by Leanne Banks
Leo felt a surprising rush of pleasure at the teen’s compliment. The appreciation he saw in Calista’s gaze gave him an even bigger boost. Watching her interact with her sisters tugged at a long forgotten place inside him. Their teasing camaraderie reminded him of nights he’d spent wishing for a different family. He’d thought he’d buried those longings years ago. He couldn’t help admiring the way the three of them had retained their sense of family even after all their losses and living apart.
“It does look fun,” Calista said.
“You wanna go?” he asked, watching as her hair whipped around in the wind.
“Oh, no, that’s okay,” she said.
“You should try it,” Tina said. “It’s way easier than skiing.”
Calista shook her head. “No—”
“Oh, don’t be a wuss, Cal,” Tina said.
“More than one can ride at a time,” he said, remembering Calista’s traumatic experience.
“I’ll go with you,” Tina offered.
“For some reason, that doesn’t make me feel more secure, daredevil,” Calista said and bumped her hip against her sister.
“It would work,” Leo said, because he could tell Calista wanted to go. “Tina could go with you and Tami could watch.”
“Come on,” Tina said.
“Okay,” Calista said. “But you better make sure Tami isn’t texting instead of watching.”
Minutes later, Calista took the plunge with Tina. He watched her younger sister coach her on the location of the grips. He wondered how often the girls switched roles, becoming the teacher instead of the student. Despite Tina’s bold personality, she was gentle with Calista.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Tami lifting her cell phone. “No texting when you’re the lookout,” he said.
“Who’s texting? I’m taking pictures,” she said. “Are you ready?” she called to Tina and Calista.
“Yes,” Tina said.
“No,” Calista said. “Okay,” she amended when Tina rolled her eyes. “Just go very slowly.”
Leo eased forward, escalating slowly. Hearing yelling voices, he glanced at Tami. “Tina wants you to go faster,” she said.
“What about Calista?” he asked, focusing on piloting the boat.
“She’s okay,” Tami said.
Leo revved up the speed and took a few easy turns. He heard a scream during the last one and immediately slowed, glancing over his shoulder. “Is Calista okay?”
Tami was busy snickering and taking pictures with her cell phone. “They both got thrown.”
“What?” he asked, searching the water for them.
“It happened during that last turn,” Tami said, still snickering.
Leo spotted Tina screaming with glee then saw Calista yelling at the top of her lungs. Although she was wearing a life jacket, he was certain she was frightened. Stripping off his shirt, he jumped in the water and swam to her. She seemed to be struggling for breath.
“Are you okay?” he asked, pulling her to him.
She gasped then laughed. “Yes, I’m just going to kill my little sister. She did some sort of spinning thing with the tube during that last turn.”
“So you really are okay?”
She met his gaze and her laugh faded. “Were you really worried?”
“I remembered about the time you fell off the boat,” he said, feeling foolish.
“And you thought I was panicking,” she concluded in a wry voice. “Reasonable assumption, but no, this time Tina distracted me. Thanks for jumping in for me, though,” she said and smiled. “Had enough of my sisters?”
“The three of you have an interesting relationship,” he said, pulling her toward the boat. “Tami is busy laughing at you, while Tina is goading you into taking a spin.”
“That’s sisters for you. I’m guessing you didn’t have any,” she said.
He met her gaze and felt a strange twist in his gut. “None that I can remember.”
She hesitated, looking at him and biting her lip. “That must be awful. Not being able to remember,” she said.
He couldn’t bear her sympathy or her empathy. It caused an ache inside him that no pain medication would salve. “Maybe it wasn’t worth remembering,” he said and before she could respond, he added, “Go ahead and climb on board. You need to dry off. Here comes Tina.”
Leo piloted the boat back to the dock in silence, thrown back in time to all those nights when he wondered what kind of family he’d had, what his parents had been like, if he’d had siblings and if they’d died instantly in the car crash that had left him with no memory and a foster father who had abused him. He pulled into the dock, lost in thought.
“Thanks,” Tami said and hugged him.
He saw Calista watching them over Tami’s shoulder and hugged the teenager. “My pleasure. I want copies of those pictures,” he said.
Tami pulled back and smiled at him. “Deal,” she said.
“What pictures?” Calista demanded.
“Just a few of you and Tina in the water,” Tami said innocently. “I thought I’d post them on Facebook tonight.”
Calista cringed. “Don’t tag me. I don’t want my boss seeing those.”
“Why? Because he’ll be jealous you were having such a good time with two hot almost-college girls?” Tami said.
Calista groaned. “Just don’t. And maybe I should send both of you to a convent instead of a university.”
Hours later, after eating dinner and viewing a chick flick in Leo’s screening room, Calista climbed the stairs to Leo’s bedroom and washed her face and brushed her teeth in the adjoining bathroom. Then she crept into his bed, carefully sliding underneath the covers.
“Did you have fun?” he asked, startling her.
She froze for two seconds then took a breath. “Yes. My sisters had fun, too. Thank you so much for making this happen. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. It was fun seeing you with your sisters. It’s impressive that the three of you put things back together.”
