For Everly

  Damn Rebecca, anyway.

  He slowed down his drinking at the club, knowing there were probably at least five members of the paparazzi in the vicinity. The team had rules about the manner in which players conducted themselves while off the field. He wasn’t interested in paying a fine for getting in the news over public lewdness or drunken misconduct.

  His teammates caught him up on the news in their lives and around the ball club. They discussed everything from trade rumors and changes in management to purchases of ridiculously overpriced vehicles. By unspoken agreement, they didn’t talk about women.

  Many women approached the table, though. That was customary. A couple of the guys hit the dance floor a time or two, but they all mainly stuck to their corner booth.

  Eventually, Cole had to go. He’d initially chartered the car for two hours and was only able to extend it another four because the driver had another fare to pick up after that. By the time he was in the back seat of the car and headed home, he had largely sobered up. His head hurt and his tongue felt swollen. He drank a bottle of water available in the car’s mini bar, but it didn’t help much.

  To avoid thinking about the evening, he talked with the driver. The conversation was a lot of nonsense, but it kept his mind occupied. He planned to go from the car to his bed. No thinking.

  But before he went to his room, he stopped in the kitchen for more water. He reached into the fridge and pulled out a bottle. When his gaze moved to the sink and the two champagne flutes sitting beside it, he thought of how shocked and pleased Everly had looked earlier that day when they toasted her success. He remembered how happy it made him to have produced that reaction in her.

  Then he remembered her expression when he mentioned Aiden’s name. She looked like he had stabbed her in the chest.

  Walking into the family room, he grabbed his iPad. He sat with it and his bottle of water at the island in the kitchen and did what he should have done before confronting Everly. He did a search for her name and the name Aiden.

  It didn’t take long for him to find several news articles dated in early September eight years earlier. Pulling the first one up, he started to read.

  “Marietta, GA – Tragedy greeted a north-Atlanta family yesterday when twenty-two year old Aiden Wallace shot and killed himself in his family’s home. The news shocked the close community, who knew Wallace as a talented pitcher with aspirations to enter the major leagues. Early reports indicate the recent Georgia Tech graduate suffered from depression after a season-ending injury his senior year resulted in him not being drafted…”

  Cole pushed the iPad away from him. He felt sick. He rushed over to the sink and took deep breaths just in case.

  Had Rebecca known all of this when she fed him the jealousy-inducing poison that he so easily ingested? She thought he and Everly were dating and suspected he’d jump to the conclusion that Aiden was a love interest of Everly’s. Sadly, even though he wasn’t dating Everly, that was exactly what he’d done.

  Because he had started having feelings for her, he finally admitted. And Rebecca made him feel like a fool for doing so.

  He thought again of Everly at the restaurant. He thought about how her face lit up when she saw him, then paled when he started hurling accusations at her. He could only imagine the pain he’d brought to her that evening.

  Dear God, what had he done?

  When his nausea settled, he forced himself to return to the island and his iPad. After what he’d said to Everly in his ignorance, he at least owed her the time and mettle it took to learn the facts about her past. He once again pulled up the articles and, beginning with the earliest one, he read all of them until as recent as he could find.

  What he read would stick with him forever.

  “Wallace was found by his fourteen-year-old sister, Everly, when she returned home from school…”

  “Officials report that Aiden Wallace was still alive when his sister found him…”

  “The siblings were reportedly very close, sharing the love of baseball…”

  “…died in her arms…”

  “…hospitalized for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder…”

  The articles about Aiden’s suicide stopped about two weeks after they started. Cole found one dated two years later in August with Everly Wallace as a keyword, so he pulled it up.

  “Atlanta, GA – The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide mourns the passing of one of its most committed Atlanta-area supporters, Victoria Stowe Wallace. Wallace (43) went into cardiac arrest in her Atlanta home yesterday morning. Her daughter, Everly (16), administered CPR and called 911, but Wallace died on the scene. Wallace was one of the top supporters of the SPTS following the suicide death of her own son, Aiden Wallace. She also supported the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), advocating for more services targeting young adults in their early twenties. Wallace is survived by her daughter and her husband, Mason Wallace, who was out of the country and unavailable for comment.”

