The irish blessing, p.22
The Irish Blessing, page 22
“Such as?”
“For one thing, it’s easier for me to switch jobs than it would be for you. And like you said, you’d have to go through the added step of taking the California bar exam to practice in this state. Plus, you’d give up a lot more than me if you left your agency, and I’m pretty sure I could find something comparable to my current job, if not better, on the East Coast. I have to say, the hardest part of my decision was giving up my home. At first, I didn’t think I could do it since I’d spent most of my life here. But when I stepped back and looked at the bigger picture, it dawned on me. This place is just a house. I’ll still have my memories. Moving to the East Coast won’t make them disappear. That realization led to my other reason for moving.”
“Which is?”
“This one is a little harder to explain and has to do with Alex. My life with him is gone, and I’m starting over with you. Everywhere I look around here, I see Alex. Like how he used to stand at the sliding door in my bedroom and watch the sunrise. And the way he used to listen to music and sing to himself as he worked on the motorcycles. It’s time for that to stop. I don’t mean my memories need to stop, or I want to forget about Alex and our life together. I am the person I’ve become because of him. But now it’s time for me to build a life, a home, and a future for you and me. I want to leave here, start with a clean slate, just the two of us with Maggie.”
“I don’t know what to say. I’m ecstatic but shocked. That’s a big decision and one I honestly didn’t expect you to make.”
“Well, I did make it, and it will be a huge undertaking. I should start by looking for a job out there. When I find one, I’ll put my house on the market and move in with you while it goes through escrow. After it closes, we can take the proceeds and buy a house with a yard in the suburbs—something with plenty of room for a houseful of kids and Maggie. So, are you okay with my decision and ready to help me plan it all out?”
“Of course I’m ready. We’re in this together.”
“Thank you. After all the drama tonight, I’m exhausted, so I’m going to get off the phone if you don’t mind. I’ll call you tomorrow. We need to discuss this further, plus I want to come out there for a visit and will need to know what time frame works best for you. I thought you could drive me around some of the suburbs so we could check out the residential areas.”
“That sounds like a plan. I’m glad you’re safe, mo ghra. Now, get some rest. I love you.”
“I love you too. Bye.” I hung up my cell phone and leaned against the pillows, reflecting on everything that happened tonight. The most concerning thing of all was the way Nicole had burned me. I had a tough time wrapping my mind around the fact that she had done it. Setting me up was like doing it to her brother, and all for a motorcycle. It was both disgusting and unconscionable. Tired, I could feel my eyes start to close.
A sudden knocking on the bedroom door jolted me awake.
“Hello, ma’am?”
The police officers were still there, and one of them was knocking. I hurried to the door, opening it to find Carl standing in the hallway.
“Ma’am, we’ve wrapped everything up, and we’re leaving. The lock on the sliding door is undamaged, so you’ll be able to secure it. I suggest you install an extra lock on the track to keep someone from breaking in again.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you.” I accompanied the two officers to the front door, noticing Todd’s flannel shirt was no longer on the floor. I assumed they had bagged it as a piece of evidence. After showing them out, I turned the deadbolt on the door and made sure to lock the sliding door to the patio. Then I went to my room, picked up my damaged laptop from the floor, and lay down on my bed. Exhausted, I closed my eyes.
*
Shane drove us down Yorktown Boulevard in Arlington in his BMW. We were going to the fortieth birthday celebration for one of his coworkers, Franklin Davenport, who he jokingly referred to as his work spouse. The two of them had become close friends soon after the agency hired Shane. I’d flown to Washington, D.C., three days ago to visit Shane and check out the surrounding suburbs, my timing conveniently allowing me to attend the party.
“Are you sure I look okay?” I smoothed an imaginary wrinkle from my dress.
“You look gorgeous. Stop worrying.” Shane reached across the console and took my hand, giving it a little squeeze. “Everyone I work with is nice. You’ll like them. I guess I should correct that. Everybody except one person, Bryce Matthews. He’s an arrogant ass and the one who tried to dig up unsavory information about you when we were in Turks and Caicos.”
