Living Dangerously

Chapter Nineteen



While Troy talked to his uncle in the kitchen, Julie fished her phone out of her bag in the bedroom. She resisted the urge to call the detectives but took the opportunity to check on her mom and Cal. Elena had just returned home from a few days with her sister, Vicki, and would soon be heading out to Arizona as she’d originally planned. Cal, on the other hand, sounded extra surly.

Julie gazed out the French doors to the serenity of the tall pines and still lake. Cal’s diatribe on the unfairness of life was anything but peaceful. “Cal, I just asked if you brought in my mail.” It was the only day Abbey couldn’t get there. “If you don’t want to or don’t have the time, Abbey can just get it tomorrow.” She hobbled out of the room toward the front door.

“That’s not it, Jules. I know I’m closer than Abbey and I can do it. I’m just worried about you. Where the hell are you? Did you get where you were going?”

Julie glanced at Troy, still talking to his uncle, before opening the front door. More thick pine trees and heavy growth surrounded the area and lined the gravel road that led to the cabin. She limped toward the car to get her books and scripts from the backseat. “Yes, we got here a little while ago.” She made sure Troy wasn’t in earshot. “It’s gorgeous. Peaceful.” She took a deep breath of fresh air, pine trees and lake water, and chuckled. “You’d hate it.” Cal was all about glitz and glitter.

“Hey, I happen to like peaceful, but you’re cutting out. I can barely hear you,” Cal added. “Where exactly is this peaceful heaven on earth? I’m still not happy that no one knows where you are.”

Julie tucked the load under her arm, closed the door and checked the bars on the phone. She edged closer to the house and got a stronger signal. “I’m in Massachusetts.”

Cal whistled. “That I heard. He must have driven like a freaking maniac to get you to Massachusetts this fast.”

Julie nodded. “Pretty much nonstop. I guess he wanted me as far from Los Angeles as humanly possible.”

“No kidding.” Cal sighed. “Okay. So where in Massachusetts?”

Julie spotted two ducks cleaning themselves in the lake behind the cabin, splashing water as they dipped their bills. “By a lake,” she said. “I’m actually not sure since I wasn’t paying attention. I was reading most of the time.”

Cal hesitated on the phone. “Find anything you liked?”

“A couple of possibilities. Most of them were pretty cliché.”

“Any seconds I should have my agent look into?” Cal asked. “Your crumbs are better than my offers.”

“Hey,” Julie said. “That’s not true!” She hated when Cal got sulky like this. Sometimes she really tested their friendship with her comparisons.

Cal didn’t bother to argue. “Look, I have to go. I’m meeting a friend for coffee.”

“Oh yeah? Anyone I know?” Julie asked.

“Nope. A new guy. He’s not my usual taste, but I’m doing my best to expand my horizons.”

“Well, good for you. I’m glad.”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow. That gives you the rest of the day to get me a concrete address.”

“Seriously, Cal. Troy doesn’t want me to.”

“Who has been your best friend for over thirteen years?” Cal asked. “Who has watched your back and been there for you since we were teenagers? Don’t let this guy tell you who you can and can’t talk to, Julie. I thought you were more independent than that.”

When she put it that way, Julie felt a combination of embarrassment and shame for not confiding in Cal. Giving her best friend the address was probably a good idea. Someone should know where she was in case something happened to her and Troy.

“Fine. I’ll find the address and let you know tomorrow.”

“Thank you. Jesus, it’s like pulling teeth with you sometimes.”

Yeah, it was definitely time to give Cal some space. “I love you too. Talk to you tomorrow.”

Cal’s frustrated exhale came over the phone. “Yes, you will. Bye.”

Julie disconnected the phone and stared at the display as the screen went black. Sometimes Cal got into a very nasty mood at the drop of the hat. Julie had learned to change the subject or get out of her way when those moods hit. She’d talked to Cal years ago about seeing a therapist for her mood swings, but she’d just rolled her eyes. I don’t need a therapist when a good f*ck will get my aggression out, Cal had once told her.

Julie disagreed as she pocketed her phone and hobbled into the house.

