BlackJack (A Standish Bay Romance Book 1) (14 page)

And since Cole
never knew his real father, he hated to see any man, even John, mess up a
relationship with his son.

Okay, now that
he’d worried about John and Cameron’s problems, he needed to think about his
own.

He planned on
calling every private detective in the New York area the minute he arrived in
Pittsburgh. There had to be something or someone who could help him dig up the
past. He realized a lot of time had gone by, but there had to be someone at the
hotel who saw something. They probably didn’t even know what they saw was
important at the time, but it could lead to Lindsey’s killer without tarnishing
her reputation. Even after all this time he still didn’t want her parents and
her siblings to know what Lindsey had turned into.

Yeah right, he
was desperate and grasping for any tiny crumb. Crumbs that had been examined
time and time again and led nowhere. Jesus, he was screwed. And really, why had
he kept silent about Lindsey’s affairs? Because his lawyer advised him the
prosecution would use the information as motive, which could have led to
premeditated murder and a murder one conviction.

His mind
drifted back to Cameron. What talent. He wanted to help him and work with him. He
believed he needed someone because he could see John being the type of father who
built life on reality, not dreams. And it would be a crying shame if he killed Cameron’s
dream. Some musicians had the voice, some had the song writing ability and no
voice, some wrote the melody and not the words, others wrote the words and
nothing else. Cameron had it all and then some. He fit right in the musical
world. He had fit right in with BlackJack when he was on stage with them at the
Fleet Center.

He had such
incredible talent, stage presence and style enough to go a long way in this
business. And it would please Cole to no end if he could be a part of his life
while it happened. They had clicked which wasn’t easy. Cole didn’t connect with
just anyone. In fact, during his whole life there had been few people he could
think of he’d connected with enough to call them friends. He’d had Lindsey, AJ,
Ted and Brad.

He’d clicked
with Jerome. An old man who’d spent most of his life in prison for killing a
couple during a home invasion. Cole had looked past his guilt and found a
lonely, old man who regretted that one terrible act. They’d bonded during the
first six years Cole had spent in prison. Jerome was an uneducated man who had
grown up on the streets of Harlem. At the tender young age of eighteen he’d
committed such a heinous and unspeakable act of violence, he landed himself in
prison for life. He was fifty-two when Cole met him, but he looked about eighty.
He’d died during Cole’s seventh year in prison from lung cancer, and Cole missed
him terribly during the rest of his time spent behind those concrete walls.

Cole pulled up
to the hotel and the first thing he did was hit the suite and play his guitar,
which thanks to the equipment manager always arrived before he did. Playing was
his life, his love, but it also served as his therapy. And if he ever needed a
little therapy, it was now. He was playing and singing the song he and Cameron
had written together when AJ came into the suite, took a seat and listened.

When Cole
finished playing, AJ spoke, “Wow, it’s great. When did ye write it?”

“Actually, Cameron
and I worked on it together. We wrote a few others as well.”

“Aye, it’s good.”
AJ smiled. “That kid is something else. He reminds me of ye when ah first met ye.”

AJ got up and
walked to the door and locked it. Cole watched with curiosity, wondering what
was up. On close inspection, his friend looked restless and tired as though
something weighed heavily on his mind.

AJ sat back
down again and said, “Cole, there’s something ah want tae tell ye. Way back
when Lindsey was alive. “He paused, cleared his throat and lowered his gaze
toward the ground. “Ah...um...we...Ah mean Lindsey and me. I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

AJ’s head
snapped up, and he looked Cole in the eye inquisitively. After several moments
he replied, “Aye, ye knew.”

“Yes, I knew. I
was drunk and high a lot but not blind or stupid. I know it went on for over a
year.”

“Ah dinnae
understand? Why didn’t ye say anything? Did Lindsey know ye knew?”

Cole rubbed his
eyes with the heels of his hands. He was tired and didn’t feel like getting
into this now, but he supposed it was long overdue.

“I didn’t say
anything because Lindsey and I were...I don’t know.” He shook his head. “Things
were weird. When I did find out she was sleeping around, I never touched her
again. She must have known I knew, how else to explain my never wanting her.”

“Ah’m sorry,” AJ
said softly.

Cole studied
his friend. He looked awfully pale and he felt sorry for him. “I know you loved
her, but I’m not sure she was capable of love. Maybe she was, but she didn’t
know how to be faithful.” Cole’s voice lowered. “Did you know there were
others?”

