Maguire. She said his voice softly, gently. She couldnt just let him go on, not when he was expressing so much hurt-in such a tough voice.
But he motioned her with a hand. I know this is a long story, Carolina, but I really hate telling it. Im almost at the end, so just let me get through it, okay?
She nodded.
So Tommy goes to this incredible place. And he has a seizure. Seizures arent unusual for someone with Tommys brain issues, but this teacher thinks theres something that doesnt make sense. So when an ambulance picks him up from the school, she goes to the hospital with him. Everybody starts getting mad at her. The doctor, the medical staff. They think shes interfering, full of herself, doesnt know anything. But the thing is, this teacher-by the name of Carolina Daniels-was right. All this time, there was actually a reason for a lot of Tommys mental and physical disabilities. He had a tumor behind one eye.
Now Tommy still isnt perfect. Never will be. But his life just became damn close to normal, thanks to her. Gerald, being Gerald, offers her money. This Carolina woman wont take it. But thats all Gerald has ever known how to do-throw money at problems-so he puts her in his will, leaves this unsuspecting teacher somewhere around fifteen million dollars. Of course, Gerald wasnt actually planning on dying. But whatever. Gerald wanted her to have some payback, and being Gerald, he got what he wanted.
Maguire finally tried stretching out his long legs toward the fire, leaning back in the chair. My guess is that our mysterious teacher-Carolina Daniels-was initially thrilled about the money. I mean, hey, who wouldnt be? Isnt that everybodys dream, to have total financial security, financial freedom, never have to worry about money again? Only, it didnt seem to work out quite that simple for her For the first time since he started talking, he shot her a glance. You cold?
No, not at all.
Were going inside the minute youre cold. You hungry?
No.
More wine?
No. Good grief.
Okay then. Were getting to the last part of the story. The awkward part. Heres the deal. The second son was always an interfering son of a gun. Self-righteous. Thinks he knows everything. That kind of pain-in-the-neck type of character. But he happens to really love his little brother. And even though Tommys got a trust set up that will protect him forever financially, that second son has always been a part of Tommys life. So thats how he knows about this teacher of Tommys. How she saved Tommys life. How she inherited that nest egg from Gerald.
Carolina opened her mouth, closed it. She had to let him finish.
Okay. So Second Son-even though he hasnt got a legal right in the universe, even though its none of his business in any way, even though he doesnt have time to mess around with a strangers life-tracks down this Carolina Daniels. I dont know what you call that. Guilt? Lunacy? Trying to fix the sins of the father? Whatever. Second Son gets the impression that maybe this teacher isnt the toughest nut on the tree. In fact, this new, fabulous fortune isnt working at all like the fairy tales supposed to be. Her moneys brought out every vulture and piranha in the area. Shes never had to cope with sharks before. Shes never been trained to deal with greed at this level-or what levels people will fall to-to get a cut out of her. All that money, but she cant get safe. She cant
Carolina was still listening, but some of his monologue made her zone out. Her heart suddenly felt hugely full, brimming over. She still didnt have all the answers she wanted, and she hadnt had time to phrase even half the questions she wanted to. But hed told her enough.
Her kidnapper was a good man. Better than a good man. Maguire was a true modern-day white knight who actually stepped up for damsels in distress-even if she wasnt a damsel, much less the kind of woman who counted on a man to save her from anything. Carolina never needed saving, anyway. Shed just desperately needed two seconds to think, to put her new life together, and there hadnt been a single stretch where she could hide from the bombardment of ceaseless pressures and demands being made of her.
Maguire?
Yeah? His voice edgy, wary now.
You know I thought Maguire was your last name. You never once let on your real last name was Cochran.
He answered, Well, hell. I didnt want you to have a negative impression right off the bat. Its not like I had any choice over the family I was born into. Believe me, I would have chosen Smith. Or Jones.
She got it, that he was hoping shed laugh off the little deceit hed pulled on her. But she couldnt stop thinking. I kept trying to understand why I felt aninstinctive trust for you. Why I wasnt more afraid. I mean, for Petes sake, you were kidnapping me.
Borrowing, he corrected her swiftly. Less prison time if we use a little different term than kidnapping.
I had every reason to think youd be after my money. Because everyones been after my money. So why would you have taken me if not for ransom? Its the conclusion any sane person would come to, wouldnt you think? But it just didnt make sense in my mind. It just didntfit.
