“She told them to get stuffed, but in much more graphic language,” Nicolette said, smiling at that.
“Sounds like her.” Jerith nodded approvingly. “So what did she tell you? How did she react?”
“Well, she told me that what I had done was an adult act, and that now I had to act like an adult and handle it, that she’d support my decision either way. But basically her philosophy was that it was my body, and therefore my decision.”
“Yeah,” Jerith said, nodding. “That’s something my dad pounded into me, that no matter what happened between me and a woman, the woman always got stuck making a difficult decision if she got pregnant. Men really don’t have to worry about that.”
Nicolette looked surprised. “I like your parents. They sure know a lot.”
Jerith nodded. “Yep, he told me that I needed to take responsibility in the beginning so my girlfriend wouldn’t have to later. So what happened after that?” he asked, wanting to hear the whole story.
“Well, two weeks later, John’s parents moved. John tried to get me to elope with him, but I told him I wasn’t even sure if I was keeping the baby, and that the last thing I wanted to do was make two big mistakes. He didn’t like that much. For the next two months I agonized over what to do. But in the end, I couldn’t get an abortion. I always felt like a woman should have a right to choose, because it’s our body, and we have to have some control over what happens to it. But I just couldn’t do it. I knew what could happen when I had sex and I took the chance. Someone up there”—she pointed heavenward—“wanted me to get pregnant, since I took the pill regularly, and it wasn’t my place to counter that.”
“I didn’t know you were religious,” Jerith said seriously.
“I’m not really. I just believe that there is a god and that he does things for a reason. Anyway, my mom was there for me the whole time. After I had Ryan, she helped with feedings, and told me how to handle different things, like colic, diaper rash, all the good stuff. A month and a half after I had him, I went back to school and caught up in time to graduate with my class, although things weren’t quite the same anymore. Then I went to college, and you know the rest.”
“Wow.” He looked awed. “You’ve done so much with your life, compared to what a lot of people would have.”
“You do what you have to do,” she said, shrugging,
“And eventually you ended up marrying Ryan’s father…” Jerith wanted her to continue the story. He knew the highlights, but there were some things he wanted to know more about. John Harris was one of them.
“Yes, I did.”
“Do you think you would have married him if you didn’t have Ryan?” Jerith’s tone was light, but he was watching her closely.
Nicolette thought about the question for a long moment. “I don’t really know. I mean, not from high school. I know that for sure, because when he asked me to marry him then, I didn’t even consider it for a minute. But later… I don’t know. I know a lot of my feelings for him had to do with Ryan and the idea of Ryan having a father.”
“A father, or his father?” Jerith said pointedly.
Again Nicolette paused before answering. “His father, I guess.”
“But now you’re divorced… How long has it been?”
“That we’ve been divorced?” Nicolette asked, her tone strange all of a sudden.
“Yeah,” Jerith replied cautiously.
“We’re not.”
“What?” Jerith said, thoroughly shocked. He sat up, staring at her openmouthed.
“We’re not divorced yet,” she said calmly. “Does that bother you? Seeing a married woman?” she asked jokingly.
“No… but I don’t think I understand. You said John left three years ago, right?”
“Yes, but he was originally leaving to ‘sort things out.’ I waited and waited for him to come back. Every time I talked to him he begged me not to file for divorce, to give him more time. I finally gave up and filed a little under a year ago. He fought it for a while, but he’s given in now. The divorce should be final in about three or four months.”
“Okay… whew.” Jerith looked tired. “I’m glad I haven’t had to deal with any of that stuff.”
“What? Being married?” Nicolette asked as she moved to lie down, her head resting on her arms as she looked up at him.
“Yeah, it sounds like a lot of work.”
“Have you ever been close? To getting married, I mean?”
“Nope.”
“Serious relationships?”
“A few. The last one ended about six months ago.”
“And how long did that one last?”
“About six months,” he said, looking unapologetic.
