Next Door Secrets (Secrets Series Book 2) (7 page)

He paused. “You
said it’s your neighbors.”

“
Kaylee’s
dad, who is the gruffest man I’ve ever met, is
finally going to say thank you for the fact that I took his daughter to the
hospital.”

“OK then. Have a
good time.”

She couldn’t
believe he didn’t hesitate. Why wasn’t he jealous? Another man was cooking her
dinner.
Kaylee
implied that it might even be a date.
“You don’t need to worry, I have absolutely no interest in Jim.”

“Is that
Kaylee’s
father? You haven’t said one good word about him,
so I’m not worried. Is he cute or something?”

Pausing, she
considered his features. He had blue-gray eyes and brown hair that hung close
to his collar. “He might be attractive if he ever shaved or smiled. But nothing
compared to you.”

“
Aww
, such flattery.” He was quiet for a moment and she
heard him walking across the floor and closing a door. “If you did like this
guy, I’d understand.”

“Don’t be
ridiculous. There’s no way I’d ever be interested in Jim Stein.”

“Well, if not him,
maybe somebody else.” His breathing became audible over the line. “All I’m
saying is keep yourself open to finding the right one.”

“I did find the
right one. You.”

“Beth, I’ve told
you all along that we can’t get serious. I don’t want you to miss out on
marriage and kids because of me.”

“I’m not missing
out on anything. I love you and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Awkward silence
lingered between them. There was nothing worse than saying, “I love you” and
not hearing it
back
. But Beth forgave him. She suspected
he felt it, he just wouldn’t say it out loud.

He sighed. “
Gotta
go. Bye.”

She hung up the
phone and allowed herself to feel hollow inside. The man she loved just told
her she should find someone else. And she already knew there couldn’t possibly
be anyone better than him. Even if their relationship was doomed to end
eventually, it was the best thing she’d ever experienced. Like a firecracker
that lights up the sky and makes you smile long after it’s gone.

On top of Parker’s
rejection, there was Hannah’s. Hannah had flown to Indiana and wasn’t anxious
to see Beth at all. This hurt even more than her boyfriend’s pushing her away
because there wasn’t any reason for Hannah to hold back. She just did.

Knowing she’d be
unable to focus on the Jennifer Weiner novel sitting beside her bed, Beth
flipped on the computer and did some research on children who hoard food. It
said children do this for a variety of reasons including neglect, a disruptive
home life and troubles at school. It can signal trust issues and recommended
being patient, providing access to snacks and collaborating with caregivers.

Who didn’t
Kaylee
trust?
Her dad or someone else?

Before she knew
it, it was time to go to dinner. She forced herself to get off the computer and
head over to the
Steins’s
.

Thank goodness
Kaylee
opened the door and leaned forward to give her a
one-armed hug. “I’m so glad you came back!” Beth reached around and returned
the embrace. Immediately, her spirits lifted.

As she entered the
apartment, the savory smell of pizza sauce and melted cheese wafted in her nose
and caused her stomach to growl.

Jim pulled a pan
out of the oven. “Hope you like pizza.” When he turned toward her, she saw he wore
a red chef’s apron emblazoned with “
Buon
Appetito
.”

The goofiness of
him wearing an apron caught her off guard. “It’s my favorite. Haven’t had any
in a while.” Because she was on a permanent health kick, she hadn’t allowed
herself pizza in months. “May I help?”

“No.
Kaylee
already set the table and it’s time to eat.” He
rolled a pizza cutter across the crust and divided it up among the three
plates. In one fluid movement, he untied his apron and whipped it over his
head, then tossed it on the counter. “I’m afraid all I have to offer you to
drink is milk or water.”

“Water’s good.”
Zero calories would help make up for the cheese. She and
Kaylee
sat down at the kitchen table and Jim joined them after placing their drinks.
“Smells delicious.” She cut the corner closest to her and blew on the steam
rising from it. “Did you make this from scratch?”

He took a drink of
his Coke. “Yep. I worked in a restaurant for a while and learned how.”