AJ groaned. “Aye,
only ah dinnae ken who they were. Well, not entirely true. Ah had my suspicions.
What ah dinnae understand is if ye knew she was having affairs, why didn’t ye say
something during the trial?”

There were many
days when rotting in jail he’d asked himself the same question. “Since the
prosecution had no knowledge of it, my lawyer thought it could possibly give
them more ammunition to use against me. It could really have gone either way. The
jury could’ve sympathized with me for having a cheating wife or they could have
condemned me because they finally had their motive and would possibly put me
away for murder one. Put me away for life without parole. In the end, however,
they hated me anyway and I believe it would have hurt my case even more. Either
way, I was doomed.”

“Who do ye think
killed her?”

Cole looked at AJ.
He knew AJ could not have done it, but he didn’t want to share his suspicions
as to who he thought it was. Or the attack on Shannon. So he lied. “I don’t
know, and I’m beginning to think it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Aye, it does. He
went unpunished. He was free tae live his life while ye could not. He killed
her. Ye did not. Aye, ah’d say it matters. It matters a whole hell of a lot.”

Chapter
Eleven

On Sunday
morning, two days after John dropped the bomb, Shannon walked like a zombie
through her house. She’d never felt more empty, hollow and alone. Oh, she knew Cameron
was there, but suddenly it wasn’t enough. She wanted and needed more in her
life. Her heart ached and her head hurt. Truth be told, everything down to the
most insignificant and smallest muscle and joint in her body screamed in pain. And
she wondered if it were possible to die of a broken heart?

Cameron moped
aimlessly around the house, sighing loudly and banging cabinet doors and
drawers, looking for God only knew what. Did he miss Cole as much as she did?
They had bonded quickly, and she was afraid that’s what was bothering him. That,
and the fight she’d had with John, not to mention the fight John had with Cole.
And poor Cameron, stuck in the middle of a war zone, being pulled every which
way without having a say in the matter.

After forcing
down two pieces of buttered toast with strawberry jam, Shannon went upstairs to
shower and get ready to drive to the Cape for her father’s birthday celebration.
She prayed her sister, Bridget, would not make a big to do about Cole. Shannon
didn’t think she could handle it today. One wrong word from someone would cause
her to breakdown and cry. She hoped that didn’t happen because she didn’t want
to spoil her dad’s big day with her problems.

The day turned
out to be a rather chilly one, cloudy, but not raining. Shannon and Cameron had
always played a game of trying to guess the number of boats on the Cape Cod Canal
when they drove across the Sagamore Bridge. Cameron was getting too old for it,
but she was glad when he made his guess.

“One boat.”

Shannon didn’t
think it was a good day for boating. “I’d say none.”

As they crossed
the bridge, Cameron leaned up in his seat, scanned the dark choppy water on
both sides of the bridge and groaned. “All right, you win.” Then he spotted a
lone fishing vessel coming out from under the bridge. “Huh, one boat, I win!”

Shannon laughed
for the first time in days, and her jaw muscles ached from under use. The pain
associated with it was one she didn’t mind feeling though. She needed to laugh
and smile and feel good again.

When they
pulled into her parent’s quiet neighborhood, Shannon smiled, impressed with the
way it looked. Everyone took such pride in their homes and yards, including her
parents. They lived in a large, sprawling ranch. The house was full of
palladium windows and cathedral ceilings. Everything was on one level, which
she supposed was nice for her parents as they got older. They lived in a golf
course community with every street named after a professional golfer. Their
backyard was the ninth fairway. It was almost as nice as the ocean, but not
quite in Shannon’s mind. But considering both her parents were avid golfers,
they had chosen well. Not to mention there were dozens of beaches within a
short drive.

Shannon and Cameron
had just stepped out of their SUV when Rachel and Bridget pulled in behind them.
Shannon noticed her brother Mitch’s BMW parked on the street. Mitch drove the
BMW during the winter. His vintage corvette was the pride of the summertime for
him. Such was the life of being single. And it made her wonder if either of her
sisters or her brother would ever settle down and get married. She hoped so because
she realized these past few days how lonely life could be. Having someone to
love and share your life with was the greatest gift of all time. She herself
had not realized what she missed until Cole walked into her life.

Her brother was
twenty-nine and a pilot for a large, successful company with offices all over
the world. He piloted one of their company jets. He had flown the world over
and then some. He’d graduated from the Naval Academy and after becoming a pilot
and serving his time, he decided he wanted civilian life again. He bought a
townhouse in the Back Bay area of Boston, and he continued with his dream of
soaring in the air.

