Bed of Lies (2 page)

He held on. He had been used to holding his little sister's hand when she was younger, to make sure she didn't run out into the street or get too far ahead of him. Everyone looked after Grace.

Zach knew Julie's family had inherited Mrs. Forrester's old house after she died. They were some kind of distant relatives. The place was big, but kind of run down, and only five doors down from his family's home.

They got there, and he didn't see any lights on inside, no cars out front. He headed toward the front door, but Julie tugged him around to the back. Still no lights. He knocked, waited, but no one answered.

Looking down at her, he asked, "Where is everybody?"

She shrugged, pulled her hand out of his and tried the doorknob. The door was unlocked, and she went inside. He thought she was about to close the door and leave him there, but he didn't let her.

"Wait a minute. You're not here alone, are you?" he asked.

"I dunno," she said, as if it wouldn't surprise her if she were.

"Let's make sure you're not, okay?" He came inside, flicked on a light and called "Hello? I brought Julie home."

No one answered.

They walked into the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, turning on more lights as they went. He saw moving boxes that still hadn't been unpacked, but no sign of anyone there.

He was getting angrier every minute. Who the hell left a little girl of seven or eight all alone?

"Julie? Did your parents say they were going somewhere tonight? Were you supposed to stay with Grace, and we forgot or something?"

She shook her head, looking embarrassed.

"Do you know where your parents are?"

Again, she shook her head. "It's just my mom."

"Do you know where she is?"

"No."

"Okay. I'm gonna use the phone for a second, see what I can find out." He called his mother, who sighed and sounded sad. She didn't know anything about Julie needing to stay with them. "I don't think they watch out for her the way they should, Zach."

Which made him furious on Julie's behalf. He hadn't always lived where he was now, with the parents he had now, and he knew what it was like to be left alone. He seldom thought about it anymore, but he did now, imagined for a moment someone leaving Grace alone at the age she was now. He got even madder.

"I'll stay with her until someone shows up," he told his mother.

"You don't have to do that, honey. Just leave a note for her parents and bring her back here."

"It's no big deal. I'll stay." he said.

He wanted to see what her mother was like, try to find out whether this was something she did all the time—lose track of a little girl.

Julie said she wasn't hungry, that she'd eaten at his house earlier. She settled down in a chair in the corner to read. Zach called his friend to say he wasn't going to make it that night, then watched a ballgame on TV while Julie slept in the chair.

Two hours later, her mother came home with a man. They were laughing and talking like they'd had a great time, weren't worried at all and were probably a little bit drunk.

It was ten o'clock at night, and this was a small, safe town, but Julie was a little girl. She'd have to be scared here all alone, wouldn't she? And anything could have happened to her.

Her mother seemed puzzled to find Zach there. "Did she do something? Cause some kind of trouble?"

"No. Not at all. I just didn't want to leave her here by herself."

"Oh, don't worry. She's fine."

The woman tipped sideways a little too far on her high heels, and he thought for a moment she might fall over. But she righted herself and said, "Julie knows how to take care of herself."

Which left Zach wanting to yell at the woman on Julie's behalf, but he glanced over at the little girl, who was awake now. She shot Zach a pleading look, one that he thought meant she didn't want him to say anything.

Or, she was embarrassed. Maybe that was it. She didn't like that he knew what life was like for her, which made him think about what it could have been like for him. He'd escaped—been rescued, actually—but she hadn't. He felt guilty about that all of a sudden.

"Hey, Julie," he said, bending over, before he left. "You can come to our house anytime, okay?"

She nodded solemnly.

"I mean it. You need anything, I'll be there, Grace will, my whole family, really. I promise."

Chapter 1

She was standing in the foyer of the most elegant restaurant in town—Steve's arm resting lightly at her back, her future in-laws by her side, her new life firmly in place—when she saw him.

Customers were heading in and out of the front doors, clustering at the hostess stand, heading off to their tables, while she stood frozen in place.

There he was, Zach McRae in the flesh.

All grown up and absolutely perfect, as she'd always known he would be one day.

She felt a quick rush of pleasure and surprise at first. She'd always liked him so much. And for a moment it was as if Julie Morrison's life were a movie playing out on the big screen and someone had just hit the pause button. No, as if they'd hit rewind.
In an instant, she was seven years old again, scared, lost and trying to hide in a quiet corner of his parents' house, wishing she never had to go home, him promising sincerely that his family would always be there for her. Young as he'd been at the time, he'd meant it, had kept that promise so many times over the years.

Zach turned, saw Julie and walked right up to her, shoulders wide and squared, a familiar smile on his face—as if he'd last seen her yesterday, not more than eight years ago. "Hello, Julie."

"Zach," she managed to say. "What are you doing here?"

What she really wanted to say was,
Please don't say another word. Please don't ruin anything.

"Work." He was still smiling. "And you? Is this where you disappeared to? Memphis?"

