The Running Series Complete Collection: 3-Book Set plus Bonus Novella (166 page)

Evan interrupts to speak on my behalf.  “I want to be perfectly clear so that there are no misunderstandings when we leave here tonight.  The Sentinels require extensive security when we travel.  Our hotels must have integrated security and surveillance systems.  On the night of the alleged murder, Juliette was a guest at the Conrad Hotel and Resort.  They have cameras that run continuously on every floor of the hotel.  By viewing those tapes, they tracked her every move.  Juliette never left the hotel until early the next day.  The police know it, and that’s why they released her.”  He speaks with such clarity and conviction, it’s hard not to be swayed by his words.

“I have to say, Juliette, that I am in awe of your strength in coming here and talking about this in such a public way.  Giving your experience a voice, setting the record straight, and speaking out is so important, especially for all the other people in a similar situation out there listening tonight.”

“The only way I’m able to do this is with the love and support of my fiancé, my friends, and my family.”  Evan places a gentle kiss on the top of my hand.

“Speaking of which, we haven’t heard any wedding news lately.  Have the two of you set a date yet?  And let me just say that the answer better be no, because I haven’t received my invitation yet,” Joey teases.

“Well, we had a date set.  The invitations were about to be printed, but with everything going on, we’ve decided to postpone,” I explain, smiling proudly at my future husband. 

“But when we do pick a new date, I promise you’ll be among the first to know,” Evan tells him. 

W
e finish taping early, and by seven we’re pulling up to Evan’s parents’ home.  My mother is here, too.  I spot her car sitting in the driveway the moment we arrive.  I’m so very lucky to have so many people who still care about me.  I haven’t seen my mother or Evan’s since this all began.

“Juliette, sweetie, would you like some potato pancakes?” my mother asks as she passes the overflowing plate to me.  It’s my absolute favorite comfort food, and no one knows that better than my mom.  I take enough to guarantee that I’ll need an extra long workout tomorrow, but it’s completely worth it.

I load my plate with pot roast, potato pancakes, fresh applesauce, and homemade brown gravy.  I don’t think I’ve eaten this well since Christmas.  Everyone around me must agree, because the heavier my plate gets, the bigger their smiles become.

“Evan, tell us about today,” his mother asks as she passes the food around the table.  “Did everything go as planned?”

“It did,” Evan readily admits as he fills his plate higher and higher.  “In fact, Juliette and I have an announcement to make.”

All eyes are suddenly on us.  “Is it the wedding?” Callie asks enthusiastically.  “It better not be too soon, because I have so many flowers to order and all kinds of arrangements to make.”

“No, not yet.  But I’ll keep your schedule in mind when we do decide,” he teases.

“Did you get word on the Pro Bowl?” John asks.  “They aren’t supposed to announce the picks for a few more weeks.”

“If you would all just let us tell you, we could stop this guessing game.  My paternity tests results arrived today.” 

“I was right, wasn’t I?” Jill demands.

Evan looks at his mother, smiles, and winks.

“I knew it!”  Callie jumps up from her seat and runs over to Evan, throwing her arms around her not-so-little brother and hugging him with all her might.

“Would one of you please explain to the rest of us poor saps what’s going on?” Callie’s husband Dean begs.

“I’d like to know too,” my mother agrees.

“I know when you become a father you’re supposed to pass out cigars, but what do you do when you find out you’re
not
the father?” Evan proposes to our little group.

Everyone lets out a collective sigh.

“With almost one hundred percent certainty, Adam is Kai’s biological father,” I tell the group.

The rest of Evan’s family rushes up to him to congratulate him.  Oddly, my mother remains seated, watching everyone around her thoughtfully.  I know that look.  Her wheels are turning.  Once everyone sits back down, I have to ask for her insight.  “Mom, isn’t that great news?”

“I’m not so sure,” she answers, surprising the lot of us.  “Evan, you’ve been warming up to the idea of being a father, haven’t you?”  He nods and agrees.  “And you’ve spent time getting to know that little boy.”

