by Tami Kidd
“I went by your house this afternoon. Mrs. Parker was snooping around in her front yard. She came over and said she hasn’t seen you since you left with that nice young man.”
Mara shook her head. Good old Mrs. Parker. Nothing slips by her. “I’m afraid there’s nothing to report on that front, but I will bring you up to speed on everything else.”
“Oh yeah, I almost forgot. There’s a for sale sign in your front yard. I guess that means you put the house up for sale?”
“Yeah. I called Helen Hill. She’s listing it for me and looking for something else a bit more out of the way; maybe in the country.”
“If there’s anything to be found, Helen will find it.”
Mara yawned. “I’m sorry, Luc, I’m exhausted. I was getting ready to hit the hay. Where do you want to meet for lunch?”
“How about The Oaks at one o’clock? I’m taking a vacation day tomorrow so I can take the rug rats to the dentist. Their appointment is in the morning, so I’ll be through in plenty of time to meet you then.”
“Sounds great! I’ll see you then. Bye, Luc.”
Mara yawned again and decided she didn’t have the energy to call Carol. She got her nightshirt and slipped it on. Crawling between the cool, crisp sheets, she thought she had never felt anything so absolutely wonderful and relaxing. Mara floated away on a dreamy, soft cloud. Soon she was cradled in the arms of sweet sleep.
Nineteen
The next morning, Alex’s mood soured when Mara told him she had made plans to meet Lucia for lunch. He argued that it was too dangerous and that he didn’t want her out of his sight until they wrapped up everything with Gerard.
“Look, Alex, I can’t stop living out of fear that Gerard is going to pull something. Besides, he thinks we’re on his side now. What would he achieve by trying something at this juncture?”
Alex looked as though Mara offered a good point, but he wasn’t willing to give up so easily. “But—”
“No! No buts. I need to see Lucia; she’s my best friend. She’s been my best friend practically since I moved to California. I can’t leave her hanging like this. Would you do that to Matt?”
“No, but—”
Mara pointed at him. “Don’t even think you’re going to play the gender card either!”
He smiled and said, “Am I that transparent?”
“No. I’m that good!” Mara smiled back.
“Okay, while you’re gone to lunch with Lucia, I’ll go get the letter from Jerry and drop it off at the mall.”
“Just where exactly in the mall are you going to take it?” Mara asked.
“I guess you’ll never know now.” He laughed.
“Fine! I don’t want to know anyway,” Mara said with feigned irritation.
“Uh huh. Sure.”
“Can we leave now so you can drop me off at my house? I want to check the mail and grab a few things.”
“Okay, but you know you’re going to give Mrs. Parker a chance to come over and grill you.”
“Oh yeah, you’re right.” Mara pursed her lips. “Oh well, can’t be helped. At least I might be able to head off more rumors from spreading.”
“Really? If I drop you off at your house after being gone for several days, you don’t think she’s going to get suspicious? I think she will.”
“You’re probably right. It won’t look good. Maybe she’ll be gone and never know I’m even there.”
Changing the subject, Alex said, “I’m not sure I like the idea of you telling Lucia what’s going on.”
“I know. I’ll keep it as generic as possible. I can’t leave her hanging. She can be trusted.”
“I trust you,” Alex said, “so if you think it’s for the best, then I agree.” He rinsed the breakfast plates and stuck them in the dishwasher. “Are you about ready to head out?”
“Yep, just gotta grab my bag.” Mara bounced out of the chair. To be home again, even for a little while, made her smile inside. She had only been away for a short time, yet it felt like she had been gone a month. Her life had changed so much in a short period of time. She had much to be thankful for and shuddered. What would’ve happened if she never met Alex or gave him the letter? Gerard’s goons would have invaded her home, found the letter, and probably killed her to make it look like a robbery gone bad. Her life had been saved because of a name. Alex Strange. Hmm, odd how things turn out.
“What is it?” Alex looked at her as she stared out the truck window.