He stood tall
and handsome and had beautiful thick wavy brown hair. When he was around his
family he was relaxed and fun to be around. He loved throwing the football back
and forth with Cameron. But she knew another side to her brother, the Naval
Academy side. He may not be in the Navy anymore, but he had the charisma,
confidence, self-control and impeccable manners of a Navy man. She knew she
thought it often enough, but the woman who finally hooked Mitch Gallagher would
be a lucky lady indeed. It was not prejudice on her part because she was his
sister. It was the truth because in her experience he was a rare man.

Shannon greeted
Bridget and Rachel. They each hugged and kissed Cameron, and bearing the food
they brought, they went into the house. As with all Gallagher family
gatherings, everyone began talking and laughing at once.

“Happy Birthday
Dad,” Shannon said as she kissed her father. She turned to her mother and
kissed her. “Dinner smells great. What are we having?”

“Your father’s
favorite—roast beef,” her mom replied.

Mitch came over
and hugged Shannon. “How’s it going, sis?” he said with a twinkle in his eye as
he looked at her. Heard you’ve had some excitement in your life lately—namely a
man.”

Shannon hated
her brother for causing her face to heat up and to feel the twinges of
heartache down in the pit of her stomach. “How are you? Have you forgotten how
to use a phone?” It had been weeks since she last heard from Mitch and she felt
guilty about it. She talked to Bridget and Rachel nearly every day, but Mitch? It
wasn’t his fault he was a guy. They remained close, just not as close as the
three Gallagher gals.

Mitch laughed. “Come
on, I have someone I want you to meet.”

He led Shannon
over to a young woman, and
young
being the operative word. The
girl
looked like a Barbie Doll. Done up perfectly without a lock of bleached blonde
hair out of place. Her makeup was flawless and she dressed impeccably.

“Brittany?” Mitch
queried for her attention.

Shannon had to
fight from rolling her eyes.
Brittany
, it figures.

“This is my
sister Shannon. Shannon I’d like you to meet Brittany Evans.”

Brittany stood
up and started
talking
nonstop about how much she loved her books,
especially her latest one about the jewel thief. Shannon tuned her out. God,
what did her brother see in this bimbo? Could it be her perfect body, with her
large perky breasts, small waist and long shapely legs? Her perfect face with
its perfect small features.
Please
, no one was that perfect without a
little help. When she focused back to the bimbo, she saw her brother roll his
eyes and mouth to her, “I’m sorry.” Thankfully she was finally saved when her
mother announced dinner was ready.

Dinner
conversation around the Gallagher table began in the usual way. What had
everyone been up to? How was work going? Everything appeared to be going along
just fine until Cameron dropped the bomb.

“Hey, Uncle Mitch,
did you know Mom is going out with Cole Jackson from BlackJack? Or rather was
until my father interfered. They had this huge fight. Dad gave Cole a black eye
and a fat lip. Cole gave Dad a fat lip and I think he broke his nose, only Dad
won’t admit it’s broken. I don’t think my father likes him very much, and he
threatened Mom about seeing him again. I sure hope she doesn’t listen to him. I
think Cole’s great.” All this was relayed on one gulp of air, leaving Cameron
gasping.

Mitch’s fork
stopped midway to his mouth, and he glanced at Shannon and then back to Cameron.
“Yes, I heard about the dating. I personally think it’s great about them going
out. Your mother never dates and she should. But I didn’t know about the fight.
It’s none of John’s business what your mother does. I for one think Cole is incredibly
talented.” He looked at Cameron and winked. “Like you.”

Cameron beamed.
“When he stayed with us he jammed with me and we wrote a few songs together. He’s
the greatest.”

Shannon
struggled to fight the unbearable pain in her chest and the tears stinging her
eyes. When Bridget went to open her mouth, Shannon silently pleaded with her
not to and she snapped it shut. Her dad though, had quite a few questions of
his own. After he drilled her about her relationship with Cole, he said he sure
hoped she knew what she was doing.

Brittany
squirmed in her seat and didn’t look like she could contain her excitement any
longer. “You date Cole Jackson? I can’t believe it. I was really young when BlackJack
first hit the music scene, but I love them now. Cole is like, wow, gorgeous. Actually,
they’re all quite handsome. Are they all single?” she asked, her eyes wide with
interest.