“I have.”

“Well then, there must be a part of you that’s disappointed.  You must have imagined sharing holidays with this child, watching him grow and someday, hearing him call you ‘daddy’.”

I’d never thought about it, but my mother is absolutely right.  The look of longing on Evan’s face is enough to tell me she’s not wrong.  “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.  I should have realized how conflicted you would feel.”

“Yeah, well – it’s for the best, really.  I mean, think about it.  If I was Kai’s father, the press would be constantly on our heels.  We’d never have a moment’s peace.  This way, with Adam, the kid actually has a chance at a normal life.”  Evan emphasizes the word
normal
, and it breaks my heart.

“You stop that right now,” Jill tells her son.  “I can see right through that tough-guy façade you try to put out there.  Everything that happens is not your fault, you know.”

“Bullshit.”

“Do not talk to your mother like that at our dinner table,” John sternly tells Evan.

“I’m sorry, Dad, but you and Mom both know that none of this would have happened if I didn’t play in the NFL.  For starters, Laci wouldn’t have been interviewing me and that night with her never would have happened.  And you must know that the main reason why that piece of shit blackmailed Juliette is because she had access to me and my money.  Tell me I’m wrong.”  He waits for a response. 

“Go ahead, tell me I’m wrong,” he challenges them again.

“Evan Thomas McGuire, you listen to me.  And listen very carefully, because I’m only going to say this once,” his mother responds.  “No life is easy – not yours, not mine, not even David’s.  Now, I have no idea why he did those terrible things, but I assure you, those events were set in motion long before you arrived in Juliette’s life.”

“Jill’s right,” my mother agrees.  “David had those demons inside him long before you two met.”

Silence fills the room.  Jill and my mother are both right. I just hope Evan is clear-headed enough to see it too.

“I think what you two need is a vacation,” Callie declares.  “Evan, you should take Juliette to Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos.  Ben and Jennifer got married there.  They have private cottages.  It’s perfect.”  Callie met Ben Affleck once at a charity event with Evan, and now she thinks they’re friends.

“Let’s just wait and see what happens after Night After Night airs,” Evan counters.

“Okay, girls.  Let’s clean this mess and start a pot of coffee.  John, I’m leaving you three in charge.  Have something planned by the time we’re done.  We have three hours to fill before Night After Night starts.” 

We spend the next three hours or so laughing, eating, and playing Monopoly.  Evan throws a fit when his brother-in-law chooses the racecar first.  He settles for the top hat, but vows to destroy Dean the first chance he gets.

After buying my first property, I can’t help but notice a creeping sense of discomfort arising.  Everyone around the table is changing.  As we all make our way around the board, it’s clear there’s a strategy in place and tension in the air.

I decide to stay out of the fray and do my best to obtain the utilities.  When it becomes apparent that my efforts are in vain, I decide to redirect my attention toward the railroads.  Maybe, just maybe, if I play my cards right I can catch the train out of this game and travel far, far away.

Callie insisted on being the banker, but she refuses to keep the cash organized.  Instead it’s in a big pile, all jumbled up.  My fingers are twitching, desperate to sort through the chaos. 

All sorts of wheeling and dealing is going on around me.  This isn’t a game, it’s war.  Rents are quickly rising as houses and hotels are built with no regard for health or safety regulations.  All the properties are taken, and I’m left with nothing more than Baltic and Mediterranean. 

After a short trip to the bathroom, I actually have less money than before I left.  Evan took my turn for me and landed on Pennsylvania Avenue, complete with two hotels.  I didn’t think you could build more than one hotel, but apparently the rules don’t apply to McGuire Monopoly.

I’m actually relieved this time when I find myself in jail.  It’s the safest I’ve felt in hours.  Jill is the first to declare bankruptcy, and Evan and Callie quickly claim some sort of inheritance clause, which makes no sense whatsoever. 

