Fixing Justice (47 page)
Meghan, along with five colleagues from her school, had pooled their money and purchased a lottery ticket that had incredibly won them a mega jackpot. That phone call had done more than change the direction of her life. With the staggering amount of money she suddenly had, the mortgages on her parents’ and brothers’ homes got paid off and a sizeable trust fund established for her nieces and nephews ensuring that each of them would have money for college when that time came.
With the job market being such a tough place for educators, Meghan reluctantly stepped down from her position so someone else could have the chance to chase their dreams as she had. She didn’t want to stop working but others immediately started showing signs of jealousy and disdain for her and her fellow jackpot winners. Hanging onto a job when she didn’t need the income was only inviting judgment.
The midday heat starting to make her clothes feel heavy and uncomfortable got Meghan moving into the driver’s seat of her shiny, new SUV on a reluctant sigh. As much as she enjoyed basking for a few minutes in the relentless southwest sun, it didn’t take long for her to throw in the towel once the heat took over. Starting the engine she flipped the AC to low and took a long, slow pull off the bottle of chilled water, settling comfortably into the plush seat. The car had been her first big purchase. She’d felt giddy at the freedom of having unlimited options and went a little crazy when it came to all the bells and whistles.
All that stuff, from the navigation system to the satellite radio and heated seats, had come in handy though. On a whim, she’d packed up her apartment, put everything she owned in storage, and headed off on a cross-country road trip.
Because she could
. That was three months ago.
In that time she’d traveled from Boston to Seattle then down the California coast, stopping at every giant wind chime or world’s largest whatever along the way. Putting her teacher skills to creative good use, she’d been taking thousands of pictures either with her phone or the fancy 35mm digital camera she loved; then designing digital scrapbooks with a running commentary of her adventures.
While in California, her mother had flown to join Meghan for a weeklong spa retreat and a sweet mother daughter bonding experience. Maggie O’Brien was everything Meghan hoped she’d one day be; smart, loving, fiercely devoted to her family, and possessing a wicked streak a mile wide. They knocked back a couple of bottles of Jameson Irish Whiskey during their ten days together laughing like schoolgirls, and at night she would sit at her mother’s knee like she had as a child, listening to her mom’s calming voice as she smoothed Meghan’s curls.
After California, it was time to get back on the road, which is what brought her to this rest stop along old Route 66. This portion of her American adventure had been the most fun she’d had. The rich history turned her on. The desert southwest was so incredibly beautiful that she pulled over to take pictures constantly.
Tonight she’d be in Flagstaff where she planned to stay for a few days. After that it was a slight detour south toward Sedona and a visit she’d been thinking about for a very long time. More than five years in the making, she would at long last be meeting face to face with a man she barely knew who had been uncommonly kind to her during a dark time. Knowing that his kindness came during a difficult period in his life, she’d always hoped to share her enormous gratitude in person. Now that the opportunity was upon her, Meghan was excited and a bit apprehensive too.
It had felt so forward and pushy to tap out an email that basically said -
Hey, I’m in town and inviting myself over to your place for a visit
– but that’s what she’d done.
Well
, she thought as her SUV pulled onto the highway,
the deed was done.
Now the stage set for whatever came of her impulsive desire to settle an emotional debt that only meant something to her.
Alexander Valleja-Marquez was fit to be tied. Depending on which hat he was wearing at any given time, whether Spanish Don of inherited nobility or retired Special Forces Commander or senior partner in a prestigious security agency, or friend, he was a handful at the best of times. When he had an itch up his butt though, he was a fucking nightmare to deal with. And he knew it. But frankly, knowing didn’t slow his roll for a second.
The agency’s summer calendar was fully booked for the season making the Marquez Villa and surrounding Justice Agency compound a bustling mini-town of activity. It was their busiest time of year and with both his partners slightly distracted by personal matters, Alex had assumed a bigger role in overseeing day-to-day agency operations.
As out of sorts as he was, that didn’t stop Alex from a moment of happiness recalling the unexpected chain of events that found two of the three Justice Brothers married and with babies on the way. As if Cameron’s life changing romance with his ponytailed wife wasn’t mind-boggling enough, the approaching birth of their first child had blown everyone’s mind. And then there was Draegyn who was also a married man with a baby on the way. Never in a million years had he thought any of them would be the happily ever after sort.
