Текст книги "Slaying the Dragon"

Автор книги: T.K. Leigh

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Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 25 страниц)

His smile grew wider. “You’re not listening.” He opened the desk drawer and handed me an envelope with my name scrawled on it in elegant handwriting. “That’s not someone else’s car. It’s your car.” He dangled a key fob in front of me.

“Who would give me a car?” The minute the words were out of my mouth, I knew exactly who was responsible. My heart thumping in my chest, I tore open the envelope and pulled out the note.

Mackenzie,

I know you must be so confused about everything right now. Trust me. I know. I’ve been where you are. You feel as if you, alone, got yourself into your position and you can get through it on your own. You think asking for help is a sign of weakness, but it’s not.

My oldest daughter, Carol, was a mistake. She was never supposed to happen, but I am so glad she did. I was young and thought I was invincible. Hell, I was only eighteen. I thought I had my entire life before me. I was the girlfriend of a handsome navy pilot who was about to travel overseas and serve his country in Vietnam. Then I found out I was pregnant and my life changed. We were married almost immediately. Both our parents were rather conservative and didn’t want to listen to any backlash about my ‘condition’, as it was referred to back then.

Thomas was in flight school during this time and missed everything. He never got to come with me to a doctor’s appointment. He never got to hear the heartbeat. He never got to feel our baby kick in my stomach. He didn’t get to hold my hand when I gave birth.

I felt alone the entire time. I watched as all of my friends went away to college and I remained behind, my stomach growing bigger with every passing day. Some days, I woke up wondering if I would ever see Thomas again. I kept convincing myself he wasn’t going to come home to me, that he would disappear into the night and find a new girl, one without a baby. I was so stubborn and desperate to prove to myself and everyone else that I could do this alone, that I didn’t need my parents’ or anyone else’s help.

But the truth is, I did.

I needed them to sit with me at the doctor’s office and tell me everything was going to be okay. I needed them to squeal with joy when they placed their hand on my stomach and felt her kick. And, above anything else, I needed them to stay with me while I pushed all seven pounds, six ounces of human out of me. If I didn’t admit I couldn’t do it alone, I don’t think Carol would have had the wonderful childhood she did.

Don’t look at any of this as you accepting a handout. That’s not what it is. This is simply an old woman with too many zeros in her bank account providing for her family. Regardless of what happens in the future, your baby has my DNA running through him or her, and I will always make sure he or she has every opportunity available. I will do everything to ensure you have everything you need, whether it be a car suitable for a child, the best medical treatment available, or no longer having to stress about repaying your mortgage or the loan on your restaurant. Those are also taken care of, by the way.

Please accept what I can give you and don’t think twice about it. Pay it forward if and when you can.

Most importantly, take care of yourself and that beautiful baby.

With all my love,

Colleen

I wiped at the tears streaming down my cheeks, my shoulders visibly relaxing.

“What did it say?” Paul asked, eyeing me.

“She bought me a car,” I whispered, my heart feeling fuller than I ever thought possible. I wanted to stop time and remember this exact feeling. I wanted to drink in this moment to remind myself that good things did happen. “And she’s paying my medical bills, and she paid off my mortgage and the loan on the restaurant.”

“Who?”

“Tyler’s mom,” I choked out through my tears.

“Oh, Kenzie…” He wrapped his arms around me, planting a soft kiss on my temple. “I’m so happy for you. It’s about time something went right. You deserve this. Now you can finally take a break from working so hard and take care of yourself for once.”

Shaking my head, still in shock, I replied listlessly, “Earlier today, I was happy to find out she covered my medical bills, but this… I don’t even know what to think.”

He placed his hands on my arms and looked deep into my eyes. “I’ll tell you exactly what you should think. You should think that you worked your ass off and you deserve this. You should think that someone upstairs finally listened to your prayers, sweetie. That’s all. Now, go up and get some much-needed rest. I love you, but you look like hell.” He winked.

Concern washing over my face, I protested. “I need to get changed and go to the restaurant.”

“I’m sure they can handle it,” he said, his voice soothing. “And if I know Jenna, she’ll make you leave the second she sees you anyway. So go. I don’t want to see you back down here until tomorrow, got it? And I’m leaving strict orders with the night shift to drag you back to your condo if they see you.”

I opened my mouth at his mention of the night shift, tempted to ask him if he knew who Wyatt was really working for. I feared the answer may just upset me, so I suppressed my desire and playfully punched Paul in the arm. “Okay, Dad,” I said, heading to the elevator. “Can I have friends over, though?”

He smiled, the joy reaching his eyes. “Sure. But no R-rated movies.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll just watch some porn.”

