Something’s not right,” she said firmly. “We all know Brian. He’s a bright, sweet kid and I don’t think he’s involved with drugs. Maybe I’m a fool, but I don’t think so.” She frowned. “The police said they had an anonymous tip from a witness. Someone who knew Brian’s name and where he worked. Even if he was involved with something like that, he’s too smart to get caught that way. Some kind of police operation, like a sting or something, would make sense, but not this.”
“She’s right,” Flo said. “You’re going to have to do something.”
What he wanted to do was forget he’d ever met the kid. But Heather’s words rang true. Some of the rage cleared out of his brain and he was able to think. “Brian wants to fly helicopters,” he said slowly. “That’s all he talks about. He has a steady girlfriend he’s devoted to and he gets good grades in school.”
“Exactly,” Heather said. “When he’s not with her or at school, he’s here. When would he have the time? You have to go talk to him.”
He looked at her, then cupped her cheek. “You’re right, I do.”
The second his hand touched her soft skin, he was reminded of all that had happened the night before. Of the way they’d made love over and over. This was not the morning greeting he’d planned. But they had more pressing matters than their personal life, and he wasn’t about to say anything intimate in front of Flo.
He grabbed his car keys from his desk and headed for the door. “I’ll call when I know anything,” he said as he left.
It took some fast talking, but the police finally let him speak to Brian. Jim was ushered into a small room with no windows and only one door. A worn table surrounded by three chairs nearly filled the small space. He had to wait thirty minutes until the door opened and Brian was led inside.
The teenager was still in his own clothes—a T-shirt and jeans—but there the similarities to the young man he knew ended. The boy was pale and obviously terrified. Tears streaked his face. He was shaking and smelled as if he’d recently thrown up. And handcuffs bound his bony wrists. He looked young and alone and scared.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Brian said, his voice trembling. “I didn’t think you’d come.”
Jim noticed the boy wouldn’t meet his eyes. “When a trusted employee of mine is arrested for something, I want to know the story.”
Tears spilled down Brian’s face. “I never did drugs in my life. Never. I swear. I didn’t even once try pot. I’ve seen too many people killed by that s-stuff.” His voice cracked. “Jeez, I wouldn’t sell them, either. It’s not just wrong, it’s stupid.” He sniffed and finally raised his gaze to meet Jim’s. “Someone set me up.”
Jim wasn’t sure what he’d expected the kid’s story to be, but he hadn’t thought it would be that. “Someone set you up? Why?”
He heard the skepticism in his voice. Brian did, too. He slumped back in his chair and shook his head. “What does it matter? You’re not going to believe me. No one is. I’m just some punk kid, right? No dad, no important family, no money. No one cares.”
But Jim knew that he did care—very much. Brian was lost and didn’t know which way to turn.
Jim leaned forward, resting his hands on the rickety table. “Tell me who set you up, and why?”
Brian raised his shackled hands and swiped at his tears. “Bernie.”
Jim straightened in surprise. “The charter pilot?” He pictured the short, hard-edged man. “He’s a pain in the neck, but why would he do something like that?”
Brian’s pale face flooded with color. “I caught him in the hangar. He was using one of the helicopters as a hotel room. It happened a couple of times. The first time, I didn’t say anything, but the second, I told him I was going to tell you. He said if I did, he would make me pay big time.” He gave a sob. “That was last week.”
Jim swore loudly. Bernie wasn’t his favorite guy in the world and one of the reasons was that the pilot liked to live life a little too close to the edge. He’d been reprimanded for unsafe flying a couple of times and had a reputation for hard drinking and lots of women. With any other pilot, Brian’s story would have been crazy, but with Bernie it could be true.
Jim rose to his feet. “I don’t know how long this will take, so you’ll have to sit tight. I know a couple of lawyers. I’ll call one of them and find out who I talk to first. You might have to spend the night here, but I will get you out, Brian. Don’t worry.”
“You believe me?”
