An Unknown Place (15 page)

“Let’s not forget Kellan dressing up like a fairy because Cora needed more models for her fairy clothes,” Jake laughed.

I could tell there was a lot of love for the little girl. Surrounded by men, but given love and not deprived of anything. Lucky little girl.

I knew when I found Kellan’s face red that he was embarrassed by having been ousted by his friends. Somehow that blush made him so incredibly sexy. Cora walked over to Tommy. I turned, giving Kellan my full attention.

I leaned in and kissed his cheek, whispering in his ear.

“I’ve never heard anything sexier.”

His hands were on my hips and squeezed at my words. I pulled back and studied his face. His eyes were burning, my body right along with them. I could feel the flush start at my core and move through my body from toes to face. Kellan leaned around me.

“Hey, Cora, you got any of those fairy costumes on you?”

Mac

A few hours, countless feta laden burgers and Greek fries, a few rounds of Go Fish with Cora and endless talk with Jake about the business, and I was beat. I had loved every minute of it. All of Kellan’s friends or, more appropriately, his makeshift family had made me feel at home. I had even warmed up to Ethan. Turns out he was a really great guy.

Ethan, without ever knowing it, had helped me overcome one of my hang-ups. He had a heart as pure as gold and the looks to go along with it. I wondered how women hadn’t found these guys yet. They were a treasure trove of hotness and sweetness that only an equally wonderful woman would deserve. I was still trying to figure out how I had gotten so lucky with Kellan.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned my head, my hands still soapy from cleaning the large pans that would never fit in the dishwasher. It was Ethan with a tentative smile. My first impression must’ve not been so nice since he was still treating me so timidly. I used to be so strong, so able, and I wanted to be that woman again.

“Can I help?”

“There’s a dishtowel behind you. You can dry.”

Ethan picked up the towel and dried the cookie sheet I’d made the French fries on. I washed, Ethan dried. We stayed in amicable silence, until Ethan spoke again.

“Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

I had just finished the last pan. Ethan took it to dry.

“Sure.”

“Richard Cintas is one complaint away from being kicked off the force.”

I swallowed heavily, feeling, from my throat to my gut, the heaviness of the oncoming conversation.

“You work with him?”

“Before he was on leave, yes. We work different districts and different shifts, but that doesn’t mean our paths haven’t crossed.”

“I’m assuming Kellan told you about him?”

“Kellan just told me that he wanted me to look into him for a friend. Then you show up. I’m a cop and not stupid.”

“What do you want to know?”

I could still hear Cora putting on a play she had written during dinner. They were all sitting in the living room, only a few feet away but it might as well have been an ocean. I still wasn’t looking at Ethan. I had looked everywhere but at him since he had brought up Richard Cintas.

“What happened? Kellan refuses to tell me, and he’ll normally tell me anything about any woman in his life– whether I want to know or not.”

“Is Richard still well liked on the force?”

“Not as much anymore. Had a few run-ins with good officers and had a row with the new boss.”

Kellan had a radio attached under the cabinet at the end of the kitchen counter. I walked over and switched it on. Mumford & Son’s
I Will Wait
was playing. I was glad it was upbeat and loud enough to cover our conversation. I didn’t want Cora to hear what I was about to repeat for only the fourth time to someone, outside of a therapy session.

“Just so you know, Kellan is the first man I’ve ever told about what happened. He opened something in me I hadn’t realized I’d closed off. Without Kellan we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”

“As much of a pain in the ass he can be, he’s also a good guy.”

There was loyalty shining from Ethan for his friend. I respected him more for that, than for any kindness he had shown me. I finally met his eyes.

“Officer Richard Cintas raped me about 3 years ago. We were dating, so I don’t know what you expect to do about it now. It’d be he said – she said, and let’s be honest, I’m just a runaway and he’s an officer of the law.”

Ethan didn’t show any shock. He was either really good at not showing his feelings or he wasn’t shocked by the news. I wondered what the run in with Richard’s superior had been about.

“An officer is just as human as the rest of the world,” He said.

“They’re not supposed to be.”

“Alas, that’s life these days. There is bad everywhere, but there’s good too.”