“I certainly remember that episode. He’s Anna’s brother. Is that how you met her, through Bryce? She won’t be there with him, will she?”
“Yes, I met Anna through Bryce. It was at an agency function. I don’t see why she’d be at the party tonight since I’d expect Bryce to bring his girlfriend, Crista.” Shane slowed down and made a right turn at the intersection. “The venue where Franklin and Claudette are having the party is up ahead on our left. They host a lot of parties, with Halloween their biggest one of the year. Normally, they have them at their house in McLean. But they’re doing some remodeling right now, so they had to rent a hall instead.”
Shane drove up a private lane to a large estate. After parking the car in a paved lot, he escorted me into the building. A sign directed us to a ballroom at the back of the converted mansion. We walked through an open doorway to a room decorated with balloons and banners. There were tables set up in the center, and a bar was against the wall across from us. The other end of the room had a row of French doors that opened to a patio. A dance floor and stage were near the doors, and people had already filled the room and outdoor space.
“Hey. You made it. This must be Liz.” A man of medium height with honey-brown eyes and black hair in a short curly afro walked up to us. He was nice looking, dressed in tan slacks, a collared shirt, and a brown sports jacket.
“Liz, this is the birthday boy, Franklin Davenport.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I extended my hand to Franklin.
“Ah, hell, no. I get a hug.” Franklin took a step forward and hugged me. Then he stepped backward and grinned. “I’ve wanted to meet the woman who got this guy to settle down. You must be pretty special since I’ve never known him to be in a committed relationship before. I have to say, your picture doesn’t do you justice.”
“What picture?” I glanced at Shane.
“The picture Shane has on his desk at work of you. I guess it’s from your Turks and Caicos trip.” Franklin laughed, shaking his head at Shane. “When he showed me the picture, he said you were his future wife.”
“Really? When was this?” I raised a brow at Shane. My lip turned upward in amusement.
“It was after I called you, and we reconciled,” Shane said, looking a little embarrassed. “The picture Franklin is talking about is the group shot of us in the restaurant at our hotel in Providenciales. I had Caitlin send it to me, and I printed it. It’s in a frame on my desk.”
A gorgeous-looking woman in a plum-and-dark-blue sleeveless jumpsuit joined us. Her black hair was in shoulder-length tousled curls, and she had high cheekbones and green eyes.
“Girl. It’s about time Shane brought you around so we could meet you.”
“Liz, this is Franklin’s wife, Claudette.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” I extended my hand, and just like Franklin, she hugged me instead.
Claudette took a step back and smiled at me. “It’s my pleasure. I can’t wait until we have more time to chat. Right now, Franklin and I need to meet and greet, so please, help yourselves. We have a cash bar and a variety of appetizers. We’ll be serving dinner in about a half-hour, and the band should start playing right after that.” Claudette took Franklin’s arm, and they walked over to the door to greet a group of people that had just arrived.
Shane took me around the room, introducing me to his coworkers. It wasn’t long before I had a challenging time remembering names. Just like he’d said, everyone, except one person, was pleasant. Anna’s brother, Bryce, seemed rude and looked down his nose at me when Shane introduced us. Bryce’s appearance had been nothing close to what I’d expected. Anna was tall, blond, and slim. Her brother was short in stature, a tad overweight, and dark-haired. It made me wonder if they were stepsiblings. Thankfully, our conversation was short, with Shane quickly whisking me away.
“Do you want anything to drink? I’m going to get a glass of wine.” Shane stood next to me in front of the wall of French doors leading to the patio.
“I’ll have one too. Thank you.”
Shane walked over to the bar and ordered our drinks. Before returning, one of the guests standing nearby drew him into a boisterous conversation. I was about to join him when a voice came from the doorway behind me.
“What are you doing here?”
I pivoted in place, finding myself staring at Anna. “I’d say the same thing about you.”
