The Good Girl

by Barritt, Christy

  Back at Lana’s, I hesitated by the front door, fearing what might wait for me on the other side. Cooper took the key from me and unlocked the door.

  “I’ll check things out first.”

  I nodded, grateful. “Thank you.”

  He slipped inside, and I waited just beyond the front door until he appeared again a moment later. “All clear.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the front door. He’d have to get past me first to get to work. I knew he had to get back to work, and I didn’t plan on keeping him long, but I needed to talk through a few things. “Okay, so how did Danielle’s fingerprint get on that paper?”

  Cooper leaned on the back of the couch, bracing his hands on either side of him. “Maybe someone had an old sheet of paper that she’d touched.”

  “Do fingerprints last that long?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. They could.”

  “Someone used that slime to make it look like a ghost.” This ghost was anything but. I didn’t have all the answers, but someone was desperate to scare me away from this house. Why? How could that benefit someone?

  He leaned closer. “Listen, I’d love to stick around all day and hang out, but I’ve got to get some work done. You’re welcome to hang out at my place.”

  I shook my head. “No, I’ll be okay. Will you call Wanda for Candy?”

  “Sure.” He paused. “Maybe we could have dinner together tonight?”

  Warmth spread through my blood like honey over toast. “That would be nice.”

  He grinned. “Okay. Tonight then.”

  I watched him walk away and realized I was grinning also. Could God actually be giving me a second chance? Not only at love, but at happiness? The thought had been unfathomable just a month ago. But somehow being here in St. Paul had changed something inside me.

  Chapter 31

  I plopped down on the couch when my cell phone rang—again. I fully expected to see Candy’s number on the screen. My heart skipped a beat when I saw...my dad’s. Any sticky sweet warmth that I’d felt only moments earlier disappeared.

  I licked my lips before answering. “Hi, Dad.”

  “Hey, honey. How’s it going for you out there?”

  I nodded, as if he could see me. “It’s going.” No need to mention ghosts, threats, or anything else that had happened.

  “Listen, there are a couple of things I need to tell you. Do you want to hear the good or the bad first?”

  Panic sent off flashes in my brain. What could have possibly happened? Were the charges against me being reinstated? Did the police find some evidence that wasn’t there? Did the church suffer more harm, even without me there?

  “The bad.” My voice sounded strained, even to my own ears. The way I was clutching the arm of the couch made me feel like I was in a nose-diving airplane. Emotionally it felt like I was.

  “Peter got remarried this weekend.”

  I blinked. He’d been dating? Engaged? How had I missed that? Did I really care? “Wow,” I mumbled. “I had no idea.”

  “He married Gretchen Eubanks.”

  I blinked again, slowly processing his words. Gretchen Eubanks was the principal at the school where I’d taught. She’d resigned a few months into the so-called scandal, and she’d been one of the main people who’d pointed a finger at me throughout the whole process. And now she’d married Peter? Really? How appropriate that two of the people who’d ended up hurting me the most were now married.

  “You still there?”

  “I’m here. I...I don’t know what to say.”

  “You know I’m a big fan of marriage. I always think a husband and wife should work things out if possible. But I’m glad he’s out of your life, Tara. We were all shocked by how quickly he turned on you and walked away. If I’d thought you two could still reconcile, I would never say this. But since he’s out of your life, I just want to let you know that there’s someone better for you out there.”

  My throat ached with emotion. “Thanks, Dad. I know your ministry took a big hit with all of this. I’m sorry.” I don’t think I’d said that to him yet. I’d thought it, but really I’d been so wrapped up in my problems that I didn’t give a second thought to anyone else’s.

  “The split wasn’t your fault, Tara. What happened just brought out some ugly things in the congregation, things that had been simmering for a while. We’re doing okay now. Our numbers are growing. People’s hearts are changing. We’re going to be okay.”

