Guilty Like Us, page 18
“Nothing you tell me will change how I feel about you.” She squeezed his hand. “I know you’ve had a tough time. We didn’t share much about our past. Well, I did and you didn’t, but that’s okay. I don’t mind because you’re getting better about it.”
“Damn it, Meredith, you should mind. You should never take anyone at their word. You should make them prove they are who they say they are and if they can’t, you need to figure out why.”
“What does that even mean? That I should have required you to take a lie detector test and not trusted you? That’s ridiculous. I know you, Daniel Reese. You’re a good person and maybe you’ve had a rough past and weren’t great with relationships, but look at you now?” She stroked his forearm, smiled. “Look at us now. We’re happy. We’re solid.”
He dragged a hand through his hair, shook his head. “Stop. I can’t do this anymore.”
“What? What do you mean?”
The confusion on her face buried him, but he was done pretending. “Meeting you in Chicago wasn’t a coincidence. It was planned, down to the very last detail of where you hung out and what causes you supported.” He blew out a sigh. “All of it.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.” She stared at him. “Were you stalking me?”
“Stalking? No, I was on a mission and you were part of that mission.”
“Me?” She eased her hand away. “I see.”
Of course, she didn’t see, how could she when none of it made any sense to him? “Your father, being the very principled man he is, bribed an official six years ago and then convinced my father to cover it up. My dad is as honest as they come, would never dream of getting on the wrong side of right, but your old man was so damn convincing. He lured him in and made the deed seem almost acceptable. But the payout for my dad wasn’t money. I found out today the payout was to help his struggling son.”
“You?”
“Yeah, me.” Bad enough his father had been involved in the scheme but now Daniel would have to admit his part in it as well. “Six years and a heart attack later, my dad visits me without my mother, which is odd enough because those two never go anywhere without each other. But he makes the trip and then he tells me about the mess he’s in and how the nightmare he thought was over has resurfaced. He’s a wreck and I’m worried he’s going to have another heart attack, but all he’s worried about is my mother finding out.” He blew out a long breath, took in the pinched lips, the glazed stare, and the fact that she’d moved to the end of the couch—as far away from him as possible. “Meredith, when I agreed to do this, I never thought—”
“When you agreed? How did that work? Did your father ask you to pretend an interest in me? Why would he do that?” Anger and disbelief drenched her words. “What did I have to do with any of this?”
“It’s what your father wanted. You, back in Reunion Gap as quickly as possible, and...he chose me to bring you back.”
She nodded, let out a small laugh. “Once again, Harrison Alexander plays chess with real people.” Another nod, a soft sigh. “And once again, one of his children becomes the pawn. You and I were just pawns moving around on my father’s chessboard. And here I thought we loved each other.”
Daniel slid toward her, clasped her hand. “We do love each other. Meredith, that’s real.” He squeezed her hand, willed her to believe him. “This is real. When I read the file on you—”
“When you read the file on me? Of course, there’s a file.” She yanked her hand away, stood. “Do you have the file? I want to see what you knew about me when you landed in the café and called the meeting destiny.”
No, she really did not want to see that file. “You are so much more than an investigative report and the second I met you, I knew that. Every conversation, every minute we spent together, brought me closer to you.” He sucked in a breath, pushed out more truths. “I hated that I couldn’t tell you the truth, but I vowed I would, once this was all over.”
“Over? You think your father will ever be safe from a man like Harrison Alexander? It will never be over. There will be more threats; how can you not see that? Tate’s the only one who’s ever been able to control him.” She crossed her arms over her chest, glared at him. “When my brother finds out what you’ve done, this won’t be good for you.”
“He knows.”
“Tate knows what you’ve done? How you’ve played me?”
Daniel dragged a hand over his face, wished he’d told his father he would not be part of this sick scheme. But how could he leave the man to figure it out alone, and what about Meredith? No matter the circumstances, he never would have met her. No, destiny really had put him and Meredith together but it was up to Daniel to keep them together.
“Daniel, answer me. At least you owe me that.”
“Tate got suspicious and confronted me. I ignored him, but the closer you and I got, the more I realized how much I just wanted the lies to be over. I went to see him and told him everything.”
“I see. And when exactly did you visit him?”
The days had all started to blur into one giant heartburn. “A few days ago.” Pause and because he was sharing, he added, “About an hour ago, I paid a visit to your father.”
“And?”
“He told me to stay away from you.”
“Of course he did.” She scowled. “He’s always been so very concerned for my welfare.” Another scowl. “So much so that he blackmailed your father to get me back here and yet he hasn’t tried to contact me, not once.” Meredith tapped a finger against her chin. “Now why is that?”
“He’s been waiting...”
“Waiting? For... Let me guess. He’s been waiting and my guess is impatiently, for you to convince me to see him.” When Daniel didn’t respond, she prodded, “Is that it? Do I win a prize?”
He didn’t care for her comments, but he couldn’t blame her. She’d been set up by people who claimed to care about her, including him. No more lies, no matter how much it made him look like the bad guy, incapable of telling the truth. “I was supposed to talk you into visiting him, but I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t do it and that’s why I went to see him.”
