Summer Joy by Nicky
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Chapter or Story
Disclaimer - Not my characters. Just using them for fun.
Summer Joy
By Nicky
Chapter 1
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Miss Parker sighs as a gentle breeze cools her wet skin. She opens her eyes and sees a blanket of stars covering her from above, their light a comforting presence to the silence around her. This time of night is her favorite for running, especially since discovering this little pond not far from the outer edge of her property. After a hard day, she tends to subject her body to an even harder jogging pace. And after her run, this pond has turned out to be the perfect place to take a relaxing swim to drown away the daily stresses that come from working at a place like the Centre.
The bright moonlight is suddenly obscured by a cloud and another breeze causes her to shiver. Looks like a storm. She really needs to get home before the rain starts. With reluctance, Miss Parker swims back to the bank and squeezes the water from her dripping hair. She pulls her t-shirt and leggings back over her wet underwear and slips her shoes on and begins the journey home. The hour is late and she keeps herself alert, realizing how dangerous it is being out this time of night. But it's the only time she can truly relax. It's the only time she can let her guard down and really enjoy the warm pond in privacy.
Sooner than she expects, Miss Parker finds herself climbing the steps of her deck leading to her back porch. The trip home seemed shorter than usual, probably because her mind was wandering more than usual. She's been like that the past few weeks. Distracted. Unsettled. And not really sure what the problem is. Actually, she knows exactly what the problem is. Her dreams are the problem. Or rather, one recurring dream in particular. Haunting is not the word to describe it. That one dream has been plaguing her waking hours as well as the sleeping ones, infusing itself into all aspects of her consciousness. She's found only one way to make any sense of the confusing images.
Miss Parker tips quietly into her mother's old art studio, honoring the silent sacredness of the place. She never really spent much time in here before a few weeks ago, before she started having the dream. But for some reason, this is now the only place she has any peace. It's as if the dream is leading her here. She flips the cover from the painting she's working on. She never realized how much of her mother's talent had been passed onto her until she picked up the brush one night and tried to paint what she saw in her dream. She's been working on it every night since and finally it's taking shape. She stares at the image of the little girl formed on the canvas. It's the girl she sees in her dream. She feels as if she knows her, but she can't for the life of her figure out who she is.
"It's beautiful."
Miss Parker spins around quickly at the voice behind her, not really knowing why she's so surprised. Just like she knew what to paint, she knew he'd find her here one day.
"Jarod. What are you doing here?" she asks out of routine. She knows that he's here for the same reason she is. And she has a feeling that he doesn't understand that reason anymore than she does.
"I need to talk to you. About her," he says, nodding his head toward the painting.
"What about her, Jarod? She's a figment of my imagination. An image from my dream. How would you know anything about her?" Those are the questions she knows she must ask to play the 'game' that's become the essence of their lives. But she knows that he has as much at stake in this as she does. Whatever answers she hopes to find will be answers for Jarod as well.
"Her eyes," he says absently, still staring at the painting. "You've got them wrong. The color is more . . . intense. They're the same color blue as your eyes get when you get your mind set on something." He smiles dreamily, recalling a memory from the past. "I remember that day you kissed me. I could tell the moment you made up your mind to do it. You looked at me and the instant before your lips touched mine, your eyes turned this amazing shade of blue I don't think I've ever seen anywhere else. Until recently. Until I saw it in this girl's eyes."
"Her eyes are the same color as mine?"
"Not just the same color, Miss Parker," he whispers. "The same eyes. She has your eyes. And she . . . "
"She what?" Miss Parker asks, although she's not sure she wants to know the answer. She can tell by his hesitation and by the look on his face that what he has to say is something that even he is having trouble dealing with.
"She has my nose. And my smile, but with that cute little overbite of yours that you spent two years in braces correcting." He pulls out an envelope from his pocket and hands it over to her, watching as she pulls out a stack of pictures to flip through. "She's not your dream, Miss Parker. She's very real."
"Jarod, who is this girl?" she asks, her hands shaking with each picture she sees. "Why does she look so much like . . . "
"Like how you did when you were that age?" he finishes for her. "I don't know the answer to that question. All I know is that for some reason, you've been dreaming of her. And for some reason, I was drawn to her. I think we were meant to find her. And now that I have, I want to keep her. But to do that, I'm going to need your help. That's why I'm here."
She looks up at him in shock, not sure at what to say at that.
"My help?" she gasps out. "What do you mean? You want to me to help you kidnap her or something?"
"No, nothing like that. Although, the thought did cross my mind," he chuckles. "But an aggressive approach like that would cause too much attention. I need to do this as quietly as possible, in case the Centre has anything to do with her existence."
"Which they probably do," she sighs in resignation as she looks at one of the pictures of the girl. "I can see so much of both of us in her."
"That's why I have to get to her and keep her safe. Will you help me?"
Miss Parker can't seem to keep her eyes from the pictures in her hand. At first, the girl was just an abstract image in her dream. But now, she's a real, living breathing person, who quite possibly belongs to her. No, scratch that. This little girl very probably belongs to her. She's almost certain of it. And because of that, despite any doubts she may be having, everything in her is telling her to do this. To help Jarod.
"Okay," she says quietly, nodding her head to show her agreement. "I'll do it. I'll help you."
"Great," he smiles excitedly. "Thank you so much."
"What do I need to do?"
"Not much for now. You'll be getting a call in the morning from your father forcing you on a mandatory vacation," he explains. "If he asks your plans, just tell him you'll be traveling for the next few weeks or so. That should give us enough time to do what we need to do."
"How did you manage that?" she asks incredulously. At the smug look on his face, she quickly decides she doesn't want to know. "Never mind, don't tell me. Although, I'm guessing you just assumed all along I'd be helping you on your little mission."
"Anyway," he smiles again, ignoring her comment. "We can leave as soon as you get that call."
"I guess that means you're staying here tonight," she sighs, rolling her eyes at the twinkle he gets in his own eyes. She walks past him out the studio and to the linen closet where she pulls out a blanket and pillow for him. "Honeymoon's over, Loverboy. You're sleeping on the couch. Goodnight." She heads up the stairs to her own bedroom, leaving him in shock at her unexpected innuendo.
"Wrong Sweetheart. The honeymoon's just beginning," he mumbles to himself.
"Jarod," she calls out, stopping in the middle of her trek up the stairs. She turns back around to face him.
"Yeah?" he squeaks, suddenly afraid that she heard his muttered comment. But the serious look on her face tells him that this has nothing to with that.
"The little girl. What's her name?" She bites on her lip nervously. It's a habit he knows she's had all her life that only manifests itself when she's truly worried about something. It takes all the self-control Jarod has not to run to her and pull her into his arms to comfort. But he also knows her well enough to know that gesture would only upset her more.
"Summer," he smiles, trying to reassure her from afar. "Her name is Summer Joy."
Chapter 2
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The room is not much more than a classroom converted into a playroom by the school. Jarod, pretending to be a child psychologist, convinced them that it was the best setting to conduct his counseling sessions with students. He gives Miss Parker a quick tour of the place while they wait.
"So all that time we wasted looking for you for the past few months and you've been right here playing a shrink the whole time?" she asks, picking up the name plate from the desk and tracing the words 'Dr. Jarod Hamilton' with her finger.
"Well, most of the time," he says with that little smirk of his that she's not sure if she wants to slap or kiss off of him. At the moment, she's too nervous to do either. She returns the nameplate to its proper place and searches for something else to fidget with.
"Relax. She should be here in a few minutes, Miss Parker," he says gently, grabbing her hands to stop her from wringing them. "Or should I say Mrs. Hamilton?" He chuckles at the flush staining her cheeks.
"You would think this was funny, Jarod. Oh, excuse me, Dr. Hamilton," she says sarcastically. "Only you would think to pull me into this little pretend of yours as your wife. Why do we have to be married anyway?"
"I told you. If I just took Summer, it would cause too much attention. She lives in a children's home just outside of town and has been passed over a few times for being adopted. Us pretending to be married and looking to adopt her is the perfect way to get her, legally and for good."
"And this is really going to work?" she asks dubiously. "You think we'll be able to be convincing as a married couple, Jarod? A *happily* married couple?"
"Dr. Hamilton," a voice drawls over the intercom, stopping him from answering that question. "Summer Dawson is here for her one o'clock appointment with you."
"Thank you, Susan. Send her in." He looks up at Miss Parker and can see her nervousness has returned.
"Do you really think is a good idea? I mean, me being here?" she asks him. "She's used to you already. Won't she be afraid of meeting someone new?"
"I've been counseling Summer for awhile now. She's the happiest, most easy going child around. She definitely lives up to her name," Jarod smiles. He takes her hand again and gives it a gentle squeeze before walking to the door. A little ball of energy flies through just as he opens it, grabbing onto to Jarod's leg and squealing with delight.
"Jarod," she screeches, holding her arms up to him. He bends down and lifts her up, giving her a quick hug.
"Hey Summer. It's good to see you today." He shifts her to his hip and walks toward the side of the room where Miss Parker seems to be frozen in place.
"Who's she?" Summer asks shyly when she notices the woman. She immediately puts a thumb in her mouth and buries her head in Jarod's shoulder.
"Just a nice lady I wanted you to meet. Summer, this is my wife, Parker."
"Hi Parker," Summer says sweetly with an easy smile. She reaches her arms out and waits patiently for Miss Parker to take her. Miss Parker can do no more than comply with her wishes and takes her from Jarod.
"Hi Summer," Miss Parker says once the girl is situated in her arms, her discomfort melting away with each passing second. It feels surprisingly natural to be holding the child. "It's very nice to meet you."
"She's pretty, Jarod. I like her a lot," Summer says.
"Well thank you, Summer. I like her, too. I think I'll keep her," Jarod smiles, winking at Miss Parker who once again feels the redness burn her cheeks. "Come on, young lady. It's time for us to get to work. And you know what day it is, don't you?"
"It's play day," Summer shrieks, clapping her hands with delight. She starts to squirm around, giving Miss Parker the hint she's ready to be put down. But before she runs off, she surprises Miss Parker yet again with a little kiss on the cheek. "Are you going to play with us too?"
Still reeling from the unexpected feelings coursing through her, she's again frozen in place, unable to speak. Her wide eyes, full of apprehension, make contact with Jarod and she viciously shakes her head to tell him no.
"Not today, Summer," he tells the girl. "Why don't you pick out a game and set it up. I need to talk to my wife out in the hall for a second, okay?"
He leads Miss Parker outside the little room and sees a few tears on her face. He closes the door behind them so that Summer won't overhear.
"I can't," she whispers. "I'm sorry. I know I told you that I . . . but I can't."
