The Broken Road (14 page)

I was happy. Everyone could tell. At the office, Paul’s snarky comments stopped bothering me. I was more motivated and kept the office running like a greased wheel. Even Uncle Bob noticed.

“You’re awfully chipper this morning, Megan” he quipped, after I glided in and handed him his coffee after a particularly wonderful and sex-filled evening. I just gave him a serene smile.

“I'm happy Uncle Bob. I’m in a great place”

“Hrrumph. Does a man have anything to do with this?” he muttered.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, it does,” I replied as I walked back to my desk.

It was nice to chat casually with Uncle Bob for a moment. He had been under a lot stress lately. Apparently this case was wearing him down. He was crankier than ever. The newer employees walked eggshells, but for me, it was business as usual.

I hummed quietly while I worked on a memo, but was interrupted by my phone ringing.  Shane.

“Hey babe.”

Shane’s voice sent shivers down my spine. “Hi you,” I said, lowering my voice.

“Do we have any plans tonight?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Do we?” I replied coyly. I loved how he says “we.”

“Well, seeing as how it’s Friday night, a bunch of the guys here are thinking about doing a bonfire tonight. We are going to meet up at Eric’s house around ten. Is that cool with you?” he responded with a chuckle. Eric Morrison and Shane have been best friends since high school. You’d think they were brothers, they’re that close. Eric’s a great guy, sweet and caring. Like Shane, he’s heavily into mechanics and they work together at Adrian’s shop.

“That sounds like a good time,” I replied, as Paul walked up to my desk. Giving him the one moment finger, I turned back to my conversation. “I’ll grab dinner at Mama Lucia’s if you’re in the mood,” I said, naming my favorite Italian restaurant.

“Oh. I’m always in the mood,” he joked.

I laughed and my mind flitted back to the past few weeks. Shane and I were always in the mood for each other. While we enjoyed talking, cuddling and just being together, sex with him is like nothing I’ve experienced before. We can’t keep our hands off each other. I have never felt like this. I felt content, satisfied, and utterly in love. Of course, I hadn’t told him yet.

“I'll be home around six thirty. See you then,” I said, and hung up the phone. Sighing, I turned to Paul. “And what can I help you with?”

Paul looked irritated that I had kept him waiting. “Bob and I are expecting some people from the DA’s office. They should be here any moment. You need to make sure there is coffee and water in the conference room,“ he demanded.

The pre-Shane Megan would have huffed and said something snide at Paul’s attitude, like threaten to put Metamucil in is coffee or something. But now, I didn’t let him get to me, which, in reality, must have bothered him even more.  I went ahead and made the coffee, setting out the nice cups and sugars, smiling the whole time.

The DA rarely comes here for a meeting, so this is a big deal. I made a call to the bakery down the street and placed an express order for my uncle’s favorite shortbread cookies. They promised me a delivery within ten minutes. I straightened up my desk and made sure the front area looked presentable. If Paul and Uncle Bob were stressed before, the wide-eyed stares and frantic pace of the office emphasized it.

We didn’t have to wait long. Right after the shortbread cookies arrived, so did three men and a woman dressed in suits. Eager beaver brown-nose Paul was waiting at the door for their arrival. I’m surprised he didn’t pee on the floor; he was that nervous.

“Gentlemen. Madam. This way please,” he said, and led them into the conference room. After they shut the doors, I didn't hear anything more from the group. The fanfare had the interns and new paralegals curious, but I was oblivious. I went ahead with my work and was packing up my files at five thirty when the doors finally opened. Uncle Bob trailed after the group and looked positively drained.

“Well, is everything okay?” I asked, logging off my computer.

“Yes. It is. Of course I can’t talk about it, but there are some bad people out there. Just do me a favor and be safe. Be careful who you associate with. Everyone should,” he said absentmindedly. He came over and kissed me on my forehead. “Love you kiddo. Have a great weekend.”

I put on my white cardigan, picked up my messenger bag, and headed out the door. It was late April and the weather was getting warmer but I knew it will be chilly tonight at the bonfire. I drove the short distance to Mama Lucia’s with the windows down and Aerosmith blaring on the stereo.  I was pulling into the driveway with our dinner at six fifteen when my cell phone rang. Flutters abounded when I saw Shane’s number.

