A Man of Honor

by Cynthia Thomason

  CHAPTER NINE

  TWO HOURS LATER Jeremy and Brooke were in his SUV driving back to Charleston. There had been no more discussion of her brother, but a check for five hundred dollars was tucked safely into her purse.

  She hadn’t wanted to take the money. It was wrong to take money from anyone, especially someone who wasn’t family. But Jeremy had been so insistent, almost as if she would be doing him a favor by taking it.

  “Look, Brooke,” he’d said. “I like you. I like helping people if I can. Just keep the money. I don’t need it and you do.”

  Hard to argue with logic like that. And she would pay him back—every cent.

  So with his two kids in the backseat watching a video and soft country music on the radio, Brooke sat quietly, occasionally stealing a glance at the man who had not only saved her from temporary financial ruin, but had also provided moral support. Whenever their gazes met, he smiled at her. She felt comforted and appreciative. And remembering the kiss, she felt so much more than that. She had dated lots of men. She enjoyed going out, having fun. But Jeremy was different. Fun? Yes. And kind and smart and interesting. Which is why her feelings were suddenly different, too.

  “So,” he began when they were about halfway to her condo, “have you told Milt anything about what you’re trying to accomplish? Does he know about Edward?”

  He knows I’m stealing time from work and have been for months. And he has told me that I’m as good as gone from WJQC if I don’t make a success of you. “No. Finding Edward is such a personal matter. I don’t know if Milt would understand.”

  “Kind of a shame,” Jeremy said. “Milt seems like a nice enough guy, one who cares about his employees. He’d probably understand, even give you some time off with pay if you confided in him.”

  Brooke felt her face begin to flush, the curse of all blondes when faced with anxiety. Jeremy was so wrong about Milt. He was fiercely protective of WJQC, but he expected one hundred percent effort and loyalty. “I don’t want to tell him,” she said, “and you can’t, either. No one at work knows anything about this, and I want to keep it that way. It’s enough that I blubbered all over your nice shirt today.”

  “Hey, no problem. It’s not my story to tell. I just thought if you had a bit of support from Milt, you might be able to find Edward sooner.”

  She huffed, remembering Milt’s exact words about the time she was stealing from WJQC. And later, warning her not to tell Jeremy anything about their “special arrangement.” And now she was insisting that Jeremy keep her secret, as well. There were too many secrets associated with WJQC, and Brooke feared that one of them would blow up in their faces.

  “Milt is a company man above all else,” she explained to Jeremy. “If an employee has a problem, he does not offer a warm-and-fuzzy shoulder to cry on. We all do our jobs, and what happens when we walk out the station door at the end of the day is our problem.”

  Thinking she needed to state her case even more firmly, she added, “So, please, Jeremy, no matter how helpful you think Milt might be, do not mention this to him.”

  “I understand, Brooke. This is between you and me, and that’s fine. I hope you feel like you can come to me if you hit any more roadblocks. Remember, I’ve been where Edward has been—probably alone, confused and in trouble. I know if I had a sister as determined as you are to find me, I’d sure as heck want to be found.”

  She lightly touched his arm. “Thanks. If I ever do find Edward, I hope he feels like you do. That’s my biggest fear. After searching all this time, spending all this money, I’ll find him and he’ll brush me off, just like my mother did.”

  He gave her a supportive grin. “One step at a time, Brooke. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

  She sighed. “It was a nice day, Jeremy. We probably should have done a little work. I had planned on going over budgetary concerns.”

  He laughed. “Thinking about where our conversation ultimately led, I’m pretty sure I would have been bored out of my mind if we ended up discussing budgets. Save it for Monday?”

  Her face warmed again. They were on the same wavelength. Her mind had returned several times to that moment on the lounger when he’d held her, whispered comforting words to her, kissed her. Oh, my, yes, kissed her. Possibly the best kiss she’d ever experienced. And definitely a kiss she’d like to repeat.

