Another Chance to Love You (14 page)

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Daniel asked, his voice deep with concern.

“I thought it might not be so bad. The last time I flew I was
in my early twenties. I thought I would have outgrown it.” She dared to open her eyes. He was hunkered down in the aisle beside her seat. She tried to smile at him. “Guess not, huh?”

“Want to listen to music? I’ve got some good tunes on my iPod. Maybe it’ll help.”

Monica was willing to try anything at this point. She nodded. “Okay.”

He slipped back into his seat and pulled his carry-on bag onto his lap. Meanwhile, the flight attendant serving the first-class cabin came down the aisle. She stopped at Monica’s and Heather’s row.

“Ms. Fletcher, would you and your daughter like a beverage?”

“My mom’s scared,” Heather volunteered.

The flight attendant, a pretty woman about Monica’s age, gave her a sympathetic look. “This isn’t a long flight, ma’am. We’ll be on the ground before you know it.”

“Have you been flying long?” Monica managed to ask.

She nodded. “Thirteen years. I promise you, it really is safe.”

Monica forced a smile, but she suspected it was more of a grimace. “Thanks.”

The woman looked at Heather. “Would you like something to drink?”

“I’ll take an orange soda, please.”

“And you, Ms. Fletcher?”

“Nothing for me, thank you.”

The flight attendant nodded and moved to the next row. As soon as she was out of the way, Daniel reached across the aisle and handed Monica his iPod device.

“I think we should reconsider our plans for a honeymoon
in Hawaii.” There wasn’t any resentment in his suggestion. Only sympathy. “We can spend our wedding night in Boise, then drive over to the coast. It’s only about eight hours to Portland.”

Goodness! She hadn’t even thought about the long flight to Hawaii. How many hours would they have been in the air, nearly all of it over the ocean?

She felt faint at the mere idea.

Something told her she wasn’t cut out to be a jet-setter or even much of a business traveler. She was, and always would be, a hometown girl.

In a secret corner of her heart, she felt the first hint of homesickness.

A haze lingered over the Chicago skyline, tinged a pale lavender by the setting sun at their backs. The limousine headed east, one link in a giant chain of nonstop traffic on the John F. Kennedy Expressway leading from O’Hare International Airport.

Heather talked excitedly about everything she saw out the windows of the long, black automobile, but her mother didn’t say a word. Daniel was glad to see color returning to Monica’s cheeks. He’d wondered more than once during the flight if she would pass out.

He squeezed her hand. “You okay?”

She nodded.

He didn’t want to say anything to her now, but this put a definite damper on more than an Hawaiian honeymoon. Daniel traveled with his job, and he’d thought it would be great if Monica and Heather accompanied him some of the time. At least during the summer months when Heather was
out of school. But if Monica was this afraid to fly, there was no way he would subject her to it. Which would mean separation when he was on assignment, sometimes for weeks at a stretch.

That reality didn’t sit well with him.

Nearly an hour later, he unlocked the door to his apartment and ushered Monica and Heather inside.

“Wow!” his daughter exclaimed when she went from the foyer into the living room. The wall of glass windows offered a spectacular view of twinkling lights as night began to blanket the city.

Daniel closed the door. “Are either of you hungry? We can order in for tonight, and tomorrow we’ll stock up on groceries.”

“I’m hungry!” Heather answered.

Monica shook her head. “I think all I want is to go to bed.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’ll be fine in the morning. Honest I will.”

Daniel had an odd sensation in his gut, something telling him there was more wrong here than a fear of flying. But for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what it was. Especially if she wouldn’t talk to him.

“Why don’t I order a pizza, then I’ll show you both around the apartment? You can get settled in, make an early night of it and get a good night’s sleep.”

“Thanks,” she whispered.

After placing the pizza order, Daniel gave them the tour of the place he’d called home for several years. In addition to the spacious living area, there was a large gourmet kitchen, with copper pots and pans hanging above the island stove. Off the master suite was an office with a com
puter and modem, fax machine, printer, copier, bookcases and file cabinets. It was tidy at the moment because he’d been away, but when he was working, the room always looked as if a tornado had blown through. Across the hall from the office were two smaller guest bedrooms, one on either side of a bathroom.

“I thought Heather might like this one for her room,” Daniel said as he flipped on the light in the larger of the two bedrooms. Other than the double-size bed, a nightstand with lamp and a dresser, the room was empty, devoid of any personal touches. “It doesn’t look like much now, but I figured you could decorate it like you want,” he told his daughter.

“Whatever I want?”

