by SUE FINEMAN
Alex couldn’t help but smile. “That’s very nice of them.” They didn’t even know her, but they were trying to help. “Please thank them both.”
“You can thank them yourself on Sunday. We’re all coming for dinner.”
After Andy left with his dog, Alex wandered into the kitchen to see if she could help.
Hannah looked over and smiled. “Have a nice nap?”
“Yes, it was nice not to have things banging and people talking and nurses poking at me.”
“I don’t know anyone who can get any real rest in a hospital. The swelling in your eyes is going down.”
“Yes, I can see out of both eyes now, but the bruises are getting darker. I can’t stand to look in a mirror.” She looked around. “What can I do to help?”
“Actually, I just recruited a helper. And here she comes now. Did you wash your hands?”
“Yeah.” Taylor held up her hands. “See.”
“Very good. Now then, I need you to set the table. Let’s see how many places we need to set. There’s you and Mommy and Daddy, and me and Grandpa, and Aunt Ginny will be here, too. How many is that?”
Taylor counted on her fingers while Hannah waited patiently.
“Six.”
“Okay, then we need to set six places.” Hannah put a stack of plates on the table. “You put one of these at each place while I count out the silverware. Okay?”
Alex shared a smile with Hannah. Taylor had never been allowed to help in the kitchen at home. She was not only having fun, Hannah had made it a learning experience.
Charlie came in and took the lid off a pot. Hannah slapped his hand, but she was smiling. How could her father have ever thought this woman was a prostitute? Charlie’s mother was all about family. There was so much love in this house, she could almost taste it. And Taylor drank it in as if she’d been dying of thirst.
The kitchen door opened and Ginny came in. She looked softer without her uniform and with her hair brushing her shoulders. She had Hannah’s black hair and Donovan’s blue eyes. Beautiful. Too pretty to be a cop.
“Alex, I’m glad to see you here. Looks like Mom put Taylor to work already.”
“I’m folding napkins,” said Taylor.
“I can see that,” said Ginny.
The napkins were a mess, but Alex didn’t think anyone in this house would mind.
A few minutes later, they sat down at the kitchen table for dinner. As they ate, Donovan asked, “How was school today, Taylor?”
“Good, but Daddy kissed my teacher, and Mary Beth Snyder says daddies are only ’posed to kiss mommies.”
Ginny laughed. “Well, Daddy, what do you have to say for yourself?”
“Uh…” Charlie begged his father with his eyes. “Dad, how about some help here?”
Donovan’s lips twitched with suppressed laughter. “This is out of my area of expertise. I can’t remember ever kissing one of your teachers.”
“Me either,” said Hannah. “Alex, how about you? Have you ever kissed a teacher?”
She slowly shook her head. “Not me.”
“Thanks a lot.” Charlie turned to Taylor. “Uh… well… Miss Bolton and I used to date before I met your mommy.”
“What’s date mean?”
“It’s when a man and a woman go out together to see if they like each other,” said Hannah.
“If they don’t like each other, why do they go out together?”
“It’s to see if they like each other well enough to kiss and snuggle,” Alex said.
“Like you and Daddy did at the hospital?”
“Yes, like that.” Alex glanced around the table. “Well, she’s certainly getting an education.”
“So am I.” Donovan drained his glass. “I’m wondering how you’ll handle it when Taylor starts dating.”
Charlie stopped eating long enough to say, “She can only date nerds. No stud muffins like me.”
Ginny laughed so hard she nearly choked.
“Hey, what’s so funny? Women love me.”
“All that love…” Alex wiped Taylor’s face. “…is how we became parents.”
Donovan leaned back in his chair. “How many more little surprises do you have out there somewhere?”
Charlie muttered, “Maybe we should ask Mary Beth Snyder.”
“She knows everything,” Taylor said. “She’s in the third grade.”
Soft laughter filled the room, and Alex felt acceptance and love for the newest member of their family. If she’d known these people before, Alex would undoubtedly have made better decisions.
