"She's gonna blow a gasket regardless of when she hears it. Wouldn't you?"
"Yah, I'd blow a gasket all right. With one of them big rifles Jake's got up in your closet, aim it right at Nick, that's what I'd do. Ain't no way I'd let him get away with stickin' it in some other woman and knockin' her up. Nope. No way."
Ma was right, Mel was going to blow a gasket and I didn't want that to happen, at least not before she had what she needed for court. Scared about her reaction, I decided to sit on it for the time being. Eventually I'd tell her, but I wanted to wait until the time was right.
"Do not speak a word of this around anyone, okay?" The only other person that would hear my mother was Josh, but I figured better safe than sorry.
"Who me? My lips are zipped." She made a zzzzzz sound.
"Thank you. Now I need to talk to Jake about keeping secrets from me."
"Uh," Ma said.
I waved her off. "Yeah, pot callin' the kettle black, I know."
I walked into the kitchen, and Jake's mouth curved into a half smile. "You're angry."
Ma snorted. "You betcha she is," she said.
"Ma, could you give us a minute, please?"
"Ah Madone. Fine. I'm leavin'. You don't want your mother around to support you, to be here for you, fine. I'll leave. Use me when you need me, then toss me aside. Your brothers, they'd never do that. That's why they're my favorites."
I laughed. "Bye Ma, don't let the door hit you on your way out."
"I don't open doors, ya know. I go through them."
I laughed. "Good point." I sat at the table across from Jake, propped my elbows on it, and plopped my head in my hands. Eyebrows raised, I said, "You were saying?"
He smiled. "I was saying sorry."
"Oh, really?" I smirked. "And for what exactly are you sorry?"
He leaned back in his chair. "So this is how it's gonna be, huh?" He exaggerated slumping his shoulders, and sighed a long, fake sigh. "For being a rotten husband."
That one surprised me. "You're not a rotten husband. At least not compared to Nick."
"You'd be hard pressed to find a husband more rotten than him right now," he said.
"Actually, I could name some politicians." I smiled again. "But go on, I won't interrupt you again." I made a cross sign over my heart. "Promise."
"I figured you knew and were sworn to secrecy, too."
I straightened my back. "When have I ever kept a secret from you?"
"You're right." He nodded, more to himself than to me. "What was I thinking? Everyone knows you can't keep a secret to save your life."
What the?
"I can keep secrets."
He shook his head. "Not really."
My voice rose and my body stiffened. "Tell me one time I haven't."
"When we got Emily her car."
I shook my head. "That's different. That's not a real secret, so it doesn't count."
"I didn't know there were different kinds of secrets."
I nodded. "Try again."
"When I lost my job at Por-Tel."
I scrunched my eyebrows. "I didn't tell anyone."
"You told Mel."
"Well, of course I told Mel. She's my best friend. No one keeps secrets from their best friend."
"Do you see a pattern here, Ang?"
I shook my head. "This isn't about me anyway. This is about you keeping things from me."
"It wasn't my secret to tell."
"But it was about my best friend, so you should have told me." I knew that was weak, but it was all I could think to say.
"If Mel wanted you to know, she would have told you."
"But she didn't. Not until recently anyway."
"Why aren't you mad at her too, then?"
"Because you're my husband, you should tell me stuff."
"But she's your best friend and no one keeps secrets from their best friend."
Score one point for Jake.
I stuck my bottom lip out. "I hate when you do that."
"Really? I don't."
"You're rude," I said, smiling.
"But you love me."
"Only because you're good looking and handy."
"And great in bed."
"So you say. I'm waiting to find out."
"I can show you right now, if you'd like."
"No, I'm mad at you. You have to suck up first."
"Make up sex is incredible," he said.
"You have to make up first to have make up sex, Jake."
"I said I was sorry. Twice, actually."
"I hear foreplay for make up sex is all you can eat crab legs at the resort on the lake." I batted my eyelashes.
"What about the kids?"
"Pfft.” I waved my hand. "They're expensive, and noisy. They can stay home and fend for themselves."
"I like how you think."
