“Yes, ma’am.”
“And how did they happen?”
The young woman stood erect, clasping her hands in front of her skirt. “Mr. Sandberg and I were in his office. He shoved his hand in my underwear and I pushed him. He fell on his back on the floor.” She paused to take a breath. “I left him there, stretched out and not able to move. His secretary later told me he had to be carted away in an ambulance.”
Roxie clapped a hand to her mouth. Gasps echoed through the hearing room. Bea snorted.
Sergeant Liu closed her eyes for a moment, collecting herself. “And the arm? Did he injure his arm at that time as well?”
“Oh,” the young woman said. “My brother broke Mr. Sandberg’s arm trying to protect me from him in a parking garage late one night.”
“This is utter fiction! Insanity!” Raymond cried. “I refuse to allow my reputation to be dragged—”
“Bailiff!” Sergeant Liu pointed to Raymond and the bailiff raced across the hearing room to stand in front of him. He collapsed in his chair.
“Thanks, miss. That’ll be all.” The sergeant shooed her away.
The girl turned and walked up the aisle and out the double doors.
“All right, people.” The sergeant shook her head wearily. “I’m an animal control officer, not a talk show host, so how about we just move on to the dog? I can handle dogs. Miss Bloom?” She waved Roxie forward. “Bring the dog on up here and let’s have a look.”
This was it. Roxie opened the gate and stepped down. She kept her eyes to the front. She kept her arm loose. She kept her breathing steady. She walked calmly to the center of the room and stopped. Lilith sat at her side without being asked.
“Okay, Miss Bloom. There’s no doubt this dog attacked Mr. Sandberg. You do not dispute this fact, correct?”
“No, ma’am.”
“And you are here today to prove to the City of San Francisco that the animal is not a threat to the public safety, correct?”
“Correct.”
“But this isn’t even the same dog! It can’t be!” Raymond stood suddenly from his chair but lost his balance and knocked his briefcase off the edge of the table. It slammed to the floor inches from Lilith and sent papers scattering, which spooked her.
“Sit down, Mr. Sandberg!”
The ruckus was all too much for Lilith. She jumped and began tugging at the leash, hairs prickling along her spine, a low growl starting deep in her throat.
Roxie couldn’t allow this to happen. Very calmly she turned, leash in hand, and made a wide half circle. Lilith fell into place at her owner’s side, and when Roxie stopped again, a few feet away, the dog seemed soothed.
Roxie wanted to look to Eli. She wanted to see his face. She wanted to look into his eyes and know everything was going to be all right. But she couldn’t risk it. She was almost there. This was almost over. She had to keep it together.
“Is this the same dog named in the complaint, Miss Bloom?”
“Yes, ma’am. This is Lilith, the same dog that was impounded here at this facility after the incident.”
The officer nodded. “Has she ever bitten anyone else?”
“No.” Roxanne caught herself. “Wait. Yes. She did bite Eli the first time he came to the house.”
“That dog’s not right in the head!”
Sergeant Liu glared at Mrs. Delano, who had just popped up from her seat next to the pizza guy. The officer’s jaw tightened. “Are you Mrs. Louise Delano?”
“I am.”
“I believe you’ve already given us a written statement about the dog’s mental state, but, since you’re up, is this the same dog that bit Mr. Sandberg?”
“Ob-jection!” Raymond roared.
Sergeant Liu didn’t even look his way.
“Oh, sure. It’s the same dog, all right,” Mrs. Delano said. “You can see the wildness in its eyes.”
“Thank you. Please have a seat.” The sergeant glanced at Lilith. Out of the corner of Roxie’s eye, she could see that her dog was relaxed and still, thank God. The officer clasped her hands on the raised desk. “Mr. Gallagher, would you step forward, please?”
Roxanne felt him move up behind her. She felt his heat and his love for her, and it was too much. She had to keep it together for a few more minutes. But the sorrow had started to build. Fate had asked too much of her. There was no way she could ever link her life to Raymond Sandberg’s son!