She laughed. What else was there to do? A part of her was surprised, maybe even hurt, that he'd recognized her so easily. She thought she'd come so far from that girl she used to be. Especially standing in the lobby of one of the finest restaurants in Memphis, a discreet, she-hoped-stylish designer dress wrapped around her body. Steve's ring—a tasteful family heirloom passed down through the generations—was on the third finger of her left hand.

And yet, at the same time, she realized a part of her, despite everything else, was immeasurably pleased that Zach had known her right away, even after all this time.

"You disappeared?" Steve asked as his arm tightened around her, bringing her back to the present.

She realized they were all looking at her, Zach and Steve, as well as Steve's parents. Both in their sixties, tastefully gray and discreetly looking of old Southern money, they'd never been happy at the prospect of her coming into their family. Somehow, they'd known she just didn't belong in a family like theirs.

Calm down,
Julie told herself. All she had to do was stay calm.
And get rid of Zach.
Stay right here in this carefully constructed world. It was hers now. No one could take it away.

Steve's mother cleared her throat and gave Julie a pointed look.

"I'm so sorry," Julie said. "I was just surprised.... Steve, this is Zach McRae, an old friend of mine. Zach this is my fiancé, Steve Land, and his parents, Barbara and Joe Land."

As they all shook hands, Julie saw that Zach, all grown up, was just as straight and tall and solid as she'd ever imagined he'd be. He had dark hair, thick and clipped short and neat, even darker eyes, a strong, determined jaw, a beautiful smile. A hint of strength and power emanated from him as he stood there in a perfectly tailored suit. The stamp of confidence and ease showed in every move.

"Old friends?" Steve asked him.

"Yes," Zach said, not taking his eyes off Julie. "And neighbors."

"Oh?" Steve's mother sounded interested all of a sudden. "You're from St. Louis, too?"

"St. Louis?" Zach asked, blank-faced.

And just like that, Julie felt the treacherous ground she was standing on shift this way and that.

Julie jumped in, begging him with her eyes to just let it be. "He used to be. It's been ages since we've seen each other." She smiled up at Steve in the end. He wasn't going anywhere. He wanted to marry her, after all. Then she turned to Zach and uttered a bold-faced lie. "And your family moved to... Where was it, Zach? Ohio?"

He took a breath, his jaw tightening. She could just imagine what was running through his head.
Just like old times, huh, Julie?

Years ago, he wouldn't have hesitated to call her on a lie. He'd always thought she could be so much more honest than she was, so much better a person. She held her breath, waiting...

"Yes." He finally nodded, staring at her. "I'm surprised you remember."

All the lies
, he meant.

She hung her head, realizing he had the power to shame her, even now.

"And you two know each other because... Steve asked.

"Julie and my little sister, Grace, were inseparable for years when they were younger," Zach explained. "I'm sure she'd love to hear from you. In fact...

He slipped a hand into the inside front pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small, silver case. Taking a business card out of it, he scribbled something on the back, then gave it to her.

"Do that, Julie. Give her a call." His look practically dared her not to.

Or what? He'd track her down? Not that it would be difficult. She'd never bothered to change her name. When she'd been tempted, she hadn't had the money, and once she had it, she realized she hadn't left anyone behind who'd care enough to come looking for her.

She took the card, promising to call.

The hostess, sleek and elegant in a slim, floor-length black skirt and a crisp white blouse, joined them, nodding respectfully to Steve's father. "Your table's ready, Mr. Land."

Steve's mother paused for a moment, then turned to Zach. "You've just arrived in town, Mr. McRae?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

"Alone?"

"Yes. I was supposed to have dinner with a colleague, but he got tied up at the last minute. I decided to come anyway."

"Well, we can't have you eating dinner all alone. Why don't you join us? We've met so few of Julie's friends, and with her not having any family left...

Zach gave Julie another one of those looks. "I'd love to join you. If that's all right with everyone."

Barbara Land looked gleeful, as if she'd read between every line and knew Julie was hiding something and Zach might well be the key. Steve gave Julie an odd look, his arm tightening once again at her waist. She could feel all those not-so-subtle male signals rolling off him.
Hands off. She's mine.
As if Zach had ever seen her as anything but a lost little girl or a reckless teenager.

The silence was short and awkward before Steve conceded. "Please, join us."

Moving through the crowded restaurant, Zach caught her by the arm. She stared down at his hand, surprised at Zach the man touching her, at the little tingling energy she felt between them. It gave him the time to draw her back from the rest of the group and whisper, "Got rid of the family again, huh, Julie?"

She'd spent most of her high school years claiming first to be the sole child of a father who was off building a bridge in South America, and then an orphan.

"Wouldn't you, if they were yours?" she asked.

"No, I wouldn't."

"Of course not," she said more sharply than she intended as they wove their way through the myriad tables and chairs. Her nerves were getting to her. "You're perfect, and you have a perfect life."

He caught her arm again and stopped her right there in the middle of the restaurant. Quietly, he said, "You know that's not true."

Yes, she supposed she did. It was something she'd forgotten so many times over the years, because he certainly seemed like a man who'd had everything. But that wasn't the case.