"It's okay, Miss Parker." He reaches up to her cheek to wipe away the tears. "I can understand how today would be a bit . . . overwhelming for you."
"Overwhelming is an understatement, Jarod," she chuckles mirthlessly. "Looking at her is like looking at pictures from my childhood. I know I saw her in the photos you brought me, but seeing her in person . . . I just didn't expect her eyes to be exactly like mine. Or for her smile to match yours perfectly. And those freckles. Jarod, I swear she has one right under her eye that's a bit darker than the others and is destined to become a mole just like the one you have. I knew hypothetically what to expect coming into this. But the reality of it is another story. It's one thing to see a picture, but nothing prepared me for this. She's real, Jarod. And she's ours. I'm positive of that."
"I believe she's ours, too," he nods solemnly. "I didn't want to risk a DNA test, but look at her. What more proof do we need?"
"What did they do? What reason could they possibly have had for making her?" she cries, falling into his outstretched arms as if it's something she does everyday.
"I don't know. I don't know why they made her or why they just threw her away. But I'm not going to let them hurt her ever again," he swears. "I'm getting her out of that children's home and with me where she belongs."
"I said I'd help and I meant it, Jarod. I just need some time to process it all," she explains, pulling herself from his comforting embrace.
"I know. And I understand." He places a kiss on her forehead before letting her go completely. "Are you going to be okay? I still have this session with Summer, but I can . . . "
"I'll be fine," she tells him, giving as much a smile as she can. "Go back to her. I'll see you later." She tries the smile again before turning and walking towards the exit.
"I certainly hope so," he sighs, watching her walk away. He understands her retreat. It's the way she deals with things. He just hopes she doesn't run far enough away where he'll never find her. He needs her. And the little girl inside that room needs her. And though she may not admit it, he knows Miss Parker needs them both. Hopefully she'll realize that before it's too late.
Chapter 3
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Jarod returns home later that evening and is pleasantly surprised to see Miss Parker waiting for him. He wasn't sure she'd be there after that hasty exit she made earlier that day. He's relieved to know she didn't break her promise. He wouldn't have blamed her if she did, but he's glad she didn't. He's glad she's still here.
"Hey," he calls out to Miss Parker gently, trying to not scare her. But when he walks into the room he hopes to one day be Summer's, he sees that she's sitting in the middle of a pile of clothes and looking a bit flustered. The clothes were spread out all over the place. Lots of clothes. Lots of little clothes he doesn't remember buying. "What's going on in here?"
"Hi, Jarod." She looks up from her spot on the floor and gives him an embarrassed smile. "I guess you're wondering where all of this came from."
"The thought did cross my mind," he says, trying to hold back a grin. He sits next to her and lifts up a small t-shirt with the price tag still on it.
"I was a little upset when I left you today. So I drove around awhile and ended up at a department store. Shopping tends to soothe me, so I did some. Did you know they had such cute clothes for little girls? I couldn't resist." She holds up a tiny pair of flare leg jeans and smiles at how cute they are.
"Couldn't resist what? Buying out the whole store?" he laughs. He picks up a little bathing suit and wrinkles his nose. "A bikini, Parker? She's three years old. Why did you get her a bikini?"
"Because it matches the one I bought for myself," she says with a suggestive rise of her eyebrows.
"Ooh. I think I need to see that. Are you going to model it for me?" he replies, in an equally suggestive tone.
"Oh, so a bikini is good enough for me, but you wouldn't want to see one on your dau . . ." she pauses abruptly, the words she's saying finally sinking in. She sits back against the bed and lets out a shaky breath. "Wow, Jarod. We have a child. I still can't wrap my mind around that."
"Me either," he says, grabbing her hand, holding it in his own in what has become a symbol of comfort for them both. "You know, if you're not sure about this, it's not too late to back out. I don't want to force you . . . ."
"I've already been forced, Jarod," she interrupts him. "But that's beside the point. She may have been created without my consent or knowledge, but she's here now and I have to take responsibility for her."
"*We* have to take responsibility. She belongs to both of us. But right now we need to focus on getting her. I think this adoption thing will work."
"When do we get started?" she asks him.
"It's mostly done, actually. The paperwork and everything. I had to forge most of the documents, so it was easier to get all that out the way. And I don't think there's going to be much resistance to us adopting her because she's pretty much in the 'unadoptable' category."
"But why? She's so beautiful and so sweet? Why wouldn't anyone want her?"
"Well, for one thing, she's not a baby. Most people want babies. But she's young enough for most of the prospective parents to give her a chance. But the few parents she's visited with brought her back because of her nightmares. They couldn't deal with them," Jarod explains. "Ironically, that's how I met Summer. Mrs. Pritchard from the children's home heard about the counseling sessions I give at the school. She brought Summer to me to see if I could uncover what's behind the nightmares. After a week or so, she noticed how well Summer and I got along and asked if my wife and I were looking to adopt."
"Your wife? She thought you were married?"
"Yeah," Jarod blushes. "I've pretended to be a teacher before. Let's just say that those single mothers were pretty relentless in their efforts to seduce me."
"Oh, you poor baby," she teases.
"Anyway, I decided to wear a wedding band this time around to head off the unwanted attention."
"So this Mrs. Pritchard. I assume she's going to want to meet me or something. I'm sure she's not just going to hand Summer over to us without some sort of evaluation," Miss Parker says.
"How does tomorrow sound for you? I don't have any sessions scheduled, so I told her to come by then. If all goes well, Summer will stay the week with us as a trial."
"Here?" she squeaks. "In this house with us? Jarod, there are only two bedrooms. Where are you going to sleep if she's going to be here?"
His only response is a wink and a leer. He stands to his feet, leaving her in stunned silence on the floor.
"I'm going to the store to make sure we have enough food and stuff. You need anything?" She just shakes her head. He chuckles at her reaction and then turns to leave.
After he's gone, she manages to shake some sense back into herself. She doesn't know why the sleeping arrangements are so shocking to her. They're both adults. Surely they can handle sleeping in the same bed for a week. There's nothing really to fear. She's sure Jarod will be a perfect gentleman. She wonders briefly to herself why that thought is suddenly so disappointing to her before shoving aside that line of thinking. With Summer coming tomorrow, there's work to be done. No time to hope for slightly less than noble intentions from her pretend husband.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Miss Parker watches as Jarod makes one last lap around the house, making sure everything is in order. His nervousness is starting to drive her crazy.
"Jarod, will you just sit down?" she snaps at him.
"Sorry," he apologizes, giving her a sheepish look. "I just want this to be perfect. Mrs. Pritchard can't be suspicious about us. I don't want any more delays in getting Summer."
"I'm sure it'll be fine," she reassures him. But her words are for herself as much as they are for him. She's pretty nervous about the whole thing, too. "How about we go over our story one last time?"
"That's a good idea," he nods. "We're sticking as close to the truth as possible, right? We grew up together. You went away to school and when you came back, we ended up working at the same . . . research facility."
"Oh, is that what we're calling the Centre?" she laughs, picking up the story where he left off. "You saw me again and fell madly in love with me and pursued me relentlessly."
"I pursued you? Come on, Miss Parker. I thought we were sticking to the truth here. I'd say you were the one doing most of the chasing."
"Whatever, Jarod," she says, rolling her eyes. "Why don't you just shove your little story up your . . . "
"Ooh, I'd watch that if I were you, Miss Parker," he grins, amused at her how much he's annoying her. "None of that filthy language around our child. Also, no smoking. No drinking. And while we're at it, I better make sure your gun is well out of reach."
"Anything else about my personality that you find so offensive?" she growls.
"Just one more thing," he smirks. He pulls out a cell phone and hands it to her. "Here, just for practice. When you hear that ringing sound coming out of it, the thing to say is *hello*," he enunciates slowly, dissolving into a fit of giggles. "Not *what*. Hello."
"Funny, Jarod," she says sarcastically, shooting an annoyed grin at him that only makes him laugh harder at her. "You think you're the great pretender, but just watch me. I'm going to charm the pants off Mrs. Pritchard."
"Sounds intriguing. Why haven't you ever tried that with me?" he asks, his eyes flashing mischief.
"Because based on some of the women of yours I met throughout the years of chasing you, I can see that it doesn't take much to get your pants off, Jarod," she groans in exasperation, trying to hide her jealousy. It bothered her more than she cared to admit meeting some of the women left in his wake. Especially that FBI Agent. What was her name? Rachel?
"Someone sounds jealous," he grins smugly.
"Shut up," she snaps, not even bothering to deny it. She knows she wouldn't be able to pull that lie off. "Will you just stop with the lame flirting attempts and focus on what we're doing?"
A knock on the door stops the verbal sparring match going on between the two. They stare at the door in stunned silence for a few endless seconds before Jarod lets out a deep breath he didn't even realize he was holding.
"I guess this is when you start to charm my pants off," he quips. But she can see how nervous he really is and appreciates his attempt at levity.
"Just wait, Jarod. After this performance, you'll be wanting to give me a lot more than your pants," she says with a wicked little smile and wink that shocks the breath right back out of him. He has a feeling he's about to see a side of Miss Parker he never knew existed. He doesn't know whether to be afraid or excited. Maybe even slightly aroused. In any case, he knows it's going to be a performance he doesn't want to miss.
Chapter 4
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"Come in," he hears Miss Parker say as sunlight streams through the open door. "You must be Mrs. Pritchard."
"Hi Parker," Summer chirps cheerfully as she runs into the house and throws her arms briefly around Miss Parker's legs before running past her and jumping into Jarod's outstretched arms.
"And based on Summer's reaction, I'd say you're Jarod's wife and that we're definitely in the right place," Mrs. Pritchard smiles cheerfully, offering her hand to shake. "It's good to finally meet you. Summer couldn't stop talking about the two of you last night. I have a feeling this is going to work out for everyone."
"We hope so," Jarod says, walking up behind Miss Parker with an armful of Summer.
"Silly me. Where are my manners?" Miss Parker says sweetly. "Please come in, Mrs. Pritchard. Would you like something to drink? Jarod, Honey. Go get some iced tea." She has to stifle a laugh when Jarod looks at her as if he's never seen her before. She admits, she may be laying it on a little thick.
"That would be nice. Thank you." Mrs. Pritchard sits in the seat offered to her and glances around the room in awe. "Your home is lovely, Mrs. Hamilton."
"Call me Parker, please," she insists, tossing another sweet and frighteningly sincere looking smile Jarod notices as he makes his way back into the living room with the drinks. "And thank you. But I'm afraid I can't take the credit for it. Jarod did everything here. I was taking care of moving us out of our old house. Jarod handled moving us into here, didn't you Sweetie."