Youve been pretty drugged up, cookie. You shouldnt be expecting yourself to think rationally or normally for a while yet.
Maybe. But I still knew. Somehow. That you werent going to hurt me. That this wasnt about your wanting something from me. She leaned forward. Maguire, hows Tommy?
Good. Hes in Seattle. I petitioned the court for custody after my dad died, but as I mentioned, Gerald and I had issues. Dad did a good job of financially protecting him, but thats the best I can say. I see him at least twice a month, and sometimes he stays with me for weeks at a time
So who is he with?
As odd as it soundswith Jays ex-wife. One of Jays ex-wives. Shannon. The one thing Tommy needed that no amount of money could give him was a plain old mom. The nurturing of a mom, the warmth of a mom, the parenting relationship of a mom. Hes crazy about Shannon. So it isnt a blood tie, but probably thats best. The Cochrans arent exactly famous for their maternal or paternal judgment.
So she volunteered for this? Shes good with-
From nowhere, in that quiet night, over the sparks of fire and zesty scent of pine, she suddenly heard a sound. A phone. A cell phone. Nothing more than thatbut she instinctively responded as if shed heard a rifle shot. She curled up, froze, covered her head.
Carolina, its okay, its okayIll turn it off. Hell. I forgot I even had it on me
But there seemed to be an invisible mute button in her head that was punched hard. She stopped hearing the phone. His voice. The crackle of fire. It was gone again. Her whole sense of hearing.
She was back in that closet of silence, where no sound seemed to penetrate and nothing got through. She could feel herself shaking, a deep trembling from her fingertips to her lips. Her heart started pounding, pounding, as if shed been running for her life and just had no breath left, nowhere to hide, nowhere to go.
She saw Maguire leaning over her, saw his mouth move. Was fairly positive his lips framed a mighty annoyed swearword. But that was all she could figure out for some time
Within an hour of Henrys arrival, Maguire had the central dining table spread out with contracts, correspondence and various legal documents that supposedly required his immediate attention.
When Henry got in, he took one look at his bosss face and headed silently for the refrigerator. After inhaling every lunch food in sight, hed poured a coffee, located himself against the counter and was being silent as a tomb. Possibly hed worked for Maguire long enough to sense when his boss was crabbier than a bear with a sliver.
Maguire hadnt slept. He couldnt imagine sleeping in the near future.
This whole plan wasnt working. Well. Actually, itd been working really well until Carolina heard the damn cell phone last night.
That shed lost her hearing again wasnt the frazzler. Two different doctors had told him that could happen, and was even likely to happen. She had to be completely removed from stress for a serious stretch of time. The phone was a trigger for her.
Shed get her hearing back. That wasnt the problem. The problem was him. Instead of seeing her as a responsibility-a job, something he had to do-he kept feeling a pull toward those heart-big blue eyes. He touched her or tucked an arm around her, and just like that, he was harder than a teenage boy. That tangle of sizzle and rush happened every damn time they were in the same room.
This whole plan wasnt working. Well. Actually, itd been working really well until Carolina heard the damn cell phone last night.
That shed lost her hearing again wasnt the frazzler. Two different doctors had told him that could happen, and was even likely to happen. She had to be completely removed from stress for a serious stretch of time. The phone was a trigger for her.
Shed get her hearing back. That wasnt the problem. The problem was him. Instead of seeing her as a responsibility-a job, something he had to do-he kept feeling a pull toward those heart-big blue eyes. He touched her or tucked an arm around her, and just like that, he was harder than a teenage boy. That tangle of sizzle and rush happened every damn time they were in the same room.
He needed her to trust him. Which meant he had to earn that trust. And he sure as hell couldnt do that if she was afraid he was going to jump her.
Which, of course, he wasnt.
It was a matter of her never guessing that was even a remote possibility in his head.
Where is she? Henry risked asking a question, although he was still keeping a wary distance, still had his aviator jacket on.
Shes upstairs. I heard the shower a little while ago. He zoned in on the documents in front of him again-or tried to. The problem was that there were repercussions when he failed to concentrate on what mattered. If he failed to pay prompt attention to all this business, for example, he could lose a lot of money.
Unfortunately, he couldnt seem to give two shakes about losing money. Hed learned long ago that there were far worse things.
Henry, you need to sleep over before flying again.