by Laurel Kerr
“License and registration,” Mike barked. Bowie dug out his wallet and handed over the documentation. Mike scanned it and handed it back, his movements sharp.
“You’ve got decals on your back window and something hanging from the mirror,” Mike said stiffly as he pulled out his pad.
Yeah, that shed a lot of light on Mike’s bad mood.
“Sorry, sir,” Bowie said. “I’ll remove them.”
“You’re still getting a fine.”
Bowie nodded. There was no other response. He racked his brain for what could have angered Mike.
“You know what,” Mike said, “I think I smell pot.”
“What?” Bowie said in confusion.
“Out of the truck,” Mike said.
“Mike—”
“Out of the truck.” Mike’s voice was hard and unyielding. Bowie complied.
“Turn around and put your hands on the side of the vehicle.”
Bowie did as he was told, the position unfortunately not unfamiliar. After all, he’d been arrested before. Mike patted him down—none too gently. Then he made Bowie stand like that while he searched the pickup. Thoroughly. Bowie’s back even started to hurt. When Mike finished his agonizing investigation of Bowie’s truck, he made him perform a series of humiliating balance tests. Finally, Mike finished with his power play and wordlessly handed over the ticket.
Bowie skimmed it and glanced at Mike in confusion. “My taillight isn’t broken.”
Mike turned, pulled out his nightstick, and shattered the left light. “Now it is.”
“Shit, Mike, what the hell did I do?” Bowie asked.
Mike turned stiffly, his eyes deadly. “I suggest you check your email when you get home.”
“My email?”
“Stay the hell away from my sister.”
With that, Mike climbed into his Ford Explorer and peeled away. Bowie stood in the center of the road, ticket clutched in one hand. What the hell had just happened?
Slowly, Bowie returned to his truck and headed home. He only took enough time to unpack the feed before he made a beeline for his office. It felt like forever before the computer booted up. Opening his email, he saw two from Sawyer. A sense of unease filled him as he opened her latest.
My husband kicked me out because of your lies! You took my child away from me! I get nothing, NOTHING, due to the prenup! You ruined my life for the second time! Now I’ve ruined yours! The world will know what kind of a horrible, stupid ass you are!
The unease turned to dread as Bowie scrolled to the email below. The addresses of a couple of Katie’s family members and June’s business accounts were listed in the email. So was Katie’s.
Everyone thinks the pig-kissing video is cute. Here’s the real truth.
There was a link to a YouTube video. Bowie’s stomach churned as he clicked on it. The filming quality was grainy, shaky, and poorly shot, but he recognized it at once. It was the high school prank. The high school prank that had started it all.
Bowie had never watched the entire video. Sawyer had only sneaked a brief clip into the morning announcements and edited it so that no one could see the culprits. The old version had begun with Katie in close-up. Her eyes were closed, and she was saying Bowie’s name. Her lips puckered, and then she kissed the pig, held by unseen hands, square on the snout. The pig had squealed indignantly, and then the embarrassing clip had ended.
The complete video started the moment Katie stepped into the janitor’s closet. Both Katie and Bowie were clearly visible and recognizable despite the bad quality. Katie was shy and hesitant, her hair a firestorm of color about her face. She looked so eager, so hopeful, that Bowie’s heart cracked. How could he have done it? How could he have looked at her face and destroyed her?
His younger self stood there, cocky and arrogant. Bowie wanted to yell at the screen, to stop what was coming. Each frame cut a fresh slice in his heart.
This version of the video didn’t end with the kiss. Katie opened her eyes, their brown depths filled with horror, confusion, and betrayal.
“What happened?” Katie asked, bewildered and hurt.
Sawyer chose that moment to emerge from behind the shelves, her face gleeful and triumphant. “Did you really think that a hot guy like Bowie Wilson would be interested in a little geeky nobody? He’s been my boyfriend all along.”
Katie swung toward Bowie. He just shrugged insolently.