“Sure. Why wouldn’t I?”
Fresh tears spilled down Brian’s cheeks. “No one ever has before.”
Jim felt an uncomfortable tightness in his chest. He pulled the boy to his feet and hugged him. “Well, I do, and I’ll make damn sure that Bernie gets what’s coming to him.”
As Jim hugged him goodbye, harsh, shuddering sobs tore through his thin body. “I was so scared,” Brian said, his voice muffled against Jim’s jacket.
“I know. Believe me, I know about being scared. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”
The teenager sniffed and looked up. “Thanks. I wouldn’t want Heather thinking I was, you know, a wimp.”
“She doesn’t. In fact, she believed in you from the beginning.”
“Yeah?”
Jim smiled to himself. So the seventeen-year-old had a crush on Heather. He couldn’t blame him. What man wouldn’t be tempted by such an alluring woman?
He ruffled the boy’s hair. “Hang tight, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I know something. With a little luck, we’ll have you out first thing in the morning.”
*
“I can’t believe you got him out the same day,” Heather said later that night. She tucked the phone between her ear and her shoulder and shifted Diane so the baby could rest against her. It was nearly ten in the evening and her daughter was drifting off to sleep.
“Everything fell into place,” Jim said. “The authorities thought there was something odd about the tip, but with all the planted evidence, they had no choice but to take him in. When they searched Bernie’s apartment, they found drugs and a record book. Apparently, he’s been doing this for years.”
“It’s amazing the man could still fly.”
“Scary is more like it,” Jim told her. “The police want to search the facility to see if he stored drugs there, but we’re not considered part of the investigation.”
“What happened when you confronted him?”
“He crumpled like a wet sheet.”
Heather smiled as she heard the satisfaction in Jim’s voice. “You’re so big on beating people up, I’m surprised you didn’t want to take him behind the building,” she teased.
“It crossed my mind, but I like to consider that a last resort. Besides, I prefer the idea of his being in prison for a long time.”
“Brian came by to see us,” she said, remembering the disbelieving but thrilled expression on the boy’s face. “He couldn’t get over the fact that we believed in him.”
“He’s got a crush on you,” Jim said.
“I know. But you’re the one he’s going to worship n
ow. I think he’d change the rotation of the earth if you asked him to.”
“I like things the way they are.” Jim sounded uncomfortable. “All I want him to do is get good grades in school and show up for work on time.”
She could imagine him shifting in his chair, a little embarrassed by Brian’s gratitude and very happy to have been able to help the boy.
“I don’t think you have to worry about Brian. In his mind, he has something to prove. He wants you to know that he’s worthy of your trust, so I predict we’ll be seeing a straight-A student this year.”
“That’s not a bad thing,” Jim said. He was quiet for a second. “I keep thinking about how hard this was on him. He’s too young to have to wrestle with this sort of thing. I can’t believe Bernie threatened him. I know Brian feels guilty for not coming to me right away, but I understand why he was scared. It would be his word against Bernie’s. Brian was the new guy, and a kid, while Bernie was a supposedly trusted pilot.”
“What a dilemma,” Heather agreed, thinking that Jim had had his share of impossible situations.
Many people said the past didn’t matter, but Heather didn’t agree with them. She believed everyone carried around pieces of their past and that they were the reason for certain ways of behaving. She still hadn’t figured out all the ways Jim was reacting to his past, but he was still afraid to connect, afraid to love.
“You all right?” Jim asked.
“Fine.”
“You’re quiet.”
“I’m just thinking about everything that’s happened.” She glanced at the clock. “I know it’s late, but would you like to come over?” She hesitated, remembering what had happened the previous evening. “This isn’t necessarily an invitation into my bed as much as a desire to be with a good friend. I think I need that right now.”
She wanted to see him and hold him and have him tell her that everything was going to be all right. She wanted to know that what they’d shared the previous night had mattered to him as much as it had mattered to her.
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