Forever Hers

by E. B. Walters

  “What did you want to show me?” he asked.

  “This.” She turned her laptop around.

  The screen showed a picture of her on a social network page. Her face was the same, rounder perhaps, but she had a different hairstyle. Light-brown hair fell below her shoulders and blue eyes beckoned underneath bangs. The smile on her lush lips was part seductive and part innocent, hinting at the seductress she would become. He’d been right. A different hairstyle and hair color didn’t diminish her beauty.

  “That was me in high school. I tried different styles before going back after I married Nolan.” She clicked on the surveillance footage from Ken’s people on his laptop and rotated it, so he could see the screen too. “Now, look at Nolan’s new girlfriend.”

  Eddie studied Nolan’s new girlfriend. There was nothing noteworthy about her. “What am I supposed to see?”

  “Can’t you see the resemblance? She looks just like me.”

  “No, she doesn’t.”

  “Look again—light-brown hair, the bangs, blue eyes, our body type.”

  He frowned. “I don’t see it. Her face is angular. Her hair is dull, clearly from a bottle. Her eyes are…a bland shade of blue. She’s not curvy enough and has no lips to speak of. You’re breathtaking. She is…ordinary.”

  Smiling, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. “Thank you, but you are biased. The resemblance is there.”

  “Okay, let’s agree that she’s a pale imitation of you. What are you saying?”

  “Nolan lost his first love and has been trying to find her in other women. In the video, Burgess said he’d found his Penelope because I looked like her.”

  Maybe she was onto something. “I’ll see if Sly can help. He’s a bit ticked off about not being able to hack into Burgess’ computer and...” How could he have been so blind. Of course the password to Burgess’ computer had to be something unique or, in this case, someone unique. “I need to make a call.”

  “I’ll check on Raelynn.” Amy looked at her watch. “It’s nine already and she’s still sleeping.”

  Eddie got his cell phone and dialed Sally’s number. She left her a message. Next, he placed a call to Rod in Charlottesville. “Anything interesting happened with this guy yet?”

  “Nothing. Are you sure you have the right guy? He’s like a choirboy. He even went to church with, uh, let me check my notes.” There was silence then, “Professor James and Martha Kincaid. He visits them a lot.”

  Amy’s parents. “We’re flying in later in the week, so if he decides to take a sudden trip anywhere, I need to know.”

  Amy returned with Raelynn, who seemed quieter than usual.

  “Is she okay?” he asked when she touched her daughter’s forehead several times.

  “I think she’s coming down with something.”

  Sure enough, the little girl’s temperature spiked that night. Eddie, who had never forgotten watching his baby sister throw up like crazy and his father rattled, stayed by Amy’s side. He helped the best he could by sponging down the child while waiting for the pain meds to take effect. Amy cleaned up vomit and did laundry in the middle of the night. Raelynn didn’t fall asleep until three in the morning. Amy and Eddie slept on Amy’s bed with the door connecting her bedroom to Raelynn’s opened.

  ***

  Hours later, Eddie woke up to a weird feeling that someone was watching him. He opened one eye to find Raelynn standing by his…no, by Amy’s bed. She looked pale, her thumb back in her mouth and her favorite rabbit in her arm.

  He rolled to a sitting position and walked around the bed to squat by her side. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?” he whispered.

  “I’m hungry.”

  “Do you want to come to the kitchen and see what we can find?”

  She looked at her mother, who was still sound asleep and snoring lightly then nodded. Eddie touched her forehead with the back of his hand the way he’d seen Amy do. The fever was gone, but her skin was clammy. He carried her to the kitchen. He had no idea what to feed a child after a night of throwing up. The one thing he knew was she must be dehydrated.

  “How about we start with water?”

  “I don’t want water. I want a soda.”

  He didn’t think a carbonated drink was appropriate, so he fibbed. “Mommy said no soda.”

  Raelynn’s lower lip stuck out and her eyes filled with tears. Eddie grimaced. He couldn’t stand to see anyone cry, let alone a child. “Okay, sweetheart. I’ll ask the expert.”

  “But Mommy is sleeping.”

  “I’m calling another expert.” He punched in his father’s number.

  “Son, this is a surprise.”

  “Sorry I hadn’t checked in since I left.”

