No Safe Secret (5 page)

Inside the diner, the floor had large black-and-white-checkered tiles, the booths were red faux leather and the tabletops a pale-gray Formica.

Even though it was still early, the place was pretty full.
Students
, she thought, as she glanced at the diners. Some had piles of books on their tables, with notebooks and cups of coffee beside them. Others were dressed in business suits, and some wore what looked like hospital scrubs.
Quite a mix
, she observed, as she found a seat at the long counter that stretched across the entire restaurant.

She sat down on a high stool at the counter. A young girl about her age asked, “What'll you have?” She quickly ordered black coffee, two scrambled eggs, toast, sausage, and a side of bacon, with home fries and a large glass of milk. When the food was placed in front of her, she focused her attention on eating every single morsel she'd been served. This wasn't going to be an everyday thing, she told herself. But as a reward of sorts, she'd decided to start her new life with a good, hot meal.

“I don't think I've ever seen a girl eat that much in my life,” the man seated two seats down from her commented.

Maddy looked at him, her eyes doubling in size. Had he followed her? Were they on to her already?

“I'm Tanner. Dr. Tanner McCann. And you are?”

Maddy wanted to faint, but instead, she held out her hand, offered a slight smile, and said, “I'm Molly Hall.” It was then she realized how she must look and realized how stupid it was to give him her name, even if it was fake.

Dr. Tanner McCann was older than she, but not so old that she didn't appreciate his good looks. His coal-black hair and compelling blue eyes, the assured set of his shoulders, the way he held her hand when she'd offered it—all left no room for doubt: this guy was somebody, and she had no business pretending she'd fit in with his kind.

“Well, Molly Hall, what brings you to Lou's this hour of the morning?” He let go of her hand, but not before giving it a slight squeeze.

M
olly returned home, unloaded her purchases, and for the next three hours, she chopped, mixed, chilled, and sautéed. When she finished, she set the formal dining-room table with her best china and the eighteen-karat gold utensils that Tanner had insisted on purchasing years ago when he'd decided that their dinner parties needed a touch of class, that having the best of the best would impress his colleagues. Personally, Molly thought they were just a bit gauche. But if Tanner wanted her to use gold utensils at their dinner parties, she would. She removed crystal flutes from the hutch and put one at each place setting. For the next hour, she decorated the dining table. She'd used her newest cloth napkins, white linen with tiny, hemstitched crosses done by hand, given to her as a gift after Tanner's hygienist, Regina, had taken a trip to Italy. Sure that they'd cost her a small fortune, Molly remembered being shocked when she'd received them but was reminded that all of Tanner's employees, right down to the receptionist, knew of his immaculate taste in every aspect, so she'd accepted the napkins.

Tonight would be the first time she'd actually used them. Maybe Tanner would take notice and appreciate her extra attention to detail in order to make everything perfect, just as he'd commanded this morning before he left.

As Molly adjusted each place setting, straightening a knife here and there, making sure each plate was perfectly aligned with the matched set on either side, she took a deep breath, stepped back, and viewed her work. She could not see anything out of place. Not even a speck of dust reflected off the highly polished china. Taking her time, she slowly circled the formal dining table that could seat as many as twenty guests. Tanner had said ten, so adding herself and Tanner, there would be twelve. Earlier, she had removed the eight extra dining chairs to the large walk-in pantry in the kitchen. Had Graham or Holden been at home, she would've asked them to take the chairs to the basement. Molly felt sure that their guests, all of them in the medical profession—at least this was what Tanner told her last night when he'd said he wanted to host a dinner party for his new investors—would not be visiting the pantry. She straightened another knife, made sure the calla lilies were centered and that the white creamy flowers were all in full bloom. A droopy calla lily could bring on an evening of Tanner's rage.

Satisfied that all was as perfect as could be, she had an hour to bathe, do her hair, and dress. She'd called Sally, her weekly housekeeper and occasional cook, to assist her tonight. Sally quickly agreed, knowing Molly would stuff an extra hundred-dollar bill in her pocket. Tanner said these extra duties were part of Sally's job, and he saw no reason to pay her any more than her normal hourly wage. Molly thought otherwise. Tanner, for all his wealth, could be a stingy curmudgeon when he wanted to be, which was most of the time.

Molly hurried upstairs. She'd wanted to soak in the tub and shave her legs, but she'd taken too long prepping and had to settle for a quick shower. She didn't have time to wash her hair either, which Tanner was sure to comment on later. The smell of basil clung to it.