“Was she a groupie?” Nicolette asked lightly, but Jerith caught the jibing edge, and he laughed.
“No. Actually, she was a professor of anthropology at UCLA.”
“Whoa, really? And how did you meet her?” Nicolette was curious in spite of herself.
“We were doing a concert there, and I was looking for the amphitheater and I accidently walked in on a class she was conducting. She gave me a hard time, but invited me to stay for the class. I did, and… well…” he said, not wanting to get into the details. He didn’t think she needed to know about moving in with her, and trying constantly to get her to loosen up, even going so far as to make love to her in her own classroom.
“So, what happened?” Nicolette knew she was getting the abridged version and was grateful for that. “Not true love?”
“Hardly,” Jerith said, laughing. “She was way too serious for me.”
“Serious how?”
“Serious, boring, overeducated, stuffy serious.”
“Oh, I thought you meant wedding bells, churches, ‘marry me’ serious.”
Jerith grinned, liking that she could come back that quickly. “No. I’m a confirmed bachelor, but I’m not paranoid about it.”
“Oh.” Nicolette nodded. “So the professor was too serious. So what do you see in me? I mean, besides my winning personality, of course,” she said caustically.
“What’s wrong with your personality? I happen to be quite fond of it, as a matter of fact. You’re fun.”
“Oh, yeah, a lot of fun. Getting shot, taking you to luncheons where you get harassed by my soon-to-be-ex-husband’s father. A lot of fun…”
“You make me laugh, plus you didn’t fall for me the minute I met you. You were a challenge.”
“A challenge, huh?”
“Yeah,” Jerith said, his tone mockingly angry. “Just about drove me crazy too.”
“I did?” Nicolette was surprised.
“Hell yes, you did.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted you the minute I laid eyes on you, but you were cool and distant. Not something I’m real used to… Oh shit, that sounded really vain, didn’t it?” He looked embarrassed.
Nicolette laughed. “Not really, I know what you meant. You’re used to groupies coming on to you and all that, right?”
“Yeah,” Jerith said, still looking self-conscious.
“Well, what can I say. I don’t date much.”
“But you have before… I mean, after John, you dated—you told me that. What about before you got married?”
“Yeah, some,” Nicolette said, shrugging. “Certainly nothing earth-shattering, not before or after.”
“Ever date a long-hair before?” he asked pointedly.
“Nope.”
“Well, that’s been your problem then.”
“My problem? I see…”
“You haven’t had enough long-hairs in your life.”
“Uh-huh, but now you’re here to make me all better, right?” Nicolette said cynically.
Jerith grinned. “God, I’d sure like to try.”
“And just what is wrong with me?” Nicolette asked haughtily, but she was smiling all the while.
Jerith leaned back against the headboard, looking at her and shrugging. “Nothing, exc
ept the fact that you’re an incredibly beautiful woman with no life.”
“I have a life.”
“You have Ryan and work.”
“That’s a life.”
“No, that’s two really big jobs. You need some fun, some action.”
“Getting shot wasn’t enough action for you?”
“That’s not action, that’s crazy,” Jerith said, giving her a narrow look. “I want to show you so much more, that life can be fun, not all work and stress.”
“Okay… but why me?” Nicolette asked, putting into words the question that had been going around in her mind for the last week. Jerith Michaels could have just about any woman in the world. Why would he want a thirty-one-year-old cop with a fifteen-year-old kid?
“Because, Nick, you’re incredible. You’ve been through so much in your life, and you’re still in there swinging. A lot of people would have given up a long time ago.” He reached over and took her hand, looking down at it as he stroked her skin. “You know, I’ve always thought there were basically two kinds of women. The type that stayed at home, cooked, cleaned, and raised the kids, like my mom. And then there were the ones who had careers. And up until now that’s been pretty much what I’ve seen. Then I meet you, and you manage to be both. You’re a great mom, very feminine without being clingy, and the kicker is that not only do you have a career, but it’s a career that most men can’t even measure up to. And from the little I saw of that, you manage to handle that with ease too.” He blew his breath out, looking her in the eyes. “Basically, you’re amazing.”
