If Tomorrow Never Comes (Harper Falls Book 2)

by Williams, Mary J.

  "You didn't know, not any of it." Alex ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I could have hurt that woman, Dani, that's the point. She woke up with a crazed lunatic looming over her. Is it any wonder she ran screaming from the room? Hell, I'm lucky she didn't call the police."

  "Damn it, Alex, you're too close to see any of this clearly and as a result you won't cut yourself even the tiniest bit of slack."

  "The facts are pretty clear. My dreams are violent and I'm not safe to be around when I'm sleeping. I've already come close with a stranger, I can't take a chance on hurting you, Dani."

  "I don't buy it," she said. "You didn't hurt that woman. From what you told me you didn't come close. I know I'm not qualified to analyze you. I will never understand what you went through, but I know you, I know what I've seen since you've been in Harper Falls. You aren't unstable, Alex. Do you think Jack and Drew would let you anywhere near guns and knives if they had any worries"

  "I'm fine when I'm conscious."

  Dani wanted to stamp her foot in frustration, but what she'd said was right. She wasn't in any position to judge his state of mind. He needed a professional to help him with that. The problem was, how to broach the subject. He'd told her about the Army psychologists, how little help they had been. Would he resent her suggestion that maybe it was time to try again?

  "What did Tom have to say."

  "Well, you're two steps ahead of me, as usual."

  Dani laughed gently. "It didn't take much brain power to figure out why you were suddenly interested in hanging out with a bunch of guys, that are what? Twenty, thirty years older than you? They're all vets, right?"

  "Ya, but how did you know?"

  "Small town, remember? I recognized most of the names."

  Alex shook his head, amazed. "I keep getting reminded how everyone knows everyone else around here."

  "I wouldn't go that far," Dani said. "But I'd say I have a nodding acquaintance with a good ninety percent of the population."

  "Well, it'll make those old coot's day when they find out you know who they are."

  Dani smiled at the thought but just as quickly became serious again.

  "Did they help?"

  Alex nodded. "They gave me some…perspective."

  "We can all use some of that every now and then."

  "And Tom convinced me I should give therapy another try—it's time."

  Dani wanted to leap with joy but instead asked calmly, "Why now?"

  Alex smoothed the hair back from her face; so lovely and precious.

  "When I left the Army, my world seemed pretty bleak. The last thing I wanted was to keep rehashing something I couldn't change. And maybe, I don't know, maybe I thought I deserved to suffer like it was my penance. But now?" He looked at her. "I have a reason to try and put it all behind me, or at least find a better way to live with it. My first session is next week."

  Dani kissed him and sighed. She was happy, in spite of sleeping alone, with how the night was ending. Giving him one last hug she settled down on her ridiculously comfortable bed, waiting until he had climbed under his covers, telling her goodnight. When he'd turned off the lamp on his nightstand leaving them both in darkness, a lone beam of moonlight illuminating the strip of floor between them, she whispered, "Alex?"

  "Hm?"

  "You said there were a few people you trusted implicitly. Am I one of them? Do you trust me?"

  He didn't hesitate.

  "With my life, baby. With my life."

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  "THREE, NO FOUR. Jack has had to wipe those digital cameras four times, so I know exactly what you're talking about."

  Dani had stopped by Rose and Jack's house, wanting some casual girl time. Tyler was in full work mode, her usual response when dealing with stress, so it was just the two of them. The subject of sex and the H&W security cameras had of course been a highly entertaining subject of conversation.

  "What is it about that place that makes a person lose all sense?"

  "It isn't the place, it's the men."

  Dani couldn't argue with that, especially after the steamy morning wake-up call Alex had given her.

  "Four times," Dani pondered. "Did you watch any of them?"

  "Well… not the first, but after that I thought, what the hell. How many times do you get the chance to see yourself in action?"

  "Quite a few, apparently."

  "Anyway, when I suggested we take a peek, Jack, a man who is up for anything, actually balked. He might have even blushed a little, but denies it. So I pointed out that physically, we look as good as we ever will, so why not?"

