“What’s wrong?”
“You can’t tell Ms. D.”
Kevin’s face went grim. He sat forward. “What?”
“Last week, when I dropped Mariah off at the house, she had a prowler.”
Kevin’s voice was rough with anxiety. “Was she hurt?”
“Not much, but she was scared. She fell, reinjured her arm and ankle, and she thinks it was a man. She stayed with me for a few days.”
Kevin watched his friend with a observant eye. “You’ve got that look on your face, man. What’s wrong?”
Anthony’s forefinger stroked his chin as he stared at the TV without really seeing it. He transferred his gaze to Kevin. “The broken window, the trespasser. Something’s not right.”
Under Anthony’s scrutiny, Kevin masked his inner turmoil with a false tranquility. “It’s the cop in you. You’re suspicious of everything.”
#
Later that evening, Mariah had just finished pouring a glass of water when the doorbell rang. Her brows drew downward as she approached the front door and looked through the peephole. “Kevin,” she greeted him as she opened the door and shut off the alarm.
“Hey.” He embraced her. Kevin was a year and nine days younger than Allegra and more like a brother to Mariah, the only one who had her back whenever she and Allegra came to visit North Carolina during summer and school breaks. They managed to stay close over the years, despite his extreme restraint and privacy about his feelings. He didn’t let too many new individuals into his life, but he identified with the key people already there.
Though he possessed his mother’s high cheekbones and winning smile, Kevin strongly resembled his father, a white man named Jeff who took off once he discovered Aunt Celia was pregnant. Because of her own deep well of pain, Mariah understood why Kevin kept others at a distance: his reckless and neglectful mother died young, he didn’t know his father and growing up as a mixed-race child in the South was no party.
The sky was pewter-gray and light rain pelted the ground. Since Kevin wore a hoodless jacket his wavy hair, along with his sneakers and the bottom of his jeans, were damp. He kicked a piece of pine straw off the bottom of his sneakers before entering. Closing the door and putting his hands on Mariah’s tunic-clad shoulders, setting her away from him.
His voice was calm, his regard firm…and his eye was twitching again. “Why didn’t you tell me about the prowler?”
Mariah dropped her gaze and her lips flattened with aggravation. “He wasn’t supposed to say anything.” “Well, he did. That’s not the point. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know.” Her eyes darted around the foyer in frustration. “Besides, nothing really happened.” She withdrew from his hold and moved to the right.
“Have you heard anything?” He followed her into the living room.
She shook her head. “He says it can take weeks, especially if the intruder doesn’t have prints in the system.”
“He. Really? You can’t even say his name?” Kevin folded his arms across his chest.
Mariah’s eyes dropped to the floor. I said his name once, she thought, when he kissed me nearly senseless.
“You know, Gran D thinks you two are an item.”
Mariah raised her eyes and waved her hand in a vague, dismissive gesture.
“Anthony’s good at taking care of people. This isn’t the first time he’s helped you.”
“Only because of Gran D.”
“Really? Is that why he invited you to lunch and cooked dinner for you?” Kevin’s eyes clung to hers, analyzing her reaction.
Mariah’s voice rose in surprise. “H-He was just being polite.” But her curiosity, as well as her vanity, was aroused.
“Yeah. Right.” Kevin cast a knowing look. “The way he looked at you the first time you two met…I’ve never seen him look at a woman like that before. He likes you.” He dropped a light, kiss on her forehead. “Accept it.”
#
Two afternoons later, Mariah wheeled her trash can out to the sidewalk. Her nose was irritated, thanks to the green pollen covering the ground and her SUV. She’d have to take it to the car wash or pray for rain. The day was overcast but warm, so Mariah put on some jean shorts, a short-sleeved orchid tunic and sneakers. Spring and summer felt steamier, more exhausting than the ones up north. Even in late fall the temperatures could reach the upper fifties to mid-sixties, and it wasn’t unusual to see people barbecuing on Thanksgiving or Christmas.
