Authors: Kate Pearce
Raw Desire (12 page)
But her smile died as she turned on the shower. So what was still bothering her? Something was still wrong between her and Rob, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
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Ally switched on the power to her mom's computer and sat back to see whether anything would happen. Lights flickered on the newly cleaned gray screen, and something whirred in the box on the floor. She held her breath as a screen saver of pink daisies appeared, and a few desktop icons.
She clicked on the browser icon and waited as the machine continued to mutter away. Eventually a home page formed, and immediately a banner flashed, offering to upgrade her account from dial-up to broadband. Ally wrinkled her nose. Who the hell still had dial-up, and how come her mom's account was still working?
She thought about the desk she'd discovered against the wall of the dining room earlier. Maybe her mom's checkbook and bank account stuff were in there. She'd have to sort all that out soon. But this made things a lot easier. She wasn't going to complain about the Internet access, though, slow as it was. Otherwise she'd been hoping to “borrow” someone else's unprotected wireless Internet.
Worried, in case the Internet suddenly decided to desert her, she logged into her Gmail account and scanned the fifty or so messages that had accumulated since her last visit about a month ago. Most of them were from her lawyer and her only other close girlfriend, Jill, who was also her AA sponsor.
She took out her cell phone and checked the minutes. She'd love to talk to Jill; just the sound of her voice always cheered Ally up. Maybe she could purchase some more minutes at the gas station with some of her paycheck. It would be worth it. She had no idea how the bill was paid on her mom's landline. Yet another thing to check up on. E-mail would have to do for now.
For half an hour, Ally dutifully replied to her mail and hoped she'd set everyone's minds at rest, although somehow she doubted it. No one would be happy to hear she had decided to stay in Spring Falls for as long as it took to set the house to rights. And that was another thing. She'd promised to attend regular AA meetings and had no idea where the nearest one might be.
Ally's stomach gurgled, and she headed for the kitchen for a glass of milk. According to the clock, it was almost six and Rob would be turning up soon. She took her milk back into the dining room and studied the desk on the far wall. Since no one else had stepped forward, she guessed she really was the lone executor of her mom's estate.
For some reason, it took all her courage to open the lid of the old oak desk. She remembered her mother sitting there, her lank hair falling to her waist, a cigarette or a bottle of beer in her hand as she wrote endless letters to a succession of men begging them to return to her. Letters Ally had to mail or worseâdeliver in personâto some guy her mother had briefly hooked up with.
To her surprise, the inside of the desk was quite orderly. Checkbooks were stacked neatly in a pile on top of what looked like bank statements, and bills were all laid out on the opposite side. Ally swallowed hard as she saw her mother's scrawling handwriting again and forced herself to pick up the first checkbook.
Not only had it been meticulously kept, but also there was a running total of the balance of the account, which, although it didn't amount to much, at least explained why the utilities, the phone, and the Internet were still on. Ally read the first bank statement and saw her mom had chosen to pay most of her bills by direct debit. She put the paper down and just stared at it.
Since when had her mother gotten so organized? As a child, they'd lived hand to mouth, often just ahead of the debt collectors. Ruth hadn't been above sending Ally to borrow money from anyone she could think of to stave off the debt collectors. When had that changed?
“Ally?”
“Hey.”
She looked up to see Rob in the doorway. His gaze swept the disorganized space and then returned to hers. “I see the computer is working. Did you find everything you needed?” He strolled into the room, his hands in his pockets, and stared down at the screen. For some reason, Ally wished she'd turned it off before he'd arrived.
“I found the Internet. That made me happy.” She returned the checkbook to the pile and shut the desktop with a bang. “Although it's only dial-up.”
“Better than nothing I suppose.” Rob waited as she shut the computer down. “You could've used my laptop if you'd said.”
“I wouldn't dare.” Still oddly ruffled by the new revelations about her mother, Ally manufactured a smile. “I might end up putting stuff on your Facebook page or reading e-mails I shouldn't.”
“I haven't got anything to hide.”
“No e-mails from Jane? Lauren said you're seeing her.”
Rob shrugged. “I see her occasionally.”
“Ah.” Ally turned back to the kitchen where she could smell the heavenly scent of pizza.
“What's that supposed to mean?”
She turned to smile at him. “Nothing. The pizza looks good.”