“Kenzie!” he exclaimed in exasperation, his face turning red. “I have daughters the same age as you. I don’t want to think about–”

“Don’t worry, Paul. Women don’t like to watch porn. We prefer to read it.” I winked and entered the elevator, the sound of his chuckles echoing as the doors closed.

Walking through my condo, everything seemed so different. I no longer glowered at the stack of bills piled high on my kitchen table. I no longer looked at everything I owned as if it had a price tag.

Just as I was about to collapse on my couch and take a minute to fully absorb everything, there was a frantic knocking on my door.

“Mack! It’s me! Open up!” Jenna’s excited voice sounded. “I know you’re in there! Paul said you just got in!”

Grinning, I dragged myself into the foyer and pulled open the door, Jenna nearly tackling me to the ground.

“Is it true?” she exclaimed. “I mean, it’s not a joke, is it?”

“What are you talking about?” I asked, already knowing all too well to what she was referring.

“This!” She thrust a letter drawn on official bank letterhead towards me, confirming the note they had issued in exchange for the loan was clear and paid in full. “I mean, that was over a quarter of a million dollars, Mack!”

“I know. She paid it off!” I replied, still in disbelief about the fortunate turn of events.

“Who?”

“Tyler’s mom.”

“I can’t believe this!” she said, pulling me towards the couch and sitting down. “This calls for a celebration. I texted Brayden. He’ll be coming over as soon as he gets off work. We’ll order a ridiculous amount of pizza and you can drink all the cranberry juice you want! Or Shirley Temples! The sky’s the limit!”

I laughed in response. “Let’s not get too crazy.”

“Oh, we are!” She jumped up from the couch and ran into the kitchen, grabbing a few water bottles out of the refrigerator. “Isn’t it nice not to have the stress of money problems anymore?” She returned, handing me one of the bottles.

“It is, but I have to find a way to thank her.” I glanced at Jenna. “I think I’m going to fly to Boston tomorrow so I can do that in person.”

Jenna’s eyes widened and she grabbed my hand. “Are you sure? I mean, do you think you’ll be okay? I can talk to the girls at the restaurant to see if they’ll be okay and I can come with you.”

“No, Jenna,” I replied, meeting her sincere blue eyes. I would have been fooling myself if I said I didn’t like the idea of her being at my side to help me through what I knew would be a difficult time. “I appreciate the offer, but I need to stop breaking down whenever I’m reminded of him. I had a life before him, and I’ll have a life after him. It’ll take time to not find pieces of him throughout my life. Hell, I still see him in practically everyone I pass on the street. But I know it’ll get easier. I’ll probably stop seeing his eyes everywhere, I’ll no longer hear his voice in my sleep, and I’ll forget what he looks like.”

“Is that what you want, Mack?” Jenna asked, giving me a concerned look.

I shrugged. “It may not matter if it’s what I want or not. My memories of him will fade and will be replaced with other memories. Maybe happier ones.”

“For your sake, I hope there’s nothing but happier times ahead, Mack,” Jenna commented, leaning back on the couch and flicking on the television. “Life always has a strange way of working out, doesn’t it?”

Mackenzie

IN AWE, I GAZED out the window as the cab drove down a long driveway and up to a three-story colonial in Wellesley, just outside of Boston. The estate was beautiful, the grass a shade of green unlike anything I had ever seen. The driveway was cobblestone and led to a small circle with a breathtaking fountain in front of the house.

Getting out of the cab, I looked up at the brick building, the opulence in front of me making me feel out of place. Nausea settled in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t tell whether it was from the pregnancy or having to be in a house where I would inevitably be faced with reminders of Tyler. I knew I needed to do this, but I couldn’t ignore the small voice saying I would regret my decision.

Hesitantly climbing the few steps to the front door, my breath caught when it swung wide open, Colleen’s warm smile greeting me before I even had a chance to knock.

“Mackenzie, dear…” She held her arms out to me as if I were her own child.

Dropping my bags, I wrapped my arms around her, squeezing her tight. “Thank you so much,” I sobbed into her chest. “You have no idea what it means to me.”

“Oh, hush, darling,” she replied, rubbing my back. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m the one who should be thanking you for giving me another grandbaby.”

“It’s a boy,” I said through my tears.

Pulling back, she held me at arm’s length, gazing at me with the same warmth and devotion my mother used to when she was alive. “A boy!” she exclaimed, hugging me once again. “I’m so happy for you, and I’m even more thrilled that you’re here, Mackenzie. Truthfully.”