As she dried off in the elegant master bath, Molly felt uncomfortable. Why did they need such a bathroom if she never had time to enjoy such a luxury? A deep-set tub was positioned in the center with a view of the beautiful city park that was, in her opinion, one of Goldenhills' most scenic views, but Molly couldn't remember the last time she'd actually had a chance to soak in the tub and enjoy the view. She had a fleeting thought about the marble fireplace in her bedroom that was flanked by two antique club chairs and a tea table. To her knowledge, the tub and the chairs had been used only a handful of times since they'd remodeled the master bedroom in the home they'd purchased shortly after their marriage.

Tanner had insisted they periodically remodel and update the kitchen and baths so that they would always look up to date, pristine, and
perfect
. About the time she became comfortable with the rooms, a team of contractors and decorators would storm through the house, making swift changes as per Tanner's ideas. Only once had he bothered to ask her opinion on any of the changes: did she have a preference on the type of wood to use for the custom-built cabinets? She truly didn't care if they were made out of cardboard. She didn't enjoy spending time in the kitchen as much as she had in the early years of her marriage. With the twins and then when Kristen came along, she'd loved preparing healthful meals for them and was totally thrilled when they would ask her to make them their favorite cookies and cakes. Her children had
never
gone to bed hungry.

Where did that come from
, she thought as she brushed her graying blond hair into a sleek chignon.

Shaking her head to focus on the here and now, she turned her attention back to her hair. She took a hand mirror and turned around so she could view the back of her handiwork in the large mirror mounted on the wall. Deciding it wasn't going to get any better, she misted a light hair spray to ensure there wasn't a hair out of place. Tanner would be sure to notice that, too. She applied her makeup, hoping to take off at least a couple of years, but when she looked into her magnifying mirror, she saw her foundation had settled into her fine lines, and the light pink lipstick she'd applied moments ago had fanned out just beyond her lip line. She removed the lipstick with a tissue, then lined her lips with a matching lip pencil, assuring herself that she wouldn't look like a clown within minutes of greeting their dinner guests.

She heard Sally downstairs in the kitchen. Thank goodness she'd arrived on time. Molly had already wasted way too much time at the market. She slipped into one of the slinky black dresses she reserved for dinner parties. A pair of low-slung black heels, and she was ready. She stood a few feet away from the mirror to view her reflection. Not bad from a distance, but hideous up close. Maybe it was time to start thinking about an injection or two of Botox or possibly a face-lift. Tanner hadn't mentioned this to her yet, but something told her he would in the near future. Of course, he would find a way for one of his colleagues to perform the surgery or inject the botulism for a reduced rate, of that Molly was sure. Again, she was reminded of his stinginess, at least when it came to her.

More and more lately, Molly tried to recall exactly when and why she'd fallen in love with Tanner and couldn't come up with an exact moment when she knew he was
the one
, or an event that defined the moment as special, life-changing. Had it been gradual? Like a slow-burning flame? No, that wasn't her at all. Why
had
she fallen in love with her husband of almost twenty years? Why she was having such strange thoughts bothered her, but not so much that she would consider making a change. She had a good life, one that most women would envy. A handsome husband. And a doctor at that. Three beautiful children. Their home, which was probably worth more than the average person would earn in a lifetime. Yet she couldn't help but feel unsettled. Possibly it was the realization that she was growing old. She shouldn't have looked in that damned vanity mirror this morning. Natural sunlight didn't tell lies. She was aging, and to her, it didn't appear that she was aging gracefully. She took one last glance in the mirror before going downstairs.
I am what I am
, she thought, as she plastered a smile on her face when she saw Sally in the kitchen.

Sally looked up from the cheese tray she was arranging. “Why, Miss Molly, you look absolutely stunning! What I wouldn't give to have a figure like yours.”

Molly gave a wry laugh. “Thanks. I sure don't feel very ‘stunning' today.”

She took an apron from a drawer and tied the straps around her waist and neck, then spoke. “What can I do?” Although she already knew what needed to be done. She'd planned the dinner party herself. However, after getting to know Sally, she had determined it made the little woman feel better about herself if Molly played the role of the helpless wife. From what she had gathered, Sally's home life was lacking. She knew her husband drank, and occasionally Sally would show up with a black eye and would do her best to try to convince Molly how clumsy she was at home. Molly didn't believe her, but had never once considered telling her so. She liked Sally. Sometimes she liked to think of her as a surrogate mother. She was certainly old enough. Molly felt an extra layer of protection when Sally was in her house.

With iron-colored hair and matching eyes, Sally was short and round like a beach ball, and just as colorful with her use of the English language. She said, “That shit over there”—she nodded to the counter indicating several unopened jars—“needs to be opened and gussied up a bit. Maybe one of those fancy china bowls you have.”