Nicolette stared back at him, too stunned to say anything at first. “I had no idea you were so enthralled, Mr. Michaels,” she finally said, her voice quiet.
“Well, now you know,” he said softly. He moved to kiss her, touching her under the chin gently. He sat back and looked at her. “Think I’m obsessed?”
“It is possible,” Nicolette said, grinning. She leaned over and kissed him, more ardently this time.
Jerith slid his hands inside her bathrobe, touching her waist and moving them around to her back. “And did I mention,” he said against her lips, “that you have the most incredible skin I have ever had the honor of touching?”
“You did say something about that, yes.” Nicolette nodded as she moved to kiss his neck, and then his chest.
Jerith drew in a quick breath. “We don’t have to leave the room today, you know,” he said, his words hurried.
“No?” Nicolette asked, her lips continuing their path down his chest.
“Hell,” Jerith said, his voice husky as her lips traveled down to his abdomen. “We don’t have to leave it the whole trip, or ever, for that matter…”
They spent the next two hours making love slowly, taking the opportunity to learn each other’s bodies much more intimately.
****
Back in Sacramento, Skyler spent the week after Billy entered the rehabilitation center working, and—to his surprise—spending some time with his son. Michael showed up the evening after Skyler took Billy to the center. Skyler was, as usual, tinkering under the hood of his car when Michael’s newer-model red Mustang pulled up. Skyler peered from around his hood. Michael Sebastian Kristiani looked a lot like his father, but he had his mother’s brown eyes as well as her long eyelashes, which, with his dark coloring, were striking. He stood about two inches shorter than his father, but his build was similar. Michael had any number of girlfriends at one time, and managed to keep them all happy without any problem.
“Hey, Dad, what’s goin’ on?” he said, walking up and leaning down to look under the hood of his father’s car. He’d always coveted Skyler’s Mustang, but had been equally happy when his father had given him the 2000 Mustang for graduation the year before. Skyler had gotten a deal on it; one of the agents at the Sacramento office had been selling it to buy something else. Skyler had repainted it personally and taken care of any and all body damage. The interior was in prime condition, and he’d checked out the engine and the other major systems as well, tuning and replacing anything that he felt needed it. Michael was very happy with his car, but he still lusted after his dad’s. “What did you do to my car?” he asked, his voice filled with mock concern.
“Nothin’,” Skyler said, grinning. “I’m just checking some stuff out, changing the oil, that kind of stuff.” He glanced up at his son. “What’re you doin’ here? What did you do to your car?”
“I didn’t do anything, Dad, really,” Michael said, sounding guilty already.
“But?”
“Well, there is this knocking sound…” Michael said as he rolled his eyes heavenward.
“Oil?”
“Changed it a thousand miles ago.”
“Clutch fluid?”
“Checked it, it’s fine.”
“Brake fluid?”
“That too.”
“You check the hoses?” Skyler asked, standing up and walking over to his son’s car. He gestured for Michael to pop the hood. He complied, then came around to look under the hood with his father. “Did you?” Skyler said.
“What? Oh, check the hoses—no.”
Skyler nodded. He checked each hose, then moved on to other possible issues.
“Here’s your problem,” he said, and took the cover off the air filter. He reached in and pulled a screw and wing nut out of the filter compartment. “Look familiar?”
“Shit, that’s where that went!” Michael said, slapping his forehead with the palm of his hand.
“That is not a comforting statement, Michael.”
“I was checking my filter a couple weeks ago, and two girls who absolutely abhor each other showed up at my apartment. Anyway, I had to chill them out, and by the time I got back to put the cover back on my filter, the screw and wing nut had disappeared. I figured they fell on the ground somewhere, but I couldn’t find them, so I just grabbed another set.” He shrugged, looking embarrassed.
