The Negotiator (18 page)

His voice cracked. Cally’s eyes were full of tears, but he forced himself to go on.

“The stand-off lasted five hours. Dad refused to give up his weapon and Gracie was going nowhere. The negotiators were at a loss. They gathered together to regroup and come up with a new game plan when we heard them: two shots.
Bang. Bang.
Dad had shot Gracie and then turned the gun on himself.”

Cally gasped, shock flooding her face. “Oh, my God! Andy! How utterly devastating! How did you ever cope?”

Beyond words, he hauled her in against him as close as was physically possible. Raw sobs of agony were dragged from his throat. He cried for the beautiful little girl whose life had been stolen. He cried for the mother who’d never recovered from her loss. He cried for the young boy he’d been and for the thousands of lonely hours he’d lived ever since.

“It should have been me!”
he choked, his voice thick with guilt and grief. “If I’d climbed out of the car, maybe I could have stopped him, gotten Gracie out of the way. Who knows? Instead, I hid like a coward, abandoning my little sister to her fate.”

“
No!
” Cally’s voice was low and guttural and so different from her usual tone, it startled him momentarily.

“Andy. Listen to me! You’re wrong. You’re dead wrong. It shouldn’t have been
either
of you!
He
was the one who was sick. He should have gotten help.
He
was the adult. You were only a little boy!”

She drew in a ragged breath, her chest heaving. “He was ill, Andy. He was very ill. It was all him, Andy. All
him.
Not you.
Never
 you,” she said fiercely, staring at him hard.

Andy held her gaze and something gave inside him. The pain and the torment and the guilt over not only his family, but over the death of Wayne Tucker, began to ease and were slowly replaced with relief. He lowered his head and kissed her. Her lips were soft and full of wonder and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. It felt like coming home.

* * *

Cally’s arms crept around Andy’s neck and she tentatively kissed him back. His lips were warm and full and desire kindled low in her belly. She pressed herself even closer against him and felt his erection pushing into her belly. Her nipples hardened with the knowledge of how much he wanted her.

Deftly turning her around, he walked her back against the counter, his lips still melded to hers. She reached out a hand to steady herself and her fingers grazed the kettle. Realization that they were in the kitchen, with Jack only a closed door away crashed in upon her and broke the feverish desire that held her in its grip.

“Jack!” she gasped. “What about Jack?”

Andy lifted his head, his eyes dark with need. Confusion slowly replaced it.

“Jack? Oh, Christ.
Jack!
What the hell was I thinking?”

His breath came as fast as hers. He struggled to regain control. Cally turned away and put some distance between them. When her breathing had finally returned to normal, she risked a glance in his direction and found him staring at her, looking as shell shocked as she felt.

Recalling all that he’d gone through, she turned back to face him and offered him a shaky smile. “Are…are you okay?”

He compressed his lips, but nodded. “Yeah, I think so.” She stepped toward him and he opened his arms. His heartbeat was strong beneath her ear.

“Thank you for telling me,” she whispered, her voice muffled against his shirt. “I know how hard it must have been for you.”

His arms tightened around her. “Not as hard as I thought it would be.”

She pulled slightly away and looked at him. His eyes were still shadowed with pain. She hesitated, choosing her words with care. “Have you ever talked to someone about what happened? Someone professional, I mean?”

He shrugged. “When I was a child. I was sent to so many therapists, I lost count. None of them really made a difference. Perhaps as an adult it would be different.”

“No one would expect you to get through something like that on your own. As it is, it’s a real credit to you that you’ve managed to keep your life on a straight path.” She paused. “How did your mother cope?”

He sighed. “Not so good. She had a nervous breakdown right after it happened and was admitted to a psychiatric facility. Three years later, she committed suicide.”

“Oh, Andy.” She was devastated all over again. He drew her closer, hushing her softly.

“Hey, don’t look so sad,” he whispered against her hair. “Things turned out all right for me in the end.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

A knock, coming from the other side of the closed French doors, followed immediately by Jack asking for a drink, broke the moment. Cally stepped out of Andy’s arms, guilt and embarrassment heating her cheeks.

“Of course you can have a drink, honey,” she hurriedly called out to her son and slid open the French doors.