* * *

Carrie Ann slammed the door from her garage and tossed her keys on the kitchen counter. She hated every single thing about this day. Grabbing a bottle of peppermint schnapps from her freezer, she poured a stiff shot. She wasn’t much of a drinker, especially in the daytime, but she needed a little numbing at the moment. Tossing back the liquor, she felt the cold slide all the way to her stomach. She smacked her lips and poured another before sitting at the bar that overlooked the majority of the living space in her condo.

She had a beautiful place. She loved the energy of the dark red accent wall behind the flat screen TV, loved the splash of bright pillows on the black leather sofa. She couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, just as she knew that Drew loved the house they’d grown up in. Carrie Ann had managed both mortgages without too much trouble. She made a good living. Just not Julie Fraser’s living. Though she enjoyed the good things in life, she didn’t have the freedom that Julie had to spend money on anything anytime without a second thought.

Carrie Ann sipped her schnapps.

Julie should be here now, helping her with Drew. Instead, she’d taken the first opportunity to bail out of town with the first hard-bodied male who’d come along. Was it possible that Julie was actually f*cking this guy and hadn’t told her? Maybe Drew was right. Julie was never there when they needed her. She pretended to be a best friend, but had she really proved it? Wouldn’t a best friend have told her about a new relationship?

Her anger rose in degrees as she swallowed the rest of her shot, grabbed the bottle and headed toward the front door. She pulled her Gucci suitcase out of the hall closet and carried it to her bedroom. She threw clothes haphazardly into the bag as she drank from the bottle. The piece was part of a set Julie had gifted her with years ago and Cal had loved it. Of course, now it was scratched, faded and in need of repair. Much like their friendship.

Sometimes things couldn’t be repaired and you had to get rid of them.

Her phone rang and she punched the talk button without looking at the screen. “What?” she snapped.

“Hi.” Al’s voice sounded tentative. Big surprise there. The guy was two nerds rolled into one.

Cal took a deep breath and poured on the charm. She was an actress first and foremost. “Hi. Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.” She threw underwear into her bag and an idea formed in her head. “Are you busy for the next few days, the next week?” she amended.

“Uh. Depends. Why?” he asked.

She envisioned him scratching his jaw with his knuckles the way he did when he concentrated on something. “You feel like taking a road trip with me?”

“Where?”

“Massachusetts. I feel the need to check on my best friend. Want to tag along?”

The silence on the other end of the phone surprised her. For some reason, she thought Al would jump at the opportunity.

“I guess I can make a few calls and push some appointments. Sure. When did you want to go?”

“As soon as we can get packed and map out a course. We can take turns driving and sleeping and get there in about forty-five hours, give or take a few hours.”

“Wow. That’s an aggressive schedule. Your car?” he asked.

She rolled her eyes. He’d leased a Lexus, but hardly drove it. What was the point of having a car if he didn’t plan on driving it? “Yes. My car. I’ll pick you up in two hours.” She might not know exactly where Julie had landed in Massachusetts, but she had an end state and that was enough for now. Two hours should give her enough time to map out a route, finish packing and stop by the house for what she needed. It would also give her some time to do a little detective work. She not only planned on checking out Troy Mills, but she wanted to know more about Al Gates. The more he talked, the less she believed him.

Certain things just didn’t ring true about the man. For instance, if the mansion at the top of the hill really belonged to him, how come he wouldn’t take her through it? Did he really expect her to believe his excuse of staying away because he wanted to see the house only when the renovations were complete? And wouldn’t his hotel room have more than just one suitcase if he planned to live there for the months it took to redo the mansion? What about the car? The lease was only days old. She’d rummaged through his glove compartment and found it. If he had as much money as he said he did, why didn’t he own anything expensive? The “everything’s in storage” line was beginning to wear thin.

Holy f*cking shit. She froze halfway to her suitcase. Al. How come she hadn’t thought of this sooner? Al could’ve been short for Alfred or Algernon. Or Allen. Wouldn’t it be absolute perfection if he was the one who’d sent Julie those massive flower arrangements?

Ideas circled in her head. To make it to the East Coast in good time, she needed a buddy to help her drive and Al seemed like just the candidate. He was as malleable as soft clay. Exactly what she needed.

