When the Heart Lies

Chapter 7





Jackson and Olivia’s limo pulled up next to an indiscriminate row of brick buildings with storefronts along the bottoms. He scanned the near desolate streets. The limo, against the backdrop of the noticeably poor neighborhood, appeared larger-than-life and out of place.

His brow rose. “Celebrity Den?”

Olivia laughed. “The joint’s unpretentious, like Xavier, and the food’s good. He had a meeting this morning at the youth center he funds. Most likely, he’s here already. He’s never late.” She put on more lipstick and checked her hair.

They walked toward the back of the narrow, dimly lit restaurant. Although small, a long mahogany bar with a mirrored backboard stretched the length of the room reflecting the light, making the space appear twice as large. The Den would be a terrific location to shoot a mob movie. Almost every inch of wall space was covered with photos and Hollywood memorabilia. Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, and the like. Olivia approached the furthest table, and a tall, well-dressed man stood to greet her and kissed her cheek.

He turned and shook Jackson’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Jackson. I’m sorry we haven’t met earlier. I didn’t realize the job would draw out this long or become more in-depth. I expected Kinsley to get on a plane and come back home long before now.”

“Pleased to meet you, too, Mr. Wentworth. Thanks for meeting with me. Three months is a long time not to know who you’re working for. If not for my friendship with Olivia, I would never have agreed to the anonymity.”

“I understand. Please, call me Xavier.”

Xavier had already attended to Olivia’s chair. Plainly, he and Olivia were intimate friends. Jackson took a seat and waited for their small talk to wind down.

Once their conversation quieted, Xavier addressed him. He appeared composed, but his words conveyed his distress. “I’ll explain why I hired you, and you can feel free to ask whatever you like.” He stopped talking when the waiter came around.

Xavier went on. “After Kinsley and Nick were separated a couple months, she met a man, Wayde, over the Internet, of all places. This surprised me. She’s generally levelheaded. When she and Nick split, she became distant. I’m sure she had other issues on her mind.” The little lines creeping from his eyes deepened with each word. “She and I have always had a good relationship, and I tried to advise her. It was no use. She’d made up her mind, and once she does, it can’t be changed.

“Yeah, I got that impression. The other issues… she mentioned other issues, are you aware of what they were?”

His question remained unanswered.

“I’m worried about her and Max being with this man. I want her home. No doubt she can be excitable at times, but nothing that would lead to hospitalization.” Hesitating, Xavier lowered his head, focusing intently on the sugar packet he tapped and twirled side to side. “This situation is tough for me, Jackson, because she’s a very devoted mother. She’d never want to put Max in danger, but if there’s trouble, I may have to get Max out. I’d rather not do that to her. I did a background check on Wayde. He was clean, maybe too clean. Investigate his more personal past. Go as far back as you need to. Everyone has a secret, and I want to find out his.”

A slight nod confirmed Jackson’s agreement. After spending last night with Kinsley, he was convinced further investigation was in order. “A good idea at this point. Is she going back to his house when she’s discharged today? She said she wanted, needed, to get out of this on her own. I can’t help wondering why she wouldn’t come home and try to figure things out here in New York.”

“I’m assuming she’s going back. She hasn’t called. She knows she can come home anytime. When she left, she asked me not to contact her and told me she needed some time. I’d like to respect that. Technically, I’m watching her, not contacting her. Not very honest, but they’re important to me. If I need to step in at some point, I will. I can’t do anything if she wants to stay. In fact, she can be quite stubborn.” He laughed.

Jackson smiled and lowered his head a bit. “I noticed. The key question is why Nick isn’t the one watching them? Max is his son, even if he doesn’t want to be with Kinsley.”

Xavier sighed. “Nick loves her and wants her home. I don’t doubt his love, but to be quite honest, he can be an ass at times, especially with women. His mistake’s been thinking Kinsley is going to stick around for the money and lifestyle. Staying’s been for Max, and I don’t think that’s enough reason for her anymore. Well, she’s gone; I guess her unhappiness is obvious now. I suppose he’s hoping things will magically work out. I’m not sure. I do believe my wife has been in his ear to get Max and divorce Kinsley.” He lowered his eyes briefly, appearing thoughtful. “It’s difficult for me to get into Nick’s head. I’m hoping when you meet him tonight you’ll be able to spend some time with him. Being that you’re closer to his age and your business requires it, I’m certain you’ll have better luck than I would. I’ll suggest he take you out after dinner tonight. I’m sure he’ll agree.”

