Next Door Secrets (Secrets Series Book 2) Read online

  “You’re a good man.” She kissed his scratchy five o’clock shadow. “Isn’t there a part of you that sees this baby as your last chance? You always wanted to be a dad.”

  He shook his head. “I gave up that dream a while ago. Plus it wouldn’t be fair to the kid to grow attached to me and then watch me die.”

  “Isn’t it better than having no father at all?”

  “You don’t understand how bad it gets. I watched my dad go through it, and it was so bad, he begged me to help him commit suicide.” His breathing became shallow and labored from the memory.

  Closing her eyes, she struggled to know what to say. Maybe he was right. It was too much to put a child through. “I just don’t want you to miss out on a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

  “Everything for me now, is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

  # # #

  Bethany felt Parker kiss her the next morning before he slipped out and headed to work. She stayed in bed a few minutes longer, rubbing her hands on the warm sheet beside her. A knock at the door made her wonder if Parker had forgotten something. She pulled on her nightshirt before she opened the door, no doubt wearing a lovesick smile.

  Kaylee, sporting a purple dress, striped knee highs and her yellow cast, stood on her stoop. “Why are you still in your p.j.s? My bus comes in a few minutes and you always leave for work by the time my bus comes. You’d better hurry.”

  Beth tried to hide her bare legs behind the open door. She didn’t like being caught sleeping in by a child and she hoped Parker had escaped unnoticed. Premarital sex wasn’t exactly the type of thing she wanted to expose Kaylee to. She’d have to say something to Parker about being discreet the next time he stayed over. “I’m going to work soon, Kaylee. What can I do for you?”

  She swayed side to side as if she were nervous. “My dad said I could invite you for dinner. Can you come?”

  Beth’s jaw fell open a little. “Are you sure? I don’t think your dad likes me very much.”

  “He does like you. A lot.” Kaylee’s sapphire eyes darted to the side making her look a little mischievous. “That’s why he wants you to come to dinner tonight. Seven o’clock. OK?”

  “I might have plans.” If she were lucky, Parker wouldn’t work too late and they could have dinner together.

  “Pleeeeeease? He wants to get to know my Flory Nightingale.”

  “You mean Florence Nightingale?”

  “Something like that. I think he wants to say thanks.”

  It was about time. “Um, I guess. If you’re sure.”

  Kaylee’s one good hand moved forward as if she wanted to clap and had forgotten that her arm was broken. “Yea! I’ll stop by after school to help you pick out something pretty to wear.”

  “That’s not necessary, Kaylee.”

  “I know.” She turned and hopped down the step. “But I want to.”

  # # #

  Kaylee was waiting for Beth when she got home from work that evening. Beth unlocked her apartment and welcomed her inside. Based on the dinner invite, she assumed Jim no longer wanted her to keep her distance.

  After Kaylee made her way into the kitchen, she opened up the fridge. “Got anything to snack on?”

  “Greek yogurt.”

  “Yuck.”

  “It’s good for you. The protein helps build muscles and makes you feel satisfied.”

  “Never mind. Show me what you’re going to wear for your date.”

  Beth laughed. “Just because your dad invited me to dinner doesn’t mean we’re dating.”

  “Sure it does. You go on a few dates, fall in love and get married. Then you can be my new mom. That’s what happened to a girl in my class.” She looked at her cast and pointed to the sloppy signature of Felicity. “Her.”

  “Your dad and I are not going to get married.” The man didn’t even have the decency to invite Beth to dinner himself, he sent his daughter. “Hey, it looks like you got a lot of signatures there. Were you the most popular kid in school today?” Beth led her to the bedroom closet, happy to change the subject.

  “Breaking my arm is the best thing that ever happened to me!” She climbed up on Beth’s bed and started jumping, messing up the comforter. “Everybody asked me what happened.”

  Trying to calm Kaylee down, Beth reached out to her. “Stop jumping. You’re going to break your other arm.”

  Kaylee smiled and allowed herself to be pulled off the bed. “I was thinking you should wear something sexy.”

