Next Door Secrets (Secrets Series Book 2)

NEXT
DOOR
SECRETS

BY KAREN LENFESTEY

ACKNOWEDGMENTS

I’d
like to thank my first readers Jennifer Newton, Judy Post and Paula Adams for
all of their advice. Thanks to Scribes for always offering new insights into my
writing.

Copyright
© 2014 Karen Lenfestey

This is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely
coincidental.

All
rights reserved.

NEXT
DOOR
SECRETS

CHAPTER ONE

Lightning flashed
across the evening sky, illuminating a little girl sobbing on Bethany’s stoop. The
child’s head rested on her pulled up knees and dark hair hid her face, but there
was no mistaking that despair rocked her small frame.

Beth parked her
car in the lot and stepped into the bitter wind. A big storm was about to let
loose. As she turned up the collar of her trench coat, she rushed toward the
girl, trying to remember her name. She’d seen her around the neighborhood, but
only from a distance. “
Kaylee
?”

The tiny head shot
up and the eyes gazing back at Beth were so blue, the breath caught in her
throat. Tears shone on the girl’s chubby cheeks as her lips parted, but she
didn’t speak.

Beth figured the
girl was about seven or eight.
Too young to be sitting out
here alone.
“What’s wrong?”

The girl used her turquoise
mitten with a hole in the thumb to wipe her nose. “My dad said not to talk to
strangers.”

Beth nodded.
“That’s good advice. I’m your neighbor.” She pointed to her door on the right.
“Your dad helped me figure out the trick to opening the mailboxes.”

“You have to
jiggle the key.” She straightened up as if the conversation had distracted her
from her woes.

The man hadn’t
bothered to introduce himself, but she’d noticed the name Jim Stein on the
mailbox. “Anyway, I heard him call you
Kaylee
once,
but I guess we’ve never formally met.” She could barely resist the urge to sit
down and wrap an arm around the girl, but she didn’t want to spook her. With a
smile, she waved. “I’m Bethany, but my friends call me Beth.”

Kaylee
blinked at her with dark eyelashes stuck together by
tears.

The wind blew a
strand of Beth’s dishwater blonde hair into her face. “It’s going to start
pouring any minute. Why don’t you go inside?”

“I can’t. My dad
gave me a key, but I lost it.”

“Maybe we could
call your dad.”

The girl shook her
head. “He’ll be mad.”

“I’m sure he’ll
understand. He wouldn’t want you to sit outside in this weather. When’s he
coming back?”

She shrugged.

“So no one else is
home?” Beth knocked on the door just to make sure. No answer. “What about your
mom? Where’s she?”

Her lower lip
jutted out and she looked as if she might start to cry again. “She died.”

Sympathy jabbed
Beth’s heart. No little girl should have to grow up without a mother. “Sorry.” She
wasn’t sure what to say. “Tell me your dad’s phone number and I’ll call him.”

“555-1246.”

Beth pulled out
her cell phone and dialed. “I’m looking for Jim Stein.”

An elderly man
answered. “Wrong number.” Click.

Lightening flashed
again, resembling the jagged branch of a tree. Beth returned her attention to
Kaylee
. “Are you sure that’s the right number?”

The little girl
twisted her mouth to the side. “I think so.” A crack of thunder made her
tremble.

Beth certainly
didn’t want to negate the child’s instincts not to trust strangers, but she
couldn’t let her freeze out here either. Her gaze landed on the numbers mounted
on the door behind
Kaylee
. 1246. That was her
address, not her phone number. “We could put a note on the door telling your
dad that you’re with me. At least that way you can stay warm until he gets
home.”

“I don’t know.”
She twisted a lock of hair near her ear and Beth noticed the lobe burned pink.

“How long have you
been out here?”

“Since the school
bus dropped me off.”

A check of Beth’s
watch revealed that it was five thirty.
Kaylee
had
probably been outside for at least two hours. “Don’t you have a hat?”

“I lost it.”

Kids. They were so
busy noticing butterflies and dandelions that the little details like keeping
track of a hat or a key slipped their minds. Beth couldn’t help but smile. “You
know what would be perfect? We could make hot chocolate while we wait for your
dad.”