Carrie Ann had learned years ago that when life handed her something on a silver platter, she should take it.

* * *

Allen’s heart raced as he stared at his cell phone in his bedroom at home. Carrie Ann wanted him to go with her to find Julie. His luck was absolutely changing. Finally, things were going his way. The investment he made would pay off. Once his game sold there would be nothing stopping him. Julie would see how much he loved her, and he’d buy that house on top of the hill and they’d live their lives together the way they were supposed to.

He didn’t intend to hurt Carrie Ann, but she’d have to understand that he loved Julie and things just wouldn’t work out between them. They were too different. Carrie Ann constantly wanted things. Nothing was ever good enough for her. But Julie was perfect. Julie would accept him for who he was and he’d give her the world because of it.

Besides, disposing of the guy who whisked her away would be well worth the trip, and since he didn’t live in the east and no one knew he was going, his chances of being caught dwindled significantly. No airplane meant no paper trail. Yep, this trip was perfect.

Allen took out a duffel bag from his closet. Glad that he stopped home to get a change of clothes and do some laundry, he opened his bedroom door and yelled down the stairs. “Mom, I’m going to Oxnard to hang by the beach. I’ll be gone for about a week. Don’t call me. I’ll call you.”

He shoved some jeans and T-shirts in the bag and grinned at the turn of events. Julie was going to be so surprised to meet him this way. She’d finally have a chance to thank him for all the flowers. In fact, he had a great idea. A grin spread across his face as he found a blank card. He’d write her another note and hand it to her in person along with the box of chocolates and the silver bracelet. She’d realize exactly who he was, and she’d be beside herself with excitement and happiness that he’d gone to so much trouble to find her.

Allen sat down at his desk and thought a moment.

Dear Julie,

I told you we’d be together and now we are. For the rest of our days, I’ll take care of you like no other.

My undying love,

Allen

She’d have to see he loved her. She’d have to realize that she belonged to him and no one else. He’d make her see. There was no other alternative.

* * *

Troy set the phone on the counter and took a deep breath. Now that they’d reached the cabin, he’d planned to tell Julie about his actual occupation. He hated lying to her. Although he’d never intended for things between them to go so far, it didn’t justify not telling her the truth. Now that he had her alone, it was the best time. Except he couldn’t do it with his uncle on the way. He needed time. He wasn’t stupid enough to think Julie wouldn’t be mad at him. But if he explained the circumstances, she was bound to see his side of it. He hoped.

“Everything okay?” Julie asked. She stood at the kitchen archway.

Troy faced her. “I forgot what a small town this is.” He probably hadn’t even started the car before the grocery store clerk had called his Uncle Zach. In turn, Zach had probably counted the minutes until he knew Troy would be in the cabin.

“How’s your uncle?”

“He sounded fine, I guess. Weird.”

“Weird how?” she asked pulling a chair from the table and taking a seat. She kicked the one next to her so he’d take it.

It wasn’t that Troy had anything against his uncle. Nothing except the fact that he’d let his brother get away with abuse...and possibly murder.

“Weird like he had to talk to me. He’s coming over now. His main house is about a half hour away...closer to the city.” Troy turned the chair and straddled it, set his hands on the table and absently drummed his thumbs on the heavy wood.

“That doesn’t seem too weird. You haven’t seen him in decades, right? He’s probably dying to see you.”

Probably. Troy nodded. Zach had been furious with his brother for moving. He’d always been cool when Troy was around, but when he thought he was alone with his brother, it was a different story. Maybe he did know what a monster his brother was. It was hard to say.

“What are you not telling me?” she asked.

He met her gaze and shrugged. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Are you happy he’s coming over? You don’t seem especially excited about it.” Her blue laser gaze bored a hole right through him. “Did he have something to do with why you moved?”

She’d probably make a great P.I. He had to remember she observed people on a regular basis. She read him better than anyone ever had before.

“It’s possible. I suppose I might find that out in a very short while.”

“So, your mother died, your dad and uncle had a falling out and your dad moved you out of town.”

He nodded. “That’s pretty much it.”

