Dancing with Deception (20 page)

“No.” Rebecca paid careful attention to her half-sandwich. “I had a stuffed bear when I was a kid. In fact, I still have it.”

“Yeah, but you’re a girl,” Colin tugged her hair. “Go on, ballerina. You can pick on him. I’ll protect you.”

Rebecca continued to struggle with a smile. “I think it’s sweet.”

“I don’t know about you assholes, but I have work to do.” Gideon grabbed Colin’s plate and—ignoring Colin’s cursing—sat down to eat.

“Come on Gid.” Charles stacked chips on top of his sandwich. “Fun’s fun.”

“Yeah, not when you’re the one getting ragged on.”

“Rebecca,” Colin chided, “Mr. Asskers took bigger bites than that.”

The statement had her carefully toned control cracking. She snorted out a laugh and didn’t even bother to choke it back when Gideon glared at her.

“Jesus, you all are assholes.” But he was smiling now as he chewed his food. “Just wait.”

Critter came in to fill a plate and coaxed a couple of smiles out of Jess. As he was being filled in on the conversation topic, Gideon moved over to sit beside Rebecca. He held a potato chip to her lips. She bit into it instinctively, then shook her head when he offered another.

“People shouldn’t be able to live off the measly amount of food you eat.”

Rebecca shrugged. “I’ll eat more after the show.”

She saw the concern in his eyes and knew what put it there. She was paler than usual and even her makeup couldn’t hide it. She managed a small smile, wanting to assure him she was all right. They’d talked so little about
The Dance
and the danger they were in. Every time she tried to bring it up, she was firmly told not to worry and that he would handle it.

But it wasn’t only about her anymore. She worried for his family more than she worried about herself. More than once she’d considered taking the painting and borrowing a boat to go find the goons who wanted it and get the entire thing over with.

Then there was her relationship with Gideon. She was living with him now. He’d insisted she move her clothes into his room and with great reluctance, she’d complied. He couldn’t know how vulnerable she felt not having her own space. Avery wasn’t a big island but she’d managed to carve out a little personal time here and there.

She’d never lived with anyone except Lilah. And even that was a solitary experience. Where Lilah was a social butterfly, hopping from party to party, man to man; Rebecca was more reserved. She’d had two serious relationships but had managed to escape with her heart intact.

She couldn’t say why people tired of her so easily. She’d always felt unlovable without ever knowing why. If a person’s own parents couldn’t love them, there had to be something wrong with that person.

“Where you at?”

Gideon’s quiet voice interrupted her thoughts. She shrugged, took another bite of her sandwich. “Just thinking.”

“Want something else to think about?”

She glanced warily at him. His body was turned mostly toward her. She recognized that gleam in his dark eyes and checked the urge to wet the lips she knew he was about to kiss. She felt herself sway toward him, saw his eyes light with triumph before his mouth closed over hers.

For some reason, she’d expected a
chaste
kiss. His family was there, for heaven’s sakes. Heat curled in her belly and her heart did one slow flop in her chest.

Before she became too consumed in the kiss, she realized the room had gone quiet. When she tried to pull back, his hand uncurled from the fist he made at her back and flattened against her spine. She felt the slightest pressure as he pulled her toward him but she managed to slip her mouth from his.

His mouth was by her ear, his breath sending little tingles of pleasure throughout her already bumping system.

Someone cleared their throat.

“Well, anyway.” Colin didn’t even bother to hide his grin. “Some of us have to work.”

Rebecca must have blushed. She felt heat scorch her face.

Gideon looked smug—damn him—and Charles stood grinning, too. Jess, though, was carefully averting her gaze. Brows drawn together, Rebecca studied her. Her cheeks lacked the healthy color the good humor in the room had given them. She couldn’t see her eyes, but her lips were pulled in a thin line.

“Hey, baby.” Critter dropped down in a chair beside Rebecca. “My turn, chica.”