“Hey baby. I'm just pulling into the driveway now. Are you on your way home?” I said, as I struggled with getting everything out of the car.

“Hey. Yeah. Something has come up. I can’t get out of here anytime soon. Can we meet later at Eric’s?” Shane's normally controlled voice sounded strained and distant.

“What's wrong? Is everything okay?” I questioned. It was normal for him to change plans because of part delays or something going wrong at the shop, but his tone sounded different to me. It had me worried. 

“Nothing’s wrong. Something has come up at the shop with a client’s bike. I’ll meet you at Eric’s house at ten,” he rushed. He was trying to get off the phone quickly.

“Um. Okay. I guess I’ll see you later then,” I said quietly. I don’t like this. I don’t like this uneasy, queasy feeling in my stomach.

“Hey. Everything’s fine. Don’t worry. I’m just in the middle of something. Would you mind picking up some beer? I have a feeling I’m going to need it tonight.” Shane's voice regained some normalcy, and that slightly smoothed my nerves.

“Sure. No problem. Do you want your dinner?” I asked, remembering the heavy shopping bag full of pasta and garlic bread.

“Nah, I'll grab it later.”

              “Okay. I’ll see you there then,” I replied, disconcerted. Something wasn’t feeling right. I headed into the kitchen, pushing aside Penny as she tried to get at the food bags. I filled her bowl with kibble but she was determined to get into the dinner bags. I gave her a piece of garlic bread to calm her down and put Shane’s food in the fridge for later. Knowing him, he’ll eat at four in the morning. I clicked on the evening news and started to eat my dinner.

“And in local news, a rookie Anne Arundel County Police Officer was shot today during a drug deal gone wrong. Here’s Amanda Cunningham with the latest.”

Any story about a rookie police officer always piques my interest. I constantly worry about Kyle on the job. A perky blond came on the screen, in front of the Edgewater Police Station.

“Yes, Mary. The spokesperson for the Town of Edgewater’s police department says that a rookie police officer was shot today while trying to disrupt a drug deal that was taking place underneath the South River Bridge. The name of the officer has not yet been released;, however we have been told the officer has been taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center for treatment. Stay tuned for updates. Reporting from Edgewater, this is Amanda Cunningham.”

I froze. My heart dropped to my stomach and I reached for the phone. “Please don’t be Kyle. Please don’t be Kyle,” I muttered, though I knew somewhere that he’d been hurt. I quickly dialed Mom’s phone number. Busy. I dialed Kyle’s number and it just rang and rang. I hung up the phone and sat there for a minute; panic thoughts swirled in my head. I was about to leave and drive over to Mom’s house when my cell rang.

“Mom? Kyle?” I blurted out, not bothering to check the caller ID.

“It’s Mom. The phone has been ringing off the hook. Did you see the news?” she asked nonchalantly. Hearing her so calm brought my pulse down a bit.
If she’s this calm, it can’t be serious.

“Yes, I just heard. Is Kyle okay? Was he the one shot?” I pressed, knowing that she would give me the truth.

“Yes. He was shot. But he will be okay. The bullet went into his shoulder and came out clean. He has already had surgery and will be coming home tomorrow. I’m here now with him,” she said, her motherly tone already soothing my worries.

“Whew! I’m glad. I’ll change and come right up there,” I said, as I moved to put my uneaten dinner in the fridge.

“No. Stay there. He’s drugged up and won’t even know that you’re here. I talked to Sarah. She is already on her way down. She took her finals early and was coming home to surprise your brother,” she said casually. Like it wasn’t a big deal that her baby boy got shot and had to go into surgery. I knew she was worried and scared.

“Mom. Are
you
okay?” I asked gently. A sob escaped her throat and she quickly cleared her voice.

“I am okay. I just wish that he would have chosen a different career path. But no, he had to be like your father,” she said, her voice wavering.

“Dad’s watching out for him though. I fully believe in that. Are you sure you don’t want me to come to the hospital?” I asked. I didn’t care about canceling my plans. Shane would understand.

“No Megs. Don’t worry about it. He’s going to be fine,” Mom reassured me. “Why don’t you and Shane come over to for dinner tomorrow night? We can talk wedding stuff with Sarah.” Nothing gets my mother happier than planning for an event. Especially weddings.

“Okay. We’ll be there around five-thirty.”

“Good. I love you. Be safe.”