  "And?"

  "Remember that episode of Friends where Rachel and Ross decide to watch their sex tape?"

  "Right, it had been accidentally recorded."

  "That's the one," Rose nodded. "Well, it was pretty much like that. For about thirty seconds we were each admiring how good the other person looked. I complimented Jack on how fast he can remove a bra, he praised my pants shucking abilities, well, you get the idea. And then boom. It went from all's good to kind of creepy, to yikes, to shut it off, shut it off."

  "So from now on you'll be more careful?"

  "I highly doubt it. Jack refuses to shut down any security, no matter what. So we'll keep getting carried away, thank God, and Jack will keep getting rid of the evidence. How about you?" Rose asked. "Did you watch?"

  "No, and if I had ever planned on being tempted, you just cured me of it."

  "You never know until you try, but my advice? Don't." Rose poured herself another glass of tea from the clear glass pitcher that sat on the table between their two chairs. "Want some more?"

  "No, thanks, I'm good.

  They were outside in the backyard enjoying the warm afternoon, lounging under what had to be the biggest umbrella Dani had ever seen this close-up. It was a bright fire engine red and made from durable canvas. According to Rose, Jack made sure it could withstand any weather contingencies. It was only an estimate, but she calculated they could have gotten the entire Seattle Seahawks football team, including coaching staff, and their extended families under the thing with room to spare. But why was she surprised? This was Jack. If it wasn't over the top big why bother?

  Dani shifted, thinking how comfortable her chair was. "I know how much you've been looking forward to getting this stuff. When did it come in?"

  Rose looked around at the specially crafted pale green outdoor furniture, smiling with satisfaction. She fluffed one of the off-white cushions, giving Edgar a firm warning look. It said, this is new, do not under any circumstances use it as a chew toy.

  "The company delivered yesterday afternoon, and let me tell you, it was quite the production."

  "It's furniture," Dani said, perplexed. "Really great, weighs a ton, wrought iron furniture, but still. What was the big deal?"

  "Jack." Rose laughed, remembering. "At best, he's a cautious person, but because of the bugs they found in your loft, he was in super security mode. I felt for the delivery men. Everything was checked and then checked again. Their truck, their phones, them."

  "You're lucky they didn't dump the stuff in the driveway and leave the unpacking to you." Dani looked around at the twenty plus pieces. "Can you imagine trying to lug this stuff back here?"

  "Luckily Jack is a very good tipper. But if they had revolted, I had two burly bodyguards to do the heavy lifting."

  "Why two?" Dani had only seen one when she'd pulled up earlier. Alex had only let her come alone because he knew Rose's guy would be here; that and Jack had this place wired like Fort Knox. No one got in or out without his knowledge.

  "Two delivery men, two bruisers, do the math."

  "Where was Jack?"

  "Here," Rose said, shaking her head with affectionate exasperation. "Supervising, he called it. I called it being an overprotective pain in the ass, the little dear."

  "I think those listening devices freaked us all out."

  "Jack told me Alex's theory."

  Dani
just sighed. "It's really more of a nontheory. He thinks it might be something or other to do with this or that." She shrugged. "You get the idea. I'm worried but not out of my mind with it."

  "How did the sleepover go?"

  "We slept—really well. Tell Jack I give those beds two thumbs up." Dani toyed with the end of her straw. Alex had been fine, no tossing or turning, no dreams. He had already told her that it wasn't a nightly thing and that was good, she didn't want him to suffer—in any way. Still, she had been hoping to get some idea of what they were dealing with. But no nightmare, no closer to understanding.

  "The only good thing to come out of this bugging idiocy is that I get to spend the night with him, separate beds, twenty feet away. But being in the same room is progress."

  "Dani," Rose started, concern in her eyes.

  "What is it?"

  "I know I don't have to tell you that I love you and I also know that people always preface things that way."

  "Okay, you love me but…"

  "Don't take this thing with Alex lightly." Rose hesitated, reluctant to offend or God forbid alienate a woman she considered more sister than friend, but this had to be said. "He's worried about hurting you. Don't dismiss that just because you've convinced yourself that he won't."

