This is who I am

Chapter Twenty-Five

Linda sipped a root beer and studied the papers Marcus had spread over the coffee table in his living room.

In the kitchen, Gabi and Beth were rattling dishes and laughing as they carried lunch out to the patio. “Hurry up, you two. It’s time to eat,” Gabi called.

Better stop worrying and make a decision. Kicking off her flip-flops, Linda rubbed her feet against the cool tile floor. Decide. “So you think the newspaper will settle?”

“Definitely, darlin’.” Sprawled in a chair beside the couch, Marcus gave her a flashing smile. “They won’t risk the negative publicity of a lawsuit.”

“Well.” She pulled in a breath. Decision made. She tapped the name of the lawyer Marcus had recommended. “I’ll call the lawyer on Monday and get things started.” She didn’t want publicity any more than the paper did, but it wasn’t right what Dwayne had done, and she wasn’t the only one who’d suffered. Her anger roused, remembering the tears her babies had shed. “Thank you, Marcus. I really wasn’t sure how to handle any of that.”

“I do wish I could take them on for you, but I’m glad I could help.” He rose and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go get us some food.”

He guided her through the kitchen door to a screen-caged pool-and-patio area. Linda took a deep breath of the warm, flower-scented air.

Beth and Gabi sat at the large marble-topped table. Beside Beth, Nolan was drinking a beer and watching a giant inflatable swan that floated in the pool.

Marcus pulled out a chair for Linda and seated himself beside Gabi. “The food looks good, sugar,” he said. “Best you eat up, since you’ll need energy for tonight.”

Gabi grinned. “Yes, Sir.” She glanced up at the sky where clouds were filming over the blue. “I was hoping Master Z would open the Capture Gardens, but doesn’t look like that’ll happen.”

Nolan shook his head. “Forecast is for rain and wind starting around sunset.”

“Well, damn.” Gabi wrinkled her nose. “So what are we going to do?”

Marcus gave her long, slow stare. “I might could figure something out that’ll keep you occupied.” The lazy power in his voice gave Linda a twinge—made her wish for Sam.

“I just bet you could.” Gabi leaned against his arm and gave him a look of such trust that Linda’s heart squeezed.

Marcus jerked his chin up at Nolan. “You’re not working today.”

“No point in being boss if I can’t take a day off now and then,” the rough contractor said, and his grin flashed briefly. “Never thought I’d have more time off than a fancy lawyer.”

“That just doesn’t seem right, does it?” Marcus snagged himself one of the sandwiches.

Beth frowned. “He took the time off because I have a landscaping job downtown, and he won’t let me be there without him.”

“Not with that half-pint crew of yours.” Nolan looked at Marcus. “Dan told me about those murdered prostitutes. Not comfortable with her being near downtown.”

“Probably wise,” Marcus agreed.

Linda frowned. The papers had reported something about the murderer. Sounded bad.

“Is the district attorney’s office getting any information?” Nolan asked.

Marcus’s jaw tightened. Linda had never seen him so grim. “Not much evidence left behind. The murderer overpowers the victims and ties them up—far too competently. Then he takes his time. The deaths are ugly.”

Gabi gave Marcus a concerned look, then scowled at Nolan. “No business at mealtime.”

He glanced at Marcus. “Got a gag in the truck if you need one.”

Marcus’s expression cleared, and he grinned. “Loan it to me tonight.”

“You got it.” Nolan ignored Gabi’s glare and gave Linda an evaluating look. “Anything happen last night?”

Why did he ask that? Had he seen her and Sam in the office room? Her cheeks turned warm, and then she realized he was talking about the spotter. Way to have your mind in the gutter. “No interesting voices,” she said lightly.

“That’s a nice color you got there, darlin’,” Marcus said. “Got yourself up to something else last night?”

“I heard Master Sam was in charge of the trainees last night.” Beth pointed at Linda with a carrot stick. “And you’re a trainee now, right?”

“Sam did supervise us, yes,” Linda said primly. Ignoring the laughter, she concentrated on choosing a sandwich. To her relief, the conversation moved on to discussing the high schoolers Beth hired part-time.

As she relaxed back into her chair, Gabi leaned over. “Are you and Sam back together then?” she whispered.

Linda had a feeling she was glowing. After he’d put her in his bed, he’d been…well, Sam, but with a disconcerting new sweetness. It was as if trying to say the words was so difficult that he’d wanted to show her instead.

When she let out a happy sigh, Gabi echoed it. “I’m glad for you…although he scares me a little.”

“Really?” Odd, but that had never been a problem. Well, except for when he deliberately got her anxious, and he was damn good at that. But even then, she felt safe with him.

“Will you be at the Shadowlands tonight?” Nolan asked her.

She lifted her chin, despite the chill that climbed up her spine and made her shiver. “I’ll be listening all night.”

Sam stood beside his daughter, looking at the new stable.

“Looks good,” Nicole said, hands in her jeans pockets. “Will you breed Galadriel this year?”

“Yep.” Sam glanced down at his girl. Prettiest sight in the world. Smart and sweet and talented. Z’s words came back to him. “How about your daughter? Do you discuss your worries about the farm? Or tell her what she means to you?”

Linda needed those words. Did Nicole? “You doing all right in school?”

“Oh, sure,” she said. “All A’s except for chemistry.” She scowled. “Like I’m ever going to want to dump a bunch of chemicals together in my future career.”

Sam grinned, then tried a harder question. “Do you ever miss your mom?”

She gave him a startled look and bent to pet Connagher. After a second of sending the dog into happy wiggles, she answered, head still bent. “Kinda. Not her. Not how she is. But I wish…I wish she’d been… I wish I’d had a mom. She never was.”

He ached for the sadness in her voice. Felt like hell that he hadn’t done a better job, hadn’t been able to divorce the woman and get sole custody much, much earlier. “I’m sorry, baby.”

She shook her head and started to walk, his girl’s usual response to being upset. Walk somewhere—anywhere. When she was a teen, she’d disappear completely. One of the reasons he’d trained Conn to find her.

He fell into step as she headed for the pond.

“It’s not your fault. Hell, you did a lot—more than I realized—at keeping her from messing up my life.” She kicked some gravel into the bushes. “Some of my friends had it worse. Like if your mom does drugs, but your dad isn’t there to defend you. You were always there, Daddy.”

He felt some of the tightness in his shoulders ease. He hadn’t totally messed up. He had a momentary thought of how easily Linda would take to mothering his girl; she wouldn’t even know she was doing it. Caring was just part of who his woman was.

His woman. Yeah.

But he had his own battles still to fight, and damn, it came hard. “I’m proud of you, Nicole.”

The startled glance she gave him sent his gut to clenching. Yeah, he’d screwed up badly, that she hadn’t heard that from him before. The path was before him. Did he have the guts to continue?

“Got out of the habit of saying anything,” he muttered.

She gave him an understanding nod. “Mother.”

“But I—” The words stuck in his throat again. Too many times his ex had begged for him to say he loved her. He’d done so at first but had stopped when the words were such a lie that he couldn’t force them out. Z had been right, damn him.

But Sam wasn’t a coward. “Love you, baby.” The words came out rough.

The way she threw herself in his arms said she’d understood them anyway.