L-J-L 76: Thanks! It will take time for Max to heal, but he has plenty of support to help him get there. Luckily Liz understands that and she’ll be patient. Lol, believe it! Michael’s very lucky to have a woman at his side who understands him. We’ll see Max and Ava reunited in the next chapter. With Knight out of the picture and Max on the mend, things are looking very good for him and Liz.
begonia9508: Thank you!
Being so inactive isn’t something Max is used to, but taking the time to heal and get back on his feet will be good for him.
Lol, yeah, Samantha’s quite the character! She has a very narrow view of the world.
keepsmiling7: Thank you!
Yep, and it’s spreading like wildfire.
Alex is right to be concerned, he has a family to think of, but Shakes has put measures into place to ensure their safety.
Michael’s very lucky Maria understands him, lol.
That surprised me too, but it would seem that Ava understands him and is respecting his wishes.
Diablo’s become very attached to Max and not having him around has really left him lonely.
Eva: Lol, well, little people can definitely have that benefit!
Thanks! Shakes is very diligent about making sure Max is protected and safe. He’s gone to some serious lengths to ensure that happens.
Healing takes time and thankfully, Max is surrounded by people who understand that.
Lol, Michael Guerin… now there’s a guy who brings a romantic proposal to an entirely new level!
Roswelllostcause: Thanks for reading!
Natalie36: Thanks! He’s finally home and well on his way to healing.
Alien_Friend: Well, lol, how about a compromise? This part’s about three pages longer.
Shakes is a force to be reckoned with, that’s for sure! He may have put some distance between him and New York, but he’s still making sure he’s taken care of and protected. He did reveal the information about Serena’s company. I guess he figured they might get suspicious of having someone following them around all the time, lol! He’s definitely got that company tied up for a while. Meddling parents are sometimes a blessing in disguise, lol.
Thank you! That was a big moment for Michael and after all they’ve been through being able to just kick back and relax with his loved ones, that was everything.
Yeah, Max is definitely not comfortable being vulnerable or dependant, but over time he may find that it’s not a weakness as he defines it. Liz and Ava do look like they may be on the road to a wonderful friendship.
Sam really does have an interesting and rather skewed view of the world around her. She and Max come from such different worlds and it’s rather heavily reflected in their views. Max grew up in a situation that could’ve easily left him with a completely jaded and cynical view, but instead he’s grown into a man who’s very compassionate and understanding, a man with a conscience, and a man who doesn’t judge anyone or anything with nothing more than a glance. He has heart and he’s been a joy to write.
Part 60
Ava yawned and stretched before rolling over and snuggling back down into the comfortable nest of pillows, sheets and blankets. It took a few moments for her to realize that in spite of the silence in the bedroom, she could hear voices coming from elsewhere in the apartment. She was able to distinguish Kyle’s voice right away but it took a little longer to identify the other as his sister. A quick glance at the crib let her know that he’d taken Cadence with him, and in spite of the desire to roll over and go back to sleep she forced herself to get up.
A hot shower helped her to fully wake up and by the time she was dressed comfortably in a pair of jeans and an old football jersey she’d found in the closet, breakfast was cooking. She padded quietly down the hallway and made her way to the kitchen, smiling when she reached the kitchen doorway and caught Kyle in the middle of some animated story. A quick glance around the room revealed that his sister was nowhere in sight, which meant Cadence was his only audience.
He had set the high chair in the reclining position and the baby’s eyes followed him as he moved around, putting breakfast together. Every time he turned around and said something to her directly she’d kick her feet and laugh. The stereo in the living room was turned on and tuned to a station that played a mix of genres over the span of several decades and it hadn’t taken long to realize he had a tendency to sing along with anything he recognized.
He started to hum along with the next song that came on, an indicator that he knew the tune better than the actual words. She shook her head at the distinctly country song, but couldn’t stop the smile at his antics as he occasionally tossed in the few words he did know and improvised others. She saw his cheek lift in a smile a moment before he turned his head to look at her and she smiled in response to the expression on his face.
“Mornin’,” he greeted as he balanced the spatula on the rim of the pan and crossed the room to pull her into his arms. “We thought we’d let you sleep in and surprise you with breakfast.”
“And the serenade was just a bonus?” she teased and kissed him lightly.
He snorted. “If you want a serenade you’re gonna have to wait for something I really know to come on.” He kissed her properly before stepping back to pull her into the kitchen. “And then I’m gonna have to make you an appointment with an ear doctor because even I know I can’t carry a tune.”
She picked her daughter up, kissing her cheek and enjoying the way her eyes and nose crinkled up as she smiled. “Well, Cadence doesn’t seem to mind.”
“Nope.” He picked the spatula up and turned the eggs a few more times before deciding they were ready. “Maria came by a while ago, wanted to know if we could to come by for dinner tomorrow night. I told her I’d check with you.” He set the plates out on the counter and started dividing the food between them. “I didn’t know if you’d be comfortable goin’ over to their place or if you need more time.”
She smiled as she filled a couple of glasses with orange juice and then went after the coffee. They had fallen into the domestic routine so easily and she enjoyed the way they worked together. He was doing his best not to pressure her into outings he knew weren’t in her comfort zone and she appreciated it, but she also knew how important his family was to him. When she was a child she’d had that, maybe not to the extent that he did, but she’d had parents who loved her and who had tried their best to make a good life for her.