“Do you have Swiss
Miss?”

“I don’t think so.
But I have real cocoa. We could make it the old-fashioned way.”

“Will it have
marshmallows?”

“I’m afraid not.” Suddenly
Beth hated how she had to keep treats out of her pantry for fear of putting the
weight back on. If she’d known she was going to have company, she would’ve
gladly stocked up, but a trip to the store was out of the question now. She
needed to get
Kaylee
inside. “I’ll be right back.”
She dashed inside her apartment, found a piece of paper and wrote a note to
Kaylee’s
father. Once outside again, she taped it to her
neighbor’s door. “See? He’ll know you’re with me.”

Just then the heavens
unleashed the downpour they had promised. On instinct, Beth reached her hand
out, but
Kaylee
didn’t take it. She did stand,
however, and follow Beth inside.

The air warmed Beth’s
cheeks as soon as she opened the door to her apartment. She hung their coats on
pegs before they walked through the living room into the small kitchen. The
window above the sink blurred with violent raindrops.

Kaylee
climbed up on one of the island’s barstools and
swung her legs back and forth. “Your place looks just like ours!”

Nodding, Beth
pulled out the Hershey’s cocoa and scanned the back for a recipe. “I used to
love making hot cocoa with my dad when I was your age. We’d drink it in the
basement and watch Star Trek.”

“What’s Star
Trek?”

Beth’s jaw dropped
open in mock surprise. “What’s Star Trek? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

The girl shrugged.
Once the milk was warmed in the microwave, Beth stirred in the cocoa and sugar
and placed it in front of
Kaylee
. “Be careful you
don’t burn yourself.” She watched as
Kaylee
took a
sip. “Do you like it?”

“Not as good as
Swiss Miss, but it’s OK.”

Beth chuckled and
headed for the living room where she kept her DVD’s on a bookshelf. Star Trek,
The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise—they were all
here. The original series’ special effects would probably make
Kaylee
laugh. But Voyager’s Captain
Janeway
,
the first female captain, would be a good role model for a little girl. Beth
pulled out the pilot episode and turned toward the kitchen. “Bring your cocoa
in here and we’ll watch a little Star Trek while we wait for your dad.”

“I’m not allowed
to drink in the living room. Dad says I might spill.”

Again Beth
smirked. “That’s okay. Those are your dad’s rules, but in my apartment, it’s
fine to drink in the living room.” She’d cleaned up many spills while helping
raise her ex-boyfriend’s niece and she still had the bottle of stain remover in
the closet.

Kaylee
climbed off her stool and carried her mug slowly
across the carpet. She gingerly placed it on a coaster before sitting
cross-legged on the couch. A grin radiated from her face.

Beth allowed her
gaze to linger on
Kaylee’s
features a little longer.
This was such an unexpected treat—having a child sitting in her living
room. A second later something intangible squeezed Beth’s chest. She’d walked
away from her chance for hugs and hot cocoa and all the good stuff kids could
bring. What if she’d missed her only chance? A sigh escaped her lips.

“What’s wrong?”
Kaylee
asked.

“Nothing.”

“You look sad.”

“Nope.”
Time for a distraction.
Beth grabbed the remote and hit
“play.” “This takes place in the future in outer space.” When the horns started
playing the familiar theme song, her spirits lifted a little. The melody always
made her feel as if she should stand up and salute.

They watched as
the ship encountered a displacement wave and killed some of the crew. Beth
scanned
Kaylee’s
face to see if it was too much. A frown
pulled at the girl’s lips.

Shaking her head,
Beth realized she hadn’t ever watched this episode through the eyes of a child.
“Just remember this is pretend.” She hoped that would help ease her distress.
Kaylee
gripped her mug and continued to fixate on the
screen.

Rain continued to
pelt the windows, but it became like white noise that they soon forgot.
Throughout the show, Beth kept sneaking glances at the child, thinking,
This
is what it would be like to be a mom.

