by Maria Geraci
They were both trying to catch their breath when a bright light made Mimi squint. Then the light flashed blue and their gazes instantly flew to one another.
“Oh, crapola,” Mimi said, scrambling to right herself.
Zeke was a little calmer. He methodically pulled up his pants and was in the middle of buckling his belt when someone rapped on the driver side window.
“Let me handle this.”
“I have every intention of letting you do just that,” Mimi said.
Zeke lowered the car window. “Rusty, what can I do for you this evening?”
Rusty’s eyes bulged. “Chief?” He shone his flashlight inside the car. “Mimi? Is that you?”
“It better be me you’re expecting,” she said pleasantly.
“Well, yes! Of course. Sorry to interrupt! I was…patrolling this side of the bridge when I noticed a suspicious looking minivan. Not that your car is suspicious or anything. Then I circled back a few times and it was still here and there seemed to be some kind of…” Rusty stopped, realizing just a second too late where the rest of his sentence was going.
“Rocking?” Zeke supplied.
“Uh, I wasn’t going to say that, Chief. I actually thought it was more like shaking, but yeah, uh, it could have been rocking, too.” Rusty lowered his flashlight. “I just didn’t make the connection that this was your car. I mean…” He shrugged, looking perfectly miserable.
“Mimi and I just left a party. It’s been a while since we just sat and enjoyed the beautiful scenery here by the bridge. No harm in that, is there?”
“No! None at all.”
Poor Rusty. He looked like he’d just swallowed a seagull and the feathers were stuck in his throat.
“Good job, Rusty. I’m glad to know that you’re on the ball.” Zeke lowered his voice. “There’s no need to tell anyone about this, is there?”
“No need, no, siree. My lips are sealed tighter than a drum. Tighter than a seal on one of those Tupperware thingie jigs. Tighter than a—”
“We get it, Rusty.”
“Okee dokee. So, I’ll just be heading on out. You folks take your time. Take more than your time. Stay all night long if you want. I won’t be back to bother you, if you know what I mean.” Mimi wasn’t certain, but she thought she saw Rusty wink.
She waited till the taillights from Rusty’s police car faded over the bridge. “Do you think he’s going to tell anyone?”
“Just the whole damn town,” Zeke said.
“I was afraid you’re were going to say that.”
They both began to laugh. It felt good. This easy camaraderie between them that they hadn’t had in months. And it wasn’t just because of the sex. Of course, that had gone a long way to producing this relaxed feeling. But it was more than that. She was tired of fighting the inevitable.
He must have felt it, too, because he put his arm around her and sighed. “I can’t promise you anything right now, but I’ll think about telling Allie. You’re right, at the very least, she probably deserves to know he’s still alive.”
She tried to keep her voice calm, when what she really wanted was to shout down the sky. It’s about time! But she wasn’t going to say anything that might make him change his mind. “That’s all I want, Zeke. You have to make it right with her, or you’ll never forgive yourself.”
It was a hell of thing making your woman a promise you had no intention of keeping. Zeke prided himself on being a man of his word. In the world of law enforcement, trust among your comrades was more than just a code of honor. It could save your life.
It had been over two weeks since couples Bunco. He told Mimi he’d think about telling Allie of the existence of Sam Grant. His exact words began with that bullshit line, I can’t promise you anything right now. The implication being that he would at least consider it, when all along he knew it would never happen.
But something had to give. It was the second week of May and he and Mimi had been living apart for almost four months now. The Neanderthal in him (and like it or not, Allie was right, that part of him did exist) was ready to toss Mimi over his shoulder and take her back to his cave. Not such a politically correct thought for a twenty-first century man, but there it was. It all came down to that most basic and primal instinct to protect not only his woman, but everyone else he loved, too.
Then there was the rational part of him. The part that thought with his brain and tried to use reason and logic to solve a problem. It was what had gotten him promoted to chief of police three years ago at the age of thirty-four, when there were numerous other, more experienced candidates vying for the job.
