Watch Out for Her, page 24
Because I can’t explain the agitated energy I feel coiling through his body. That’s why.
But we can’t discuss it further because Jacob yells from the front hall, “I’m ready!”
“Can you prepare dinner while we’re at Tara’s?” I ask Daniel.
“Sure.”
He kisses me again, holding my face in his hands, then Jacob and I leave. I nervously carry the plate of cookies I made for Cody as Jacob and I cross the lawn.
When the door opens, I’m immediately sympathetic. Tara looks awful. Her hair is a mess; her normally glowing skin is dull.
“How’s Cody?” I ask.
“Tired, but he’s okay. The swelling might take a couple of days to go down.”
“I’m so glad.” I clumsily hand her the platter. “No nuts or sugar. I promise.”
She gives me a wan grimace and moves out of the way so we can enter her home. When she sees how scared Jacob is, she crouches in front of him. “It’s not your fault, Jacob. Cody told me that Skylar gave him the chocolate, and he knows he shouldn’t have accepted it.”
Jacob takes his thumb out of his mouth. “I forgot to tell him not to eat the chocolate. I’m sorry.” He thrusts the card he made at her. “Can I give this to Cody?” He anxiously hops up and down, trying to peer around Tara to see where Cody is. Tara takes the red construction paper card and opens it to a very well-drawn basketball and a race car that looks more like a hot dog.
“Cody will love this beautiful card. He’s in the living room.”
Jacob takes off to join his friend, who’s lying down on the couch. I watch Jacob give Cody the card and sit beside him. He still looks worried, which is understandable because when Cody turns his head to look at Tara, I can see how swollen his eyes and lips are.
“Can I say hello to Cody?” I ask almost as nervously as Jacob. I have no idea why Tara has been so interested in us, why she lied about her relationship to Cody, but he’s a sweet boy who could have died. My heart clenches at the thought.
She nods. “I’ll take this plate to the kitchen while you do that.”
I walk over to the couch. Cody is puffy and exhausted, his face washed out.
“Hey, Cody. How are you feeling?” I ask softly.
He attempts a smile. “Okay. I’m happy Jacob came over.”
Jacob bounces at the end of the couch, and I give him a stern look. “Cody needs quiet time, so no jumping, okay?”
Cody laughs. “Jacob doesn’t know how to be quiet.”
I laugh, too, because it’s true.
Tara comes into the living room. “Let’s go talk,” she says to me, then, to the kids, “Boys, we’ll be out front.” She leads me through the front hall to the entrance, where we step outside onto the porch landing, just us women lingering in a strained social bubble all our own.
I shuffle uncomfortably. “I’m so sorry about Cody. God, it must have been awful to get that call from the school. Any mother would be out of her mind with fear.”
We lock gazes, the shiny façade gone. “Is there anything else you want to say to me, Sarah?” she asks.
I chew the inside of my cheek then spit it out. “I know you’re not Cody’s mother.”
She nods slowly. “I’m not sure why it’s any of your business, but you’re right, I’m not Cody’s mother. He’s my brother’s son.” She holds up a finger. “Cody doesn’t need to hear all of this. Let me close the door, and we can sit out here.”
She clicks the door shut, and we settle in her light blue Adirondack chairs. I wait for her to speak first.
“You’re always looking at me, watching me like you don’t trust me,” she says. “Why?”
“Excuse me?” I reply. “You keep walking right into my house, calling my husband Danny, and skulking in my yard at night.”
“What? I’ve never been in your yard uninvited.”
“Well, someone was. And you lied about being Cody’s mother.”
She bristles. “No, not exactly. I never once said I was his mother. Haven’t you noticed he calls me Tara? For someone so neurotic, you sure do miss a lot.”
I scoff out loud.
She stands. “We need wine for this conversation. Rosé, right?”
She goes inside without another word, then returns a minute later with two plastic cups plus a wine bottle, which she sets on the ground. “My brother, Nick? He’s a disaster.”
“He’s in jail,” I say, since we’re laying it all on the table.
“I wish he were in jail,” Tara says. “That would make everything easier.”