Jarod is glad his back is to Mrs. Pritchard to hide his reaction. So far, he's gotten a 'Honey' and now a 'Sweetie' from Miss Parker. He wonders what else she has up her sleeve.
"A brave woman, you are," Mrs. Pritchard laughs. "I can't trust my husband to keep the garage cleaned, let alone picking out and decorating an entire house."
"Well, I trust him," Miss Parker says, gazing at Jarod. She takes his hand and gives it a little squeeze for effect, giving him a look of love that takes his breath away yet again. If she's not careful, he might just keel over before the day is over, he thinks to himself. She's better than he expected. The looks, the glances, the touches. They all seem so real. He smiles back at her and tosses his free arm over her shoulder.
"I trust him with everything I have," she says, tucking herself easily into his embrace. If she had a moment to think about it, the ease of getting used to Jarod's touch would be a bit disconcerting.
"You two are just so sweet," Mrs. Pritchard comments with a dreamy look in her eyes. "I can see how much love you have to give. I'm surprised you don't have children already, though. Jarod tells me you've been married for about six years."
"We've been trying," Jarod says solemnly, tightening his grip around her. "But it hasn't worked out yet."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Mrs. Pritchard gasps. "I didn't know."
"Don't be. We're fine about it," Miss Parker assures her. "If it's God's will, it'll happen in His time. Who knows, maybe *this* is His Will - for Summer to be our first born. Maybe this is just meant to be."
She almost loses it at the look of wide eyed shock on Jarod's face. They both are trying to hard not to laugh. But a comment comes from their guest that sobers their amusement.
"I think I've heard enough here," Mrs. Pritchard says with a sigh as she puts away her pen and notepad.
Jarod and Miss Parker nervously glance at each other. The amusement is gone and panic has taken its place. He can see her starting to blame herself for possibly taking her act a bit too far.
"S-so you're leaving?" he stutters, trying desperately to hide any other signs of fear in his quivering voice.
"I don't have any other questions," Mrs. Pritchard says, before a big smile spreads across her face. "As far as I'm concerned, the two of you are perfect candidates. If after a week with Summer this is what you still want, then I'll do my best to help the adoption go through as quickly as possible."
"Really?" Miss Parker asks with some surprise. A few tears well up in her eyes and neither she nor Jarod are sure if they're just a part of the act. She's genuinely happy things seem to be working out the way they hoped.
"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton. It looks like it's a girl."
"Thank you so much, Mrs. Pritchard," Jarod says, shaking her hand vigorously.
"No thanks are necessary, Jarod. Just take care of that little girl. Summer, why don't you come out and get your backpack from the car. You're going to stay with Jarod and his wife for a few days. Would you like that?"
Summer nods her head with a big smile and runs out the house behind Mrs. Pritchard. After they're gone, Jarod lets go of the chuckle that's been plaguing him the whole afternoon. Now that the stress of meeting with Mrs. Pritchard is over, he can breathe a sigh of relief.
"God's will? Parker, I never pictured you the meek, God-fearing, house wife. You were incredible," he laughs.
"You couldn't have been that impressed," she says, slowly walking towards him with another one of those *looks* in her eyes. The sultry tone of her voice stops him mid-laugh and makes his knees tremble. "You still have your pants on."
"That's a problem that can be easily remedied," he whispers huskily.
"I swear you are too easy," she laughs, giving him a knowing look. "And here I was thinking all those women took advantage of poor, innocent Jarod. Looks to me like you couldn't whip it out fast enough."
"You really are jealous," he realizes, watching in amazement as her cheeks flush with embarrassment.
"What makes you think that?" she asks, trying to sound not guilty.
"Well, this is the second time you've mentioned 'all my women'. Let me get a few things straight. First of all, there weren't that many. Just two or three, one fairly serious."
"Which one was she? The serious one?" she hears herself asking. Her voice is shaky and quiet. Almost a whisper and he has to strain to hear her.
"Her name is Zoë," he tells her.
"The one Lyle and Cox kidnapped?" He just nods. "I heard about what happened, Jarod. I'm sorry they pulled her into all of that."
"She was okay. My dad helped me rescue her. Unfortunately after that, she didn't think my um . . . adventurous lifestyle was compatible with her safety. I haven't seen her since."
"Did you love her?"
"I loved being with her," he answers after a few moments to think. He didn't expect that question from her and takes a second to wonder why she's asking it. "But no. I didn't love her. I guess it's for the best she left when she did. Before she really got hurt."
"Like Thomas."
"Yeah. Like Thomas." They both offer a moment of silence for their friend lost to the Centre war. Eventually, curiosity starts to burns away at him as he blurts out, "Did you love him?"
"Yes," she answers without hesitation. "I loved him as much as I could. Enough to be willing to go away and make a life with him. But I wasn't in love with him," she admits.
They endure an awkward silence while they contemplate the significance of the conversation that just passed. Jarod bites his lip and wonders to himself why he's feeling jealous of a dead man who happened to own Miss Parker's heart for awhile. At the same time, Miss Parker wonders why her heart leapt for joy when Jarod admitted to not loving the woman he considered himself serious with. Summer comes back into the house and surprises them both. No time for those thoughts now. They have a week to get through with Summer. They have to focus on that.
Interlude 1
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Dear Diary. An interesting development. A woman. His wife, to be exact. And a child. The woman is tall. Beautiful. With dark hair and blue eyes. They seem to make a good couple. The child is a girl. She looks like the woman. But I can also see a lot of him in her. Obviously their child. And an extra challenge. But one I won't back down from. They may be a perfectly happy family now. But they won't be for much longer. Not if I have anything to do with it.
Chapter 5
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The nightmares start three days later. Miss Parker hears and sits straight up in the bed, untangling herself from Jarod's long legs. She doesn't understand how, no matter how far apart they start the night off, they end up practically wrapped around each other by morning.
"Jarod," she whispers, nudging his chest with her elbow. "Did you hear that?"
A muffled cry drifts down the hall and both of them sleepily get up to investigate. They come to Summer's room and find the girl huddled in a little ball in the middle of her bed. Jarod sits down and pulls her into his lap.
"What's wrong, Summer?" he asks gently, sweeping her curly hair from out of her eyes.
"I had a bad dream," she sniffles.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Summer shakes her head and starts to shake. He has to try and calm her again. "It's okay, Sweetie. You don't have to say anything. Why don't you lay back down and try to go back to sleep." She shakes her head again and clings even tighter to him.
"Do you want to come sleep with us, Summer?" Miss Parker asks. She can see how scared the little girl is and is reminded of her own nightmares as a child. The only thing that would comfort her was falling asleep in the bed between her parents.
Summer quickly nods and reaches up for Miss Parker. Miss Parker eagerly draws the small girl into her arms, finding herself unable to deny her anything. They all go back to the master bedroom and settle in the big bed. Sleep quickly reclaims Jarod and Summer while Miss Parker breathes a little easier having a physical barrier between Jarod and herself. Just like she's unable to resist Summer, she's finding it harder and harder to resist Jarod. And she can't allow that, not when she has to go back to the Centre eventually. She can't allow herself to fall into the trap of feeling like Summer's mother or Jarod's wife. It will just break her heart when it's all over. And like all good things in her life, she knows this will be over soon. Keeping her distance is the key, she chants to herself like a mantra. But as sleep overtakes her, she feels Summer roll over and snuggle into her chest, and doesn't do anything to stop her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Miss Parker wakes to an empty bed and wonders where Jarod and Summer went. She hears a happy giggle float from the living room and realize that they're probably already up. She slips on a robe and wanders down the stairs to find them.
"Cartoons, Jarod?" she asks him when she sees them huddled on the couch cracking up at the antics of the Rugrats.
"I hear this is what kids like to do on Saturday mornings," he shrugs and blushes slightly. It's kind of cute when he's embarrassed, she thinks to herself before she realizes the thought went through her head. She really needed to stop thinking things like that. Fortunately, the ringing doorbell distracts her from any further thoughts she shouldn't be having.
"I'll get it," she says almost too quickly. She walks to the front door and swings it open and is shocked to find herself face to face with an equally surprised woman. "Can I help you?" she says when she recovers a bit.
"I'm sorry. I was looking for Jarod," the woman says slowly, looking over Miss Parker's shoulder into the house. "Is he here?"
"Parker, who's at the door?" Jarod asks, coming up behind her before he recognizes their guest. "Oh, hey Kristen. I see you've met my wife, Parker. Honey, this is our neighbor, Kristen Briggs."
"Nice to meet you, Parker," the woman says, not even taking her eyes off of Jarod. "Jarod mentioned you, but he's been here all alone for so long, that I forgot you were supposed to be joining him."
"Well, I'm here now," Miss Parker says icily. "He won't have to be alone anymore. Can we help you with something, Krista?"
"It's Kristen," she corrects. "And actually, I just need Jarod. I know this is late notice, but I was wondering if I could bum a ride off of you. My husband stayed out all night again with the car hasn't gotten back yet. Would you mind terribly if I rode with you to the school? Alexa has her ballet class today."
"Alexa?" Miss Parker asks curiously.
"She's my little girl," Kristen explains impatiently before turning her pleading eyes back to Jarod.
"I actually don't have any sessions today, Kristen. But I wouldn't mind dropping you off. Give me a second to get dressed."
"Thank you so much, Jarod," she says with a huge smile. "I really appreciate this. I'll just go get Alexa ready." She smiles again before dashing off across the lawn and into her house.
"Do you want me to take Summer or will you be okay here with her by yourself? I know you haven't spent a lot of time alone with her these past few days."
"No, we'll be fine," she says shortly. "Go take Kristen and Alexa."
"You okay?" he asks when he notices her tone. She seems kind of upset.
"Fine," she says before walking away. She takes his spot on the couch next to Summer and stares at the TV as if it were the most interesting thing in the world to her. She couldn't be jealous, could she? He dismisses that notion with a shrug, running up the stairs two at a time. He has to hurry. The sooner he drops Kristen and Alexa off, the sooner he'll be able to get back to Miss Parker and Summer.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Miss Parker flips angrily through a magazine, not even reading the pages as she passes them. She looks at the clock again and notices that another agonizing ten minutes have gone by. That makes a total of two hours and forty nine minutes. How long does a ballet class last anyway?
Twenty minutes later, she finally hears the car pull into the driveway. She tries to focus even harder on reading the magazine, or at least looking as if she's really reading it when Jarod walks in.
"Don't make a fool of me," is what greets him when he steps into the living room.
"What?" he asks, confused at the statement. He sits next to her on the couch, waiting for her to clarify. She turns to face him and the iciness in her eyes cause him to shiver.
"I don't care what you do or who you do it with, just don't make a fool of me while I'm your wife, pretend or otherwise."
