Allegra's Shadow

by Dana Sanders Hill

  #

  Anthony’s heart lifted a little at Mariah’s apology. Her admission couldn’t have been easy. He could tell by the way she focused her attention on the gear shift instead of looking at him. “Kevin wasn’t available. The only choice left was leaving you alone,” he said, “and that I wouldn’t do. There’s no inconvenience, but I get it. You’re independent and I’m a stranger, even if I’ve known Ms. D since I was a kid.”

  It was noon and traffic was brisk.

  Anthony flipped on the right turn signal to merge onto the exit lane of Glenwood Avenue. He decelerated when they reached the traffic light as it changed from yellow to red. “You’ll still need some help.”

  “Gran D wants me to stay with her, but I don’t feel right having her take care of me.”

  “I’ll fill in.”

  “No, I didn’t mean for you to…I-I really don’t need that much –”

  “You have a concussion – and you shouldn’t be left alone for twenty-four hours – a sprained ankle and wrist, which is your dominant hand. You feel up to cooking?” he demanded to know before he fired questions at her in rapid succession. “What if you have to run an errand? Are you up to driving?”

  “I don’t want to –”

  “Inconvenience me,” he finished for her.

  The light turned green and he pressed the gas pedal.

  “Don’t worry. You’re not.” His tone brooked no argument.

  At the house, Anthony followed Mariah upstairs and set the bag on the floor next to the full-sized bed. “You should elevate that leg. I’ll get some pillows.”

  “Thanks.”

  Anthony closed the door behind him.

  She kicked off her sneakers, enjoying the feel of the cool porcelain tile beneath her socks.

  Settling on the bed, Mariah took two cotton-encased pillows and propped them behind her back, then rested her injured wrist against her abdomen.

  Her gaze wandered around, taking in the décor. Walls of golden honey served as a backdrop to fawn-colored drapes. A five-drawer chest stood across from the bed with an oval-shaped mirror hanging over it. On her right was a nightstand of rich mahogany. An accent chair in shades of beige and brown provided the finishing touch to the well-dressed room. The warm colors put her immediately at ease.

  Anthony knocked on the door.

  Mariah’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. A shadow of annoyance crossed her face. She was thirty-four years old, not a lovesick teenager. “Yes.”

  He stepped in the room with two plump pillows under one arm. “These should do.”

  She nodded, holding out her left hand.

  Anthony ignored her, his fingers taking her foot with gentle authority, slipping the pillows under it.

  Mariah felt an unwanted thrill at the touch of his fingers on her ankle, the heat of them creeping through her sock. “Thanks,” she replied over her beating pulse.

  Light eyes roamed over her face as his fingers lingered on her ankle a few more seconds. “Get some rest.”

  #

  While Mariah settled in, Anthony decided to scout around Allegra’s neighborhood, about the distance of a square block. He nodded to a woman with a golden retriever whom he passed by. A dog four houses down, barked, and another across the street.

  A short while later, Anthony returned to Allegra’s. Until last night, he had never been in her home before, and the only area he didn’t enter was Allegra bedroom, which faced the street. Thick, bushes guarded the lower level front windows, but there were too many entry points: the front door, the side kitchen door, the deck door, the separate entrance in the living room that led to the garage and the small balcony between Allegra’s window and another spare bedroom.

  As he walked around, he shook his head in amazement. Allegra was the only occupant and didn’t have overnight guests, but her home stood two stories with four bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths, one in her bedroom, another in the hallway upstairs and a half-bath under the stairs. One bedroom was a designated exercise area that contained several pieces of workout equipment.

  Next to the downstairs bathroom behind bi-fold doors was a laundry room, complete with an energy-efficient washer and dryer, and laundry necessities. The wide stairs in the middle of the house separated the dining room from the living room, and the deck behind the kitchen was at least fifteen feet long and ten feet wide, with stairs leading to a large, newly-mowed backyard surrounded by a wooden fence.

  In the middle of her spacious kitchen was a marble island with high-end copper cookware hanging from a stainless steel overhead rack. A black microwave found its niche over the stove. On the other side of a stainless steel side-by-side refrigerator was a walk-in pantry, and near the window that faced the deck was a gathering table with two side chairs.

  Anthony returned to the living room. There wasn’t a single lamp in the house. Each room was painted the color of honey and had overhead light fixtures. Light-colored curtains covered long, large windows. A cinnamon leather couch and a matching loveseat were placed in the middle of her living room. A 54-inch television sat behind the glass doors of a burgundy-tinted entertainment center in the far left corner. Except for the living room, her porcelain tile floors were bare.

  But it was the portrait of Allegra hanging over the fireplace mantel that was the center of attention, as it was meant to be. Her ebony hair, parted down the middle, flowed to her shoulders, and one corner of her mouth tilted up. That smile, sly and conceited, showed the real Allegra.

  Mariah slept for two hours.

  Anthony used that time to walk Ming and run some errands.

  He’d left her door open so he could listen out for her.

  He heard Mariah moving around upstairs when he returned. Anthony figured she would be a little hungry, so he raided Allegra’s kitchen in search of a light meal.

