Love, Lies & The D.A. (13 page)

I am
ten minutes early when I arrive at the airport. I am so excited, I can barely
contain myself.

My
mind drifts back to the last time I was here. That day I saw a different side
to Jonathan, the sweet side, the caring side. Unfortunately, he saw a side of
me that only my family has seen. I hate being vulnerable… and I especially hated
being that way in front of him.

I
vividly remember him caressing my cheek and kissing me lightly. I also remember
how much I wanted to kiss him back. It bothers me that I can’t seem to shake
this man out of my mind. I need to get him out of my system because there is no
way that anything will go any further than it already has. The problem is,
there is a big part of me that doesn’t want to.

“Hey,
Sis.”

I hear
my brother’s voice. Although they’re walking straight toward me, I was too preoccupied
to notice.

“Hey.
I’m so excited to see you guys,” I say as I hug my mom.

“Really?
Because I called you three times before you noticed,” Bobby says as he hugs me.

“Shut
up,” I whisper, kissing him on the cheek. “Now introduce me to your lovely girlfriend.”

“Val,
meet my favorite sister Jada. Jada, Val.”

“It’s
an absolute pleasure,” says Val then she kisses me on my cheek. She’s even more
beautiful in person. Her jet-black hair trails down her back, and many women
would be envious of her perfect figure. I’m not sure what it is, but something
about her reminds me of that actor Roselyn Sánchez.

“I’m
so happy to meet you in person,” I reply, hugging her gently. “Now come on,
peoples. Who’s hungry?”

“You
cooked?” Mommy asks.

“No.
But I did order us a great late lunch. The Christmas tree arrived this morning,
and the refrigerator is stocked with everyone’s favorites.”

I’m so
happy to see my mom. It’s been about a year since we last saw each other. I
swear she doesn’t age at all. She had Bobby at the age of twenty-three and then
me at twenty-seven. I’m almost certain that thirty something years later, she’s
managed to maintain her beauty, poise, and elegance. I have been told that I’m
my mother’s child. Any positive attributes I have, I am thankful to her for.
The one thing both Bobby and I got from my dad was his eyes.

Later
that evening, Bobby makes eggnog while Mommy, Val, and I decorate the tree. I
am joyful my family surrounds me, and getting to know the woman who has made my
brother so happy is an added bonus.

Bobby
decides he wants cake. I go help him bake in the kitchen while my mom and Val
continue with the tree.

“So
you want to tell me what’s been going on? You’ve been MIA the last few weeks,”
Bobby asks.

“Nothing…”
I reply. “I want to give you your space.”

“What
do you mean?”

“Bobby,
you just got engaged. You’re starting a new life. I don’t want to always burden
you with my problems.”

“You
could never do that.”

I
remain silent. Because the truth is, I know I could. The way that I’ve been
feeling of late, I’d be on the phone with him all the time if I didn’t control
myself.

“You
lost two of the people closest to you. I understand how that feels. I expect
you to call me if you’re going through a hard time.”

“Can
we not talk about me? Did you set a wedding date yet?”

He
ignores me completely.

“So
tell me
…
when
was the last time you spoke to
Mr. Asshole
?”

It’s
hard to contain my smile.

“I ran
into him and his brother at lunch a few weeks ago. We said hi, that’s all.”

“No…
cute exchange?” He winks at me. “No… tête à tête?”

“No.”

“There’s
something you’re not telling me.”

“What
makes you say that?”

“I
know you better than you know yourself.”

“Then
if you know me that well, I shouldn’t have to tell you anything.”

“You’ve
been seeing him, haven’t you?”

“No,”
I reply, but I can feel the warmth encroaching all over my body, and I know
must be red.

“I’m a
lawyer. You really think I can’t tell when you’re lying to me?”

“I
haven’t been seeing him… we’ve had a few moments together.”

“I
want to know.”

“Why?”

“Jada.”

“The
day I dropped you off at the airport, he drove me home.”

“How
come?”

“It
was difficult. I was in the car and he saw me. According to him, I was in no
condition to be left alone. So my choices were either he drove me or he’d call
the police… you know how I feel about the police these days.”

“I’m
sorry… I didn’t think that it would have been so hard.”

“Neither
did I.”

He
hugs me. I tell him about the other occasions, but I keep the kiss and my
wanting to kiss him back to myself.

By the
end of the night, the tree is up and all presents are underneath. Bobby and Val
cuddle on the sofa, watching the images on the TV as they fly by. Honestly,
they look like they’re dying to be alone with each other. He’s never been like
this, and I take pleasure in seeing my former man-whore brother smitten and in
love.

It’s
Christmas morning
and we all converge around the kitchen island
while my mother makes her famous fabulous scrambled eggs. Bobby works on the
French toast. Val handles the bacon and sausages, and I fix the coffee, tea,
and juice.

After
a Thanksgiving spent alone, I appreciate my family flying all this way to spend
the holidays with me.

We
enjoy breakfast together. It would have been nice to sit out on the terrace,
but with below freezing temperatures and the snow coming down outside, it’s
impossible. We’ve been blessed with a white Christmas. When we’re done with
breakfast, we open presents.

Later
in the day, I call Charles to wish him a Merry Christmas. He has become such an
integral part of my day-to-day life. What we share has become so much more than
a lawyer-client relationship, and I will forever be thankful for that. In many
ways, because I’m so isolated, he’s become a confidant. He’s come to know some
of the most intimate details of my life.