"Miss Parker. What's this about? I called and told you that I was going to stay and take care of paperwork at my office while Kristen took Alexa to ballet so that I could bring them home. I thought you were alright with that."
"Paperwork?" She shakes her head incredulously. "Not the most original excuse, Jarod. Trust me on that one."
"Excuse for what?" he asks defensively. "You think I got something going on with the neighbor? You think I brought you here just so that I can sneak off to be with her?"
"You're right. It sounds crazy when you say it that way," she sighs. "I'm sorry. It's just in my experience, when men start to say they're at the office doing 'Paperwork', that's when I know there's some blond twenty year old in the world with that name. Men have left their wives for me. I guess it's only karma that they'd leave me to go to other women as well."
"Miss Parker, we've known each other all our lives. There's been a lot of good and bad between us. But one thing we've always had is trust. I value that trust. I wouldn't betray it," he vows, suddenly understanding what has her so upset. "I'm sorry all those men have hurt you in the past."
"Just forget it," she mumbles, leaning over to tie her sneakers. "It was stupid of me to feel the way I was feeling."
"Don't do that, Miss Parker. Never apologize for the way you're feeling."
"And don't play your head shrinking games with me, Jarod," she snaps. "I get enough of that from Sydney."
"But Parker . . ."
"I said forget it," she yells, before remembering the sleeping child and lowering her voice. "Summer's taking a nap. I'm going out for a run."
"Okay," he nods, watching her tuck her hair into an Old Navy baseball cap. He wants so badly to call her back and reassure her that there could never be anything between him and the neighbor, but thinks otherwise. Maybe getting out for a run is all she needs to calm down a bit. And when she gets back, they can have a nice evening with Summer. That's all he really wants - to spend time with his family, such as it is.
He waits until she's out the door before he stands to go into the kitchen. He looks around and notices how spotless it is. She must be really mad at him, he surmises. He knows that she only cleans like that when she's angry. But what he can't figure out is why she's so upset. Could she really be jealous of Kristen? Or just mad that he left her alone with Summer for most of the day. In any case, he has to make sure he never repeats either of those mistakes. He hates her being upset. Especially at him.
"Where's Parker?"
Jarod spins around and sees a teary Summer standing in the doorway clutching a small stuff panda bear that Miss Parker gave her two days ago. He bends down and lifts the small girl in his arms, giving her a quick hug.
"She went for a run," Jarod explains to her. "I thought you were napping."
"Had a bad dream," Summer says with a sniff, her little lip starting to quiver. "Is she coming back? She yelled when she left."
"You heard that?" Jarod asks, a frown pulling on his lips. Summer just nods and sticks her thumb in her mouth.
"Is she mad at me?" she asks around the digit.
"No, Honey. Of course she isn't," he says quickly to reassure her. "If she's mad at anybody, it's me. I took our next door neighbor, Mrs. Briggs, and her daughter Alexa into town and was gone for a really long time. Parker got upset with me. But she just went out for a run. She'll be back. I promise."
"I don't want her to go away," Summer whispers, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Me neither, Summer," he admits with a great sigh. And at that instant, he realizes it's true. He really doesn't want Parker to leave. The past three days have been like a dream he never thought would come true. To the outside world, they were three people trying to put a family together. But the same thing has been happening in the home, in their hearts. And now, the thought of being without Parker or without Summer breaks his heart. It doesn't feel like one big pretend anymore. It's very real to him. Their family is very real to him. He decides he'll do everything in his power to keep it together.
Interlude 2
****************
It's me again, Diary. I followed her today just to see where she goes on these little excursions. She's very driven. Relentless in her pursuit of something unknown to me. I can hardly keep up with her as she continues, step after step pounding the pavement. She really is beautiful. I can see what he loves so much about her. Everything about her is perfect. Her hair, although she keeps it hidden beneath the cap while she runs, usually hangs loose and free, framing her blemish-free face. She sticks out a perfectly pink tongue to wet two just right lips. Just the right size. Just the right color. I'm sure he loves kissing those lips. But the best is her eyes. A stormy blue that can stare straight into your soul and either chill you or ignite the flame of passion. All together, the package is too good to pass up. But he'll have to. They don't belong together. The sooner they realize that, the better off we'll all be. She senses I'm here. And as much as I'd love to reveal myself and my intentions to her, now is not the time. But soon. Soon, everything will be as it should.
Chapter 6
*****************
Miss Parker runs through a clearing towards a patch of trees. A familiar sound beckons her and her feet can't help but to obey. A few minutes later, she's rewarded when the trees end at the bank of a small lake. She looks around and notices all the wildlife. Too much wildlife to risk swimming in the water. But the she finds the solitude comforting. Almost as comforting as her own pond at home.
She walks around, finding small pebbles to toss into the water. This is just like a scene from her childhood, she thinks with a smile. Going up the lake house with her momma. They would spend their days together walking and reading and exploring. But at night, she'd sneak out and find the lake, throwing in rock after rock until her arm got tired. She wonders if Jarod has ever done the same? She'll have to bring him one day, she thinks to herself with some surprise. Why is she thinking about Jarod at a time like this? Why would she want Jarod to intrude on her private place? Because she wants to share things like this with him, she realizes. She wants to share good moments with him. And with their daughter. Unfortunately that won't be possible, she sighs sadly.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she picks up on the sensation of being watched. She spins around quickly, scanning the trees for anything out of place. Not finding anything, she decides to leave anyway, the tranquility of the moment broken. In fact, she's now got a sudden case of the creeps she can't get rid of. She quickly jogs through the trees, only slowing when she reaches the wide open clearing. She looks around one last time before continuing home, trying to shake off her bad feeling. Whatever just happened in those woods, she now has the sudden urge to get back home. To get back to her family.
She makes it back to the house in record time, pausing again when she feels more eyes on her. She looks at the neighboring houses and finds a man leering at her.
"Can I help you?" she asks cautiously.
"No, Darlin'. But perhaps I can help *you* with something," he says gruffly, a sneer forming on his lips. "You live there?"
"Yes. I'm Jarod's wife," she says quickly, not caring how old fashioned and out dated it sounds, as if she belongs to Jarod. At the moment, she just wanted to get away from this creepy guy.
"Oh, him," the man frowns. "Well, hopefully now my wife can stop flirting with him."
'Another one?' Parker thinks to herself with a scowl, wondering exactly how man women she's going to have to chase away from Jarod. But then she notices who's house the man is standing in front of and realizes who's husband he must be.
"So you're Mr. Briggs, I presume," she says.
"That's right. James Briggs. But all my friends call me Jimmy. But you," he says, looking at her slowly up and down, eyes pausing at her chest level. "You can call me Jimbo."
"That's awfully nice of you, Jimbo," she says, unable to hide the disgust on her face. "But I don't think I'll be calling you at all." She rolls her eyes at him and continues on into the house.
"Honey, I'm home," she yells out, in hopes that her new friend next door will hear how happily married she's pretending to be. Maybe he'll get the picture and leave her alone.
"That's good. Because we missed you, Darling," Jarod says with a smirk as he walks out of the kitchen.
"Don't call me that," she snaps, startling him with her abruptness.
"Sorry," he apologizes, lips instantly sticking out into a pout.
"No, I'm sorry. It's not you," she says in a softer tone. "I didn't mean to take it out on you. I just met our neighbor. Your little girlfriend's husband."
"Kristen is not my . . . "
"Lighten up, Jarod," she says with a laugh. "It was a joke."
"Oh," he sighs. "Well, I knew how earlier you thought . . . and I didn't want you to think that I would . . . "
"I understand," she smiles, interrupting him again. "I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you earlier."
"I shouldn't have given you a reason," he says.
"Okay, how about no more apologizing from either of us and we can just call it a draw?" she offers.
"Good idea," he says, shaking her proffered hand, not wanting to let it go. He gently strokes her fingers for a few moments before Summer interrupts them, running into the room from the kitchen, wet from head to toe.
"Parker," she screams. "You're back."
"Yes I am, Summer. Did you think I had left you forever?" she asks the child, confused at her enthusiasm.
"I heard you yelling," the girl confesses. "I thought you were mad at me."
"Never, Summer," she says, bending down eye level with the girl and giving her a genuine smile. "But, I do have big questions for Jarod about why you're running around here soaking wet."
"That *is* a good question," Jarod nods. "One that I'm sure you're going to want an answer for."
"Actually, I don't," she laughs, unable to resist the adorable look on his face. "Just get her . . . and whatever she was doing in the kitchen . . . cleaned up by the time I get out the shower."
"Yes Ma'am," he says, giving her a mock salute and a huge grin. He lifts up the wet toddler and carries her back into the kitchen, dripping suds along the way.
Miss Parker just watches them with a smile on her own face, shaking her head in disbelief. What is she going to do with them, she asks herself. Those two are a handful, but she realizes with a smile that they're *her* handful. And she's lucky to have them. Being with them the past few days has made her happier than she's been in a long time. What's so surprising to her is not so much what she's going to do with Jarod and Summer, but the dread she feels thinking what she would do *without* them. However, it's something she's going to have to start thinking about. Although she doesn't want to give them up, she knows that someday, and someday soon, she's going to have to. And then just pray that it doesn't kill her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So," Jarod says, plopping down on the bed later that night. "Tell me about this neighbor of ours."
"You mean your girlfriend's husband?" she teases.
"Yes, my girlfriend's husband," he says, rolling his eyes at her refusal to drop the joke.
"Well, his name is James. But he said that I can have the great honor of calling him Jimbo."
"Lucky you," he says, trying to hold back his grin. "Should I be jealous?"
"Well, that pot belly, gold tooth, and comb over do he was sporting did make him awfully enticing," she giggles. "But the way he undressed me with his eyes kind of gave me the creeps."
He notices her shiver a little and sees the humor leave her face.
"Did he do anything to you?" he asks defensively.
"No, I'm fine," she says with an assuring smile. "I think I'll be able to handle Jimbo."
"Just be careful," Jarod warns. "Contrary to your belief, I haven't spent a great deal of time with Kristen. But from what I have seen of her behavior, I think her husband may be abusive."
"That's sad," Miss Parker nods. "To trust a man with your life. Your heart. Give him a child. And then he does that to you. I think I kind of understand why she's attracted to you. You wouldn't do that to a woman."
"I'd never do anything to hurt you," he says sincerely, his hand itching to cradle her face. He watches as her tongue quickly darts out to wet her lips and is tempted to lean over and kiss her. She would kill him, he thinks to himself. But kissing her would be worth his life, he decides. Just as he makes up his mind to risk it all, a noise from down the hall filters through his clouded mind.
"That's Summer," she whispers.