Kaylee
kicked the table leg and jiggled the liquid in
everyone’s glasses. “Oops. Sorry.” As if it weren’t a totally separate thought,
she added, “He tosses the dough in the air like you see on TV. It’s neat!”

Her dad smiled and
his blue eyes almost twinkled. Beth couldn’t believe it. He
was
kind of handsome when he stopped
scowling. In case he might notice her staring, she looked down and started
eating. That first taste was an explosion of oregano and thyme and tomato
sauce. Then the gooey mozzarella and
parmesan
sailed
across her tongue. My Lord, it was better than she remembered! She couldn’t
wait for her next bite.

The crunch of the
crust reminded her of the good old days when she celebrated every Friday night
by ordering a pizza and eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. Her tongue was
trying to trick her. Part of her brain wanted to deny the other facts. Like how
she’d hated her body and how she’d overindulged to mask her feelings of
inadequacy. She wouldn’t want to go back, but she sure could savor this one
reprieve from her diet. In fact she loved this pizza so much, her heart
softened a little toward Jim. If he could cook like this, he couldn’t be all
that bad.

After several
minutes of everyone chewing, she realized she would need to be the one to make
conversation. “So,
Kaylee
tells me you played
professional baseball.
Who
did you play for?”

His dour
expression returned. “I never played ball. I hoped to play professionally, like
every other boy in America, but that’s all it was.”

“Oh.” Beth chose
to hide her confusion by taking another bite.
Kaylee
had said her dad played baseball and that he was a cop.
None
of which was true. She was starting to worry about the adult that this
eight-year-old would grow into. “I bet it can’t be easy raising a daughter on
your own.”

“I manage.” He
jammed a big piece of pizza into his mouth and she realized she was the only
one using a fork.
 
 

“If you ever need
help, let me know.” Did that come out wrong? “What I mean is, outside of work,
I’m available to keep an eye on her. When your sister can’t.”

He shook his head.
“If
Kaylee
had stayed in the apartment like she’s supposed
to, she wouldn’t have a broken arm right now.” He narrowed his eyes at his
daughter.

Beth’s back
muscles tightened. “What matters is
Kaylee’s
OK.” She
gave the girl a sympathetic nod, but
Kaylee
just ate
and didn’t speak. Suddenly the pizza lost
all its
flavor.
 
She chewed and swallowed
mechanically.

He spoke before he
finished swallowing his bite. “I’ve told
Kaylee
a
million times to come home and lock the door behind her. I’m not sure what’s so
difficult about that.”

Seeing
Kaylee’s
shoulders slump, Beth felt the need to stand up
for her. “The doctor said this wasn’t the first time she’s broken her arm.
Maybe since it healed wrong, it was more likely to break.”

He put down his
crust. “
Kaylee’s
never broken her arm before.”

“But the doctor
said--”

“Have you ever
broken your arm?” He directed his question to
Kaylee
who
focused on the table as she shook her head.

Beth cleared her
throat. “Well, the doctor said she must’ve broken it, but not had a cast put
on. She showed me the way it’s bent a little.”

He clenched his
fist next to his plate. When he saw Beth staring at it, he released it.

Was he the one who
broke it the first time? Was that why
Kaylee
was so
quick to latch onto Beth? She needed a soft place to land?

After a few more
minutes of going through the motions of dining without any dialogue, Jim
sighed. He leaned back in his chair, causing it to creak. “I don’t like to talk
about our past much, but there’s some stuff maybe you should know.” His chest
rose and fell. “I wasn’t there when
Kaylee
was
growing up. Her mom and me, well, we were like oil and vinegar. We fought all
the time and so finally I left when
Kaylee
was about two.”
Glancing at
Kaylee
, he opened his mouth and then
closed it as if he’d decided not to finish his thought out loud. “I didn’t come
back for
Kaylee
until a couple years ago when her mom
was killed in a car accident. So it’s possible
Kaylee
broke her arm before. I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t around.”
 

All Beth could
think of to say was, “Oh.”
 

Kaylee
finished her slice. “Dad, can I show Beth my
American Girl doll?”