I nodded my head in agreement. I saw good in Cora, Tommy, Ethan, Jake, Kellan…so much good under one roof, and I got to be a part of it for a night.

“What did Richard argue about with his new boss?”

“He’s been stealing from our bail drawer. Bail bondsmen would come in and bail out a defendant and we’d end up with half the money.”

“What an asshole. How’d his boss find out about it?”

“Saw him doing it when they worked the intake and discharge port.”

“Is this new boss of his going to listen?”

I didn’t want to have to rehash this again, but now looking back on it, I should’ve told someone. I can only imagine how many other women he had attacked because I hadn’t spoken up.

“I have a feeling he will.”

The radio flipped off. Kellan stood at the counter, red faced and looking like he was about to knock someone’s block off.

Kellan

I heard the end of the conversation Ethan and Mac were having, I had wanted to be there when he talked to her about Deputy Dick. I didn’t think it would behoove what we were trying to do by scaring her and having Ethan talk to her by himself. She was already apprehensive of men, but Ethan was a cop on top of that. I wanted to punch Ethan but I knew that Mac was probably in a pretty fragile place with what Ethan had undoubtedly talked to her about. I had been too caught up in Cora’s hilarious play to realize how long Ethan had been gone for.

“Ethan, a word.”

Mac put her hand up.

“Leave him alone, Kellan.”

“I was just going to have a friendly word with one of my best friends.”

I was playing for innocence and knew I was failing, my temper had always been written plainly on me.

“I know that look. He just did what you asked him to do.” Mac put the towel she had been twisting in her hands down and went out the back door. I hoped she wasn’t leaving.

“What the hell did you do to her Ethan?!”

“I asked her what happened with Cintas, if you had told me what happened – then I wouldn’t have had to ask her.”

“It wasn’t my story to tell, it was hers. Goddamnit!”

My brain was reaching for solutions to the problem. My normal reaction would be
screw it
, because I had never cared much before. Now I was in panic mode. I balled my fists and got in Ethan’s face.

“If I lose her because of this, I will fucking kill you.” Ethan took a step back.

We had been in fights before but I had never threatened him. He was like a brother to me, I had always put them, Tommy, Cora, Jake and Ethan, first – it must’ve caught him off guard that I was putting her over him.

“I knew it,” I heard Cora whisper in wonderment from the door. I unballed my fists. She had enough in her life to deal with, without adding to the mix watching her uncles duke it out.

“What hun?” Tommy asked, coming up behind her. I’m glad he hadn’t heard me drop the F-bomb in front of Cora he would’ve had my ass.

“Mac is going to be my aunt.” Cora smiled up at her dad. I couldn’t help but smile. I wasn’t freaked out by the statement at all. But I had to fix what was broken first. “And Uncle Kellan said fuck.”

Tommy’s face turned beet red. Cora was headed into the living room.

“I am going to,” Tommy mouthed the word fucking, “kill you.”

“Welp. I have an early meeting.” Jake sliced through the tension with the odd placed comment, “I’m headed home.” Jake came over and gave me a bro hug. “Good job finding her. Now, just don’t lose her.”

My eyes immediately found Ethan’s.

“See ‘ya later. We’ll be talking.” Tommy left to find Cora, leaving Ethan and I alone.

“I’m sorry. I never thought it would be as bad as what she told me.” At least Ethan looked sufficiently upset, not that I expected anything less.

“If it wasn’t that bad, then I would’ve told you.”

Ethan put his hand out, a silent way of finding out if we were really okay. I took his hand and squeezed tightly. I was pissed, not at all over what he’d done but not angry enough to not shake his hand.

Cora ran in a moment after Ethan left the kitchen. She gave me a giant leg hug and then ran out.

“Thanks Uncle Kellan!” She hadn’t looked for Mac, which I found odd.

Time to face the music. I stepped outside and found Mac on my back porch swing. She had her legs tucked under her, head laid back and eyes closed. If I didn’t know the emotional turmoil she was probably in I would’ve thought she was relaxing. I sat down on the porch swing next to her.

“You could’ve told me what you were doing,” She said from her faux-sleep position.

