Waiting for You (RightMatch.com Trilogy) (14 page)

“It’s gone too far.” Ruth’s tone was cut-glass cold. “I won’t allow any more of this deception.”

“Please, Ruth. Things are just getting started between me and Dana. I need a little more time.”

“I’m not blind. I can see how fast the relationship is going to progress between you two. And I’m glad, but no more lies.”

Dana froze. And the bright light that had entered her world with Joey’s arrival dimmed. He’d been lying to her?

“I’m not lying to her, Ruth.”

“Every day that you don’t tell her your father had ALS and was in a wheelchair is a lie of omission.”

This time, Dana gasped.

They whirled around.

For a moment, Dana just sat there, staring at the woman she cared about more than anyone in the world. And the man she’d come to have feelings for. “Y-your father had ALS, Joey?”

“Yes, but—”

Images surfaced. She’d seen firsthand the awful deterioration of the disease at her rehab facility. ALS victims started with minor symptoms like shaking and slurring words and progressed to not being able to take care of any of their needs. Swallowing hard, she couldn’t believe Joe hadn’t told her something so vital to his life, to his upbringing. And something that might affect them as a couple. When his dad’s name had come up the other night, he’d simply said he didn’t talk about the man.

Though her heart ached for him, she had to know some things. “First, I need to say I’m sorry you went through such a devastating illness and loss.”

“Dana, look—”

She held up her hand to stop his words. “How old were you when he was diagnosed?”

“Seven. He died when I was ten.”

Oh, Lord. Such a young—and impressionable—age. “Do I even need to ask why you didn’t tell me about his condition?”

His expression was bleaker than a February dawn. “I…I’m not sure.”

Well acquainted with seven-and ten-year-olds, Dana knew the damage illnesses of parents could have on them and the effect on their adult lives. “Your unconscious probably kept you from admitting that my situation reminds you of a very painful time when you were young.”

Hot emotion flared in Joe’s eyes. “What’s with you two about the unconscious mind? I know what I’m doing.”

“Until it snakes up on you and bites you in the ass.”

Now he straightened and she got a glimpse of the tough cop inside the fun-loving man. “All right, I
know
why I kept this from you, Dana. I thought you’d refuse to chance a relationship with me right out of the gate if you knew about my father’s illness.”

She waited before she answered. Thought about it. And tried to gentle her voice. “I’m not sure it would have, Joe, but that’s a moot point. What is relevant is that growing up with a man who had ALS shaped a very big piece of your personality. Under any circumstances, I should have known about your childhood. What happened might not have swayed me. But
this
certainly does affect my feelings for you.”

“
This?
”

“Joe, you’ve lied to me for almost three weeks. That changes everything.”

His shoulders slumped and his eyes went bleak. “No, Dana, don’t say that.”

“It’s said, Joe, and done. We’re done. I can’t make a life with a man who lies to me about something so important.”

She pivoted the chair and wheeled quickly to the workshop room, where he couldn’t follow her because his daughter was there getting ready for class. Dana had to get away from him.

o0o

Though he’d been banished until Monday, Joe went into the office to do some paperwork, but once he was alone, he ended up banging around the room, ostensibly looking for some files. He was pissed off about what had happened with Dana this morning—she’d run away so he couldn’t talk to her more. Even Ruth had been devastated by her own deception with Dana. Man, he hoped he hadn’t created a rift between them.

So disgusted with himself, he kicked the wastebasket, and just as his partner walked in, its contents spilled onto the floor.

Shelly looked down at the mess, then back up at him. “O-kay! What’s going on?”

He grunted.

“You got a couple more days until you come back.”

“I know I do. I’m mad and came in to do some paperwork to take my mind off my problems.”

Glancing again at the rubbish on the floor, Shelly said, “Yeah, I can see how much you’re getting done.” She propped herself against his desktop. “What’s wrong?”

His anger increased by degrees as he told her the whole story. Being together ten hours a day had made it easy for him to open up to her and there were few secrets between them.

“Let me get this straight. You’re mad at her reaction instead of feeling guilty you lied?”

