Surrender to Love (3 page)

As things stood, she didn’t even know who she’d been
married to for the last three years. Their divorce had been finalized less than a week. So how could she tell Robin that David was dead and they were now on the run from none other than the FBI?

“Y
our father hates me,” Tony announced, climbing into bed. “I don’t think he’ll ever accept me as a son-in-law.”

Michelle’s gaze jerked from the thick law book nestled on her lap and over toward him. “What? Don’t be ridiculous. Daddy loves you.”

“Mmm-hmm.” He ignored her blue eyes’ penetrating stare.

She closed the book and rolled over onto her side to face him. “What makes you think he doesn’t like you?”

Tony regretted he’d brought it up. There wasn’t any proof that Paul didn’t like him, just a gnawing gut feeling that grew harder to ignore. “I’ve invited him to dinner at least ten times. And each time…” He shook his head. “I don’t know. When we were just colleagues, I thought that we were cool. Now we have this palpable tension that…I don’t know—it’s driving me crazy.”

Tony knew during the ensuing silence that she was struggling for an excuse for Paul’s behavior. In a way it made the situation worse. Of course she would defend her father. She
was supposed to. But he didn’t like the uneasiness he felt when she chose Paul’s side, nor did he like the fact that the issue forced her to choose a side.

“Let’s give him some more time,” she suggested with pleading eyes.

He looked away.

“Come on. You know the way he found out about us had to have been a shock for him.” Her face flushed from the memory.

Tony nodded, remembering Paul entering Michelle’s apartment with a bouquet of flowers and discovering them making love near the fireplace. She’d forgotten to cancel her dinner date with Paul and, in turn, had set an awkward stage for all involved.

“It wasn’t exactly how I wanted him to find out about us,” Tony said.

Michelle exhaled but her smile remained tender. “Nor did I. But what has happened, happened. We need to give him more time to adjust to the idea.”

“We’re more than an idea. We’re the real thing.”

“I know. I know,” she agreed. “But can you do this for me? Give him some more time.”

What she was asking wasn’t unreasonable. The way she looked at him through her wire-rimmed glasses made him feel that perhaps he was reading too much into things. Maybe if they had told Paul about their two-year relationship, he wouldn’t have taken things so hard.

She read his troubled expression. “What?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he lied, then leaned over to kiss her gently on the lips. As he drew near, he inhaled the faint scent of roses. It was in her hair and on her skin. It was one of the things he loved about her. At times like these she was soft and vulnerable, but as a lawyer she was hard and unyielding.

She was an interesting combination of contradictions. With
each day that passed, he found himself more fascinated with all the facets that made her who she was.

Their lips met and a familiar flutter returned in his heart. Yes, she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, despite the obstacles and challenges that lay before them—and since they were an interracial couple, there were sure to be plenty.

When their lips parted, he was satisfied with her widening smile. Her eyes fluttered open, and the love that radiated from them overwhelmed him.

“It’s not
nothing
, and you know it,” she said, undaunted by this attempt to distract her.

He groaned and smiled at the same time. She knew him too well. “Okay, then maybe it’s just not a big deal.”

Unconvinced, she held his gaze.

“Really. I think I’m going to do just like you said and just give your dad more time. I’m sure that he’ll come around.”

“You mean it?” she asked.

Tony drew her into his arms with the full realization that he was willing to do anything to please her. “Of course I mean it.” He kissed her, and all thoughts regarding her father were forgotten for the rest of the night.

Paul couldn’t get the mall shooting out of his head. There were too many holes in the puzzle, and it didn’t sit well with him.

Still dressed in his work clothes, minus the tie, Paul sat at his desk in his home office and reviewed his notes. He had to be missing something—call it a hunch. The crime scene didn’t make much sense.

The hour grew late, and by the time he was ready to head off to bed, Paul had made up his mind to start his investigation with Newman’s team members. In the morning he’d suggest that Tony talk with Newman’s partner.

On the way to the bedroom, he stopped in the kitchen and retrieved a beer. It was the perfect nightcap to a grueling day. It would also help numb the pain of retiring to an empty bed. But it would be only a temporary fix. Within an hour or two the familiar ache of loneliness would return, as it had every night.