As Mariah set the trash on all fours, she looked to her left and saw a light brown woman approach, wearing pink capris and a white T-shirt that read “Grandma’s Rule” in pink, sparkling letters. Her clear, backless sandals clip, clip, clipped as she came closer. On her right shoulder was a large black purse.
“Hello.” She had a mild, interested voice that was Southern, but Mariah wasn’t sure if it was a Carolinian accent or one further south. The woman appeared to be in her late fifties or early sixties, with a beauty could still put younger women to shame. Friendly brown eyes complemented glossy silver, pin-straight hair that hung to her shoulders.
“Hi.” Mariah hesitated, measuring the older woman for a moment. Southerners were well-known for their friendliness. Strangers had no problem greeting each other, but Mariah had a feeling that this woman had approached her with a purpose.
“I’m Beth, Beth Lareaux.”
Lareaux, Mariah thought. Probably from Louisiana.
Beth flipped the ends of her hair. “This weather. It’s a good thing I don’t have curls, because this humidity would kill them, and summer’s not even here yet.”
Mariah nodded. Her own hair was struggling right now. “Global warming, I guess.”
“I live over there,” Beth added, waving a veined hand to the pale green, split level house next door that Mariah couldn’t see through the trees. She studied Mariah’s face. “What unusual eyes.” Her tone wasn’t disrespectful, just observant.
“I’m Mariah. Can I help you?” she asked, wiping her hands on her shorts.
“I’ve been out of town visiting the grandchildren. Mr. and Mrs. Davenport – their house is two doors down from mine – just told me about Allegra yesterday. I’m so sorry.”
Mariah’s voice felt like old paper, dry and dusty. “Thank you.”
“You’ve got the same pretty skin and cheekbones. Cousins?”
“Sisters.”
Beth let out a deep sigh. “My husband died four years ago. It’s never easy to lose someone, especially when they’re young. She was a beauty, too. The kind that wouldn’t wither with age. Reminded me of that model Nina Campbell.”
“Naomi,” Mariah corrected.
“Oh. Well, it’s no surprise she had female rivals.”
Mariah’s gaze turned keen. “Female rivals?”
“Oh my, yes. When you look like she did, you’re bound to cause some commotion.” Beth sounded as if she knew what she was talking about.
“Commotion?”
“Oh my, yes. Saw it myself. I’m the unofficial neighborhood watch, been doing it for the past twenty-eight years.” Beth’s eyes grew large at the prospect of relaying information no one else knew. “One day, about two weeks before she died, I was taking my daily walk and came around that corner –” she pointed past Mariah’s right shoulder “– and your sister was standing right about where you are, putting out her trash can for pick up. It was early morning, and there was this other woman talking to – at her.”
Mariah tilted her brow. “How could you tell?”
“There was no mistaking it. The way Allegra was gesturing in her face, and I’m sure the other woman was doing the same…Allegra probably threatened to call the police if she didn’t leave her alone.”
Mariah’s eyes narrowed. “Had you seen the other woman around before?”
“No. By the time I got close enough, Allegra was back inside and the woman had driven away.”
“Did you get a good look at her, at the car?”
“Not really.
Her back was to me the whole time, but she dressed fine and had long, dark hair. Her car was silver, and it looked fancy. I tried to get the license plate, but she drove off before I could get close.”
#
By the time Mariah reached Gran D’s house, a brief, light rain had splattered her windshield and washed away the pollen, but did nothing to relieve the humidity. When Mariah saw Anthony’s SUV, she tried to throttle the dizzying current racing through her. To her displeasure, guilt started to wash over her, but she clamped it down. So what, she hadn’t called him back? She’d thanked him for helping her before she returned to Allegra’s.
Mariah bit down on her lower lip as she shifted the car into Park, and Kevin’s words came flooding back to her…
He likes you. Accept it.
Then, with a shiver of recollection, Mariah’s mind whirled back to their kiss and she forced herself to settle down. She got out of the car and dashed to her grandmother’s house to avoid the drizzle. Before she reached the screen door, Anthony appeared on the other side, his thumbs hooked in the empty belt loops of his jeans.