“Not until we’re
done eating.”

“I’m done.” She
stood and put her dishes in the dishwasher. “Now?”

“We’re still
eating. Why don’t you go take a bath and get ready for bed? That way Beth can
have time to digest her food for a few minutes.”

“
Awww
, Dad. Do I have to?” She stuck out her lower lip and
looked especially adorable.

He nodded. “Bring
me a plastic bag first so I can cover your cast.” He used a
Wal-mart
sack to envelop the cast and then used a rubber band to secure it at the top.
 
He waved his hand for emphasis. “Now go.”
He watched
Kaylee
leave the room and then got himself
seconds. “Want another?”

Licking her lips,
Beth stared at the crumbs on her plate. Boy, did she want more, but she
shouldn’t. Of course she was doing
Zumba
tomorrow. “A
small slice, please.”

In the background,
she could hear the water running in the bathtub. Something about the sound
soothed her so she wasn’t so uncomfortable sitting there alone with Jim. “I
want you to know I’m serious about watching
Kaylee
after school. I mean, once I get home from work. She’d have a couple hours by
herself, but it’s better than it is now.”

He made his way to
the counter and served them both another slice before returning to the table. “How
much do you charge?”

Laughing, she cut
the corner into a tiny triangle. “Nothing. I make a good living.”

“I don’t need
charity.”

Uh-oh. She’d
offended him. “It would be nice to have company. I’m not used to living alone.”
Suddenly she regretted her honesty. She shoved the cheesy triangle into her
mouth.

“Divorced?”

“Lived together. I
thought we’d walk down the aisle at some point, but the day just kept getting
pushed back. Then I went on a road trip with a guy I knew from college and I
realized what I’d been missing.” As if Parker were just a guy she once knew and
the road trip hadn’t been to meet their daughter for the first time in sixteen
years. Jim didn’t need to know her whole screwed up mess of a life, though.

“Well, a marriage
license
ain’t
no guarantee.
I married
Kaylee’s
mom just long enough to make a
baby neither of us was fit to raise.”

She sensed they’d
both revealed their soft underbellies quicker than they’d intended. “At least
you have
Kaylee
to show for your relationship. She’s
a sweetie.”

He cocked his head
at her. “If you say so. In case you haven’t noticed, she tends to fib an awful
lot. Back in my day, you lied to your father and he’d whoop
ya
.
But we’re not allowed to do that anymore.”
 
Did she sense a note of regret in his voice?

Beth knew better
than to give a parent advice from the sidelines. “Maybe it’s just a phase.” Her
shoulders jerked upwards in a shrug. She peered around the corner to make sure
Kaylee
wasn’t listening. “I am worried about her hoarding
food, though. Have you talked to her about that?”

Something flashed
across his face and she couldn’t quite read it. Was he going to say it was none
of her business? Was he going to say she was mistaken?

He leaned forward.
“She has some left-over Halloween candy, but I would hardly call that hoarding.”

“Look in her
closet.
Bread and donuts and cereal.
I’m worried
she’ll attract ants.”

At this
revelation, he placed his hands over his unshaven face and drew in a deep
breath. “Like I said, I wasn’t around when she was little. Her mom wasn’t
exactly Mother Theresa, if you know what I mean.” He seemed to consider if he
wanted to say anything more. “I heard she’d leave
Kaylee
home alone for days while she went on a bender and so
Kaylee
learned to fend for herself.” He sighed again. “Even though she’s been safe
with me for two years, she still hasn’t recovered from what her mother did to
her.”

“That’s terrible.”
She was starting to realize that
Kaylee’s
mom was
probably not an Indian princess like Pocahontas. “And so she could’ve broken her
arm and her mom didn’t take her to the hospital?”

He nodded. “Yep.”

Then it hit her.
Kaylee
needed Beth just as much as Beth needed her.
 

CHAPTER
EIGHT

After he made sure
Hannah was settled into the guest bedroom for the night, Parker tried to sleep.
He stared at the plaster ceiling while his mind considered the events of the
last few hours. His daughter had come to visit him for the first time. He’d
been to her place in Texas a few times and now she felt comfortable enough with
him to stay here. He could take Hannah skydiving and maybe show her the
Studebaker Museum while she was in town.