“Well.” She blinked, blinked again as though any second the tears might start. But they didn’t. Instead, she cleared her throat, squared her shoulders, and stared at him. “At least you spared me that. Is there anything else? Anything you might not have told me, because this would be the time.”
“There is one more thing.”
Her expression hardened. “Of course there is.”
How had he not seen it would end this way? That Meredith would not understand or forgive his deceit? He’d been the naïve one, so determined to be with her, no matter what, that he never considered what the “moment of truth” would look like. She’d view him as a liar and a manipulator and while he’d only been trying to save his father, he had lied and yes, he had manipulated.
But he loved her, more than he’d ever thought possible. Yet it wouldn’t matter how many times he declared his love, or pledged promises of “forever”. Nothing would matter but extricating herself from him, forgetting they were ever together. He sensed this distancing from the way she looked at him, as though he were a stranger.
“Daniel? What else haven’t you told me?”
He focused on her face, memorized the lips, the cheekbones, the nose, eyebrows, forehead. So beautiful, so delicate...now so untouchable. It was the blueness of her eyes that drew him in, held him as he delivered the final truth that would separate them forever. “I’m Langston Turnings.”
Chapter 27
It had never been about money.
But it had never been about love either, not for him.
Daniel Reese might claim to love her but did he even know what that meant?
How could he?
A person who manipulates and deceives the woman he’s supposed to care about can’t possibly understand real love.
She might have been able to find a way to understand and eventually forgive his deceit if he’d owned up to his reason for meeting her—before they slept together. Once sex got tossed in the mix, it was too difficult to tell real from pretend.
But Daniel hadn’t said anything. No, he’d piled one lie on top of the other as their pretend love grew and he’d never said one darn word.
That was bad enough but add that to the fact that Daniel Reese was Langston Turnings and it was incomprehensible. The man had played her for a fool, destroyed her trust, decimated her belief in the goodness of others.
And she hated him for that.
Get out, now. She hadn’t even raised her voice. Perhaps numbness enhanced a person’s ability to achieve a goal without emotion getting in the way. I never want to see you again, never want to hear your voice, and I will spend the rest of my life regretting every minute I trusted you.
He didn’t try to convince her she was wrong or offer another apology. He simply stared, mouth tight, eyes dark, expression unreadable. Three seconds later, he was gone. As the days and weeks passed, she would have time to dissect and analyze what happened, how she’d missed the warning signs that said danger, trouble ahead. It was easy to do when you believed the other person was your destiny. And why wouldn’t you think that when they just seemed to “know” you? Your likes and dislikes, your passions, your goals? How could you possibly guess they had a “cheat sheet” detailing everything about you? A “cheat sheet” provided by your own father?
Meredith had always suspected her father’s disregard for her was due to his inability to care about anyone, or the fact that she looked too much like her mother—a woman he barely tolerated. Whatever his reasons, he had no right to treat her this way. She grabbed her keys, ran out the door, and ten minutes later, barged into her father’s library.
“Meredith?” He sat on the couch, sipping a drink, one of those blasted books about roses resting in his lap. “Hello, my dear. I’m enjoying a glass of merlot. Care to join me?”
“I don’t want anything from you but the truth.” Meredith stared at the man who’d brought nothing but misery to her world. “How could you?”
“I’ll take that as a no to the wine.” He lifted his glass, took a sip. “I’ve been expecting you, though I wasn’t sure how long it would take.” Her father set his glass on an end table, stood, and approached her with the take-charge arrogance that set him apart from other fathers.
“Stay right there.” Meredith held up her hands, stepped back. “Do not come near me. How could you use me like this?”
“Use you? That was never my intention.”
Of course, he would say that, no doubt believe it. “You sent Daniel Reese to persuade me to come back here? Why couldn’t you just leave me alone? What kind of father resorts to blackmail?”
“Blackmail? Such an ugly word. I prefer to think of it as finding a person to fit a need.” His words contained no emotion or regret. “I wanted you back so I selected someone I knew you’d be attracted to, and then I put him in your path.”
“You put him in my path? For what?”
His thin lips pulled into a knowing smile. “Enticement. You like the strong brooding types who need to be saved. That’s what you do, isn’t it, Meredith? Try to save people even when they don’t want to be saved. Daniel Reese was no different from any of your other efforts: damaged, unfixable.”
Was that true? Was the man she’d loved damaged and unfixable? She hadn’t thought so, and while she might be naïve when it came to relationships and motives, he’d been happy. But his lies and her father’s scheming had destroyed any chance of a life with him. Why couldn’t he have been different? She buried her pain, pushed out anger and disgust in its place. “He delivered me to you, but I don’t think you’ll be happy with the results.”