Rob remained in the doorway, his blue gaze considering. “I could help you clear out some of that stuff if you want.”
For some reason, the thought of him finding out things about her mother right alongside her was unsettling. She found some paper plates and napkins and sat down at the table. “Not until I've had something to eat.”
He came and sat opposite her and opened up the pizza box. She licked her lips as he revealed a big pepperoni pizza, her favorite. “I got garlic bread too.”
“Great.” Ally pulled off a hunk of pizza and didn't even mind the melted cheese dripping down her arm. She sank her teeth into the warm gooey mess and chewed. When she'd finished her first piece, she looked up to find Rob watching her.
“You sure enjoy your food.”
“I've learned to. I used to hate eating.”
“Because of the modeling?”
She half smiled. “That certainly didn't help as a career choice. Ruth always told me I was fat.”
“You always looked perfect to me.”
Ally realized she was blushing. Rob took another piece of pizza and shoved the box of garlic bread in her direction. She glanced up at him after she selected a piece. “I shouldn't have listened to my mom about anything.”
He continued to eat, his gaze fixed on the pizza box. “Ruth was a hard person to like or to understand, Ally.”
“Oh, I understood her all right. She was incredibly selfish and couldn't do without a man or some kind of drug to snort.” Ally sighed. “I never wanted to be like her in a million years.”
“And you're not.”
She waited until he looked up at her and calmly held his gaze. “Yes, I am. Why do you think I ended up in rehab?” She sighed. “Once, when I'd spent all day locked in my apartment because I was âtoo sick to work,' I caught a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror. I thought I saw my mom looking back at me, and I freaked out. When she started turning up in my mirror every day, I knew I had to do something.”
“And you did. You admitted you had a problem and got help.”
She rested her chin on her hand. “And since I've been back, I found that my mom did that too.”
“So I heard. She was certainly off the drugs.”
Ally pushed that uncomfortable thought away. “Some people would say I'm acting just like her, though, wouldn't they? Crawling back here, begging you to forgive me, offering to do anything you want sexually.”
His expression cooled. “Do you think that's what I want?”
“I think you're a man who'll take what's offered.”
“So, you offered. Did you think I'd say no?”
“Rob, I wasn't expecting you to want to talk to me, let alone sleep with me.”
“Would you have preferred it if I'd kept my distance and stayed out of your life?”
Ally studied him carefully. “No.”
He ran a hand through his short hair. “That's good to know.”
Some demon made her continue. “You had no intention of leaving me alone, though, did you?”
He put down his pizza and slowly wiped his hand across his mouth. “No.”
“You've always wanted to win at everything.”
“You think this is about winning?”
“Isn't it?”
She watched his face, saw myriad emotions flow through his eyes. “Yeah, I suppose it is. I wanted answers and you have them.”
“Answers about what?”
“Why you ran, for one thing.”
Ally pushed her plate away as her appetite deserted her. “Because you told me to get the hell away from you.”
“That's not all it was about, though, was it?”
“No, of course it wasn't. I was too young to know when to stand my ground and when to leave. I felt guilty about Susan, about Jackson, about you . . .” Ally wrapped her arms around herself. “I felt guilty about everything.”
Rob sat back and his chair creaked. “Did you speak to Susan?”
“I had no choice; if you remember, she was trying to scratch my eyes out.”
“Not then, but later, just before she died.”
Ally grimaced. “Why would I have spoken to her? I was too busy sobbing my heart out and trying to pack to leave town.”
“I kind of assumed Susan would have come back to have it out with you.”
“She probably would have, but I didn't see her again. I was already on the bus out of town when Jackson called to tell me what had happened.”
Rob went still. “Jackson called you?”
“He probably knew I wouldn't have picked up if it had been you, and he thought I should know.”
“I bet he did.”
Ally eyed him suspiciously. “Are you trying to stir up trouble for Jackson?”
“For Jackson?”
“Trying to prove that he was involved somehow in Susan's death? Did Jane put you up to this?” Ally got up and tipped the dregs out of the coffee jug. “She seems pretty determined to see Jackson tried and hung.”
His mouth tightened. “I don't think Jackson had anything to do with Susan's murder.”
Ally paused as she scooped out new coffee. “Murder? You think Susan was murdered too?”