“No, I feel bad I hurt her by keeping this from her. Guilty. I was just trying to get her interested before I gave her another thing to hold against me. But damn it, Shelly,
I
was the one with the sick father, the one who had to endure the goddamned agony of watching my hero die a miserable death. She could have had some fucking sympathy for me.”

“Wow, you never talk about him, even to me.”

He dropped down onto his chair and pounded his fist on the desk. “I hate remembering all that. Talking about it brings it all back.”

Shelly paused before she spoke. “How come if Ruth found out about him on the internet that Dana didn’t?”

“She doesn’t surf the web. She’s afraid she’ll find pictures of herself dancing on there. A few years back a reporter discovered she was in Rockland and did a story on her studio and the remarkable things she’d accomplished after the accident. She said videos of her were all over the Net.”

“Joe, I—”

“You know, she was the one that lied to me first. That kept something from me first. And I got over it. Shit!”

“All right, let’s forget about the lies. Don’t you think maybe she’s right, that being with her brings back the pain of your dad?”

“No! Damn—”

The phone buzzed and the dispatcher came over the line. “Shelly, there’s a call you have to take. It’s a domestic disturbance. Problem is most guys from our precinct are out at that fire downtown and we’re shorthanded.”

“I’ll get right on it.”

Joe reached into his desk just as Shelly headed for the door. “What are you doing?” she asked when she saw him strapping on his gun and retrieving the coat he’d just taken off.

“I’m going to the scene. I’m sick of sitting around. Don’t worry, I’m ready.”

Shelly simply said, “You’re the boss.”

The call had come from East Avenue, the ritziest section of the city, at a looming three-story Victorian, with a Mercedes and a sports car in the circle driveway. Joe hated these DV calls but focused on what he needed to do. Hurrying to the front, he took a brief notice of the name Dr. and Mrs. Archer Lincoln on a plaque off to the left. He pressed the bell, and when he heard yelling inside, he tried the knob, found the door unlocked. He and Shelly drew their guns and rushed inside.

A teenage boy stood in the huge foyer made of marble and glass with sky-high ceilings. His fists clenched, he towered over a woman spread out at his feet.

“Police!” Joe shouted. “Hands up.” When the kid just stood there, Joe waved his gun. This could be a murder scene. “We’re serious, man. Now step away from the body, drop to your knees and put your hands behind your head!”

The kid pivoted and stared at them, eyes shiny as polished diamonds. “What the fuck—”

Before either Joe or Shelly could react, the guy bent over and charged Joe. His gun went flying and he was slammed backward against the wall.

o0o

At lunchtime, Dana knew she had to face Ruth. Her anger had drained away during the morning instruction, and now she just felt sad. For a woman who’d spent twelve years avoiding situations that made her feel this bad, she’d certainly blown it with Joe. Not the least of her worries was that he’d brought trouble between her and Ruth, as she’d feared he might the very first time Joe had met her.

Devlin Dance provided lunch outside for the girls, healthy nutritious fare ordered from next door, and gave them a half hour afterward to digest it. They were free to laze around, watch some TV in one of the rooms not being used, or even take a short nap.

When Dana wheeled into the office, she found her own lunch set up near the window and Ruth putting out bottles of water. Her friend’s face was pale and her expression grim. “Would you like to eat or talk first?” Ruth asked.

“Let’s talk.”

Ruth dropped down on one of the chairs, and Dana wheeled over to the table. “Why did you keep something like that from me, Ruth? As far as I know, we’ve never had secrets between us.”

“I was wrong. I should have told you what I’d found out.” She shook her head in obvious disgust. “I was thinking it was Joe’s place to tell you. You might as well know the whole of it. I confronted him with what I’d learned and gave him a deadline for telling you.”

Dana’s jaw dropped. “I can’t believe this all went on behind my back.”

“As I said, I was wrong. But my motives were as they’ve always been—your best interest.” Ruth bit her lip, a show of vulnerability in a woman who’d been so strong during Dana’s recovery that the reaction stunned Dana. The last thing she wanted was to hurt her best friend.

So she gentled her voice when she said, “Keeping this from me wasn’t in my best interest. I feel terrible. You and I never have disagreements like this and I thought we were honest with each other. Especially after the counseling we got. Your deception is hard for me to handle.”