  Beth almost swallowed her tongue. “Sexy? What does that mean?”

  “I don’t know.” A giggle escaped her lips. “I hear it in songs on the radio all the time.”

  Shaking her head, Beth decided to let this go. Kids grew up way too fast these days. She pulled open her closet door to reveal rows of conservative work clothes.

  Kaylee pushed past her and rifled through her dresses, not that there were many. She tugged on the skirt of a red one Beth had worn to the office Christmas party last year. “This. This is pretty.”

  If she wore that, Kaylee’s dad would definitely get the wrong idea--that she was interested in more than being neighbors. “I don’t think so. What do you think your dad will wear? It seems like he’s always dressed casually.”

  “That’s because that’s how he dresses for work. But I told him to dress nice for tonight.”

  Beth crouched down in order to make eye contact with Kaylee. “Sweetie, I’m sure your dad’s a nice guy, but I’m not interested in him. We’re neighbors. That’s all.”

  “But if he’s nice, why don’t you want to marry him? Do you want to marry someone else?”

  Chewing on her lower lip, Beth considered her answer. Yes, she did want to marry someone else, but it would probably never happen. She’d told herself to be content with whatever Parker could give her for as long as he was around. “I already have a boyfriend.”

  Kaylee dropped her chin. “Oh.”

  A drill bored its way into Beth’s heart. “I tell you what. I’m going to wear jeans, but I’ll let you pick the top.” After turning on the closet light, she ran her fingertips along the many shirts hanging in her closet.

  The little girl’s blue eyes sparkled. “Anything?”

  “Anything.”

  She pulled on a purple shirt to get a better look, then tucked it back in. Her hand did that with each sleeve down the line: white, pink, green, yellow. Kaylee sorted through three different blue shirts: paisley, pinstriped and floral. Finally, she selected the one with tiny turquoise flowers on it. Very girly, and fortunately, not sexy.

  “Your favorite color.” As Beth started to unbutton the shirt she’d worn to the Healthy Habits Vitamins and Herbs office that day, she hesitated. Kaylee’s father probably wouldn’t appreciate this level of familiarity. She quickly grabbed her turquoise shirt and jeans and headed to the bathroom to change.

  “Do you have any jewelry?” Kaylee asked when she returned.

  Beth showed her the small jewelry box on her dresser, nestled between framed photos of her friends’ kids.

  With one hand, the girl picked through the pearl studs and simple gold hoops. “You don’t have much.” Her expression went from disappointment to excitement. “Come with me. I have the perfect thing in my room.”

  “I don’t know that I should go into your apartment when your dad isn’t home. He might not like it.”

  “It’s OK. You’re my friend. I’m allowed to have friends over.”

  “Really?” A child was allowed to invite friends over when there wasn’t an adult home? Taking a deep breath, she decided it couldn’t hurt to go next door. She followed Kaylee into an almost carbon copy of her apartment, where a pile of men’s and children’s shoes met her at the door. The living room furniture was basic: a plaid couch and a brown chair. No side tables, no lamps, no pictures.

  They walked into a bedroom with clothes and coloring pages all over the floor. The bed looked as if it had been the sight of a wrestling match. Beth smiled at the r
elaxed housekeeping habits of a child and a bachelor. Kaylee opened her closet where clothes hung haphazardly and inside-out from hangers. If I were your mother. . . . Beth bit the inside of her mouth to stop the thought.

  Her gaze landed to the floor. Mixed in with the piles of clothes were granola bars, M & M’s, cans of pop, a loaf of bread, Hostess donuts and full-sized cereal boxes. She cocked her head. “Why do you have food in your closet?”

  “In case I get hungry.” Kaylee grabbed a Chutes & Ladders box and set it on the floor by Beth’s feet. She opened it up and pulled out a pair of turquoise earrings set in silver. They looked genuine.

  “Those are beautiful.”

  “They were my mom’s.” Her voice cracked a little. “You want to see a picture of her?”

  Nodding, Beth didn’t dare speak for fear that her voice would crack, too.