“I’m a guest of my brother’s. Not that it’s any of your business. Frankly, I’m surprised to see you here since I expected Shane to dump you by now. You’re not his type of woman. He doesn’t stay attracted to homely little plain Janes for very long. He’ll come back my way. You wait and see.”
“Really? If you think looks are the only thing that sustains a man’s attraction, you’re a bigger horse’s ass than I thought. But then again, I’m not surprised based on how shallow you are. Besides, if Shane wanted you, I wouldn’t be here. Would I?”
Anna looked as smug and obnoxious as I remembered. She had dressed in a low-cut solid white jumpsuit with her blond hair pulled to the side in a fancy knot.
“Liz. There you are.” Claudette hooked her arm in mine and glared at Anna. “We’re going to start serving dinner. I want you and Shane to sit at our table.” She walked me toward a table in front of the dance floor, a group of people already sitting there. “Honey, that woman is such a bitch. Don’t waste your time with her.”
“I already let her get to me and responded in a way I shouldn’t have. I know better than that.”
“I’m sure she deserved whatever you said. Here, you’ll sit at this table with us. Let me introduce you to my family. These are Franklin’s parents, Raymond and Tammy. Next to them is my brother James, and his wife, Maxine. Everyone, this is Liz. She’s Shane’s fiancée.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” I pulled out my chair and sat as everyone greeted me.
Claudette scanned the faces at our table. “We’re opening up the buffet. You should get in line while I round everyone up and let them know they can get a plate.” She hurried away, her family getting up from the table.
“I saw you with Anna. I’m sorry. I didn’t think she’d be here.” Shane looked upset as he took a seat next to me. “Franklin told me Bryce and his girlfriend are having some issues, so he brought Anna to the party instead. What did she say to you?”
“It doesn’t matter what she said. It wasn’t nice. What I said back to her wasn’t either.”
“Don’t let her get to you. She’s doing it to get you all riled up, so try to ignore her. That’ll bother her more than anything else.” Shane stood and eyed the line forming at the buffet table. “We might as well get in line before it doubles in size.”
After a short wait, we returned to the table with our plates full. Shane filled up our water glasses from the pitcher in front of him and passed me a basket of rolls.
“So, Liz, Shane tells me the City of Arlington offered you a job as their investment manager. Congratulations. That must mean you’ll be moving out here soon.” Franklin took the basket of rolls from me as he spoke.
“I’m waiting for their human resources department to finish the background check on me. Once they officially offer me the job, I’ll put my house on the market and move here. We’ve already started looking at prospective neighborhoods in the surrounding suburbs, and so far, I like McLean.”
“Great choice. You’ll be closer to us, and I’ll be able to bug Shane more often.” Franklin glanced over his shoulder at Claudette. “Should we have the band start playing?”
“They’re already getting ready to start.” Claudette eyed the band as the musicians picked up their instruments, and one of them went to the microphone with a guitar in his hand.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Dave, and we are Midnight Sky. We’ll be playing for you this evening. Before we start, I’d like everyone to sing happy birthday to Franklin. We’ll do it on the count of three. Are you ready? Here we go. One… two… three.” Dave and the band began playing their instruments and singing, with Dave pointing at us to join in. The song finished, and Dave addressed the guests again. “All right. It was a little off-key, but not bad. Let’s give a round of applause to Franklin. Happy fortieth, man.”
The room instantly filled with rapturous applause. Then the band started playing again.
“Dance with me, Liz.” Shane pushed his chair backward and extended his hand.
“I’d love to.” I stood and let him lead me out to the dance floor.
Shane pulled me close as we moved to the music. Then he twirled me and pulled me into his arms once again. “I love dancing with you, mo ghra. You always feel so good in my arms.”
I laid my head on his shoulder, catching sight of Anna watching us from a table across the room. I kissed Shane’s neck and snuggled against him as his arms tightened around me. “I love dancing with you too.” Curious if she was still watching, I lifted my head to peek.