I met her eyes, amazed at her sincerity. For a family who seemed to make a living off deception and lies, she appeared to be so genuine. Apart from getting knocked up, I didn’t know what I had done to deserve to have her in my life, but I was glad I did.

“Come on. Let’s get you some food. I’m sure you must be tired from traveling all day.”

Nodding, I turned to grab the handle on my suitcase and she quickly tore it out of my hand. “Don’t even think about it. I’ve got this. Go on in, dear.”

In a daze, I walked through the doorway and into her stunning house. Just past the foyer was a sitting room, the furniture probably costing more than my entire college education. It was formal with a touch of personality. I half expected the house to be museum-like, but it wasn’t. It was a house for a family, and I could just picture the fights Tyler and his brother must have gotten into in this house.

The sound of paws clicking on the hardwood floor caught my attention and I looked down, my eyes growing wide as a stubby French bulldog came wobbling toward me, a silly grin on his face.

“Griffin!” I exclaimed, bending down to scratch his head. He barked in response, as he always did when someone said his name. “It’s so good to see you, buddy.” Panting, he briefly showered my face with kisses before a photo on the mantle in the sitting room caught my eye. I strode to the fireplace, Griffin close on my heels, and picked up the framed photo of a happy family.

“Griffin seems to like you,” Colleen commented, approaching me.

“He’s a great dog, stinky breath and all.”

She laughed. “You’ve got that right.”

“Is this your husband?” I asked, referring to the man in the photo who had those same green eyes as Tyler and his siblings.

“Yes. That’s Thomas.”

I returned my eyes to the photo, seeing a strong resemblance between the man and his two sons. He was tall and built, having dark hair and an exquisitely handsome and distinguished face. Colleen stood next to him and looked somewhat younger, perhaps in her late forties. In front of them sat a young woman with blonde hair and those trademark green eyes. Carol. She was probably in her late twenties or so. Next to her sat Alexander, a forced smile on his face. He couldn’t have been more than fifteen. Beside Alexander sat a child of no more than six. Tyler. He had the biggest grin on his face, his arm slung around his brother’s shoulders. From the photo alone, I could sense Tyler looked up to Alexander. I supposed he still did.

“You have a beautiful family,” I offered as I returned the photo to the mantle.

She placed her hand on my arm in a consoling manner, obviously noticing I was struggling not to crack. Not only was I pregnant, which caused my emotions to go from one extreme to the other within seconds, but I was still struggling with my feelings about what Tyler did.

“He’ll come back,” she encouraged. “I promise.”

“What if I don’t want him to?” I met her eyes. “What if I’m not ready to see him? To forgive him?”

“Mackenzie, sweetie,” she sighed, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the ornate white couch where we both sat down. “Forgiveness is a funny thing. Sometimes we don’t forgive people because they deserve it. We do so because they need it. I saw the guilt and remorse etched on Tyler’s face that day in March. It was a look unlike anything I had ever seen on my baby boy’s face, even after Melanie…” She glanced down, gently caressing my knuckles and squeezing my hand. “I don’t know when he’ll be back, but I can tell you this much. Not one day has gone by where you haven’t been on his mind. He may seem to have a tough exterior but, inside, he’s still a boy who has had his world ripped out from underneath him. His love for you is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

“How can you tell?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

“He’s my son. He’s part of me. There’s not a whole lot of gray when it comes to Tyler.”

I laughed, wiping my tears. “I noticed that.”

“When he loves, he loves with his entire heart. When he hurts, the pain is excruciating. I’m sure he’s spent every day since you left trying to figure out a way to convince you he’s worth you taking a risk on him again, despite what happened between you two.” She squeezed my hands, the gesture warm and precisely what I needed to assuage my fears. “Now,” she continued, her voice returning to its typical frivolity, “you must be starving. Do you like lasagna?”

I beamed at her, nodding.

As I sat watching her prepare dinner, I couldn’t help but be reminded of spending time in the kitchen with my own mother. Despite the posh surroundings, everything was so homey and comfortable. Time passed seamlessly as we sat at an informal farmhouse-style kitchen table and she told me stories about Tyler when he was a little boy. I told her about our crazy whirlwind romance that only lasted all of two weeks, but felt like we had known each other for years.

“Time doesn’t matter, dear,” she offered when I questioned whether he could feel as strongly about me as she insisted he did. “You can be in a relationship for years and feel nothing for the other person, or you can be together for mere weeks and feel something so strong, so beautiful, so perfect, you’d be a fool to walk away just because it hasn’t been long enough. Don’t let society dictate how long you need to be together. Love doesn’t grow. It happens, and you can’t control it. If you don’t feel it from the beginning, it’s not love.”