Often he’d thought about moving to a place where there weren’t so many memories, but he knew that he never would. It was strange going through the motions of life without Sarah. Once upon a time he’d thought that she would have outlived him. She was the health-conscious one, the one who ran marathons and even had a membership to the local gym. So how was it that he, her complete opposite, was still alive and kicking?

The injustice of it all sent Paul reeling and left little for him to look forward to.

Next month Michelle would be a married woman and probably wouldn’t need him anymore. That knowledge only deepened his depression. He didn’t want to let her go. Not now, not when he needed her. He shook off the notion. He was being selfish.

Tony was a good man, and Paul had no doubts that his agent would do a good job taking care of his baby. But being the old man they’d invite to dinner out of obligation once, maybe twice a year hurt.

Michelle had suggested that he start dating again. Dating? Him? The thought was ludicrous. There would never be another woman like Sarah; of that he was sure. So why bother settling for second best?

In the back of his mind, Paul knew that he needed to be more accepting of Tony as part of the family. It wasn’t that he didn’t like him: Tony was a great guy. It was simply that Tony was taking Michelle from him. He was forcing Paul to realize that she wasn’t a little girl anymore, which was hard as hell to accept.

When exactly had she stopped wearing pigtails and started wearing makeup? He couldn’t remember. Somehow slumber parties blended with prom night, and hanging out with girlfriends turned into a string of boys tying up the phone lines. In retrospect, everything seemed to race by in a blur and, at times, he found himself wishing more than once for everything to slow down.

Paul drained the rest of his beer and clicked off his lamp. Tomorrow he would be more open and friendly with Tony and try harder to let go of his daughter.

Unfortunately, it was a promise he made to himself every night. One day he would make good on it.

Frankie Montello was known throughout the mafioso as a master of his craft. There wasn’t a security system invented that he couldn’t bypass, and the ancient system in place at Dr. Julia Kelley’s home was almost an insult to his sensibilities.

Once inside, he cast a cursory glance over the home’s modest furnishings. So this was where David Mercer had been hanging out for the last three years—hitched up to some doctor in the suburbs of Atlanta. He guessed that it was as good a place as any. But it wouldn’t exactly be Frankie’s choice if it had been him on the run for his life.

Frankie moved into the living room, his ears perked for any unusual sounds. A man could never be too careful. As he passed a small secretary, he noticed it was lined with photographs. His brows arched in surprise. He reached out a gloved hand and picked up one of the frames.

In the picture, David Mercer smiled back at him. Next to him was a woman he assumed to be Dr. Julia Kelley. He had to hand it to David—he chose a real knockout. The woman was a classic beauty, with eyes that resembled a cat’s. In David’s lap sat an adorable little girl who was a replica of her mother.

He smiled. So David had managed to steal a piece of the American pie. It was almost touching.

Frankie returned the frame, then looked through the drawer of the secretary. He wasn’t surprised when he came up empty-handed. Where would he hide the stuff if he were David? Hell, it could be buried in the backyard, for all he knew.

He shook his head at the prospect of digging up the backyard, then realized that would have been too much work for David. Something simpler then, he decided.

He made it upstairs into the master bedroom and was surprised to see clothes tossed everywhere. Had someone made it here before him? He thought about it and decided not to rule anything out.

After he’d thoroughly checked the master bedroom, he entered the adjoining bathroom and stopped short at seeing David’s dead body lying in a pool of blood.

“Well, well. What do we have here?” A wry smile tugged at his lips. “It looks like someone’s luck has finally run out.”

Frankie cocked his head to the side as he stared at David’s lifeless eyes. It appeared he had taken a hit in the chest. Had one of Vinny’s men tracked him back here and finished him off?

And had someone set the house alarm?

When the obvious answer dawned on him, a low chuckle soon turned into a rumble of laughter. “Well, well. It looks like the little cat has claws.”

He turned away from the bathroom and saw another picture on the nightstand by the bed that got the wheels turning inside his head. Could it be possible that David had entrusted his secret to her?

It wouldn’t exactly have been a smart move, which was why he had to consider it. Did she have what he was looking for? And if she did, where was the good doctor now?