Bowie wanted to punch his younger self. In the face. Or, hell, the balls. He deserved it.
“Come on, Bowie.” Sawyer tugged on his arm. “We’ve got better things to do.”
Sawyer flounced, and he sauntered out of the room. He didn’t even look back. Not once.
When the door shut, Katie slumped against it and slid to the floor. She sat there, clearly fighting back tears. Her shoulders heaved with the effort.
Then she lost the battle. She cried. She cried as if her heart was breaking. It probably was. And she didn’t stop.
Bowie prayed that it would end, but he didn’t speed up the video. He deserved to see this, to hear this, to suffer through this, even if it seemed that the salt of every tear fell directly onto his already abraded heart.
He’d put her through hell. He’d hurt the woman he loved over and over and over.
He’d never witnessed Katie’s tears. Not once. Bowie knew Sawyer had purposely kept the whole video from him years ago. He would have called off the prank after seeing Katie’s devastation. Even then, he couldn’t have withstood her tears. Now? Now, it decimated him. Sawyer still knew how to take down her enemies.
Bowie reached up to rub his face and found it wet. The phone rang. Numbly, without thinking, he picked it up.
“This is Alex,” the clipped voice on the other end said. “Katie’s brother. The one in the air force.”
“Yes,” Bowie said, bracing himself for his next round of punishment. On some level, he welcomed it. He couldn’t very well defend Katie against himself. He might as well let her brothers do it by proxy.
“Do you hear anything?” Alex asked.
“No.”
“Listen harder.”
That’s when Bowie detected the faint rumble of a jet engine. The sound grew louder and louder until it became deafening. The concrete-block walls even shook. His pen jiggled off his desk and fell to the floor. Then the sound slowly faded, and Bowie could hear the upset brays from the animals outside.
“I hear you got my message.” Alex sounded smug.
“How many times am I going to get this message?” Bowie asked wearily.
“Depends,” Alex said. “A new training route was just created. We’ll see how it plays out.”
“I guess we will,” Bowie said.
“Oh, and, Wilson, stay the hell away from my sister.”
The phone line clicked, and Bowie slumped back in his chair. He rather thought the warnings from Mike and Alex were unnecessary. He honestly didn’t know if his relationship with Katie could survive this. It would dredge up everything they had just dug through and cast aside. His only hope was that Katie wouldn’t catch wind of the video until he had the chance to prepare her.
A fist pounded on Bowie’s office door. With a sigh, he rose from his desk as he wondered which brother was here now. He opened it to reveal both Matt and Luke. Luke punched him square in the eye. Bowie stumbled backward. For a lawyer, the guy could really hit.
“Ah, hell,” Matt said. “That was my move. I’m the mechanic. That’s what I’ve got. Brute force. You were supposed to threaten him with legal action.”
“You can punch me too,” Bowie said honestly. “I have another eye.”
Matt threw up his hands in disgust. “I really can’t hit you if you offer to take a punch.”
“Knock out my other taillight then,” Bowie suggested.
“Shit, Mike knocked ou
t your taillight?” Matt turned to Luke in annoyance. “What is wrong with you guys? You’ve got to leave me something.”
Luke shrugged. “I needed to punch Bowie.”
Since Bowie wanted to hit himself, he could sympathize.
“Idiots,” Matt said.
“Stay the hell away from my sister,” Luke said.
“Hey, I was going to say that!” Matt protested.
“You might as well,” Bowie said. “The rest of your brothers did.”
“They even took that line from me,” Matt complained.
“Sorry,” Bowie said, hoping that he managed to hide his slight amusement. Although his eye and heart ached, Matt was pretty hilarious.
“You hurt her,” Matt said. “You made her cry. She used to cry every night after school, starting her sophomore year. She didn’t think anyone heard, but Mike and I shared a wall with her. We never knew why. Until now.”
Any sense of humor fled. Bowie nodded stiffly. This time, he felt as if a knife had just scraped through all the other wounds on his heart.
