Body Of Truth (33 page)

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Authors: Deirdre Savoy

BOOK: Body Of Truth
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During the short ride to Joanna's he noted the smile on Dana's face and decided to take his cue from her. Would she have that beatific expression on her face or would she have kissed him like that if she planned to tell him to kiss off? He doubted it. She'd been straight with him from the beginning. If he had anything to worry about, it was his own doing for trying to rush her. He couldn't explain his moment of panic, and that's what it had been, except that he'd never wanted anything so much as he wanted this woman in his life. The mere thought of losing her made him a little stupid.
When he helped her out of the car was the first time he noticed what she was wearing—a form-fitting spaghetti strap sundress that ended well above her knees.
“Why are you looking at me?” she asked, coming to stand beside him.
“I don't think I've ever seen your legs before, while you were clothed anyway.”
“I'm not that big on dresses,” she confessed. “In fact, I wore it for you. Do you like it?”
“Mmm,” he agreed. He'd enjoy it even more once he got it off her. In the meantime, he slung his arm around her waist and walked with her up to the house. As usual, Joanna's barbecue encompassed the entire property. Some kids were already out on the front lawn tossing a Nerf football. Inside the house was packed and the back yard was nearly as bad, with folding chairs stationed around the perimeter so the grown-ups could keep an eye on the kids.
They found both Ray and Joanna in the back of the house by the grills. Ray usually made ribs, steaks, chicken, and shrimp on skewers with peppers and onions, as well as the requisite hamburgers and hot dogs—a feast that couldn't be entirely consumed no matter how many people showed up.
Joanna embraced each of them. “It's about time you two showed up,” she fussed, though there was a smile on her face.
“We're only fifteen minutes late,” Dana said.
Joanna made a face that said what she thought of their tardiness. “Well, help yourselves to whatever. I had most of it catered this year.” She patted her belly, which was still slightly rounded from her recent delivery. “Next year we'll be back to normal.”
“If we keep out of the poor house this year,” Ray teased.
Joanna rolled her eyes. “I didn't spend that much, really. Now scoot. I need to have a few words with my husband.”
With his hand on her waist, Jonathan led Dana toward the tables that held the remainder of the food and the drinks—everything from an assortment of sodas to beer and wine and harder stuff. “Are you hungry? Thirsty?”
“I'd love a glass of wine.”
“You didn't take one of your pills this morning, did you?”
She fastened a disgusted look on him. “Tell me again who's the fussbudget in your family. I know better than you what not to mix with what.”
“Whatever you say, Miz Nurse,” he said. He pulled her closer, but had to release her a second later when his cell phone rang. The display revealed an unfamiliar number that he decided to ignore.
“Don't you have to take that?” she asked as he reclipped the phone to his belt.
“I'm off duty and on vacation. If anyone from the department wants me, they can leave a message like everyone else.”
But later in the evening, after they'd spent the day enjoying each other's company and the warmth of his family, his phone went off again. That made the fourth time in five hours.
“Why don't you just take it,” Dana suggested.
He might as well find out who this was and what they wanted and get it over with. He connected the call. “Stone.”
“Is this Detective Jonathan Stone?”
“Yes.” He didn't immediately recognize the voice or the name she supplied, though both sounded familiar. “What can I do for you?”
“I need to talk to you about Tommy.”
Now he knew to whom both the name and the voice belonged—the woman he'd met at Moretti's. The only time he'd seen her he'd come to peg her as a shrewd woman. He couldn't imagine what she hoped to gain by talking to him now. “Go ahead.”
“Not over the phone. Can you meet me?”
He looked over at Dana, who looked back at him expectantly.
“Please, Detective Stone. I promise you it's important.”
It was the urgency in her voice that won him over.
“Where?”
When he got off the phone, he turned to Dana. “I've got to go.”
She sighed. “I figured as much. Does it have to do with Moretti?”
“Maybe.”
She walked with him out to his car. Leaning his butt against the hood, he pulled her closer to stand between his parted legs. “I don't know how long I'll be. Maybe you should get Ray or one of my brothers to drop you home when you're ready.”
“Will I see you later?”
He winked at her. “That you can count on.” He pulled her closer for a brief kiss.
She stepped to the side while he got in the car and started the engine. “Be careful,” she said as he put the car in gear.
Considering that he really had no idea what he was walking into, he intended to be.
 