"If you play your cards right, you'll like how I act later, too."
He got up. "Gimme a few hours to get some stuff done, and then I'll shower and we'll go. Sound good?"
"Oh, yeah. Clean Jake. I like him much better than dirty Jake."
"I prefer dirty Angela."
"That's not what I meant, you dork."
"Dammit."
He went down to his office. I stayed at the kitchen table, feeling like a hypocrite. I knew I was keeping a very important secret from Mel, and I felt like a heel for doing it, but I convinced myself I was stopping her from doing something she'd later regret. I figured I was following Jake's example—ask for forgiveness, not permission.
***
We went to eat all you can eat crab legs at the resort on the big lake. It was casual—the kind of place where people came in wearing flip-flops and bathing suits under shorts, but I wore Jake's favorite skirt and tank top. I figured I'd tease him a little before I shoved obscene amounts of crab in my mouth. He'd always said watching me sucking a crab leg turned him on. I didn't get that, but I figured whatever floated his boat was good with me.
We decided not to mention Mel or Emily or my mother and just focus on us for a change. Until Ma popped in, that is.
"Ang."
I hung my head. "Ma's here," I groaned.
Jake's eyes narrowed. "She wasn't invited."
"Tell him to zip it. You got a visitor," Ma said.
"I'm on a date with my husband. Can't this wait?" I turned to Jake. "She's not alone."
He wiped his mouth on his napkin, and then tossed it onto the table. "And here we go again."
"I'm sorry. I'll make it quick, I promise." I cracked another crab leg and dipped the meat in butter. "I'm listening."
"This here's Harold and he ain't happy. Seems his wife is having some financial issues, but he says he's got money hidden, and he's been trying to tell her where it is, but, like you, she don't got no clue what's going on. And now she's gonna sell the house and he doesn't want her to, what with that money hidden and all. He needs you to tell her where the money's at."
"What's going on?" Jake asked.
"Ma says this man wants me to tell his wife where he's hidden some money so she doesn't lose the house," I said. "Said she's moving, but he doesn't want her to." I cracked open a crab leg and pulled out the longest, most perfect piece of leg ever.
"How much money did he hide?" Jake asked.
I shrugged. "How much money are we talking about?" I sucked the leftover parts of the crab leg out of the shell.
"Two million."
I choked, and took a sip of my water. "Two million?"
Jake dropped his fork full of coleslaw. "Two million?"
I nodded, and took another sip of water. "Two million. Holy shit."
"Two million," Ma said. "Well I'll be damned. I could a used someone hiding two million buckaroos for me back when your dad and I split."
"When is she moving?" I asked.
"Day after tomorrow," Harold replied.
"Okay, Harold. We'll meet tomorrow first thing. Ma, can you make sure he's with you, and meet me at Starbucks at nine?"
<
br /> "You betcha," she said.
"You're making plans to meet a ghost at Starbucks?" Jake asked.
It did sound pretty strange. "She's moving the day after tomorrow, and it's two million dollars."
"I'm going with you," he said. "This, I gotta see."
***
On the ride home, I gently rubbed Jake's leg. "That was amazing make up sex foreplay," I said. I touched my belly. "Good Lord, I'm bloated."
He rolled his eyes. "So I guess make up sex is outta the question then?"
I stuck my belly out as far as I could. "No way, baby. This thing is all yours."
He laughed. "I'm good with that."
Unfortunately when we got home the opportunity for intimacy disappeared. Emily was gone.
Josh was sitting on the couch, watching TV. "Josh, is Emily home?" Jake asked.
"Nope. Haven't seen her all day."
I shook my head. "She went out straight from work." I ran my hand through my hair. "Dammit. I knew this was gonna happen."
I grabbed my cell and checked my calendar for her work times. "She got off at six.”
"Son-of-a-bitch," Jake said, gritting teeth. He sent her a text to get home immediately.
"We need one of those swear jars," Josh said, switching channels on the TV. "We could go on a vacation with the money you two would have to put in it."
"Pray you don't have a daughter, buddy," Jake said.