“Mine,” Gideon warned mildly.

“You used to share Mr. Ass—” He grunted when Gideon jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow. Critter rubbed the sore spot. “Fuck.”

“Sissy.”

“I need to go put my clothes in the dryer.” Jess kissed her father’s cheek then poked Colin in the belly. “Bring the baskets up before you head to the mainland.”

“I’ll come with you.” Rebecca slipped off the chair and followed Jess out the door. “Everything okay?”

“Oh, yes. I don’t want my clothes to mold.”

They both knew very well that Rose would change the laundry as soon as the cycle ended. “What kind of music do you listen to?”

“Oh, anything.”

“I brought some CD’s. Maybe we could put one on. I need to touch up my toe polish.” She was searching for anything, as long as she could spend time with Jess. She felt unbearably sad after witnessing that haunted look.

She’d been curious as to what Jess had been through. A break up? It made sense. Maybe she could get Jess to confide in her. She found herself needing to know.

“Sounds good.”

Since her coral red toe nail polish was still wet, Rebecca propped
her feet
on the side of the bed while she lay on her back on Jess’s bedroom floor. Ally Bowman’s velvety voice vibrated through the speakers. Eyes closed, Rebecca hummed along to the chart topping song about a hard man and a broken heart.

“She’s good.”

Rebecca opened one eye to see Jess reading the insert from the CD case. “Yeah, she’s my favorite artist. She’s a great dancer too. I wish she’d tour in Cleveland. I’d love to steal some of her moves.”

“Her hair is pretty.”

Rebecca pictured the long, dark blond tresses framing a classic oval face. “I think it’s real, too. Her eyebrows aren’t very dark.”

“I like the first song on the album.”

“Mmm,
In Your Eyes
. She wrote it for her father.”

“That’s sad then. I couldn’t picture not being seen for who I was.” Jess closed the case and sat it on her desk.

“It’s not so bad when you don’t know any different.” Even with her eyes closed, she heard Jess’s quick intake of breath. “Don’t apologize, Jess. What you have with your father is special. It’s right and it’s yours. It is sad some people don’t have that, but it’s the way it is.”

“I just feel so bad for you. I don’t know what to say to you half the time. I wish things were different for you and your parents.”

Rebecca mulled that over then shrugged. “I don’t. My mother’s a dried up hag and I mean no offense by that. It’s just how she is. My father’s a con-artist. A thief. If we got along, who knows what I’d be doing right now.”

“I never thought about it that way.”

Oh, but she had, Rebecca thought from her spot on the floor. She’d thought of every reason why she should be thankful for meaning so little to her parents.

“I helped my father steal.” She didn’t know where this urge to share her feelings had come from. But it was strong and she found herself wanting to talk to Jess. To all of them. “Not this time,” she hastened to assure her. “But when I was younger.”

“You did?” There was so condemnation in her voice, only simple curiosity.

“I was seven. He got a job at a local craft store and worked there for about two months. He waited for them to hire a new employee before he began to steal so they wouldn’t assume it was him. Anyway, his partner, Danny Blade would take me with him. People never looked twice at a little kid shopping with her Uncle Blade.”

“Did you know what they were doing?”

She wanted to tell her no, but it would have been a lie. She had no problem with lying when necessary. But she couldn’t lie to Jess. “Not at first. I caught on quickly though. Whenever a customer made a big purchase, my father would tuck the original receipt away and give them the copy. He’d give it to Danny sometime then the next couple days Danny and I would go in and give him the receipt. He’d refund the money, forge the managers signature then they’d split the take.”

“He didn’t get caught?”

“No. He cleaned them out of a few thousand dollars before someone began to notice the difference in returns and receipts. Then, he quit.”

“How did you help?”

She felt an old familiar shame begin to bubble. “Once, the manager came over to his register. Danny told me to distract him so I asked for candy because I knew he kept some in his office. I walked with him to get the damn sucker while they made the exchange.”