“Sure. Your mom can take you shopping. Fix it up real nice so when we move back here after the wedding, it’ll already feel like home.”

Monica cast a surreptitious glance in Daniel’s direction. Will it ever be like home? she wanted to ask him. She felt small and petty and spoiled. “And my room?”

The second guest bedroom was as sparsely furnished as the other. Monica didn’t care, as long as the bed was comfortable. She just wanted to sleep and forget the terror of their flight here.

The phone rang, and Daniel went to answer it. From down the hall, she heard his voice.

“I’d like to take the weekend to help Monica and Heather get familiar with the city. They haven’t… Well, sure, I understand… No, if that’s what you need, Charley… Okay, I’ll be in by ten… All right. Good night.”

When Daniel returned to her, he said, “I’ve got to go into the office tomorrow.”

“I heard.”

“I’ll come over for an early breakfast, but then I’ll have to leave you. Think you and Heather will be all right on your own for a few hours?”

She gave him a smile she didn’t feel. “Of course we’ll be all right. It isn’t like we’re not used to being on our own.” Just not in a strange city.

“Monica…” He said her name softly, tenderly, as he turned her to face him. “What’s wrong?”

She fought unwanted tears. “I don’t know. It’s silly really. I feel like such a child.”

He brushed his fingertips across her cheeks. “Homesick?”

She nodded.

“It’s not a crime to feel that way.” He gathered her close against him. His hand stroked her hair. “I love you, Monica. It’ll be all right.”

She nodded again, but the heavy knot in her stomach wouldn’t go away.

M
onica awoke early the next morning, resolved to fall in love with Daniel’s city. As long as she was with him, she could be happy anywhere. She loved him, and he loved her. That was more than enough to smooth over any rough edges associated with her relocation.

She took a shower, then dressed in a cotton blouse and skirt, remembering how warm it had been when they arrived yesterday. A comfortable pair of sandals completed her outfit. A final glance in the mirror told her she looked much better than when she’d gone to bed the night before.

As she walked down the hallway, she was surprised to hear the clatter of pots and pans coming from the kitchen. She hadn’t heard Daniel let himself in.

Daniel turned as she entered the room. For a moment, he assessed her appearance with his eyes. Apparently she’d
been correct about looking better because he looked pleased. “You must have slept well.”

“Yes, thanks.”

He strode across the spacious kitchen and caught her up in his arms, kissing her tenderly. “In fact, you look more beautiful every time I see you,” he said when their lips parted at long last.

She smiled in reply.

“I wish I didn’t have to go into work today.” His voice was husky. “I want to be with you.”

She felt the same way.

“I love you, Monica.”

“And I love you.”

He kissed her again, and she couldn’t help thinking that July 18 seemed a long way off.

“Oooh, gross!”

Daniel grinned as he put his arm around Monica’s shoulders and turned toward Heather, who watched them from the doorway. “You’d better get used to seeing me kissing your mom, squirt, ’cause I plan to do it as often as I can.”

Heather wrinkled her nose, but she looked delighted despite herself.

Daniel gave Monica one last kiss on the cheek, then went to the stove. “I stopped on my way over for some groceries. Enough to see us through breakfast anyway. Do you like Cream of Wheat or oatmeal with raisins? I fixed both, just in case.”

Monica opted for Cream of Wheat. Heather asked for oatmeal. While Daniel filled bowls with the hot cereals, Monica poured herself a cup of coffee.

Before she could ask, Daniel offered, “I got some of that
nonfat French vanilla creamer you like. It’s in the fridge on the top shelf.”

Her heart did a little skip. It was a small thing, remembering that she liked flavored cream in her coffee, yet it seemed a great deal to Monica. As an adult, as a woman, she’d never had anyone around to do things like that for her. Until now.

Her apprehensions of yesterday melted away, and she allowed herself to bask in thoughts of her sunny future with Daniel.

They ate breakfast in the kitchen eating nook, the three of them seated around a small glass-and-chrome table. Daniel apologized again for having to go into work their first day in Chicago, then made a few suggestions about what they might want to do while he was gone.

“Why don’t you get the lay of the land today. Familiarize yourself with the neighborhood. Maybe take a walk along the lakeshore. Tomorrow, we could go to Lincoln Park Zoo, if that’s what Heather would like to do.”

“The zoo? That’d be cool, Dad!”

“Okay then, it’s a date.” He got up from the table and carried his dishes to the sink. “I’d better go. Charley’ll be waiting for me.”