"Oh no way. I'm not having girls."
"You don't have a whole lotta control over that."
"Uh, yeah, I do. My health teacher says the man determines the sex of the baby, so I'm having boys."
"Good luck with that," I said.
"He's learning sex ed in health class?" Jake mouthed.
"Apparently so," I whispered.
Emily hadn't answered Jake's text, but he had an app on his phone that allowed him to locate hers, so he used it. "She's at Central Park. Let's go.”
"This isn't going to be good," I said.
"Josh, we'll be back after we get your sister," Jake said.
He nodded. "Good luck."
In Jake’s car, I said, "You know she's with Chandler."
"I know."
"I told you this was serious."
"Yes, you did."
"My mother was supposed to be keeping an eye on her. Where's Ma?"
"I don't really know, honey. I can't see her."
"Yeah, well neither can I." I leaned my head against the back of the seat. "Could use a little help here, Ma."
"Boo," she said.
"Ma, why didn't you tell me Emily wasn't home?" I glanced at Jake. "Ma's here."
He nodded.
"Whadda ya mean she's not home? She sneak out again?" Ma asked.
I shook my head. "Josh said she didn't come home after work."
"Oh boy," Ma said.
"I thought you were gonna keep an eye on her," I said. "What happened?"
"I didn't know," Ma said. "I'm sorry. I was with Harold and then I went to bingo and I got a little distracted. It happens."
"What? You went to play bingo?" I shook my head. "I don't understand what you're saying."
"Bingo, you know, the game?"
I nodded. "I know what Bingo is. I don't—what do you mean you played it?"
"I went to the assisted living. You know, the one I lived in 'til I got the big C. I go there sometimes, and I play Bingo."
"Honey," Jake said, but I ignored him.
"Oh. Well, since I can't actually play, play, I just sorta helped Suzanne play."
"How on earth did you do that?"
"I might a made the Bingo machine pick her numbers so we could win."
"You fixed the game?"
"Angela, seriously. We're almost there."
I'd totally forgotten about Emily. "Oh, crap."
"If that kid is there, I'm gonna beat his ass," Jake said.
"Oh boy," Ma said.
We pulled into the Central Park parking lot. Except for two small lights at the park’s entrance, the entire park was dark. We spotted Emily's Scion parked at the back of the lot, next to an older model Honda something-or-other. Their fronts faced out, toward us. Jake cut the lights, and let off the gas, but the lot was on a slight hill, so we coasted toward them. I rolled down my window and listened. "I can't hear anything." Just then something dark moved inside Emily's car. "Did you see that?"
Jake nodded. "They're in the back seat."
I dropped an F-bomb.
"I'll handle this," Jake said, and moved to get out of the car.
"Don't let him do it, Ang," Ma said. "He ain't gonna be happy."
"Honey wait. Lemme do this, okay?"
He shook his head. "I'm gonna have a ‘come to Jake meeting’ with this kid," he said.
"Fine, but let me go to the car. You just wait behind me, okay? Let them get out first. Neither of us needs to see what might be happening in there."
We stayed as quiet as possible getting out of the car. I put my hand out to stop Jake a few feet away from their cars, and whispered, "Let me do this part, just in case, okay?"
He shook his head, and went to respond, but stopped when all four doors to Emily's car opened at once. The headlights on our car went on. I muttered a thank you to my mother for those nifty little tricks.
Both Emily and Chandler's heads popped up in the back seat, and then ducked back down a second later. I heard Emily say, "Shit, it's my parents."
Jake shot for the car, but stopped himself. "Out of the car now, both of you," he said.
"Okay, Dad. Just a second," she said, her voice shaking.
Chandler was the first to get out, and did so buttoning his jeans. Buttoning his jeans. The kid had balls, that's for sure. Jake was up in the boy's face in less than a second. "Chandler, right?" His eyes gave the kid a once over, and he shook his head and grunted.
"She can do a hell of a lot better than you."
Go Jake.
Chandler stepped back and stumbled over his words. "Uh, yeah...I'm... I'm Chandler."