“It’s that easy to steal?”

“Yeah, and Austin and Danny were good at it. That was probably the simplest of the cons. But I wanted to help.” Tears threatened but years of strict control kept them from spilling. “I wanted the con to work because the whole five months or so he worked at that store, he was home. And I knew when it was done, he’d go again.”

She felt Jess’s hand on hers and she opened both of her eyes. “That’s nothing to be ashamed of, Rebecca. You were just a kid.”

“I know.” She sighed and sat up to test her polish. Since it was dry, she stood up and sat down heavily on the bed. “I don’t know which was more stupid. Wanting him to steal or wanting to be with him. I regret
both
now.”

“I can’t say that I understand how you felt or feel now. But I can tell you I’ve never met someone who I respected more than I do you.”

Touched, Rebecca sniffed against a fresh round of tears. “Thank you, Jess.”

“I wish I could see you dance,” she said absently smoothing down the comforter on her bed. “Gideon said you’re really good.”

“He said that?”

Jess smiled. “He also said you have a show in a few weeks in Cleveland.”

“I do, yes. I could get you a ticket and you could come see it.” Rebecca saw a shadow cross her face. Her expression didn’t change much. She was still smiling but the smile froze. The deep green of her eyes darkened with sadness. “Only if you want.”

“Oh, I’d love to come. But I can’t. I’ve never—” Her breath hitched slightly. She turned to face the window where the light coming into the room was beginning to fade.  “Since we moved here, I haven’t once left the island.”

Simple shock held Rebecca speechless. She didn’t want to pry but she just couldn’t let it go now. When she found her voice, she managed to ask, “Why?”

“It’s a long story.”

“I have time if you want to share.”

Jess
scrubbed her hands over face, took two deep breaths before she spoke again. “When I was fifteen, my brothers went to a card game at my friend Josie’s house. I had a big time crush on her brother, Josh. I thought he liked me too, so I begged to go. They’ve never been able to deny me anything.” She smiled a little.

“Lots of men would be put out with little sister tagging along but neither of them ever got tired of me. That makes me very lucky.” She stopped again, visibly fighting for control. “I went with them to Josie’s and while they were playing cards, I went looking for Josh. Josh’s uncle told me he went down to the stables.”

She looked over at Rebecca who was listening quietly. “I had it all planned out. We’d bump into each other and I would tell him I was just getting some fresh air. Then we’d talk. He’d confess he liked me then kiss me. It would be my first kiss, there in the stables. But I don’t see him anywhere. I figure he isn’t around so I shrug it off. I like horses anyway so I may as well pet a few.”

Her voice had gone thin.
She spoke
in the present as if it were happening now. Her eyes were no longer focused on the window, but distant. Rebecca touched her shoulder. Jess blinked and jerked out of her memories. Clearing her throat, she continued. “Josh’s uncle walked in when I was petting one of the horses. His eyes looked weird. They were bloodshot and kind of glassy. I was young but not stupid. I knew he was probably drunk
,
but I didn’t start getting scared until I tried to leave and he wouldn’t let me go.”

Rebecca’s stomach clenched. She prayed she was wrong, but knew she wasn’t.

“He laughed. Called me a pretty little thing. He told me I shouldn’t be wasting my time with a boy when I could have a man. I told him my brother’s would worry if I wasn’t back and he laughed again.” Her lips trembled once before she could stop them. “I don’t remember much. When my brother’s found me, they said I was in shock. He raped me, though. That I do remember. And he ran away.”

“Oh God, Jess.”

She looked up quickly. “I didn’t handle it well. Didn’t handle it at all. After weeks of therapy and counseling, nothing helped. Colin bought this island and we all moved. I only see my grandparents when they come for Christmas every year. I don’t talk to anyone from Virginia
, I haven’t seen Josie since.
I don’t leave this island. That’s what worked for me.”