Ties That Bind (13 page)

Inside was the story of Sofie’s life. Sinking onto the couch, she laid the precious volume on her lap and looked at the first picture. It was the sonogram, taken when Kate was four months pregnant. Kate remembered the thrill of seeing that little heartbeat on the monitor. Reese had cried. On the next page were shots just minutes after birth. Kate—sweaty and exhausted, Sofie wailing, Reese, appearing dazed.

“Kate, what are you doing in here?”

She looked up at the sound of Reese’s voice. Standing in the doorway, he jammed his hands into the pockets of the nice gray slacks that he wore with a silk T-shirt. “I’m…catching my breath.”

He came close enough so she could smell the aftershave he used. It was different from the one he used to wear, the one she’d loved.

“Was my father all right to you?”

“Are you kidding? He treated me like the prodigal daughter. He’s so kind, Reese.”

“He always loved you.” A smile broached his sculpted mouth. “I’ll bet the boys gushed at their favorite aunt.”

“Yeah.”

His face turned soft. “Too much?”

“No, it was great. And Sofie actually hugged me. Was nice to me.”

He squeezed her shoulder. “I’m glad.” He noticed the photo album on her lap, and after a brief hesitation, squatted down. “I love looking at this thing.”

“Me, too.” She turned a page. A picture of her breast-feeding Sofie had been blown up.

Reese reached out and traced the outline of Sofie’s nose. Somehow, maybe because Kate’s breast was exposed, the gesture seemed intimate. “I loved watching you feed her. It was sacred, almost.”

Kate cleared her throat. Emotion welled inside her as Reese continued to turn the pages—Sofie coming home from the hospital, at her baptism, wearing a tiny white dress with a white bonnet. When a picture of Reese, holding a diapered infant on his bare chest, rocking her, appeared on the next page, Kate closed her eyes.

“Hey, what’s this?”

She looked down to see his finger on the page, tracing a wet spot. Swallowing hard, she swiped at her cheeks. “Nothing of consequence.”

“You were always sentimental on her birthday.”

“I know. “ She closed the album, and shoved it into his hands. Taking the hint, he rose. She did, too, and wrapped her arms around her waist. In an effort to change the subject, to run from the poignancy of all she’d lost, Kate raked back her hair and faced him. “Have you told your family about the Bingham thing?”

“Yeah, I corned Pa and Em for a few minutes. They’re mad as hell.”

“The support must feel good.”

He cocked his head. “Did you call your sisters about it?”

“No. I don’t want them to worry.”

“Well, you shouldn’t deal with all this alone.”

“I’ve got Tyler.”

His features lost their softness. “Ah, yes, of course.”

“Let’s not discuss this now. We’ll deal with it when we meet with the private investigator on Monday. Let’s just have fun today.” She started to walk away. He called her back.

“Katie?”

She turned to him. He’d picked up the album and held it out in front of him. “There were a lot of good times. Especially when she was born. When she was little.”

Again, her eyes misted. “I know. It seems like a lifetime ago.”

Unspoken was the fact that they could have repeated the experience—had another child together.

He sighed. “How did we…” He stopped, watched her for a minute, but shook his head and didn’t continue.

She didn’t ask what he was about to say. Whatever it was, it was better left unsaid.

o0o

DRAY WATCHED THE French doors from the lower deck, where she’d gone to check on the snacks she’d put out. She bit her lip, telling herself not to be so insecure.

“They’ve only been inside a few minutes. “ She turned to find Tyler had joined her. Dressed in cargo pants and an oversize brown-and-white shirt, he looked good, as always.

“I know. Nothing compared to the hours they now spend together.” They sat down at the table simultaneously. Tyler sipped his beer. She nibbled at a chip.

“So, how we doing, do you think?” he asked.

“I have no idea. Reese says he’s fine, but things between us are stilted.” She thought of the unsatisfactory lovemaking last weekend, and the absence of any contact since. “You?”

“Kaitlyn’s putting up a good front.”

“I found them…touching…hugging…something yesterday morning. She came over here, apparently after a run, and after she’d found the morning paper. You should have seen them, Tyler, they looked so much like they belonged together. Two halves of the same whole. It startled me.”

“Maybe they were like that before.” His tone had hardened. “But not anymore.”

