Dangerous Authority (7 page)

As they approached a booth, Dominique paused and turned to her.

"Hey there," he said softly.  "What's wrong?"

She stared into his eyes, unable to speak for a moment.  "I…  Dominique…  I love you."

His face broke into a gorgeous smile and he pulled her to him for a long kiss.  When he broke away from the kiss, he placed his lips gently on her temple.  "I love you too, Mary Jane.  It's always been you."

They sat cuddled on one side of a booth and feasted on a shared dish of cheesy French fries.

Chapter 11

"W
hat could you be thinking?"

Mary Jane sat at her mother's kitchen table the following evening.  Someone had spotted her with Dominique in the truck stop, and in true Elwood style, had already informed her mother.

"What, Mom?  What's the problem?" Mary Jane asked, trying to keep the irritation from her voice.

Marsha put down the knife she was using to slice an onion and turned to face her daughter.  "Mary Jane, your husband just died."

A lump formed in her throat.  "Yes, Mom, I'm aware of that," she choked.

Her mom glared angrily at her and she had to look away from the scrutiny.

"Was this going on before Zander died?" Marsha asked.

Mary Jane gasped and her cheeks reddened.  "No Mother!  Of course not!"  She struggled against the tears that pricked her eyes.

"So what then, is Officer Flame some sort of feel better remedy for you?"

"Mom!  No!  I love Dominique."

Her mother groaned.  "You love him, but you were not having an affair with him?"

The tears spilled and she could not stop them.  She didn't want to feel ashamed of this thing she'd wait for so long.  "I've known him since I was eighteen, Mom.  But there was never anything between us until now." 

She wilted under her mother's lengthy glare.  "You know, Mary Jane, your father and I weren't necessarily huge fans of Zander's all the time…  But his memory deserves a little better than this."

Without makeup, Mary Jane knew the remnant of her last encounter with her husband was still faintly visible on her face.  She stood up and turned that side of her face to her mom and pointed at it.  "Do you see this, Mom?  I know that you do.  I know you saw it when it was fresh too.  This is what my life with Zander had boiled down to.  We were on the way to the end.  I'm devastated that my children lost their father, but as far as our marriage…  It was as good as over."

After forcing out her explanation, she doubled over in retching sobs.

Marsha pulled Mary Jane into her arms and stroked her hair and back.  "OK, baby.  OK.  I'm sorry.  I'll support you.  Shhhh.  I'm sorry, baby girl.  Don't cry."

***

Dominique and Mary Jane spent as much time as possible together without letting their children know about the relationship.  They fully intended to tell the kids and let them meet one another, but both agreed Mary Jane's children should have more time to grieve and adjust before introducing Dominique.

Their arrangement left little private time and they became creative about lovemaking escapades.  Sometimes it was early in the morning before a work shift.  Sometimes it was in the bathroom of the diner.  Incredibly fast.  Quiet. And erotic.  She often teased him that they did things together that he would arrest other people for.  When she said that, he never answered with anything but a slight smile.

By the time three months had passed since Zander's death, and fall had decidedly set in, Mary Jane's finances had become exceedingly tight.  She sat at the table late one night going over bills and crunching numbers.  Sighing, she massaged her temples and closed her eyes.  Her house was simply too expensive.  She wasn't going to make it.  She would have to downsize.  She contemplated getting a small apartment, or asking her parents if she and the kids could stay with them for a while to get on her feet.

Her phone rang and snapped her out of her worries.

"Hey," she said on answer.

"Hey, love," Dominique said.  "Thought I'd call and tell you goodnight.  I just got the boys down, I'm going to hit the hey."

"Alright, baby.  Goodnight."

"Hey, you.  What's wrong?"

She'd thought she'd effectively disguised any worry in her voice.  However, he seemed to have an open line of communication straight to her soul.  "Nothing, baby.  Don't worry about me."

"Stop.  Don't lie to me, Mary Jane.  Tell me what's the matter."

"Honestly, it's not that big a deal.  Just doing bills and such, money's tight."

There was a pause before he spoke.  "Zander didn't have life insurance?"

Mary Jane almost chuckled.  "Um, no.  He was not that man, Dominique.  There was nothing.  No insurance, no savings."

He fell quiet again.  She thought she detected a slight quickening of his breath.  Knowing him as she did, she knew this made him angry.

"Dom," she continued.  "Seriously, it's not that big a deal.  We have options.  I can borrow money from my parents for a deposit on a smaller apartment, or we can stay with my parents so I can save up for a while.  Either way is perfectly fine, OK?"

"Move in with us."

It was Mary Jane's turn to be speechless.  It was her dream.  Had always been her dream, to lay her head next to his every night.  Literally nothing could make her happier.  Her children were adjusting well and she knew they would accept and love Dominque.  Their relationship was big talk around the gossip circuit, but people seemed to accept it and she'd experienced very little grief over it. 

But how could she do it now, when she was down and out?  Would he wonder if she was using him?  Was he only asking because he felt sorry for her?  Or perhaps it was a question of some macho chip on his shoulder because Zander had sorely failed to provide for his family.

"Mary Jane," he said.  "Stop everything you're thinking right now.  Don't doubt.  Just say yes."

The melodious sound of his happiness and his confidence warmed her heart.

"Yes."

***

The following Saturday afternoon found Mary Jane wringing her hands nervously, standing by the living room window, and watching for Dominique.  Exactly on time, his car pulled into the driveway.