“How’s the movie going, buddy?” Andy asked.

“It’s great. It’s only just been released on DVD. Even Jimmy Baker hasn’t seen it yet. Do you think I might be able to invite him over? It would be cool if we could watch it together.”

Cally smiled, her heart filling with warmth at the sight of his excitement. “I’m sure that would be okay, but not today. Andy still hasn’t moved all his things in and it will be dinner time before we know it. How about you invite him over tomorrow?”

“Cool,” Jack smiled, and then he frowned. “Hang on, I thought we were going snorkeling tomorrow?”

Cally glanced at Andy, who nodded. “If it’s okay with your mom, I’m still keen,” he said.

She smiled. “It sounds like fun. Do you mind if I come with you?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t expect you to leave Jack alone with me.”

Cally blushed and shook her head, knowing he’d gotten the wrong idea. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. I do. It’s just that I’d like to come with you. It’s going to be a scorcher again tomorrow. A day at the beach sounds great.”

Andy gave her a wide grin. “We could probably throw a picnic together and make a day of it.”

She felt the warmth of his smile clear down to her toes and her gaze zeroed in on his lips. The memory of their kiss flooded her mind and her heart kicked into a higher gear. “That sounds good,” she managed.

“I might go and bring the rest of my stuff inside. I want to get to the shops before they close.”

She frowned. “I’m pretty new at this roommate thing and I know I said I wasn’t going to cook for you every night, but I’ve made some extra rissoles for dinner. You’re welcome to share them with us if you like. There’s no need to go to the shops.”

“Thanks, that sounds nice, but I’m not going food shopping. I’m going to buy a portable cooler.”

“Oh!” Her face burned. “Do you really think you need one?”

“Yes, but don’t be embarrassed.” He shrugged. “I like to sleep in a cold room. I appreciate the offer of a fan, but I don’t think that’s going to cut it in this heat. Besides,” he added, “I bet it’s pretty cold out there in the winter, too. These old homes aren’t known for their insulation.”

She nodded, warmed by the thought Andy might still be living with them come winter. Besides, if he wanted to go to the expense of buying an air conditioner, she wasn’t going to argue with him. After all, he was right about the heat—and the cold. When she’d decided to advertise for a roommate, she hadn’t thought about the practical considerations of it. In fact, she hadn’t given much thought at all to the comfort of the person who would use the room.

It was comfortable and clean and was far enough away from the other two bedrooms that no one would feel they were intruding on each other’s space.

Of course, there was only one bathroom, but Andy worked shift work and that meant most of the time, there wouldn’t be a rush for both of them to get into the shower at the same time.

She blushed at the thought of running into him in the bathroom in the early hours of the morning—or at any time—and wondered if she was ready to share her house with a man. The only one she’d ever lived with was her father and that didn’t count at all.

He glanced over at her and frowned, misinterpreting her silence. “Cally, I didn’t mean to offend you. The fact is, it’s damned hot. I do my fair share of nightshifts and I’ll never get to sleep without it.”

“Oh, the air conditioner? That’s fine.” She waved her hand dismissively. If you’re willing to spend your money on one, I’m not going to argue.” She paused. “I was thinking about…other things.”

“Oh?”

She looked away again. “Um, I’m not sure if I mentioned it, but there’s only one bathroom.” She shrugged. “It’s a small cottage.”

He grinned. “No, you must have forgotten to mention that. Along with the fact the sleepout will hit about a hundred degrees in the middle of the day.” His face was a picture of innocence. “Is there anything else you’ve forgotten to
mention
to me? A leaky roof right above my bed? Creaky floorboards? A window that rattles all night?”

Heat flooded Cally’s face again, but she caught the glint of laughter in his eyes. “Look, I’m sorry about the air conditioning thing and the fact you don’t have your own bathroom. I really did forget about mentioning them.” She shrugged. “I guess I’ve gotten used to living without certain things and it doesn’t occur to me to miss them.”

“Hey, it’s no biggie; don’t worry about it.” He grinned at her again, obviously trying to put her at ease. “That reminds me, I have something for you.”

He dug into the pocket of his shorts and pulled out a cell phone. “Here.”