Her father tilted his silver head, studied her. “On the contrary, my dear. I’m very happy with the results. You didn’t actually believe I’d let you and that man remain together, did you? I could barely tolerate learning he slept in your bed, and when he had the audacity to visit me, spouting off about how much he cared for you and how he was not going to let me get away with my plans… Unacceptable. Somehow, he fancies himself in love with you. Imagine that.” Laughter spilled through the room, clutched her. “The man is incapable of loving or committing to a woman. Surely, you can see that. Did he tell you about his life before he met you?”
He meant Sara. “It’s none of your business, but yes he told me all about the woman he lost to cancer.”
“Yes, Sara, the martyr who didn’t love him enough to try to live. What about before that? When he was enjoying his newfound wealth, indulging in every excess money and fame could buy? Did he tell you about that?” He didn’t wait for her to answer, continued. “And after Sara died? His business partner had to step in and screen the women to make sure they understood it would never be anything more than a physical encounter.” A shrug, the shake of his head. “I do believe he became more discreet, but men like that view sex as a recreational sport. Turn the channel, see what’s available… Sample it and then turn to another channel. Or, in Daniel Reese’s case, the redhead, the brunette, the classic blonde.”
She could not let his words hurt her. Too late, they’d already leached into her heart. Daniel had been so skilled: his touches made her sizzle and his words blanketed her with an emotion she’d thought was love. But it had all been a lie, built on a plan with one purpose in mind—get her back to Reunion Gap. She doubted he’d deny the sex had been great, the conversations interesting, maybe even compelling. But love? No, not for a man like that.
“I’m sorry he hurt you but you’re home now, back where you belong. He won’t touch you again.”
Typical Harrison Alexander: he never believed he was at the root of any problem, the cause of any heartache. Usually, he was the reason behind all of it. “Why did you do this? There were other ways to lure me back that didn’t involve a man.” He didn’t bother to answer, as though the intersection of her life with Daniel Reese’s and the pain involved were inconsequential.
“You’re family. You and your brothers.” He rubbed his jaw, took a step toward her. “I’ll have your room prepared. There’s no reason for you to remain at your aunt’s. What would you like to eat this evening? Chateaubriand? Filet of sole with crab? Whatever you like, along with a bottle of wine depending on the dinner choice.” His thin lips pulled into a real smile, his silver eyes sparkled. “And key lime pie. I remember how much you love it. Yes, I’ll have the cook prepare that as well.”
Neal had been the one who loved key lime pie. She devoured anything chocolate, but of course, their father wouldn’t remember that. He’d have had to actually been present in their lives to recall such insignificant details. “Neal loves key lime pie,” Meredith said. “He asked for it once a week but Mother limited him to once a month.” Pause. “She said you were not a fan of it.”
The man looked at her as though she were mistaken. “Neal? He’s the one who favors it? Not you?”
Meredith shook her head. “No, not me.”
The tiniest hint of pink spread to his cheeks. “I see. Well then, if you tell the cook what dessert you’d prefer, she’ll prepare it.” He nodded, added, “I’m inviting Tate as well, though I’m not certain he’ll be in attendance tonight. But he’ll come around again. You’ll see.”
Was he serious? Did he really think Tate would sit at the same table with him, share a meal and conversation? “Tate won’t come here. Why would you ever think he would?”
The expression on her father’s face shifted, and that was the moment she spotted the truth. Hope. Desperation. “You’ll ask him, of course. He’ll do it for you. That boy will do anything for you.” More hope, more desperation, coupled with determination. “You’ll get him to come back here and then we’ll sit down, share a meal, and perhaps over a very fine chardonnay, we’ll discuss the future. Our future as a family.”
Tate. This had always been about getting him back. “This was never about me at all. This is about Tate. Daniel and I were just pawns to get to him. Do not try to deny it.” Part of her thought he might, maybe even hoped he would, but he didn’t. No, he did not deny any of it.
“You knew about Daniel? Tate, how could you not tell me? Did you not think I deserved to be warned?”
Her brother’s expression held a mix of regret and apology. “He wanted to tell you.”
Did everyone think she was a fool who didn’t deserve the truth because they thought she couldn’t handle it? “I should have been given the opportunity to have the truth so I could make my own decisions. Instead, everyone let me believe in something that wasn’t even real...in a person who didn’t exist. What kind of person pretends he’s a nobody with a bucket of dreams when, in fact, he’s famous? Do you have any idea how much a Langston Turnings bowl is worth? And yet he let me believe he slept on a friend’s couch.” She laughed, considered the real reason she’d never seen his place. “Another lie. I’ll bet he’s got a penthouse on Michigan Avenue.”
“It was a very complicated situation. Did he tell you I approached him with my suspicions?” When she nodded, he continued. “I had my eye on him. Actually, that’s why I went to Rogan and Luke Donovan, asked them to have their wives invite you over so they could see what they could find out.”
“Unbelievable. Does everyone think I’m an idiot? That I don’t deserve to be included in what’s going on with my life? My life, Tate.” She jabbed a finger at her chest, spat out, “Mine. Not yours. Not theirs. Not Daniel Reese’s. Mine.” Her brother had always looked out for and protected her. Yet when she’d needed him most, he’d failed.