Rob shifted in his chair, but he kept his gaze on hers. “Yeah, I do. Some of the injuries don't match up with a suicide.”
“So you think Jackson pushed her off that bridge?”
“No, but I think someone did.” He stood up and closed the gap between them, dumped the coffee in the filter, and filled the glass jug up with water. Ally waited while he poured in the water and set it to brew, her mind in turmoil as she tried to figure out what to say next.
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Rob kept his attention on the coffee. He'd pushed too far, and Ally was starting to get suspicious. She was no fool, and if he didn't shut up soon, she'd figure out that he was still wondering about her mother's involvement in Susan's death rather than Jackson's.
She touched his shoulder, and he turned to see her pale but resolute expression. “Rob, do you think I killed her?”
He blinked at her. Jeez, he hadn't expected that. “As you said, by the time she died, you were on the bus.”
“Unless I'm lying and I waited around the house until Susan came back, took her out to the bridge, and threw her off.”
“And did you?”
“No, and I didn't talk to her, either, so can we drop this?”
“Absolutely.” For now anyway. He really wanted to ask her about her mother, but even though she had no love for the woman, she was far too on her guard to start that conversation now. And there were far better things to think about.
He cupped her cheek. “Do you want to finish the pizza?”
“No, you've ruined my appetite.”
“I'm sorry, honey. Sometimes I need to clock off my job before I turn up here.”
“Police officers never clock off. Even I know that.”
“I'm willing to try if you can distract me.”
She looked up at him, her gray eyes still slightly wary, her teeth biting into her lower lip. “And how might I do that?”
“Make me a cup of coffee?”
She smiled at him for the first time, and he wanted to kiss the smile from her lips and make her moan his name instead. “Is that all you want?”
“I think that's all I'm going to get.”
11
“T
hanks.” Ally smiled as the bank manager, Mr. Sutcliff, escorted her into his office. “It's good of you to see me at such short notice.”
hanks.” Ally smiled as the bank manager, Mr. Sutcliff, escorted her into his office. “It's good of you to see me at such short notice.”
“It's not a problem.” He glanced at her over his shoulder. “You're a bit of a celebrity around here, Ms. Kendal. Your mom told me all about you.”
“My mom did?” Ally sat in the hard chair and tried to keep her expression neutral.
“Yes, she was very proud of your career.” Mr. Sutcliff sat down and typed away on his computer for a moment. “I have the details of your mother's accounts here. Her attorney sent us all the necessary paperwork.”
“Apparently she wanted me to be her executor.” Ally took out the file she'd found in her mother's desk. “I found this among her things.”
“I knew that, Ms. Kendal. I believe I cosigned some papers for her during the last few months of her life. She was very keen on leaving everything straight for you.”
Ally wanted to disagree with the guy, but he was right. Her mother had made very sure that Ally knew exactly what was expected of her and what to do. It made her feel weird, as if her mother had changed into a woman she would no longer have recognized.
“From what I could tell, everything looked pretty straightforward.”
“Indeed. Your mother owned the house outright and had no outstanding debts, so everything she leaves you is free and clear.”
“I'm planning on selling the house.”
Mr. Sutcliff looked up. “I can't say that surprises me, but it is still a tough market around here.”
“I noticed that, and the house needs clearing out and perking up a little.”
“Well, I'm quite sure she wouldn't mind me telling you there is enough money in the three accounts to cover that.”
Ally frowned. “Three accounts?” She looked through the stash of documents she'd brought with her. “I thought she had only two, checking and savings.”
“She had another savings account. I believe she used it to deposit the checks you sent her.”
“She didn't cash them?”
Mr. Sutcliff cleared his throat. “I got the impression that she regarded that money as sacrosanct. I have no idea why. Perhaps she just wanted you to have it back.”
“How much is in there?”
Mr. Sutcliff tapped away at the keyboard and then looked up again. “About thirty thousand dollars.”
Ally just stared at him with her mouth open. “Are you sure? What did she live on?”
“I can print the information out for you. Your mom had a small fixed income from her parents' estate, which she supplemented with part-time work. She always said she didn't need much.” He sat back and smiled at her. “All I need from you now is a copy of the death certificate and your driver's license. The attorney sent me everything else.”