  Remember the mantra, Brooke, she thought to herself. One step at a time. You’re less than two weeks into this project of Milt’s, and you’ve only got four to go. Make a success of Jeremy first and then just maybe you’ll be able to keep your condo, pay him back the five hundred and find Edward. Jeremy’s kisses, if you’re lucky, can come later. If he doesn’t ultimately wow the viewing audience in Charleston, then he’s very likely out, you’re out and everything else unravels.

  “Hey, Brooke,” Cody called from the backseat.

  She turned to see his face. “What is it, Cody?”

  “These Minions are so funny. You should see what they’re doing.”

  “I wish I could. Maybe I can borrow your video sometime.”

  “Sure.” He settled back and continued watching.

  Brooke was glad she’d told him to call her by her first name, circumventing the Southern manners of his father. She felt a kinship with Cody that was strangely satisfying. But Alicia, that was another story. The girl had sat sullenly for the last half hour, not speaking to anyone.

  * * *

  JEREMY WAS LUCKY to find a parking place right in front of Brooke’s condo. After giving strict instructions to his kids to stay in the car, he walked Brooke to the entrance of her building.

  “I’d like to take you to your door, but...” He glanced at the street.

  “No problem,” she said, taking his hand. “Thank you for everything today.”

  “You’re welcome.” He leaned in and kissed her on her lips. A quick but meaningful meeting of lips that he hoped would convince her of his desire to help in any way possible. She smiled, opened her door and went inside.

  When he returned to his car, Alicia was in the front seat.

  “Glad you came up to join me,” he said. “I haven’t heard much about the party. How’d it go?”

  She gave him a look that pulled at his heartstrings as much as it tested his patience. “Why the stink eye?” he asked as they drove off. “Are you hoping I change my mind about punishing you guys for that kitchen mess?”

  “No. I know you’re going to punish us.”

  He smiled. “Does a weeklong grounding seem fair?”

  “Sure. Do what you want,” she said. “In case you can’t tell, I’m mad at you.”

  “And I was mad at you. So we’re even, though I don’t think I’ll ever get the scent of maple syrup off of me.”

  “I don’t want to talk about the stupid kitchen.”

  “Okay. So tell me, what’s on your mind?”

  Her big blue eyes seemed to lash out at him from across the car’s console. “I saw you kiss her!”

  Jeremy had hoped an ornamental tree in front of Brooke’s condo would hide that few seconds of activity. But apparently not. “I did, Ally. I like her,” he said, willing her to understand.

  “You used to kiss Mommy,” Alicia said. “Only Mommy.”

  “I don’t like kissing,” Cody announced from the backseat.

  “Point taken, buddy.” He paused, catching Cody’s smile in the rearview mirror.

  “Ally,” he began again. “I know you miss Mommy. I do, too. I will always miss her, but she’s been gone for a while now.”

  “I haven’t stopped loving Mommy,” Alicia said, her tone anxious, her words rushed. “But I guess you have.”

  “No, I haven’t. Not at all. I will always love your mother. My memories of her are special to me, but Mommy isn’t here anymore. We have to learn what that means, understand what that means. Meanwhile, we are st
ill here, and Mommy would want us to have happy lives.” He gave her a serious look. “Aren’t you happy sometimes, Ally? At least part of the time?”

  What if she answered no, that she was never happy? Then he hadn’t listened enough, hadn’t comforted her enough. He’d let her down, and that wasn’t an option.

  Alicia shrugged and didn’t look at him. “Sometimes. Maybe. I just don’t think you need somebody new. Cody and I are here.”

  Cody leaned forward and frowned at his sister. “Hey, leave me out of this. I like Brooke.”

  Alicia shot the stink eye to the backseat. “You like everybody.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  Alicia crossed her arms.

  “Okay, Ally,” Jeremy said. “It’s possible that I may want to find someone new that I like and that both of you kids like, too. I’m not saying that Brooke is that person, but hopefully sometime a special woman will come into my life and make me feel like your mother did. Can’t you understand that?”