Charlie seemed more settled these days. Maybe that had something to do with being a father. He still had that little boy appeal she’d always loved, yet he was more mature, more confident. More of a man.
When they finished eating and Taylor went into the other room to play with Wilma, Donovan said, “Now that Taylor isn’t in the room, how about an update on the case, Ginny?”
“Okay. Alex’s brother said Scott Higgins worked for Palver Products, but he hasn’t worked there in weeks. He was fired after a sexual harassment charge by a fellow employee, a woman who looks a lot like you, Alex. His last known address was in Columbus, but he moved recently and left no forwarding address.”
Alex folded her napkin and put it beside her plate. “What else did Mario tell you?”
“He said they’d worked with Higgins before, that he represented Palver in contract negotiations at that time. Mario thought Higgins was still with the company.”
Alex lifted her chin. “Did he admit sending that creep to the inn?”
“No. He said he didn’t know where you were.”
“He’s lying. Scott said Mario told him where to find me, and it’s the only thing that makes sense. When I left my father’s house, I left a note for my mother telling her where I was going, so she wouldn’t worry about me and Taylor. The only way anyone would have known where to find me is if my father found the note and told Mario. They were both angry because I refused to meet with Scott again. Papa called it ‘finishing the job,’ and Mario needed the contract with Palver Products.”
Donovan cocked his head. “He needed the contract badly enough to send this guy to the inn?”
Alex nodded. “If they don’t get some new contracts soon, they may have to file for bankruptcy. Mario thinks entertaining the clients is the way to get them to sign.”
Ginny sipped from her glass. “Entertaining how?”
“Flirting and teasing, giving them plenty to drink, promising them things not specified in the contract. And if necessary, Mario implies that the client will get more from me if he signs.”
“But they don’t get more?” said Donovan.
“No, they don’t get more, although my brothers once tried to talk me into having sex with a potential client. I threatened to tell Papa and they backed off, but the company wasn’t in financial trouble back then. Now it is, and they’re getting desperate.”
Donovan shook his head. “As much as I dislike Vinnie Porcini, I can’t believe he’d give his daughter to a man to clinch a business deal.”
“He wouldn’t.” But Mario and Antonio would.
Ginny leaned back. “I may be out of line here, but I can’t picture a woman putting up with that kind of nonsense. Why would you let your brothers treat you like that?”
“I was looking for a job when Papa came up with this one. They let me schedule my hours around Taylor’s needs, and the pay was good. At first, they took me along to explain the contract terms and get to know the clients on a more personal level. I got a bonus for every client I signed, and everyone was happy.”
Hannah stood and began clearing the table.
“I’ll clean up,” said Alex.
“No, you won’t. Not tonight.”
Donovan pushed his plate back. “When did things change?”
Alex shrugged. “They had a difficult client, and Antonio thought if I offered him more, he’d sign the contract.”
“You ref
used?” Charlie said.
“Of course I refused. I should have quit then, but I couldn’t find another job without using them for a reference, which they wouldn’t give me unless I slept with their client.”
Donovan stood. “Did Vinnie know what they were doing?”
“I don’t think so. Not all of it. Since Papa retired, Mario and Antonio run things their way.”
Gathering dirty plates, Donovan asked, “What’s your degree in?”
“Communications. I thought I could do TV work, but I can’t do it now. I can’t do anything looking like this.” She couldn’t even go on an interview now.
Charlie and Donovan carried dishes to the sink, where Hannah loaded the dishwasher.
Charlie said, “Dad, I need the name of a good attorney.”
Donovan looked at Alex and back at Charlie. “For custody?”
“For whatever I need to do to keep Vinnie and his sons from taking Taylor.”
Alex stood and pushed her chair under the table. “You’re not worried about me?”
“Not right now. Mario wanted to take you home from the hospital today, but you came home with me. I know that was because Taylor was here, but I’d like to think it’s also because you trust me.”