“When did you know with Thomas?” I asked, sipping my water. The smell of garlic and tomatoes made my stomach growl, and I couldn’t wait to devour the cheesy deliciousness she had prepared.

“Before he even said a word,” she responded, a dreamy glimmer in her eyes. “It was the summer after I graduated high school and I was enjoying my time with friends before we all went our separate ways. I was supposed to be leaving for college in a few months, and some of my friends were heading to teaching or nursing school. Others were hitchhiking their way across the country, trying to get to California. It was the sixties, after all.”

Her voice was gentle and calm, a warm smile crossing her face as if she were remembering the moment like it was yesterday.

“My girlfriends and I took the train into the city so we could go to the esplanade to listen to the Fourth of July concert and watch the fireworks. At the time, the drinking age was eighteen, so we brought a cooler and a few blankets, found a spot on the grass, and spent our day soaking up the sun. After a few hours, we ran out of beer, so I went in search of a concession stand to buy some more. There was a long line, but I waited, knowing my friends would be disappointed if I returned empty-handed. As I was heading back to them, balancing four beers in my hands, I ran into a very tall, very hard body, crushing the beers between us. It was like it happens in all those cheesy romance movies. Everything was in slow motion as I looked up from my beer-soaked tank top and shorts. I finally knew where the term love-struck came from because it felt as if all the oxygen had been sucked from the atmosphere. When I saw his eyes, the most ferocious butterflies began fluttering in my stomach. The rest of the evening was a blur as I got to know this beautiful man, and I’m fortunate that I got to spend nearly forty years with him.”

“That’s beautiful,” I sighed.

“It wasn’t all easy for us. For the first several years, especially after Carol was born, we were barely scraping by. He was over in Vietnam for years, so I was forced to raise Carol without him. When he returned, she was already four. He had missed all of her firsts. After finding out he volunteered to stay in Vietnam after his first tour was over, even after he told me he didn’t have a choice, I kicked him out. His lies hurt, Mackenzie, so I know how you feel. But the time apart gave us both an opportunity to realize how much we couldn’t survive without each other. We both realized what was important in life. Thomas vowed never to lie to me again. He wanted to be there for all our next baby’s firsts, but we were in no position to try again. We were living in a studio apartment, barely making ends meet. I couldn’t find a job, even with the college degree I eventually got after having Carol. Employers didn’t want to hire me because I had a child. They wanted someone reliable who wouldn’t have to miss work because of an ill child. Things were a lot different back then.”

“I guess so,” I responded, shaking my head. I couldn’t imagine what she went through raising a baby while the father was overseas fighting a war.

“Then, one day, he got a letter. He had been trying to get in with the CIA for years, and had been faced with rejection after rejection. Finally, they agreed to see him for an interview. It was a long process but, two years later, we moved to Connecticut, bought a house, and he began working for the agency out of one of the satellite offices. He eventually started his own private security firm and we moved back up here.

“After he passed away, I traveled a lot. It wasn’t until my granddaughter was born that I decided to make Massachusetts my home once more and I’m glad I did so I could be around for all of her firsts.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is, even though things may look bleak right now, life has a funny way of working itself out.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Excuse me, Mrs. Burnham,” an imposing man clad in a dark suit interrupted, popping into the kitchen. Based on his stature, I knew he worked for the security company. Maybe he was Colleen’s version of Eli.

“Hello, William.” She looked away from me and gave him a congenial smile.

“I apologize for interrupting, ma’am, but I have news.” He slid an envelope in front of her and she opened it, examining the contents.

I turned my head to allow her to read whatever it was without me trying to look over her shoulder, but I was certainly curious. Instead, I occupied my mind with my surroundings. The kitchen was modern and homey. It opened into a laid-back sitting room with a large screen TV, and I could tell this was where most of the entertaining occurred.

“Thank you, William,” Colleen’s voice cut through, bringing my attention back to her and the formidable-looking man standing at ease next to her.

“Ma’am.” He nodded, retreating from the kitchen.

As if on cue, the stove buzzed, indicating that the lasagna was done. “Perfect.” She jumped up from her chair. “Hope you’re hungry.”

“Are you kidding me?” I responded, rubbing my stomach. “This little guy has a monster appetite.”

“Well, he’s got Burnham DNA in him. He’s going to be a big baby.”

“How big was Tyler when he was born?” I asked, almost scared to know the answer.

“Nearly ten pounds. Word of advice, dear,” she said, looking over her shoulder as she retrieved the lasagna from the oven. “Don’t turn down the epidural.”