“Oh, nothing. It’s odd how things happen.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if you had a different name, I wouldn’t have contacted you. I might be dead instead of going to lunch with my best friend.”
Alex frowned and shook his head. “No, you wouldn’t be dead. You would have taken care of yourself like you did at the shack. You’d still be having lunch with Lucia.”
“Maybe, but I wouldn’t have met you,” Mara said, smiling.
“We would have. I would have found you somehow.”
“You would have? How?”
“I don’t know, but I believe that somehow the universe would have thrown us together. I think we were destined to meet.”
Mara’s heart melted like chocolate left out in the blazing sun. Her throat tightened and the words she meant to pour out, got stuck in her throat. She turned her head and looked out the window so he couldn’t see the emotion on her face.
Alex reached over and took her hand. “Don’t you think we would have met somehow?”
Without looking at him, Mara nodded so her voice wouldn’t betray her feelings. Why am I feeling like this? It isn’t right. I’m still a widow! These feelings can’t be real. I have been through so much. Am I confusing feelings of grief for feelings of love for Alex.
Alex gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry. I don’t want you to feel pressured.” He took his hand away.
Mara felt her heart break. She never meant to hurt Alex. He’s sweet and deserves to be happy. She wanted to grab his hand and kiss it. She wanted to kiss him. She ached to feel his strong arms around her, yearned to lose herself in him.
They drove in awkward silence the rest of the way. Alex pulled into her driveway and didn’t cut the engine. Mara reached for the door handle to get out.
“You’re coming back to Matt’s house later, right?”
“Of course.” Mara got out of the truck and walked up the drive to the front door. Fishing for her keys, she turned to look at Alex as he drove away. I’m sorry.
Thankfully, she didn’t have to deal with Mrs. Parker. As she walked through the house, everything seemed in order, nothing out of place or missing. I should give Helen a call. See how things are coming along.
Opening her laptop, Mara sat at the breakfast nook and flicked through the monstrous pile of accumulated mail, most of it junk. This seemed like a good time to clean her email since she had over an hour before she had to meet Lucia.
Ten minutes later and half her emails deleted, Mara opened the document containing a few pages of the first draft she had been working on before Thomas died. She perused the outline and reread the pages she had already written.
Her face bright and alive and her eyes set and focused, she typed on the keyboard with fury. As if someone had taken control of her fingers, they were soon banging on the keyboard like a troupe of tap dancers performing on stage. Her fingers were possessed. Feelings poured out on the screen before her. Her shoulders relaxed more than they had been in days, months.
In what seemed like a few minutes, an entire hour had passed. It was time to leave. But she didn’t want to stop. Just one more sentence, one more paragraph. Reluctantly, Mara tugged herself away. She couldn’t let Lucia down. Her friendship meant more to her than anything. Even more than the thrill of discovering she could write again.
Mara drove like Dale Earnhardt Jr., at least ten miles over the speed limit to meet Lucia at their appointed time. She arrived a few minutes late, but she knew Lucia was likely to be late too. Mara was ri
ght. They pulled into the parking lot at the same time. They got out of their cars, laughing, and pointing at each other.
“You’re late!” Lucia called from across the lot.
“So are you, heifer.”
They walked to the entrance of The Oaks and hugged like they hadn’t seen each other in years. It felt good to be in Lucia’s presence. She was always there for her. They could go for days without talking, but when they got together it was like catching up for a year. Even if they saw each other every day, they never ran out of things to talk about. Mara couldn’t imagine having a better friend than Lucia.
The host sat them on the patio now that the temperature turned mild. They ordered salad, pasta, and a carafe of red wine. As always, the food was outstanding: the food was like icing. The cake the icing was spread on was being in each other’s company.
“So, tell me,” Lucia said as she buttered a piece of bread, “what’s up with you and Alex?”
“Nothing’s up with us. We’re only friends and we’re working on solving the mystery of the letter.”
