Awakened (Intimate Relations) (23 page)

She broke the kiss and glanced down. “I can see how much you love me. Evidence confirms you’re recovering. C’mon. Cover up the goods. I’m going to make breakfast before we call everyone.”

*   *   *

Mandy set up her laptop, and Marc took over. He opened the browser and added Kaz, Ben, and Ted, who had said he’d bring Theo into his office with all the cool screens. Within a few seconds, it felt like old home week.

Mandy was so glad to see everyone she was practically bouncing on her chair. “I’ve missed you guys! Hey, Kaz. Hi Jake. Lola! We’re in Dry Creek Valley, Rico’s with Jasper and Abdul, and hi Ben and Theo and Ted. And now that I’ve got that out of my system, I’m going to sit quietly and turn this meeting over to Marc.”

Marc sat on Mandy’s left so he could put his right arm around her, and he kept his left arm and the sling out of camera range. “Impressive intro, Ms. Monroe. Folks, this is actually a business meeting of sorts. First of all, welcome to Ted Robinson, who is now a full time employee of Reed Industries. He arrived Wednesday and got thrown into the deep end without a life preserver. Details later.”

Mandy and Marc were both laughing by the time everyone finished welcoming Ted. The razzing had the new employee trying very hard to keep a straight face. Marc finally interrupted. “Okay. Enough jocularity. We’ve got some serious business going on. First, I close escrow on the house on Twenty-third next week. I’m your new landlord. The owner wanted to sell and Theo advised me to buy, so if you’re unhappy with the new situation, complain to him. The unit next to the one we’re living in is vacant and badly in need of renovation, but I’m hoping, Kaz and Jake, that you’ll think about moving in. I’ll take care of whatever upgrades you want to do. I imagine the bubblegum pink bedroom and nausea-inducing striped wallpaper will need to go. If you’re next door, it’s a lot more convenient for you to show up at mealtimes, which you generally manage to do anyway. No,” he said in answer to their teasing. “Quit making excuses. It’s never as much fun without you. And Lola, should they move in, you definitely get a raise.”

Mandy shot a quick glance Marc’s way. With all the positive comments, there was no doubt Jake and Kaz approved. He glanced at the image of Ted and Theo in Ted’s office. “Ted, if it works out, once the place next to ours is done, that might free up Jake’s apartment. I’m willing to buy up the lease so you’ll have a place to live. It’s in a great location and the rent is still fairly reasonable, but we can talk about it later.”

“One question.” Kaz raised her hand like a kid in the classroom—except she was in Rome. “Why buy that place when you can afford anything?”

He shrugged. “I like it there. It comes with all of you.” Before Kaz had time for one of her traditionally snarky replies, he changed the subject. “Okay. Now there’s another thing that’s been going on.” He glanced at Mandy. “Well, two, actually.” He leaned close and kissed her. His lips moved over hers as if she were the only woman in the room, which she was, sort of. Though even the power of Marc’s kiss couldn’t block out the shocked laughter and cheers from the peanut gallery.

When she finally came up for air, Mandy had a feeling she looked very well kissed. She certainly felt that way, so she leaned toward the computer screen and said, “Okay. I think we can end the call for now, okay?”

Marc planted another quick one on her lips before looking at Mandy. “No, Mandy. We can’t.” Then he laughed and said, “With that visual in mind, you can see that Mandy and I merely needed a little bit of time without the well-intentioned matchmaking that’s kept us apart for way too long. Which actually frees up a bedroom in case you need a place to crash, Ted, until we get everything worked out.”

Theo’s laughter had everyone looking his way. “Ted’s already moved into my spare room. I think it’s going to take a forklift and a good pry bar to get him out.”

Ted shrugged. “Sorry, Mandy. He’s a hell of a good cook. So are you, Lola, but with just me and Theo, I don’t have to share as much.”

“I’m crushed.” Lola sighed. “However, I imagine I’ll survive. I’m really glad you’re here, Ted.” She looked into the camera. “Okay, Mr. Reed. Now what else is going on? And is that a sling I see on your left arm?”

“Well … yes.” He glanced at Mandy. “It appears I’ve joined the gunshot club, though I think Ben’s still the only one of us who took lead directly
in
to the body, and Nate Dunagan’s bullet got stopped by his cellphone, may it rest in peace. But like Jake and Ted, I got grazed yesterday when someone took a shot at us. The bullet cut across my left shoulder blade and it hurts like a sonofabitch. Jake, I’m not nearly as tough as you.”

