Recovery (14 page)

Chapter 18

The following morning, when I finally made it
downstairs for breakfast, I found the three men sitting around the kitchen table, coffee mugs in hand and heads together.

I sauntered by them and went to the coffee pot. “So now what are the three of you planning?” I called over my shoulder as I poured myself a mug of coffee.

My father was the first to stand up. “I have to go to the office. Lots of work to do.” He winked at Uncle Lance.

Uncle Lance quickly stood. “Yeah, ah, right. Busy, busy.”

I eyed my father and uncle suspiciously. “But it’s New Year’s Day.”

“Better to get a jump on things,” my father said. He turned to Uncle Lance and nodded to the kitchen entrance.

“Yes, absolutely,” Uncle Lance agreed as the two men started for the door. “Let’s go do something businesslike, Billy.”

My father shook his head. “Like you would know what that means.”

“I know how to be businesslike,” Uncle Lance insisted just before the kitchen door swung closed behind him.

A heavy atmosphere quickly filled the kitchen. I kept my eyes focused on the coffee swirling around in my mug. I didn’t want to look up and see Dallas staring at me.

Dallas cleared his throat. “Your father asked me what my intentions were with you. It seems Lance saw us last night in the den.”

“Oh, God,” I groaned. “I’ll never be able to face my uncle again.”

He laughed, his real laugh, the kind that sounded as if it came from his heart. I felt the uncomfortable air between us lift.

Dallas sat back in his chair. “If they think we’re lovers that could work out to our benefit.”

“How?” I took a sip from my coffee.

He got up from his chair, walked over to the coffee machine, and poured himself another cup.

“If they believe it, then they’ll act like they believe it. It will help to convince our suspects that we are indeed lovers.” He leaned his hip against the kitchen counter. “I want you to call Michael this morning and invite him to Val’s party this weekend. Then I want you to insist on meeting him, today, if possible. Let him think you’re interested in getting back together. We need to find out what he really thinks about us.”

“Us?”

“Us.” He nodded. “When you meet with him, I’ll be there. And then we’ll see how he reacts.” He walked over to the phone and picked up the receiver. “It’s time to go to work on the good doctor.”

Two hours later I was sitting wrapped in my warmest coat at an outdoor table in front of the coffeehouse just around the corner from Michael’s. Michael was more than a little enthusiastic about our midmorning rendezvous, wanting to meet as soon as I had showered and dressed.

Michael came up to my table and kissed me quite unexpectedly on the lips. “So glad you called, and thank you for inviting me to Val’s party. Promise to save me a dance?” He gave me a warm smile as he removed his gloves.

I leaned back from Michael, trying to appear unflustered. “Of course. I’ve been thinking about what you said last night and I figured we should be friends, and I wanted to get—”

“Damned hard to find a place to park around here,” Dallas called out as he made his way up to our table and kissed my cheek. “Should have warned me, sweet cheeks. Had to leave the car almost a block away.” He held out his hand to Michael. “Good to see you again, Dr. Fagles.”

Michael’s smile instantly disappeared.

Michael shook Dallas’s hand. “I didn’t realize that you would be joining us.”

“Of course.” Dallas took the chair next to me as he waved Michael to the chair across from me. “After the party, I told Nicci we should all get together.” His piercing eyes closed in on Michael’s face. “We should get to know each other.”

Michael bristled. “Yes, well…” He cleared his throat nervously. “When Nicci called, she gave me the impression it was going to be the two of us.”

“I’m sorry, Michael. I thought I told you Dallas would be joining us,” I declared, knowing I had never said anything of the kind.

Dallas laughed and then put a possessive arm around my shoulder. “No harm done. Besides, I wanted to talk more last night, but I’m afraid the alluring Sammy Fallon just distracted me.”

“Alluring?” Michael snickered. “I have to admit that is not a word that comes to mind at the mention of Sammy’s name.”

