Truth and Humility

by J. A. Dennam

  Mary Bennett put her cross-stitch down and glanced at the clock. It was too early for her boys to be in from work, but one of them was definitely sneaking through the laundry room door. She was halfway to the kitchen when she heard the unmistakable sound of a large duffel bag drop to the linoleum floor. Hope bloomed in her chest as it had countless times in almost three weeks. Her large brown eyes peeked through the entryway from the kitchen. She gasped.

  “Danny! Oh, thank God, Mary Mother and Joseph, you’re home!”

  Danny accepted her mother’s fierce embrace, in desperate need of the TLC. “Hi, Mom.”

  Mary pulled away, held her daughter at arm’s length and scoped her out with anxious worry. “You appear to be in one piece, at least until your Pop comes home. Oh…” Tears sprang forth and she took her bottom lip between her teeth to keep the emotions at bay. “Look at your beautiful face.”

  Danny managed a tired smile and lied. “A work-related accident. It’s fine.”

  “Work! Don’t even mention the word around Pop, he’ll fillet ya in two strokes. But you come into this house, young lady, and explain to me where the blazes you’ve been all this time!”

  The smells of home did much to soothe the building storm in her gut. Danny pulled a chair from the dining room table and collapsed into it, inhaled deeply. Fresh laundry, the lingering scent of bacon, her mother’s shampoo… “I found a job in the city,” she began as Mary fixed two glasses of iced-tea. “It didn’t work out. But, Mom, I canp; Bmpot give up on Columbia University. I’ll find another job if I have to… but I’d rather stay and work here.”

  “As long as you don’t burn up all our Internet on those college courses of yours,” Mary imitated her husband to a tee on her way to the table. She set the tall glasses down and took a seat. “You know, just because you ran away doesn’t mean your pop has changed his stance. It would take a miracle to do that.”

  The tea was cold, sweet, heavenly. “I’m too old to run away, Mom. You can call it ‘exploring my options.’ ”

  Mary’s teeth set. “Well, next time you decide to explore your options, know the Cahills aren’t one of them you foolish girl!”

  “You told her?”

  Derek aborted the hug fearing eminent death. There were a thousand questions warring to come out ever since he’d spied Danny’s Jeep in the driveway, yet his sister obviously needed some assurance first. “Come on, Danny, you know I can’t lie to her. She has that…truth stare that used to make me pee my pants when I was five.”

  Her scowl was mean. “In this case, you should have changed your drawers and called it good!”

  His hands came out helplessly. “She wasn’t going to say anything. As long as I kept her updated, she promised not to tell Pop or anyone else.”

  And that, Danny could believe.

  But still…to be on the receiving end of her mother’s disappointment was crushing. And Danny had absorbed plenty of disappointed looks that afternoon. Still grumbly, she finally accepted her brother’s hug, returned it. “I’m going to the pond after dinner. You coming?”

  A small rock plunked into the water only inches from her face. “Hey!” Danny frowned, wiped the droplets from her eyes.

  Derek lounged on the flat rock overhang while she played. He’d already cleaned up and didn’t feel like a swim. “So, he just relieved you of your debt. Just like that.”

  A million hurtful thoughts jammed her brain, but she kept her story vague while she floated in the cool, clear depths of the pond. “I saved his backhoe. He was grateful.”

  “Yeah, he was grateful. But it didn’t look to me like he was ready to let you go anytime soon.”

  She kept her eyes closed, relaxed on her back. “I guess he slept on it.”

  The water lapped at her ears and gave her a moment’s reprieve from the topic at hand. She enjoyed the subme oyedth="48"rsed trickling sounds until another rock splashed. “That one almost hit me,” she groused and swam upright again.

  “I asked you if he tried anything since our fight.”

  “Like what?”

  Derek’s eyes rolled and he sat up. “You know what I mean.”

  “Look,” she dipped her head back to smooth her hair. “How many times do I have to tell you? He wasn’t interested in me that way.”