“Cool!’ Jack grinned. Cally frowned. “A cell phone? Why are you giving it to me?”

“I bought it for you. You said you didn’t have one.”

“What I said
Andy was that I couldn’t
afford
one. And I still can’t. I don’t want you buying me things you think I should have. I’m—
we
,” she corrected, “are used to living pretty simple lives. We don’t need flash gadgets and gizmos from the glossy catalogs that flood my mailbox.”

“Cally.” His voice remained infuriatingly calm. “I’m not trying to buy you gadgets and gizmos you don’t need. Someone broke into your home. You suspect someone’s stalking you. Think of the phone as a personal alarm. It goes with you everywhere and it’s there if you need to use it in an emergency.”

She set her jaw and eyed him in silence.

“Think of Jack. Take it for his sake. You never know when you might need to contact someone in a hurry.”

“Yeah, Mom. Take it for me.”

She bit her lip, angry that Andy had put her in such a position. Then she thought of the breakdown at the side of the road and uncertainty flooded through her.

“Okay,” she agreed with reluctance, “but please don’t go buying me anything else. We’re supposed to be roommates, nothing more. Roommates don’t buy each other expensive gifts. It’s just not how it works.”

* * *

Andy concealed a grin and emotion surged through him. Even when she was upset with him, he was drawn to her.
Easy, mate
. She was a long way from feeling what he did and if he wasn’t careful, he’d be the one picking up the pieces of a broken heart.

He’d been hopeful when she didn’t run for the hills once she learned about his family, but he already knew she was kind and compassionate. She would probably have reacted that way to anyone who’d shared with her such a tragic tale. It didn’t mean she had feelings for him.

But then he thought of their kiss and his spirits lifted. She’d been more than an active participant. With only the tiniest bit of coaxing, she’d turned to fire in his arms. When she remembered Jack was in the other room, and pulled back, it had been all he could do to switch off his feelings and dampen the passion that burned through his veins. He longed to kiss her again.

He thought of the ex-boyfriend who’d treated her so callously and his hands tightened into fists. It was an understatement to say that her experience with men had been less than favorable. He had to take things slowly though; he didn’t want to scare her away. Yes, he’d had fallen for her and had fallen hard. The fact he’d only met her a week ago didn’t seem to matter. She was the one. He just
knew
. Like what the cabbie said. Andy’s biggest hurdle would be convincing her.

The ringing of his cell phone dragged his thoughts back to the present. Recognizing Will’s number, he was tempted to ignore it. Just like with Tom, he wanted to get used to his feelings for Cally and see if she felt the same way before he told his friends, but knowing she could hear it ringing, he swallowed a sigh and answered the call.

“What took you so long? I was just about to hang up.”

“Hey, Will. What’s up?”

“Just calling to say hello. I had to go into the office to sort out some stuff with Dad. With his first grandchild on the way, he’s decided to do some estate planning.” Will expelled a dramatic sigh and Andy chuckled.

When Will chose his career in law enforcement rather than following his father’s successful footsteps into the world of advertising, their relationship had become strained, but time and a greater effort on both of their parts was slowly working to bring them closer; a grandchild would further cement their relationship. Andy was pleased things were working out for his mate. Will had done it tough in the past, too.

“What are you up to?” Will asked. “The weather’s so good, I was hoping to take the yacht out this afternoon. Do you fancy a sail? Savannah’s refusing to come out with me. She’s complaining it makes her sick and she had more than enough of that in her first trimester to want to repeat it again.”

Andy laughed. “Yeah, well if I’d hung over a toilet bowl as often as you told me Savannah did, bringing on another bout would be the last thing I’d want to do, too.”

“So, are you up for it?”

Andy glanced at Cally who stood a short distance away. “No, mate. Not this time. I’m busy. I’m moving some stuff into a…um…a friend’s house. I’m…uh…I’m house sitting over on the north side.”

“Really? Who for? Have I met him?”

“No, no one you know,” he replied hastily. “Anyway, I’m kind of in the middle of things here. I have to go.”

“Okay. Oh, I almost forgot, Savannah asked me to invite you over for lunch tomorrow.”