“I thought I could get it done without stirring the pot.”

“That’s a bit optimistic.”

“Clearly. If I do anything like that again, I’ll tell you.”

“You’re not going to lose me, Kellan. It was dumb, and you should’ve told me, but it doesn’t mean that I am just going to quit you over it. I know, in your own way, you were trying to help.”

I frowned. Wasn’t running her M.O.? And how did she know what I’d said about losing her? She still hadn’t opened her eyes, but she lifted her arm and pointed to the open kitchen window. She had heard everything, including Cora’s declaration that she was going to be my wife one day. I wondered how Mac felt about that.

We rocked in companionable silence. It was relaxing. I hadn’t relaxed in so long, I didn’t know if I would recognize it if it happened. But turns out I could, and it was nice. I closed my eyes.

“Have you ever been in love?” Mac’s whispered question, seemingly carried to me on a quiet breeze.

“I love my family, I know what love is. But outside of my family? No. How about you?”

“I thought I was once. I was only 20 and living in New York at the time. He was a struggling musician. It was an instant attraction between us and we burned out fast. He was addicted to pills and no matter what I said, he wouldn’t stop taking them. He said it helped him with his music. But when we were together he treated me well. He took care of me, told me he loved me.”

“Was he your father or your boyfriend?”

That was mean of me, but I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want to think about anyone else touching her or taking care of her. I guess I had asked, though. I should’ve considered the answer before I’d asked the question. I still had my eyes closed, then I felt a poke to my arm.

I opened my eyes. Mac looked exhausted.

“Not nice Kellan.”

“You’re right. I would just think instead of just being taken care of you would want a little passion.” I paused and looked her over. “You look tired. You should get going so you can check in and get to bed.”

I assumed she didn’t want to stay with me. I would save myself the pain of rejection tonight, since my friend blew my night with her out of the water. Mac stood up, I followed.

“My luggage is at the top of the stairs. Let me get it and you can drop me off.”

Mac

I thought with the way he had acted so protective over me he might want me to stay. We had talked about
more
but I guess he wasn’t ready for me to invade his home. It was fair. I was here as an employee anyway, I think. The lines were so blurred now, I didn’t know for sure where the lines were. Maybe Kellan would give me Bren’s number and we could go out for a drink. I was wound tight. I needed a little aid in unwinding.

“Wait.” Kellan grabbed my hand before I could get into the house.

I turned halfway, him still holding my hand.

“When did you bring your stuff in?” He queried. Now I was going to have to go through explaining how I thought he wanted me to stay, how embarrassing.

“Before Jake left he told me he put my bag on the stairs. Said he saw it in the trunk when he brought your car back and didn’t want me to have to lug it in. It was nice.”

“Listen, you can –”

I knew what he was going to say and I didn’t really want to hear his excuses.

“It’s fine. You’re not ready to have someone invade your space. I get it. I’ll just go get my stuff.”

I wiggled myself free from his grasp and went inside to get my heels on, grab my bag and make my escape. My feet were killing me. After I pulled my duffle to the bottom of the stairs, I pushed my heels into a side pocket and unzipped the large area to find my Chucks. I had to pull out some of my clothes to get to them, at the bottom, of course. I was in the entryway of his house surrounded by my stuff when Kellan found me.

“Well, I’m not ready to have someone living in my entryway, but I have a spare bedroom upstairs.”

I pulled my Chucks out and put them on. I couldn’t believe I had been ready to stay over with him and he hadn’t been. I thought I would’ve been the one with the huge issue, but I recognized Kellan’s defense mechanism: humor and jokes.

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, Kellan.” He put his hands up.

“This is new to me, too. Give me a little break.”

“Okay. Lead the way.”

I stuffed all of my clothes unceremoniously back into my bag as Kellan went up the stairs. I reached the top of the stairs a few steps behind him, dragging my duffle behind me. The upstairs had three doors. Kellan showed me the bathroom and then opened a door to a small bedroom. It had a queen sized bed that took up almost the entire room. There was a small dresser shoved in next to the bed. It smelled like vanilla and had a warm feeling to it, maybe because of its crampedness.