 
After Jonathan pulled off, Dana went back to the house. She was tired and her throat hurt. Without Jonathan there, she had no real reason to stay. She'd find Joanna, tell her she was leaving, and see if Ray could drop her home.
She found Joanna in Ray's study, nursing the baby. “There you are. You have everyone wondering where you disappeared to.”
“I wanted a moment's peace and quiet. Between everyone stopping by to see the baby and now our usual Fourth party, I haven't had much time to myself.”
Dana scanned her friend's face. She saw more there than new mother fatigue or the need for solitude. She saw unhappiness and wondered if, for the first time, Joanna might not be suffering from postpartum depression.
“Actually I'm glad to have you here alone. ” Joanna fixed her clothing and settled the baby on her shoulder for a burp. “I wanted to talk to you.”
Dana sighed, knowing exactly the subject on Joanna's mind. The last thing she needed was for Joanna to weigh in on her relationship with Jonathan. “If you want to harangue me some more about your brother, you are wasting your breath.”
“I know. At first I thought it was only some sex thing Jonathan would tire of. But I've seen the way he looks at you. And a couple of times today, I actually heard him laugh. I don't know what you did to him, but make no mistake, kiddo, he's in love with you.”
Dana looked down at her hands. Even more than she didn't want Joanna warning her off Jonathan, she didn't want Joanna questioning her feelings either. “I know.”
“And you don't feel the same way?”
She glanced up at Joanna, who watched her expectantly. It occurred to her to tell Joanna it was none of her business what she felt. But they'd been friends too long and Joanna was too determined to let that response slide. “I didn't say that.”
Joanna laughed. “Then what are you saying?”
Dana threw up her hands. “I don't know.” Even though she'd made the decision to tell Jonathan how she felt, she still dreaded the conversation they would have when he returned. She wasn't sure why. That's why she allowed him to put it off so easily. From his behavior today, she doubted he held her silence against her. It didn't make any sense to her. Maybe she should share what she was feeling with her friend. Maybe Joanna could provide the insight she lacked herself.
“He told me he loved me last night and I just stood there not saying anything. It's not that I don't love him, Joanna, because I do. I couldn't get my mouth to work. Even today, when I told myself I was going to tell him, I didn't. I don't know why not.”
Joanna smiled at her as if the answer were the most obvious thing in the world. “You're scared, maybe?”
“Bock, bock,” she said, flapping her arms imitating a chicken.
“I didn't say you were a chicken,” Joanna chided. “But think about it. The last time you and I had a conversation about men, I accused you of acting like you didn't need anybody, of being incapable of letting any man in. That was what? Two weeks ago at the most? Then all of a sudden here comes my brother and within that short space of time you and he go from virtual strangers to falling in love? Frankly, Jonathan's behavior doesn't surprise me all that much. You know how men are. As long as you feed them and make their gonads happy that's all they require. Besides that, all my brothers tend to be a bit intense. Once they decide on someone or something, that's it. But you?”
“What can I tell you? Everything between us has happened so fast. One minute I was busy hating his guts, the next I was inviting him to share my bed . . .” She trailed off seeing the surprised look on Joanna's face.
“
You
initiated sex?”
The way Joanna spoke, Dana felt heat rise in her cheeks. “Yes. Why does that surprise you so much?”
Joanna shrugged. “Never mind. What were you going to say?”
She inhaled deeply, trying to find the words to say what she meant. “
I
wasn't going to say anything.”
“Well then, let me say this. Don't let him or your own feelings rush you into doing anything you aren't ready for. If you ask me, what you need is more time, more normal time when no one is trying to shoot you or run you over. Go out, have dinner, date. Pretend you're normal people for a while.”
Dana had to laugh at Joanna's assessment, but she knew she was right. Jonathan had saved her life, but they'd never so much as gone to a movie together. There was still so much about each other that they didn't know. She doubted learning more about him would change her feelings for him, though, except to deepen them.
“Understand something else,” Joanna said. “Although neither of you will probably admit it, you'd each put off even trying to find someone else. I can't say what my brother's problem is, but I know you've always been afraid to let anyone else in. Both of you finally let your guard down and neither one of you knows how to act. He responds by trying to push forward, you respond by backing away. Why don't you both do yourselves a favor and make sure you've made the right decision before you take things any farther?”
Something about the way Joanna said that made Dana wonder if she was still talking about her and Jonathan. “Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?”
Joanna shook her head. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Ray.”
Dana went rigid. Don't tell her that she'd finally accepted that Ray was one of the good guys only to find out that he was mistreating her friend. “What about him?”
Joanna sighed. “Ever since the baby was born, he's been . . . different. More moody, more withdrawn. He took time off from work to spend with me, but he spends half his time holed up in here doing God only knows what.” Joanna shook her head.
Dana looked around. The room was tastefully furnished with a desk in the corner, on which a laptop sat, the chair and sofa she and Joanna sat on, a TV, a stereo system, and that was about it. Dana couldn't imagine what kind of trouble Ray could be getting himself into in this room, other than tossing back a couple of beers from the mini-fridge in the corner and trolling for nudie pictures on the Internet. For once, Dana figured her friend's fears were for nothing. “He's probably got a bad case of it's-too-soon-for-my-wife-to-have-sex-with-me-itis. I hear it's the masculine equivalent of postpartum depression.”
Joanna laughed, disturbing the baby sleeping on her shoulder. She settled the baby in her arms and quieted her. “Do you think that's all there is to it?”
Dana shrugged. “Either that or he's catnapping and doesn't want you to know it.”
Sighing, Joanna rocked the baby. “I hope you're right. I know I've made some foolish choices where men were concerned, but I'm not about to put up with any man's nonsense anymore.” Joanna glanced up at her. “I really don't want to end up raising my baby alone, again.”
Dana swallowed, saying nothing. Things must really have deteriorated between Joanna and Ray for Joanna to be talking this way. Whatever the real story was, Dana knew she hadn't heard the whole of it, only what Joanna felt comfortable telling her.
“I tell you what,” Dana said finally. “I'll come over tomorrow afternoon, when there aren't so many people in the house and see if I notice anything.”
“Okay.” Joanna nodded. “For now, I'd better put the baby in bed and see if the guests need anything.”
“This guest needs to go home. Jonathan had to leave and I'm beat.”
“No problem. I'll have Ray drive you home. Wait here and I'll go get him. I don't want to have to search through this crush to find you.”

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