“Okay, so give me the scoop. What have you found out?”
“First, Rebecca Kincaid is really Dr. Jessica Foster,” Mara said as she took a sip of wine. “Then we drove to Sacramento—”
“Sacramento? Why did you go up there?”
“Well, if you let me finish, I will tell you. Someone contacted me with an interest in the letter.” Mara looked down at the napkin in her lap and smoothed it out. She hated lying to Lucia but felt she only stretched the truth a little bit. Besides, she didn’t want to put Lucia’s life in danger by giving her more information than needed.
Lucia sat with her mouth agape, unable to speak. “Is this something you made up?”
Crossing her heart and holding up her right hand, she said, “No, I swear it’s the truth. We drove there to discuss the letter. Apparently, the letter contains valuable information.”
“Wow. So why did she write the letter to Thomas?”
“We don’t know, but we’re working on all the other questions. As soon as I find out more details, you’ll be the first to know.”
“I’d better be. You’ve been AWOL for a while and I was starting to worry.”
Reaching across the table, Mara put her hand on Lucia’s forearm. “I know, Luc, and I’m sorry, but I do have some exciting news.”
“What?”
“I sat down today and actually wrote. I had been working on the first draft of a new novel when—when Thomas died. Today I sat down and started working on it. It felt so invigorating to write again.”
“Oh, Mara, that’s wonderful news! I’m so happy for you. Do I get to read the first draft when you’re finished?”
“Of course, as always. I couldn’t do this without you. You know that.”
“I can’t wait. I love your novels. And I’m not saying that because you’re my best friend. They’re really great.”
“Thanks, Luc.”
Mara paused and looked at Lucia. “Luc, there’s something else I want to talk to you about.”
“What is it?”
“Well, it’s about Alex.”
Lucia pointed the butter knife at Mara. “I knew it! You have feelings for him, don’t you?”
“How on earth can you tell?”
“I’m your best friend. Best friends know these things. It’s almost like when you lie to your mama; she always knows. A sixth sense. Only women share it.”
“I’m afraid, Luc,” Mara said sincerely.
“What are you afraid of?”
“That the emotions I’m feeling aren’t real. That it’s kind of like…a rebound.”
“I understand. They’re easy to confuse.” Lucia sounded more like a doctor than a best friend.
“What should I do?”
“Simple. Wait. If the feelings are real then they won’t go away. If they’re caused by the loss of Thomas, then as your pain eases, so will your feelings for Alex.”
“That makes sense, actually.”
“What? You look surprised.”
“No, Luc, you always give great advice.”
“Oh, don’t try to wiggle your way out of it. You know you were surprised.”
“Well, maybe un poco.” Mara held up her fingers indicating a little bit.
They laughed so loud it caused heads to turn. They felt like a couple of teenagers raising too much commotion in the cafeteria. Luckily, the server delivered their food so they’d be too busy concentrating on the ecstasy of flavors to cause any more disturbances.
After lunch, Mara sat back, blissfully satisfied both physically and mentally. Amazing what a good meal with a good friend could do to improve one’s outlook on life. With everything that happened to her in the past month, her cheery attitude amazed even herself.
Taking a sip of her wine, Lucia asked, “When can we do this again? I’ve had so much fun.”
“Me too. You don’t know how much I need quality time with you. I feel like a new person. I’ll have to call you though. I’m not sure what’s on the agenda for the next few days regarding the letter.”
“Keep me posted. At least let me know if you’re okay. Comprende?”
“Yes, I understand,” Mara said.
“I can’t wait to tell Stephen you’re writing again. He’s been worried about you too.”
“I know. He’s so sweet. Tell him I’m fine and that he can stop worrying.”
“I will.” Lucia took the check from the table and said, “Lunch is on me today. No arguments!”
Mara held up her hands in surrender. “You win, but the next lunch is on me.”
“Deal.”