She wanted that so badly for her own daughter and this amazing man wanted them in his life. He was an outgoing person and he loved spending time with his family and friends, loved going out and doing things, but he also enjoyed just hanging out at home with her and Cadence for company. She believed that for anything to work, regardless of what it was, there was a delicate balance that had to be maintained.
What she’d had with Seth hadn’t been conventional; it had been a matter of survival. Kyle had listened as she talked about her life in Damon’s organization and never once had he passed judgment. Over the past few months they had learned so much about each other, listened and talked, even argued over various things. And while he could argue about something when he believed in it strongly – or simply when he thought he was right – he was quick to let it go. He didn’t hold onto his anger and that was something she both appreciated and loved about him.
He would nudge and he would give the occasional push, but he didn’t pressure her about things. She smiled as she thought about his offer to stay with his parents to give her time to adjust, not even seeming to consider the inconvenience to him to give up his apartment, even temporarily. He’d insisted she give it some thought and not just decline his offer outright and she had done just that.
He had made his intentions clear where she and Cadence were concerned. He wanted to be in their lives, wanted them to be in his; he wanted them to build a life together and she had admitted that she wanted the same thing. It was a scary prospect for someone who had never had that and she knew better than most that nothing in life came with a guarantee. She was someone who didn’t let that little fact hold her back though. Yeah, she had become guarded and she had grown used to having no one to rely on, but that hadn’t stopped her from believing that there was something better out there. Now she had to rely on her inner strength more than ever before because she had to be strong enough to reach for what she wanted and hold onto it.
Pregnant and running from Damon Knight, she had found herself in a dark place. She had given in to pessimism and negativity, having seen him beat the system time and again. How many times had she heard about people disappearing or falling victim to fatal accidents just before he was set to appear in court? He had too much power, his influence over the criminal justice and judicial systems had made it seem that ever seeing him brought to justice was an insurmountable goal.
But little by little Kyle had brought her out of that dark place and once free of it she had found herself reaching for the light again. He couldn’t promise forever, no one could, and he hadn’t fed her a line about some fairy tale ending. He was honest and straight-forward; he’d assured her he was aware that they both had faults and there was still so much more to learn about each other, but he wanted them to be together and be a family. As positive as she’d been for so much of her life, she’d never seen him coming.
“I think dinner with your sister’s family would be nice.”
He nodded and broke a piece of bacon off, popping it in his mouth. “Mmm, Liz called too.” He slid the plates on the table and turned to grab the toast as it popped up. “She said Max is doin’ much better and he went for a short run this morning. She doesn’t think it’ll be much longer before he’s ready for visitors.”
“That’s good news. He’s always had a difficult time being around people when he wasn’t feeling well.” She settled Cadence back in the high chair and made sure she was secure before taking her own seat. “When he’d get sick or hurt he’d always pull away. I mean, he might need help at first, but once he could handle it on his own he’d just kinda pull back into himself.”
“It’s cool that you understand that about him.”
She smiled and shrugged one shoulder. “When you rely on someone that much, the way me and Max did,” she shook her head, “you kinda learn to overlook certain things. And his wounded bear routine when he wasn’t well was one of those things.”
He chuckled. “Listening to you an’ Liz talk the guy sounds like he can be a pretty big bear.”
“He can and he knows it,” she agreed, “and that’s why he tends to pull away and go into hiding until he feels better.” She reached for her glass of juice and took a drink. “When it comes to bears Max is equal parts teddy and grizzly, which one you’re dealing with all depends on the situation.”
Kyle glanced over at Cadence when she made a babbling sound and kicked her feet. “What do you think of bears, huh?” He reached out and tugged on one of her little feet, drawing a sound that was somewhere between a screech and a giggle.
“She’s gonna love him.” She rolled her eyes. “Even if he’s grumpy sometimes.”
“Well, since we’re not gonna be visiting one of the seven dwarves today I thought maybe we’d go out for a bit. The weather report said it’s gonna be nice out so I was thinking we’d take a trip to Central Park, ride the carousel.” He smiled at her. “Maybe they even still have a balloon vendor. No promises about my ability to draw, but I’ll give it a shot while you tell our girl about her grandparents.”
Ava’s eyes watered at his suggestion, touched that he had remembered her telling him about her parents taking her to ride the carousel. “I think that’d be a really nice way to spend the day.”
“I was…” he turned his head when someone knocked on the door, frowning at the interruption, “…not expecting company.” His hand rested on her shoulder for a moment as he got to his feet and rounded the table. He checked the peephole and didn’t recognize the man standing there. He was cautious as he unlocked the door and pulled it open. “What can I do for you, Mr…?”
“Will Carrington,” the man said and offered his hand. “I’ve come to speak with Ms. Ava Johnson and a Mr. Kyle Valenti.” He ran his hand over his tie and stepped back after shaking the man’s hand. “I represent a man named Shakes. I was informed that you know who he is.”
“Of course, come in.” He closed the door after the lawyer stepped inside and motioned for him to follow him into the kitchen area. “We were just sitting down to breakfast.”
Ava studied Kyle’s body language and when she was certain their unannounced visitor didn’t pose a threat she stood and offered him a cup of coffee.
“No thank you, young lady. I would’ve made plans to stop by later, but it was suggested that if you knew I was coming you might attempt to avoid me.” He took a seat after she sat back down and he opened his briefcase as he balanced it on his lap. He removed two envelopes and placed them on the table.
“What’s this all about?” Kyle asked when he saw their names neatly typed on the envelopes.
“This is the way Shakes determined you were to be rewarded for everything you did to aid in the collapse of Damon Knight’s organization.”