Toward the end of
the episode, the phone rang. Beth jumped up, hoping it was
Kaylee’s
father, but then realized if he saw the note, he’d just walk over. “Hello?”

“It’s me.”

Recognizing her boyfriend’s
friendly voice, she carried the receiver into the kitchen so she wouldn’t
disturb
Kaylee
. “Hi, Parker.”
“I’m afraid I need to cancel our plans tonight.”

She glanced at her
watch and saw that it was nearly seven. “That’s OK. I’m babysitting the
neighbor girl and I have no idea when her dad will get home.” Peering into the
living room, she saw that
Kaylee’s
attention was
still glued to the sci-fi show. Beth lowered her voice. “I hope he wasn’t in an
accident or something.”

“He’s probably
just stuck at work.” It sounded as if Parker were calling from his cell while
traffic whirred in the background. “Since when do you babysit?”

“Starting today.”

“Do you think it’s
a good idea
considering.
. . .” He probably worried
that she’d get too attached, just as she had with her ex-boyfriend’s niece. She
still kept Emma’s picture tucked away in her desk drawer because it hurt too
much to look at her.

“To be honest, I
don’t know. What’s keeping you busy tonight?”

“Ivy called.”

Beth groaned
before he could finish.

“I have to go. She’s
desperate and she needs my help.”

Beth tapped her
forehead against the wall. Ivy had been stealing Parker away from her for
sixteen years.

CHAPTER TWO

This was the last
place in the world Parker wanted to be. He pulled his Porsche SUV in front of the
Chicago jazz club and honked. He certainly didn’t want to block traffic waiting
for his soon-to-be ex-wife.

Supported by a
good-looking man with graying temples, Ivy waddled out. When he saw her very
pregnant belly, Parker gasped. They hadn’t seen each other in person since he’d
demanded a divorce. For the most part, he let the lawyers handle the details
with only an occasional phone call between him and Ivy.

After Parker opened
the passenger door, the man helped Ivy climb into the seat. She fluttered her
lashes at the stranger and thanked him. He nodded an acknowledgement at Parker
before returning inside the bar.

His insides on
fire, Parker checked for a break in traffic then hit the accelerator. “Who was
that?” The jealous snip to his voice surprised him. Old habits died hard. Years
of suspicions that she was cheating had been confirmed about nine months ago.

“He owns
Jazzy’s
. I had an audition today, but the manager doesn’t
want me because I’m pregnant.” Her gaze fell to her stomach and her voice
sounded sad. “Said once I have the baby, I’ll be unreliable.”

Sighing, Parker
focused on finding the highway back to Indiana. He still couldn’t believe that
he’d driven all the way over here to rescue his ungrateful ex. But she’d
sounded desperate on the phone and he never could ignore a woman in need. “Tell
me again how you got stranded over here.”

“After the
audition, I was tired and it was hard for me to walk. Rick said he’d get his
pick-up, but then he called my cell and said he wasn’t coming back.”

“What a----jerk.”
He barely stopped himself from cussing, which was harder and harder to control
these days.

“He said since we
didn’t get the gig, he’s taking a construction job down south and once he gets
some money saved up, he’ll send child support. Yeah, right.” Her voice cracked.
“Screw him. This baby is better off without him.”

Shaking his head,
he wasn’t surprised. Artsy-fartsy types weren’t exactly known for being
dependable. But she’d made her bed and she would have to lie in it. “Well,
you’re going to have to figure out some sort of steady income.”

“I thought the
house was paid off so all I needed to worry about was food.”

He rolled his eyes
at her cluelessness about budgeting and the realities of money. “There’s no mortgage,
but the maintenance costs are going to be your responsibility once we sign the
divorce papers—the housekeeper, utilities, insurance, repairs.” For her
entire adult life, she’d let him handle everything. “The money you make singing
on weekends at the Blue Note won’t be enough to feed you, let alone keep up the
house.”

“That’s why I
auditioned today. Chicago pays better and has an amazing music scene.”

Had she crunched
the numbers at all? Did she have any idea how much
their
property taxes cost? “But you didn’t get the job.”