Monica followed him into the living room, then waited there while he went to his office to get his briefcase. A few moments later, he returned.

As he gave her a goodbye hug, he said, “Remember, you’re not in Boise now. Take the usual big city precautions. Be aware of what’s going on around you. That sort of thing.”

She gave him an amused smile. “Boise isn’t
that
small. I know what to do. We’ll be careful.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can. In time for dinner if not before.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll miss you.”

“We’ll miss you, too.”

The story was the hottest thing Daniel had seen since he was assigned to the Henderson investigation over three years ago. If Ed was correct—and it appeared he was—this could blow the lid off drug trafficking and other illegal activities in the entire state of Illinois and beyond to Washington. There were some names in the file one would never expect to see connected with heroin and cocaine and money laundering: state and federal government officials, law enforcement officers, entertainers, even a well-known talk show host.

“You can see why I wanted you to cover this,” Charley said after he’d given Daniel some time to glance through the thick file.

He looked up. “Was Ed shot because he got too close to the truth?”

“That’s my personal feeling. But he was in a seedy part of town. It could be unrelated.” By his tone of voice, it was apparent Charley didn’t think it was remotely possible that the shooting was unrelated to the investigation.

Despite the potential danger, Daniel felt a spark of excitement. It was the sort of investigative reporting he thrived on. This was the kind of story that made people rush for their papers every morning.

Charley leaned forward in his chair. “We’re close to cracking this thing wide-open, Rourke. Real close. We can’t let this trail get cold now or it could all go down the drain.”

“I know.”

“So far, there haven’t been any leaks that I’m aware of. If there are any, we’ll lose our edge. The television affiliates will be all over it, like ants on picnic leftovers.”

“Is it possible for me to talk to Ed?”

The editor shook his head. “He’s in a coma, although they’re more optimistic now that he may survive. But even if he does, he could be paralyzed from the waist down.”

Daniel felt sick at the news. Ed had a wife and two young kids. What would happen to Yvonne and the boys?

“I want you on this day and night until we’ve got everything we need.”

“Remember, I’m getting married the middle of July.”

Charley barked a laugh. “If you don’t have this wrapped up before then, Rourke, you’re fired.”

Daniel figured his boss was only half joking. This sort of coverage would generate incredible attention and accolades for the paper that broke it first.

He rose from his chair. “I’d better get to my office and read through this file.”

“Ed had some appointments made. See if you can’t keep them in his place.”

Daniel nodded. “I’ll do it.” Without another word, he headed for his office, his mind whirring with possibilities, angles to explore, interviews to conduct.

It was a picture-perfect day. A breeze blew off the lake, chasing away the humid heat that had greeted them upon their arrival. The sun hung suspended in a clear blue sky. People were out in droves—jogging, walking their dogs, bicycling.

Heather drank in the sights with her usual enthusiasm, totally unfazed by the sheer size of the city and its popula
tion. She thought it was “way cool” that the city of Chicago had nearly three times the number of people than there were in the entire state of Idaho. Monica, on the other hand, felt like the proverbial hick from the sticks. She kept looking over her shoulder, just waiting for the mugger who was going to knock her down and steal her purse. Or worse.

By the time they returned to Daniel’s high-rise apartment building, Heather had made a mental list of things she wanted to do during the next couple of weeks. High on the list, right after the zoo, was a Cubs baseball game and a visit to the Six Flags amusement park. Monica was just glad to be once again behind a locked door.

Coward, she chastised herself more than once. She felt totally out of her element and very unsophisticated. It was not a pleasant feeling.

She checked the answering machine for a message from Daniel. There was nothing from him, but there were two calls from her mother. She dialed the Fletcher residence, then began to unpack the groceries she and Heather had purchased on their way back to the apartment.

“Hello.”

“Hi, Mom.”

“Oh, Monica, dear. I’m so glad you called me back.” Ellen immediately launched into a litany of wedding details.

While she listened to her mother, Monica put a pan of water on the stove, then opened the package of lasagna noodles so they would be handy when the water came to a boil. Next she heated a large skillet in which to brown the ground beef and sausages. Every so often she made appropriate noises into the mouthpiece of the telephone so Ellen would know she was listening. By the time she hung up, the sauce
was simmering over low heat while the noodles drained on a towel.

She checked her watch. She’d expected Daniel to be here by now. She wondered if he had call waiting on this line. If not, maybe he’d tried to call her and couldn’t get through.

She turned on the oven so it would preheat, then went to check on Heather. Her daughter was curled comfortably on the sofa, the television blaring.