  Alicia huffed.

  Jeremy tried not to smile. “Sweetheart, you and your brother make me feel like I’m the luckiest guy in the world. I have two wonderful children that I adore, and you make me feel like I want to be the best father I can be to both of you. But that’s not the same as the feeling I had for your mother. And the feeling I wouldn’t mind having again with another woman.”

  “By kissing her?”

  “Yes. That’s part of it.”

  Alicia stared at her lap. “I don’t like it, and I don’t like her. We don’t need her in our family.”

  “Brooke is not a part of our family. She’s a business associate of mine. She’s helping me become a news anchor. I’ve told you all this.”

  “Then you don’t need to kiss her.”

  That was true. Jeremy had had many business associates in his life and he didn’t kiss them. “Okay, maybe you’re right,” he said. “But adult relationships start with kissing. It’s perfectly normal.”

  “Well, I don’t want you to do it again.”

  He seemed to be at a crossroads with his daughter. When he stopped for a red light, he turned in his seat and smoothed his hand down Alicia’s single dark blond braid. “If I like a woman and want to kiss her, that’s my decision. It doesn’t—and never will—change how I feel about you and Cody.”

  “The light’s green,” she said.

  “So it is. I’ve decided not to enforce grounding until tomorrow. Tonight seems perfect for burgers and arcade games. What do you think?”

  “I think yeah!” Cody shouted.

  “I’ll think about it,” Alicia said.

  He smiled at her. “Fair enough.”

  * * *

  THE NEXT WEEK at WJQC was busier than normal. A string of convenience-store robberies made the residents of Charleston nervous, along with the approach of a nasty, early-season tropical storm. Forecasters warned that the storm could escalate to hurricane strength. That bit of unwelcome news put location crews on the streets for preparation interviews. Fred Armitage vied for camera time with the station’s superpretty and competent meteorologist, who discussed pressure and wind speeds until even Brooke thought they were all doomed.

  Still, in the midst of all this mayhem, Milt Cramer found time on Friday to call Brooke into his office for a private chat. Yes, Milt found time, since he mostly sat in his office “administrating,” while Brooke, with much to do, kept looking at the clock on his wall.

  “How’s our boy doing?” Milt asked when he’d told Brooke to sit and relax, an order that was impossible to follow.

  “Very well,” she said. “He’s a fast learner, and I can’t say enough about the enthusiasm he has for this position. I put him in front of a camera yesterday, just so he could get a feel for what it’s like. He did well. It won’t be long before I’m giving him a real test. If I’m right, he should do fine as an anchor.”

  “Great, but will he be ready in three weeks?”

  “I hope so,” Brooke said. “This week has been nuts, as you know. I haven’t had time to give him much coaching.” The truth was, she hadn’t coached him much at all since Friday, a week ago. Saturday had drifted quite easily into a fun afternoon touring around Charleston, and this week Brooke had been swamped.

  “You’re right,” Milt said. “It’s time we put Jeremy in front of a camera and lights for a proper test and see how he does. What about Wednesday of next week? I’ll have a sample script made up for him.”

  “That might be a bit early,” Brooke responded. “I haven’t covered more than the basics on voice inflection and mannerisms. We’ve been concentrating on all other aspects of news production.”

  “Then get to it!” Milt said. “Time’s running out. You know how much I’ve invested in this ex-jock. When I hired him, I knew it was a risk, but one I was willing to take because I had the top producer in the business to train him.”

  “Yes, I’m aware of all that, and I’m doing my best.”

  Milt smiled, but it was a calculated quirk of his lips that made Brooke uneasy. “If you succeed with Jeremy, you’ll be able to write your own ticket in this business. Not to mention making me look good for taking a chance on an unproven commodity.”

  So now Jeremy was “a commodity”? Milt made his new anchor sound like a stock option. “Actually, Milt,” she said, “I was already pleased with the ticket I have with this station.”