Snorting in disbelief for the thousandth time, Alex left the dimly lit tech cave where he spent the majority of his time and made his way to the tiled walk leading to the pool. Zeus, his constant companion and the only female to speak of in his life, trotted along amiably at his feet. At least the dog seemed to like him.
He was heading for the pool to work off an excess of nervous energy that was tying him up knots. With the non-stop agency activity to keep him busy you’d think he wouldn’t have time for wandering thoughts, but pretty much the only thing he could think about for the past couple of days had been an email from someone he’d known briefly during his special ops days. Back when he ordered people into danger, then was the one to tell families about their son or daughter’s brave sacrifice.
That last awful day of his command not only ended his military career, it was when the families of more than a dozen soldiers and civilians he was responsible for had gotten bad or devastating news. Even though Alex had been one of the severely wounded, he hadn’t shirked his responsibility as the commanding office in charge to write personally to each family. Was the least he could do and while it did nothing to ease the black mark left on his soul from that day, it did serve as a reminder of his own humanity, something that came perilously close to being lost in the months before and for a long time afterward.
One of those he wrote to was the fiancée of a young soldier who hadn’t stood a chance when the bomb went off. He’d been surprised when she replied, sending a long heartfelt letter about her fiancé and how much he loved every minute of his time in the service and respected his C.O. At the time, Alex was struggling through months of endless surgeries, physical therapy plus mental and physical anguish that were stripping his soul. Her letters had been the start of a brief pen pal exchange. By the following year when he was stateside again and starting to build a life outside the military, they’d remained Christmas card pals but nothing else. Until she emailed him out of the blue and said she’d be in the Sedona area soon and could she come by for a visit.
Could she come by for a visit? Alex had been flabbergasted. It wasn’t everyday that a ghost from the past came a knocking. Even though they’d never met, she was still a reminder of an awful time. Then he remembered how friendly and sweet she’d been during his long convalescence – sending long chatty letters full of everyday details that helped take his mind off the pain and his weary spirit.
She’d intrigued him with her straightforward outlook, refusing to wallow in self-pity for her loss. He liked that. She wasn’t a crybaby. For reasons he didn’t want to mull over, he sent her a holiday card every year that she always reciprocated. It was an unusual friendship without detail or substance.
And that was part of the problem. The idea of finally meeting her was rattling his cage. What did you say to someone whose future was destroyed by his decisions and actions?
Reefing his t-shirt over his head in one smooth motion, Alex dropped it on the deck and dove smoothly into the deep end of an enormous lap pool. A dozen slow, measured laps later he felt a little better.
Coming to the decision it was no big deal to entertain someone from the past, he tried to calm his nerves by concentrating on what the visit should entail. He’d talk to his housekeeper, Carmen, and tell her to expect company. He wouldn’t have to do much more than that. Carmen would take care of everything – it’s what she did best.
Alex relaxed and let the water take him away. They agreed she’d text once in Sedona so he could give her detailed directions to the Villa. There wasn’t anything else to do now except wait for her to contact him. The slow burn of excitement in his groin unsettled Alex more than it should. It was just a visit. This was a courtesy call, nothing more. Why did he feel so anxious?
Look for Alex and Meghan’s story
Summer 2014
Suzanne Halliday
writes what she knows and what she loves – sexy adult contemporary romance with strong men and spirited women. Her love of creating short stories for friends and family has developed into a passion for writing romantic fiction with a sensual edge. She finds the world of digital, self-publishing to be the perfect platform for sharing her stories and also for what she enjoys most of all – reading. When she’s not on a deadline you’ll find her loading up on books to devour.
Currently a wanderer, she and her family divide their time between the east and west coast, somehow always managing to get the seasons mixed up. When not digging out from snow or trying to stay cool in the desert, you can find her in the kitchen, 80’s hair band music playing in the background, kids running in and out, laptop on with way too many screens open, something awesome in the oven, and a mug of hot tea clutched in one hand.
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