“I don’t understand,” Ava said as she shook her head.
The lawyer chuckled. “You will.”
*****
It was unseasonably warm for mid-October and everyone in the city was taking advantage of it. Weather forecasters were speculating that the heat wave that had hit the east coast would last through the weekend and if anyone was complaining about it they weren’t vocalizing their objections. It was early Friday afternoon and Maria was sitting on the back porch watching Michael and Hunter as they launched another attack on the slip ‘n slide.
Held securely against Daddy’s chest, Hunter squealed with delight and clapped his hands as they rushed through the sprinklers raining down on them. As soon as they slid to a stop and he was released he ran across the yard, stopping at a muddy spot and gleefully jumping up and down at the center of it.
“This right here,” Michael said, pointing at the little boy who was well on his way to being covered in mud, “this’s your dumb brother’s doin’.”
Maria shook her head. “You can’t blame this on Kyle. You’re the one who bought that box full of old construction trucks at that garage sale and showed Hunter what to do with them. He’s been digging the yard up ever since and you’re the one who brought the hose out today.”
“Twenty bucks, Maria! They don’t make toys like that anymore. The crap they make now is all plastic and before the kid’s had it a week it’s already broken. Those trucks, they’ll last – “
Maria winced at the unmistakable sound of flesh and bone cracking against die-cast metal. She didn’t say a word, just waited as he did his best to work through the flaring pain without cursing a blue streak in front of their son. He was gritting his teeth so hard she just knew his head had to be aching. Hunter had stopped jumping around and was standing in front of him, head tipped back as he watched curiously to see what he would do next.
After several very long minutes Michael exhaled slowly, the breath carefully controlled as he finally, experimentally wiggled the offended toes.
“Daddy owie?”
Michael grunted and leaned over to scoop his muddy son up. “Yeah, but we’ll get Mama to kiss it better.” He lifted an eyebrow at the indelicate snort that came from the vicinity of the back porch.
“I’ve got a newsflash for you, buddy. Mama’s not kissing anything on your body that’s covered in mud.”
“Not even if I busted the da…” he cleared his throat, “the dang thing open?” he asked as he freed the garden hose.
“Did you?”
“I don’t know.”
“What was that you were saying about plastic toys?” she teased as she joined them on the lawn and took the hose from him, turning the spray on to rinse the worst of the mud off of them.
“Busted toes aside I’ll still take them over the cheap crap they sell today.”
She chuckled and sat on the bottom step, motioning for him to present his foot for inspection. He carefully balanced his weight as he rested his foot on her thigh, watching as she examined his toes.
“Well, I don’t see any evidence that suggests they’re about to fall off. The skin’s not broken and they don’t feel broken but they’ll probably bruise pretty good. It might help if we ice them down.”
“Yeah. I’m getting hungry anyway.” He shifted Hunter around so they were facing each other. “Whatcha say, you ready to eat?”
“Eat!” the little boy declared with a wide grin.
“Excuse me.”
They all turned when an unfamiliar voice spoke, accompanied by a knock on the back gate. Michael frowned at the suit standing there. People in suits never made house calls for any good reason that he could think of. And it was too soon after their recent brush with danger to just ignore the potential for more.
“Help you with somethin’?” he asked as he shifted to hand Hunter to Maria.
“If you’re Michael Guerin and the young lady with you is Maria Deluca then I’m here to see you.” He waited for an invitation that wasn’t forthcoming. “My name is Will Carrington. I’ve tried calling and left several messages, but no one’s returned my calls so I thought I’d try to catch you at home.”
“You’re the lawyer that called.” He nodded when the man answered affirmatively. “Didn’t get much from the messages other than the lawyer part. Answering machine cuts the messages off,” he said with a shrug.
“If you have a few minutes free I can explain why I’ve come by and then I’ll be gone.”
“Who sent you?”
“I’m here as a favor for a client.” He motioned to the gate in question. “May I?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
Maria smiled when the man’s gaze darted around the backyard, searching for an unexpected welcome. “We don’t have a dog,” she assured him.
“I would wager you don’t need one,” he said with a glance at Michael. He smiled at the young woman when she smiled, but he could see the wariness there. After all they had been through recently he was certain in her shoes he’d be wary of strangers too.
“May I ask who your client is?” Maria asked as she gestured to the porch where a few chairs were situated around a small table.
He took a seat and placed his briefcase on the table. “My client’s name is Shakes.” He nodded when the couple exchanged a look. “We spoke at great length and I agreed to deliver this to you personally.”
Maria frowned. “Has something happened to him?”
“No,” he assured her with a smile. “He’s moved on and knew he wouldn’t be here to do this himself so he asked me to see to it personally.” He removed a folder and retrieved a few forms. “This first form simply states that we spoke in person. The second is an agreement to accept the contents of this envelope as a token of his gratitude for all you’ve done for his friend, Max Evans.”
Michael leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “He doesn’t owe us anything for doin’ the right thing.”
Will chuckled. “He said you’d say that and that’s exactly why he wanted you to sign the form prior to accepting the envelope. Once you’ve put your signature down you’re the sole owner of its contents. Well, you and Miss Deluca.” He paused when he saw they weren’t convinced. “I don’t know all of the details, but I know he was grateful for the help you provided. He’s seen very little of the good in life and you made an impression on him. This is how he chose to express that gratitude.” He pulled a pen from his shirt pocket and laid it on top of the forms before sliding them across the table.