Now I’m confused. “Cody told Jacob his dad is in jail.”
Tara sighs. “I’m not surprised he said that. Nick has been in and out of Cody’s life since he was born, disappearing for months at a time.” She reaches for the wine bottle, pours us each a cup, and hands me one. “Nick’s an alcoholic and drug addict who’s had every job you can imagine, never lasting long, and while he has been in jail a few times, he’s not in there now. Who knows where he is? Cody’s mom took off right after he was born. I’m the only stability Cody has.”
“So, Cody doesn’t see his dad?”
She takes a sip from her glass. “Not anymore. Nick actually got clean for a few months, but then he emptied my wallet, stole a bunch of Cody’s toys and games, and disappeared. That was about six months ago.” She looks over at the chimes whistling in the wind. “I have an appointment with a new custody lawyer on the twenty-third.”
September twenty-third, the date marked with a red “X” on her fridge calendar. I feel terrible. And maybe Tara’s right. Maybe I am paranoid, because I clearly got everything about her and Cody wrong.
“I’m really sorry about… watching you, about doubting you. It’s just… there was a problem before with Jacob’s former babysitter back in Vancouver, and I think she’s been sending me these weird texts. Then when I saw your necklace from Unique, she had one from there, too. I guess I jumped to a few conclusions.”
“I guess you did. By the way, that necklace was a gift from Nick, sent to me with an apology when he was in rehab. I should throw it away. But he’s my brother, you know?”
“I get it,” I say.
The window facing the front of the house is open, and from inside, I can hear the boys talking quietly. Tara and I are neighbors, and maybe we’re starting to be honest with each other for the first time.
“I know this sounds crazy, but have you ever seen a young woman, twenty-two, long auburn hair, lurking around my house?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “The only weirdo I’ve seen around here is that dude across the street. I think he’s harmless, though.”
I sip my wine. “I met him. Ezra. He says he’s ‘neighborhood watch.’ ”
She huffs. “Neighborhood peeper, more like it.”
I grip my cup and look Tara in the eye. “Someone hid cameras in our house,” I say.
Tara’s green eyes widen. “Come again?”
I nod. “I found them the first day we arrived. And that babysitter back in Vancouver? Let’s just say our relationship ended very badly, and I realized things about her too late. I watched her, too. But with her, I actually saw things…”
Tara leans in. “What kind of things?”
“She’s a sexual manipulator. I caught her on my nanny cam having sex with an old man in my house.”
Tara’s mouth hangs open.
“Yeah. While she was looking after Jacob overnight.”
Tara shakes her head in disbelief. “But why would she be tracking you now?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I have no idea. I’m probably just overthinking and reading things wrong. Seems I have a habit of doing that.”
Suddenly, Tara turns to her front window. “You don’t think there could be cameras in my house, do you?”
“Don’t worry. I already checked,” I say.
She laughs, and so do I. “I thought you were stalking me,” I admit. “I don’t know why, but that’s what I thought.”
“It’s okay. I thought you were a snoop. Turns out, I was right.” She raises her cup in a toast. “We’re quite the pair.”
And we laugh again, but then stop to look at Ezra’s house across the street. “Seriously, though, how do you know Ezra didn’t put those cameras in your house? He’s totally creepy. Maybe we should call the police.”
“Daniel already has. They can’t exactly arrest someone for looking creepy and wearing tan pants.”
“True,” she agrees. “This has been quite a fucking day.” She places her cup on the ground and reaches out her hand. “I’m Tara Conroy. I’m Cody’s aunt. It’s really nice to properly get to know you.”
I take her hand in mine. “I’m Sarah Goldman. And sometimes I feel like the worst mother in the world.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT HOLLY
Before
It’s midafternoon on Saturday, and Holly’s had three cups of coffee. She couldn’t sleep after Alexis left last night. All she could think about is how she’s now in possession of a video that could ruin Charlie’s life forever and fix everything for the Goldmans.