  “You must be enjoying Montana. I promised your aunt I’d come for a visit, but work always got in the way.”

  Eddie winced. He hadn’t told his dad he’d be heading to Idaho after visiting Montana with Chase. “Aunt Siobhan was fine when I saw her weeks ago. I’ve been in Idaho at Baron’s place.”

  “Oh, no one told me you were in Idaho. When are you coming back to L.A.?”

  “End of the week. How are things at work?” His father was the head of Commercial Crime Division at his station.

  “Busy. The IA guys are still snooping around.”

  Dealing with the Internal Affairs guys, the watchdogs who investigated corrupt cops among other things, was the least of his worries. “I was hoping you could help me with something, Dad.”

  “Shoot.”

  “I have a sick child with me.” He glanced at Raelynn who was resting her head on her arms and watching him. “She is a pretty tough young lady, but last night was rough on her stomach and she threw up quite a bit. She’s hungry, but I’m not sure what to feed her.”

  If his father was surprised by the request, his voice didn’t show. “Start with a few sips of water. If she can hold that down, give her about half a cup of Gatorade or ginger ale?”

  “A few sips of water,” Eddie repeated out loud for Raelynn’s sakes. “I don’t know if we have Gatorade or ginger ale but I’ll check.” He poured water in a small cup, got a straw from a drawer and placed in front of Raelynn, who made a face. “A few sips for me, princess.” She took a sip. He dropped a kiss on her hair and went to check the pantry. “No Gatorade or ginger ale,” he said into the phone.

  “See if you have clear broth, chicken or beef. She mustn’t drink more than half a cup and makes sure she avoids sugary and acidic drinks.”

  “I’ll see if we have any of that.”

  “You know, son, your mother had some amazing home remedies for most ailments. You could call her if you don’t have any of these store bought items. Whenever Lori was ill, she always had answers.”

  Eddie grimaced then leaned against the pantry door, so he could keep an eye on Raelynn, who was sipping water. A few months after his mother left, she’d gone on a world-wide tour sponsored by her U.S. publisher and those abroad.

  “I didn’t know you two talked.”

  His father chuckled. “We did all the time. She may not have been here physically, but she was only a phone call away.” There was a pause. “Just because our marriage ended didn’t mean she stopped being your mother, son. You will have to forgive her sometime.”

  He didn’t have to do Jack. Interestingly enough, the bitterness that usually accompanied thoughts of his mother weren’t there. “She never wanted my forgiveness, Dad. Just to explain why she left.”

  “You didn’t give her a chance. Call her.”

  That wasn’t going to happen. She wasn’t really important in the grand scheme of things. Then he noticed Raelynn’s expression. “I’ve got to go, Dad.”

  “Give me a call when you get into town. There’s something we need to discuss.”

  “Okay.” He threw the phone on the table, scooped up Raelynn and rushed her to the sink. Her little body convulsed as she threw up the water she’d drank. Tears filled her eyes and her body became limp.
/>   This wasn’t good.

  Eddie rinsed her face then the two of them went to wake up Amy.

  One look at her daughter and Amy threw something on. The drive to the ER was probably the hardest he’d ever made. Amy was being stoic, but every time their gazes met in the rear view mirror, he saw fear in her eyes. If only he could spare her the pain and fear. He floored the gas pedal all the way to the hospital.

  Raelynn had the flu. Apparently, the aggressive strain had been going around Sandpoint for several weeks, but it only lasted twenty-four hours. Eddie was surprised at how relieved he was. That little girl meant more to him than he’d realized.

  Amy held it together until they were alone, then she cried. He didn’t say anything, just held her, happy to be there for her. Being a single parent was the toughest job in the world.

  Keeping an eye on Raelynn took up the rest of their day. Eddie got a chance to talk to Briggs about his plans to trap Nolan. The plan was bold and unorthodox, but the captain liked it.

  That night, after dinner and cleaning up, they played chess, but Amy’s heart wasn’t in it. She was too exhausted physically and emotionally. She kissed him and said, “Goodnight.”

  “Whoa, wait for me.”

  She frowned. “Where are you going?”

  “To sleep with you in your room.”

  “Why?”

  He liked sleeping with her in his arms. “If Raelynn takes a turn for the worst, I plan to be there.”

