Power Play (14 page)
Authors: Dara Girard
“G
reat evening.”
Mary turned to Edmund, startled. He stood a respectable distance away, but still felt too close. “Yes.”
“Cammie’s doing well.”
“I’m glad.”
He pushed the down button.
“Thanks for taking care of her for me.”
“It’s no problem. I—” He stopped.
“Yes?”
He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
“What were you going to say?”
“We heard back from the coroner. Mrs. McQueeth died of natural causes.”
“I know, Jenna told me. I’m glad to hear that.”
“Right.” He hit the down button again. “I’m not a very social person. There are few people I can really talk to.” He took a deep breath. “I don’t…” He moved his hands in a helpless gesture. “Just tell me what I have to do to win you back and I’ll do it.”
“Win me back?”
“Yes. If you want me to create a wing dedicated in her honor I’ll do it. If you want
anything
just tell me and you can consider it done.”
“I just want you to stop hiding the truth from me.”
“I wasn’t trying to hide anything. Gregory and I didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily. I’m not hiding anything anymore.”
She looked doubtful. “Really?”
“Yes.”
She studied her manicure. “I read Mrs. McQueeth’s diary. You’re mentioned in it a lot.” She raised her gaze to his face. “I found out that you had taken her out for dinner and bought her things.” She threw up her hands, exasperated. “Why didn’t you tell me you were visiting her? What was the big secret? Why couldn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t feel it was a big deal. Every time I went to meet with Gregory I would stop by to see her and make sure things were okay. I said I would look after her for you.”
Mary shook her head in disgust. “You’re lying again.”
“I’m not lying.” When Mary moved to walk past him, Edmund grabbed her wrist. “Look, I’m sorry. I should have told you, but I am used to keeping things to myself.”
Mary yanked her wrist away and shouted, “Why?”
“Because it’s safer! People can’t hurt you when you know more than they do. It gives you the upper hand. Growing up I didn’t have the upper hand. Everyone knew my parents were different and that my grandparents had to raise my sister and me. It was a small community and they knew all my weak spots and used them against me. Then we moved to a brand new neighborhood and I learned that life was like a card game. You have an advantage the more your opponent
doesn’t
know about you. When people know too much they can hurt you.” He rested his hands on his hips and lowered his head. “But I never considered that having the advantage could also hurt someone else. Someone I truly care about.”
“How can I trust you?”
Edmund took an awkward step toward her. “I don’t often ask for forgiveness, but I’m asking you to forgive me.”
“I do,” she whispered.
“I can’t bring her back, but at least—”
Mary shook her head. “No, I’m not talking about Mrs. McQueeth or the community center or my promotion. I’m talking about you. How do I know I can trust you? My father left me, and before Curtis I never had good relationships with men. I wish I
knew
you were different, but I don’t.”
The elevator arrived. They stepped in.
Edmund leaned against the wall and sighed, feeling the hopelessness of the situation. He stared at the lit numbers as they descended. “Thanks for what you did for the community,” he said in a distant voice. “The residents looked great. I know you didn’t do it for me, but—”
“Yes, I did,” she whispered.
He turned to her with renewed hope. “What?”
She kept her gaze on the elevator doors. “The auction, the fund-raiser, the publicity. I did it all for you.” She looked at him, her eyes filled with tears. “Because I can’t help loving you.” When he moved toward her she stopped him. “That doesn’t mean we can be together. I can’t trust that you’ll stay around, but we can be friends.”
Edmund pounded the emergency button and the elevator halted to a stop. His voice rose above the flashing red lights and alarm. He grabbed her. “I love you,” he said, his words raw with emotion. “I don’t know when it happened and sometimes I don’t know why, but I do and I can’t stop myself. I’m happy about your successes, but I don’t want to be neighbors or colleagues or lovers—I want you to be mine. I want to know you’ll be with me in the morning when I wake up and when I go to bed at night. I want you to carry my name, I want you to carry my child and I want you to share my life. I don’t want anything less than that. Do you hear me?”
“Yes.”
A voice came through the call box. “Are you all right in there?”
“Yes,” Edmund said, his gaze never leaving Mary’s face. “I made a mistake and I’m sorry.”
“Okay. We’ll cancel the crew.”
The alarm stopped, the elevator started moving again and suddenly all they could hear was their breathing. “Mary, I wanted to tell you this many times, but I knew it wasn’t what you wanted to hear. I promise—”
She pressed her fingers against his lips. “No, don’t promise anything. Promises get broken.”
He removed her hand and held it close to his chest, where she could feel his heart beat. The heat of his grayish-brown eyes penetrating hers. “I promise that I will never leave your side. That I will not keep any secrets from you, unless it’s a surprise, and until my last breath you will hold my heart. I want you to be my wife.”
Mary gazed up at him. His eyes still reminded her of the Arctic, and she knew the color would never soften or be warm. He would never be very social and she would likely always have to remind him to listen, but she didn’t want another man because no other man had ever looked at her like this. And she knew she could stare forever into the gaze of those cool grayish-brown eyes, which reflected a love that always forgave, never judged and promised forever.
To trust was a risk, but it was a risk she was willing to take. “You want me to be your wife?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you care what
I
want?”
“Only if you want me, too.”
The elevator stopped on the ground floor and the doors opened. Mary took his hand and stepped out. “I do.” She turned and kissed him, no longer afraid to feel the true longings of her heart. “More than you know.”
“I knew I wanted you the first time I saw you, I just didn’t realize how much.”
She smiled. “Do you always get what you want?”
“Would it sound arrogant if I said yes?”
Mary nodded. “Definitely, but at least it would be honest.”
“Do you always get what you want?”
“I didn’t used to until—” She thought about the day she had received a mysterious invitation in the mail.
“Until what?”
“Until I found the courage to claim it.” They walked out into the summer evening.
Edmund stopped and they both looked up at the blanket of stars. Then Mary whispered, “I did it Mrs. McQueeth—thank you.”
His gaze fell to her face, love reflecting in his eyes. Mary threw her arms around him and, for a moment, as she looked over his shoulder, she could have sworn the stars twinkled and formed a pair of stockings.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-1927-8
POWER PLAY
Copyright © 2008 by Sade Odubiyi
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