Michael looked at Maria. “What do you think?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I mean, I definitely agree with you about him not owing us anything.” She gnawed on her bottom lip for a moment. “But at the same time do we have the right to deny whatever he’s chosen as his way of saying thank you? It doesn’t feel like he’s doing this because he feels indebted.”
“And you would be correct,” the lawyer spoke up. “You treated his friend as an equal, you treated him with respect, and that goes a long way with Shakes.”
Maria stopped Hunter when he reached for the shiny pen lying before him and he expressed his displeasure loudly.
“Hey.”
Daddy’s voice cut through the angry howl and Hunter paused to look at him.
“What’d we say about that kinda behavior?”
He ducked his head and pressed his forehead against Mama’s neck, his bottom lip sticking out in a pout.
“It’s not something extravagant is it?”
Will looked at her. “I’m not at liberty to say what’s inside the envelope. All I can tell you is that it’s very important to my client that it be received and accepted as his way of showing his gratitude.”
“Okay, so it’s probably tickets or something, maybe a vacation voucher.”
He could see their indecision and he reached for a second folder, opening it up and displaying a second envelope. “Alright, Shakes authorized a compromise if you wouldn’t accept his gift outright.” He motioned to the envelopes. “Choose one and then we’ll handle the paperwork.”
“It was that important to him?” Michael shrugged when the lawyer nodded. Shakes hadn’t struck him as someone who’d ever had much in his life that made him happy and after everything the guy had done he supposed the least they could do was accept whatever he wanted them to have. “Alright, I still think it’s ridiculous, but…” he glanced at Maria. “Pick one.”
She studied the envelopes, wishing there was something to identify the contents. It just seemed silly to insist on something like this because they didn’t need some sort of gift as thanks. They were just glad they’d been able to help and that everything had turned out alright. “The second one I guess.”
“Very well.” Will closed the first folder and tucked it into his briefcase while they were signing the documents and when they were finished he placed them inside as well. He slid the envelope across the table and he watched as Maria pushed it over to Michael. He would already be gone but he had to wait for one more signature. Shakes was nothing if not thorough.
Michael unsealed the flap and pulled the sheet of paper out, tossing the manila envelope aside and pausing as his eyes dropped to the section below the perforation.
“Holy shit!”
“What? What is it?” Maria leaned over and her eyes widened to comical proportions when she saw what was in the envelope.
“And now if you’ll just sign this last form I’ll be on my way.” He smiled when the young man blindly reached for the pen and scrawled his signature across the line. “Miss Deluca, if you’ll also sign the form, please.” He chuckled at the way her hand shook as she signed her name to the form. He gathered up his things, carefully putting them in his briefcase and taking his leave. At the back gate he turned to look at the little family, nodding to himself with a small smile.
They would never know it, but both envelopes had contained the same thing.
Yes, indeed, he thought,
Shakes was nothing if not thorough. He’d had no intentions of having his gift rejected and he’d seen to it that they were heavily rewarded for their contribution to keeping his friend safe.
*****
The lone rider pounded down the field, his focus on the ball he had put into play. He lifted the mallet, preparing to take his next shot, and shifted his weight slightly. The horse beneath him responded to his cues with precision and he brought the mallet down, swinging it and connecting solidly with the ball. He shifted his weight again and used gentle pressure on the reins to slow the horse’s gait.
“You’re gonna make a nice addition to the string, Brigadier.”
The chestnut thoroughbred tossed his head and snorted loudly when his rider leaned forward and patted his neck. He pulled on the reins and pawed the ground, eager to stretch his legs and run.
“I promised Durango a workout too so you’re gonna have to be patient.” As they neared the middle of the field the late afternoon sunlight glinted off of something and caught his attention. He frowned when he saw someone standing close to Durango and he gave the horse his head, letting Brigadier pick up speed. He reined him in when they came up on the white fence that bordered the end of the field, walking him the rest of the way.
He was annoyed at the person’s encroachment on his time. “The field’s been reserved until five,” he said as he unsnapped the chinstrap and took his riding helmet off.
“That’s what they said at the stables but I took a chance you might not mind the interruption.”
DJ smiled slowly and shifted in the saddle when Courtney turned to give him a tight smile. “How’d you know where to find me?”
“You spent quite a bit of time talking about the polo club while we were keeping our heads down.” She turned her head and squinted against the sun. “Figured it’d be a safe bet.”
His grin was smug. “Went by my place first, didn’t you?”
“You know you’re full of yourself,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
“So I’ve been told.” He switched the reins to his left hand and leaned over to hook the head of the mallet over the top rail of the fence. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance you came here to invite me to dinner?”
Courtney’s eyes moved over him, not missing the way he straightened imperceptibly under her scrutiny. “I’m not an easy person to get to know and I make no apologies for that.” She shook her head. “Not that you’ve asked for any, but I’m letting you know for future reference. I tend to retreat into myself and it’s not unusual for me to go for days at a time without so much as talking to another human being. I work as a vet, I provide medical help to the homeless, and if a friend needs me I’ll drop everything else to be there for them. I’m a neat freak, I don’t like to be disturbed while I’m reading the morning paper with my coffee, in spite of the utter nonsense of a happily ever after I watch romance movies and read romance novels like there’s no tomorrow, and this probably isn’t what my therapist meant when she said to be honest with you.”
DJ chuckled and nodded. It amazed him that she hadn’t stopped for a breath once during her little speech. “Well, my therapist would say as long as you’re being honest with yourself first you’re on the right path.”
