Once You'Ve Touched the Heart (39 page)

T
racy arrived at the office around 9:30, which was late for her. She had taken Jeffrey to the airport to catch the chopper to Roanoke. He had seemed so deep in thought this morning. Tracy attributed his quietness to the case.

“Good morning, people,” she said.

“Good morning, Ms. Washington,” Heather replied.

“Hey, Tracy,” Monica said. “Did you see the dresses? They came in last night.”

Tracy smiled. “No, not yet.”

Alicia handed Tracy her messages. “Your realtor called. She said it was important.”

“Thank you,” Tracy said as she headed to her office.

“Excuse me, Ms. Washington,” Denise called out.

Tracy stopped. “Yes, Denise?”

“I was wondering, are you going to be looking for a larger place for us? You know it’s getting a little cramped in here.”

Tracy raised an eyebrow. “It’s on my list to do.”

“Well, when you call your realtor back you may want to mention you need a larger building with windows and offices.”

Tracy looked at Denise rather amused. She knew Denise was right, but it never ceased to amaze her how forward Denise was about things. “Is there anything else?”

“No, I think that will do it for now.”

Tracy laughed. “Okay.”

Tracy went into her office and sat down. It was only 10 in the morning and she was exhausted. Between planning the wedding and arranging for the new house, she was worn out. After all, she’d only been out of the hospital for a few weeks and had been going non-stop ever since.

“Hey,” Ashley said from the doorway, “you look beat.”

“Well, thank you and good morning to you.”

Ashley sat on the sofa in Tracy’s office with her cup of coffee. “I talked to Cynthia this morning. Carolyn Roth is having a Christmas party to announce her engagement.”

Tracy yawned. “Okay, it’s not tonight, is it?”

Ashley laughed. “No.”

“Good,” Tracy replied.

“What can I do to help, ’cause you’re about to fall out of your chair,” Ashley said, half laughing.

Tracy smiled as she laid her head on the desk. “I don’t know. I’m too tired to think.”

“I’ll tell you what, I’ll get with Cynthia and take over the wedding stuff while you handle the house stuff.”

Tracy yawned. “Okay.”

Ashley laughed. “What on earth did you and JD do last night?”

“Nothing,” Tracy said. “I was packing and fell asleep before he came home, I think.”

Ashley raised an eyebrow. “He did come in last night?”

“Yeah, it was late, but he came in.”

“Where was he?” Ashley asked.

“I don’t know, I didn’t ask,” Tracy said as she sat up.

Alicia came to the door. “Ms. Cynthia is on line one for you, Ms. Washington.”

Tracy made a face. “Don’t ever let Cynthia do your wedding; she will run you to death. Let this be a warning.” Alicia laughed.

Ashley picked up the telephone. “What you need, whoreletta?” Ashley asked laughing.

“Did you see the dresses?” Cynthia inquired.

“Yeah, mine came in last night.”

“Well, mine needs to be adjusted. We all should meet up and try the dresses on together.”

“Okay, but tonight is not good for me or Tracy. Let’s meet tomorrow,” Ashley suggested.

“That will work. Where’s Tracy?”

“Lying on her desk asleep.”

“Call on line two, Ms. Washington.”

Tracy looked up at Alicia and exhaled. “Thank you, Alicia.” Alicia smiled and walked out of the office.

“Look, I got to go,” Ashley told Cynthia, then hung up the telephone.

Tracy picked up the phone. It was the realtor. The house closing was set for next Friday. If all went well they could move into the house the first of December. Tracy hung up the telephone; she wanted to cry. “What is it now?” Ashley asked.

“We close on the house next week.”

“Next week is Thanksgiving.”

Tracy frowned. “That gives me 10 days to pack up Jeffrey’s place and my stuff at the condo, buy furniture and plan a wedding.” Tracy started whimpering.

“Okay, okay, don’t panic. I’m the maid of honor with superpowers. First things first.” Ashley picked up the telephone. She called James. “I know we had plans tonight, but Tracy’s in a little bit of trouble and needs my help, so I have to cancel.”