Dallas removed his arm from my shoulder and leaned toward Michael. “You don’t care for Sammy?”

Michael shook his head. “Not that I don’t care for her. It’s just that I find her a difficult pill to swallow at times. I prefer honest people who don’t live their lives playing games.”

Dallas nodded approvingly. “She is a bit fake,” he agreed, and then he turned and caressed my shoulder with his hand. “I can see why you fell for Nicci. She is the most honest and genuine woman I have ever known. I couldn’t help but fall in love with her.”

Michael’s dull blue eyes flashed with concern. “I didn’t realize you were that serious about each other.”

“Oh, I am very serious.” Dallas gazed momentarily into my eyes as if he were sending me a message. “Nicci, on the other hand, has been very apprehensive about getting too serious.”

A surge of understanding quickened my pulse. I turned away from Dallas and smiled at Michael.

“What Dallas means,” I explained as I placed my hand over his, “is that I just want to take things a little slower than he does.”

Dallas squeezed my hand. “What Nicci means is that I am ready to take the next step in our relationship, but she feels I am rushing her to the altar.”

A joyful smile quickly spread over Michael’s gloomy countenance. “Perhaps you two should take some time and figure out what it is you each want from the relationship.”

I let go of Dallas’s hand. “Michael, we didn’t come here for counseling.”

Michael sat back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. “Not counseling, Nicci. Just a simple observation.”

“And what would you suggest, Doctor? To help us resolve this impasse,” Dallas entreated, feigning intense interest.

Michael’s smile widened and he laughed, waving his hand about in the air. “I don’t want to interfere.”

Dallas gave a fake laugh. “Oh, please go ahead.”

“Well, sometimes I recommend that couples in your position see other people for a while. Most couples come to realize what they have by finding out what others are lacking. Such a tactic could help you move to the next step in your relationship and help solidify your feelings for each other.”

“Or it could tear us apart,” Dallas countered, his voice tense.

Michael nodded. “That is the risk.”

“But you lost Nicci to another man?” Dallas probed. “Surely you above all others could understand what it would feel like for me to lose Nicci to someone else.” He paused and waited for Michael to respond. He didn’t. “I don’t know what I would do if she left me for another. How did you cope with her leaving you for the artist?”

I felt my jaw drop and quickly regained my composure. I could see the constipated look I had always associated with Michael’s anger slowly spreading across his pale face. His cheeks tinged red and his nostrils flared slightly. Then, as quickly as it began, the anger disappeared. A serene calmness overtook his countenance and he smiled at Dallas.

“I did a lot of soul-searching and learned from my mistakes,” Michael said as his pale eyes found mine. “And I can guarantee, I will never make the same mistake again.”

Dallas sat back in his chair. “I don’t think I would have handled that situation in quite the same way, Dr. Fagles.”

Michael raised his eyebrows in surprise. “And what would you have done?”

“Eliminated the competition, naturally,” Dallas replied. He lowered his voice and added, “I would have blown him right out of the water without leaving a shred of evidence in my wake.”

We returned home from our meeting with Michael and removed our winter outwear in the entrance hall. Dallas meticulously unbuttoned his coat, making every movement of his hand appear effortless yet skillfully executed. He had practiced to perfection his air of casual confidence. Convincing everyone around him of his ability to get the job done. But as he slipped the coat from around his shoulders, I wondered if Dallas was as convinced of his skills as the rest of us. Did the impenetrable warrior have any insecurities lurking beneath all of that armor or was he as empty on the inside as a sunken ship beneath a dark ocean?

“I was impressed with how you handled Michael,” I commented as Dallas hung up his coat in the closet. “I thought you would have been at least a little more subtle in your attack.”

“We don’t have time for being subtle, Nicci. I find being direct saves time.”

I felt the spark of a memory of David skip across my mind. He had said the same thing to me once, but the circumstances had been very different.

I reached over and hung up my coat in the closet. “And what did you learn this morning?”