  “Oh…” Derek couldn’t hold back the sardonic laugh, “he was interested. I just want to make sure he let you leave a virgin.”

  Water invaded her windpipe and she coughed violently.

  Derek’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

  Sensing her brother’s suspicion, she recovered and sidestepped. “What makes you think I arrived a virgin?”

  Again, the eyes rolled. “I happen to be pretty tight with your best friend. She keeps no secrets from me. In fact, she thinks that’s why Brett drugged you, so he could loosen you up.”

  Danny blew out a breath, shook her head. So, her virginity had been public knowledge thanks to good ole’ Mel. “You are my best friend, Derek. Melanie’s been off the grid since that whole Brett incident.” After a moment’s hesitation, Danny gave in to her concern. “How is she, anyway?”

  He moved a shoulder. “Still a little gun shy, I guess. At least with most people.”

  “But not you?” His answering smile made her smile back. “Does that mean you two are exclusive now?”

  The smile faded. “Seeing her like that really shook me up, Danny. I guess I didn’t know how much I cared about her.”

  “Well,” Danny made it to shore with one last powerful stroke, climbed up the steep rock and squeezed water from her hair. “I always suspected, but you both were too busy exploring your independence to notice.”

  Derek took one more look at the fading bruise on his sister’s ribcage as she settled beside him. The bikini she wore was modest enough, but the peach color accented the discoloration. “I spent the night with her when she called me after work Monday. She has nightmares about that ball bag kicking your ass.”

  “Well, the night ended a whole lot worse for him than it did for me. I’m over it.”

  “Are you?”

  She drew her knees up, rested her chin on her crossed arms and smirked. “Knowing he’s in jail helps. But yeah…I’ut ="+0"m over it.” She refrained from explaining how the mental image of Austin the gladiator kept those demons at bay.

  Lightening the mood, Derek lay back on his elbows, crossed his bare feet. “Good. Because I wouldn’t want my bad-assed sister getting soft.”

  Her sideways glance offered up a visual challenge. “Soft?”

  “You haven’t even been practicing.”

  Danny could barely hear him. When she looked up it was to see Derek’s rear-end silhouetted against the moonlit sky about two stories above her. “It’s kind of hard,” she heaved her weight to the next window sill, “to practice when you work two jobs.” Maybe later she would admit her ribs were still a little tender. The sticky rubber of her climbing shoes made the narrow sill feel wider, but the urge to challenge herself was strong. With only one story to go, she cranked the rest of the way without using her feet. Seconds later, she bounded over the parapet and rested her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. “God, I’ve missed this.”

  Derek paced out his rush and caught his own breath on top of the eight-story office building at the edge of town. The veins in his arms bulged from the workout his muscles had just endured. When Danny recovered enough, she straightened and met his high-five. Chalk powder poofed between them.

  “I’m surprised you didn’t builder Cahill’s house when you had the chance. I would have.”

  Her response was derisive. “That’s the first thing I did. Austin knew I’d do it, too. Set me up and I ran with it like a fool.” She fanned her face. “By the way, don’t climb national historic structures.”

  Derek’s set jaw indicated rage, so she quickly changed the subject. “Maybe some day we’ll get a climbing gym close enough so we don’t have to sneak around like this.”

  “Are you kiddin
’ me?” Following her lead, he propped his foot on the edge and peered down to the parking lot far below. “You don’t get a view like this at a climbing gym, sis.”

  “You don’t get arrested, either.”

  “Now, that’s half the rush of urban climbing.”

  She laughed out loud. “Nice, Derek. When it finally happens I’ll be the first to throw that out there.”

  “Ah.” Derek dismissed her concern with a wave. “As long as we stick to night-time we’ll be okay. Besides, you have to pay membership at a gym. This…” he spread his arms to embrace the miles around them, “is free.”

  She wiped sweat from her eye with her shoulder. “Air-conditioning would be nice.”

  “Fresh air…”

  “A well stocked juice bar…”

  “The wind in your face…”

  “Crash mats…”

  “Total world domination…”

  She eyeballed him warily. “Have you been watching Titanic again?”