  "He would never—"

  "See, that's what I mean. Dani, we've all read the stories, seen them on the news. I like Alex, he seems as well adjusted as any of us, though considering my background, I'm not sure that's a very good comparison."

  Rose had been through a hellish experience when she was a teenager, one that had colored the rest of her life. Jack had helped, and Dani would like to think her and Tyler's support had gotten her past some dark times. She wanted to be that for Alex, a friend to lean on or just listen. She wasn't naїve; she knew why Rose was worried and she didn't blame her. She knew life was full of risk and Alex was worth any and all of it. If there was anyone who should understand, it was Rose.

  "I'll be careful." She looked her friend in the eye. "But I won't walk away. No matter what, I'm in for the duration."

  Rose reached over and squeezed her hand. "You wouldn't be my Dani if you weren't. Just promise to be careful and tell me or Jack if you feel at all like you can't handle things. Your safety and well-being are the most important things. Don't screw around with them, got it?"

  "Got it."

  Dani was just about to bring up another sticky subject—Drew—when Rose's phone chimed.

  "Tyler is at the gate." Rose tapped a few buttons. "There. Gotta love my guy's mad geek-tech skills. I don't even have to get off my duff to let guests in. Phone, iPad, laptop, they're all synced to the security system. If I'd known how handy the man would be, I would have asked him to marry me that first night instead of just propositioning him."

  "And knowing Jack, he would have said yes." Dani laughed.

  "Anybody home?" Tyler called out as she walked around the house. She knew them too well—on such a nice day they wouldn't waste it being inside.

  "Hey," Dani said.

  "Hey, yourself." Tyler, practically giddy, grabbed her friends from their seats and led them in a little group jig. Happy to join in, Edgar weaved between the dancing women.

  "Wow." Rose smiled. She stopped their progress before they careened off the deck and all this happiness ended with a trip to the hospital.

  "What put the wind back into your sails?" Dani asked, any lingering dark thoughts zipping away thanks to her friends happiness. "Whatever it was, it looks really good on you, sweetie."

  "Pour me a glass of that tea and I'll tell you."

  Rose complied, handing Tyler the drink.

  "Read this."

  While Tyler drank, Dani and Rose studied the paper.

  "Not another letter from the Centennial Committee? Don't they have better things to do than waste paper and postage being redundant?"

  "No postage, hand delivered. Keep reading."

  "By Lurch?" Rose pondered.

  "Alfred," Dani corrected. "Though technically his name is really Potts."

  "Yes," Tyler said like a teacher trying to reign in a classroom full of easily distracted six year olds. "It was Regina's butler. Now, read!"

  "Right."

  "Sorry."

  Suitably chastised, Dani and Rose bent over the letter. Ten seconds later came the first OH MY GOD! followed by, WOW, HOLY CRAP!

  "How?" Rose lowered the paper, she and Dani sporting identical stunned expressions.

  "Does it matter? I am now officially back in the running to do the commemorative statue. And it's my original design, the best one, the one you guys gave your stamps of approval." Tyler knelt and gave Edgar a big hug. In return, he happily swiped his very wet tongue over her cheek.

  "And Regina suddenly finds herself so busy with other committees that she's removing herself from this one?" Dani shook her head in wonder. "Someone had to force her out. She wouldn't willingly give up any power, especially power over you. But who has that kind of influence?"

  "Drew."

  The word was softly spoken, but both Dani and Rose heard. Tyler might as well have screamed it into a bullhorn.

  "Well, who else?" she asked, seeing their expressions.

  "No, you're right," Rose assured her. "It just opens up so many cans of worms I'm trying to mentally hop around to avoid squishing any under my feet."

  "If any of those worms is the Harper Harpy, squish away." Tyler was so giddy she even managed to mention Regina with only a trace of her usual bitterness.

  "So we're all in agreement that it had to be Drew?" Dani whistled softly. "I can't even imagine what that was like. After ten years? Tyler, you know what this means."