“You might not believe this,” Bowie said, “but what you just said… It was about the best way you could have punished me.”
“Ah, shit,” Matt said. “Now you had to go and say a thing like that. You even look all hangdoggy. I almost feel sorry for you.”
“Don’t,” Bowie said. “I deserve whatever you dish out.”
Luke clasped his hand on Matt’s shoulder. “Let’s go, Matt. I think the worst thing anyone can do to him right now is to leave him alone with his guilt.”
Luke was wrong.
Later that afternoon, the door flew open, and Abby burst into Bowie’s office. Her eyes were red and swollen, and Bowie could detect dried tracks of tears on her face. He instantly sprang to his feet.
“I hate you!” Abby hurled the words at him with a force and vehemence that only a preteen could muster.
“Abby Bear, what’s wrong?”
“Don’t call me that!” Abby shrieked, her voice full of betrayal. Bowie faltered. Her saying she hated him wasn’t pleasant, but children said it occasionally. For Abby to tell him not to use his pet name for her—the one he used when he wanted to comfort her—killed something inside him.
“Sweetheart…”
“You’re one of them. You’re one of the bullies.”
Bowie’s legs felt weak. Abby had watched the video. He should have known, should have prepared.
“Abby—”
“You were the one.” Abby stabbed a finger in his direction. “You were the one who was so mean to Katie. You made her feel ugly. You and Sawyer. You’re just like them. All the mean kids at school.”
“Abby, I…”
But really, what could he say? He had been a bully. What words could he use to explain to his daughter why he’d pranked Katie? Sorry, kid, your father was an asshole because he, and therefore you, descend from a family of assholes. Did you know that your granddaddy died in prison and sold drugs? Oh, and Grandma? She died of an overdose. Feel better, sweetheart?
“That’s why Katie won’t marry you,” Abby said. “I don’t blame her. I wouldn’t marry you either.”
“Abby—”
“I hate you! I never want to see you again.” With that declaration, Abby whirled from his office. Bowie chased after her, but evidently, his little girl could run when given the proper motivation. She tore into the house and bounded up the stairs. Bowie raced past a startled Lou and made it to his daughter’s door just before he heard the lock slide decisively into place.
He stared at the closed door as he heard his daughter weeping inside. Her heartrending sobs were a painful echo of Katie’s from the video. Abby wasn’t that much younger than Katie had been at the time of the prank. Two, three years. That was it. If some boy did to Abby what Bowie had done to Katie…
He turned away from his daughter’s door, defeated. He didn’t know what to say to her. Somehow, he’d find the words. They’d get past this. But not now. Not when his heart was shredded. Not today.
He quietly walked down the steps to discover Lou at the bottom, looking concerned. “What was that about? What happened to your eye?”
“I take it you didn’t watch the video.”
“What video?” Lou asked in confusion.
“Come with me,” Bowie said. Knowing the old house computer couldn’t handle YouTube, he led Lou to the zoo’s office. He gestured for the older man to sit down as he loaded the video.
“I’ll be in the Victorian,” Bowie told Lou wearily. “I can’t watch it again.”
Bowie found himself in the kitchen. He climbed up on one of the stools and rested his head on the cool countertop of the island. He should have stayed and watched the video. The damn thing just replayed in his head anyway.
It felt like an eternity before Lou returned. Bowie lifted his head, fully expecting to see condemnation. He didn’t. Just compassion.
“You were a scared, lonely kid, Bowie,” Lou said.
“I shouldn’t have done it.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” Lou said. “You know that. I know that. We all know that. But you did, you’ve owned up to it with Katie, and you’ve both moved on.”
“Have we, Lou?” Bowie asked. “Has she? What is that video going to do to our relationship? Her whole family hates me. Katie will watch it, and… Well, I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I can’t help but feel that I’ve lost the love of my life. This could be what pushes her into taking that job in California.”