He feels her hot breath on his lips and only then realizes how close he came to actually kissing her. And based on the look in her eyes, killing him might not have been her first instinct. He files away that little tidbit of info to deal with later and gives her a smile.
"I'll go check on her. It's probably a nightmare." He gets off the bed and jogs down to the girl's room, turning on the lamp next to her bed.
"What's wrong, Summer?" he asks her.
"Is Parker here?" she asks, trying desperately to hold back tears.
"Of course she is, Honey. She's down the hall. We were just about to go to bed," he assures her. "Did you have another bad dream?"
The girl just nods, wiping away a tear that managed to break free.
"Do you want to come sleep with us?" he offers, knowing that's what usually calms her down
"I'm okay now," the girl says, shaking her head. She climbs into his lap and sticks her thumb into her mouth.
"How about I stay with you until you get back to sleep?"
She mumbles something around her thumb and when Jarod looks down at her, he sees that she's already drifting back to sleep. He stands up and walks around the room with her for a few minutes until he knows she's really asleep before tucking her back into bed.
"Good night, Princess," he says, leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you."
"Love you too, Daddy," she whispers just before a small snore escapes her lips.
Jarod tips out and goes back into the other room, clearly distracted. Miss Parker looks up from the book she's reading and sees his eyes looking suspiciously wet.
"What's wrong, Jarod?"
"Wrong? Nothing's wrong," he smiles. "She called me 'Daddy'. She told me she loves me. I guess it just got to me."
"Do you think . . . " she starts.
"Do I think what?"
"Do you think she knows somehow? You know, that she's ours?"
"No. I don't see how she could know," he tells her.
"So when I'm gone, she won't realize that her mother left her. That I just abandoned her," she whispers, turning over on her side so that Jarod can't see her own eyes tear up.
"I think that's one thing that frightens her so much. She can feel that you're keeping some sort of distance from her. And she has to be constantly reassured that you're here. That you haven't just up and disappeared on her."
"It's the only way," she whispers. "I can't get too close. It will hurt both of us too much when I have to go back."
"Miss Parker . . . maybe you don't have to . . . I mean, what if you just . . . never mind," he says shaking his head. "How about we just take this one day at a time. I'll worry about what to tell Summer when . . . or if . . . the time comes."
"I have to go back," she says after a few moments. 'I wish I didn't have to, but I do,' she wants to add, but doesn't. Saying that aloud won't do either of them any good. "They're going to call for me and I'll have to answer them."
"I know," he whispers, accepting her decision. 'But I wish you wouldn't,' his subconscious says just as sleep comes to him. He doesn't even realize he said it out loud.
Interlude 3
*****************
I've never been back here. The bedroom. It's spotless just like the rest of the house. That doesn't really surprise me. Actually it does. She's different. Not like the other housewives around here. She doesn't strike me as the type to take care of others. I think she's used to having people take care of her. She looks like she comes from money. Looking at all this lingerie, I'm sure of it now. She must have something silky and shiny for every day of the month and then some. Again, not like the other housewives around here. She probably won't even miss anything if I took it. I find a deep burgundy pair of panties and stick them in my pocket and close the drawer. Take a look at all the cosmetics. This perfume is imported, I think. The name is something foreign I can't even begin to pronounce. This one is his. It smells fresh and masculine. Almost addictive. I slip it into my pocket along with the other prize and leave the room. This is enough for now.
Chapter 7
*****************
After attending mass on Sunday, Jarod surprises Miss Parker and Summer with a picnic lunch. Miss Parker surprises him in return with suggesting the perfect spot.
"I found it the other day when I went jogging," she explains to him.
They spread out the blanket and enjoy their meal under the warm sun, feeling much like a real family. After lunch, she takes them to the lake and watches Jarod's eyes light up with glee as she shares with him stories from her own trips to the lake with her mother. She finds herself wanting to promise to take Summer when she's old enough, but realizes that she never will be able to.
"It's okay," he says, seemingly understanding what's going on in her mind. "Let's just enjoy each day as we get them."
"One day at a time, huh?" she smiles.
"Yeah. One day at a time," he nods, taking a hold of her hand and squeezing it gently. He doesn't let go and leads her back through the woods to the clearing to gather their stuff. They reluctantly have to separate when he notices Summer yawn sleepily and has to pick her up and carry her the rest of the way.
They head home, enjoying a comfortable silence. She realizes she's never felt so at peace and knows that she probably never will again. Only with this man. And this child. She smiles as he lays Summer down to finish her nap and laughs at the big spot of drool on his shoulder.
"Looks like she slimed you," she giggles quietly, not wanting to wake the child. "Come get another shirt."
She leads him down the hall to their bedroom and opens his drawer to pull out a shirt. She tosses it to him and turns to her own drawer to find something casual to change into. She opens her own drawer when a strange, cold feeling comes over her. Much like that day she first discovered the lake and she looks around to find the source.
"You okay?" Jarod asks with some concern, noticing her strange behavior.
"I'm not sure," she says slowly, still looking around. "Something feels . . . off. I can't really explain it. It's like something is different. Or missing, maybe."
"Like what?" he wonders.
She takes a deep breath and understanding dawns on her.
"Your cologne. Did you put any on this morning?"
"No. I usually don't wear it," he says. "But it was a gift from my Dad, so I like to keep it with me."
"I smell it now, just faintly. And look, the bottle's missing." She points to his area on the dresser and shows him the spot where his cologne used to be.
"You think Summer took it?" he suggests.
"It was there this morning when I straightened up before church. So I doubt it."
"Which means the idea of one of us simply misplacing it is out of the question as well," he says.
"Jarod, I have a strange feeling. I think someone may have been in here."
"And stole my cologne? Why?"
"I don't know," she shrugs. "Let's just keep our eyes open and hope it isn't anyone . . . dangerous."
"You think it might be someone from the Centre?" he asks with wide eyes. He hadn't considered it before, but now he's seeing the possibilities.
"I don't know," she repeats. "I just don't know."
The rest of the evening is spent in near silence, Jarod and Miss Parker taking turns watching for anything suspicious around the house. They are so close to getting Summer. Just a few more days should suffice. Neither of them want the Centre barging in and messing things up at the last minute.
"Parker," Jarod calls to her as she comes back from putting Summer to bed. "I have a question."
"Okay," she says curiously. "What's up?"
"I don't wear that cologne. How did you know what it smells like, let alone notice that it was missing?"
"Um . . ." she starts to stutter, face instantly flushing to a bright red. "I, um . . . this is so embarrassing . . but I saw it sitting there and got curious. I took a whiff to see what it smelled like. It's really nice. You should wear it more often. I think it would smell amazing on you."
"Thanks," he smiles shyly. "Maybe I will. Just for you of course." His shy smile turns into a leer and he grins at the intended reaction he garners from her.
"Shut up, Jarod," she says, rolling her eyes when she notices the smug grin on his face. But she finds she can't hide her own little grin. "I'm going to bed. You coming?"
Jarod smiles wistfully at how normally domestic they sound. Like a normal wife going to bed and waiting for her normal husband to join her. But as reality bites, he remembers that this pretend marriage doesn't allow those benefits. No need to get his hopes up for nothing.
"Not yet," he says. "I want to check around the house once more. You go ahead."
"Alright," she nods, disappointed that he won't be joining her. As much as she's enjoyed waking up with him, she'd kind of like the pleasure of feeling him wrap himself around her, cocooning her in his warmth as she drifts to sleep. It would be so blissfully . . . normal. But with a sigh of disappointment, she's reminded that this faux union of theirs is anything but. "Good night."
"Good night," he repeats, making himself seem busy until she retreats into the bedroom. When she's gone, he lets out the breath he didn't realize he was holding and falls to the couch. It's going to be a long night. He's finding that he's falling deeper and deeper into this pretend life they've constructed. Pretty soon, he's not going to be able to find his way out. Or want to for that matter.
After about an hour of checking and rechecking doors and locks, checking with his source at the Centre about any possible leads on their location, Jarod decides to head to bed. He's sort of relieved to find Miss Parker already asleep. Although as he slips into bed next to her, he finds himself unable to resist pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. He settles in his own pillow and attempts to sleep, but finds it impossible to shut down his mind enough to rest peacefully.
He awakens hours later and tries to roll over but finds himself trapped by Miss Parker's form. He looks down at her head nestled on his chest with a smile. She completely abandons herself to sleep. It's truly a beautiful sight to see. He's honored that she feels secure enough with him to sleep so deeply and so close to him. Arm slung across his chest. Legs twined with his own.
The first morning they woke like this, she seemed embarrassed. And he felt as if he had to apologize. But they soon got used to it. To waking in each other's arms. And now neither seems to mind very much. In fact, he's never slept as well as he does with her. But tonight for some reason that sleep is elusive to him. Probably mention of the Centre earlier. Causing him to worry about the safety of his family.
She murmurs under her breath and starts to struggle against something, breaking him out of his sleepy ruminations.
"Parker," he whispers, but she doesn't answer. He can see that she's still asleep. She struggles some more and mumbles more incoherent words.
"Parker, wake up. It's just a dream. It's okay," he assures her, running his hand up and down her back.
"Give her back," she gasps, sitting up suddenly in the bed.
"Relax," he says soothingly to her, hand still stroking her back. "It was just a dream."
"Jarod?" she asks, looking around the room as if she doesn't know where she is.
"It's me," he assures her. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," she nods, still appearing to be confused. Her eyes suddenly go wide with some sort of realization and she frantically scrambles out of the bed.
"Parker, what is it?" he asks, afraid she's somehow forgotten about why they'd be sharing a bed.
"Summer. Where is she?" She doesn't wait for an answer and runs down the hall to the little girl's room. Jarod jumps out the bed and follows her as best he can, reaching the room seconds after she has. She's already lifting a teary Summer up into her arms and is attempting to calm the child. "Shh!! I've got you now. You're okay."
"They won't stop, Parker," Summer cries.
"What won't, Honey?" Jarod asks.
"The voices," she sobs. "They get so loud when I try to go to sleep."
"Wh . . what voices are you hearing?" Miss Parker manages to say through her shock.
"Sounds like a lot of people talking at one time," she tries to explain.
"Can you hear what they're saying?" Jarod wants to know.
"No," Summer says shaking her head, tears starting to fall again. "It's all mixed up."
"It's okay, Sweetie," Miss Parker whispers to her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Just go back to sleep. I've got you."
"Don't let them get me, Parker," the girl cries, laying her head on Miss Parker's shoulder.
"I won't," Miss Parker promises, her own tears starting to fall. She takes Summer back into master bedroom and they all get into the bed. She lays the child between her and Jarod and they take turns stroking her back and her hair until the girl falls asleep.
"What do you think is going on with her?" Jarod whispers, not wanting to risk waking her again.