I hung up with Mom and chewed on my lower lip. Even though I was deeply worried about my brother, Mom was right. He chose this career path. He knew what he was getting into. I heaved a sigh of relief and took my dinner out of the fridge. I was starving. I was starving.

Chapter 13

I left the house around ten so I’d have enough time to stop for Shane’s beer and some s’more stuff. The drive to Eric’s house was quick. Four years ago Eric’s grandfather left Eric an old ranch-style home. It’s set back from the main hustle and bustle of Annapolis and on the South River. Luckily for Eric, there aren't any neighbors close by, so the house parties were always held here. I made it to Eric’s by ten fifteen and already the driveway was lined with cars. Granted, I knew most of the people that Shane and Eric worked with. Most of them grew up in this area. But I felt awkward; it was clearly a boy’s night. Luckily, Shane was standing next to his truck when I pulled up.

“There you are,” he said, as I got out of my car. He wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in my neck. “You don't know how good it is to see you,” he murmured, his lips grazing my collarbone. I shivered, but not from the cold.

“I know. I needed to see you too,” I replied quietly. Shane looked up, curious. “Kyle got shot today.” Concern filled his face, so I quickly filled him in. “He’s fine. He’ll be okay. It was a clean shot. He’s coming home tomorrow. In fact, Mom wants us over for dinner tomorrow,” I said. Relief washed over Shane’s face.

“Whew! I’m glad he’s okay. Are you okay?” he asked, as he cupped my face in his hands.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was worried for a while, I had to hear about it from the news, but I'm better now,” I answered. I tugged him closer and raised my lips to meet his. Catcalls were instantaneous from Adrian and Eric, who were standing on the front porch.

Shane broke off the kiss with a growl. “I should throw them into the river,” he muttered.

I laughed. “Don’t get mad. They’re just jealous,” I called over my shoulder. Adrian and Eric good-naturally booed. Shane flung his arm over my shoulder and kissed my cheek with a loud smooch.

“We’ll finish this later,” he whispered. He took the beer, I grabbed the shopping bag, and we headed up to the front porch. Eric took my bag and gave me a kiss on the cheek and a big hug. I hadn’t seen Eric in a while. Shane told me that he has been really busy with the shop and putting in a lot of overtime. Adrian took the beer from Shane and led everyone out through the house to the massive back yard to a large fire pit, circled by big rocks. The night was beautiful and clear. The moon was high and reflected off the river. I could see Brian, Eric's brother, setting up the grill. Rachel, Eric’s sister, was setting food on the picnic tables.

“Hi Rachel,” I said, walking over to her. Rachel is two years older than I am. We’re good friends, although we haven’t talked much lately.

“Hey girl.” She reached over and gave me a hug. “I'm glad you’re here. I haven’t talked to you in forever!” Rachel led me over to the fire pit and sat down on a chaise lawn chair. I chose the one next to her and for the next twenty minutes, we caught up on life until we were joined by Adrian and Shane. Adrian straddled the chair, and leaned back, pulling his girlfriend of three years close. Adrian is huge, the type of man you would not want to come across in a dark alley. With Indian and African descent, he is the color of chocolate and extremely muscular. A devout weightlifter, he even competes.

Amid the inside jokes and playful insults, I passed out the s’mores and Adrian went to find some sticks. We moved closer to the fire. Shane leaned back in his chair, with me sitting between his legs. It was as romantic as it could get with twenty guys milling around and drinking. I leaned back and sighed.

“Having fun?” Shane whispered, his lips tickling my ear. Electric currents shocked my body at the slightest touch. I tilted my head back and met his lips with mine. The kiss deepened until a commotion behind us interrupted it.

“Fuck Shane. I don't care what he said!” I heard Eric shout. Curses and rude comments quickly followed. I turned to look at Shane, to ask him what that was all about, but the expression of anger and annoyance on his face stopped me. I raised my eyebrow questioningly

“I'll be right back,” he said quickly, and got up before I could say a word. I watched as Shane grabbed Eric by the arm and pulled him into the house. Adrian quickly followed. I could hear muffled shouting from inside, but couldn’t decipher what they were saying. With a quick glance to Rachel, I could tell that she was clueless as well.

A large roar came from the house and Eric and Shane stumbled out, swinging at each other. Rachel and I got to our feet just as Adrian ran over to intervene.