“Your wife doesn’t like Kinsley?” Jackson said, becoming more curious.

“She doesn’t like anyone,” Olivia said, after being quiet throughout the conversation and hanging on Xavier’s every word. Clearly, she didn’t like his wife. Her claws were showing again.

Xavier laughed, soft and short. “She doesn’t—not, like her. Angela likes to be the one to control Nick. Then again, Angela would like to control everyone. She can’t, so she takes full advantage of Nick’s need for her love and approval. Although not always evident, Kinsley comes before anyone in Nick’s eyes.”

Jackson’s eyebrow rose. Skeptical, he ignored the comment. “Wayde might have seen Kinsley somewhere and been stalking her. Who knows with them meeting the way they did. She did say she felt like he knew her. He said he was friends with her brother and had been searching for him. He told her he’d help her find him.”

Xavier’s brow creased to mark his questioning. “Her brother? I recognized she was in a vulnerable place; she hadn’t even been talking to me at the time, and that was unusual. She had always come to me when she needed to. If he talked about her brother, I’m sure she would have been moved to talk to him. Possibly, that swayed her decision to go. I just assumed their meeting was a random thing.”

“Did Wayde’s background check show evidence of him ever living here, in New York?”

“No,” Xavier replied.

“I’ll check into whether he’s traveled, has family, or any other connections here.” His tone changed as he focused closely on Xavier. “Why is Kinsley so close to you?”

Olivia flashed him a look of disapproval, visibly irritated with him being so forward.

Xavier gave him a hard stare. “She’s family, Jackson.” The question to all appearances hit him the wrong way, and he asked some questions of his own. “So, I understand the two of you were out until four this morning. What happened?”

Jackson’s turn to be annoyed. “I slipped her out of the building, so I could get more information.” He didn’t elaborate.

Xavier didn’t appear satisfied with the brief answer.

Jackson tilted his head, reminding him. “For you.”

Xavier maintained his fixed gaze. “And?”

“We talked, she became upset, it got late, and she fell asleep. I let her sleep a bit, but eventually I dozed off.”

The answer hadn’t won him any admiration. Both Xavier and Olivia waited for him to elaborate.

When he didn’t, Xavier shifted in his chair and leaned in, speaking intently. “Just a word of advice. A woman like Kinsley is easy to get attached to, and it’s never a good idea to get attached to a woman who is already involved.” Turning his attention to Olivia, he appeared to be about finished with the conversation.

Xavier’s statements had Jackson squirreling away some questions of his own. Answers to those questions, he had a feeling, wouldn’t be offered up freely. “You sound like you’ve had some experience with unhealthy attachments.” His tone remained purposely flat. “I’ll take it under advisement.”

Xavier’s turn from Olivia back to Jackson seemed deliberately slow. “When you get to be my age, you’ve learned a lot about a lot of things. Just some thoughtful advice. We’re done for now?”

“For now.” Undoubtedly, Xavier’s last statement wasn’t a question. Similarly, the fact he wasn’t thrilled with being challenged rang clear. However, at this point, he considered Kinsley his client regardless of who paid him. If anyone for that matter.

Xavier stood and turned to Olivia. “Chez Armand, at eight. I’ll have a rental car at the hotel for you.” He took her hand and gave her a lingering kiss on the cheek. Then he turned to Jackson and extended his hand. “Nice meeting you, Jackson.”

“Likewise.”

~ ~ ~

Jackson knocked on Olivia’s hotel room door directly across the hall from his.

“Who is it?” Olivia called out.

“Jackson.”

“Door’s open.” As he walked in, Olivia came from the bathroom with a seductive, mischievous smile on her face. She’d evidently been changing since she was half-dressed. “I figured you’d come.” She smiled and took a deep breath. Her scantily covered breast rose, giving him an enticing view.

He walked past her, and she swung the door closed. When she came around in front of him, placing her hands on his chest, he circled her wrists with his hands to stop her. “Olivia please, let it rest. I need to use your computer. Could you put on a robe or something?”

“Distracted?”

“No. Can you just give me the damn computer?” His eyes wandered the room as he waited. Olivia’s allure and pushiness always made it difficult to resist her, and beautiful women were hard for him to resist. Still, sending mixed messages wasn’t his style. He preferred to be up front with women. As much as he fussed about their nonsense, he respected them. Nevertheless, nudity was a distraction.