“Not yet. But I
got to
chatting
with the owner while I was waiting for
you. He’s the one who walked me out. I figure if he likes me, it doesn’t matter
what the bitchy manager wants.”

Typical Ivy. “So
the manager’s a woman.” It all made sense now. But could Ivy still hypnotize
men while she was clearly pregnant with another man’s baby? “What did the owner
say?”

“Like I said, we
just talked. I have enough business sense to be subtle. I expect to get a call
within twenty-four hours from the manager who will've had a change of heart.”

For her sake,
Parker hoped so. “But what will you do once you have the baby?”

Rubbing her
stomach in slow circles, she bit her lip. “I don’t know. Rick’s sister was
going to babysit, but now that he’s flaked out on
me.
. . . He said he isn’t ready to be a father.”

His fingernails
dug into the steering wheel. When they’d been married, he’d suggested they start
a family, but Ivy wouldn’t even consider it. And
now.
. . now it was too late.

A tear trickled down
her cheek and she carefully dabbed it so it didn’t smear her mascara. “Maybe
I’m not ready to be a mother, but that’s life. I can’t believe he abandoned me
when I’m about to give birth to his kid!”

Parker resisted
the urge to comfort her. He merged onto the Skyway and headed back home. OK.
Not home. Back to what used to be his home and was now Ivy’s.

They rode in
silence while he maneuvered through the heavy traffic, stopping periodically to
pay tolls. He smiled as he finally passed the “Welcome to Indiana” sign. He’d
be rid of Ivy soon.

“What kind of
person does that?” she asked. “Leaves his pregnant girlfriend standing on a
street corner in Chicago?”

“I never did
understand what you saw in him.”

“To tell you the
truth, neither do I. I think I was lonely because you worked so much and you
never showed any interest in my music.”

His shoulders
clenched. “Don’t blame your bad choices on me. If you were unhappy, you
should’ve talked to me.”

“I tried, but you
wouldn’t listen.”

“Try harder then.
You don’t sleep with another man in my bed. That’s not how you fix a marriage.”
The memory of that muscular twenty-something naked next to his wife made him
tremble with rage. That’s why he’d gladly moved out of their house on the lake.

It was her turn to
sigh. She gazed out the passenger’s side window. “Whatever.”

“Yeah. Whatever.”
He took a deep breath and tried to get back on track. “What it comes down to is
that you might have to quit singing and get a real job.”

Her lip curled. “You’d
love that, wouldn’t you?”

“No. I don’t care
anymore. That’s why I’m divorcing you. I no longer want your drama to rule my
life.”

“I’m hoping to buy
a place in Chicago once I get this gig.”

“And sell the
house on Lake Michigan?”

“No. I’d like to
keep that as a vacation home.”

He shook his head.
“You need to realize that your lifestyle is going to drastically change.
Indiana is a no alimony state. Pretty soon I won’t be supporting you anymore.”

“You keep telling
me that.” Her hand pressed on her abdomen.

“But you don’t
listen. You need to wake up and smell the coffee.”

“Well,
you
need to tell people you moved out. I’m tired of getting calls and mail for
you.”

“Calls from whom?”
Everyone at Mall Land corporate offices knew to contact him on his cell.

“Oh, I don’t
remember.” She gazed out the side window at the passing traffic. “I got a
really strange one the other day. Someone from the Peace Corps called.”

His throat grew
dry. “What did they say? What did
you
say?”

“Nothing. They
left a message on the machine and I deleted it. They probably wanted a donation
or something.”

No, that wasn’t
it. He’d nearly forgotten about the volunteer application he’d filled out
almost a year ago.
Before his diagnosis.

“Once you donate
to one charity,” she continued, “then all of the others start calling. I told
you that you give away too much money.” A whimper came from her lips. Her palm
pushed against her side.

Perhaps the pain
was punishment for her selfish heart, he thought. “Do you remember the name of
the caller?”

“Stop it.”

He would not let
it go. This was important. Volunteering for the Peace Corps had been niggling
in the back of his mind for years. One more thing Ivy had prevented him from
doing. “Is it possible you still have the phone number?”