  Kaylee pulled out a wallet-sized photo of a thin woman with black hair parted in the middle, with a little girl standing beside her and a toddler on her lap. With their dark hair, blue eyes and chubby cheeked smiles, the children were definitely sisters. The picture had been folded, ripped and taped back together.

  Beth decided not to pry about why the photo had been damaged. “Is this you and your mom?”

  “Yep. And my baby sister. They’re both in heaven now.”

  Instinctively, Beth put her palm on Kaylee’s back and rubbed. “I bet they’re looking down on you right now.”

  “You think?” Her eyes looked wide.

  “Sure.”

  “Does my mom know I broke my arm?”

  “Probably. Maybe she’s the angel that made sure you didn’t get hit by that car.”

  Just then a sound from the doorway drew their attention. Jim stood there clearing his throat. “What’s going on here?”

  Beth felt her face flush. She removed her hand from Kaylee’s back. “Kaylee wanted to show me something.”

  “You’re a little early for dinner.” He looked at his watch.

  “Oh, I can go home and come back later. Or we can just forget the whole thing.” The man certainly wasn’t much of a host. It would be way more fun to dine with Parker tonight. It would probably be more fun to dine alone.

  Kaylee let out a pitiful whine. “Please, Beth. I want you here.”

  He crossed his arms. “Come back in forty minutes.”

  She bent close to Kaylee’s ear and whispered, “See you later.” As she walked into the living room, Jim followed her.

  “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk to my child about religion.”

  She swallowed. “Of course.” As the daughter of a minister, she grew up surrounded by people who believed in heaven, but she knew not everyone was so sure.

  As he opened the door, he lowered his voice. “Trust me. Her momma ain’t no angel.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  A tall teenaged girl stood in front of Parker’s house, her wavy brown hair blocked her face as she focused on her cell phone. She’d probably been texting someone while she walked down the uneven sidewalk and stopped to make sure she didn’t trip. When he pulled into the driveway, her head popped up and he gasped.

  He recognized the brown eyes and the perky nose. It was Hannah. The daughter he never knew he had until a few months ago. But she lived in Texas with her adoptive mother. What was she doing in Indiana?

  Leaving his briefcase in the passenger’s seat, Parker climbed out of his vehicle to greet her. “Hannah! What a surprise.” He opened his arms wide and waited for her to put away her phone.

  The sun reflected off of her braces as she smiled. She hugged him as if they were long, lost friends. In a way, they were. “It’s my Spring Break. Did you forget?”

  Oh my God. He had forgotten. They’d scheduled this visit when he’d spoken to Hannah on the phone a few weeks ago. “I could’ve picked you up at the airport if you’d asked.”

  “That’s OK. I took a cab.” Her luggage stood tucked in the shadows by his front door.

  Holding his arm out to block her, he made his way to her bags. “I’ll get those. I’m such a bad host leaving you outside like this. I’m taking you out for dinner at the nicest restaurant in town, Tippecanoe Place.”

  Her brow furrowed. “Never heard of it.”

  “Ever heard of Studebakers?” Her quizzical expression made him wish only for a second that he’d had a son. “They made cars? Well, anyway, the restaurant is in the old Studebaker mansion. It’s so cool.” After unlocking the front door, he carried her suitcase and duffle bag across the wooden floors to the guest bedroom. He turned to face her. “Welcome to my humble home.”

  She ran her fingertips along the old iron bed covered with a red and white quilt his grandmother had brought from Belgium when she’d immigrated. “I have to admit, this is not at all what I pictured.”

  “Because I’m the founder of Mall Land?” He stuck his hands in his pockets and waited to see her response, hoping she didn’t mind how small the room was. The truth was, all three of the bedrooms were tight. It didn’t matter much, though, since he lived alone.

  “Well, I imagined you’d live in a gated community with a high tech alarm system.”

  He shrugged. “I used to. I’m letting my ex-wife keep that house. The truth is material possessions don’t really matter much when you get to the end. Not that I want to be a downer and bring up the Huntington’s, but it just clarifies things, you know?”