She handed him the computer and opened the door, waving her hand for him to go through. “Get the hell out.”

The door followed behind him fast; he turned, grasping the edge abruptly before it closed. “Get over this before tonight. Okay? And put some clothes on for God’s sake.”

She grimaced, he could see a smile underneath. Not in the mood for her flirtations, he headed to his room to get some work done on the case.

~ ~ ~

Max’s shaking of Kinsley’s arm woke her.

“Mommy, I waked up now.”

The bedroom she slept in with Wayde was small, dark, and dreary, so she was a little dazed and had to stop to think for a minute to remember where she was. She opened her eyes and rubbed the sleep from them. “Hey, stinker. What’s up?” She loved this part of naptime, waking up to his innocent smile and joyful voice.

He jumped up onto the bed beside her. “I want some Goldfish crackers and chocolate milk. Can we go to Colt’s house? His mom said we could come anytime. She said so Mom. She said so.”

“Whoa, slow down a bit. Let’s get up, and we can have some Goldfish. After snack time, we’ll go see Colt.” He hauled her from the bed grunting and tugging as she feigned resistance. Once she stood, he dropped her arm quickly and bolted toward the bathroom, announcing, “I have to pee, pee.”

“Wash your hands.”

When Max re-entered the hallway, his little feet were clad in his favorite red rain boots that he had decided were perfect for combating the sandy trek to Colt’s house. They headed to the kitchen, him following close behind her. The second time, his foot caught her flip-flop, she stumbled into the kitchen. Wayde, no surprise, remained sitting exactly as she’d left him. By this time, Savannah had woken from her typical hangover and sat slumped in the chair next to him.

“The Queen is up,” Savannah said.

Without looking at her, Kinsley sighed heavily and said, “Don’t start with me. Max, you go out on the porch and stay put. I’ll fix your Goldfish and milk. You can have your snack outside.” When he was out of earshot, she scowled at the two of them. “I asked you to leave the door open when you’re smoking.” Not only could she smell the foul odor, the smoke hung in the air casting streams of dirty, white ribbons. She was so bottled up that if she let her anger out now, she’d surely say something she’d regret. She needed to get away from the house for a while.

Wayde grumbled and lit another cigarette. “How many times do I have to tell you? The door has a hole in the screen.”

Before weighing her words, she said, “When are you going to get off your ass and fix it?”

He slammed his hand down on the table. Startled by the sudden sound, she spun around. He shook his finger at her, slow and methodical. The end of his cigarette glowed bright orange looking nearly as fuelled as he did. “Look. I don’t know who you think you’re talking to, but if I were you, I’d start thinking twice before opening your mouth to me.”

“I’m taking Max down to Colt’s to play for a while.”

“You ain’t going nowhere.” He looked over at Savannah. “Make any tips last night? Don’t go givin’ ‘em to Remy. Put them in the bank and save them. I’ve been saving for thirty years. Got a dream girl waiting for me.” He swung his head in Kinsley’s direction. “Not like this smartass.”

Thirty years of saving? Can dream girl come today? “Or Savannah could pay some rent.” Kinsley pitched the spoon from the milk into the sink and headed out to the porch. Her teeth clamped so tightly the tension crept up her jaw and into her temples.

Savannah glared at him. “You gonna’ let her talk to me like that? You told me she wasn’t gonna be no trouble.”

“You just mind your business. I’ll take care of her.”

The porch door opened and slammed closed as Kinsley and Max left.

Savannah eyed Wayde. “Don’t look like you’re taking care of her to me. Shoot. I ain’t never seen you let no one talk to you that way.”

He ignored her comment. “Remy comin’ over tonight?”

Without looking up, she continued picking at her nails. “Ain’t sure. I asked him to.” She sounded snotty.

“I said I’ll take care of her, damn it. Now get me some sweet tea, would ya.”

~ ~ ~

Kinsley and Max strolled leisurely along the dirt road to Veda’s place, stopping to play now and again. The heat radiating from the ground gave the air above it a rippling appearance, and when the swarms of gnats were too much to bear, they sped up.

“Max don’t get too far ahead.”