“I learned that the dear doctor has a short fuse. I was pushing him to get a reaction. It wasn’t quite what I was looking for.”

I shut the closet door. “What did you expect? For Michael to leap across the table at you?”

He nodded. “Something like that, yes.”

“Well, I am—”

The ringing of the hall phone interrupted me. I went over to the table by the stairs and answered it.

“Nicci, darling. It’s Sammy,” her sultry voice resonated over the phone.

I froze and turned to Dallas. I mouthed her name at him. He nodded.

“Hello, Mrs. Fallon,” I continued.

“Nicci, dear,” she purred, “I was wondering if your architect friend was around. I asked him last night about looking at my house and doing some drawings for me on a few renovations I’ve been thinking about.”

“Sure. Dallas is right here.” I placed the phone against my body so Sammy could not hear. “She says she’s calling about some renovations she talked to you about last night.”

“Everyone works pretty fast around here.” He smiled as he took the phone from me. “Hello, Sammy,” he said, happily.

I watched as he listened to her. “No, this evening would be fine, I think. Let me just check with Nicci.” He turned to me, nodding. “You are busy this evening, right?”

“Yes,” I spoke up so Sammy could hear me.

“No, Nicci can’t go,” he stated, putting the phone back to his ear, “but I can make it about six. Does that work for you? Perhaps we can grab a bite to eat after.” He paused and looked over at me. “Fine, Sammy. I’ll get the directions from Nicci. See you then.” He walked back to the table and placed the phone back on the receiver.

“She wants to see you alone,” I surmised.

“She invited you, but I want to see her alone. I can’t get what I need from her if you are there. She has to think I’m interested, remember?”

I kept my eyes focused intently on his. “She’ll want you.”

“Let’s hope so.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “And what am I to do while you are with Sammy?”

“You can call Eddie. Tell him I was supposed to meet Sammy but you haven’t heard back from me. You were wondering if he saw me at the house.” He frowned at me. “Try to sound like you’re concerned about me when you talk to him.”

“If Eddie thinks you are alone with Sammy he’ll come after you.”

Dallas grinned. “That’s the idea.”

I gave Dallas the keys to my Nissan Pathfinder and directions to Sammy’s. He was wearing a pair of tailored brown slacks and a cream cashmere sweater.

“Where did you hide your gun?” I asked, looking over his outfit.

He winked at me as he walked to my car.

I felt a shudder of apprehension course through me as he opened the door to my SUV.

I wrapped my arms about me. “Do you think you can get her to talk today?”

“I should at least get a good idea of what or if she knows anything.”

“Be careful, Dallas,” I warned. “Sammy once tried to destroy my father by manipulating me. She seems to take some perverse pleasure in hurting people. She can be as difficult to read as…you.”

That made him pause for a moment. His dark blue eyes searched mine. “I wasn’t aware you were trying to read me anymore,” he said as he tilted his head to the side.

“I thought my intentions were pretty damn obvious last night.”

I felt the winds of regret blow through me. “I should never have let it go that far between us,” I stated, shaking my head. “I’m sorry.”

He reached out and caressed my cheek. “Forget about it.”

The sensation sent a warm ribbon of desire pulsating throughout my body.

He climbed into the car and glanced back at me before he started the engine. He gave me one last grin, put the car into gear, and then made his way down the shell-covered drive to the street.

I stood and watched my car disappear into traffic and tried to smile. Things were beginning to happen; hopefully, soon I would have the answers I needed to go on. But go on to what? How do you crawl back out of a hole and face the sunlight after so long in the darkness? Perhaps I would never truly live again. Maybe David had been wrong about me. Maybe I was meant to be one of those people who just existed in the world, like Sammy and Eddie. Carrying on from day to day without purpose, without passion. Living for me seemed a dream out of reach, like some unattainable prize at a roadside carnival. Dreaming was for suckers.