She nodded. “I do trust you.”
“Alex, when Mario couldn’t get to you, he went to Taylor’s school and tried to take her.”
Hannah dropped a spoon on the floor, but Alex barely heard it. Papa was using Taylor to force her to come home. Alex didn’t want her daughter used as a pawn, and she didn’t want Taylor kept from her daddy. Not now. But Papa was accustomed to getting his way.
She felt Charlie’s hands on her shoulders. “Alex? I’m not going to take her away from you, but you know I can’t let her go back to that house.”
“I know.” All the threats Papa made about having her declared an unfit mother, about taking Taylor away from her if she didn’t stay away from Charlie and the Kane family, flashed through her mind. Papa was a powerful man, and he was angry not only about the attack, but about her coming here.
Would Papa back off if she asked? Probably not, but she had to try. “I’ll call Papa.”
<>
Vinnie had fallen asleep in the chair with the television blaring in the background when the phone jarred him awake. Thinking it was Mario calling to tell him the problem with Alexandra’s attacker had been handled, Vinnie grabbed the phone and answered, “Is it done?”
“It’s me, Papa.”
“Alexandra? Where in the hell are you?”
“With Charlie and his family. Taylor is here, too. I don’t want you sending Mario after me or Taylor. I don’t trust him.”
“Fine, I won’t send Mario. I’ll expect you home tonight.”
“I’m staying where I am until I recuperate from my attack.”
“The hell you are.”
“They’re taking good care of me, Papa. Taylor is getting to know her daddy, and she’s happy here. Tell Mario to leave me and Taylor alone. And don’t you dare send someone else.”
“Are you telling me what to do?”
“I’m telling you to leave me alone and give me a chance to recover. I don’t want to have to worry that you’ll take Taylor. She’s not your daughter, she’s Charlie Kane’s daughter. And mine.”
“I’m the head of this family.”
“And I don’t matter? Am I so unimportant you’d let me be killed?”
“Come on, Alex. You know better than that.”
“You told Mario where I was and he sent a man who nearly killed me. I’ll wear the scars for the rest of my life, and Taylor will probably never forget the picture of that man beating me.”
“Nobody knew what he was gonna do.”
“They should have known. He didn’t even work for the company anymore. He was fired weeks ago.”
“Are you sure about this?” Antonio said they checked out the company. Had his sons lied to him?
“Yes, I’m sure. One contract isn’t going to make much difference anyway. Mario and Antonio are padding their own pockets and letting the business go under.”
Vinnie came out of his chair. “What do you know about business? You’re a woman.”
“A woman with a high IQ and a college degree. Anyone with any sense can see what they’re doing.”
“Are you accusing me of being stupid?”
“No! I’m saying you put too much trust in the wrong people.”
“You think you could do a better job of running the business?”
“Damn right I could.”
Maybe it was time to take a look at the books.
Another voice came on the phone, a man’s voice. “Vinnie, this is Charlie. If you send anyone after Taylor again, I’ll have you locked up so fast you won’t know what hit you. And this time you won’t get off easy.”
“Go to hell!” Vinnie slammed the phone down. Who did that kid think he was, ordering him around? He was Vinnie Porcini, the head of the Porcini family.
He sank into his chair, shaking with rage not just at his daughter and Charlie Kane, but at his own sons. Was Alexandra right? Were his sons abusing the trust he’d put in them?
Chapter Seven
Charlie sat beside Alex on her bed and turned off her phone. “Vinnie hung up on me. Imagine that!”
“It’s not funny. He’s angry because I defied him.”
“He’s pissed at me, because I interfered.”
She put the phone on the night table. “He’s angry with Mario and Antonio, and he’s also upset with himself, because he had a part in sending Scott to the inn.”
“Who owns the family business?”
“Papa. He groomed Antonio to take over, but Mario is the one who runs things. Antonio is older, but he goes along with whatever Mario wants.”