It was that rational part he was, at this very moment, trying to channel. Allie was smart, probably a lot smarter than him. She was a journalist and not easily fooled. Eighteen years was a long time. Maybe Mimi was right. Maybe Allie had the right to make up her own mind as far as Sam Grant was concerned.
Zeke opened up his laptop. His fingers twitched above the keyboard. Why had he never done this before? Probably because he was afraid of what he’d find. He had all the information he needed. Name, date of birth. Hell, he even knew the son-of-a-bitch’s social security number. He was just a few taps and a hit Enter away from finding out all of Sam Grant’s dirty little secrets. And find them out, he would, because he wasn’t about to expose his family to anyone without knowing exactly what he was dealing with.
He clicked on the link and began typing, then sat back and waited. What popped up on his screen made his jaw tighten.
There was an arrest for drunken and disorderly conduct in Pensacola, just three months after Mom’s death.
Then a second arrest, this time for a DUI. The date on that one was eighteen years ago. A coincidence? Zeke wasn’t sure. He read on. Sam Grant had pled guilty. He’d paid a fine, had his driver’s license taken away and served two years’ probation.
There was a third arrest, too, dated five years ago. This one was for failure to pay child support.
Child support? What the fuck? He’d done such a great job screwing up one family he thought he’d do it again?
The guy was a real prince, all right.
Zeke searched for any more incriminating evidence, but that was it. Of course, it was more than plenty and this was just the legal stuff. Who knew what the guy might have done and gotten away with?
Zeke had a simple philosophy. In some ways, life was just like baseball. Three strikes and you were out. And Sam Grant, was definitely out.
*~*~*
If Mimi ran into one more person who asked how things where “shaking” over at the Bay Bridge, she’d scream. Didn’t this town have anything better to do than gossip about her sex life? She loved Rusty to death, she really did. But he and his big mouth were on her last nerve. This afternoon over at the Piggly Wiggly, no less than four people had come up to “congratulate” her on her reconciliation with Zeke.
It had been two weeks since Rusty had caught them acting like a couple of teenagers on prom night. Zeke had promised her then that he’d “think” about telling Allie about their father. Knowing Zeke, he’d be thinking about it till the cows came home, as in forever, without actually doing it.
But what could Mimi do? She’d laid down an ultimatum and they were at a deadlock. In her mind she’d vacillated between their stances. She still thought Zeke was making a mistake by not telling Allie about Sam, but if she ever wanted her husband to come home, she might very well have to be the one to give in.
She brought in the groceries and quickly put them away. She had less than an hour till her festival committee meeting and Allie was supposed to drop by to go over some last minute wedding details. It was officially two weeks till the Spring Into Summer festival, and three till Allie and Tom’s wedding. If Mimi could get through this hectic next month, she’d sleep for a week straight.
The doorbell rang. A few seconds later, Allie walked in. She was family, no formalities needed. Toby wagged his tail and jumped on her, leaving a small drool stain on the sid
e of her denim skirt.
“What’s for dinner?” Allie asked, looking around the kitchen.
“Nothing until the Spring Into Summer festival.”
“That’s like two weeks away. Are you planning on starving my niece and nephew?”
“Hardly. They’re going to Zeke’s tonight so I’m sure they’ll be well fed.”
“Ah,” Allie said, comprehension sharpening her features. “The Whispering Bay casserole brigade.”
“You got it.”
“What about you? What are you eating tonight?”
“To tell you the truth, I haven’t had much of an appetite lately. I’ve been so crazy busy. Between the festival and…”
“My wedding?” Allie said.
“You know I love every second of it,” Mimi said affectionately. Which was one hundred percent true. Helping plan Allie’s wedding was the one bright spot in Mimi’s life right now. “Besides, all the hard stuff is done. All we need to do is give The Harbor House the final number of guests and we’re finished.”