Anna glared at me and jumped up from her chair. She said something to her brother, and then the two of them quickly exited the ballroom.
I turned my attention back to Shane, nestling against him as we danced. Pleased by Anna’s hasty departure, I fervently hoped it was permanent.
CHAPTER 16
A HALLOWEEN TO REMEMBER
Franklin and Claudette Davenport’s annual Halloween party was tonight. There’d been so much hype about the event over the last month that I couldn’t wait to go, especially after Shane had informed me some of the costumes would be highly elaborate.
Brimming with anticipation and excitement, I turned from side to side, checking my costume in the full-length mirror in my walk-in closet. The saloon girl outfit was a bit risqué with the way the dress pushed my chest upward and squeezed my breasts, giving them a dramatic effect. The low-cut, snug-fitting bodice was a pink corset with tiny black polka dots and lacy shoulder straps. The adjoining skirt was a hi-lo style, with the front coming to my midthigh. It was black with a row of pink tulle lace six inches above the hemline, and I had topped the outfit off with fishnet stockings and a black lace choker around my neck. Smiling, I had to admit—I liked it.
Claudette was the one who’d picked out the dress and insisted I try it on. She had gone shopping with me for costumes, the two of us becoming close friends after my move to the East Coast three months ago.
“Christ, Liz. That’s some costume.”
I turned, finding Shane leaning against the door frame as he eyed me up and down, his expression full of hungry appreciation.
“Is it too much?” I gave Shane a mischievous smile as I spun in a circle so he’d have a complete view of my dress. “I have an old witch costume from a few years ago I can wear if you think this is too revealing.”
“Oh, I like you the way you are. The problem is I’m not sure if I’ll get through the night without putting my hands all over you. You look sexy as hell.”
“I’m glad you like it. Your saloon bartender costume is perfect. You make a dashing protector and escort.”
“Why, thank you, ma’am.” Shane turned to show off his costume. He wore a solid white long-sleeved cotton shirt with a black ribbon as his necktie and a black garter on each arm. A brown pinstriped vest was over it, and there was a white linen apron over his brown trousers. He topped off the outfit with a black derby hat.
I checked my dress in the mirror one last time. “We’re late. We should have been out the door forty-five minutes ago. I’ll be ready as soon as I grab the cape I bought to go over my dress.”
“I’d rather pick you up and carry you off to our bed than go to the party right now.” Shane sauntered over to me and slid his arms around my waist. He gave me a long, sensual kiss and then pulled away. “Unfortunately, Franklin and Claudette would never forgive us if we missed it. So, we better go.”
I retrieved my pink velvet cape from a drawer and slipped it over my shoulders. Then we left for the party. Having moved two weeks ago from Shane’s townhome in Washington, D.C., to a large house with a good-sized yard in McLean, Virginia, we were there within ten minutes.
Shane and I strolled arm in arm toward the front door, Franklin and Claudette’s creative array of Halloween decorations notably impressive. They had installed jack-o’-lantern stake lights along the walkway and decorated the yard to resemble a haunted cemetery. It was full of grave markers, cobwebs, and several ghosts, and there was a skeleton climbing out of a casket.
“They must like to decorate. The yard is incredible,” I said, becoming even more amazed when I spotted two skeletons playing cards at a bistro set on the porch.
“Wait until we go inside.” Shane opened the front door, and we walked into the foyer.
I jumped, eliciting a small shriek as a six-foot-tall Frankenstein got up from a chair. He had a white face full of stitches and black circles around his eyes. He’d even attached fake bolts to the side of his neck.
“Franklin and Claudette have a Frankenstein doorman?” Stunned, I shook my head. “Their decorations are crazy. Do they do this every year?”
“They do. Franklin has a blast with all the decorating.”
“Could I have your names, please?” Frankenstein said, his voice a deep monotone.
Shane turned toward the door attendant. “Shane Moore and Liz Whalen.”