Charlie sat quietly with Alex as the sky darkened and thunder rumbled in the distance. “The weather man predicted thunder storms for tonight. Sounds like they’re right on schedule.”
“When did you get interested in the weather?”
“When I started farming. I planted a garden today. I hope it doesn’t get washed away.”
“Why farming?”
“Andy wanted to live in the country, so he bought a farm, but he doesn’t use the land. He said if I wanted to farm it, I could keep the profits, so that’s what I’m doing. There’s no way in hell I could sit behind a desk all day.” He shrugged. “I like working outside. Pop tried to talk me into becoming a cop, but Dad left pretty big shoes to fill, and I don’t want to walk in any man’s shadow. Pop was a cop, and so was my mother’s father. Charlie Taylor was shot in the line of duty when Mom was a kid. I was named after him.”
“So it’s a family tradition. Is that why Ginny became a cop?”
“Yeah. Billy wanted to be a professional baseball player, but after he wrecked his knee, he went into teaching. Andy always wanted to be an architect. That left me and Ginny.” Charlie had always been the odd one in the family, the one with no direction in life. No goals. Now he had a goal – to be the best father he could to a sweet little girl.
“Why didn’t you stay in the military?”
“I don’t like killing people. I thought they’d train me in something besides combat, but it didn’t happen. Watching people being blown up left a hole in my soul I could only fill up by coming home. My best friend in the unit lost his leg. Another buddy had a hole blown in his chest. I watched him die, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to help him but hold his hand and promise to tell his fiancée his last thoughts were of her.”
“What about the bar fights Andy talked about?”
He shrugged. “If a friend needs help, I’ll jump in.”
She smiled. “Like you jumped in to help me?”
Lightning struck closer, shaking the house with a loud rumble, and a little girl flew into the room and jumped on the bed. Wilma was right behind her.
“Wilma doesn’t like the boom-booms,” said Taylor. “Can we sleep with you, Mommy
?”
Charlie grinned. “Maybe we should all sleep with Mommy.”
Alex groaned. “I don’t think we’ll all fit.”
Charlie and Alex got Taylor ready for bed, then Charlie sat in the rocking chair in Alex’s room with Taylor on his lap. He and Alex talked softly, and Taylor’s eyes slowly closed. The thunder moved on, but rain beat against the windows. And Taylor slept peacefully in her daddy’s arms.
Alex gave him a soft smile. “She feels safe with you.”
“What about you, Alex? Do you feel safe with me, too?”
“Safe and comfortable.”
Alex turned down Taylor’s bed and tucked her in. Wilma jumped up on the foot of the bed, thumped her tail a couple times, and settled in for the night. The dog had a kid of her own now, and she’d guard her all night.
Standing in Taylor’s bedroom doorway watching their daughter sleep, Charlie ran his hands down Alex’s arms, touching what would never be his. He wanted to kiss her, not a friendly little peck to reassure her, but a real melt-down kiss that would show her what she’d missed after she cut him out of her life. But if he kissed her like that, he wouldn’t want to stop, and he couldn’t put his heart out there to be stomped on again. She wasn’t in any shape for sex right now anyway. The attack had left her body bruised and her spirit broken.
Whether she felt safe and comfortable with him or not, he didn’t feel safe with her. Vinnie had torn them apart once and would undoubtedly try to do it again. Charlie didn’t trust Alex to make the right decision this time, and if she sided with Vinnie again, he could lose Taylor for good.
He stepped back before he did something he’d regret. “I need to go out.”
By midnight, Charlie had the rest of the carpet torn out of his brick bungalow and thrown into the dumpster. The rain had stopped when he took a big flashlight and climbed up into the attic to check for leaks. The attic was crammed full of stuff, like the rest of the house, but it was a big space with two big dormer windows in the front over the porch and windows on both sides, plenty of room to add a couple more bedrooms and another bathroom.