Shannon’s jaw
dropped as she looked at her brother whose mouth stretched tight causing her to
smile to herself. Served him right for dating someone practically still in high
school. Maybe he should try finding someone his own age for a change. Or at
least date someone a little less shallow. Maybe she gave great head? Yeah, that
must be it, because he obviously wasn’t thinking with the right brain.

“All the other
members are married,” Shannon finally replied with a smirk.

“Happily?”
Brittany queried breathlessly.

Oh God, this
was too much
.

“Yes, I suppose
so.” Shannon didn’t give her another chance to speak. “Mom, dinner was delicious,
as usual. I’ll help you clean up.” She rose from the table and went into the
kitchen, keeping Brittany from asking any more asinine questions.

Dad, Mitch,
Brittany and Cameron went for a walk around the neighborhood while Mom,
Shannon, Bridget and Rachel cleaned up the kitchen.

“Tell me about
this man, Cole is it?” Alberta Gallagher asked her daughter.

Shannon stopped
loading the dishwasher and leaned her back against the counter, her arms
hugging herself. Her mother would be blind not to see the sadness and longing
radiating from her eyes.

“He’s wonderful,
sensitive, caring, shy and oh, yeah gorgeous. Cole and Cameron get along so
well, and they are so much alike it’s amazing.”

“I can see you
love him,” her mother said with a concerned expression on her face. “I’ll try
not to pass judgment because of his past.” Her mother glanced at Bridget and
then back to her. “He sounds wonderful. And as old as I am, I have heard his
music. Some of it I even like, and Rachel did tell me he is quite sexy.”

Shannon looked
over at Rachel and laughed, contradicting the tears streaming down her face. “Oh,
that he is.” Then she hugged her mother. “Thank you. Now what creation did you
whip up for Dad’s birthday cake?” she asked as she dried her tears with a
napkin.

“Wait until you
see it. I had to make your father’s favorite Boston cream pie, but I also made
a cheesecake. It’s a new recipe I got, and it looks absolutely sinful. Bridget
honey, would you please put the coffee on and Rachel, put the kettle on for tea
while Shannon and I set out the desserts.”

When the
walkers returned, they sang happy birthday and opened presents. Shannon thought
the birdbath Mitch picked out for their father was beautiful and their mom gave
him a new watch. He needed a new watch practically every year with all the
gardening and golfing he did. He either took it off while gardening and lost it
or smashed in the face playing golf. Nobody could understand how he did either,
but he did.

***

Shannon, glad
to have seen her family, but glad it was over, breathed a sigh of relief as she
drove home alone. Her brother had offered to drop Cameron off at John’s house,
saving her the trip. Cameron was spending the week with him while she worked on
the book she was supposed to be writing and under an approaching deadline. But
try as she might, the words just wouldn’t come out of her head. She had never
experienced writers’ block before, and she wasn’t at all sure she liked the
experience one bit. She felt as though she’d lost the touch, and her head was
totally void of her usual wild imaginings.

The internal
dialog she usually had with her characters had disappeared completely. Her head
was empty, and it was frightening to say the least. And she was petrified the
stories would never come back. What would she do if they didn’t return? More to
the point, who would she be? Hoping to soothe the ache, she put the newest BlackJack
CD in the car stereo and hoped to use Cole’s magical voice to calm her. It had
the opposite effect. Deep volcanic sobs vibrated up and out causing tears to
blur her vision, forcing her to pull over at a rest stop in Plymouth.

Once home, she
took a long soak in her Jacuzzi tub with the lights off and several aromatherapy
candles lit for calm and relaxation. Closing her eyes, she dosed for several
minutes until startled awake at what sounded like banging on her door. She
reluctantly dried off, pulled on flannel lounge pants and a T-shirt and went to
answer the door.

Mitch stood on
her front porch, which shocked her. It had probably been months since he’d
graced her door. When she studied his face and his eyes, her heart paused at
the concern she saw, so she tried to make light of things.

“Well, what
brings you here? Barbie…oh…I mean Brittany have an early curfew?”

Mitch swept
past her, the concern on his face gone instantly as he gave her the evil eye and
ran up to her kitchen to put the tea kettle on. “Very funny,” he mumbled as he
found her mugs and tea bags. “I love this cook top. Boils water faster than I
can get things ready.” He fixed everything and carried two mugs to the coffee
table by the couch. He flipped the switch for the gas fireplace. “It’s freezing
in here.” He sat down on the couch shivering, and he gestured for her to join
him.

“So I spoke
with John when I dropped off Cameron. Want to talk about it?”