Allie suddenly had trouble meeting her gaze. “Um, you know that little intimate wedding I had planned? A few people around town got their knickers in a wad when they found out they weren’t invited and I sort of, kind of, had to invite them.”
“No problem. So we add a couple dozen more to the guest list. The room at The Harbor House fits something like a hundred and fifty people and you certainly haven’t doubled your guest list.” Allie didn’t say anything. “Right?”
“Doubled it? Um, no, I haven’t doubled it.” Allie began talking fast the way she did whenever she got nervous. “First it was a few of the Gray Flamingos who are good friends with Roger, and of course we know so many people now because of the Gazette. A couple of our advertisers were unhappy that they weren’t included, and my old roommate Jen and her boyfriend Sean, who I didn’t think were going to come up from Tampa, are now making the trip. And there’s my old editor at Florida! magazine, Emma and her husband Richard, and—”
“Allie. Exactly how many people are we talking about here?”
“Just a couple hundred more,” she squeaked.
“A…couple hundred?” Mimi collapsed into one of the kitchen chairs.
“I know! It’s completely ridiculous. Tom says I have no backbone, but what was I supposed to do? Everyone seemed so happy when they found out I was getting married and then so sad when they realized they weren’t invited!”
Mimi tried to unscramble her thoughts. “Okay. So exactly how many people?”
Allie pulled a crumbled list from her handbag. “If we’re talking exact numbers, then it’s about three hundred and sixty-two people,” she said, cringing.
“Three hundred and sixty-two! Even Kate and Will didn’t have that many people at their wedding!”
“Oh, they had a whole lot more. I stayed up watching that on TV and the church was packed. Plus, there were all those people in the street. Although, they probably weren’t invited to the reception, were they?” Allie went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottled water and handed it to her. “Here, you look a little pale.”
Three hundred and sixty-two people! How on earth were they going to fit that many guests in The Harbor House?
“I know what you’re thinking, and no worries. I’ve already fixed everything. Tom’s daddy’s church will hold everyone and the reception hall is more than big enough. I talked to The Harbor House and they’re willing to cater the reception in the hall so we’re not losing out on the deposit or anything.”
“But…we did a menu for seventy-five people!”
“And all I had to do was multiply it by six. Believe me, the manager was thrilled.”
“I bet he was,” she muttered. The reception was already costing a small fortune. Multiply that by six and… Mimi took a big swig of the water.
Allie’s cheeks went pink. “Please don’t worry. Tom and I are paying for everything that went over budget so it’s not going to cost you and Zeke any more than what you’ve already planned on.”
“Oh, hon, I’m not worried about the money—well, I mean, yes, that’s a lot of people and all but...the reception hall at the church…are there tables and silverware and all the things we’ll need?”
“The Harbor House manager says they’ll take care of all that,” Allie said.
Mimi didn’t want to worry Allie, but a reception of that magnitude catered by a ritzy restaurant like The Harbor House was going to run well into the mid five figure range. Zeke was going to blow a gasket. But on the other hand, it wasn’t his wedding. And if Tom and Allie wanted to have a big blowout, then it should be their choice. Especially if they were willing to pay for it.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Allie said. “All that money wasted when we could use it for a down payment on a house, but I cut down on some of the fancier food and we’re only doing punch and iced-tea and champagne for the toast, so really, it isn’t going to be that bad. And…if all those people want to be with us on our big day, then, I really don’t want to say no to them.”
The worried look on Allie’s face made Mimi flush. “Of course you shouldn’t. It’s your day. You should have everything the way you want.”
“So, we’re cool?” Allie said.
“Absolutely.”
“And…you’ll tell Zeke? Because I know if I try to, he’ll pull that macho I’m-paying-for-the-wedding-and-that’s-that routine, but if you tell him, he’ll listen to reason.”
“Sure, I’ll tell Zeke.”