  "No, I don't," she said quickly. "Or, at least I don't want to think about it, not right now." She stayed where she was on the deck sitting cross-legged, her arm still around Edgar.

  "Oh, Tyler." Rose reached down and squeezed her friend's hand.

  "I should thank him." She sighed. "I know, I should. It's just so…it's awkward. I'm still angry."

  "Justifiably so," Dani piped in, ever supportive.

  "Exactly," Tyler nodded. "But," her voice softened slightly, "This was epic. Close to the ultimate gesture."

  "You think this was about getting back into your good graces?" Rose asked.

  "No," she said firmly, "I really don't. Look, I can't claim to know Drew anymore. Sometimes I wonder if I ever really did."

  "Of course you did," Dani exclaimed, her green eyes flashing. "It may have ended badly, but you and Drew were in love, and you never would have given your heart to someone you didn't know."

  "You're right." She looked at Dani then Rose then with a burst of energy popped to her feet. "But those thoughts are for another day," she said as she paced. "Right now, I need to use the little girls' room. By the way, that little euphemism was for you, Rose. What with your resolution not to swear, I didn't want to offend your newly virgin ears with the word pee."

  "Thanks a lot," Rose called after her. Turning to Dani she whispered, "Quick, what do you know?"

  Even though Tyler had entered the house, Dani kept her voice low. "I doubt anything more than you. Alex reluctantly admitted that Drew is out of town, which could mean anywhere from Spokane to Timbuktu. I know he's doing something that could be potentially dangerous, but I don't know what. Though," she lowered her voice even more, keeping an eye out for Tyler. "When I called him, I heard loud engines in the background, like at a race track."

  "That's more than I know." Rose frowned. "Jack is lousy at hiding when he's worried, thank goodness. So I wheedled until he told me just enough to get me worried too. The whole, Drew can take care of himself crap didn't help."

  "I know, and now because we couldn't leave it alone, we're stuck with deciding what, if anything, to tell Tyler."

  "You're right." Rose sighed. "Jack didn't want to divulge anything to me and this is why. He wanted to save us having to make just this decision. But I wouldn't leave it be, I just had to know."

/>   Dani could identify. Curiosity was a great quality to possess—until it wasn't. And now they were saddled with a tiny bit of information that, if they shared with Tyler, wouldn't do any good but would add to the list of people worrying. Maybe there was a way to help Drew without burdening Tyler with too much unnecessary information.

  "What if we—" she broke off when she heard Tyler returning. "Just follow my lead."

  "Great toilet seat," Tyler said, sitting next to Rose.

  "I know, it does everything but dry you off. There might have been a model that does that, but I gave a great big hell no when Jack even hinted at it."

  "I concur. Now about my should I thank Drew or shouldn't I problem."

  "I was thinking," Dani said. She hoped she wasn't about to violate the friend code they all rigidly tried to stick to, but this really was information Tyler could live without. If she and Rose had to deal with the fallout later, so be it.

  "Text him."

  "Text him?" Tyler echoed. "That's your big bit of advice?"

  "Hear me out. You can't go see him." Mostly because he's out of town. "You don't want to do this in person, do you?"

  "No, God, no."

  "A phone call would be just as strained," Rose said, picking up Dani's train of thought.

  "A text lets him know you're grateful but saves you both from having to elaborate. Short but sweet."

  "I guess, but why does it seem like the chicken way to do it?"

  "Why do you think texting was invented?" Dani reasoned. "So we could get around socially awkward moments just like this. Get out your phone and get it over with. Once it's done, you'll feel better."

  "You're right."

  "Don't you need one of us to give you his number?"

  Tyler looked at them a bit sheepishly.

  "I've had it since that whole hospital incident. We were going back and forth, in each other's faces, you know."

  "Oh, we know," Rose teased.

  "Right, so I suggest the let's have sex thing. Which for some reason sets him off. And I don't know how it happened but at some point I shove my phone at him and he shoves his phone at me." Tyler shrugged. "Somehow we exchanged numbers, just in case."