“You want the pure unadulterated honest-to-God truth?”
“Always.”
“I can’t make any promises about a relationship. There are issues I’m dealing with and they directly affect my ability to become involved in an intimate relationship.” She paused to see if he would toss off some flippant remark and when he didn’t she went on. “I guess if you’re still interested and you’re free for dinner…”
“I’ve gotta give Durango a workout, but if you don’t mind waiting while I put him through his paces and then grab a shower I’d love to take you to dinner.”
Courtney bit her bottom lip as she stared at the horse thoughtfully. “I could give you a hand.”
DJ bit back the urge to make a joke. Perhaps one day if things worked out he’d be able to tease her about certain things. “You ride?”
She smiled inwardly when he let her offer pass without comment. “I grew up on my grandpa’s ranch. He bred and trained cutting horses.” She reached up to run her fingers through Durango’s forelock. “They weren’t thoroughbreds but I do know my way around horses.”
He nodded at the horse. “Need a leg up?”
“No, I’ve got it.” She made a face at the saddle as she took the reins and approached Durango from the left side. “I prefer a Western saddle, but I suppose for what you use the horses for that wouldn’t work.”
“Your grandpa still around?”
She shook her head as she swung up into the saddle. “No, but he left the ranch to me. I couldn’t sell it even though the upkeep is expensive as hell.” She snorted softly. “I suppose that won’t be an issue now.”
“Any chance you’ve suddenly come into a financial windfall?” DJ asked as they rode back out onto the field.
Courtney turned her head to look at him. “You too?”
“Well, not so much financial. I have a feeling Shakes knew I didn’t need money but I did come into possession of a very valuable horse.” He patted Brigadier’s neck. “You’ve gotta give the guy credit. He knows how to say thank you.”
“I didn’t expect anything out of that deal. Hell, I was just doing a favor for a friend.” She let her gaze move over the field. “But I got home this morning and there’s this lawyer waiting for me.”
“Yeah, same here. Only it was this afternoon and the guy wanted to meet here at the club.” He laughed quietly. “I suppose it would’ve been difficult putting this fella here in an envelope.” They rode in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again. “What changed your mind about me?”
“A few things,” she answered evasively. “Just… please remember that I’m not making any promises, Daniel. The things I’m trying to work through, they’re major, and right now all you’re looking at is basically us hanging out. I’m not ready for more than that and I can’t give you a timetable when or even if I’ll get to that point.”
“So we start out with friendship and if more develops, then I’ll be pleased, and if it doesn’t we haven’t lost anything. We’ll have each gained a friend.”
“You already want more than that.”
“I do, but I’m a grown man and I’m well aware that we don’t always get what we want.” He reined his horse in so he could look at her directly. “I’m also a very patient man, Courtney.”
“I’ll test that patience from time to time, and not always because I want to,” she warned him.
He grinned and shrugged. “And I’m sure I’ll repay the favor from time to time.” He nodded at the horses. “Feel like letting them stretch their legs?” He motioned to the goal at the far end of the field. “Loser buys dinner.”
Courtney felt herself relax at his easy acceptance of her terms and she responded to the challenge in his tone. “Dinner’s on you, Daniel,” she said as she gave Durango a kick and her mount surged forward.
DJ held Brigadier back for a few seconds, balancing his weight as the horse danced in place, his muscles twitching in anticipation. “Let’s show ‘em how it’s done.” The thoroughbred reared up and shot forward the moment he received the signal from his rider and his focus locked on Durango, his only goal to pass the other horse and do what he was born to do.
*****
Sean shouldered his bag and slid his sunglasses on as he stepped out into the late afternoon sunlight, pausing with his hand on the door when someone called him. He smiled and raised a hand when he saw his uncle making his way through the hall, backing away from the door and waiting when the older man stopped to answer a question for a uniformed officer.
Since the night they had taken Knight’s organization down things had been busier than normal. Captain Stone had her hands full and the department was going through a major upheaval in the aftermath of the list of dirty cops that had been unearthed by Shakes. He knew the corruption had wound its way through so many departments and levels that it was going to take a considerable amount of time to sort it all out. He had been surprised by some of the people he’d seen arrested in the past week and he hated the tarnish it put on the department. It was hard enough to do the job without dealing with the repercussions of dirty cops.
“They get younger every year,” Jim said as he finally joined his nephew.
“Yes sir, they do.” He looked at the people moving around, noting the new faces and the lack of others. “So, things finally settling back down to normal at home?”
He nodded. “Yeah, and I can’t say I’m sorry to have all that excitement over.”
“I’ll bet Aunt Amy’s glad to have it over too.”
Jim chuckled. “Yeah, but now she’s kinda lost with the house being empty again.”
“Uh-huh, when Maria moved out a few years back she started talking about babies, didn’t she?”
“Well, we’ve already had that conversation several times.” He shrugged. “We’re not old by any means, but we’re realistic. I think we’re both past the age where 3am feedings and walking the floor with a colicky baby and then getting up for work before the sun the next morning sounds like a good idea.”
“Ungh, that doesn’t sound like a good idea at my age, Uncle Jim.”
“No, but believe me, it’s a sacrifice that’s well worth the lost sleep and the sluggish days.” But they were thinking about maybe adopting, especially in light of the visit they’d had from a lawyer the night before. He still couldn’t believe the reason for the visit. He slapped his nephew on the back. “Anyway, that’s not why I stopped you. I know you have plans so I won’t hold you up for long. Amy’s putting together a big dinner on Sunday and she wanted me to find out if you could make it. She’s already talked to your mom and she’s gonna be there, Dad’s gonna be there, Maria and Michael, Kyle and Ava, and she wanted to know if your schedule’s free.”