And what about his
Bucket List? It was time to seriously consider what should be on it and
make
those things happen. After Hannah returned home, he
could find out if volunteering for the Peace Corps was a real possibility.

He’d had an uncle
that’d volunteered in Africa years ago and filled his young mind with visions
of lions and elephants roaming free. With his face lit up, his uncle relayed
the immeasurable satisfaction he felt while helping those less fortunate. His
uncle had taught AIDS information to the village people, who had all sorts of
erroneous ideas about its spread and treatment.
 
Anyway, Parker had grown up idolizing his
uncle for his Peace Corps service. If he hadn’t married Ivy while in college,
he probably would’ve volunteered years ago.
 

Now was definitely
his last chance before the Huntington’s disease progressed any further. What
better way to take his mind off of his impending doom than by focusing on the
needs of others?

That was it. He
tossed the covers off and climbed out of bed. He went to his laptop and went to
the Peace Corps website. He
re-read
the requirements:
minimum age of 18, no age limit, bachelor’s degree required for most positions.
So far so good.
Clicking on “Volunteer Opportunities”
he felt his heart speed up. He could go to 70 different countries and could
choose from helping with health, education, environment, agriculture or
economic development. In Kenya they needed someone to help artisans market
their handmade items and teach them business skills. Quickly he scanned the
requirements. Excitement coursed through his veins when he saw they wanted
someone with a business degree and two years of experience.

Now how was he
going to find out
who
had called Ivy’s place? Breath
moved in and out of his nostrils quickly while he considered this. He searched
for a “Contact Us” link. As he looked, he kept finding other links that he
wanted to check out: profiles of Peace Corps volunteers and how they benefited
from the experience, the history of the Peace Corps, Frequently Asked
Questions. An hour slipped by before he reminded himself that he needed to
reach a live person. Finally, he found an e-mail address and sent a message
about the fact that he’d already applied and was ready for the next interview.
The site said the process could take between nine months and a year, but he
wondered if his application had somehow gotten lost in the shuffle. It had all
worked out for the best, it seemed, because he was more motivated than he had
ever been before.

After reading about
all of the volunteer opportunities around the world, he realized it was two
a.m. and he still didn’t know if he could get in without an updated medical
exam. Finally he found that after his interview and invitation to participate,
he’d have to get dental X-rays and some basic lab work and immunizations. Hmmm.
Maybe the basic lab work wouldn’t reveal his Huntington’s. He didn’t know, but
he was willing to find out.

# #
#

Bethany dressed
early the next morning and called Parker while she threw
a
clean sports
bra and towel into her gym bag. No answer. She paced, anxious
to see Hannah while she was in town. She dialed again.
Still
no answer.
She tried his cell, but it went to voicemail.

What was going on?
She made herself the cup of coffee she’d planned on skipping and sat down in
the living room to wait. Every twenty minutes she dialed his number again.
“Where are you? I thought we were going to spend the day together with Hannah.”

After three hours,
her phone rang. “Hello?”

“Good morning,”
Parker said. He sounded a little groggy. “Sorry I didn’t hear my phone. I was
up late.”

Jealousy twisted
in her gut that he’d already had a fun night with Hannah while Beth hadn’t even
seen her. “Does Hannah still want to go to the Y?”

“Actually I let
her take my car so she could go work-out while I slept in.”

“But I thought
we’d go together. I need to get some exercise in, too.” Otherwise, last night’s
pizza would solidify on her hips.

“Sorry. She should
be back soon and then I thought we’d go skydiving.”

“Skydiving?” Beth
didn’t even have time to absorb his apology. “Are you kidding? Connie would
kill us if we let Hannah jump out of an airplane. The woman is very protective
of her only child, remember?”

“Oh. I hadn’t
thought about that. Hannah said she wanted to go and I have a friend with his
pilot’s license. I thought it would be fun.”