Sarah and Daniel will be back from the hotel any minute. Holly’s been forcing herself to stay alert through waffles for breakfast, a morning swim race, leftover chili for lunch, and now another game of Candy Land, which has to be the most boring game ever created. But Jacob loves it, judging by the huge grin on his face every time he wins.
Just as Jacob’s about to beat her for the sixth time, the front door opens.
“We’re back!” Daniel calls out.
“Daddy!” Jacob runs first to Daniel, throwing himself at his father’s legs.
Holly follows him to the front door, where Daniel laughs, hugging his son. Sarah’s face falls when she sees her son run to his father first instead of her. But then Jacob untangles himself and throws himself at his mother’s legs.
Sarah pulls him into a warm embrace. “So, everything went well?” she asks, kissing Jacob’s head.
“All according to plan,” Holly says to Sarah but locks eyes with Daniel. He pales immediately and quickly looks away, bending to unzip a suitcase.
“Here you go, buddy.” He hands Jacob a Captain America action figure.
Jacob snatches for it. “Thank you!”
“It’s from Mommy, too.”
Jacob wraps his arms around Sarah’s waist, kissing her.
“I missed you, Jake.” She smiles at Holly.
“Did you miss me, too?” Holly asks.
“Of course,” Sarah says.
Sarah is glowing. She’s wearing a white dress she must have bought at the hotel. It’s amazing what one night can accomplish. Sarah looks beautiful and refreshed, which is exactly what Holly hoped for.
Sarah picks up the handle of her suitcase. “I’m going to unpack our clothes and throw some laundry in the wash.”
Daniel takes the handle from her. “I’ll take it up for you. I actually have a golf game this afternoon. I just have to change. Do you mind, Sarah?”
They grin at each other, and Sarah says, “That’s fine,” before kissing Daniel. “I can take my own bag.” She puts her hand on Jacob’s shoulder. “Let’s give Holly a break, Jake. Come and sit on my bed while I unpack and tell me everything you did while Daddy and I were gone.”
Holly wonders what she and Daniel talked about while they were away. It’s clear something happened here. Daniel has somehow managed to get into his wife’s good graces. She seems all too happy to be treated like the hired help.
Once Sarah and Jacob are upstairs, and Daniel’s left the house, Holly’s alone downstairs with nothing to do. Then her phone buzzes with a text from Daniel, telling her to meet him at some dive bar on Hastings Street as soon as she can. She doesn’t like his tone, how he demands her to come running when he asks.
Still, she trots upstairs to Sarah’s bedroom, where Jacob’s sitting inside her empty suitcase. Holly laughs and asks, “Is it okay if I go out for a bit? I have a surprise for all of you tonight.”
Jacob’s face lights up. “A present?”
Holly laughs again. “Sort of. I’m going to make you all dinner to thank you for including me in your family.” She’s not a great cook, but how hard can it be to follow a recipe? She’ll go to the grocery store, buy ingredients, and come home to make a family meal. After meeting Daniel, of course.
“Dinner at six? Does that work? I’ll cycle to the grocery store now.”
Sarah fishes her keys out of her purse on the bed. “Take my car. You don’t want to drag bags back on your handlebars.”
Their fingers touch when Holly takes the keys. Holly lets hers linger for a second. Then she leaves Sarah and Jacob, slides on some flip-flops, and heads to the garage. She unlocks the car, making sure the GPS in the Highlander is turned off, and uses her phone instead to drive to Hastings, where Daniel wants to meet. She pulls up to the bar, tucked between a pawnshop and an auto repair place, and parks. She makes her way inside the dark space and spots Daniel in his white polo shirt and plaid golf pants in a booth at the back next to the jukebox, under a neon Budweiser sign.
He looks so out of place. Maybe she does, too, because as she passes the bar in her designer jeans and black fitted Lululemon tank, a trio of tattooed men ogle her. Quickly, she gets to Daniel and slides into the seat across from him. He has a beer to his lips. He sips, swallows, and places the bottle on the table.
“I did what you asked,” he says with no preamble. “I got you a longer stay in my home. So from now on, you need to back off when it comes to Sarah and my personal life. No more surprise stays away. And no more meddling in my finances or my family’s affairs.”