When the commotion settled, he told them. Everything. Mandy was so proud of the fact he got through the story without missing anything of importance, and most of all, without losing it. She wanted to cry every time she thought of that little boy hiding out in his parents’ room, watching his father strangle his mother.

She imagined that at some point the loneliness would come back to him, the way he’d felt when he realized his mother wasn’t coming back, especially with the horrible story his father had fed him for all those years.

“So,” he said, holding tightly to Mandy, “that’s going to be my main focus for a while. Making a formal report to the Marin police department and then making sure my father is arrested before he can hurt any of us again.”

There was absolute shocked silence while Jake, Kaz, Lola, and Ben absorbed the horror of what Marc had just told them. Theo and Ted knew all the details, but they sat quietly. Then Kaz turned to Jake. “We have to go home. Can you cancel the shoot in Venice?”

“No.” Marc held his hand up. “Absolutely not. I don’t want any of you coming back sooner than you plan to. Right now, I’m worried sick about Mandy, and I hate to think of Theo and Ted here in danger. I couldn’t handle it if any of you were out here, making yourselves targets for the bastard. No matter what anyone says, it’s my father who’s behind all this, and none of you should be put in danger because of him. I have to agree with Ted. Steven Reed is psychotic. I have no doubt that he would kill any of you to get to me. Please, continue to do what you’re doing, and don’t come back until you have to. Kaz and Jake, we’re taking care of the details for the wedding, so if you come back as planned at the end of next week, with any luck, we’ll have him behind bars by then and you can finish up any final wedding stuff with plenty of time before the event.”

Ben nodded. “I don’t like it, Marc, but I understand.” He hugged Lola tightly against him. “I’d hate to be out there now, worrying about Lola’s safety and yours as well. I’m really glad you’ve got Ted with you. It looks like the deposition could go into next week, but if you do need me, just let me know and I can be there in a matter of hours.”

“Thank you, Ben, I appreciate that. You can’t imagine how much.”

They talked a while longer about other things: what they’d gotten done for Kaz and Jake’s wedding, the fact that they were talking about opening a coffee shop in Marc’s building and hiring women from a shelter, all topics that made this feel more like a regular chat, the kind they had when all of them were sitting around the kitchen table at the house on Twenty-third. It brought a needed sense of normalcy to their lives. Finally, they ended the call.

As soon as the screen went black, Marc slumped against Mandy. “I think I was more nervous making that call than I’ve ever been at any of my business meetings.”

“Why?” She rested her head on his shoulder.

“It’s all so much more important now. Every single person on that call means so much to me. I’ve never had this many people in my life to care about. To worry about. It’s a huge responsibility.”

She laughed. “No, it’s not. Because they care just as much about you, and worry about you even more.”

“I doubt that.”

“Don’t.” She shook her head, wishing there were some simple way to knock a bit of sense into the man. “Don’t ever doubt any of us. Ever.”

He looked at her for the longest time. Finally sighed and said, “I love you so much, Mandy. So much it’s scary. And yes, that means I’m paying attention to you and I’m really trying to deal with all this. Okay?” He kissed her. “So, what’s on the schedule today?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I’m going to help Cassie in the tasting room and you are going to heal. Quickly. I don’t want to worry about hurting anything next time we, uh…”

“Fuck like bunnies?”

She nodded. Barely managed to hang on to her “serious adult” look. “That would be it exactly.”

*   *   *

Theo just sat there with a huge grin on his face, staring at the black screen. Ted watched him for a moment until curiosity won. “What?”

“Aw, c’mon. You can see it. I know you can. It’s Marc. He’s had it hard for Mandy since he first met her. Came to work the next day and talked about all the crap that happened between Jake, Kaz, and that damned stalker, but whenever he mentioned Lola’s little sister, his eyes just lit up.” Theo waved his hand at the screen. “You look at him now and it’s like he’s lit up top to bottom from the inside. He’s a terrific kid. Too damned smart for his own good, but he’s always seemed just a little bit lost, sort of out of step with the rest of the world. Not anymore. I want this to work for him.”

“Then we’d better stop the bastard who’s after him.”

“Agreed. And Ted, I mean what I said. You’re welcome to stay at my place as long as you like. You’re an easy guy to be around.”