Dinner
is another team effort, and after we spend the afternoon hard at work, we
gather round the dining table while it’s snowing outside and enjoy the fruits
of our labor. After dinner, Mommy’s tired. She heads to bed. Val and I clean
the kitchen, and Bobby… well, he’s fallen asleep on the couch.

He’s worked
hard, and I can see Val’s tired. I tell them I’ll handle the rest, and they say
goodnight.

My
phone rings as I put the last of the pots in the dishwasher. It’s Charles
calling.

“Hey,
Charles. Please don’t tell me that you’ve found out some horrible news you had
to tell me on Christmas.”

“Actually,
no. This is not Charles. It’s Jonathan.”

Well,
this is unexpected.

“Hi…
Merry Christmas,” I wish him.

“To
you too. How are you? It’s been a while.”

“I’m
good. Thanks.”

“Your
name came up in conversation a few times today.”

“These
days, that’s never a good thing.”

“It
wasn’t nearly as bad as you think. You have a lot more support than you
realize.”

“Let’s
not go there… I assume there’s a reason you’re calling?”

“I
hope you aren’t alone. Someone told me you were at Thanksgiving.”

Charles.

“No, I’m
not. My mom is visiting, along with my brother and his fiancée, so there is no
need for concern. Thank you.”

“What
about your dad?”

I
hesitate, surprised by his audacity. “My dad died when I was twenty-one,” I
reply curtly.

“I’m
sorry.”

“Me
too.”

“I was
thinking about you. You’ve been on my mind quite a bit today, and I wanted to
wish you Happy Holidays.”

I feel
guilty that I snapped. “That was kind of you,” I reply softly.

“I
hope you had a great day.”

“I
did. I’m tidying up after dinner.”

“Jada?”

I feel
like he wants to ask me something.

“Yes?”

After
some hesitation, he finally replies. “It’s nothing. I hope you enjoy the rest of
your evening… I’ll be thinking about you.”

You
will?

“Thanks,
Jonathan. Have a good night,” I politely reply, and then I hang up.

I
stare at my phone in silence. Why was he
really
calling? Then I hear footsteps coming down the stairs.

“Was
that
the
Jonathan?” Bobby asks.

“I
thought you went to bed. What are you doing up?”

“I
came to get some water.”

“That
was him. I’m not sure why he was really calling, though.”

“What
did he say?”

“That
he was thinking of me, and he wanted to wish me Happy Holidays.”

“Then
that’s why he was calling. We men usually mean what we say. We mostly don’t
have a hidden agenda.”

“Right.
That’s why he told me his sister was his fiancée when we first met.”

“I
think we’ve figured out since then what
that
agenda was,” he replies,
pouring the glass of water.

“I don’t
know… On two separate occasions, I felt like he wanted to ask me something then
didn’t.”

“Maybe
he’s been gearing up the courage to ask you out.”

“I don’t
understand how that would even be a consideration for him. It would be career
suicide on a position he’s held for just a year.”

“Maybe
he likes you a lot more than you realize.”

I take
a deep breath and think about Bobby’s statement. Even if that were true and he
did ask, could I accept?

“You
really like him, don’t you?”

“I
feel so guilty… this all started days after Richard and I ended.”

“Sweetie,
if there’s one thing I know, it’s you can’t plan with whom and when you fall in
love…”

“Who
said anything about being in love?”

His
face lights up as he looks at me. “Sweetie, the heart wants what it wants, and
it has no regard for who, when, where, or how.”

I
exhale. “This is overwhelming. I need my bed.”

He
hugs me then replies, “Things will all work out. You’ll feel better in the
morning.”

I wake
the
next day excited about a sleigh ride I’ve planned for us. My family leaves
tonight. I thought this is something we would all enjoy before they depart.
Especially Mom.

After
breakfast, we head out. Today is still very cold. We huddle together wrapped in
thick blankets as the beautiful black Percheron horses lead the way through the
white skirted forest.

It is
a perfect day for a sleigh ride. Everything is in white, and as we venture
through the trail, large evergreens tower above. We make it through the forest,
and the magnificent Sierra Mountains look over us throughout our ride.

Mom
holds my hand tightly. I can tell that she is happy that we are spending this
time together. Once the tour is over, we head to my favorite café by the water.
We huddle around the fireplace and enjoy several cups of hot cocoa.

After
some time snacking and chatting, while my mom leaves for the washroom, a man
approaches me.

“Jada
McLean, do you care to comment on the impending murder charges against you?”

“No
comment. Please let me have my privacy,” I say calmly, although inside, I’m
getting angrier by the moment. I stand to leave, but he blocks my path.

“Not
until you answer my question,” he replies.

Before
I know it, Bobby approaches the man. “If you don’t move out of her way, I’ll
have False Imprisonment charges brought against you. Now please, move.”

“Who
the hell are you?” the man shouts.

By
then, Bobby is holding my hand, and Val is leading Mom out of the café. A scene
is starting to develop, and that’s the last thing I need. I’m afraid that Bobby
is going to explode and revert to the methods of his past to get this situation
solved.

“Bobby,
let’s leave,” I say.

He
stares at the man angrily then leaves with me. On the way out, he hands a bill
to the server but doesn’t bother to wait for the change. We get into the car,
and he drives. Mom and Val sit in the back.

“Jada,
what was that about?” my mother asks.