It wasn’t fair! Tears began to well in her eyes, and they were coming on with such intensity that Roxanne didn’t think she could stem the tide.
“What have you discovered while working with Miss Bloom’s animal?”
“Lilith was a frightened and anxious dog at first,” Eli answered. “But Ms. Bloom and I worked on the elements of stable pack leadership, and once that was in place, everything changed. The dog is now calm and confident.”
The sergeant nodded at Lilith approvingly.
“Her fear and anxiety level have almost disappeared,” Eli said. “She does seem like a different dog.”
“That’s because it is a different dog, you nutjob!” Raymond came eyeball-to-eyeball with Eli, sneering at him. “The dog who attacked me was evil looking, frothing at the mouth. It had its fangs bared and it growled as if it were possessed.”
“If I were a dog, I would have attacked you, too,” Eli said, his voice soft. “Did you think you could simply go through life terrorizing women and animals and get by without a scratch? It doesn’t work that way.”
Somebody began clapping. Roxanne didn’t have to turn around to know it was Bea.
“That’s enough, Mr. Gallagher,” the officer said.
“Who do you think you are, for fuck’s sake?” Raymond got right up in Eli’s face, his voice a vicious whisper. It was then that Roxie noticed the two men were exactly the same height.
“Mr. Sandberg!” Sergeant Liu was on her feet.
“You think you got some little hottie here?” Raymond jabbed his good finger in Roxie’s direction. “What you’ve got is a hot mess! She’s mean and nasty and she’ll turn on you if you give her half a reason. She’ll cut off your balls if you even look at her funny.”
Eli grabbed him by the shirt collar, pulling him closer. “You should have been castrated years ago, you pathetic excuse for a man.”
“What in the world is going on here?” Sergeant Liu stood over her desk with her arms stretched out from her sides in disbelief. “This is an animal control hearing, not some kind of encounter group! I don’t care what kind of twisted thing you all have going on here. My only concern is the public safety, and as far as I can tell this little dog here poses no threat whatsoever. You people are another story, however!”
“I can explain,” a female voice said from the back of the hearing room.
“And who are you? Another of Mr. Sandberg’s former assistants?”
“No.” Carole moved forward down the center aisle between Sondra and a gray-haired man Roxie didn’t recognize. “I am Eli’s mother. My name is Carole Tisdale Gallagher.”
“What the hell?” Raymond hissed. One of his eyes began twitching frantically.
“Unfortunately, we’re all in shock today, Sergeant, and I apologize that it had to happen in your hearing room. We certainly didn’t plan it this way.”
“Mother—”
“No, Eli. I’m fine.”
Roxanne watched as Carole came closer. She could see her body tremble with each step, but her shoulders were back and her chin was held high. In that instant, it was easy to see where Eli got his character. It sure wasn’t from dear ole dad!
“I’m afraid that it has only just now been revealed to us that Raymond Sandberg is Eli’s biological father.”
“Jesus Fucking Christ!” Raymond staggered back until he bumped into the table. “This is complete lunacy! Madness!”
“Nope,” the gray-haired man said as he placed a hand protectively on Carole’s shoulder. “Madness was what I did all those years ago, the night I stood by w
hile you had your way with this lovely woman. Lunacy was keeping that horrible secret to myself and then living with the sickening guilt all my life.”
Sergeant Liu collapsed into her chair.
“Milton Horvath?” Raymond pushed himself away from the table and stumbled a few steps. “Is that you? Damn, you look old, man!”
Bea snorted.
“Do you want him to take a paternity test?” Carole looked to Eli with extreme sadness. “We can get a court order if we have to.”
“Now hold on a goddamn minute.” Raymond glared at Carole. “I have no idea who you are, lady, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that I am not this man’s father.”
“December 1977,” Milt Horvath said quietly. “The back office at the Sensation Club, where I was the DJ. Carole was with that group of girls that always sat at the corner table near the window. Ring any bells?”
Raymond clutched at his neck as if he were in severe pain. His eyes shot toward Eli. He shook his head. “No. You’re nuts.”