Her chest pricks with nervousness. She doesn’t understand what he’s trying to say. “You and Sarah are my family.”
“No, Holly, we’re your employers,” he says gently, but it’s like he’s slapped her hard across the face. “And you should be home with your dad and stepmother, in medical school or wherever you want to go, doing what your father wants.”
She lays a hand on the table. “You can’t stop me from helping you.”
Daniel stiffens and leans forward. “What are you talking about?” he hisses.
“I am part of your family now. What you do concerns me, too.” She holds his stare. “And it will definitely concern Sarah.”
“What are you saying, Holly?”
“Don’t fuck with me.”
He slumps back against the booth and moves his wedding ring back and forth. “I’m not trying to. But I do want you to simply be Jacob’s babysitter from here on. No more secret talks or threats and ultimatums. I’ve already figured my way out of things.” He rubs his chin. “Everything is going to work out fine.”
Holly looks up at him and blinks. “And what about me? Can I still live with you and Sarah?”
His eyes flick to the ceiling then back to her. “You can stay in the house with us. For now.”
He’s being cagey, and she doesn’t know why, but if she’s allowed to stay, then everything will be fine. “Okay,” she says. “I’ll back off. For the moment.”
His phone buzzes on the table. Sarah’s name flashes across the screen. Daniel looks nervous, holds up a shaky finger to his lips when he answers the call.
Holly can’t hear what Sarah’s saying, but Daniel responds, “Hi… Yes, okay. Sure… I’ll do that.” He hangs up.
“What was that about?”
“Not your business. Just a family thing.” He beckons for the server to bring the bill.
Holly stands up. “I promised Sarah and Jacob that I’d make them dinner. It’ll look suspicious if I’m gone too long. And I have to get to the grocery store.”
Again, his eyes look shifty when he says, “I’ll see you later.”
Holly walks out of the bar, head held high, until she gets back in the front seat of Sarah’s car, where she bursts into tears. Daniel doesn’t like her; that much is obvious. He’s only nice to her because he’s afraid of her. Her father doesn’t like her, either. And is Daniel right? Is Holly just an employee to Sarah, despite all their shared confidences and special moments? Is she nothing more than a babysitter? It can’t be true. She refuses to believe it. Daniel is a liar, a criminal, a man hell-bent on not getting caught.
She wipes her eyes and opens the folder on her phone where she’s placed the video of Charlie. She watches it again, then emails a copy to herself. She won’t send it yet. She’s raging that she’s put herself at risk, that she’s let another man manipulate her for his gain. She wants to turn the tables. She wants to press send on the graphic, disgusting film so that Charlie sees his own perversion land in his in-box, and yet something stops her.
She’s afraid. And she’s ashamed.
But she’ll keep it on email, just in case.
She starts the car and heads toward the grocery store. She’s going to make dinner for the family. For her family. No matter what Daniel says.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE SARAH
Now
I can’t believe it’s already the third week in September. The leaves are just starting to change into the fiery oranges and reds of fall. This weekend, Jacob and Cody are going to rake the lawns, so they can jump in the piles with Roscoe.
It’s Thursday morning, and Jacob’s first week of school is almost over, and Daniel’s first week at the new job is nearly over, too. A new beginning, officially underway. It’s been quiet on Lilac Lane, and in our house. Daniel and I have been closer ever since our honest discussion. We’re talking more. He’s trying. I can feel it. It’s a huge relief to have my secrets laid bare, that Daniel knows everything about the photos of Holly I never should have taken, that he never did or even wanted to sleep with her, though I still don’t know who’s been texting me or put hidden cameras in my home. There has to be a reasonable explanation for everything. I just haven’t found it yet.
Over the last few days, there haven’t been any threatening texts or other strange occurrences. I haven’t heard anything from Holly or seen any proof the man in the video is close by. Though I haven’t been lulled into a false sense of security, it’s been comforting to have Tara next door. I feel certain now that Tara’s not the one I need to worry about in Blossom Court. I’ve moved the camera in our shared passageway back to its original position, so I’m not peering in her windows anymore.