Evan is the worst of all, teasing and taunting the remaining players, even my mother as she contemplates selling her properties.  He makes her an offer she can’t refuse, and honestly, she should have known better, because in just two short turns, she joins Jill in bankruptcy.

Our once happy little group has been reduced to a bunch of desperate landowners haggling over hotels and houses.

In a moment of sheer genius, Callie and I decide to team up, combine our collective holdings, and declare a merger.  One by one, we pick off Dean and John, leaving Evan as our final opponent.

Evan approaches our finest properties, Boardwalk and Park Place.  Just as he thinks he’s out-maneuvered us with his high roll, he lands instead on Chance and,
wham
!  He’s given an advance token to Boardwalk.  Two hotels.  Game over.

As everyone pitches in to help clean up, I slip into the living room to check my phone.  I left it on silent and I’ve missed dozens of texts and calls.  The studio started airing teasers right away and apparently we’re big news.

I swipe through the missed messages and I get a nice snapshot of what’s being aired.  Emmy says they talked about my interview on Access Hollywood.  Reese heard them discussing it on Entertainment Tonight.  And Auggie didn’t mention a specific show, but he says I look stunning on the small screen.

Slowly, everyone filters into the living room to watch the end of the eleven o’clock news.  When my mother joins us, she has her coat and purse in her hand.  “Mom, aren’t you staying?” I ask, jumping to my feet.

“Is there anything you talk about on the show tonight that I don’t already know?” she asks.

I had a very long and frank phone discussion with her early this morning.  “No, nothing.”

“Then, no.  I have no desire to watch you rehash the most painful experience of your life.  Watching you suffer while the cameras zoom in on you is not something I’m interested in seeing.” 

Evan jumps to his feet to help my mother put on her coat. 

“Besides,” she adds, “your grandmother is home alone and I really need to go check on her.”

Not one ever to overstay her welcome, she always finds a reason to slip away.  Although in this case, I can’t say I blame her. 

After walking my mother to her car, Evan and I return in the middle of Joey’s monologue.  He talks about current events and politics, and for a moment I find myself enjoying the show.  That is until he names tonight’s guests.  How strange it is to hear my name.  Sure, I’ve heard it on television before, but always as is pertains to something Evan is doing.  Like when we appear somewhere together or if we’re spotted in public.

Evan’s interview is first.  I’ve seen him interviewed countless times and it’s always the same.  There’s not a single camera angle that doesn’t capture how gloriously handsome he is.  He is charming, shy, and slightly uncomfortable with all the attention during the interview. I noticed his nervous twitches and mannerisms when the fans in the audience get all worked up over him.  Still, he remains humble and very adorable. 

When my interview begins, the only way to describe the experience is to say that it’s like watching yourself in a dream.  I’ve had all kinds of weird dreams about speaking in public.  In some of them, I was naked.  In others, the audience is laughing at me, not with me.  This is worse.

I cringe when I hear my own voice.  I whisper to Evan, “Is that really what I sound like?”  He looks at me oddly and focuses his attention back to the screen.

I can’t get over how awkward I look.  My legs are crossed, my arms are crossed, and I have a pained expression on my face.  “So this is how other people see me?” I say aloud to no one in particular.

Callie shushes me, and again I am dismissed.

The McGuires laugh along with the audience in all the right places.  As the interview takes a more serious turn, I notice how strongly the studio audience responds to me.  This show feels like an episode of Dr. Phil.  The camera scans the crowd and focuses on one person, an older woman around my mother’s age, who actually wipes away a tear. 

At that moment, it all becomes clear.  Any preoccupation with appearance and mannerisms is irrelevant.  I have every reason to look nervous and frightened.  I’ve been through hell and back and it shows.  I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of and everything to be proud of.  I’m a survivor.

John gets up and turns off the television at the end of the interview.  He leaves the room silently and steps out into the backyard.  I can see him standing there, alone on the patio, illuminated by the moonlight.  Men are fixers, protectors, providers.  He knows there’s nothing he can say or do to make the situation better, so he retreats.