Molly laughed, an honest-to-goodness laugh. Sally was just what she needed to perk her up for the boring evening ahead. “Consider it done.” She removed three small crystal bowls from the bottom of the hutch. Carefully, she filled each dish with the contents of the jars of jams and mustards she'd purchased from Gloria's. She hoped this wasn't too casual for Tanner. He did like his dinner parties to be formal, a bit on the uppity side. Cheese trays were quite popular now. She would remind him of this if he complained. He liked keeping up with the latest trends.

“I'll let these chill for a bit.” Molly placed the bowls in the refrigerator. She glanced at the clock on the stove. “I don't think I'm going to have enough time to sauté these fillets,” she said, eyeing the small mound of white fish on the platter when she opened the refrigerator. “I'll broil them.”

“Absolutely, give you more time with your company,” Sally said while she arranged the platters.

That was the last thing Molly wanted, but Sally didn't need to know that. “I doubt they'll even know that I'm here. After dessert, I'm sure they'll do their doctor thing. Tanner wants to open another dental clinic.” She wanted to ask Sally to not mention this to Tanner but decided against it. Doing so would just call more attention to herself, and she didn't need that. His dinner parties were always stressful. As much as she enjoyed spending time in the kitchen, she detested his dinners on demand. If she dropped a fork, if the meal didn't meet his expectations, later there would be an argument and possibly more.

Molly jumped when she heard pounding footsteps, followed by a door slamming. “Mom? You home?” Kristen called out as she made her way to the kitchen. “I guess you are,” she said, entering the kitchen and reaching for a slice of cheese.

“No!” Molly said, then caught herself. “That's for tonight. Appetizers. Now, hands off,” she said, smiling.

At seventeen, Kristen was the spitting image of her mother, with thick blond hair and bright-green eyes. Molly thought her daughter quite stunning at seventeen. Often when she looked at her, she would travel back in time to her youth and thank the high heavens Kristen didn't have to live like she had. She never spoke of her past to her children, and they never asked about her life before she married their father. Their lives were too full, and for this she was grateful. She'd dedicated her life to her family. Unlike her benighted mother.

“Dad at it again?” Kristen asked as she yanked the refrigerator door open. She pulled out a carton of orange juice, then closed the door with her hip.

“Careful!” Sally called. “Your momma's got those crystal dishes in there. You break 'em, and she'll have your ass, kiddo.”

Kristen looked at Molly, raising her perfectly shaped brows. “Oh. Sorry.”

Molly shook her head at Sally's words. “Dad's having dinner guests tonight.”

“Figures,” Kristen said as she reached for a glass. “He's always having his stupid cronies over for something.”

“Kristen! Don't let your father hear you say that,” Molly admonished, a bit too harshly.

“Or what?” she asked.

“Yeah, or what?” Graham said. “I'm starving. What's to eat?”

Molly jumped, then calmed herself a bit when she saw Graham. He sounded exactly like his father. Almost twenty-two, Graham stood six-foot-two and weighed a perfect two hundred pounds. With black hair and blue eyes, he was identical to Tanner. Though she'd raised Graham and Holden since they were toddlers, she'd always felt something was missing. The maternal bond she'd felt when she gave birth to Kristen just wasn't there. She loved both boys dearly but often felt as though they only tolerated her because of Tanner. They had no memories of their mother, but Tanner was always quick to remind them that she was only their stepmother. As if in saying this, he meant she didn't deserve the respect that their biological mother deserved, had she lived.

Molly had always suspected that there was more to his first wife's tragic death than Tanner had shared with her, but she wasn't willing to risk an argument by bringing up the topic. The few times she had brought it up, Tanner had gone into a rage. His blue eyes glazed over, and the muscles in his neck bulged with rage. She recalled a time when she'd actually watched the skin on his neck dancing up and down as it pulsed with anger, his heart beating so fast that, for a moment, she'd feared he might suffer a heart attack. If the topic was brought up, she always let Tanner tell his version of the day that Elaine had fallen down the stairs and broken her neck. She would listen, but she always kept her opinion to herself. She had learned. The hard way.

“I said, what's to eat? Didn't you hear me?” Graham repeated impatiently. He stretched his arms out in front of him, lacing his fingers together, then knowing how Molly detested it, he cracked his knuckles one by one. The smirk on his face said it all. “Earth to Molly? I
said
, ‘What's to eat?' ” The twins had never called her Mother, or Mom. Just Molly.