  Amy smiled. “That’s sweet, but she’s over the worst, Eddie. I can handle it.”

  “I know.” Something in her eyes said she was hiding something. He walked to where she stood, wrapped his hands around her neck and lifted her chin with his thumbs. “You’re pushing me away. Why?”

  Her eyelids dropped. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I’m doing exactly what I promised I’d do—working on our relationship. That means sharing the good and the bad.” He cupped her cheek and caressed her lower lip with his thumb. “Talk to me. What’s bothering you?”

  “If I had stayed in her bed, I would have known she wasn’t well. She didn’t want me to leave and kept asking me to read to her. That should have told me something was wrong. Instead I couldn’t wait to leave her room and come to you, so now I feel terrible.”

  “So you’re punishing us,” he finished.

  “Kind of,” she corrected then grimaced. “I hate to admit that I feel guilty, but damn it, I should have been a better mother, put my child’s welfare above mine. So now I have to deny myself something I like until…until she feels better.”

  Nice to know she liked sleeping with him too. “Your reasoning is warped, sweetheart. You can’t predict what’s going to happen or prevent it from happening.”

  “Oh yes, I can. When it comes to that little girl, I have a sixth sense. At least, I usually have one.”

  He chuckled. “Sixth sense or not, you are the best mother in the entire world.”

  “You think so?”

  He kissed her. It was ludicrous that she could ever doubt herself. “I know so. Can we go now?” He indicated the hallway leading to her bedroom.

  “Not yet. I’m also worried about her seeing us in bed together. She’s too sick to be freaking out about a man in Mommy’s bed.”

  Eddie grinned. “She already saw us sleeping together this morning and didn’t freak out.”

  Amy frowned. “Really? I wonder why she didn’t say anything to me.”

  “She’s been sick, worrywart. Or she’s smart enough to realize that if I like hugging you during the day I might equally enjoy doing it at night.”

  She grabbed his shirt, pulled him down and kissed him. “That’s really good. I’m going to tell her exactly that when she asks.”

  He scooped her up and carried her to her bedroom.

  CHAPTER 18

  Raelynn was well enough to attend her birthday party two days later. Amy even baked a confetti cake, Raelynn’s favorite, and made fresh lemonade for their three guests—Sam, Jimmy and Eddie.

  No one was obligated to bring a present, but Eddie did anyway. He went into town and bought a stuffed female bunny for Mr. Rabbit, and a charm bracelet. Amy had already bought three different presents in advance and wrapped them. One said ‘from Mommy’ and the other two said ‘from Grandma and Grampa.’ Her parent usually sent Raelynn presents and Amy didn’t want her daughter to think they’d forgotten. Raelynn, still recovering from the stomach bug, barely touched her cake.

  On Friday, they flew to Los Angeles via Spokane. Raelynn, almost fully recovered, could barely contain herself and pointed out clouds and cities from her window seat. It was her first plane ride.

  “Eddie!” a female voice called out when they arrived at LAX.

  A pretty girl with red highlights in her hair, amazing cheekbones and gray eyes waved furiously at them. She looked like she’d stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine. Her make-up was impeccable, Hermes bag on her shoulder and Jimmy Choos on her feet. Then Amy noticed the personalized birthday balloon in her hand and her heart melted.

  “That’s my little sister,” Eddie said.

  “Hey, big brother.” She hugged Eddie and kissed his cheek then surprised Amy by hugging her too. “I’m so happy to finally meet you, Amy. I’m Lori, his little sister.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m almost twenty-four and he still calls me little.” Shaking her head, she squatted so she was on eye-level with Raelynn. “Happy birthday, Raelynn. I know your birthday party was yesterday, but I couldn’t help myself. My name is Lori, Eddie’s sister, and this is for you. See? It has your name on it.”

  She won both Amy and Raelynn before they left the airport.

  “Tonight’s dinner is at Lex’s place, Aunt Estelle’s orders,” Lori said, leading them to where she’d parked her Honda CR-V. “Seven o’clock.”

  Eddie glanced at Amy. “You don’t mind, do you?”

  She shrugged. “No. I enjoyed her company when she visited the lake house.”

  “We’ll have a couple of hours to rest before we leave.” Eddie glanced at his sister and wiggled his fingers. “The car keys.”