  When he found what he was looking for, Anthony headed upstairs holding a tray and paper bag. He tapped on the door twice.

  “Yes.”

  Anthony stepped in and set a tray with a fork, a mixed fruit cup, half of a turkey sandwich, a cup of almond milk and a few napkins on her lap as she sat back against the pillows. He placed the paper bag next to the tray.

  “I stopped by the store, figured you’d need these.” He opened the bag and took out a box of elastic bandages.

  “Thanks.” She took a sip of the milk. “How much do I owe you?”

  He shook his head. “Forget it. How do you feel?”

  She put the cup down. “Still a little dizzy and achy.”

  “Ms. D called while you were sleeping. I told her you’d call her back later.”

  “Okay.” Mariah picked up a fork, speared a piece of cantaloupe, and took a bite.

  Then Anthony pulled the accent chair closer to the bed and lowered himself into it. He hoped they could have a civil conversation because he yearned to know more about her accident. The truth of it was that he wanted to get to know Mariah better. He enjoyed looking at her and wondered what she was thinking.

  #

  Mariah’s mind floundered and she almost stopped chewing. Was he was going to sit here and watch her eat? But she was no better than him. She had to stop herself from staring at the way Anthony’s shirt adhered to his pectorals and ripped abs.

  “Do you remember anything else about the other night?”

  Mariah regained her mental acuity, noticing for the first time that Anthony’s hair was a dark reddish brown. She chewed, and then swallowed. “I do recall you asking a lot of questions.”

  His left brow climbed a little. “Occupational habit.”

  “I know. Detective, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  Mariah tilted her head thoughtfully. “There’s stillness in you, almost a second sight, like you know when someone’s coming seconds before they appear.”

  There was a tawny lightning of amusement between his lashes, but his expression remained blank. He shrugged. “It’s a gift.”

  “One that was helpful in your
line of work. We all have our talents. Mine is science. Allegra’s was managing people.” Mariah lowered the fork to the bowl and reached for the cup of almond milk.

  “You mean manipulating people. People like Allegra and your ex —”

  Mariah’s hand jerked and she almost lost the grip on the cup, spilling some almond milk on her bandaged wrist. She put the cup down and dabbed at the moisture with a napkin.

  A tense silence enveloped the room.

  It was bad enough that she was a freak, but he also knew about Terry. What a humiliating, deflating feeling. A thin chill hung on the edge of her words. “No wonder you stare at me strangely. You know that whole story.” Mariah balled up the damp napkin and tossed it on the tray.

  “No. I don’t.”

  “You don’t what?” she snapped. “Stare at me strangely, or know the whole story?”

  His voice was odd, yet gentle as he considered her. “Neither.”

  Mariah’s gaze met his. “Finished looking at the freak show?”

  Anthony leaned forward in the chair, bracing his elbows on his knees. Wolf-like eyes never left her face. “There’s no ‘freak show’ in here,” he disputed.

  Mariah was accustomed to people gawking at her. When people first met her, that’s all they did. Throughout her life, Mariah’s eyes attracted curiosity, awe, or ridicule, and sometimes all three. To her knowledge, she was the only person in her family with such a genetic mutation.

  But Anthony’s probing intensity caught Mariah off guard and she couldn’t ignore the surge of arousal underneath her mortification.

  He broke the quiet. “Did you see or speak to Allegra before she died?”

  Mariah answered with artificial calm. “No. We didn’t talk much. I only saw her holidays or when I came down on school breaks to visit Gran D. Though there was one time she came to Hackensack when…” Her face clouded. “Never mind. What about you?”

  Anthony didn’t miss the hesitant look in her eyes, but he let it slide. “No. We had little contact.”

  Mariah’s eyebrows rose.

  “I just moved back here a few months ago. Besides, not every man she met fell under her spell.”

  “Right,” she snorted. “Gay men don’t count.”

  Anthony shook his head in disbelief. “You’re giving her more power than she deserved. She wasn’t Superwoman. I wouldn’t have bothered with her, even if she was single.”

  “Why not?”

  Anthony quirked a brow as if to say, “Do you really have to ask?”

  Mariah shrugged. “Allegra always was high-maintenance.”

  “That’s being diplomatic. She was too full of herself and ‘on’ all the time, and I don’t trust a person who has an uncanny way of making sure nobody ever sees her unless they’re put together. Grandma Lilly warned me about people like that. Besides, she was seeing Thomas, and I wouldn’t get in the middle of that.”

  “Because you prefer a one-man woman?”

  “Yes.” Anthony’s eyes met hers. “And Thomas is my first cousin.”

  Chapter 4

  Mariah’s body became rigid. “Well,” she said in a grudging voice. “I guess an apology’s in order.”

  Anthony leaned back in the chair. “Forget it. If I hadn’t mentioned your ex, you wouldn’t have felt the need to strike back.”

  Mariah nodded, as if to concede the point. Her eyes darted around the room in frustration before meeting his. “Have you and Thomas ever been close?”

  “Never.” That one terse response held a world of history behind it.

  “What about the rest of your family?”