Her pleasure in the day dimmed a little. Leo would be all too well acquainted with how her family had imploded, especially her father. “My father wasn’t perfect, but he was affectionate and he made us laugh. He tried to teach me to play golf.”
“Tried?” he said.
“Not my forte. He was one of the most encouraging people I’ve known. I would hit a ball all wrong and he would say things like ‘You almost got it.’ ‘That’s a good start.’” She shook her head, her heart squeezing tight with the memories. “For the most part, he was extremely optimistic. Maybe a little too optimistic at times, but I miss him. I miss his smile and his laugh and his bear hugs.”
Silence followed and Leo covered her hand with his. “You’re lucky to have those memories.”
She glanced up at him. “You must have some memories of your parents.”
His jaw tightened. “None I want to remember.”
Calista studied him, wondering what was really going on inside him. He clearly had no fondness for his father. She prodded him with memories of her own father. “When my father died, I couldn’t believe it. How could someone so vital and positive be gone in an instant?”
He met her gaze. “That must have been hard,” he said.
She gave a humorless laugh. “Hard doesn’t describe it. Nothing prepared me for hearing that my loving father could have died so quickly. It wasn’t possible.”
Leo remained silent and she felt the dark tension coiling between them.
“There was a man who tricked him into investing a lot of money. He lost it all,” she said. “He went from being the most optimistic man in the world to hopeless.”
A long silence followed. “People, even good people, can get into bad situations,” he said. “At some point, everyone wants a break. An easy way out.”
She searched his face. “You sound as if you have some experience with this.”
He narrowed his eyes for a
sliver of a moment and shrugged. “Must have been all that time in the egg.”
“What was your father like? After the accident?” she asked.
“As you said, I was hatched,” he said and she felt him pull away from her emotionally.
“But you had a father, didn’t you?” she asked.
“No,” he said, removing his hand from hers. The gulf between them suddenly felt like miles instead of inches, or heartbeats. “I didn’t. You should get some rest. Your sisters will try to wear you out tomorrow.”
She sank into her pillow and watched him turn away from her. She’d tried to get her digs in about her father and she’d succeeded. She’d pushed him away. He wouldn’t make love to her tonight. He wouldn’t hold her. That was what she’d wanted. Right? So, why did she feel so lonely?
Seven
Calista’s cell phone rang just as she was finishing her work for the day. She glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was her P.I. friend, Rob. “Hi. Did you find something already?”
“I need to ask you a few more questions. Meet me for drinks,” he said.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” she said.
“Why? Afraid your meal ticket hubby will complain?” he asked.
Calista didn’t like his attitude. “You know about my situation with my sisters. I don’t appreciate you mocking it.”
“Okay, okay. I was just trying to keep things light. Meet me at The Mark in thirty minutes,” he said.
“Thirty minutes,” she complained, but he’d already hung up. Rob was an excellent investigator, but lacking in social skills. She closed down her computer and got her car from the underground garage then drove to The Mark, which was more of a joint than a restaurant or a bar. There was no valet service, so she squeezed into a parking spot behind the building and walked swiftly to the entrance.
Stepping inside, she glanced around and caught sight of him waving from the bar.
“Hey, Princess,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “Looks like married life agrees with you.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “I’m surprised you haven’t quit your job.”
“Then you don’t know me well at all,” she said, perching on the stool opposite his.
“Not as well as I’d like to,” he said as a bartender nodded toward them. “What do you want to drink?”
“Ice water,” she said.
He made a face. “You’re such a buzz killer. Loosen up, it’s happy hour.”
“I’m not going home with liquor on my breath,” she said.
“Check,” he said. “Don’t want to piss off Mr. Mega-Bucks before you get his donation. What kind of prenup did you sign?”
She shook her head. “None of your business. You said you had some questions.”
He nodded. “What kind of accident was your rich little grifter in? What year was it? How old was he?”
She shrugged as the bartender gave her a glass of water. “He was eight,” she said, taking a long drink.
“But you don’t know for certain,” he said.
“No, I don’t.”
“Okay, well find out everything you can about the accident, how old he was, what kind of injuries he sustained…”
“He must have had a severe concussion. He said he can’t remember anything before the accident. He doesn’t even remember the accident itself,” she said, thinking back to the discussion she’d had with Leo. “He has scars. His skin on his back is rough.”
Rob gave a low whistle. “Sounds like you’re getting to know him very well.”
She sighed and met his gaze. “Do you have to turn everything into either an insult or a double entendre?”
“I do my best,” he said. “Okay, okay,” he said at her expression. “Just find out as much as you can about the accident and how old Mr. Money was when it happened.”
“Okay,” she said and took another sip of water. “I’ll be in touch.”
“You’re going already?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said firmly and slid off her stool. Just as she approached the door, two policemen burst inside with a dog.
“Don’t anybody move. We’re here for an inspection,” one of the officers said.