  “No way. My car, my hands on the steering wheel,” his sister quipped.

  “I’m not taking chances with Amy and Raelynn’s lives. Give it to me or we’ll take a taxi.”

  She stuck out her tongue and slapped the keys in his hand. “Bully. Come on, Raelynn. We’ll sit in the back and you can tell me all about your house and my mean big brother Eddie.”

  Amy smothered a laugh when Eddie glared after his sister. Lori was your typical little sister and it was so cute watching her interact with him. But Amy wasn’t smiling a few minutes later when she heard Raelynn say, “Uncle Eddie and Mommy kiss all the time.”

  The little traitor.

  “Grownup kisses or like this?” Lori dropped a kiss on Raelynn’s forehead.

  Eddie’s hand grip tightened on the wheel. “Lori.”

  “Okay, I’ll behave,” his sister said. “What do you want for your birthday, sweetie? Whatever it is, Uncle Eddie will get it for you.”

  “I had my birthday party yesterday with Sam and Jimmy. I already got a present from Uncle Eddie. It’s a princess bracelet.” Raelynn stuck out her arm to show off her new bracelet.

  “Oh, it’s gorgeous. I want one just like that. Who are Sam and Jimmy? Puppies?”

  Raelynn giggled. “You’re silly. They’re boys.”

  “You have two boyfriends? I’m absolutely green with envy.”

  Raelynn giggled even harder. “They’re not my boyfriends. They’re just boys.”

  Happy that Eddie had been right about his sister and Raelynn clicking, Amy tuned out their conversion and whispered, “Your sister is amazing.”

  “She’s a brat, but she’s great with kids.” He took her hand and interlaced their fingers, pointing out various landmarks until he pulled up at the curb of a gated condo complex on a quiet street. Mature trees offered shade and lush patches of green lawn hugg
ed the curb and driveways. Painted white, the complex had large windows, potted plants, tables and chairs on wrought iron balconies.

  She and Eddie followed Lori and Raelynn, who walked hand-in-hand like best friends. The inside of the house surprised Amy. From the oak hardwood floor to the spacious, bright and airy rooms, it was very elegant. While Lori took Raelynn to see the pool, Eddie showed her around.

  An arched entryway connected the foyer and the dining room then a pocket door led to the kitchen. He favored brown, gold and beige—from paneling in every room to throw rugs and draperies. The kitchen had gorgeous granite counter tops begging for bowls of fruit and vases of flowers, but it had every appliance imaginable.

  “You cook?” she asked.

  “Nope, hate it,” he said, leading her to the next room. “That’s Lori’s doing. Somehow she thought if she bought every kitchen gadget, I’d take lessons.”

  Another arched entrance opened to a huge and bright living room with a big balcony. Maybe it was because he’d been gone for weeks, but the house didn’t have a lived-in air. He showed her the two bedrooms, the master bedroom on one side done in, surprisingly, palettes of blue, and a guestroom done in neutral colors. TV-room and workout room definitely had a lived-in feeling, which meant he spent most of his time in those two rooms

  “You have a beautiful home,” she said.

  “Thank you. Come on. Let’s rescue Raelynn before my sister turns her into a carbon copy of herself.” Eddie shuddered.

  “She’s not that bad.”

  “She is.” His phone rang. He checked the caller ID and frowned. “Ah, I need to take this.”

  “Go ahead.” Amy found the door that led to the pool and a hot tub, paused to watch her daughter and Lori seated by the pool, shoes off and feet in the water. Her daughter was giggling.

  Smiling, Amy joined them.

  ***

  Hours later, they pulled up outside a stone-walled compound. Eddie punched in the security code and the gate swung open to reveal a winding road. Amy gave the well-maintained landscape flower beds, palm trees and shrubs a passing glance, her mind on the people she was about to meet. It was one thing to have the Fitzgeralds visit the lake house, where she was comfortable and at home, and quite another to enter their den. That she was nervous annoyed her. From the cars lining the cobbled courtyard of the Mediterranean villa, quite a number of them were dining with them tonight. Her nervousness increased when Eddie pulled up beside a red Ferrari with the license plate CHASE and they piled out of Lori’s car. Eddie, as though tuned to her emotions, took her hand after lifting Raelynn into his arms and led them toward the arched doorway. A dog barked somewhere then another.