Allie reached across the kitchen table and placed her palm on Mimi’s forehead. “Are you sick? Don’t take this the wrong way, because you’re gorgeous, but you look a little tired. Have you been sleeping? Wait, of course you haven’t been sleeping. When are you my idiot brother going to come to your senses? It’s not like the two of you don’t love each other. And you’re still having…you know, sex, so what’s the problem?”
“You heard about the bridge incident, too?”
“Oh, babe, the whole town knows. First it was the armadillos, and now…um, doing it on the Bay Bridge?” Allie giggled. “They’re calling it Mimi and Zeke Sex 2.0.”
“Oh God.”
“Hey! It’s a testament to how popular the two of you are. Everyone’s rooting for you, you know.” Allie went momentarily quiet. “Especially me.”
“I know,” Mimi said, reaching out to hug her sister-in-law.
“So what’s really going on?” Allie asked. “I just don’t get it. I really don’t.”
This was the worst part of being a wife. Torn between that loyalty to your husband and to the other people you loved. But if she told Allie, Zeke would never forgive her. Mimi was just going to have to give him another ultimatum. Tell Allie about Sam Grant before the wedding, or else.
Or else what? They were already living apart.
“Hopefully, it will all be resolved soon,” Mimi said, knowing how cryptic that sounded. She glanced at her watch. “Crikey. I have to be at The Bistro for a festival committee meeting in fifteen minutes.”
“How’s that going? Everyone is so excited about Fatback Bubba and the Rattlesnakes! Did you know their new CD is going to be picked up by a major Nashville label?”
“Wow. I had no idea,” Mimi said.
“I’m trying to do an interview with Fatback himself for the Gazette. You know, sort of local band makes it big. That kind of thing.”
“Do you think you could do it before the festival? It would be great publicity.”
“I’ll try.”
Toby glanced up from his spot on the kitchen table. “Can you do me a favor and put Toby out in the backyard?” she asked Allie. “I have to get going and the kids won’t be home till after dinner, so I need to make sure the animals are taken care of.”
“No problem,” Allie said. “Where’s Claire’s little cat?”
“Buttercup!” Mimi called out. No answer. She did not have time for this. “She likes to hide in Claire’s room. The other day she completely shredde
d an entire curtain panel.”
“Can’t you de-claw her or something?”
“I’m totally on board, but Claire says it’s cruel and unusual punishment. As long as the cat stays in her room, I’m okay with the claws, but Claire keeps closing her bedroom door and Buttercup gets trapped in there and can’t get to her litter box.”
“Why not move the litter box to Claire’s room?” Allie asked.
“Ha!” Mimi said, “Claire says moving the litter box to her room is cruel and unusual punishment for her.”
“Let me guess. You’re the one who cleans it?”
“Bin-go. Which, I knew was going to happen.” Mimi shrugged. “But I really don’t mind. Claire seems a lot happier with the cat around.”
“Is she still pretty bummed about not getting into FSU?” Allie asked.
“She doesn’t really talk about it, but I’m sure she’s disappointed.”
Allie let Toby out in the yard and Mimi went to open the door to Claire’s room. The bed was unmade and there were papers strewn all over her desk. A huge pile of dirty laundry sat like a mountain in one corner of the room. “I see nothing,” Mimi said, chanting the mantra of mothers of teenage daughters everywhere. “Buttercup,” she crooned, “come out baby so I know you’re in here.”
Mimi heard a soft mewling sound. She tossed aside the comforter on Claire’s bed, but no Buttercup. “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Mimi called out.
This time the mewling was louder, which meant Buttercup was probably trapped somewhere. Last week, she’d been stuck in Claire’s closet. Mimi opened the closet door, but no Buttercup. There was another meow, followed by a soft scratching sound. It was coming from Claire’s chest of drawers. She followed the sound to the bottom one and pulled it open. Buttercup came flying out and whizzed past her and out of the room.
Good grief! How on earth had the kitten gotten stuck in a drawer?
Mimi was about to close the drawer when a neatly folded paper caught her attention. It was partially hidden beneath a sweatshirt.