“Two girls, huh?” Skyler said, grinning and shaking his head. “Poor baby.”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Michael said meaningfully. “I heard who you’ve been spending your time with.”
“You have, huh?” Skyler replaced the air filter cover and straightened up.
“Billy Montague?” Michael said disbelievingly. “She has got to be the hottest woman I’ve ever seen in my life, and my dad’s doin’ the nasty with her.”
Skyler gave him a strange look. “The nasty?” He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “The terms you kids come up with.”
“Well, would you prefer ‘knockin’ boots’?” Michael asked, smiling.
Skyler laughed. “No, I don’t think so.”
“So you are though, huh?” Michael’s eyes were glittering with interest.
“Sleeping with her? Yes, not that it’s really any of your business.”
“Come on, Dad! I’m your son, you can tell me—is she as good as she looks?” He was practically pleading for details.
Skyler gave his son a long look as a slow grin started on his lips. “Better,” he said simply, and then turned and walked inside the house. Michael stood staring after his father, his mouth agape. A few long minutes later he followed him inside. He found Skyler sitting on the couch with his feet up.
“Okay, so I get that you don’t want to talk about you and Billy Montague—so let me ask you what I came here to ask you about.”
“And what would that be?” Skyler said suspiciously. It was usually geared toward his wallet.
“I want to come to work with you,” Michael blurted out, so quickly that it took Skyler a minute to catch up.
“You what?”
“I want to come to work with you,” Michael repeated, moving to sit on the ottoman his father’s feet was on. “You know, like a ride-along kind of thing. I want to see what you do.”
“Okay… Why?”
Michael shrugged. “I thought it might be interesting, and I have to do some sort of internship for school. I thought maybe I could come work for
your office, and I figured doing some sort of ride-along with you would give me an idea about what it would be like working there. Ya know?” he said finally, looking hopefully at his father.
Skyler stared back at his son, his expression evaluative. “You have an internship to do, and you thought working with me would get you off easy,” he said, his eyes narrowing slightly, his tone disparaging.
Michael gave him a look of indignation. “Thanks a lot, Dad. I appreciate your faith in me.” His tone reflected the injury to his ego. “I take it you won’t help me, then?”
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t let you do it—I just want you to call a spade a spade. You were looking for an easy way out, and I fit the bill. Right?” Skyler said, leaning forward.
Michael didn’t say anything for a long moment, then blew his breath out in a sigh. “You got me. I thought it might be fun, yeah. But I am willing to work—really, Dad.”
“Okay then, we’ll give it a shot. When do you want to start coming with me?”
“Is tomorrow too soon?” Michael asked, grinning.
“No time like the present, huh?” Skyler’s eyes were narrowed again, but he was grinning too. “When were you supposed to arrange this?”
“Well,” Michael said, looking abashed, “I got the assignment a month ago, and I’ve been meaning to call you…”
“But all your girlfriends don’t have phones, is that it?”
Michael laughed. “Something like that.”
“So, if you want to start tomorrow, are you planning to stay here, or what?”
“Could I stay here tonight?”
“Why not,” Skyler said, shaking his head. “I get your sister back to school and out of my hair, now I get you. I thought children were supposed to grow up and move away from home, not back in.”
“It just gets worse, Dad. It just gets worse,” Michael said, smiling.
They spent a companionable evening together. They ordered pizza and Skyler allowed Michael to have a couple of beers, since he knew he wouldn’t be driving that night. They watched TV and just hung out together. It was interesting for Skyler. He and Michael had been close when Michael was younger. When he became a teenager, they had butted heads a number of times. Skyler was strict, and he had definite opinions on laziness and shunning responsibility, and as a teen his son seemed to epitomize both qualities. Skyler wondered if Michael had grown out of his old habits, or if this was just one of the many scams he liked to pull, but he figured he would see soon enough.
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