  “Sure.” She sat down on the mattress and bounced a couple of times as if trying it out. Her palm slapped the quilt. “Suits me just fine. Let’s eat.”

  Grinning, he led her back out to his SUV. As he drove them to the mansion, he decided to teach her a little of its history. “This place was built in the 1880’s for the founder of the Studebaker Corporation. Thomas Edison bought one of their first electric cars. In the 50’s they designed sleek cars with what they called a ‘bullet-nose’ on the front grill. I think Studebaker went out of business later that decade.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know, but at one time, they were the largest auto manufacturer in the country.”

  “Wow.”

  When they pulled up to the three-story house with stone walls and a castle-like tower, he heard Hannah suck in her breath.

  He glanced over at her. “Just wait until you see the inside.” He parked and they walked toward the double doors with leaded glass inserts. “Look at the doorknobs. They have the initial ‘S’ on them.”

  Once inside, a carved wooden staircase and a grand piano welcomed them.

  A host, dressed in a suit, looked up. “Do you have reservations?”

  “I’m afraid not, but I’m good friends with the manager. Tell him Parker Dubois is here.” He usually avoided using his influence like this, but he felt guilty for forgetting about Hannah’s visit. He needed to make it up to her.

  “We’re pretty booked up, but I’ll see.” He stepped away and returned a few minutes later with a smile. “Table for two?” After Parker nodded, the man led them to a table draped in white linen near an unlit fireplace. “Enjoy your meal.”

  “Thank you.” Parker pulled out the antique chair upholstered in burgundy velvet for Hannah. As if uncomfortable with this custom, she sat down too quickly, before the chair reached the back of her knees. Then she had to reposition herself and scoot the chair forward on her own.

  As he moved to his chair, he caught a glimpse of the other diners in the mirror above the hearth. Almost every table was occupied—probably because the ambiance was equally matched by the chef’s savoir faire. They spent a few quiet moments examining the menu. “The prime rib is excellent. Does your coach let you eat red meat?”

  “I’m supposed to focus on low fat, high protein. Which reminds me, is there an indoor pool nearby that I can practice in? I need to get 40 miles in this week.”

  “I can take you to the YMCA. Have you heard from any college recruiters yet?”

  “No. They’re not allowed to contact me until July. But Coach says he’s pr
etty sure I’ll be offered a scholarship.”

  “That’s good. Remember, you can go to any school, no matter what the cost. I’ll pick up the tab.”

  Her gaze landed on the candle centerpiece. “I don’t think Mom would like that. She’s kind of sensitive about taking care of me by herself. I’m lucky she didn’t buy the seat next to me on the plane just so she could hold my hand.” She smirked.

  “Someday you’ll appreciate her concern.”

  “I doubt it.” The waiter came by to fill their water glasses and pulled out a notepad to take their orders.

  Hannah spoke first. “Salmon and a baked potato—no sour cream or butter.”

  Closing his menu, Parker smiled. “I’ll have the prime rib and I’ll take her extra butter for my baked potato.” After the waiter walked away, Parker leaned in. “One of the perks of knowing how you’re gonna die. I can eat anything I want.”

  She twirled a lock of her dark brown hair around her index finger and looked down. “Since you brought it up, what do you plan to do now that you’ve been diagnosed?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you’re eating steak. What else do you want to do before the end?”

  He took a drink of his water. “Go to the office. See you as much as possible. Try to be happy.”

  “So what would make you happy? Before I got tested, I thought about everything I might never get the chance to do. If it were me, I’d want to go skydiving.”

  He was so relieved that Hannah didn’t carry the Huntington’s gene. While he tried to decide if he needed to jump out of an airplane before he died, he took a breath and gathered his thoughts. “That might be fun. I have a friend who has an airplane. If you want, I could see if he can take us up.”

  Her braces sparkled as she smiled. “Really? That would be amazing!”

  “Then we’ll definitely do that before you go home. Anything else you want to do this week?”

  Shaking her head, she gave him a disapproving look. “This is supposed to be about you. What’s on your Bucket List?”