  Ceiling plaster came down in a shower of dust and broken pieces.

  “Dammit, Danny, watch out!”

  Coughing plaster, Danny brushed white powder from her hair and overalls.

  Derek glared, pointed his hammer and barked, “You need to wake up, little sister! One more accident like that and I’m sending you home!”

  “I’m awake!” she barked back and picked up the offending sledgehammer from across the room. “It just slipped out of my hand, that’s all.”

  “You’ve been brooding all day. Did you have another argument with Pop?”

  She dismissed his concern. “Pop’s good as long as he doesn’t find out I put electricity in the tree house.”

  “Well, he’s gonna miss that generator someday. And when he does, remind me not to assign your brooding little butt to heavy machinery.”

  It wasn’t her father that had soured her mood. Much to her chagrin, the glory of basking in old pastimes over the last few days had faded quickly and the hurt began to seep in. She missed the crew. She especially missed Mac. The thought of her friend struggling alone put a deep pit of regret in her stomach. Swinging hammers with her brother was fine, but Derek was a completely capable man. There was something warm and fulfilling about the way Mac needed her.

  And that’s all there was to it.

  Another face moved in, invaded her gloomy thoughts. Danny pursed her lips, fought the blurred vision and took a violent swing. Sheetrock gave way. Suddenly there was a loud crash in the room beyond the wall they were tearing down.

  Derek turned, bent over to peer through the large hole her hammer had created and spied the broken window beyond. He rolled his head around to nail her profile with an incredulous glare. “Tell me you did not just do that.”

  Without looking at him, Danny simply spun on her heel and left to find her hammer.

  Derek stared after her. Were those tears in her eyes? His eyebrows came down. He marched outside and found her in the back yard.

  “You do realize this is our uncle’s place and we’re just taking down one wall, not the whole house, right?” His sister ignored his sarcastic reminder and continued to swipe her boot through the tall grass in silence. With a heavy sigh, he joined her search until his toe kicked something hard. “Found it.” When she reached for the hammer he’d just retrieved from the grass, he held it away from her. “I don’t think so. Take a break.”

  “You’re not the boss of me, Derek. So just quit…bossing me around.”

  “Is that what’s bothering you? Am I getting on your nerves, Danny?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Well let me get you a box of tissues so we can finish this job without fucking something else up.”

  “Screw you.”

  He caught her arm as she attempted to blow past him. “I haven’t made you cry in years. So, why don’t you tell me what’s really going on.”

  “I’m not crying,” she ground out and pushed at him hard. But he wasn’t letting her out of it so easily.

  Derek pulled a piece of plaster from her ponytail and threw it to the ground. “Enough of this bullshit, peckerwood, talk to me.”

  She shrugged and wiped her nose on her sleeve. “It’s not a big deal, really. I had a friend at Cahill Salvage and…well, I miss him.” She could feel his probing gaze bore a hole right through her. Derek never missed much.

  “Is this some chicken-shit way of telling me you miss Austin?”

  Danny scowled darkly. “Austin can go to hell for all I care. The friend I’m talking about is Mac. The big…” she held her arms out, “wide, tall guy with the mustache.”

  “The one who broke up our fight in the showers that day.”

  “Yeah!”

  “The day I found you playing kissie-face with Austin.” Her answering look of chagrin scared him to death. “My…God, you’re in love with him.”

  “Am not!”

  “Well, you better not be! That’s exactly what he wants and I gotta tell you…” He paced, clutching the hammer in a death grip and shaking his head in frustration. “That son-of-a-bitch would jump for joy if he knew what I was feeling right now.”

  “Don’t worry, Derek, I-fac Detchm not some love-sick twit.”

  “I’ve been around the block a few times, Danny. I’m not stupid.”

  With a heavy sigh, Danny circled around the swing-set, sank to the ground and propped her elbows on her knees as she studied the twenty acres of farmland before her. Derek walked over to a hedge tree, threw the hammer down and lowered himself against the trunk. He was safer at a distance.