“You know,” she said staring out at the sunny day, “I was hoping they’d turn on each other over this Bingham thing. Take sides. Blame each other. Not very nice of me, I admit.”

“I advised Kaitlyn to do just that. So did some other people.”

Tyler watched Dray’s face pale, wishing he’d been more careful with what he said to her. She was so lovely, with eyes bluer than the sky that was a backdrop for her. What the hell was wrong with Bishop? “Really? Does Reese know people told her to turn on him?”

“Yeah. He and Kaitlyn had quite a row over it.”

“He didn’t tell me.”

And that hurt, Tyler could see.

“I think Kate only told me because she was so torn.”

“Why did she decide not to?”

“Who knows? She said things were good between them ten years ago.”

“Damn it. I knew this would conjure good memories of the past.” Dray blew out a heavy breath. “If he’d only confide in me.”

“Kaitlyn told me once she always had trouble getting him to open up when things were tough.”

“Yeah, well, he seems to open up to her just fine.”

Kate and Reese emerged from the house together. They were walking close, shoulders touching. He grasped her forearm when he leaned over to whisper something in her ear. She gave him a grateful smile and squeezed his hand.

Tyler felt as if the sun had gone behind the clouds.

o0o

“SO, LITTLE SISTER, tell me how you really are. “ Reese had cornered Emily in the den, where she’d gone to use the Internet.

From behind his desk, she blew out a heavy breath. “You always did know.”

Hitching a hip on the edge of the desk, he watched her sit back and fold her arms over her waist. He asked, “How’s the business going?”

“Slow. I’m still not making a profit.”

“Need some money?”

She shook her head. “You already gave me too much. To start this online T-shirt company and to keep the boys in toys.”

“I don’t mind. I have it.”

Wearily, she shook her head. Now that he had a chance to study her, Reese worried even more that she wasn’t taking care of herself. “Is Pa helping with the boys?”

“Yes, but he’s too old to keep up with them. And having them every day after school, while I take that shift at the diner, really cramps his retirement.” She looked around the den desolately. “I hate my life, Reese. I’m trying so hard to get some momentum going, but ever since I divorced Charlie, I’ve been stuck.”

“Divorce can be immobilizing.” He stared over her shoulder for a moment. “The boating accident that killed Charlie didn’t help.”

“No, the boys have suffered.”

“You could move here if you want. Your company can be run from anywhere. We’d have time as a family.”

“Your girlfriend might not like that.”

“She’d do it for me.”

“I think she’d do anything for you.” Emily watched him. “She’s not Kate.”

His hands curled and he consciously forced himself to relax. Every time he thought about the good times, he wanted to punch something. “No, she’s not. Thank God. Kate and I practically destroyed each other.”

“Only in those last few months.” Emily smiled sadly. “It was the abortion.” His sister was the only one Reese told about what Kate had done. He’d never forget how Emily had comforted him, had talked to him on the phone some nights into the wee hours.

“And my infidelity. Which very well may come back to haunt me because of this Bingham thing.”

“Is Kate on your side?”

“Miraculously, yes.”

“Not so surprising. Up until the end, she was there for you in everything.”

Loss, huge and heavy, descended on him. “I don’t want to talk about Kate.”

“Because you’ve never really gotten over her.”

“Of course I have. She’s got a young stud sniffing after her.”

“He is yummy. Does he want to marry her?”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

“What about you? Are you going to marry Dray?”

“Not anytime soon.” Maybe never.

“She’s a nice girl. And she loves you.”

He leaned over and tugged on a piece of her dark hair. “How did this chat get on to me?”

“Your life is more interesting.”

“My life is a mess. “ He heard Dray’s voice in the kitchen, calling to him. “Looks like I’m needed.” He stood. “You sure I can’t help you out, honey?”

Tears moistened his sister’s eyes. When she was little and unhappy, she used to come to him with that same misty look. Then, he could clean up a scrape or offer to beat up a boy. Now, he couldn’t seem to make things better for her no matter how hard he tried. He vowed to find more time for her, despite the Bingham case.

She said, “No, I’ll be all right. I need to stand on my own two feet.”

“Okay, but if you change your mind…”

“I know. You’ll fix everything.”

“Hey, I’m a guy. That’s what we do.”