“That’s fine. I’ve just been handed a project from your brother that I need to get started on. I’ll call you later,” James replied.

Then Ashley called her mom. “Hi, mom. We need your help at JD’s place. Can you meet us over there in about an hour?”

“Sure I can,” Martha replied.

“Thanks, Mom, see you there,” Ashley said as she hung up the telephone. “Okay, now for the best part.” Ashley walked over to the doorway. “Ladies, would you all step in here for a minute?” Everyone came into Tracy’s office. Ashley began. “This is the mission, should you choose to accept it.” Everyone laughed. “I need you guys to hit the web sites; we have to do some serious shopping. We have a four-bedroom house we need to buy furniture for. Any questions?”

“Yeah,” Denise said, “what’s the limit?”

Tracy looked at Ashley. “No limit”

Denise smiled. “Oh, I like this game.”

“Any help you can give me on this will be appreciated.” Ashley smiled as everyone left the office. “Now, the next call we can make from the car. Let’s go.” While they were in the car, Ashley called Clair, James’s housekeeper. Ashley did not know Clair very well, but she really liked her. Since James had this woman in his home, Ashley knew she had to be trustworthy. “Clair, this is James’s friend, Ashley”

“Hello, Ms. Ashley. Mr. Brooks is not in,” she stated.

“Oh, I know, I called for you.” Ashley told Clair the situation and asked if she knew anyone who could handle setting up the house. Not only did Clair have someone to help with the house, but she also gave Ashley someone to help with the moving.

When Ashley and Tracy reached JD’s place, Martha was just pulling up. “Hey, Mom,” Ashley greeted her. Upon entering the house Ashley instructed Tracy to go to bed.

“You’ve got to be kidding—there is too much to be done,” Tracy argued.

“Yes, there is, and we don’t have time for you to have a relapse. Now go take a nap.”

Tracy looked at Ashley, then at Martha. She was too tired to argue with either of them. “All right, I will take a short nap. Then I will come down to help.” She went upstairs.

“What’s going on?” Martha asked.

“Tracy is wearing herself out trying to handle the wedding and the house. And JD is not helping. He’s handling some case in Roanoke, Tracy said. I arranged for the big things to be packed and moved. Tracy did not want to intrude on JD’s personal stuff so I thought you and I could do it.”

Martha looked around; boxes were packed and labeled already. “Looks like Tracy got a good start, but we are going to need more boxes. Who is going to pack up Tracy’s stuff?”

“Mom, Tracy is so organized; her stuff is going to be a breeze. We’ll get JD done, then I’ll start on her.

Martha and Ashley each took a room. While she was packing up the family room, Martha came across the box of pictures she had given JD that belonged to his father. She smiled as she went through looking at some of them. Martha looked at one picture of her husband James, another man who looked familiar, but she could not place him, and a woman sitting between them. She wondered about the picture for a minute, and then set it aside. She would ask JD about it when he got home.

By the time Tracy woke up from her nap, Ashley had gone back to the office and Martha was in the kitchen cooking dinner. The majority of the rooms downstairs were boxed up, with the exception of the furniture.

“Did you have a good nap?” Martha asked.

Tracy smiled. “Yes, thank you. Boy, you guys really got a lot done. Thank you so much.”

Martha pointed to a chair. “Sit down, Tracy. Let me talk to you for a minute.” Tracy did as she was told. “Baby, listen to me. You are now a part of a huge family. You don’t have to do everything by yourself. Part of being a family is helping each other. There was no way you could have handled packing this house and your place by yourself. Pick up the telephone whenever you need help, that’s what family is for. Okay?”

Tracy smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good, now eat. When do you expect JD home?”

“Some time tonight. Where’s Ashley?” Tracy asked.

“She went back to the office. She said she had to check on furniture or something.”

Tracy looked at the clock. “I better head back over there.”