Milt Horvath laughed bitterly. “Oh, come on now, Ray. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“I’ve had enough of this,” Raymond said, turning toward his briefcase and throwing papers inside.
Eli very calmly followed him, slammed the briefcase shut and then leaned on it. He got right in Raymond’s face. “I came to Northern California on a quest to find my biological father. I wanted closure. But you know what? I now know who my father was. He was Robert Gallagher, the man who adopted me when he married my mother and loved me until the day he died. I was a lucky, lucky kid. And right now—” Eli swallowed hard as he tried to continue.
Roxie wished she could go to him. But she couldn’t move.
“Right now I realize just how lucky I really was,” Eli managed. “I never had to know you, Sandberg. I never had to grow up with the knowledge that a lowlife like you brought me into this world.”
Raymond stood with his lips parted. His knees shook under the pleat of his expensive slacks.
Bea’s phone rang. She immediately ran out into the hallway with it.
“No damn cell phones in the hearing room!” the sergeant yelled, annoyed that the call had interrupted the proceedings. She leaned forward on her elbows. “But now that you mention it, I do notice a strong resemblance.”
“Roxie!” It was Bea, poking her head through the doors. “They’re both in labor. I’ve got to get over there.”
“What!?” Roxie’s stomach felt as if it had dropped to the floor. “Both of them?”
Bea nodded. “They’re at the hospital. I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go.”
“No! Wait! I’m going with you!” Roxanne whirled around. “Your Honor. Your Sergeant. I apologize but I have to leave. It’s an emergency. My best friends are having their babies. Am I excused? Is there anything else I need to do? Can I come back at some other time?”
Sergeant Liu shook her head and began signing some papers. At first, Roxie thought she’d failed to show that Lilith was rehabilitated. Instinctively, her eyes shot to Eli. He was staring at her, his expression filled with so much hurt and uncertainty that it stabbed her.
“You’re good to go,” Officer Liu said. “You and Mr. Gallagher have done a fine job. Keep at it.” She motioned for Roxanne to approach the bench and she handed her some papers. “That dog sat there like an angel in the middle of flying briefcases and hollering and cussing and stomping and the kind of DNA drama I’ve only seen on Maury Povich. That little dog deserves a medal.”
“Impossible!” Raymond slammed his good fist on the tabletop.
Sergeant Liu stood up and gathered her paperwork. “I find the animal in question poses no danger to the health, safety, or welfare of the community. This hearing is concluded.”
“Thank you! Thank you!” Roxie clutched the forms to her chest and began to run for the doors when she realized she couldn’t exactly take Lilith along to the hospital. Shit. “I’m sorry,” she said, placing the leash in Eli’s hands and not looking at him. “I’ve got to go.”
“Roxie.”
She didn’t dare look at him. “I can’t, Eli,” she said, running.
* * *
He stood there, Lilith’s leash draped across his palm, the worried eyes of his mom and sister boring into the back of his head, his diabolical father at his side.
What a fucking mess.
“Pardon me,” Raymond said, pushing past Eli, heading for the aisle.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Milt Horvath blocked his way.
Raymond laughed. “Oh, please, Milton. You’ve done your superhero duty for the day, don’t you think? I’m a busy man.”
“Just let him go,” Eli said. “I won’t be pursuing anything further.”
Raymond turned to him and shook his head. “Best of luck with Bitch Bloom. You’re going to need it, pal.”
Fuck stability. Fuck serenity. Eli handed the leash to Sondra. “Would you mind taking her out to the truck?” he asked calmly.
“My pleasure,” she said.
Eli tossed the truck keys to his sister. He turned around slowly, cocked his elbow, pulled it down and back, then slammed his fist up into Raymond Sandberg’s gut.
A loud thump! filled the air when the man hit the floor. The bailiff shook his head and strolled out the side door, as if he hadn’t seen a thing. Then the moaning started. Eli left Sandberg there, in a pile. “Better call an ambulance, Milt,” he said.
Eli stormed down the aisle. Bea was waiting for him in the hallway. She got right in his face. “Don’t you dare give up on her, Gallagher,” she said.