Ted caught himself studying Theo, fascinated by the man behind the business manager. Coming to San Francisco had been a huge step, terrifying in a way he’d not really understood. Then he realized what this move had meant—not only was he leaving a job he’d held for twenty-seven years, he was leaving that person behind. The Ted Robinson he’d been—closeted, alone, always wondering what he’d missed—had stayed in Virginia.

This was only his third day in California. He’d spent two days camped out at Theo’s, and already felt more at home there, and here in this office built especially for him, than in all those years living in Arlington.

He raised his head and smiled at Theo. “Thank you. But you’re pretty damned easy to be around too, Theo. That you are.”

*   *   *

Mandy walked in the door an hour after the tasting room closed and flopped on the couch. She sat there a moment, sniffed the air, and sat up as Marc walked in from the bedroom. “What’s that I smell?”

“That would be a pot of minestrone soup, courtesy of Nate and Cassie. Nate picked it up for us today. He’s keeping the leftover lasagna. They’re going to eat it at their place and we’re staying in.”

“Wonderful. Cassie was beat when we finally closed up. She needs full-time help in the tasting room. She said the crowds this summer are more than double what they saw last year, and she’s still doing her winemaking job on top of dealing with the tourists.”

“Why hasn’t she hired anyone?”

“I think she wanted to be sure you were okay with it, and she hasn’t had a chance to ask.”

Shaking his head, Marc picked up his phone. “Cassie? Hi. Sorry to bother you. Mandy says you were swamped again today. Look, feel free to hire anyone you need to help you out in the tasting room. Get someone to manage it, if that would help. You’re my winemaker—my very pregnant winemaker. I don’t want you wearing yourself out. Pay whatever the going hourly rate is, bumped up by a couple of dollars. Yep … it makes for a better employee. If you know of someone who can take it over and manage it, run the place entirely, hire them and we’ll talk regular salary. In fact, what about Josie? Do you think she’d be interested? Comes with benefits, and she already knows the work.”

They talked for a few more minutes. Mandy went in and poured herself a glass of wine, stirred the soup, and went back out to the front room. “How are you feeling?”

Marc stuck his phone in his pocket. “I’ve decided I’ll probably live. I take it you had a busy day?”

“I did. I’m really exhausted, but I think part of that is stress. I keep wondering when your father’s going to pop out of the woodwork again.”

“I know. I really want this settled.” He reached for her and she tangled her fingers in his. Marc tugged gently and she sat beside him, nestled against his right side. He kissed her slowly, thoroughly, and then kissed her again.

“I called the chief of police in Marin today while you were working,” he said. “Told him Jerry Russo had given me the contact info and he said Jerry had already called him, told him to expect to hear from me. I gave him the bare bones story, and he wants us to come in tomorrow. Are you ready to head back to the city?”

She was, but, “I worry about Cassie. She was working her tail off yesterday and today.”

“I’m waiting to hear from her. I’m hoping Josie might take the job.” He grinned. “It would be a good way to rope Lupe in once he graduates.”

She slanted her eyes his way and caught him grinning at her like he’d just pulled one over on everyone. “I like Josie and Lupe,” he said. “It makes sense, don’t you think? They’ve both worked here since they were in high school. They already have the house rent free. No reason they can’t stay on until they’re ready to buy something of their own.”

“Right. Just adding to your empire, right?”

“Well,” he said, with absolutely no outward sense of remorse, “there is that.”

Josie and Lupe showed up later in the evening after Marc and Mandy had finished dinner. Josie was definitely interested in the manager’s position. She was looking for full-time work, so she and Lupe both poured over the copy of the employee contract Theo had sent to Marc earlier. After looking at the salary Marc offered, the hours, and the benefits involved, Josie didn’t even take it home to sign. In minutes it was a done deal.

“Josie, when Lupe goes back to school, you can schedule your time off with Cassie so you can spend time with him, though we might have to bring in someone to help you in the tasting room when Cassie has the baby.”

“It’s gonna be crazy,” Lupe said. He might still look about sixteen, but he was smart and focused and had been the vineyard manager here while he was still in high school, slipping into Colonel Mac’s job once Alzheimer’s took its toll. He’d gone to the junior college and then transferred to Davis a year ago. “You’d think a winemaker would know better than to have a baby in October,” he said. “She’s going to be huge by harvest time.”