“Hi.” Mariah forced her lips into a stiff smile as he opened the door.
He nodded, his expression blank, and stepped back to allow her entrance.
As she walked toward the living room Mariah could feel him behind her, could sense the sexual magnetism that made him so self-assured. She swallowed hard, lifted her chin and turned to meet that unreadable gaze. “Is Gran D okay?”
“She’s fine, just changing clothes. Why?”
“I’m just…surprised to see you here.”
He gave a casual shrug. “I don’t know why. I check on her a couple of times a week and I drive her around when Kevin or one of her neighbors can’t. But you’d know that if you’d return my calls.” His tone was disapproving, aloofness touching those royal features. Then the detachment melted away from his eyes and his stare turned bold. “Do you always push away the people who help you, or is it just men?”
A stab of shame lay buried in Mariah’s breast. “I –”
“Mariah.” Gran D came out wearing a dark yellow shirt, jeans and black sneakers.
Mariah jumped and spun around at the sound of her grandmother’s voice, thankful for the temporary interruption. “Gran D.” She gathered her grandmother into her arms for a brief embrace before stepping back.
Gran D cupped her chin in her warm hand. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“I need to talk to you –” she darted her eyes in Anthony’s direction before transferring her glance back to Gran D “– about Allegra.”
Both pairs of eyes narrowed.
Gran D dropped her hand. “What ‘bout Allegra?”
“I think we should speak in private.”
Anthony folded his arms across his chest, making the muscles of his biceps bunch beneath his gray-green V-neck T-shirt.
“Whatever ya gotta say ‘bout her ya can say in front of Anthony. He’s fam’ly.”
Mariah cast him an uneasy look, and then took a deep breath. “I think Allegra was seeing a married man.”
“Are you sure?” Anthony asked, stepping closer.
“Yes. One of her neighbors saw her arguing with a woman.”
“When was this?”
Mariah turned her head in Anthony’s direction. “This lady – Beth Lareaux – said it was a few weeks before Allegra died. She just returned to town the other night, so she didn’t know about Allegra until one of the other neighbors told her.” She swung her head around to look at Gran D. The elderly woman was quiet, too quiet. Something clicked in Mariah’s brain. “Did you know that Allegra was…?”
“The other woman?” Her dark eyes became disapproving slits and her back was ramrod straight. She pushed up her glasses. “I had a feelin’, even though I didn’t want to believe it. Lord knows she was raised better than that.”
#
Anthony took it upon himself to walk Mariah to her car. The rain had let up, but the afternoon sky was still dreary.
Mariah opened the car door and stepped behind it – putting something between them – and met his stare. “Look,” she began, depicting an ease she didn’t feel, “I was rude not to call you back and I’m sorry. I’m really grateful for everything you done –”
“I don’t want your gratitude,” Anthony snapped between tight lips.
“Then what do you want?” Mariah countered with easy defiance.
Anthony said nothing for a moment, just pinned her with his eyes. “We need to talk.”
Mariah felt like she was in his crosshairs and a tingling slid down her spine. But deep down, she knew he was right. She had to stop this insanity, let him know that nothing else could happen between them. Talking was the only solution.
“Okay,” she conceded. “Tomorrow night.” She needed a whole day to prepare for him. “Six o’clock. I’ll cook.”
#
The temperature dipped fifteen degrees by the time Mariah removed the aluminum foil from a Corning Ware pan full of blue fish. The red potatoes still had a few minutes to go in the microwave and a bowl of brown-sugared sliced carrots were nearly finished. She went upstairs to change her T-shirt (she’d spilled some spread on it) and put on a dark pink long-sleeved tunic over her boot-cut jeans. Closed-toe, light brown wedges gave her an extra three inches in height. Mariah told herself this was her casual look, not a-hot-guy-is-coming-over-for-dinner-and-I-want-to-look-sexy look.
Mariah returned to the kitchen and set the table. She told herself that what she was doing was perfectly acceptable. Anthony did grace her with a home-cooked meal – followed by incredible kisses – the least she could do was return the favor with dinner.