“Excuse me,” she said. “I was on my way out.”
“Not now you aren’t,” the officer said.
Calista waited impatiently as the officers led the dog around to sniff at various people. They found marijuana on three men and unregistered guns on five. That knowledge unsettled her.
Suddenly someone yelled, “Fire!”
She joined the stampede for the door, nearly being trampled by the people behind her. She felt a rush of something cold and wet over her dress and winced. Rushing into the parking lot, she gulped in breaths of air as she ran through the graveled parking lot toward the back of the building. A bouncer blocked her from proceeding.
“But my car,” she protested. “My car is back there.”
“There’s been a fire in the kitchen,” he said. “We can’t allow you any closer.”
“How am I supposed to get home?”
He shrugged his huge, overdeveloped shoulders. “Get a ride or call a cab.”
Calista groaned to herself. This had been a disaster. Even though she had George’s cell number, she refused to call it. How could she explain where she was? She gave the host a big tip and asked him to get a cab for her. Ten minutes later, she sat in a smelly taxi heading for Leo’s condo. She remembered he’d said something about working late tonight. She could only hope that she beat him home.
Thirty minutes later, she rode the elevator up to the penthouse and walked inside, feeling a rush of relief. There’s no place like home, she thought, even though this really wasn’t her home. At least she felt safe here. She headed for the refrigerator and filled a glass with water then turned toward the stairs.
Out of nowhere, George appeared. “You’re home late, Mrs. Grant.”
She covered her chest with her hand. “You frightened me,” she said.
“Sorry, ma’am,” he said and twitched his nostrils. “If I do say so, ma’am, you smell a bit like booze and cigarettes.”
“I met a client at a bar. I neither smoked nor drank alcohol tonight.” she said. “I was glad to get out of there.”
“You need to be careful. A woman who looks like you. You need to be safe,” he said.
“I am,” she said.
“Good,” he said, studying her again. “Philly has its dark places.”
She nodded. “I know. Do you know when Leo will arrive home?”
“Oh, he’s already home. Upstairs,” he said.
Her stomach sank. “Thank you,’ she said and climbed the stairs. She walked into his suite and found him dressed in casual clothes, working on his laptop. He glanced up. “Late workday?” he asked.
She made a face. “I had a drink with a client. Next time, I’ll just be rude.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “You could always quit….”
“Later. I have bills to pay,” she muttered.
He frowned. “What bills?”
“College tuition, medical bills,” she said, distracted.
He nodded, saying, “Why isn’t my accountant handling that? I can cover that.”
He said it the same way he could cover gas or a meal at a fast-food restaurant.
She shook her head. “They’re not your sisters.”
“My sisters-in-law,” he said.
She felt herself weaken. Temptation slid through her. Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to worry about money? Wouldn’t it be nice to know her sisters were taken care of? That was her eventual goal, anyway. What would it hurt if he took over her expenses now?
“Quit your job and I’ll cover tuition,” he said.
Calista snapped out of her fantasy world. If Leo started covering her expenses now what if their marriage fell apart before six months? She would be unemployed and scrounging to take care of her sisters. “No, thank you,” she said.
“Why?” he asked.
; “Because while it may be fine with me to stop working right now, and I’m not saying it is,” she added, “what happens when I change my mind and decide I want to work again?”
“That’s fine,” he said with a shrug of his powerful shoulders. “You’ll just need to work around—”
“There’s the problem,” she interjected. “I may not be able to work around your travel schedule. Surprisingly enough, many companies prefer their employees not to take off at the whim of their husbands.”
“Damn,” he said, striding toward her. “And I was so hoping I could tempt you into a life of slothful, indulgence.” He pulled her into his arms and frowned. “You smell like cigarette smoke and—” He broke off. “Is that cheap whiskey?”
“Probably,” she said, trying not to feel nervous. “At the last minute, some clients insisted I meet them at a bar. I had water,” she said. “There was a fire, so the whole place was evacuated. I couldn’t even get my car because it was too close to the fire.”
“Hmm,” he said. “Why didn’t you call George?”
“I didn’t want to bother him,” she said. “So I called a cab. I’ll get my car tomorrow.”
“What was the name of this place you went tonight?”
“The Mark?” she said.
His eyes widened and he swore. “Who in hell wanted you to go to that dump?”
“They’d heard it was authentic Philly. I suggested something classier, but—”
“Don’t go there again,” he said. “It’s a wonder a gang fight didn’t break out. If you must go, then call George or me. Preferably me.” He paused. “Promise.”
She bit her lip. “Promise.”
He raked his hand through his hair. “I really want you to think about quitting. I’ll take care of all your expenses, your debts.”
Tempting, but she knew she’d better wait. He could change his mind and she’d not only have her sisters’ college expenses and Tami’s medical bills, she’d also be out of a job. “I’m not ready to quit yet, but thanks for the offer,” she said and he kissed her. The strength of his body and personality quickly slid past her defenses. Had there ever been a time when she could let go and rely on someone else? Count on someone else? In every possible way?