“Yeah, that sounds good. Dinner at the normal time?”
“Just like always. I’ll let you get goin’ and I’ll let her know you’ll be there.” He nodded and turned his head when someone called him. “Alright, we’ll see you Sunday, Sean.”
The younger man waved and leaned against the door to push it open. He wasn’t sure why Uncle Jim thought he had plans since about the only thing on his itinerary for the evening was having dinner with Yoda. He shrugged and pushed his sunglasses higher up on his nose. Well, it wasn’t anything special, but he supposed it was a plan.
He took the steps down to the sidewalk two at a time, drawing up short when he saw a woman sitting on the hood of his car. He snorted to himself and continued on his way. He’d know that unflinching posture anywhere. “Can I take it as a good sign that you’re here?” he asked as he unlocked the trunk and dumped his bag inside.
Mac tossed her hair back over her left shoulder as she turned her head to look at him. She watched him as he closed the lid on the trunk and braced his weight on his hands while he waited for her answer. She had a shitload of baggage, but he didn’t seem to see it as an obstacle. He had been true to his word, waiting for her to contact him, and now that she had sorted a few things out and had a very long talk with a new friend, she was ready to take a step forward and really embrace life.
She had met with the Director a few days earlier and learned that she had been officially cleared of all charges. She had also been given her choice of assignments. She had requested time to consider her options and decide what she wanted to do after everything that had happened and it had been granted without question. She had spent a lot of time revisiting her past and she had even met with her father, letting him know in no uncertain terms that she was cutting ties with him. Somehow she hadn’t been surprised when he had informed her that his ship had finally come in and he had no use for her anymore.
It shouldn’t have hurt. But even after years of his poor treatment, neglect, and borderline abuse, his easy dismissal of her had stung. He’d even come prepared with a legal document stating that he would never contact her again. It was ridiculous. It was freeing. And she knew without a doubt that Atlas was the one responsible for her father’s sudden windfall and for the legally binding documents. She knew he hadn’t done it for her father; it had been done to protect her. She had tried sending him an email to thank him, but it had been kicked back, recipient unknown.
She had been relieved to know her father would never darken her door again, never make another threat, and never blackmail her to cover for him. She had been on her way back after having breakfast at a nearby diner when she’d run into the lawyer waiting for her. At first she’d been worried that somehow the Bureau had changed its mind and decided she was guilty of murdering Patrick, but she had quickly come to the conclusion that only Atlas could have sent the man.
After the meeting and a small mountain of legal forms to sign, the lawyer had taken his leave, and she’d called Courtney. They had discovered over the past couple of weeks that they had a lot in common and they were well on their way to building a strong friendship. She had spent a lifetime keeping people at arms’ length and the man standing just a few feet away, watching and waiting for her answer, was a big part of the reason she was finally stepping out of her comfort zone and reaching for something more.
“Yeah,” she said and smiled at him, “yeah, I think it’s a very good sign.”
He nodded, seeing an easing in her that hadn’t been there before. “This mean we’re goin’ out to dinner?”
“It doesn’t have to be anything fancy.”
Sean had to laugh at that. He’d never had a ton of money but even he could afford to take a woman out somewhere nice. Of course, this was the first time he could just up and buy the restaurant if he wanted, but he had no interest in doing that. It was kinda cool to know he could if he wanted to though. “That because you don’t care for fancy or because I’m a cop and you know the pay’s not that great?” he teased.
“I really don’t care for fancy,” she admitted. “I’m okay if we go somewhere with actual tablecloths on the tables, but I prefer to eat in restaurants where I can pronounce the names of the food. As someone who’s been single most of my life I eat a lot of takeout so I really enjoy home cooked meals.”
“How do you feel about big family dinners?”
“I think they’re a little intimidating.”
“And if I invited you to have dinner with my family on Sunday?”
“I think you might need more time to prepare them,” she joked. “I can be painfully awkward in domestic settings, Sean.”
“My family doesn’t judge. And really, you’ve already met quite a few of them. But I understand if it’s too soon for that. Aunt Amy’s cooking up a big feast though, so you might wanna think twice before you say no. She’s the best cook in the family. However, I don’t intend for our first date to happen with my family present, so, how’s dinner at my place tonight at seven sound?” He shrugged. “We can make dinner and just kick back.” He shot a grin at her. “I’ll even put a tablecloth on the table.”
Mac nodded when he didn’t put any pressure on her. “I think that sounds good.” She dropped down off the hood of his car. “I’ll see you at seven, but you might have to look twice. You’ve never seen me in anything dressy.”
He grinned. “I can’t wait.” He watched her until she got into her own car and drove away and he whistled to himself as he climbed in behind the wheel and started the engine.
*****
“Are you sure you got the address right?” Max stared at the wrought iron gates in confusion, frowning as he reached for the envelope lying on the dashboard.
“Max, I programmed the address into the GPS exactly the way it was given to me.”
“Well, this can’t be right.” He rubbed his temple, careful to avoid the healing wound there, and sighed in frustration. “We’re meeting a lawyer, right?” Dr. Taylor kept telling him to be patient; that he was getting better, but every time he felt unsure about some little detail he was certain he should know it aggravated him.