D
uring the night, Julia silently watched her daughter while she slept in the large poster bed amid soft cotton sheets. There was always a sense of peace whenever she watched Robin—that and a tinge of hope. Even now, when things were at their worst, Robin provided her with that rare emotion.

She leaned over and placed a feathery kiss on Robin’s forehead. The corners of her lips twitched upward while tears crested her lashes and forged a path down her face. By tomorrow they’d be back on the road to nowhere, praying for divine intervention.

Quietly, Julia slipped out of bed. The cool hardwood floor felt good beneath her bare feet, while the soft breeze streaming from the open window caressed her skin. The storm had ended over an hour ago, but the smell of summer rain still lingered on the night air.

A magnificent garden lay beneath her window. No doubt it was a labor of love for its creator. As Julia stood there, she
couldn’t help noticing the palpable silence that cloaked the small town.

Carson viewed the townfolk as being a part of one big family. His simplistic view was a foreign concept, since Julia was a born-and-bred city girl.

To be honest, she had lived in her home in Atlanta for nearly five years and had never taken the time to meet her neighbors.

She stood at the window, puzzled by this, and finally thought that the answer was that people were simply too busy, just as she’d been.

She drew in a deep, cleansing breath. All of her life she had wanted to be a doctor, more because her father had been one and she had adored everything about him. She’d also hoped to marry a man just like him, but failed—twice. David’s haunting image floated up from her subconscious, and a strange chill coursed down her spine.

She closed her eyes, and the vibrant color of blood flashed behind her lids.

Her eyes flew open as she clasped a hand against her pounding heart. She hadn’t taken time to digest David’s death, too scared to process all she’d learned about her husband in the past few weeks.

Everything between them had been a lie. She knew that now, but it would probably take a lifetime to accept. It wasn’t because she was still in love with David. That had actually ended years before—back when he’d stopped pretending to be kind and considerate and instead became a short-tempered, illogical man who believed that everyone was out to get him. As it turned out, he had been right.

The only reason Julia had stayed in the marriage was for Robin. David adored her, despite the fact that he wasn’t her biological father. He had been the only father Robin had ever known.

Julia sorted through the events that had led her to Moreland, and wished like hell that she’d never bought a gun.

Her thoughts then drifted to Special Agent Newman. Had he set her up? She had trusted him, poured out her heart and told him everything about David. If she’d shown up at the mall, would she have walked into a trap?

And David…

Julia hugged her arms tightly around her body. She was responsible for David’s death; there was no denying that. The only dilemma that faced her now was whether the FBI wanted her dead as well. The very idea seemed ludicrous.

Julia grew tired of wrestling with the past. She needed to concentrate on the future, no matter how bleak.

The heady scent of honeysuckle wafted through the window, and a smile curved her lips. Again, she marveled over the town’s stillness. What would it be like to live and grow old in a town like Moreland?

Carson opened his daughter’s bedroom door and peered inside to see Bobbi nestled comfortably in the middle of her twin-size bed. He leaned against the doorframe while his heart bloomed with love at the sight of her angelic face.

They had traveled a hard road since Karen’s death. Both had been lost and confused by what to do next. Somehow they’d found their own way—one day at a time.

Quietly he entered her room. When he reached the bed, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, as he did every night.

“I love you,” he whispered.

Bobbi’s eyes fluttered open and a small smile curved her lips when their gazes met. “You’re late,” she whispered.

“I know.” He sat down on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped with his weight.

“Did Grandma and Grandpa go home?”

“Nah, they’re sleeping in the spare room.”

She nodded and looked at him quizzically. “Are you okay?”

He pushed back one of her wayward curls from her face, loving the fact that she’d inherited her mother’s hair. “I am now.”

“Were you over at Aunt Lilly’s?”

He nodded.

“Are you going to watch me pitch tomorrow?”

“Just for a little while. I have a car I have to check on tomorrow, but I’m sure Grandpa is still going.”

She nodded, satisfied. “Grandpa is my number-one fan,” she boasted.

“He’s number one?” He feigned a hurt expression.