He always hurried to get to Colt’s. There wasn’t much for him to do back at the house. They had no cable, so there were none of his favorite shows, and they had left most of his toys in New York. The swing with a slide in the backyard was okay, but he hated the prickly crabgrass and the sand that would work its way into his shoes making him itchy.

Max reached Veda’s before she did. When she caught up, the boys had gone to the barn already. It never seemed to bother Veda when they were in the barn alone, but Kinsley felt uneasy whenever they were. Colt knew all the rules, but Max had never even seen a barn before.

Veda, a little woman, all country, had her blonde hair pulled back and wore her favorite Garth brooks T-shirt and a pair of worn out jean shorts. She waved vigorously in Kinsley’s direction. “Hey, how ya doing, hun? I heard what happened. Doesn’t surprise me something came to blows with the old coot, and Savannah—she’s no better.”

“I’m okay. I just wish Max hadn’t had to stay at the house without me, but those EMTs carted me off so fast. If I’d had the chance I would have called you.” She tried not to imagine how Wayde and Savannah were when they were alone with Max.

Veda wrapped her arm around Kinsley’s shoulder and pulled her close with a sympathetic squeeze. “I went up to the house and asked him if Max could come play, but he said no.” Veda wrinkled her face. “Was being away awful?”

“Not so bad. I just worried a lot about Max. Other than being away from him, Lakeside’s better than being here.”

Veda tilted her head and gave her an understanding look. “Of course you were worried, sweetie. Besides the fact Lakeside is like a resort, what do you mean by ‘better than being here?’”

“I’ll tell you in the barn.”

Veda kept her arm around Kinsley’s shoulder, half pushing, half pulling her into the barn. They checked on the kids and continued to talk while the boys played. The rustling sounds of the horses, the smell of hay and manure, and the children’s laughter comforted her. Everything about the moment felt peaceful and meaningful. It made life more bearable having Veda to talk to, and Max having Colt to play with was a godsend.

“So, give me the goods girl. What happened?” Veda asked.

She felt the heat of a blush spread over her cheeks when images of Jackson flooded her head, leaving her emotions stark naked. “You’re going to think I’m foolish if I tell you.”

“Sugar, I need to hear some gossip. Now, tell me what happened.” Veda sat down on a bale of hay and scooted over to make room for her.

She sat next to Veda, bumping her shoulder playfully. “I met a guy.”

“I thought so. There’s always a guy when there’s something good to talk about. What’s he like? Is he cute?”

Romanticisms that she’d been trying to squelch came gushing out. “Oh yeah… he’s cute. And sexy. But what an ego.” She told her all about Scar and Jackson: how they snuck out and how he ended up in the lake. Of course, she also told her about the kissing—twice.

“Dang, maybe I should just go plum crazy once in a while and get myself out of the house a bit.”

Kinsley squeezed her legs together, pressing her folded hands into her lap. She thought she was going to pee herself laughing at Veda’s outlandish statement.

Veda, bopping up and down a bit like a teenager, appeared more than excited for her. “Did you get his number? Will you see him again?”

Kinsley’s smile diminished, and she tilted her head toward Veda. “You know I can’t get involved.”

Veda closed and opened her mouth quickly, producing a smack sound with her tongue. “What are you doing with Wayde? I’ve never seen such a mismatch in all my life.”

“I’m leaving. It’s just going to take a while. I’m going back to Nick. For Max.”

“What about you? Max will never be happy if you aren’t. I get it, you don’t want to be a single parent, but a lot of kids’ parents are divorced. You deserve more. You have to get past the fairy tale and get on with life.” Veda’s frown was sincere as she took Kinsley’s hand and squeezed.

Veda was spot on; Kinsley lived life believing fairytales could come true. She blinked back tears and smiled. “I will.”

“You two wanna stay for dinner tonight? Just going to be me and Colt.”

“Sounds terrific. You’re a lifesaver.” Any time she got away from Wayde was heaven. They had a nice dinner, said their goodbyes, and she and Max headed back.

After Max fell asleep for the night, she returned to the kitchen to wash up the dinner dishes they’d left for her. She never minded if they left them. In front of the sink was the one place she felt comfortable and alone, even though Savannah and Wayde were only two feet away. Day after day, night after night, she was under a spell as she stared out the window. For her, imagining all the people and things the old, crooked oak with the hanging moss had seen over the years was like opening a storybook. Maybe someday two star-crossed lovers would meet there in one of her novels.

“You almost done,” Wayde said.