“Yeah, Shakes’ lawyer asked us to meet him at this address.” She reached over to rub his arm when she heard the irritation creeping into his voice. It had been a couple of weeks since the meeting with Knight and the doctors were pleased with his recovery and the progress he was making. He had been released 10 days ago and while physically he was healing well and most of the bruising had faded to mere shadows, it was taking longer for the side effects from the head injury to fade.
“Then shouldn’t we be meeting him at an office?”
Liz lowered her window and reached for the envelope he was holding, turning it over to read the code she had scribbled there after calling the lawyer back. She stretched her arm out, depressing the numbers on the keypad and a moment later the gates slowly swung inward. “Would you look at that lawn?” she murmured as they followed the paved road that wound through the grounds. They were beautifully landscaped with Romanesque statues decorating the lawn and there was a fountain at the center of the circular driveway.
“The statues would have to go,” Max said, making a face at them. He could understand why people thought they were amazing pieces of art in a museum, but not why they’d use them to decorate their lawns. Personally he didn’t care for them in or out of a museum. He turned his head to look at the front of the… mansion. There was no way something so large could be called a house. The large double doors at the entry opened and a man stepped out onto the wide porch, waving to get their attention. “Guess that’s him?”
“Must be.” She handed the envelope back to Max. “You ready?”
“I’m not sure. I think I’d be a lot more ready if I had any idea why we were here.”
“We’ll know soon enough.”
“I suppose.” He got out of the car and closed the door, looking around as he waited for Liz to join him. He took her hand and they walked up to the steps, joining the lawyer on the porch.
“Mr. Evans, Miss Parker,” he greeted as he extended his hand.
“Mr. Carrington,” Max nodded as he shook the man’s hand.
Will turned and gestured to the door that stood open, following the young couple in after they hesitantly entered the grand foyer. He closed the door and waited patiently while Max looked around, a thoughtful frown on his face as he released his girlfriend’s hand and began to slowly move around.
Max moved to the staircase, pausing at its base to stare up at it before turning his head slowly to look at a nearby wall. “There should be a picture there,” he murmured to himself. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again and looking at the wall above the landing at the top of the stairs. “And some sort of tapestry or something on that wall.”
“You’ve been here before?” Liz asked carefully.
“Yeah, Shakes had me brought here.” He frowned and looked around, moving from doorway to doorway and taking in the state of the rooms. “The place is empty.” He looked at the lawyer. “Why?”
“Only one room was left with any of its contents,” Will explained. “He felt the new owner should be able to furnish the house in a way that suits him. He didn’t want you to feel obligated to keep the furnishings.”
Liz’ eyes widened and her gaze shot to Max in time to see him whirl around to stare at the lawyer in disbelief. “What happened to him?”
Will shook his head. “Shakes is just fine, he’s simply moved on and he asked me to see to it that the house and the related accounts were signed over to Mr. Evans.”
“You don’t just give a place like this away. This place has to be worth millions of dollars.” Max shook his head. “You must’ve misunderstood what he told you to do with it.”
“No,” he denied with a smile, “I fully understood his wishes and I have the contracts to prove that what I’m telling you is all true. I left my briefcase in the kitchen as it’s the only place that has a surface suitable for going over the contracts and taking care of signatures. Perhaps you’d like to take a look around and discuss the situation for a bit first though.” He motioned to one of the doorways. “I’ll just wait for you in the kitchen.” He nodded and left them alone.
“I can’t accept something like this.” Max began to prowl through the rooms, conscious of Liz following him. “How could he just give something like this away?”
She accompanied him, but gave him space, smiling on occasion when his grumbling ramble was silenced by something he found fascinating. She hurried to catch up with him when he pushed the double doors open on yet another room and he inhaled sharply. As soon as she reached him she understood the reason for his shock. It was a library, decorated and furnished in very masculine tones. The built-in shelves looked to be made of mahogany and it was easy to see that the person who had designed it had cared deeply about the books and had created an environment that would protect and preserve them.
“This room must’ve meant a great deal to him,” she mused as she watched Max move along one of the walls, his eyes scanning the titles on the bindings. It was the only room in the house that had been left furnished and seeing her boyfriend’s reaction to it, she knew Shakes had known what it would mean to him.
“Look at this room, Liz.”
“It’s pretty amazing.”
His fingertips ghosted over the books and he paused when he reached the rolling ladder, his hand stretching out to give it a gentle nudge, and looking up to follow its progress as it slid smoothly on its track. “Why would he just give all this to me?”
“I don’t know Shakes very well, Max, but he cares about you very much. That was evident from the moment I first met him. And that belief has only gotten stronger with everything he’s done since then. He probably left the city hoping to leave everything that happened behind him. He came by the hospital to see you before he left and he made arrangements with the necessary people to make sure your future’s secure. I guess this is just another way he’s making sure you’re okay.”
Max shoved his hands in his pockets as he moved to the center of the room to look around and his right hand closed around the pocket watch that had been left with him at the hospital. He knew Shakes had left it; he was the only one besides Ava who would know what a gift like that would mean to him. He had known Shakes for years and the man had never once lied to him or led him on about anything. He lived life on his own terms and now that he was free of the streets he didn’t do anything unless he wanted to do it. His thumb moved over the letters etched into the back of the watch and he smiled slowly.
“It’s a great room,” he said finally. “Although I’ll probably need a second job just to afford the light bill for this place.”
Liz smiled when she saw acceptance settle over him. While she didn’t know Shakes well, she had a feeling it would hurt him deeply if Max refused his gift. “I guess we should go put Mr. Carrington’s mind at ease.”