“You’ve missed two games this season. He’s never missed a game,” she reminded him.

Carson lowered his head and fixed his doleful eyes on her. “But I’m always with you in spirit.”

She held his gaze and pretended not to be affected by his performance. “All right. You can be number one again.”

Carson’s face immediately exploded into another smile before he showered her with kisses.

“You go back to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Can we go over to Aunt Lilly’s for breakfast?”

“Again?”

“I like eating over there,” she said simply.

“All right.” He kissed her again and stood from the bed. “Good night.”

“’Night.”

Carson closed the door to her bedroom and went to his own room. Once inside, he walked over to the window, as he did every night, and stared out.

He loved the smell of the rain and knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would have a good night of sleep. Below his window, he stared at the beautiful garden and smiled. No
matter where he went in Moreland, there was always something around to remind him of Karen.

He turned from the window and removed his clothes.

When he got into bed, sleep didn’t come as easily as he’d expected. Instead, a beautiful woman with cat-shaped eyes monopolized his thoughts.

Robin woke up the next morning and stretched lazily next to her mother. She thought to wake her up and remind her that today they were supposed to meet David somewhere. She didn’t understand why everything had to be such a secret, but it seemed to be important to her mom.

She reached out a hand, fully intending to wake her, but suddenly decided against it. Her mom really looked tired. Maybe she should let her sleep a little longer. There wasn’t a real rush, anyway. That nice man from last night still had to fix their car.

Robin turned back the sheet just as she caught the scent of bacon. Her stomach growled as she rushed out of bed and over to their suitcases to find something to wear. Her mother had forgotten to pack her favorite shirt with the pink and yellow flowers on it. She moaned in disappointment, then decided to wear the purple one with red hearts.

She finished dressing and thought again about waking her mother, but held fast to her decision to let her sleep. Quietly she walked over to the door and slipped out of the room.

In the hallway, the smell of breakfast was even more mouthwatering. She could definitely get used to this place. At the staircase, she took her time glancing around as she descended, which was why she practically plowed into an older man near the bottom.

“Oops, sorry.” She quickly jumped back from the banister.

“Whoa. Where’s the fire?” he asked.

Robin started to apologize again when the man smiled and showed the whitest set of teeth she’d ever seen. “Are those your real teeth?” she couldn’t help asking.

The man laughed. “According to my receipt from Nick’s Drug Emporium, they are. What’s your name, pretty girl?”

“My mom says I shouldn’t talk to strangers.”

“Is that right?” The man even seemed to think that was funny. “Did she have any words of wisdom about where you’re going?”

Robin fell silent.

“Well, my name is Pierce Taylor.” He offered his hand.

She stared at him. He appeared strange, but he seemed nice. “Robin Kelley.”

They shook hands.

“There. We’re not strangers anymore, are we?” he asked.

She guessed he had a point. “Do you live here?”

“Oh, no. But I work here from time to time. Ms. Lilly and I are good friends.” His brows rose. “I hear you and your mother were stranded out on the highway last night. I sure hope you weren’t scared.”

She shook her head, offended that he would even suggest such a thing. In truth, she didn’t remember too much of it.

“Well, that’s good to hear.” He playfully tugged on her loose ponytail. “For a minute I thought you was Carson’s daughter, Bobbi. You two kind of favor. I bet ya I know what’s got you up so early this morning—breakfast. I swear sometimes that the angels in heaven can smell that woman’s cooking.”

Robin laughed at the thought.

“How would you like an escort to the feast? Maybe you’ll even be first at the table.” He offered her an arm.

Robin giggled and slipped her arm through his.

When they entered through the doors leading to the dining area, Lilly, who was busily setting the table, lifted a curious brow at the odd couple.

“Well, what do we have here?”

“I met this little lady on the staircase. I believe she’s looking for something to eat,” Pierce explained.

“Is that right? I think I may be able to do something about that. Do you like flapjacks?”

Robin frowned. She didn’t think she’d ever had them. “I don’t know.”

“Don’t tell me that you never had flapjacks before,” Lilly said incredulously “Where are you from?”

“Good morning, everybody,” Carson greeted from the doorway.