  Danny’s thoughts tore away at her curiosity and she simply couldn’t keep the questions at bay any longer. “He said you answered Rena’s phone the night she died.”

  Derek ran a hand through his spiky brown hair and kept from cursing out loud. He knew it was only a matter of time before the subject of Rena’s drowning came up.

  “I did.”

  “Derek…”

  “It was a stupid impulse.”

  “So, you were with her that night.”

  A moment of silence. “No, Danny, I wasn’t with her. I found a cell phone in a parking lot by a car. It was ringing.”

  She closed her eyes, swallowed. “And you answered it.”

  Air hissed through his teeth and he squinted out at the open land. “I saw his damned face on that screen over the word ‘fiancé’ and…I thought I’d stick it to him for sleeping with Brynn. I didn’t know his bride-to-be had just fallen in the river.”

  “She was pushed.”

  Derek’s brows drew down over a thunderous glare. “I don’t know anything about that.”

  “Then why keep the phone call a secret from me? Did you think I’d suspect you?”

  He shot to his feet, picked up the hammer and headed back to the house. “Be careful, sis. Don’t ask questions you’re not prepared to hear the answers to.”

  She didn’t press him further after that. Good thing, because he wasn’t in the mood to sidestep questions.

  Derek had a lot on his mind, starting with his sister’s interrogation and ending with a particular blond who’d just confessed her love for him.

  Shit. Why’d Melanie have to go and do that? All he wanted was to check on her, to make sure she was okay. Maybe engage in some heavy petting if she was willing. His building frustration demanded some sort of release, but as soon as those three little words popped out of her mouth, he’d headed for the exit.

  It was a cruel thing when a woman straddled your lap, moved against you the way Mel did e wded for thand waited until your cock was so raging hard before saying...

  “I have a confession to make.”

  Uh. That was never good.

  “Can it wait until after I’ve made you scream a little?”

  Her big, blue doe-eyes denied him even that, went deadly serious. “I know you’ve slept with a lot of women, Derek.”

  “Uh...sure. And you’ve slept with a lot of men. We’re still okay with that, right?”

&nb
sp; She took her luscious bottom lip between her teeth, gazed at his mouth, the long stubble and square jaw. Her slender fingers came up, touched where she looked. The man was so precious to her. “But I haven’t.”

  Derek’s eyes narrowed. “Haven’t what?”

  “I haven’t been with anyone but you in...a while.” His shoulders tensed beneath the sweaty t-shirt and she felt his emotional withdrawal. Damn him. “Not that I haven’t had offers. I have. But my heart just wasn’t in it anymore...” My heart is in you.

  He read her mind, clamped a hand over her mouth before she could even say it. They were on her bed in her tiny little apartment and he twisted, flipped her beneath him. Hand still in place, he kissed her eyes to close them. “I’m not going to complain, Mel. Hell, I’m flattered. I’ll always be here for you, but we both know this can’t go past a certain point.”

  Anger flattened her mouth beneath his rough hand and she tore away to blurt it out before he could stop her again. “I love you, Derek.” His head sagged between his shoulders, rested against her breastbone. “Deal with it. And if it’s too much for you, then you know where the door is.”

  “What?” His head shot up again, annoyance in his tone. “Are you serious?”

  Melanie pushed him off and sat up. The condoms he’d just taken out of his wallet were waiting for use on her nightstand. The hell of it was...she knew they wouldn’t be used that day. Not with her, anyway. “I’ve thought about this long and hard,” she said sadly, hugging her arms. “I want something more from you. What happened with Danny and Brett...well, it changed things and I’m not willing to share you anymore. If that means breaking things off entirely, then that’s what I’ll do because the thought of you making love to another woman is harder for me than being alone.”

  Derek propped himself up on an elbow, reached out to brush his knuckles along her arm. “Come on, Mel...”

  “If you can’t pay my price, you may as well not even touch me.”

  But the price was way too steep. He could live without other women, he had been for weeks. Melanie was all he wanted at the moment. He could admit that, d aRoman">