He caught her hand before she could leave the room and he pulled her up against him, locking his hands at the small of her back. “You think you could be happy here?”
“Max, I could be happy anywhere as long as we’re together.”
Will was waiting for them in the kitchen as promised, his focus divided between his laptop, his phone, and the forms lying on the counter in front of him. He quickly ended the call when he noticed the couple coming into the kitchen and he gave them his undivided attention. “Have you made a decision, Mr. Evans?”
“Shakes wouldn’t have set this up if it wasn’t what he wanted.” He glanced around. “I’m not sure exactly what to do with a place this big, but I guess we’ll figure it out.” He smiled at Liz. “Diablo’s gonna love all this space.”
“Yeah, he’ll really love it.”
“Well, let’s get these forms out of the way and I’ll hand the keys over and be out of your hair.” He pulled a folder out of his briefcase and selected the necessary legal forms, going over each one as he set it down. He answered dozens of questions about each one and slid them back into the folder as they were completed. “This one is simply an agreement that if at any time you decide to relinquish ownership of the library or any of its titles, you will transfer ownership to the library he’s chosen.”
Max nodded and signed off on the appropriate line. He couldn’t imagine parting with a single title in the library. “I hope they’re not holding their breath.” He handed the form back to the lawyer and hesitated before setting the pen down. “That the last one?”
“There are just three more.” He pulled the form out and placed it on the counter along with a plain white envelope. “Transfer of the house accounts, acceptance of the contents of the envelope, and finally, acknowledgment that you received the envelope’s contents.” He shook his head when Max reached for the envelope. “It’s not to be opened until you’ve signed the acceptance form.”
“But I don’t know what’s in it,” Max said with a frown.
“These are his terms, Mr. Evans.”
“Well…” He scrawled his signature across the bottom of the first form but hesitated on the second.
Will chuckled when once again he was met with indecision. The people Shakes had chosen were certainly deserving of his generosity. He reached into his briefcase and pulled out the second envelope and placed it beside the first one but before he could explain the reasoning Max looked up at him and shook his head.
“I know Shakes, Mr. Carrington. If this’s what he wants then the same exact thing is in both envelopes.” He signed the form and handed the first envelope to Liz before sliding the form and the second envelope back to the lawyer. She opened it and tapped the contents out, unable to keep from looking at it before handing it over, but she quickly jerked it back as she did a quick count of the zeroes behind the first comma.
Max nodded at his girlfriend. “Is that confirmation enough that we’ve received what was in the envelope?”
The lawyer tried not to laugh at the young woman’s reaction as he motioned to the form. “It’s in her hands so I’d say that’s good enough.” He accepted it when Max had signed in all the appropriate places and then he held the ring of keys out to him and shook his hand. “I hope you’ll be very happy, Mr. Evans. That’s what Shakes wanted when he set all of this up, and while it takes so much more than possessions and wealth to secure happiness, I think you’ve got a damn good start.”
“Yeah, I’m already ahead of the game. You know where Shakes went or how I can reach him?”
“No, I’m afraid I don’t know where he is.”
“But you’re still his lawyer, so there must be some form of communication.”
“Yes.”
“I know he has his reasons for leaving, and cutting his ties here was probably what he needed to do to move on, but if I gave you a message for him would you see that he gets it?”
Will studied him for several long moments before he nodded. “I think he’d make an allowance for that, but it would only be once.”
“I’ll contact you when I know exactly what I wanna say to him.” Max waited until they had been left alone before he turned to Liz. “Judging by your reaction I’m gonna wanna take a look at that.”
“I’d feel better if you were sitting down first.”
He snorted. “I’m not the type to faint.”
“All the same, the last thing you want is another head injury so soon after that last one.”
“Okay,” he capitulated, “there’s furniture in the library, let’s go in there.”
Liz waited until they were seated in the comfortable leather chairs, surrounded by thousands of books, before she handed the check to him. He made a production of getting comfortable, assuring her he wasn’t going to pass out, and then turned it over to look at it. And nearly fell out of his chair.
“This’s… I can’t accept this!” He rubbed his forehead and leaned over to count the zeroes. Twice. “There’s no way.”
“You’ve already accepted it. Mr. Carrington strikes me as a man who’s very thorough, which means those contracts were not only binding, but you probably won’t find any loopholes. He left copies of all of them so we can always have my lawyer look them over if you want. He won’t mind.”
“Shakes wouldn’t have hired him if his work wasn’t solid, but… we’re talkin’ about a lot of money here, Liz.”
She bit her bottom lip as a thought occurred to her. “Max, it is a lot of money. You said he bankrupted Knight’s organization.” She looked up at him. “You don’t think…?”
Max shook his head. “No. Shakes would’ve put the money to good use, but he wouldn’t distribute it like this. That money’s tainted and he would’ve seen it for what it was. He’ll find a way for it to be used to help people, but he wouldn’t do it like this.” He thought back to his first conversation with Shakes when he had tracked him down at the restaurant. “No, he said he had more money than he’d ever be able to spend. That’s where this came from,” he said with certainty. “Money given like this, it would have to be reported for tax purposes, and he wouldn’t risk it being traced back to anything illegal.” He got up and moved around the room, his eyes roving over the shelved books.
“What’re you thinking?”
“I think it’s time to get everyone together.”
Liz's cousin is really a spoiled brat; she thinks that all people have money and an happy life... would be better and nicer anyway but reality is something else... 
Even if its help!!!!