  “I just feel like it’s my fault. I feel like I brought so much disgrace to the family and caused so many problems. I didn’t do it, Dad. I didn’t do anything.” I’d always held on to the fear that some part of him didn’t believe me, just like Peter hadn’t believed me. On the outside he acted supportive, but he had to act supportive. He was my father. It would be natural for anyone in his position to feel resentful, though.

  “I know you didn’t, Tara. There will always be people who like you or don’t like you, who agree with you or don’t agree with you. You just have to be right with yourself. I think that’s been the biggest thing holding you back.” His deep, booming voice reached all the way to my heart.

  Tears burned my eyes. “You’re probably right.”

  “That brings me to my good news. The attorney called this morning.”

  I straightened. “Okay.”

  “Before Zack Morris lived in Miami, he lived in Austin, Texas. His mother was married to someone different, so he went by Zack Sinclair back then. Mitch got a call from someone out there who used to work at the school he attended. Zack made the same accusations against a teacher there.”

  I could hardly breathe. Had I heard my dad correctly? My shock quickly turned into a rush of adrenaline. “What does this mean?”

  “It looks like it means that Zack and his mom were trying to scam the system. That teacher didn’t fare as well as you and ended up in jail for a year. They also filed a civil suit against her and ended up making some money on the whole thing. If your case hadn’t been dropped, they would have probably done the same thing to you.”

  “You mean people might actually have proof that I’m innocent?” Tears streamed down my cheeks. Would I finally have my justice? I’d assumed I’d never have it here on this earth, but maybe I was wrong.

  “You can’t tell anyone yet, Tara. They’re still investigating, but we’re hoping to have something solid for you soon. I just wanted to let you know.”

  “Thanks, Dad. I’m glad you called.”

  And I was. My heart felt lighter than it had in years.

  ~*~

  Cooper picked me up at six. He was dressed in khakis and a button-up shirt. He looked gorgeous, as always. I’d borrowed some more of Lana’s clothes—which was becoming a regular routine—and I wore a black skirt, high heels, and a red top with a modest V at the front. Cooper looked me up and down approvingly, and that was all the confirmation I needed. I felt nearly giddy as we set out for the evening.

  I wanted to tell him everything. I really did. But maybe I could wait a few days until there was more concrete proof of my accuser’s lies. Then when I told him, any doubts he might have would be put to rest. I’d be able to say, “Look! There’s proof that I’m innocent!” I could feel whole again.

  That’s what I’d do, I decided. I wasn’t sure what tonight might hold. Would our relationship move forward a step? Would it be confirmed that we were destined to be only friends? I didn’t know. But, either way, there was an end in sight as far as telling Cooper everything. Some of the burden I’d been carrying around for so long eased off my shoulders, and the lightness I felt made me want to jump and leap and sing at the top of my lungs.

  “You seem awfully smiley tonight.” Cooper stared at me from across the table of a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that Cooper claimed had the best food in the city. The place was dainty and clean with low lights, walls decorated with movie and sports paraphernalia, and a bar along one wall, complete with several TVs. He’d apo
logized for not taking me somewhere fancier, but I didn’t care.

  As strange as the thought might be, I was falling in love with him. I knew it by the way my heart fluttered when he was nearby, how my thoughts constantly drifted to him, how I wanted nothing more than to feel his touch.

  Looking back, I hadn’t really felt those things with Peter. I thought I had. But mostly we’d just made sense together. At least, I’d thought we had.

  As I looked at him from across the table, I knew there was more to love than tingling skin and warm hearts. But Cooper was the kind of man who held on. That had been proven when his wife cheated on him. It was evident in the way he cared for Austin and in his steadfast grin and unwavering gaze.

  But did he feel the same way?

  Was I ready to find out?

  Suddenly, my gaze focused on his hand. His wedding ring. It was gone. Pure giddiness surged through me.

  He’d asked me about my sunnier demeanor tonight, I remembered. “My dad called, and we had a really good conversation. It helped to put some things in perspective.”