Beth shook her
head. “Don’t you need training to know when to pull the chute?”

“We could do
tandem. That’s when you’re strapped to someone who’s trained.”

“Well, I’d clear
it with Connie first and I’m pretty sure she’ll say no. So, what else does Hannah
want to do? Anything less death-defying?”

“Why don’t you
come over and we’ll decide together?”

“I’ll be there
soon.” She hung up and grabbed her purse.

As she walked
through the sunny parking lot, she waved at
Kaylee
.
Kaylee
was walking on the sidewalk with a woman pushing a baby
stroller. The woman had her hair in a ponytail and big sunglasses blocking her
eyes. They were too far away or Beth would’ve asked if this was her aunt.
Instead, she climbed into her car and headed for Parker’s place, happy that spring
had finally pushed aside winter.

When she pulled up
to the small cottage, she saw Parker’s white SUV just returning. She got out of
her vehicle and waited for Hannah to do the same.

A long leg
stretched out of the driver’s side door first, followed by a lean teenaged
frame carrying a gym bag. Her brown hair was in a long, wet braid down the back
of her T-shirt. Beth rushed over to her with her arms wide, hoping Hannah was
receptive to a hug.

“Bethany!” Hannah
smiled and reached in for the hug.

Inhaling a whiff
of vanilla perfume mixed with chlorine, Beth still couldn’t believe this was
her flesh and blood, nearly grown, and taller than she was. “So good to see
you. How was your flight?”

“I was a little nervous
switching planes, but it wasn’t bad.”

Nodding, she
walked with Hannah into the house where they found Parker at the kitchen table
eating a bowl of Cheerios. Beth checked her watch and saw that it was nearly
noon. “It’s a little late for breakfast. What’d you two do last night anyway?
Hit some clubs?” She smiled to let them know she was teasing.

Still gripping her
duffle bag, Hannah leaned against the kitchen counter. “After dinner, we talked
a little and I went to bed. I’m not sure what this guy did all night, but he
left a note on the table with directions to the Y and his car keys. I couldn’t
pass up a chance to drive a Porsche—even if it is an SUV.” She laughed.
“Where can I hang my suit to dry?”

He pointed down
the hall. “In the shower.” She walked in that direction.

As soon as Hannah
was out of sight, Beth leaned in to kiss him on the lips. “So what were you up
so late for?”

He shrugged and
finished off the last of his cereal. “Just stuff on the computer.”

“I brought my
overnight bag.”

“I’m not sure if
that’s such a good idea.” He nodded toward the hallway into which Hannah had
disappeared.

“It doesn’t make
sense for me to drive home only to come back tomorrow.”

When Hannah
returned, she eyed them as if she suspected something was going on. “Do you two
love birds want to be alone?”

Rising, Parker
cleaned up his dishes. “I told Hannah we’re seeing each other.”

Beth blinked a few
times, not sure what to say. “How do you feel about that, Hannah?”

“Whatever.” Her
tone betrayed that it was merely an attempt at apathy. “I already know you had
sex or I wouldn’t be here. What should it matter to me if you hook up again?”

Beth squirmed at
her reference to sex. Her strict religious upbringing still haunted her with
guilt. If she had listened to her father’s teachings and not had premarital
sex, she never would’ve gotten pregnant at eighteen and been forced to give
away her only chance at being a mom.

Hannah patted
Beth’s back. “I’m teasing. I’m happy for you. Why wouldn’t I be? I wish my mom
could find someone, too, now that my dad has passed away. Maybe she’d get off
my case then.”

Beth didn’t want
to egg Hannah on to complain about Connie, so she decided to switch topics. “How’s
your year going? Do you still like school? Do you have a boyfriend?” She knew
she should slow down, but she couldn’t help herself.

The teenaged girl
blushed. “My boyfriend’s name is Ryan and he’s a senior. He wants to major in
business, like you, Parker.” Her face glowed. “In fact, that reminds me. I’d
like to see Mall Land. We don’t have them in Texas, you know.”