  “Then prove it. Have you stopped using WJQC time to mess around with whatever personal matter has been stealing your focus from your job?”

  Brooke nodded. She didn’t want to verbalize her feelings about Edward, nor did she want to tell Milt that she had no intention of giving up on her “personal matter.”

  “Okay, then, we’re agreed. Jeremy will have a camera test on Wednesday.”

  “I suppose so.”

  “And quit giving so much airtime to that redheaded goddess who does the weather. That stupid storm won’t be any more than a rain event. More real news, Brooke. Keep our focus where it should be. What we need now is a scoop, something that will wake this city and make it take notice of WJQC.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Thanks for stopping by, Brooke,” he said.

  She wanted to grind her teeth. She certainly hadn’t “stopped by.” She’d been summoned.

  “Next year I see you and I working together with the fluidity of a Swiss watch, with Jeremy Crockett at the news desk. Don’t disappoint me. When WJQC takes all the awards at the Silver Medallion banquet next year, I want you at the table.”

  Which I won’t be at, if Jeremy fails, Brooke thought. She rose from the extremely uncomfortable chair Milt had offered her and went back to a different kind of intensity in the newsroom. At least this kind of pressure was like oxygen to her brain. She thrived on it. But would she be able to make Jeremy camera-perfect by Wednesday?

  While contemplating the seriousness of her meeting with Milt, Brooke was startled to feel a tug on her elbow when she reached her office. She spun around. “Jeremy, you startled me.”

  “Oh, sorry. That’s the last emotion I was hoping to elicit. Can I come in your office with you?”

  “Sure, but I don’t have time for coaching right now.”

  “Good, because I’m not interested in coaching, either.”

  He followed her inside, then shut the door behind them. “What a week, eh? So much news, so little time.”

  “That’s the truth.” She busied herself with messages on her desk mostly to avoid direct eye contact with Jeremy. She didn’t need to forget her priorities right now, and one look at those deep brown eyes... Well...

  “Any news on the Edward situation?”

  “No, not yet.”

  “I’ve put a few feelers out,” Jeremy said. “Maybe one of them will turn up something.”

  She shuffled papers.

  “The ki
ds have a sitter tonight. Marta has agreed to stay in. Since I’ve barely seen you this week, how about dinner tonight?”

  She finally looked up at him. “Oh, dear. I can’t tonight. Like you said, ‘so much news.’ After tonight’s broadcast, I’m going to the local office of NADA to check on the hurricane predictions.”

  “Okay. Lunch tomorrow maybe?” he asked.

  “I’d love to meet with you tomorrow,” she said, thinking to use the opportunity to prepare Jeremy for his camera test. “But not for lunch. We can meet here and go over some specifics regarding camera presentation. Maybe we can order sandwiches from the deli downstairs.”

  Brooke was uncomfortable with the disappointed look on his face. It had been a while since a man was sincerely disappointed in not being able to see her. She’d been missing this, she realized. But she simply couldn’t do it, not until Jeremy had passed every test to become Milt’s golden boy. She’d been thinking about Saturday with Jeremy every day, reliving his kiss, remembering how they hadn’t done anything to prepare Jeremy for the future and that she hadn’t cared. Being with him outside of the studio was threatening to make her forget the prize.

  She was still a news producer, and her job meant everything to her. But she might have to decide to leave WJQC and find a new position—the last thing she wanted.

  Jeremy smiled, but it seemed forced. “Okay, you’re the boss. If all I can get with you this weekend is a working lunch, I’ll take it.”

  “Great. I plan on getting a lot done. Meet you here about ten? I’ll bring coffee.”

  He nodded and headed for her office door. Brooke sighed when he walked out. She’d resisted every urge to accept his invitations, but she really should congratulate herself. She was doing this for Jeremy as much as for herself. The man had given up a lucrative career with the Wildcats to give this news thing a try, and she wanted him to be successful. He’d started a new life with his kids, and he deserved to achieve what he wanted every bit as much as she did.