Julie leaned forward and set her hands on his. The instant connection shot straight to his heart. He linked their fingers, temporarily mesmerized by her soft touch.

“You can talk to me about anything, you know. I’m all yours and I’m a pretty good listener.”

Troy studied her sincere face. He hadn’t talked about his mother and father with anyone. He hadn’t seen a need. He’d been stuck with his dad for nine years after his mother died, but he’d gotten out as soon as he could.

Sitting across from him now, Julie deserved some answers. He’d basically abducted her from her home, her life and her family. Yes, he’d done it for her safety, but knowing what might take place when his uncle got there, she deserved to know the truth.

Troy closed his eyes. “I remember that night so clearly,” he said. “The fighting, the scream. The sound of thumping.” He opened his eyes and saw the look on her face, the realization that what he was about to share was going to be way more than she expected. “I remember creeping out of the den and seeing my mother lying on the floor, completely still. My father was at the top of the stairs.” He shook his head. “To this day I can’t figure out if he looked more pissed or stunned.

“‘She fell,’ my dad said. He sounded as surprised as he looked.”

He glanced at Julie’s shocked and sympathetic eyes and shook his head again. “I didn’t really believe it, you know, that she just fell, but I hadn’t witnessed it for myself. I’d seen my mother back away from my father’s hand for years, so it was possible she’d backed away and fallen, but I never doubted that he was the cause.” The subtle downward shift of her brows told him she understood exactly what he hadn’t yet said.

“I was nine years old. I had no one to tell. I thought if I said something, my father might kill me too. So I kept my mouth shut.” He’d prayed every night that his Uncle Zach would somehow come to his rescue. Maybe he knew there was a problem because he’d spent more time with Troy, but ultimately his father had moved them to New Jersey.

“Oh, my God,” Julie whispered. She stood up and limped to the counter, her back to him, her shoulders stiff as she took a few deep breaths.

Troy hated that he’d brought her into the mess that made up his early life. He got out of the chair and made his way toward her. She faced him, her eyes filled with tears. When she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close, Troy held on tight. He swallowed back the feelings he’d kept buried for more than two decades.

Julie pulled back, held his face in her hands. The emotion in her eyes sucked the air out of his lungs. “I am so sorry you had to go through that,” she whispered. “If I could change it, I would in a heartbeat.” A hint of a smile curved her lips. “But you know what? You got through it and you turned into one of the best men I’ve ever met. You’re solid. Capable. You’re a good man despite what happened in your childhood.”

She stood on tiptoe at the same time she brought his mouth to hers. Her kiss destroyed him. Her soft lips caressed his in the sweetest gesture of consolation. Soft and slow, she kissed him until his lips parted and he took over the kiss, pushing his tongue into her mouth to take all the comfort she wanted to give. The kitchen heated up as the kiss got out of control, as his hands skimmed beneath her shirt and brushed along all the soft skin of her back and curve of her waist.

He could debate the merit of her words, especially since he’d lied to her. She might not think so highly of him when she found out. At the moment, though, nothing felt better than holding her in his arms, knowing she wanted him, knowing the comfort she wanted to give him came from the bottom of her heart. She cared about him.

He pulled back, aware of the lack of time he had to do the things he wanted to do to her. “I’d love to continue this,” he whispered at her lips. He grazed his mouth across hers one last time, barely a touch. “But if I keep doing this, you’ll end up without any clothes on in the kitchen and that’s not how I want you to meet my uncle.”

She chuckled and looked up at him, her eyes still a little glassy, but so beautifully blue. “How about I give you a rain check for when he leaves?”

“I’ve always been a fan of rain checks.”

Her smile dimmed as she stared up at him. The seriousness of his confession seemed to weigh on her mind. “You do know you grew up to be a fine man, right?” she said softly. “Despite what your dad did. You’re allowed to live your life and be happy.”

The statement surprised him and she must have seen it on his face.

Her eyes narrowed a fraction. “It’s not that you’re not happy. You’re just a very serious man. You’re allowed to leave the past behind you. There are people who will love you and not hurt you the way your father did.”