Just then, Bowie’s phone beeped. He glanced down to see a text message from Katie.
At home. Wrapped early. Took early flight and rented car since you couldn’t leave the zoo today. Will stop by after Abby goes to bed. Going to take a quick nap myself. Love you.
Katie hadn’t seen the video—not with that message. Relief warred with worry. He hoped she would crash right away, but what if she checked her email?
“Lou, I have to go,” Bowie said. “Katie came home early. I need to speak to her.”
Lou inclined his head in understanding. “Go. Good luck.”
“Thanks,” Bowie said, grabbing his keys. “I’ll need it.”
He tore out of the zoo’s parking lot, tires squealing, taillight broken, and decals still on the back window. He ripped off the car scent hanging from the mirror, but that was the only concession he made to Mike’s complaints. Let Mike pull him over again. The guy had purposely damaged his truck, and Bowie wasn’t about to let anyone or anything prevent him from seeing Katie—even if all four brothers barricaded her door.
* * *
Fluffy smelled trouble. He’d watched the Wee One run past his enclosure on the way home from school. He did not like the tears streaming down her face. The Wee One was always happy. Her displeasure could mean fewer treats, and the Black-Haired One and the redheaded female were taking too long to produce more small humans.
Something had gone wrong with his plan. Very wrong.
* * *
Luckily, Bowie didn’t pass any police cars on his way to Katie’s, and her brothers weren’t guarding her house. He jumped out of the truck and dashed up her steps, taking them two at a time. He rang the doorbell and barely refrained from pressing it repeatedly until she opened the door.
He waited a couple of beats, couldn’t stop himself, and rang it again.
Bleary-eyed, Katie opened the door. She was in the middle of a yawn, but when she caught sight of him, her mouth snapped shut. Concern washed over her features. “Bowie, what’s wrong? Is everything okay? What happened to your eye?”
“Did you see the video?” he blurted out.
“The video?” she asked in confusion as she yawned. Then comprehension lit her face. “Oh, you mean that ridiculous one that Sawyer sent.”
“You saw it?” Bowie asked. It was his turn to be
bewildered. Why wasn’t Katie angry? Emotional? Something? She just looked tired from her business trip.
“Yeah,” she said, stifling another yawn. “June saw it and called me because she didn’t want me to be blindsided. I’m not sure why everyone’s making such a big deal out of it. It’s not like I didn’t live through it. I mean, if it had been posted to the internet when I was a kid, I would have been horrified. Now, I just can’t figure out what Sawyer thought she’d gain by releasing it.”
“You’re not mad at me?” Bowie asked in disbelief.
“No, why?” Katie said. “You didn’t do anything. I mean, you did, years ago, but there wasn’t anything in that video that I didn’t know or that I haven’t forgiven you for.”
Bowie grabbed her close, pulling her tightly against his chest. He breathed in her scent, relieved to his very core. When he spoke, his voice was rough, and it cracked slightly in the middle of his sentence. “I’d thought I’d lost you, Katie, just when I’d finally found you.”
Chapter 15
The raw emotion roiling from Bowie swept over Katie as he held her in an almost bruising grip. Her heart aching at his visible pain, she rubbed her hands gently against his back to soothe him. His strong shoulders heaved once, and she swore his body practically vibrated against hers.
“It’s okay,” she told him. “You haven’t lost me. I’m here, and I still love you.”
Bowie’s shoulders jerked, and he squeezed her again. “How can you? After what I did? What I put you through? How do you move beyond that?”
“I did,” Katie said simply. She would have brushed a kiss against his cheek or lips, but he was holding her too tightly. “It wasn’t easy or simple. You know that. But I did. Fully and completely. You were a kid, Bowie. A kid who had no one to guide him, who just wanted to belong. Sure, you went about it the wrong way, but you’re not naturally malicious. You’re an innately kind and loving person. Given how you were raised, it’s amazing that you are. That shows the strength of your compassion.”