Her children joined her at the window when they heard the crunch of his tires on the gravel.  They watched as he got out from behind the wheel, while his sons climbed out of the back seat.  She studied the little boys who had the same dark good looks as their father.  They fell in line behind Dominique and marched quietly to her door.

Once inside, Dominique gave Mary Jane a demure peck on the cheek and then stood aside to invite his sons into the forefront of attention.  He introduced Derek and Alex to the Barnaby crowd and then Mary Jane took her turn to showcase her brood.

The Barnaby kids were bouncy and excited to meet Dominique's sons; particularly her twin boys.  In fact, it was the first real smiles she'd seen on their faces since Zander passed.  It warmed her heart and flooded her with relief.  The Flame boys however remained reserved and cool.  They acted much older than they were, and seemed hesitant to relax and have fun.  She wondered if they were unhappy and immediately began to second guess the drastic plan of having the Barnaby family move in.  Maybe his kids didn't like her kids?  Maybe they didn't like her?  She became consumed with jitters.

Jason and Jonah excitedly asked their guests to come and see their room.  The Flame boys peeked up at their father, seeming uncertain.  Dominique looked down at them with a serious face and gave them a curt nod.  While her kids thundered down the hall like a stampede of elephants, Derek and Alex followed behind with quiet, walking feet.

She turned to Dominique, who pulled her close for a much more heated hello kiss.  As soon as she backed away, he saw the worry on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his face falling to frown.

"Do you think Derek and Alex like us?  They didn't seem very excited at all!" she fretted.

Dominique chuckled.  "Are you kidding me?  They're ecstatic."

"Really?" she said incredulously.  "That was ecstatic?"

"Well sure, ecstatic with polite manners!"

"Aw, they are very mannerly!" she replied, not stopping to wonder if that meant he thought her own kids with their bubbly youthful excitement were not mannerly.

***

The move happened in a whirlwind.  There were only two meetings of the families, before they joined addresses because Mary Jane gave up her house so quickly.  By the following weekend, she locked her front door for the last time and then surrendered the keys to the landlord.

Dominique's home was nicer than anyplace she'd ever even imagined living before.  It was one of Elwood's historic homes full of history.  After the moving truck was finished unloading the Barnaby's meager assortment of possessions, she stood in the foyer and slowly turned in a circle staring all around.  The place boasted sparkling wood floors, covered by ornate rugs.  Every light fixture was detailed and elegant, from the chandelier suspended high above her head in the front entryway, to the candelabra fixtures in the guest bathroom.  There was a grand stairway leading up to a dramatic second story landing, and she had a vision of a teenaged Jessie walking down it in her prom dress.  Each room was separated by grand archways and massive sliding doors.  Many of the windows were ornate stained glass.  The whole feel of the place was masculine; dark, brooding, like Dominique.  Despite stacks of unpacked boxes here there and everywhere, the place was immaculate and it amazed her that three males kept such a pristine home.  She wondered how in the world a cop afforded such a place.  He'd been doing it for a long time; she imagined he made decent money.  But surely not
that
decent.

"I inherited this home years ago," Dominique said, coming up behind her and sliding his arms around her waist.  She shivered.  It was crazy how he could read her mind like that.  "It's been in my family for generations.  Since there isn't a payment, it's actually not that expensive to live here.  A little upkeep here and there, but nothing too major.  It's been a nice place to raise my boys."

She spun slowly around to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him.  "Thank you," she said emotionally.

He gave her his trademark penetrating stare.  "You're welcome," he replied.

***

They spent the day diligently working to unpack, find a place for everything, and place unused things into the basement.  The work exhausted Mary Jane, but Dominique was particular about messes, she learned.  He informed her he wouldn't be able to sleep with a mess in the house, so she threw all her energy into it.  Everything was sorted and organized, and they went about the huge undertaking of setting up the bedrooms for her kids.  Everyone had their own bedroom except for Jason and Jonah, who continued to share as they had in the old house.

She enlisted all five children and gave them each jobs to help with the process.  She wanted them all to feel included and feel proud of themselves for helping.  Derek and Alex were extremely adept at anything she asked of them, while her own children incorporated more playing than actual help.  She was impressed by the Flame boys, and glad her kids were having fun.  Dominique seemed testy about the constant interruptions from the children and it made her giggle to see what a true perfectionist he was.

Nothing wrong with that,
she thought.  It was a refreshing change to be with a man who insisted on getting the job done, and seeing the work through until completion.

It was late that evening when the family finally finished.  Jessie had long since fallen asleep on the couch, and the four boys wanted to play a board game.  None of them were used to being allowed to stay up so late, and they wanted to continue the festive feeling of the day.

"No," Dominique barked as Jonah brought
Operation
into the living room.  Jonah stopped, his mouth dropping open.  Mary Jane studied Dominique.  "It's too late for that," Dominique continued, changing his harsh tone only slightly.  "You boys all need to head up to bed."

Derek and Alex leapt up from their seats on the floor where they'd been waiting for Jonah, while Jason remained right where he sat, glaring at Dominique.  Then he turned his attention to his mom.  "We want to play a game, Mommy."

The Flame boys hurried out of the room and she could see them mount the stairs, without so much as a goodnight to anyone, including their father.

She turned her eyes to Dominique.  "Couldn't they play one game?" she asked softly.  "It's their first night together, and the weekend.  Sometimes on Saturday nights I let the kids stay up late so they'll sleep in."  She gave him a suggestive look, hoping he'd get the point that she was interested in staying up very late with him, and it would be nice if the kids slept late in the morning.