Ruth’s chin lifted a bit. “I thought it was worth the risk.”

“I’ve been wondering all morning why you’d do that.”

“Because Joe’s special, Dana. He’s right for you. I can feel it in my bones.”

“He’s just another guy.” She could barely utter the lie. After a month of talking online and several days of his company, he’d become much more than that. Did she regret, now, getting close to him? She couldn’t answer that yet.

“No, he’s not just another guy. He means something to you. I’d like you to think about forgiving both him and me.”

“I forgive you, of course. I believe your motives. How could I not after all we’ve been through together?”

“You need to forgive him, too.”

Dana’s heart began to ache. “I could forgive him. God knows he must be hurting over the memories. His dad’s illness had to affect him deeply, Ruth. And I must remind him of it, bring those memories to the forefront for him.”

“So you feel sorry for him?”

“Of course I do.”

“Enough to keep seeing him?”

She glanced away, knowing the answer to that, one which hurt her heart. “How can I date a man who lies to me? How can I risk losing my heart and then him trampling on it again?”

“Honey, he risked dating you, and you made a lie of omission.”

“Yeah, I guess. This seems different. Maybe it’s because I’m so afraid of getting hurt.”

Reaching out, Ruth grabbed her hand as she’d done a million times in the past. “Oh, sweetie, life’s so short. I learned that when John died. You don’t have as much time as you think.” Ruth sighed and drew back. “But after today, I promise not to interfere anymore in your relationship with Joe—after I tell you what else I did.” Now she looked really worried. “I’m afraid it’s something you’re going to be even angrier about. I, um, did it rather rashly.”

“What did you do?”

“I called Leona Moretti, Kara’s mother, and told her Kara would be accepted by the studio for the fall.”

“I hadn’t decided about that yet, Ruth.”

“I know, but I was afraid you’d punish the girl because of Joe. Dana, dancers like her don’t come around often. She deserves your instruction.”

What a mess! Now Dana would have to deal with seeing Joe three times a week. Maybe his ex-wife could bring their daughter and pick her up. And why on earth did that thought, and the thought of never seeing him again, hurt so much?

Frustrated, Dana ate, of course, then went out to tell Joey’s daughter the good news. Kara’s absolute joy was the only thing that gave her a bit of respite from the fog shrouding her day. It took all her energy to conceal her feelings from her students. And she was going to need even more strength for the confrontation she knew was coming with Joe.

When the workshop ended, the girls went to the changing room, all atwitter with the news that Kara would be joining them full time when the fall session started. Dana wheeled to the office. Ruth wasn’t there, but Kaelyn was, sitting at Ruth’s big computer.

Dana entered the room unnoticed because the girl was enthralled by what she was watching. Dana was about to speak so she wouldn’t startle the child, when she caught site of what was on the screen and recognized the music.

Dana’s throat closed up as she saw herself executing pirouette after pirouette. The slicing pain of loss cut through her stomach, her heart, her soul. She could barely take in air as she watched herself leap up for a series of
tour jetés
across the stage floor. And she went totally weak as she witnessed her healthy legs, with the grace of a gazelle, do arabesques in front of a standing audience.

Then Dana did something she hadn’t done in years. She burst into tears.

o0o

His arm once again in a goddamned sling, Joe strode into the studio fifteen minutes early, hoping to catch Dana while Kara was changing and getting her things together. Even if his daughter was ready, he was sending both his girls to wait in the car. His shoulder hurt like a son of a bitch, and he could kick himself in the butt for having gone on the call, for letting his anger about Dana cause him to do something so stupid. His recovery was interrupted and he would definitely take shit from the chief for disobeying a direct order. At least he’d subdued the drugged-up kid, who had just been accepted into Cornell University, and was fighting with his mother about going to college. Literally, fighting. He’d knocked her to the floor because she’d given him grief when he’d told her he had to
find himself
before any more school. The woman had been rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.

At the doorway to the office, Joe found a shocking tableau: Dana’s back was to him. Kaelyn whirled around and said, “Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Miss Dana. I’m…what did I…?” She stopped, glanced back at the computer screen and burst into tears. It took Joe a moment to note that Dana was also crying. It took another moment to see why.