Mara looked at her watch. Three o’clock! Where had the time gone? She hoped Alex wasn’t worried about her, but she had her cell phone, so if he was worried he would have called.
“Hey, Luc, I really hate to end this, but I need to go.”
“I know. I’d like to stay here at least till dinner. I hear their crab cakes are fantastic.”
Lucia left money on the table to cover the check and tip. They walked out together. Outside they gave each other their customary hug and peck on the cheek. Mara squeezed a little longer than usual. “Luc, you’re amazing. I love you.”
“You’re only saying that because I bought you lunch.” Lucia giggled.
“You know me too well, sweetie.”
Lucia grabbed Mara’s arm as she turned to head back to her car. “Hey, I love you too.”
Mara smiled and turned to walk away. “I know.” She blew a kiss from over her shoulder.
Twenty
Alex decided to wait until Tuesday afternoon before calling Gerard. Make the man sweat a little. Mara didn’t mind. The more discomfort they caused the creep, the better she liked it.
Alex and Mara filled the time with their own activities. Mara brought her laptop and worked feverishly on her book. Alex researched the case. He found several articles Foster had published, but nothing specific that would lead him to believe they were related to the letter. Despite the doctor’s young age, she was well respected by her peers. Articles by leading experts mentioned her field of ancient civilizations numerous times.
He read the copy of the letter over and over again. What could be so damned valuable? Hopefully, when they found out the identity of Gerard’s contact the question would be answered. He hoped Mara could get on with her life. Most of all, Alex hoped he could be part of her life. No woman had ever made him feel like this. She gave meaning to his life. She was real, not fake like many women he had met. When she came into the room, his stomach quivered and heat radiated throughout his body.
At 3:00 p.m., Alex called Gerard and told him to email his contact as they had discussed in Sacramento. Gerard made it known that he was annoyed Alex waited so long to call. “It took longer than expected to set up the Swiss account, but everything is now on schedule,” Alex said. He relaxed when Gerard agreed to email his contact and promised to call him when he received the address.
�
��When my contact receives the letter, and the payment is transferred to my bank, I will transfer your share to the account you provided. Deal?”
“Deal.” Alex ended the call and gave Mara a thumbs-up. “Looks like easy sailing. Once we get the address from Gerard, we’ll send the fake letter.” He hesitated for a minute and said, “You do realize we will have to fly to somewhere on the east coast to stake out the post office box if we want to see who picks up the letter?”
“I guess I didn’t realize that, but it makes sense.”
“I was thinking.” Alex paused. “If you didn’t want to go, I could go alone.”
“Not a chance!”
“I expected that. I wanted to give you the option.”
“I appreciate it, but I am going.”
For the next hour, they waited by the computer, willing the email to come through. It seemed Gerard decided to give them a little taste of their own medicine by not emailing the address until he was good and ready. Mara chewed her lips. Payback is hell.
Feeling bad about putting it off for so long, Mara went into her room to call her editor.
Carol was unlike anyone Mara had ever known. She always got what she wanted no matter how hard she had to fight, kick, and scream. She never took no for an answer, unless it was the answer she sought. In her late seventies, she had been in the publishing business for over forty-five years, starting out as a copyeditor and clawing her way to the top. She would go to the mat for her authors. If she didn’t like their work, she had no qualms about telling them. Loud and boisterous and sometimes abrupt, Carol intimidated Mara when she first met her, but soon the intimidation turned into respect and admiration. Mara loved her like a mother. She looked after Mara and had taken her under her wing and worked her ass off to ensure their success.
“Hi, Carol,” Mara said when she answered.
“Mara, where the hell have you been? Don’t you believe in returning calls anymore? Listen, I know you’ve been through a lot with Thomas, but it is time to get on track. Get on with life and all that, blah, blah, blah. So, listen, I’m going to get right to the point. I got a call the other day from an independent film company called Stage Right Productions. They’re very interested in picking up the film rights to your first novel. I told them I’d get back—”