“I have both of those, although my license is for out of state. I'm in the process of applying for a new one.” Ally produced the two documents and waited while he took a copy of her driver's license.
“Thank you. It shouldn't take too long to settle all this. As I said, your mom kept everything in good order. We have to advertise and then wait at least thirty days to see if any creditors appear out of the woodwork. After that, I can at least put you on the accounts as a joint holder.”
Ally gathered up the remaining documents and returned them to her purse. “Thanks for all your help.”
Mr. Sutcliff stood up and shook her hand. “It was a pleasure to meet you, even in such sad circumstances. I'll be in touch.”
Ally made her way out of the bank and back onto Main Street, her thoughts in a whirl. If Mr. Sutcliff was right, her mother had saved more than enough money to fix up the house, money that Ally had sent her. She wouldn't have to touch her college fund and might even be able to add to it.
Why hadn't Ruth spent the money? Had she realized Ally was trying to pay her to stay away and resented it, or had she developed a conscience at last?
“Ally!”
She glanced up just in time to see that she had reached the diner and that she was late back from her break. Lauren was waiting for her, arms crossed, expression irritated.
Ally sighed. “I'll make it up, Lauren. I got stuck in the bank.”
“You'll make it up, all right,” Lauren replied. “And this is your last warning about being late. I'm only letting you off because we're shorthanded tonight, and I need you to stay for an extra shift.”
Ally washed her hands and tied on her apron. “I can do that.”
“I'm not asking youâI'm telling you.”
Ally stared at Lauren. “I get that you don't like me, but I'm still entitled to be treated with respect at my workplace. I said I'd make the time up, and I'm happy to work the extra shift, so get off my back.”
Lauren sucked in her breath, but Ally refused to back down. Fig appeared at her elbow and put a hand on Ally's shoulder. “She works her ass off, boss, so how about you just chill here?”
Lauren glared at Fig and then stormed back out to the front of the diner. Ally let out her breath and Fig chuckled. “Hell, I love that woman, but she treats you like dirt.”
“She has good reason. I dumped her brother.”
Fig returned to his station at the grill. “So I heard. But that's ancient history and not really her problem now, is it?”
Ally picked up her bucket of cleaning supplies and an empty tray. She was so not getting into a discussion about Lauren with Fig. “Thanks, Fig.”
He saluted her with his spatula. “No problem, babe.”
After that, Ally barely had a moment to think let alone talk. One of the waitresses was out sick, so Lauren was filling in at the front. Two of the kitchen guys were down with the virus as well, leaving Ally the lone busboy and general dogsbody.
By five, she was exhausted; by nine she was contemplating crawling out the back door and to hell with her paycheck. She'd gone to bed reasonably early after she'd satisfied Rob's appetite for coffee and sex, but she was still worn out. The sound of the bell chiming as the last customers left was music to her ears.
Lauren appeared in the kitchen with a load of dishes and dumped them on the already full counters. Fig and Ben shut down and cleaned the grills, leaving Ally frantically trying to catch up.
Lauren walked up to Ally. “I have a date. You're going to have to stay and clean up and then lock up.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.” Lauren's gaze dropped to Ally's oil-spattered T-shirt. “Get here early enough to unlock the door for me as well, okay? Thanks.”
Ally didn't even have the heart to argue. She just nodded, took the keys Lauren gave her and the note about the code for the alarm system, and carried on washing up. Soon she was alone in the kitchen. Fig had wanted to stay and help, but he'd had another commitment. Ally sighed and looked around. At least he'd stayed long enough to make sure that everything in his area had been doneâoil filters cleaned, surfaces scraped down and disinfected, vents inspected. . . .
She wandered out to the front of the diner to see how bad it was and wanted to cry. Thanks to Lauren's efforts, most of the tables had been cleared of dishes but not all. And every single surface needed to be wiped down and sanitized. Ally decided to start there and at least clean the area Lauren would care about most.
“Ally?”
She stilled as she heard Rob's soft voice behind her. He came to look over her shoulder and whistled softly. “Still got a lot to do, huh?”
Ally resisted the temptation to lean against him. “I sure do. It seems everyone else has gone to the ball.”
Rob chuckled, the sound vibrating in his chest and down Ally's back. He turned Ally around and his smile died. “You look exhausted, Cinderella.”