Parker nodded. “Yes,
I know. Do you think there’s a market for Mall Land in the south?”

Beth crossed her
arms, frustrated that he was always thinking business, even when their daughter
was visiting.

“I don’t know,”
Hannah said. “I need to see it first. And did you get a hold of your friend
with the plane?”

“I’m going to call
Connie first to make sure she doesn’t mind.”

“What made you
think to do that?” Hannah’s gaze landed on Beth and her expression turned sour.
“Oh.”

Parker tried to
defend his girlfriend. “Beth wisely suggested I check with your mother before I
let you put your life at risk.”

Hannah rolled her
eyes. “Don’t bother. She’ll say no.”

“Sorry.” Parker went
to the fridge and poured himself a glass of orange juice. “What else do you
want to do?”

“I promised Mom
I’d look around Notre Dame while I’m here. Part of her wouldn’t mind moving
back to Indiana, so if I went to college here, it would give her an excuse to
relocate.”

“Well, let’s go.
The day’s half over.” Beth hated the snippy tone she allowed her voice to have.
But Hannah was only here for a few short days and she’d already missed some of
those precious hours because Parker wouldn’t answer his phone. They left the
house and loaded themselves into his vehicle.

They spent the early
afternoon admiring the stained glass windows and Golden Dome of Notre Dame
before walking through Mall Land, famous for providing free daycare for
shoppers’ kids.

Hannah’s brown eyes
opened wide as they looked at the two-story kid zone with corkscrew slides and
ball pits. “I wish I were little again so I could go in there.”

Parker smiled.
“Well, I have connections. I could sneak you in after the mall closes.”

They all laughed
and watched a little boy driving a pedal car that looked like a fire engine.
Through the glass wall that separated the stores and the daycare, they could
see his mouth forming the words “Vroom! Vroom!”

Gesturing with his
hands, Parker encouraged them to keep walking. “As you can see, we have
everything from Macy’s to the South Bend Chocolate Company here.”

Hannah gazed at
the shoe store they passed. “So this is how you made your fortune.”

Parker’s face
turned red. “I don’t know if ‘fortune’ is the right word. It’s how I make my
living.”

“A very
comfortable living,” Beth added. “He’s so modest, it’s unbelievable. There are
Mall Lands in thirty cities across the Midwest and they just keep expanding.”

Parker looked away
as if he were still embarrassed by his success. “Is anybody hungry? There’s a
good Japanese place nearby.”

# #
#

Later that night
when they returned to the cottage, Parker begged off and went to bed right away.
Thinking he’d done it to allow her some quality time alone with Hannah, Beth
forgave him for hogging their daughter earlier. The two women sat on his worn
leather sofa watching a Lifetime movie about a mother searching for her
kidnapped child. Beth didn’t usually watch these kinds of shows, but she’d let
Hannah choose.

Hannah tossed a
popcorn kernel into her mouth from the microwave bag in her lap. “I love these
based-on-real-life movies, don’t you?”

“They’re all right.”
The truth was, thinking of a woman losing her child was almost unbearable. “What
other kinds of movies do you like?”

“Horror. Sci-fi.
All kinds.”

A smile spread
across Beth’s lips. “Sci-fi? I love sci-fi, too.”

At the end of the
movie, words appeared on the screen telling of the real life fate of the man
who’d kidnapped the girl: in jail for 15 years. The girl: returned home to live
with her parents. The mother: went on to petition Congress to strengthen child
abduction penalties and wrote a memoir about the experience.

Hannah turned off
the TV and sat back. “Wow. That woman was tenacious. She never gave
up—even when her husband said it was time to move on. Even when she had
to quit her job in order to follow-up leads. Even when the police said there
was nothing else that could be done.”

Beth nodded. “I’m
sure Connie would do all of that if you went missing.”

Hannah rolled her
eyes, which seemed to be her usual response whenever her mother was mentioned.
“My mom wouldn’t have ever let me ride my bike into town in the first place.”

The need to defend
Connie burst inside of Beth, but she took a breath instead. “I’d like to hear
more about your childhood. What were you like as a little girl?”