The doorbell rang while she removed the potatoes.
Mariah looked at the time on the wall and her eyebrows rose as she went to answer the door. Anthony was early.
When she looked through the peephole, Mariah’s shock of discovery hit her full force, even as she unlocked and opened the door. She forgot to disarm the alarm before doing so, but the high-pitched sound reminded her.
“Hello.”
“Hi.”
“Uh…Is everything alright?”
“Yes. Thomasina told me she spoke to you yesterday, and that you finished packing some of Allegra’s clothes. She said she offered to take them to Mimi’s Closet for you. She’s not feeling well, so I figured I’d come by, pick them up for her, and she can take them when she’s better. She said she’d bring you the cash back.”
Mariah blinked. She hadn’t seen Thomas since the funeral. He looked like he’d just stepped out of the boardroom with his high-end suit and dark wing-tipped shoes. She’d almost forgotten him − his bred-in-the-bone arrogance, his almost-beautiful face, his animosity toward Anthony, his aggressive handshake − but the cold shiver that spread over her when she stood in his presence brought it all back like a hammer pounding on an anvil. “Yes, she did. I’m sorry she’s not well. I hope she feels better soon.”
“I’ll tell her.” He lifted his nose and sniffed. “It smells good in here.”
“Thanks. I’ll get the clothes.”
It took about ten minutes for Mariah to wheel down two trunks. Thomas never bothered to lend a hand. “This is all I’ve got right now.”
He squinted. “I hope I’m not interrupting your date,” he stated.
“Oh, it’s not a…a date,” Mariah answered in a rush of words.
His gaze studied her face. “I’m not trying to pry, but just be careful around Anthony.”
Mariah stiffened somewhat. “Why would you say that?” She couldn’t help but wonder if he had been spying on her. “What makes you think I have a date?”
Thomas inclined his head in the direction of the kitchen. “The dinner. Women don’t usually dress like that,” he gave her the once-over, “for their girlfriends. Besides, I went into the kitchen for a glass of water and saw two plates.”
What a liar. He didn’t want water; he just wanted to pry. Mariah clasped her hands in fro
nt of her. She’d let him know that she didn’t appreciate his actions, but she wouldn’t be nasty about it. If she showed anger, he would enjoy it, and she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.
She knew Thomas and Anthony never got along, but she was not going to be the bone they’d use to keep the fight going. “Look, I know you and Anthony can’t stand each other, and honestly, I can’t see how it matters to you who I’m having dinner with—you hardly know me.”
Mariah saw Thomas’s eyes narrow and knew her comment made a direct hit. She gave herself a mental high-five for putting him in his place so effortlessly.
Thomas rallied, and icy contempt glowed in the dark-brown depths of his eyes. “But I know him. A man that’s willing to hit on another man’s woman has no problem taking advantage of others.”
“Speaking from experience?”
“I am. He thought he could steal my girlfriends when we were kids.” A muscle flickered angrily in his jaw. “But when he tried to hook up with Allegra behind my back, he crossed the line.”
Chapter 7
Somehow, Mariah managed to keep her voice steady at the bomb Thomas dropped. “Excuse me?”
“I see he didn’t tell you about that.” His lips twisted into a cynical smile.
Thomas grabbed a bin and wheeled it to his Buick Enclave.
With little effort, he opened the back and lifted it into his vehicle.
She stood in the doorway, speechless.
Anthony and Allegra?
“I just don’t want to see you hurt,” he added when he returned to retrieve the second bin. “Your sister was smart enough to see through him; you should be, too.”
Misgivings swept through Mariah as she watched him drive away.
When the vehicle was no longer visible, she closed the door. Mariah rubbed her upper arms, as if trying to keep herself warm.
In her heart, she knew Thomas was probably trying to get a rise out of her. He could have been lying, but Mariah’s insecurities about men and Allegra were too ingrained in her psyche to be dismissed.
Mariah wavered, torn between conflicting emotions. There was a part of her that wanted answers and the other part wanted Anthony.
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