  Cole once again turned off his iPad. He stared into nothingness, trying to wrap his head around what he’d read and what he knew about Everly. Essentially, she’d led a pretty normal life until the age of fourteen. Then everything changed.

  He rose and tossed his empty water bottle into the recycle container. His gaze once again touched on the champagne flutes before he headed to his bedroom.

  He went to bed feeling like the lowest human being on the face of the earth. It was a long time before he fell asleep.

  * * *

  His cell phone buzzed on the nightstand, waking him at seven in the morning. Since he’d only been asleep for about four hours, he issued a string of curses as he reached for the phone and glared at the Caller ID with one bleary eye. Cursing again, he hit the answer button.

  “What the hell, Wyatt?”

  “No, I think the correct question is, ‘What the hell, Cole?’”

  “It’s seven in the morning, for Christ’s sake.”

  “Why isn’t Everly working with you anymore?”

  Cole groaned. He needed a whole bucket of caffeine to deal with this so early in the morning. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, sitting up and rubbing a hand over his face to try and wake up. “I’m going to fix it.”

  “She seemed pretty damn certain when I talked to her.”

  Frowning, Cole looked again at the clock. “When did you talk to her? We only discussed…her employment…last evening.”

  “Yeah, well, all four of her tires were slashed last night. Since Rowan was stuck at the restaurant doing inventory, he called me to pick Everly up and drive her home.”

  Cole clutched the phone and shot out of bed. Fury roared through him.

  “That bitch,” he hissed.

  “Jesus, Cole. You need to—”

  “Not Everly. Rebecca. She had to be the one to slash the tires.”

  “The woman you were dating earlier this year?”

  “Yes.” Cole kicked an upholstered chair in the sitting area of his room. “Goddamn it. I could kill her right now.”

  “Cole, what the hell is going on? Is this woman a danger to Everly? How did she know where Everly works?”

  The question made Cole go still. Just how much did Rebecca know about Everly? Did she know where she lived?

  “Rebecca was pissed at me yesterday because I refused to get back together with her. I didn’t know that she was aware of Everly until last night. She mentioned that she’s been out to my house, but I didn’t think—”

  “If this crazy woman slashed Everly’s tires, I think we need to inform the police.”

  “Wyatt, we’ll need proof before we go making a legal deal out of this. Is the parking lot monitored by cameras?”

  There was a sigh on the other end of the phone. “Not the part where Everly parked.”

  “I’m sure Rowan called the police last night. Have they found any evidence pointing to who did it?”

  “No.”

  “Then I don’t think there’s anything w
e can do,” Cole said, running a hand through his hair. “Look, Rebecca was pissed off and jealous. She thought Everly and I were in a relationship. Now that she knows things are truly over between us, she’ll go in search of her next victim and leave us alone.”

  “You’d better frickin’ hope so.”

  Cole walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. “I need you to text me Everly’s address.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I owe her four new tires and one hell of an apology.”

  Chapter 16

  One of the great things about living in the city was that nothing was terribly far away. Everly only had to walk a little over two miles to Gerald’s Auto Body to pick up Champ on Sunday morning. Although the shop wasn’t normally open on Sundays, the owner, Gerald Barnaby, had offered to come in after church so she could get her car. Since she took Champ exclusively to Gerald’s for servicing, she was a regular in the shop. Gerald’s offer was another nice thing about living where she did.

  The weather cooperated for her trek, bringing sunshine and a warm front. It was in the low fifties as she made her way to Gerald’s around noon, but it would warm up to the sixties later in the day. She was grateful for that. They were predicting rain with possible ice the next day and snow again within the week. Newscasters were making a big deal about all of the unseasonable snow they’d been getting, wondering if they might actually have a white Christmas.