"Do you think she's inherited my Inner Sense? But maybe she has it more like Ethan does. She talked about hearing all the voices. Mine is just my mother's voice."
"More than likely," he nods. "If your mother passed it on to you and Ethan, then I don't see why Summer couldn't have gotten it from you. It makes sense. It's the only thing that makes sense."
"What do you mean?" she asks curiously.
"I mean you, Parker," he says. "You . . . and then Summer . . . that was just . . . weird. It's like you knew she was in there having that nightmare."
"I know," she sighs. "I woke up with the most incredible urge to get to her. When I get there, she's crying and it looked like she'd been crying for awhile. I dreamt something or someone had taken her. And when I get her, she begs me not to let *them* get her, whoever *they* are. I don't believe in coincidences, Jarod. But even if I did, that would be too much to just ignore."
"I agree. There's something going on here. We have some sort of connection with this child that goes beyond the biological. We found her for a reason, Parker. And we have to keep her safe."
"No. *You* have to keep her safe," she says, her voice breaking a little. "After the adoption and I . . . go back, you have to take her far away and disappear. For good."
"Parker, you deserve to see your child too. You may not be able to be with us all the time, but we'll be here whenever you can come to us. She needs you and although you may not admit it, you need her as well."
"You're wrong on both accounts, Jarod. I'll admit that I need her. I want her to be in my life more than I ever thought possible. But she doesn't need me. She'd be better off without me being anywhere near either of you. I can't be selfish and deny her the right to live safely and securely."
"Don't say that, Parker. We may be able to work something out where you won't . . ." His words are cut off by her finger raised to his lips, stilling their motion.
"Not tonight," she smiles sadly. "One day at a time, right?"
"One day at a time," he nods, not able to refute his own advice as she throws his words back in his face. He watches her eyes drift shut. She's already resigned to the fact that she'll have to leave them. There's no changing her mind. Mentally he knows that. But deep inside his heart, he wants to try to change her mind. He wants to beg her to stay. To forget all about the Centre and stay with him and Summer.
Maybe he can persuade her. Couldn't hurt to try, he decides. Perhaps his advice is sound after all. He'll take it one day at a time. But eventually he'll wear her down, he vows. He refuses to lose his family now that he's finally found them. With that resolution made, he allows sleep to overtake him. He's going to have a tough job ahead of him.
Chapter 8
*****************
Miss Parker runs up the back porch of the little house she's been living in with Jarod and Summer for the past ten days. She normally comes back in the front of the house, but lately she's tried taking different routes to avoid being watched. All of last week she took her normal route and every day felt as if she were being followed. Today is the first day she's felt the solitude she's been searching for. Maybe she was just imagining it all.
She walks into the house, tossing her baseball cap into the corner where Jarod's own running shoes rest.
"Anyone home?" she yells, peeling off her sweatshirt.
"You're back early," Jarod says, sticking his head from the kitchen, but blocking the door so that she can't get in.
"What's going on?" she asks suspiciously. She tries to peek into the kitchen, but he comes out and closes the door completely.
"Nothing," he says quickly. Too quickly and he gets another suspicious look from her. "Okay, I'll admit it. Summer and I have something special planned for you."
"Like what?"
"I can't tell you," he says with a mischievous grin. "Why don't you go up and shower. I laid out something nice for you to change into. We should be done by the time you get back down here."
"Jarod, what are you two up to?"
"Just trust me, okay?" He gives her the little puppy dog look he must have learned from Summer and she finds herself unable to resist.
"Okay, I'm going," she sighs. "But Jarod, I swear you'll be sorry if . . . "
"You're going to love it. I promise," he assures her, pushing her gently towards the bedroom. "Shower. Change. And meet us back here."
"Fine," she says with a huff before following his orders. But as annoyed as she tries to make herself seem, she's really intrigued. What could he have planned? She smiles to herself, realizing that whatever it is, she knows she'll love it. She's grown to love any time she gets to spend with Jarod and Summer.
She showers and changes quickly, examining the silky dress Jarod selected for her. It's nothing from her wardrobe and she briefly wonders where he got it from. But she quickly steps into it when she hears a crash from downstairs. She finds a pair of shoes to slip into and makes her way back to Jarod and Summer.
"Is everything okay down here?" she calls out, stepping into the dining room where she hears some more bumping around. She pushes open the door and gasps at the sight before her.
"Surprise!" Summer shrieks, jumping up and down at the look of shock on Miss Parker's face.
"What is all this?" Miss Parker asks, taking Summer's outstretched hand. The little girl leads her to a chair at the table and pushes her down. Jarod comes behind her and helps her scoot her chair in. Then he takes Summer to the next chair and sits her on a stack on phone books so she can reach the table.
"What does it all look like?" Jarod teases her as he takes his own seat.
"It's a sella . . . a sella . . . what is it again, Daddy?" she whispers.
"A celebration," he says slowly, trying to hold in a chuckle.
"Really? So what are we celebrating?" Miss Parker lifts her glass and takes a sip of what she assumes is champagne, but discovers that it's sparkling cider. When she sees a glass in front of Summer, she realizes why the substitution.
"Mrs. Pritchard called today," he starts, looking at her to see if she can guess the rest.
"And?" she asks warily, not wanting to get her hopes up despite the obvious celebration going on.
"And it's official," he smiles, reveling in the joy now shining on her face. "It won't be final for a few more months, but for all intents and purposes, it's official."
"What's 'ficial?" Summer asks, confused by the conversation.
"We have some news for you, Summer," Miss Parker starts. Up until now, they haven't told Summer their plans to adopt her. Now seems like the perfect time.
"We know that Mrs. Pritchard was nice and living at the Children's Home was good, but how would you like to stay here?" Jarod asks.
"With you and Parker, Daddy?" she asks, her tiny voice surprisingly wary for one so young. Jarod and Miss Parker look at each other, trying to decide how to answer that question. They don't want to lie to her and have her heart broken later. But at the same time, they know she needs to feel secure.
"We're going to take care of you, Honey. The both of us. And we're going to do it the best way we can," Miss Parker says. "You may not understand it all the time, but just know that we both love you and we don't want anything to happen to you. Whatever we do, it's going to be for you. Okay?"
"Okay," Summer nods hesitantly. She's not entirely convinced her question has been answered, but she's really too young to understand why.
"Why don't we eat," Jarod suggests, breaking the uneasiness that has settled on the room.
"Good idea," Miss Parker agrees, lifting one of the tray tops. She pauses momentarily and has to hide a smile as she examines the contents in front of her. "Everything looks . . . interesting."
"Cheeseburgers and Macaroni. Summer's favorites," Jarod explains.
"I made the macaroni myself," Summer says proudly.
"Did you now?" Parker asks. "Well, then, I bet it's going to be the most delicious macaroni I've ever tasted."
She scoops a hearty helping onto Summer's plate and then onto her own and watches as the little girl digs into her meal. She looks across the table at Jarod and notices that he's staring back at her.
"What is it?" she wonders aloud.
"Just looking at my two girls," he smiles dreamily. "You're both so beautiful. That dress looks amazing on you, Parker."
"Thank you," she blushes, looking back over at Summer. She has to remind herself that a minor is present. Because Jarod's looking at her as if she's one of the dishes to be devoured tonight. A few more glances from him and she just might let him.
"We forgot the music, Daddy," Summer realizes.
"That's right," he says, standing up and walking over to the stereo. He turns on some soft music and walks back to Summer's chair. "May I have this dance, my dear?"
She giggles and reaches her hands up to him. Once she's secure in his arms, he twirls her around the room a few times until she's out and out laughing.
"That's enough," she gasps, trying to catch her breath. "It's your turn to dance with Parker."
"Oh, Summer. I'm not a good dancer," she lies quickly. She thought it was bad enough sitting across the table from Jarod. One dance with him and she'd be putty in his hands.
"Come on, Parker. You scared? I won't bite," he smirks.
She looks defiantly at him and rises from her seat, taking his proffered hand. He spins her around once and then back into his arms.
"You may not bite, but I can't promise the same," she whispers into his ear, pulling the lobe into her mouth and squeezing it lightly between her teeth. She grins when she feels a noticeable shudder run the length of his body. Good, she thinks to herself. It's good to know she's not the only one affected tonight. She doesn't know exactly what's happening between them tonight, but as long as she can stay in his arms, she doesn't even care.
Chapter 9
*****************
Miss Parker grins as she watches Jarod dash around the living room getting his things together. She wonders how long it will take before he admits to be looking for something. All men are the same, she thinks to herself, rolling her eyes. Never willing to admit when something is lost. Not even geniuses are immune that that trait. No, she takes that back. Jarod *is* different. He's not like other men at all. His actions last night proved that.
With other relationships in her past, she would have made the mistake of moving too fast and rushing into sex. But with Jarod, things are different. They're content to move slowly. They don't want to mess anything up. Last night ended with him giving her a few gentle kisses before tucking her into the warmth of his embrace and falling asleep wrapped around each other. She wouldn't have had it any other way.
"Have you seen my . . . " He stops and smiles when she holds his keys up in front of her.
"I think I'm going to hold these hostage," she says seductively.
"Really? And what exactly would the ransom be?" he says with a grin. He can't believe she's being this playful and teasing.
"You're a smart boy, Jarod. I think you can figure it - " Her words are cut off by the force of his mouth meeting hers. He ends the kiss too quickly for her liking and she lets him know with a little whimper. Then she frowns when she realizes he's somehow managed to get the keys from her.
"I have to go to work today," he says apologetically. "I was home all last week. Otherwise I'd . . ."
"I understand," she sighs. "That doesn't mean I like it." She stands up and walks him to the door. They stand on the porch for a few seconds and he leans in to kiss her again just as Summer runs up between them.
"Where are you going, Daddy?" Summer asks.
"Daddy has to work, Sweetie," Miss Parker explains, picking the little girl up into her arms.
"But why?"
"Summer, remember how you used to come to the school to play with me? Well, there are other kids who used to play with me, too. But they haven't seen me all week. Don't you think they want to see me too?"
"Are you . . . are you going to be their daddy too?" she asks.
"No, Summer," he says emphatically. "You're the only one. My special Princess, okay?"
"Okay," she smiles. "I love you."
"I love you, too. I'll see you later." He leans over and kisses the girl on the cheek. He laughs as she wriggles out of Miss Parker's embrace and runs back into the house.
"Now, where were we?" he asks Miss Parker.
"I think we were saying good-bye," she tells him.
"Never good-bye," he says, cupping her cheek with his hand. "It'll never be good-bye with us, Parker."
They both lean in and meet in the middle for the much anticipated kiss that only lasts for a few seconds, interrupted this time by giggling.