Jake pointed to the side of the car formerly known as Emily's. "Wait over there, and don't move."
"Uh, I gotta...I gotta go," Chandler said. Dropping his shoulders, he turned toward his car, but Jake stepped in front of him, and blocked his path.
"Over there," he said, pointing to Emily's car again. "Now."
Chandler did what he was told.
Emily got out of the car, and walked over to us, her body stiff, her jaw set. She stood defiant and smug, but didn't say a word.
And that's when I lost it. I laid out a verbal lashing full of things I promised myself I'd never say to my kids. I even used my mother's favorite saying, I'll knock you into next week. I was up close in Emily's face, and I was loud. She flinched, but kept her mouth shut.
Jake put his arm on my shoulder. "Hold on, honey," he said and then shifted to Chandler, who was still standing at the side of the car, busying himself on his phone. Jake walked over to the boy, took his phone and put it in his pocket. "I'm going to make sure there's nothing on this that can cause my daughter harm, and then I'll think about letting you have it back."
Emily and I watched as Chandler muttered, "Yes, sir."
Jake motioned for Chandler to come with him, and walked back over to us. He looked at both of the kids and said, "This is the last time either of you will see each other again, you hear me?"
Neither of them spoke.
"Do you understand?" Jake asked, a tone in his voice I rarely heard.
Chandler nodded, but Emily stayed still and silent.
Jake's eyes shifted from Chandler to Emily. "I'm not playing around here." He pointed to the boy, and then made eye contact with him again. "If I find out you've been anywhere near my daughter, I'll come find you. We'll go for a little drive. There are a lot of places in this town to bury a body, kid, and no one will ever find you."
Chandler's mouth went slack, and his eyes widened. He nodded his understanding.
Ma said, "Ooop."
I kept quiet because I knew Jake wasn't kidding. Emily must have known too, because tears dripped down her cheeks, but she didn't touch them, and she still didn't speak.
Jake looked through Chandler's phone and hit the buttons. We all stood there, watching. He handed Chandler back his phone. "Don't forget what I said," he told him. "Now get out of here before I decide to take that drive now."
Ma guffawed.
Chandler stuffed his phone in his pocket and high-tailed it to his car. He was gone in less than a minute. He didn't even glance at Emily the whole time.
Jake set his eyes on our daughter. When he spoke, his tone was sarcastic. "Congratulations, Emily. I've never known how it felt to be disappointed in my child." He nodded. "But thanks to you, now I do."
Her head dropped to her chest, and her shoulders shook. I looked at Jake, and saw the sadness in his eyes. "Why don't you go home, and I'll drive back with Emily?" I asked.
He nodded, and then shifted around and walked to his car.
I stood and watched him drive away, my arm around my daughter, whose tears were coming out in buckets now.
I walked over to the driver's side back door to close it. I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help myself—I looked on the seat and saw Emily's thong panties, and a used condom lying there. It was then that I understood how Jake felt. I shook it off, and walked to the other side of the car, and closed that door, too. "Come on, Em," I said. "Let's get you home."
She lifted her head, saw my face, and cried harder. "I'm sorry, Mama. I'm so sorry." She ran to me and we hugged.
"It's okay, Emily." But it really wasn't. Things had changed, and they'd never be the same, and I wasn't sure I was ready for that. "I'm going to make the appointment with the doctor.”
"Okay."
I let go, faced her, and wiped the tears from her cheeks with my thumbs. "Was that your first time?"
She nodded, and rubbed her nose with her hand.
"Well, you're certainly never going to forget it."
"Yeah."
"Listen, I have a lot of things I want to say to you, but I think it's best that we sit on this for the night. We're all dealing with some pretty strong emotions right now, and I think it's best we pull back so we don't say anything we'll regret.”
"Am I grounded?"
I leaned my forehead into hers. "Oh, honey, you're so grounded you're lookin' up at dirt."
"Great," she said.
We got in the car, and I pointed to the thong and condom. "That needs to go away when we get home."
Unbreakable Bonds (An Angela Panther Mystery Book 2) Page 15