About an hour later JD got home. “Hey, Mom.” He kissed her on the cheek. “What are you doing here?” he asked as he lay his briefcase down.

“Hi, son. I came over to help Tracy with some packing.” Martha put her hand on her hip and hit JD with the spatula. “Why is she trying to pack this place up by herself?”

JD jumped back. “Ouch, Mama, I planned on helping, but I got called away on a case.”

“That is no excuse—don’t you put things before your home. You understand me?”

“Yes, ma’am,” JD replied as he took a seat at the counter. “What’s all of this?”

Martha turned around. “Oh! Those are some pictures I came across of your father.”

JD picked up some of the pictures. “Man, look at this.” He smiled.

“I was looking at that one; I don’t know the people in there with your dad.”

“Yes, you do, Mom. I don’t know the woman, but that’s Senator Roth right there.”

Martha came out of the kitchen and looked at the picture. “It sure is. Well, I’ll be.” She laughed.

JD looked at the picture again. “The woman looks familiar, too, but I don’t know from where.”

Martha looked at it. “I don’t think I know her.”

JD smiled. “I’m going to show this picture to the Senator, and I’ll bet he will get a kick out of it.” JD put the picture in his briefcase.

When Tracy got home, JD met her at the bottom of the stairs. “I had to find a quick way to say I’m sorry for leaving all of this on you. So I ran you a hot bath.”

Tracy looked at him. “It’s going to take a lot more than a tub of hot water to get you off my list tonight.”

“I thought it might.” He walked past her to lock the door. He turned off the lights, took her hand and led her upstairs. The table in the sitting room was set up with candles and the dinner Martha had cooked. Tracy looked up at him and smiled. “That’s for later,” he said and continued into the bathroom. Candles were placed around the tub with rose petals in the water. He had a magnum of champagne with two glasses and a bowl of strawberries on the side. Tracy hung her head down and smiled. She began taking her clothes off. JD joined in. They settled into the bath facing each other. JD poured a glass of champagne for each of them. He handed a glass to her. “This is to our wedding, our new home and our new life together as one.” He smiled.

They both took a drink.

Tracy set her glass on the side of the tub and then settled down into the water. “I think I might forgive you.”

♥

The next morning, JD stopped by James’s office. “I appreciate you taking on this task for me, James. I need someone who is going to have Tracy’s best interests at heart.”

James shook JD’s hand. “I’m happy to do this. Are you going to need opposition to anything we might find?”

JD nodded. “Yes, we will.” He placed his briefcase on James’s desk and pulled out the folder Brian had given him on Tracy’s family. “This was just a quick glance, but we need to go deeper into her family history.”

James saw a picture lying in the briefcase. “You missed this,” James said as he picked up the picture.

“That doesn’t go with the file,” JD said. “That’s a picture my mother found of my dad and Senator Roth. I thought the Senator would get a kick out of seeing it.”

James looked at the picture and then at JD. “What is your father doing in a picture with Lena Washington?”

JD frowned and took the picture out of James’s hand. “What?”

James raised both eyebrows. “That’s a young Lena Washington, but Lena Washington nonetheless.”

JD looked at James with a puzzled stare. “Are you sure that’s her?”

James shrugged his shoulders “Look at it closely, man. Isn’t that the woman we met a few months ago?”

Looking at the picture closer, it did look like her. “Why would she be in a picture with my dad?” JD asked aloud.

“I could be wrong, you know,” James offered. “Why don’t you let me ask some questions, since I have to go see her anyway?” James took the picture from JD. “I’ll let you know what I find.”

James sensed JD was reluctant to let the picture out of his possession. “I will not let anything happen to it. I’m sure there is a very simple explanation.”

“All right,” JD agreed as he closed his briefcase. As he started to leave, he stopped and looked at James. “My instincts are not usually wrong. This is not going to turn out good.”

“Let’s not jump here, JD. Let’s ask questions; then react to the findings; not before.”

JD nodded. “Thanks, James. Let me know what you find out.”