  “My aunt, my mother’s older sister always thought she was better than Grandma Lilly, Mom and me. She didn’t want me around and treated Thomas like a prince, so he’s got a crap load of entitlement issues, thinks he’s superior to everybody. I’m a few months older than him, so he wasn’t the first-born grandson. That alone made them resent me even more.” Anthony stroked his chin, just like he had at the hospital. “Uncle Lee tried to take me under his wing, but she and Thomas put a stop to that.”

  Mariah sat forward, intrigued. “What happened?”

  “She was the dominant one in the marriage, so he gave up. I left her house when I graduated high school.”

  Empathy welled up inside Mariah. She knew what it was like to be unwanted. “Living with them sounds very sad…and lonely.”

  An inexplicable look of withdrawal came over Anthony’s face and the muscles of his forearms hardened beneath his sleeve.

  “Let’s rewrap that wrist,” he said in a low voice after an interlude of silence.

  Mariah sighed as Anthony performed his tender ministration. He’d talked more than she expected, but it was what he didn’t say that fascinated her.

  #

  Later that evening, Kevin’s cell phone rang. “Hello?”

  “Hi, Kevin, are you okay? I left you a message at home last night, and I called your cell.”

  “I’m fine, Mariah. What’s up?” She told him about the accident and a flicker of regret crossed his face. “I’m sorry, M.” He always called her M when he was apologetic or trying to soothe her. He checked his house phone and saw the blinking light. “I was in a dead zone last night and I just got home. Are you okay?”

  “I’m sore, that’s all. Have you spoken to Gran D yet?”

  “No, but I’ll call her. Get some rest. Call me if you need me.” Kevin disconnected and tossed the cordless phone on the bed with a curse.

  He should have been close by, instead of someplace he wasn’t supposed to be while his favorite cousin was in the hospital.

  How stupid of him.

  #

  “Need anything else before I go?” Anthony asked the next afternoon.

  True to his word, he stayed overnight, sleeping in the room next to Mariah. He only came to her room to bring her something to eat, or to wake her up every few hours to make sure she knew her name and current date. The rest of the time he spent either running errands or checking on things at his house.

  He was very efficient that way.

  “No, thank you,” Mariah replied distantly as she looked at him. Though twenty-four hours had passed since their last conversation, the strain between them was still there, like strummed guitar strings. “Actually, I think I’ll be fine enough to handle things by myself from now on.”

  Mariah expected resistance when a groove appeared at the corner of Anthony’s mouth, but he didn’t argue.

  Her mouth dropped open when he turned away, his broad shoulders disappearing from view.

  She put her tray aside and limped to the hallway. When she heard the front door close, a slight smile of victory lit her face.

  The following morning, Mariah received an unpleasant surprise as she sat in the living room and read the main section of the paper.

  Him.

  The man let himself in, just as bold as you please.

  Mariah gasped and set the paper aside, using the arm of the couch to rise. “What are you doing here?” she demanded, her heart nearly jumping out of her chest.

  She laid her injured hand across her torso and held her bandaged ankle a few inches off the floor, settling all of her weight on her good leg as she braced her other hand on the couch for balance. “You didn’t say anything about stopping by.”

  #

  Anthony inspected Mariah. She wore a dark yellow tank top, black shorts that reached the middle of her thighs and matching flip-flops. He caught himself staring at the French pedicure on her feet. They weren’t too big or too small, and pretty enough to be in magazines.

  Anthony called Ms. D when he got home last night to give her an update on Mariah’s condition. When she told him that she had made an appointment for an alarm rep to stop by Allegra’s the next morning, he decided he wasn’t going to leave Mariah alone with a stranger. He didn’t care what company the person represented.

  “Sorry,” he answered with a straight face, “just wanted to make sure you were okay.” Anthony kn
ew what he was doing. He deliberately let her think she won yesterday, but there was no way he would leave her without support, even if she didn’t want it.

  “You could’ve called or rang the bell.”

  Yeah, right. And give her the chance to put the chain on door or ignore the phone when she looked through the peephole or checked the Caller ID? Then he would’ve had to kick down the door in case she had fallen and knocked herself unconscious. “You might’ve fallen again and couldn’t reach a phone,” he countered.

  Challenge that.

  Triumph flood through him when Mariah’s lips parted, then snapped shut.

  #

  Mariah was not happy.

  While the technician showed Mariah how to operate both alarms, one by the front door, the other by the deck door, she shot Anthony an glare whenever he wasn’t watching her, which wasn’t often.

  Just when she thought she’d be able to relax, that her heart wouldn’t flutter in her breast whenever he was near, he appeared.

  She did not want him here.

  She was restless and irritable.

  And it was his fault.

  “As you can see, I’m fine,” she told Anthony, “so you can go home.”

  Mariah limped around the kitchen thirty minutes later. The tech was gone and Mariah was determined to show her unwanted guest that she didn’t need him. Anthony wore a flint gray deep V neck shirt, navy Cargo shorts and sneakers today. He had nice legs for a man, and not too hairy, just like his arms. And his scent…he smelled like fresh rain.

  Mariah gave herself a mental shake. She tried to disregard his presence, and how it pervaded a room, but it was hard. The sooner he disappeared, the sooner her equanimity could return to normal.