“I've worked all day. I am exhausted.”
Rob's expression tightened. “Don't tell me Lauren made you work with no breaks.”
“Oh, I got breaks. I'm still tired, though.”
Rob took her hand and led her back into the kitchen. “You go take a nap in Lauren's office and I'll take care of this.”
“Rob, you can't do that. It's my job.”
He cupped her chin. “Honey, she's taking out her hurt on you and it's not right.”
“She's not. We were just shorthanded today. Sheâ”
He kissed her, and like a fool, Ally stopped talking and let him hold her for a blissful moment before she pulled herself away. Why the hell was she defending Lauren anyway?
“I can't let you do this, Rob.”
“You can't stop me either.”
“But you probably won't do it right.”
“When Lauren first took over the diner, I did all sorts of jobs for her until she could afford to pay someone else. I can do anything this place needs
and
do it up to her extremely picky standards.”
and
do it up to her extremely picky standards.”
“Robâ”
“Look, how about we make a deal? You sleep for an hour and then you can take over.”
A yawn shook Ally and she reluctantly nodded. “Okay, then, wake me up in an hour.”
“Deal.” He held out his hand, and she shook it. “Now go and take that nap before you fall down.”
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About an hour and a half later, Rob stood looking down at Ally's sleeping face. She'd curled up on the tiny couch in Lauren's office, her sweater arranged over her like a meager blanket. Rob studied her pale features, the shadows under her eyes, and wished he could just let her sleep on. But a promise was a promise, and he couldn't help but admire both her spirit and her determination not to crack under the pressure of Lauren's dislike.
“Ally,” he whispered. “Wake up, honey.”
She opened her eyes and stared at him for a long, timeless moment. Something stirred deep in his chest, and he imagined waking up to her beautiful face every morning. She scrambled to sit, and he stepped back to give her room.
“What time is it?”
“It's coming up on midnight.”
She peered at him through half-closed eyes. “I told you to wake me up after an hour.”
“I got busy. I only just remembered.”
“Right.” She stood and brushed at her braided hair. “What else is there left to do?”
He headed for the door. “Would you care to inspect my work, my lady?”
“I
am
going to inspect your work, because if it isn't right, I'm the one who'll get into trouble.” Ally marched into the diner and studied the space.
am
going to inspect your work, because if it isn't right, I'm the one who'll get into trouble.” Ally marched into the diner and studied the space.
Rob waited for her to turn back to him. “It's okay, right?”
“It looks great.”
He shrugged modestly. “It all came back to me the moment I started wiping off the menus. Do you want to finish up in the kitchen?”
Ally followed him back out. “What's left to do?”
“A load of dishes. Do you want to wash or dry?”
She glanced at his already damp T-shirt, which clung to his well-defined abs. “I'll wash.”
He stood alongside her, manning the dish drainers and the cloth while she rinsed off dishes in one sink and then washed them in the center sink.
After a while, she looked up at him. “Thanks for doing this.”
“You're welcome.”
“No, I really mean it. You've gone above and beyond.”
“I had nothing else to do.”
“No sports on TV, no video games to play, no Jackson to chat with?”
“Jackson isn't exactly the chatty type.”
“That's true.” She handed him the last plate, and he took it and dried it with the cloth. He put the plate away in the correct stack and used the damp dishcloth to wipe down the countertop before tossing it in the laundry bin. “I think we're done.”
Ally sat beside him on the countertop and sniffed the air. “Oh, man, I'm hallucinating. I can smell coffee.”
“Oh, yeah, I made some to keep me going. Do you want a cup before we lock up?”
“I'd love one. It might keep me awake long enough to walk home.”
Rob got up to man the coffee. “You don't need to walk. I'm taking you home.”
“Then I'll definitely need the coffee.” She smiled. “I don't feel as bad as I should, though. That nap did help.”
“Good. Come and drink your coffee in the diner. The seats are nicer.”
Ally slid down from her perch and groaned as her sore feet hit the tiles. “Okay.”
He held open the kitchen door and watched the sway of her hips as she sashayed down the aisle between the booths. Even in her filthy work clothes, she still turned him on. All the lights were off in the diner and the blinds were down. Only the faint fluorescent glow from the kitchen and the orange tint of the streetlight permeated the suddenly intimate space.
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