"What's so funny?" he asks her, confused at her amusement.
"This. Us," she says between laughs. "One minute we're just pretending to be married. The next we're here on the porch making out while our daughter sits in the house watching Playhouse Disney. How weird is that, Jarod?"
"Pretty weird," he admits, starting to laugh himself.
"Who would have thought I'd ever be playing the housewife role? Kissing my 'husband' good-bye for the day as he goes to work while I stay home with the younguns," she laughs.
"Younguns? Somehow I don't see you hanging around the house, barefoot and pregnant or cooking dinner and vacuuming the floors in high heels and a perfect string of pearls."
"Vacuum? What's a vacuum?" she giggles. "Besides, if I were *just* wearing high heels and said pearls when you got home, I don't think cooking or cleaning would be on either of our minds."
She laughs even harder when Jarod's face turns a bright red color and he opens and closes his mouth a few times, unable to formulate any words.
"Get to work," she says, pushing him towards the car. "I'll see you later."
"Yeah, but the question is how much of *you* will I be seeing later," he whispers to her, causing her knees to tremble a little. She recovers quickly and gives him a kiss that makes his own knees tremble.
"Go. To. Work," she says again, pushing him to the car and opening the door for him. He rolls down the window and she leans inside to give him one more kiss and to whisper, "The sooner you go, the sooner you can come home. And just maybe I'll break out the heels and dust off the pearls."
A goofy grins spreads across his face and he figures he better leave now while he still can. He waves one last time to her and has to stop himself from blowing her a kiss. That really would be a bit over the top he decides. He pulls out of the driveway and starts down the street, feeling very much like going back home. Back to his family. But he continues on his way, despite the bad feeling developing in the pit of his stomach. He pushes it away and goes to work. Besides, what could happen in one day?
Interlude 4
*****************
Hate. That's what I'm feeling. That deep down, in your bones type of hate you feel for someone when you know they're living the life you deserve. The life you want so desperately. The life you'd do anything for. Now is the time for that *do anything* mentality. That little show on the porch where they let everyone know just how much they love each other was the final straw. It should be me! And it will be me. Very soon. It's time now for me to get rid of the thorn that's been in my side. By the end of the day, I will be one step closer to my fairy tale.
Chapter 10
*****************
Miss Parker stands in the driveway until Jarod turns the corner. She sighs and raises a hand to her lips, still feeling his warmth against them. She still can't believe that in the course of one evening, her relationship with Jarod could change so drastically. But then she realizes that things haven't changed that much. They both just gathered the courage to make the step in this direction. The feelings have always been there, from the moment they met.
With another sigh, she decides to go back into the house and check on Summer. Turning around, her eye catches her neighbor standing on the porch, glaring at her. A chill goes through her and she has to literally shake it off. When she looks back at the woman, she's confused to see a completely different countenance on her face.
"Parker," the woman calls cheerfully to her. "It's me, Kristen. Remember? Jarod was kind enough to take me and my little girl Alexa into town the other day."
"Yes, Kristen, I remember you," Miss Parker says, pasting on a wary smile. "How are you?"
"I'm good. Listen, why don't you and Summer come over for lunch today? I think it's time we got to know each other, us being neighbors and all."
"I'm not sure. Summer and I have a lot to do today," Miss Parker lies.
"Well, how about just some coffee, then? And the girls can play together for a little while."
"Okay," Miss Parker says with another forced smile. The last thing she wants to do is hang out with this woman. But she also doesn't want to alienate her. "Let me get Summer dressed and we'll be right over."
"Perfect. We'll be waiting." Kristen gives her another smile, but Miss Parker notices it doesn't quite reach her eyes. In fact, her eyes seem hard and cold. Almost evil. There's definitely something off about this woman. Perhaps it's just the abuse that Jarod suspects. But whatever it is, Miss Parker is suddenly sorry she ever agreed to go anywhere with the woman.
Twenty minutes later, she's at the front door of Kristen's house, having to practically drag Summer up the stairs. She's never had a problem with the girl's behavior. Now all of a sudden, she can't get the girl to set foot inside the house. She stops, takes a deep breath to stave off the frustration, and bends down eye level with the girl to talk to her.
"Summer, you're normally such a well behaved child. Why are you giving me such a hard time today?"
"I don't want to go in there," she pouts.
"There's a little girl around your age in there for you to play with," Miss Parker says enthusiastically, trying to change the girl's mind. "You two can play together and have lots of fun."
"Really? Okay, then," Summer relents.
Miss Parker breathes a sigh of relief, glad that Summer won't be giving her any more trouble. Although, she can hardly blame the girl. She doesn't want to go into the house either. Nevertheless, she promised. And she has a feeling she won't be getting this woman off her back until she does so.
"Parker! Come in," Kristen says when she opens the door. She steps back and allows Miss Parker and Summer into the house, closing the door behind them. "I'm so glad you two could make it."
"Well, thank you for inviting us."
"Not a problem," Kristen says. "I should have done it much sooner. You must think me a terrible neighbor. You've been next door for weeks before I invite you over. Anyway, have a seat. And Summer, why don't you and Alexa go back to her room and play."
Summer looks nervously at Kristen before grabbing onto Miss Parker's hand, not wanting to let go.
"It's okay, Baby," Miss Parker says to the little girl, nudging her gently in the direction of Alexa's room. "I'll be right out here waiting for you. Go and have some fun."
"Okay," she whispers and reluctantly lets go of Miss Parker's hand. She follows Alexa and the two small girls disappear down the hall.
"She's a beautiful little girl," Kristen comments, picking up the coffee pot. She pours two cups of coffee, offering one to her guest. "She looks so much like you. Kind of strange for a child not even related to you."
"Coincidence, I guess," Miss Parker says, feeling kind of uncomfortable with the woman's comment. Why would she even say something like that? There must be more going on with her than Miss Parker initially anticipated. She'll have to be extra careful around this woman. Miss Parker smiles uncomfortably and takes a sip of her coffee before asking, "So, how long have you and Jimbo been living here?"
"You know my husband?" Kristen asks, her pleasant mask slipping for a moment before she puts the happy face back on.
"Not really. I saw him in front one day when I came back from running and he introduced himself," she explains quickly, taking an even bigger gulp of her coffee. The sooner she finishes it, the sooner she can get out of there. This woman is starting to give her the creeps.
"Running. Do you do that a lot?" Kristen asks, obviously trying to change the subject. She traces a finger around the rim of her mug, but doesn't drink any of it.
"I try to," Miss Parker nods. "It's a good way to stay in shape."
Another lull in the conversation as the women run out of things to say again. Miss Parker drinks more of her coffee, cringing at the after taste. Must be instant coffee, she assumes. She doubts this woman would have anything imported like she's used to.
An alarm goes off in the kitchen and Kristen pops up from her seat.
"That must be the cookies I had in the oven," she explains. "Excuse me while I go check on them. You stay here and finish your coffee."
"No problem," Miss Parker says to the woman's retreating form, her smile dropping from her face when the woman disappears into the kitchen. Bad coffee. Bad conversation. She just wants to get out of the there as quickly as possible. She hopes the cookies aren't as bad as the coffee. Her stomach is already beginning to ache. Come to think of it, so is her head.
She stands up to possibly find a restroom and is forced back down by a wave of dizziness. Something is very wrong. She looks around to try to get her focus back and her eyes land on Kristen's coffee cup. Kristen's *untouched* coffee. Suddenly she begins to wonder why the woman didn't drink any and encouraged her to drink all of hers.
Looking down into her own mug, she sees that she's only had a few ounces at the most. Hopefully not enough of whatever's in the coffee to do much damage. She pours the rest into the carafe still on the table to make Kristen think she drank it all. It's time to get out of there. She tries to stand again, shaking off the dizziness that tries to strike and calls to Summer. The little girl gets to the room the same time Kristen returns.
"What's the matter, Parker?" she asks innocently.
"It's nothing. Summer and I should be going now. I'm suddenly not feeling very well," she says.
"Oh, that's too bad," Kristen says, offering fake sympathy. Miss Parker can see a gloating look in the other woman's eyes. "I hope it wasn't anything you had here."
"Probably not. I just had the coffee."
"Oh, and it looks like you drank it all," Kristen observes the empty coffee cup. She tries to hide a victorious grin, but it doesn't escape Miss Parker. "You probably just need some rest. I'm sure you'll be feeling better in no time."
"I'm sure," Miss Parker nods. "Good-bye Kristen. And thanks again for inviting me over."
"It was my pleasure, Parker. You have no idea."
Another shiver runs through Miss Parker and she knows for certain this woman is responsible for how she's feeling. If she had to guess, she'd say it was poison. But she doesn't know which one or what to do to counteract the effects. Thankfully she knows someone who might be able to help. With one last forced smile, she says good-bye and hurries back home with Summer. All she can do is hope and pray that whatever the woman gave her won't kill her.
Chapter 11
*****************
She doubles over as another wave of nausea hits. This time, she barely makes it to the bathroom before she throws up again. Hopefully this is helping to purge whatever poison is in her system. She rinses her mouth and splashes some water on her face to refresh herself. She has a lot of work to do.
After getting Summer settled in her room with a coloring book and a box of crayons, Miss Parker grabs her cell phone and dials a number she hasn't dialed since she got there. She waits patiently for someone to pick up, rubbing her hand on her upset stomach to settle it.
"This is Sydney," a voice answers.
"Syd. It's me."
"Parker! Where are you? We've been searching everywhere for you," another voice says. She recognizes it as Broots.
"Daddy sent me on a sabbatical. You guys know that," she tells them, surprised at how guilty she feels about lying to them. But Jarod and Summer's safety is more important. She can't risk telling Broots and Sydney about them.
"Well, your father has disappeared," Sydney tells her.
"Again," she sighs. "Why does that not surprise me? What is it with his knack for vanishing?"
"And Lyle is trying to take over," Broots says.
"That's not surprising either. But that does put me in a bit of a bind," she says with a groan at the end.
"What's the matter, Parker?" Sydney asks.
"Something I ate," is all she says. "Which is the reason why I called."
"Well, you might want to tell us all about it in person. If you don't get back here as soon as possible, it's very likely Lyle will get his way," Broots says. "I don't know about you, but if that happens . . . "
"Yeah, I get it. It won't be good. For any of us," she sighs before adding quietly, "Especially not Jarod."
"What was that?" Sydney asks.
"Nothing," she says quickly, covering her slip. "How long do I have to get there? Now isn't the best time. I'm kind of in the middle of something." Like having a life, she says to herself. The silence on the other end of the phone scares her.
"Just get here soon," Sydney says quietly, his voice quivering in fear. "And pray that it isn't too late."