“Let it rest, Bea. Where is she?”
“Outside in the car.”
“Shouldn’t you two be on your way?”
Bea gripped him by the upper arms. “She loves you. She’s in shock right now. So are you. This situation sucks.”
Eli laughed bitterly and turned away from her.
“Do you love Roxie?”
Eli turned to face her again. “I love her with everything in me. I wish it were that simple.”
“Oh, but it truly is, my friend.” Bea smiled at him. She patted his shoulder. “We’re going to be on the labor and delivery floor at California Pacific Medical Center. Do you know how to get there?”
“Sure.”
“Then be there in a half hour. Don’t you dare give up on that woman, Gallagher. You know she needs you. You know you need her.”
Eli closed his eyes. “But every time she looks at me, she’ll see Sandberg. I can’t put her through that. I can’t put myself through that.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Bea asked, laughing.
Eli’s eyes flew open.
“Get over yourself, Gallagher,” she said with a wave of her hand. “None of us get to choose our parents—are you kidding? Do you think I would have gone out and picked Imogene Latimer to be my mother? As if! Do you think Roxie would have picked the spineless loser who was her father?”
Eli blinked. “Uh …”
“News flash here, Gallagher—we don’t get to choose our beloved, either. Someone is or is not the right person for us. It’s that simple and that mysterious, and you and Roxanne were chosen for each other.” She leaned closer and gave him a wicked smile. “Don’t you dare tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about, because I think you do.” Bea winked at him. “See you at baby central.”
* * *
They raced through the parking garage, took the stairs to the street level, and ran through the hospital’s main lobby to the bank of elevators, arguing the whole time, the way they’d been arguing since they burned rubber out of the Animal Control parking lot.
“Roxie, give the guy a chance.”
“To what end?” She smacked her palm on the up button a dozen times. “I don’t blame him for anything. It’s not his fault. But I’m just not strong enough for this shit. Leave me alone.”
“You mean to tell me you’re going to turn away from the best thing that’
s ever happened to you?”
“I said drop it, Bea.”
“This morning you wanted to be with him because he was a loving, patient, amazing man. But this afternoon you don’t want him anymore. And why? What about him has changed? Nothing! Only your perception has changed. It’s all because you found out where the sperm came from that created him!”
The elevator door dinged open.
“I can’t believe you, Bloom!” Bea continued. “You’re going to let one little measly sperm determine the course of your whole fucking life?”
“Excuse us,” a woman said, slapping her hands over her kid’s ears as she pushed Bea out of the way and exited the elevator. Roxie hadn’t even noticed they’d had company.
“Nice going, Latimer,” Roxie said. The doors closed and the elevator headed up to labor and delivery.
Bea snorted, then crossed her arms over her chest. “So you believe the character of a father determines the character of his child?”
“Not necessarily. But I don’t want to find out.”
“Hmm,” she said. “That’s real interesting coming from you, because from what you’ve told me about your dad, he gave up and ran away like a scared rabbit when things got tough.”
Roxanne pulled her lips tight and glared at Bea. “That is enough. Seriously. I’d prefer to keep you as a friend, so you’d better stop right there.”
Bea laughed loudly. “That’s awful kind of you, Rox, but as your friend it’s my duty to point out that you’re acting an awful lot like your dad at the moment. Lucky for Eli, you’re cutting him loose now and not six years from now, after he’s linked his life to yours and maybe had a kid or two with you.”
Roxie swung her arm around and waited for her palm to connect with the side of Bea’s face. Instead, Bea grabbed her by the wrist and squeezed tight.
“You’ve saved your dog, Bloom. Good for you. Now it’s time to save yourself.”
The elevator stopped. The door opened, revealing the tear-streaked face of Rachel Needleman.
* * *
What mattered to Eli most in this life? His integrity, of course, and his family, his friends, his dogs, and his land. Everything else was just busywork.
Then there was Roxie Bloom. He’d wanted her the instant he spotted her, all long and slender with dark eyes and hair, a vision in that soft green bridesmaid dress. He told himself to walk away. It would be better for both of them.