“Stop talking!”
She winced. “I need to go to a hospital. Something’s wrong!”

# #
#

While sitting in
the hospital waiting room, Parker called Beth to tell her about his unfortunate
detour. She sounded as if she
were
growing more
concerned about her neighbor’s whereabouts and he tried to calm her. He liked
how easily she opened her heart to others, but hated how often she ended up
hurt.

After he hung up,
a nurse in Snoopy scrubs approached him. “You can go in now, Dad.”

He clenched his
jaw. “I’m not the dad.”

“Oh. Is he on the
way?”

“No.”

“Well, friends are
welcome, too. There are ice chips around the corner for the moms and snacks for
the—for you.”

He waved his hand
dismissively. “I’m not hungry.”

“She’s in room 320.”
The woman turned and marched down the corridor.

Staring at his
screen, he sighed. He couldn’t exactly walk away when Ivy was
all alone
in the hospital, could he? Stuffing the phone in
his pocket, he entered her room, which had pink and blue striped wallpaper. “Do
you want me to call someone? Your mom maybe?”

“Yes, please.” She
pointed to the phone next to the bed. “You’re not supposed to use your cell in
here.”

After he spoke
briefly to his former mother-in-law, he put his hands in his pockets and avoided
looking at Ivy’s pregnant belly. “She said she’d get here as soon as she can. I’m
going to take off.”

Ivy reached out
and clasped his forearm. “Please don’t go.”

Her touch caused
him to tense his muscles. He pulled away and she released her grip. “This is
awkward, Ivy. Do you want me to call a friend?”

She shook her
head. “I don’t have any girlfriends.”

“What about Beth?”

A
coldness
glazed her brown eyes. “You mean my replacement?”

He sighed. “Beth
had nothing to do with our breaking up. You screwing your piano player
is
what initiated this divorce, as you very well know.”

She rubbed her large
baby bump. “It’s hard for me to think of her as my friend anymore.”

“Look, I’m sorry your
boyfriend abandoned you. But I’m not the person who should be by your side
while you’re in labor. I’m sure your mom will get here as quickly as she can.”

“That’s just it.”
Her eyes closed for a moment. “She doesn’t know about the divorce.”

“What?” He took a
step back.

“She loves you.
She always said you were the best decision I ever made.” Ivy chewed her bottom
lip. “I couldn’t figure out a way to tell her that I was pregnant and I was
losing you. So every time I see her, I just say you’re busy with work.”

He raked his hands
through his cropped hair. He started pacing beside the bed. “It’s time you came
clean with her. I’m not going to pretend that we’re still in love and I’m
certainly not going to pretend that this baby is mine.” He pointed at her middle
as if
an alien
spawn was inside.

She winced and
rested her hand on top of her mountain of a belly. “Everything’s
gonna
change, isn’t it?” Her voice sounded small and fragile.

“Of course.”

“I’m terrified.”
Her words quivered. “I can’t do this alone. I wasn’t even sure I could do it
with Rick’s help. I’m not the mothering type.”

He’d pondered the
same thought many times. “You’ll figure it out. I’m sure everyone’s scared at
first.”

“I haven’t even
made it as a singer yet. I don’t want to put my dreams on the backburner like
my mom did.”

“Do you want to be
like your dad?” He already knew the answer.

“Well, no. He was
always traveling, putting on shows in different cities. He was a talented
musician, but he made a lousy father.”

Parker had never
seen Ivy sacrifice for anyone, but she’d be forced to now. “You’re going to
have to think of someone else’s needs for a change.”

She nodded. “I
know. I’m thirty-six and this isn’t how I pictured my life at all. This isn’t
how I pictured us.”

“Me, neither.” No
one in his family had ever left their spouse. He felt like a failure. His focus
landed on his trembling hands, a reminder that his clock was ticking.

“At least you
built your own company.” It was as if Ivy had read his mind. “That’s
something.” She smiled at him and he actually saw pride in her eyes.

“Thanks. But I
didn’t make the world a better place.”

“It’s never too
late.”

He shoved his
hands into his pockets. “Sure it is.”