  “Sometimes you have to take a step back in order to see what you’ve got in front of you.” Cooper pointed to the TV screen hanging on the wall. “Check that out.”

  I blinked at the familiar face on the screen. Miss Mystic.

  A local news channel was covering the story about Danielle Miller’s unsolved murder and highlighted Miss Mystic’s role in the police’s investigation.

  “I told them that weapon still in house, but they no listen,” Miss Mystic said.

  “What else would you like them to listen to?” The reporter held the microphone up to Miss Mystic.

  “I have strong feeling who killer is. I not say on TV, but I tell the police if they let me help.”

  The waitress appeared to take our order, and I didn’t hear the rest of the interview. I quenched the urge to shake my head in disbelief at the psychic and instead ordered some lemon and garlic chicken with pasta.

  Cooper did shake his head. “Ghost hunters, psychics, hauntings. This is like something straight out of a movie.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  I seemed to be surrounded by people like that lately. Was God trying to teach me some cosmic lesson about fame? I’d had my fair share of attention, but most of it had been negative.

  Cooper took a sip of his soda and leaned back. “So Lana comes back soon. What are you going to do when she gets back? Stick around for a while or go back to Miami?” I thought I heard a catch to his voice, but maybe I was hearing what I wanted to hear instead of the truth.

  “I’m not sure yet. So many things seem up in the air. I need to buckle down and make some choices, I suppose.”

  “You could always buy the house on the other side of Lana and look for a teaching position in this area.”

  I swiped a hair behind my ear and nodded. “I’ve thought about that. I really have.” Well, maybe not the teaching part, but the staying in St. Paul part. “I know I want to spend some time with Lana when she gets back, so I’ll be sticking around for a while.”

  He smiled. “Good. I’m glad to hear that.”

  I rested my chin on my hand. “Are you?” I kept the words light, even though I wanted to scream, What does that mean, Ben Cooper?

  “I am. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you, Tara.” His gaze latched on to mine.

  “Thanks, Cooper. Same here.” You’ve stirred up something in my heart—and not just romance. You’ve reminded me what it really means to serve Jesus, to love him. I wasn’t brave enough to say the words. “What’s funny is that we may not have gotten to know each other if it wasn’t for that stupid ghost at Lana’s place.”

  “God has a funny way of working things out sometimes.”

  “You can say that again.”

  Our food came, Cooper prayed, and we dug in.

  I really wanted to finish listening to what he was saying, but my attention was drawn across the room. The creepy man from across the street and his wife sat at a corner table there. She smiled across the table at her husband and, for a moment, I wondered if I was wrong and they were normal. Maybe I’d just caught them on a bad day.

  “What is it?”

  I nodded across the restaurant. “It’s the neighbors.”

  Just then I saw the woman get up and head to the restroom. Quickly, I put my napkin into my lap and stood. “One moment, please.”

  I knew by Cooper’s expression that he knew exactly what I was doing. He nodded. I was so glad he didn’t try to stop me or tell me what to do. He was the kind of man I needed in my life, and I was thankful for him now.

  I wove between tables until I reached the bathroom. Thankfully, the space was designed for three people, so I was able to slip inside and make my way to the mirror.

  That’s where the woman stood washing her hands and blotting her face dry. What was going on with her? Abuse at the hands of a psychopathic husband?

  I lifted a quick prayer for wisdom and smiled at her. “You live on Elm Street, don’t you?”

  The woman glanced at me, soaking me in a moment before nodding. Her eyes looked weary and hollow. “You live across the street.”

  I finished washing my hands and pulled a paper towel out to dry them. “I’m Tara.”

  “I’m Melinda. I’m sorry. I’m all out of sorts today.” She sniffed, grabbed a paper towel, and blew her nose. “I’ve been going through chemo. Stage-two breast cancer.”