“Dinner will be ready in about an hour,” she announced.

“Great! I’m starving.”

“What are you watching?”

“Same stuff that’s on at home.” Heather seemed surprised by that fact.

“It’s cable TV. I guess everyone in the country has basically the same channels these days.” Monica looked at her watch again.

As if reading her mother’s mind, Heather said, “I wonder what’s keeping Daddy. Shouldn’t he be here already?”

“Soon, I hope.”

Daniel leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms over his head. His neck and shoulders ached, and his eyes hurt from going through so many papers, reading line upon line of tiny print. But he hadn’t been able to stop. Ed had put together an astounding amount of detailed information, some of it very incriminating. Daniel hadn’t known Ed was this good. If he had known…

He smiled half-humorously. So this was what it was like to have some hotshot kid breathing down his neck. When Daniel first came to Chicago, he’d waited and watched for the chance to write a story that would catapult him into the
top spot, right over the head of the paper’s most respected reporter. A man Daniel had considered an old-timer ready for retirement. Now he wondered how often Ed had thought about
him
the same way.

His smile vanished. No matter what Daniel was able to do with this story, he was determined most of the credit would go to Ed Tuskin. He hoped Ed would be around to get the accolades for it. Even more important, he hoped the young father would be able to watch his sons grow up, hopefully play touch football or baseball or golf with them as they got older.

He turned to look out the window and was shocked to find evidence of dusk tinting the sky. Was it
that
late?

He reached for the phone and dialed his home number. Monica answered on the third ring. “Monica, I’m sorry,” he said without giving her a chance to do more than say hello. “I got tied up at the office. I didn’t realize what time it was.”

“It’s okay, Daniel. I knew it must be important. Although I
was
getting a little worried when I didn’t hear from you.”

He felt like a total jerk.

“I’ve kept your dinner warm. Heather was hungry, so she and I ate some time ago.”

Now he felt worse.

“She’s anxious to tell you what we saw today.”

“I’ll be out the door in five minutes. See you soon.”

He’d already hung up the phone and was shutting down his computer when Charley stopped by his office. “I thought you’d still be here, Rourke. Mighty interesting reading, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” He rose from his chair and reached for his briefcase.

“I’ve set up a meeting with Senator Neumeister tomorrow
morning at nine. I want you to be there. We’re meeting in his attorney’s office.” He handed Daniel a slip of paper. The law firm’s name and address were written on it in Charley’s bold script.

“Which way is Neumeister leaning?” Daniel asked. “Is he going to be honest, or will he cover for his friends in the state senate?”

“I think he’ll confirm most of Ed’s information.”

Daniel whistled softly.

“Meet me at that address at eight forty-five. I’ll wait on the sidewalk, and we’ll go in together.”

“I’ll be there.”

They left Daniel’s office and walked together toward the elevator, still talking about the particulars of the story.

It wasn’t until Daniel was halfway home that he remembered he’d promised Heather he would take her to the zoo the next day.

Monica listened as Daniel explained to Heather why he would have to work on Saturday instead of taking her to the Lincoln Park Zoo. She saw the disappointment in their daughter’s eyes even as she said, “It’s okay, Daddy,” and gave him a hug.

“How about Sunday?” he suggested.

“Okay.”

He straightened and met Monica’s gaze. “It really couldn’t be helped.”

“I know.” She tried to hide her own disappointment. “Come on into the kitchen and have your dinner. You must be hungry.”

“Let me wash up, and I’ll be right there.” He strode down the hall and disappeared into his bedroom.

Heather’s hand slipped into Monica’s. “Sunday will still be fun, Mama.”

“Of course it will. It’s only one extra day.”

She gave her head a little shake. It
was
only one extra day. These things happened in the business world. The break-in at Solutions—and all the extra work it had caused—was a good example of what could happen to change one’s plans. Sometimes a person’s job had to take precedence. There were some things a person couldn’t put off, not even for one day, not even for his family.

She knew that was all true, and yet she couldn’t stop the hollow, homesick feeling from rushing back. So she did her best to ignore it. Heather was accepting the disappointment. She wasn’t about to expect less of herself.

While Daniel ate his dinner, he told Monica and Heather what he could about the story he was covering for the paper. He explained that he couldn’t give them particulars because of the nature of the investigation. But he did say it was the biggest thing he’d ever worked on, bar none.

Monica heard the excitement in his voice; she saw it in his eyes. She wanted to be glad for him, but she was oddly disturbed instead.

“Daddy,” Heather said at long last, “do you want to know what we did today?”