Meanwhile, Robin didn’t particularly like being the only one in the world who didn’t know what flapjacks were.

Pierce interrupted. “I think I’m going to go on upstairs and check out that broken toilet in room four.”

“Thanks, Pierce. I’d nearly forgotten all about it.”

“Don’t mention it. Goodbye, Miss Robin,” he said, returning his attention to the little girl. “I hope to run into you again.” He winked, then disappeared with a laugh.

Carson delivered a quick peck to his sister’s cheek, then turned toward their little guest. “Ah, Miss Robin, are you and your mother joining us for breakfast this morning?”

She nodded for herself, then added, “Mommy’s still sleeping.”

Carson’s smile faded a bit, and Lilly’s eyebrows lifted curiously.

“Hey, Aunt Lilly.”

Robin turned in time to see a young girl whip into the room and head straight into Lilly’s outstretched arms.

“Hey, ya, sport. Are you ready for your game against the Cougars?” Lilly gave a slight tug on the girl’s braided pigtail.

“Sure am. I’m going to beat that Stanley Forrester. I’ll teach him not to call me Snobby Bobbi.”

Carson laughed.

“It’s not funny, Daddy. You wouldn’t like it if all your friends started calling you names.”

“That’s right,” Lilly chimed in. “You didn’t like it when your friends called you names.”

Carson’s smile dropped.

Bobbi’s eyes widened. “They called you names?”

Carson cast his sister a withering look. “Thanks.”

“What?” she asked with mock innocence, then disappeared into the kitchen.

“What did they call you?” Bobbi asked, crossing her arms.

Carson shrugged, then spotted Robin again. “Oh, sweetheart, you didn’t get a chance to meet one of our newest guests.” He moved over to Robin and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Robin, I’d like for you to meet my daughter, Barbara. Barbara, this is Robin.”

“Daddy,” his daughter whined.

“Forgive me. She only answers to Bobbi.”

The girls exchanged awkward smiles and hellos.

“How long you staying?” Bobbi asked, breaking the ice.

Robin shrugged. “My mom said that we’re leaving today after your dad finishes fixing our car.”

“Oh.”

“Here we are,” Lilly said, entering the room and carrying a tray of food.

“Ooh, I love pancakes,” Robin said, feeling her mouth water with anticipation.

Lilly smiled with understanding. “Round here we call them flapjacks. You’re definitely a city girl.”

“Would you like to come and watch my baseball game?” Bobbi asked, reaching across the table to nab a banana, only to receive a pop on the hand for her troubles.

“What did I tell you about reaching across the table like that?” Lilly warned with a shake of her finger.

“Sorry,” Bobbi quickly apologized with a dramatic pout.

The anger in Lilly’s voice disappeared as quickly as it came. “Well, all right, then. Do you want flapjacks or do you want your usual?”

Bobbi wiggled her brows. “The usual. I’m pitching today, which means I don’t want anything heavy.”

“La-di-da. One bowl of Captain Crunch coming up.”

“Well?” Bobbi returned her attention to Robin. “Do you want to come or not?”

“I don’t know. I’d have to ask my mom when she wakes up.”

“Aw, I’m sure she’ll say that it’s okay.” Bobbi waved off the obstacle and for the first time assessed Robin’s clothes. “Do you even play baseball?”

Robin shifted uncomfortably and shook her head. From the dumbstruck look plastered on Bobbi’s face, Robin had the feeling that she was suddenly uncool.

“What do you do for fun, then? And please don’t tell me that you play with dolls.” She rolled her eyes.

Robin slapped her hands against her hips and glared. “And what’s wrong with dolls?”

“For one thing they’re boring, and for another they’re silly.”

“They are not!”

“All right, girls,” Carson butted in. “Behave.”

Robin stifled her retort, but had a good idea of how Bobbi obtained her nickname of Snobby Bobbi.

“Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. It sure smells like heaven in here,” a thunderous voice declared, seconds before a short, heavyset man with gray hair wobbled into the room. “Well, I declare, Carson’s here. Please tell me that there’s
some
food left for the guests.”

Carson laughed good-naturedly. “You’re in luck, Joe. Bobbi and I just got here.”