  She used the walk to help clear her mind. Her night had been restless, filled with images of Cole lashing at her. Filled with anger and resentment. Filled with painful memories that she struggled to put behind her.

  In the end, she hadn’t slept more than a few hours. She felt it now in her grainy eyes and tense shoulders. The beautiful day couldn’t ease her exhaustion, but it did put her in a better frame of mind.

  When she got to the shop, she saw Champ up on the lift inside the garage. All but one tire had already been replaced. Gerald was working industriously on the fourth.

  “Hi there, Mr. B,” she said as she walked up.

  “Howdy, Ms. Everly,” he replied, pausing in the process of removing a lug nut. A smile lit up his dark, creased face. Sunlight shone on his bald head, revealing a light coat of sweat. Wiping a hand on his dark coveralls, he shook her hand. “Sho’ is a shame, what them vandals did to ol’ Champ here.”

  “I know,” she agreed. An expensive shame, she silently added. So much for splurging at Bath and Body Works for Christmas.

  “Don’t make no sense,” Gerald said, shaking his head. “Well, I’ll have ‘im ready for you in a few minutes.”

  “Thanks so much, Mr. B.”

  She walked over to the small waiting area that doubled as Gerald’s office. It smelled like coffee, motor oil, and Glade air freshener. Settling into a plastic seat, she pulled out her phone. She had a text from Wyatt.

  How r u? Got Champ?

  She typed back, Not yet. At shop. Soon, tho.

  A few seconds later, his reply chimed in. K. Keep us posted.

  For a brief moment, she thought he meant him and Cole. Then she realized he meant him and Rowan. Why was that so deflating? She didn’t ever want to hear from Cole again after what he’d said and done.

  Right?

  “We’re all set, Ms. Everly,” Gerald said a few minutes later as he walked into the office. “Fortunately, we had the tires in stock. I’m gonna give you the all-seasons for the price of the standard radials. Can’t have you drivin’ on snow and ice without all-seasons.”

  “You’re amazing, Mr. B,” she said, giving him her first genuine smile since the night before. “What do I owe you for the tow? I know it was after-hours. Thanks for agreeing to wait for me to pay you until today.”

  They worked out the details and she paid him in cash for the tow, then wrote a check for the tires. It put a hefty dent in the savings she’d begun to accrue while working with Cole. She’d have to spend some time that afternoon refiguring the household budget now that she wouldn’t be getting that income anymore.

  The thought produced a dull ache in her chest that had nothing to do with losing the money. She refused to acknowledge why.

  With a last wave at Gerald, she drove Champ home. She was mentally putting together a recipe for dinner when she reached the house. Only when she pulled into the driveway did she register that her grandfather was sitting out on the front porch.

  And he wasn’t alone.

  Her heart thudded as she pulled in behind Cole’s car. It was one of several he owned. She wasn’t even sure what kind of car it was, but it wasn’t a domestic and it wasn’t cheap.

  Regardless of what it was, why in the world was it parked in her driveway? She gripped the steering wheel to keep from reaching for the gear shift and throwing the car into reverse. Every part of her screamed to get away. But she didn’t want her grandpa confronted with dark memories from the past any more than she had been. What if Cole was talking about Aiden?

  Reluctantly, she turned off the ignition.

  “Hey, Evs,” Rayshawn greeted her as she got out of the car.

  She looked at the end of the driveway and spotted her neighbor peeking out from behind the hedge that separated her grandpa’s driveway from the one next to it. A number of sneakered feet were also visible beneath the hedge. Fighting an unexpected smile, she locked and closed her door and made her way to the end of the driveway.

  “What’s up, Ray?” She counted seven other kids behind Rayshawn, including his little sister. She knew all of them. “Hey, y’all.”

  Keeping his voice low, Ray asked, “Evs, is that Cole Parker?”

  She knew they were all visible to the two men on the front porch, but they were far enough away that they wouldn’t be overheard. She nodded.