He was glad to see the smile on her face as he left to find Dray.

o0o

“WHAT’S THE PLAN now?” Jillian asked, seated beside Kate under one of the oak trees. A breeze ruffled the branches above them and the smell of rich loam and budding flowers filled the air.

Sipping a gin and tonic, Kate watched Sofie with Emily’s boys. They were more like siblings than cousins when they got together. “On Monday, we’re meeting with a private investigator.” She snorted. “His name is Chase Sanders.”

“Chase? Oh my, that’s corny.”

“It’s as bad as the vasectomy doctor named Dr. Stoppe.”

“You made that up.”

Kate chuckled. “No, Tyler knows him. “ Then she sobered. “Next, we’re getting the court orders to subpoena Bingham’s prison records. Hopefully our man Chase can start interviewing her family and friends. Reese and I are meeting with the lawyers she hired for subsequent arrests.”

“You two are? Why not the PI?”

“We think we can deal with the lawyers better, being a part of their breed.”

“Probably.” Jillian squeezed her arm. “I’ve heard talk, Kate.”

“I’m not surprised, after what Larkin told me.” She winced. “Is it all bad?”

“No. You’ve made friends in the court system. And you’re well respected. Still, there’s the jealous element. The one who wants to see the mighty fall. “

“The mighty has fallen hard with this turn of events, and” —she gazed longingly at her daughter— “by other things.”

“Is the little monster still beating up on you?”

“She hugged me today.”

“Will wonders never cease. Maybe she’s punished you enough.”

“Maybe.”

Reese came out of the house with his sister and father, carrying presents. “Looks like it’s gift time,” Jillian commented.

“Hey,” Reese called out after he set the presents on a picnic table. “Come over here, birthday girl.”

From the yard, Sofie smiled at her father like she never smiled at Kate anymore. It cut to the quick. She raced over to the presents with the boys on her heels. Kate watched Sofie hug her father, and start to sit down in front of the presents, tugging him with her. Somehow, Kate been reduced to looking in at her daughter’s life from the outside, like a spectator. Her throat constricted at the obscene thought.

She watched Reese whisper something in Sofie’s ear. Sofie frowned, then her expression lightened; she scanned the yard, and her gaze landed on Kate. “Hey, Mom, come on. Help with the presents.”

Tears welled in Kate’s eyes.

“Go on, honey,” Jillian said. “Join your family.”

Her family. Seeing father and daughter watch her expectantly, Kate drew in a breath. Sometimes, she’d give anything in the world to have her family back.

IT WAS DIFFERENT between them, somehow. For years, in self-preservation, Reese had cut Kate out of his thoughts. Now, seeing her almost every day precluded that tactic for survival. And after their talk, when she’d come to tell him that she wouldn’t turn on him, and that half-hug in the breakfast nook, and after Sofie’s party where Kate had seemed so vulnerable, Reese was feeling less animosity for his ex-wife. Sure, the anger at her for what she’d done still seethed inside him. But it was diluted by their shared experiences, and that damned closeness between them was coming back. All of which was not good. They’d gone through hell to get this divorce, and put their daughter through the tortures of the damned; second thoughts had no place in their lives at this late date.

As they sat in the law office conference room, across from Chase Sanders, the private investigator they’d hired, Reese ruthlessly squelched his renewed feelings for Kate. Sanders, however, couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her. Her dark hair was loose today, and fell onto the shoulders of a yellow linen suit, contrasting the pale color. With the sun streaming in behind her, she did look good. Reese thought it was unprofessional for Sanders to eye her like he did during their recitation of the course of events that had brought them there.

“Thanks for the information,” the private investigator said, sitting back into his chair, which he’d pushed away from the conference table to accommodate his long legs. The guy was tall, with a runner’s body. Kate’s type. He wore a high-quality suit and a silk T-shirt. “So, specifically, what’s your plan of action?” he asked them.

Kate shot a glance at Reese, an eyebrow cocked to ask who should answer that. Mildly noting how they could still communicate without words, Reese nodded for her to go first.

She faced Sanders. “We know the note is false. There are two ways to look at this, we think. One is that Anna Bingham lied when she wrote it. But that doesn’t make sense, because a person about to die doesn’t usually lie. That’s why dying declarations are accepted in court.”