  My heart pounded with sorrow for the woman. “I’m so sorry.”

  She nodded listlessly. “I’m going to beat it. I have to, for my husband’s sake. If something happened to me, he would be totally lost.”

  Had I read the man wrong? Was his creepiness simply grief? “Cancer can take a toll on families, that’s for sure.” I waited to see if she wanted to talk anymore, giving her space. My heart honestly went out to her.

  “All he does all day is watch birds out our window.”

  My spine stiffened. “Watch birds?”

  She nodded. “It’s his hobby. He can tell you what any kind of bird in our neighborhood might be. He wanted to be a zoologist, but his parents convinced him to go into accounting instead. Life is too short to do things you don’t enjoy, you know? I wish he had pursued his passion. At least he can do it as a hobby now.”

  All the times I’d seen the man staring out his window...he’d been watching birds? I almost wanted to laugh but restrained myself. “If there’s anything I can do for you, I’d be more than happy to help. On the days you have chemo, let me know. I’ll bring over some food.”

  Her eyes widened. “You would do that?”

  “Of course I would. Neighbors should help each other.”

  She grabbed my hand. “Thank you, Tara. I’m really glad we ran into each other. I don’t have many friends in the area. Richard is such a homebody, and I just moved here a few months ago after we got married. I haven’t made any friends yet, and then I got the cancer diagnosis. I’ve felt so alone at times.”

  I grabbed some paper from my purse and jotted down my cell phone number. “Call me if you ever need anything. I’ll be in town for a while longer.”

  She took the paper and hugged me. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  I pushed the bathroom door open, squeezing Melinda’s hand once more before walking back to Cooper. His perceptive eyes lit as I approached the table. “Everything okay?”

  I filled him in on our conversation, my heart panging with grief. A new woman in a new town facing a life-changing diagnosis. I’d never been diagnosed with cancer, but somehow I still felt like I could relate to her.

  “Sounds like a God-ordained meeting.”

  I smiled. “Yeah, it does, doesn’t it?”

  Our gaze met across the table. There was so much I liked about this man. He didn’t necessarily fit the mold of someone I could see myself with. He’d lived a wild life as an Army Ranger. He had tattoos. He had a son. But I thought he was perfect. The thought of leaving Minnesota and leaving C
ooper behind made my heart twist with sorrow. He’d quickly become part of my life.

  As I stared at him from across the table, I wondered why none of those words would leave my lips. I was fairly certain he felt the same way, and that he couldn’t deny the chemistry that crackled between us.

  Maybe I couldn’t say it until the Big White Elephant in the room was revealed.

  Just a few more days, I thought. Just a few more days.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  I stared at him another moment, contemplating my words, not certain what might come out of my mouth. Finally, I said, “I’m thinking that I’m really glad I met you, Ben Cooper.”

  A smile slowly spread across his face. “I’m glad I met you, too, Tara.”

  ~*~

  It was nighttime again, and I was in a quandary. The thought of staying in Lana’s house terrified me. The thought of staying at Cooper’s seemed too tempting or too inappropriate, especially since Candy said she was staying with a friend tonight.

  So, I decided to do the next reasonable thing and stay at a hotel. Cooper agreed to take care of Gaga for me, since most hotels wouldn’t let the dog come with me. Cooper helped me pack my stuff and followed me across town to a decent establishment that was clean and affordable.

  After I checked in, he walked me up to my room and stopped outside of my door to say good-bye. I had to be honest. Cooper and I had both known intimacy, so major boundaries were in order even though every part of me screamed otherwise.

  I leaned against the door and swallowed a dose of strength. “It was really fun tonight.”

  He stepped closer. I could see it in his eyes—desire. He raked his hands through my hair, his fingers lingered in the tresses. His eyes were faceted on my lips.

  I decided to stop thinking so much for once in my life. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck. In one motion, our lips met. All of my worries seemed to melt in that moment, and all the world seemed right.