* * *

The setting fireball in the sky glared through the windshield as Carrie Ann picked up Al in front of the hotel. He had his bag ready to go and he tossed it in the backseat before she’d fully stopped. He piled in next to her with a giant grin splitting his thin face.

“Hey!” He didn’t make any move to kiss her and the annoyance she felt for him multiplied in intensity.

“Hi.” The more she thought about this trip, the more she’d wished she hadn’t asked him along. If he didn’t serve a couple of very important purposes, she’d make this trip solo. Solo was always the smartest way to go anyway. No one lets you down when you go solo. You only have yourself to rely on and she never doubted herself. She answered to no one but the one in the mirror.

Julie didn’t have that same luxury. Julie had half a dozen people to answer to. Agent, manager, publicist, financial planner, stylist, assistant and the list went on. She had people taking up her time and asking her questions, keeping the Julie Fraser Machine working without a glitch.

Although Cal enjoyed her independence and planned to always stay in charge, she looked forward to the day that all those people filled her life as well. She smiled as she thought about the pot of gold at the end of this particular rainbow...or road trip as the case happened to be. No one would know about it but the man sitting next to her and he wouldn’t be talking to anyone on the backend of this little vacation.

“We’re getting a late start, don’t you think?” Al asked, smoothing the wrinkles in his khakis. Originally, she liked the frazzled professor look, but now it was one of the things she found annoying about him. The crazy millionaire routine wore her patience thin. It would be interesting to see if he coughed up any money for gas and food along the way. That would tell her plenty about the man.

“We’re not on any clock but our own.” She punched the gas and had the satisfaction of watching him flinch behind his glasses. What a dweeb. She cranked the radio where Katy Perry sang about California girls.

“How far did you plan on going?” he asked. He lowered the volume and raised her hackles.

“As far as I can before I can’t keep my eyes open. Then you get to drive.”

The news didn’t seem to upset him. He nodded his head. “If we’re not on any clock but our own, why are you in such a hurry?”

“I want to surprise her for her birthday.”

After a few seconds pause, he eyes widened and he perked up. “It’s her birthday?” He shook his head and grinned. “It’s her birthday! That’s perfect!” He ran a hand through his unruly hair. “This will be great. What a great surprise.”

“Yep. A really great surprise.” Carrie Ann got on the freeway and crawled along with the rest of the traffic. She cranked the radio again. She should’ve waited a little longer for the roads to clear, but she’d have gone stir crazy. It took thirty minutes for the freeway to open up and she stomped on the gas. She planned to go all night. They’d make the best time driving at night with clear roads ahead of them. “So, Al, tell me more about when you met Julie. How long ago was it?”

He licked his lips, wiped his hands on his thighs and lowered the radio. “Only a few months. We met during one of her jogs up the hill. She’s a sweetie, isn’t she?” He seemed happy with his response and Carrie Ann nodded.

“She’s a sweetie all right.” America’s Sweetheart. Carrie Ann wanted to puke every time she heard that moniker. Of course, Julie had never been thrilled with it either. She laughed.

“What’s funny?” Al asked.

“Life. Life is funny.” Carrie Ann glanced at him then back to the road. “You know how you expect it to be one thing and it turns into something else completely different?” She felt his gaze on her.

“I do know that.” His tone empathized. “But sometimes it turns around and you get everything you want when you least expect it.”

Carrie Ann doubted that, but maybe Al had a point. Sometimes life and timing worked to a person’s advantage. Personally, she had not experienced that phenomenon herself too often in the past decade or so. Julie certainly had both an abundance of good luck and timing, but it had yet to wear off on Carrie Ann.

Chalk up another thing that infuriated Carrie Ann.

“Where exactly in Massachusetts are we headed?”

“Not sure.” She didn’t bother glancing at his wide-eyed stare. “I told you I’ll know more tomorrow after I talk to Julie. She’ll have the address for me then. I just want to be there by her birthday and if we don’t leave now, we might not make it.”

“She is going to be so surprised.” He slapped a hand on his thigh and Carrie Ann laughed at his mood. Dweeb to the power of two.

“I agree. This might be the most talked-about birthday of her life.” Carrie Ann forced a smile and imagined the surprise on her best friend’s face when it all went down.