  “Seriously?” Rayshawn’s eyes widened, then he turned to his friends and said, “I tol’ y’all that was him. Evs, what’s he doin’ on your front porch?”

  “I have no idea,” she said. Then, knowing better than to leave it at that, she went with, “I work with his brother.”

  The kids all nodded and issued vague responses to this. She figured it satisfied their curiosity.

  “He keeps lookin’ at you, Evs,” Rayshawn said. “Guess he wants to chat wit’ you.”

  “Guess so.”

  After looking at the ground and kicking a rock underneath the hedge, Rayshawn mumbled, “You think he’d throw a ball around wit’ us?”

  She didn’t think any such thing, but she couldn’t bear to say so as she looked at their hopeful faces. “I don’t see any harm in asking.”

  There was an excited murmur as the kids elbowed each other and jumped up and down. Rayshawn whooped and turned to run down the sidewalk. She guessed he was going to spread the word. She’d hate to disappoint them, but she’d be happy to play in a game at the ballpark around the corner to help make up for it.

  Unable to put it off any longer, she turned and walked up the path to the front porch. She felt Cole’s eyes on her, but she refused to look at him. Just being near him again brought forth all of the emotion from the day before. She fought the desire to make a scene and shout at him until he left her alone.

  Then she saw her grandpa’s face. He looked happier than she had ever seen him. She knew that Cole had unwittingly given him the thrill of his life. That realization put a big dent in her lingering anger.

  “Pee Paw, shouldn’t you be inside getting ready for the Falcons’ game?” she asked, leaning down to kiss his cheek. “How long have you been sitting without your oxygen?”

  He chuckled. “The TV is set to the channel and my ol’ lungs are hangin’ in there. I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to meet Cole Parker.”

  “I’m sure you’re having a grand chat. I’ll leave you to it,” she said, reaching for the screen door.

  “Everly.”

  Cole’s voice made her jaw clench. She paused with her fingers gripping the handle. Not speaking, she finally looked at him.

  “Can we talk?” he asked
.

  “I don’t think there’s anything to say. Thank you for spending time with my grandpa.”

  She pulled the screen door open and prepared to flee. Her grandpa reached out and took her hand.

  “Hold on, my girl.” He turned and looked at Cole. “I’d like to have a word with Everly, Cole. Would you please give us a minute? The game’s on inside.”

  “Pee Paw…”

  “No problem, Mr. Wallace.”

  Cole rose and approached. Everly backed up and held the screen door open. When he turned the doorknob and opened the door, he held her gaze. She sensed he was trying to convey something, but she looked away. The door closed behind him.

  “Come here, Everly.”

  She complied, sitting in the plastic patio chair that Cole had just vacated. She placed her purse in her lap and occupied her anxious fingers by fiddling with the zipper.

  “Now, I don’t know what’s goin’ on between you ‘n Cole,” he said, “and I reckon that’s your business. But I do know that you’ve blossomed since you started workin’ with ‘im.”

  She looked up with a puzzled frown.

  “I’ve seen you smile more often. Heard you laugh more often. Seen you act silly more often. All because of that boy.”

  Now, she looked back down at her purse. Her throat tightened.

  His voice was a low rasp. “You’ve never been young, my girl. You grew up too quick. Every day, my heart hurts seein’ you work so hard ‘n gettin’ no enjoyment outta life.”

  A tear fell onto her purse. She brushed it off. A second one hit the rim of her glasses.

  “Times like last night, when you went through all that with your car, those are the times I feel the most helpless. The most useless. I ain’t never been a parent to you. You’ve been a parent to yourself ‘n a caretaker to me. I want more for you.”

  More tears fell. She wanted to argue with him, but she didn’t have the strength just then.

  “You haven’t experienced life, my girl. Your childhood stopped eight years ago ‘n you leapt right into adulthood. Since you met Cole, I’ve seen you act more like a young woman your age should.”