“Just about.” Too bad she didn’t write fairytales; Wayde would be the perfect character study for a troll. She pushed the thought away wanting to keep the peace tonight. When she finished, she went to the bedroom and grabbed her book, but there was nowhere to read in comfort. The bedroom, with its old, sagging mattress and faux, black silk sheets reminded her of Wayde touching her, and the old filthy sofa in the living room was itchy from the sand that had bore into the fabric over the years. She supposed she could put a blanket over the thing, but there were no lamps in the room anyway, only a bright bulb hanging from a string with no shade, and she didn’t want to wake Max. When she returned to the kitchen to join Wayde and Savannah, she slipped into her chair and opened her book.

“Hey, darlin’, did ya get enough of rubbing crotches with the bitch down the road?” Wayde said as he ground his torso into his chair several times, adding sound effects for emphasis.

She glared at him with pursed lips, becoming so angry, the corner of her eye began to twitch. “You’re an abomination to men everywhere.” The only phone was in the kitchen, or she would’ve gotten up right then and called Nick. Maybe he would tell her she made her ragged bed with the faux silk sheets, and now she had to lie in it. Maybe that’s what she deserved.

“Darlin’, why don’t you put the stupid book away and enjoy the night with us.”

She slapped the book onto the table. “Why do you have to call me darlin’?”

His head reeled back. “What the hell am I supposed to call you?”

“How about Kinsley? Or don’t talk to me at all. That’d be fine.”

Savannah stood, went to the coffee pot, and as she poured, snickered, “Even her name sounds stuck up.”

Kinsley ignored her and opened her book.

Wayde snatched the book roughly from her hands. She’d had a firm grip, and she nearly followed it to the trashcan.

“Why don’t you be sociable? You need to forget about your old life and try getting along. Shit.”

“Hell, I’d even try to get along with her if she wasn’t such a bitch all the time,” Savannah said. “I can hear Remy’s truck in the driveway. He ain’t gonna put up with her talkin’ to me the way she does.” Her head wobbled a warning in Kinsley’s direction.

“I’m not afraid of Remy.”

Savannah squinted her eyes, looking evil. “You should be. Never know what he’ll do when he gets mad.”

Remy was creepy, and she found out from Veda he’d been in jail for beating his wife a few times. Sometimes she wished she could hold her tongue, but when she got angry, the thing seemed to flap on without her. Now more than ever, she worried she’d go too far.

“I don’t understand why you’re so ornery,” Wayde said. “Have a few drinks with us. You’ve been in a mood since you came home, and I ain’t putting up with no more crap.”

She decided she had better stay quiet and go along. Pretend. After all, going along had been her first instinct. Unfortunately, she’d been pretending for so long now that life before Wayde seemed make-believe. Some story she’d read. “You’re right. I should relax and have a few drinks. Savannah, why don’t we start over. I’m willing to try if you are.”

Savannah didn’t respond and darted up from the table right away when Remy came in rubbing the stubble on his shaved head and chewing on the toothpick that rarely left his mouth.

“Wha’d you want to drink, baby?” Savannah said.

Before responding, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close, kissing her. He maneuvered his tongue around and around. Apparently, he was trying to find out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.

Repulsive.

“Sweet tea, baby.” Remy pinched Savannah’s ass, sent her on her way, and turned to Wayde. “So, the Queen’s back. I can only imagine what you’re gonna hit her with when you git her between the sheets tonight. Hit her once for me, too.”

Kinsley envisioned herself leaping over the table and ripping Remy’s eyes out for that nasty statement. She began quivering inside and stood to leave to keep herself from acting out the scene. “All right, enough, I’m going to bed.”

When she got up to leave, Wayde grabbed her arm and pulled her so hard she fell back onto her seat. It shocked her.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Let go of me. I said I’m going to bed.” She was convinced now. She should start playing the part of the submissive doormat. To say it’d be difficult would be an understatement. She naively thought she’d be able to leave easily.

“Have a drink, darlin’. By the time we go to bed, you won’t think it’s such a bad idea. We’re going to have some fun tonight.”

She took the bottle from him, sat back down, and poured herself some vodka. She didn’t take her eyes off him and drank the shot down in one gulp, not allowing him to see it tasted awful and burned raw the lining of her throat. She was done giving him the satisfaction of seeing how he intimidated her. It was hard enough to admit he did.