She hears the click on the other end of the phone signaling the call has been disconnected. With a shaky hand, she shuts off her cell phone and lets it fall in her lap. This is the moment she knew would come eventually. She has to go back. But she doesn't want to. She never realized until this minute how much she never wants to go back to that place. Before, she could pretend that this fairy tale life with Jarod and Summer could last forever. One day at a time, Jarod said. Don't think about tomorrow. But now, she's facing that tomorrow and is woefully unprepared. How can she leave this man and child, both of whom she's fallen in love with?
She swipes away the hot tears falling down her face. Putting this off will only make it harder for her. She makes it over to her vanity table and applies a heavy layer of her 'Miss Parker' mask, covering the 'wife and mommy' masks she's been wearing the past few weeks. Being that person will only get her killed.
"Summer," she calls when she's done. The girl comes quickly and hops into her lap. She has a hard time holding back the tears threatening to fall again. "Go clean up your crayons and stuff. We're going to go for a ride now, okay?"
"Okay," she says in her sweet, little voice. She runs down the hall and quickly does as she's told, racing back to Miss Parker's room in less than a minute. "Ready."
'Not really', she answers to herself. She'll never be ready to do what she's about to do now. But she knows that she doesn't have a choice. She takes a deep breath and grabs one of Summer's pudgy hands in her own and leads her out the front door. She has to resist taking one last look around the house. Because that would be admitting that she'll never be back. She refuses to believe that. She doesn't know what she's facing at the Centre. But if she has to fight for her life, this is the only life worth living to her. This is the life she'll be fighting for.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jarod walks his last patient to the door and says good-bye. He waits until they disappear down the hall before walking out to his receptionist.
"That is my last patient for today, Susan. I get to go home now. To my family." He gets a shy smile on his face when he realizes how he sounds.
"Well, I have a surprise for you," Susan says, returning his smile. "You won't have to wait so long to see your family. Well, part of your family at least."
"What do you mean?" he asks, before looking over her shoulder into a classroom behind her. Inside, he sees Summer sitting quietly and coloring. "Summer's here?"
"Yes. Your wife dropped her off. She had to go to work."
"What?" he asks in a panic. Her kind of 'work' usually means trouble to him. Her kind of work means she has to go back to the Centre. Would she really just go without a word to him? "Susan, what exactly did Parker say when she dropped off Summer?"
"She just said it was a work emergency," Susan tells him again, suddenly concerned at his reaction. "I don't know anything other than that, Dr. Hamilton. I'm sorry."
"I understand, Susan. Thanks," he says absently.
"What's wrong, Daddy?" Summer asks, coming out of the room. She can see his obvious distress.
"Nothing, Princess." He forces a smile on his face for Summer's sake. "Everything is fine. Why don't you get your stuff and we can go home."
"Okay, Daddy," she nods, running back into the classroom. She returns a few seconds later. She stretches out her arms to him and he happily lifts her up, needing to feel closer to her.
"Let's go home, Summer," he manages to say in a fairly strong voice. He doesn't want to let on how scared he is. Not so much for him and Summer. But for Miss Parker. If she had to rush back to the Centre, then something bad is going on. And with Summer, he's not in any position to help her. All he can do is hope that there will be someone there looking out for her.
Interlude 5
*****************
She wasn't looking good when she left here. Arsenic has a way of doing that to a person. She had a good dose. But not enough to kill her. Not yet, anyway. I don't want her dead. Just out of the way. I want her to see me taking her life, taking her husband, taking her child before I kill her. She has the life I deserve. But not for long. Soon, it's going to be my life. Looking into the mirror, I see that the shade of dye I bought is perfect. It matches her hair color exactly. These new contacts turn my eyes into the same shade of blue as hers. But this dress takes the cake. It's just like one I've seen her wear. Very sexy. Very daring. Jarod won't know what hit him.
The door opens and she closes the journal, marking her page with a small bookmark. She can almost fantasize Jarod walking through that door, taking one look at her and sweeping her up into his arms for a deep kiss. He'll whisper words of love to her while carrying her up to the bedroom and proving those very words with his actions. She takes a deep breath, inhaling the crisp scent of his cologne she sprayed throughout the house. It makes her fantasy all the more real.
"What's your problem?"
She looks up and her fantasy image is shattered by the person standing in front of her. Her husband. The real one. She sighs in frustration and rolls her eyes at him. In what seems like the blink of an eye, he's stormed across the room and is up on her, grabbing onto her face roughly with his hand.
"Don't get that attitude with me," he says, nostrils flaring in anger.
"What attitude, Jimmy?" she asks, feigning innocence. She bats her eyes at him, causing him to pull away from her in shock.
"What's with you today, Kristen? There's something different," he gasps. It's been years for him, but he finds himself actually turned on by her.
"You like it?" she purrs, feeling herself become less and less like the person she used to be and more and more like the seductress she imagines Miss Parker to be.
"Oh yeah," he groans, grabbing her thigh savagely. "You look nothing like yourself. You look like that babe from next door." He leans over and tries to kiss her, only to groan again when she pushes a hand into his chest.
"Not yet, Baby," she whispers. "Why don't we have a drink first? You go in the bedroom and wait for me."
He can only nod as she slips out of his embrace and goes to the kitchen for a beer. Nothing fancy for good old Jimbo. He's a regular kind of guy who'll take a beer over something fancier. She pops the top and pours some of the beer down the drain. She replaces the missing liquid with her own little concoction - a lethal dose of the arsenic cocktail she served to Miss Parker earlier today.
"Here you go," she says, holding the beer out to him when she joins in the bedroom. "Drink up."
She smiles as he downs the entire thing in one big gulp. He belches and wipes the back of his mouth with his hand.
"Now, where were we?" he growls, crawling towards her with a feral grin. The growl turns into a long, labored gasp for breath until eventually his breathing stops all together. His lifeless eyes stare at her, as if to ask why.
"Good-bye, Jimmy. Good riddance," she spits out. One obstacle down and one to go. Killing Jimmy was just for practice. She has a bigger fish to fry. Once that woman from next door is out of the way, she'll be able to have what she desires. A good man to love her. One who won't stay out all night. One who won't keep bringing sexually transmitted diseases to her. One who won't beat her senseless. Jarod would never do that. She deserves a man like that. She deserves a life like what Miss Parker has.
Now that Jimmy's gone, she finds herself with a taste for killing. It was just so easy. She can easily become addicted to it. She has to kill Parker. It's an urge too strong to resist. Jarod may be devastated at first, but she'll be there to pick up the pieces. She looks into the mirror one more time, fixing a stray piece of hair. She must admit, she looks good. He won't be able to resist her.
Chapter 12
*****************
Miss Parker arrives in Blue Cove late that afternoon. After making a quick stop at home to outfit herself appropriately, she hurries straight to the Centre.
"Miss Parker," Broots calls to her as she steps off the elevator. He runs down the hall the catch up with her, Sydney walking quickly behind him. "You made it here."
"Well, when I spoke to you earlier, it didn't sound like I had much of a choice. What's going on?"
"Let's just say that you're here in the nick of time, Parker," Sydney says when he catches up with them. "There's a meeting on the fifth floor that you need to get to immediately."
"You're scaring me, Syd. What's up?"
"Just get there, Parker. Our very well-being may depend on it."
She just nods and heads back to the elevator. The one that arrives first is the one she hates getting on. But she's running late and really doesn't have a choice. She climbs into the car, trying to ignore the bullet holes in the wall. A cold feeling runs up her spine as she finds herself praying silently that she doesn't meet the same fate.
The bell dings, signaling her arrival at the floor. She straightens her back and takes a deep breath, getting her ice queen persona back in place. It would do her no good for them to see how terrified she is. She walks down the long hallway, finally reaching the door to the conference room after a seemingly endless trip. Upon reaching the room, she takes another deep breath for courage and pushes her way inside.
"Gentlemen. I can't believe you'd start without me." She would laugh if she weren't so terrified. The look on Lyle's face alone is enough to have her busting a gut. He definitely was not expecting her.
"Miss Parker, what are you doing here?" he asks through gritted teeth, but then changes his tone when he realizes how suspicious he sounds. "I mean, it was my understanding that you were unreachable for this entire month."
"Yes, that was my understanding as well," she nods, glaring at him in the process. "But as soon as I heard about this little gathering, I rushed right in."
"Very well then," one of the board members says. "Since you're here, Miss Parker, maybe you can shed some light on your father's whereabouts."
"My father is attending to a private matter," Miss Parker lies, hoping that she isn't digging her own grave. "It required him leaving town unexpectedly. He should be returning soon."
"Really?" another board member asks. "Your brother gave us the impression that Mr. Parker is missing. That he couldn't be located or contacted."
"Well you know Lyle. Ever so ambitious. But he doesn't have all the facts," she claims.
"Miss Parker, if you know where your father is, we'd suggest you get him back here immediately. Tell him we expect to see him at our next weekly meeting. Otherwise, his further absence will lend credence to Mr. Lyle's claims. Meeting adjourned." The board members rise from their seats and make their way out of the conference room, leaving Lyle and Parker alone.
"What was that about?" she growls. "Trying to take over again? What did you do with Daddy?"
"You were bluffing. You have no idea where he is," he says, staring at her in disbelief. His smug confidence returns when he realizes she doesn't know where their father is. His plan may work after all.
"And neither do you," she realizes suddenly when she sees the relief on his face. He didn't have anything to do with their father's disappearance. And he doesn't know where the man is either. "You were lying to the board as well."
"Not really. Our father is gone. And nobody knows where he's gone to. Someone needed to step up and be the leader around here. You certainly weren't available."
"And you certainly weren't in any hurry to let me know about the problems around here, Lyle."
"In due time, Dear Sister," he chuckles. "I would have told you."
"Yeah, after you managed to get the board the appoint you Chairman."
"You know me too well," he says with another laugh that is cut off abruptly with his air supply when she tightens his tie around his neck.
"Laugh now, Lyle. But I'm going to find Daddy and bring him back here and stop you from whatever it is you're planning," she threatens.
"Maybe so," he says, gasping for air when she finally releases him. "But if you don't, then you won't have a leg to stand on. So you see, all I have to do is bide my time and wait to see what you turn up. *If* you turn anything up at all. If it takes you as long to find our father as it's taken you to find Jarod, then I don't have anything to worry about. You have a week, Sis. Good luck."
He gives her one of those annoying grins before walking out the room, loosening his tie enough to be more comfortable. She watches as he walks away and lets out a breath she didn't realizes she was holding. One week. She managed to stall for time, but in exchange she's put herself out on a limb. Lyle's right about one thing. It's all on her to find her father. Otherwise, Lyle could make things very unpleasant around the Centre for everyone. She stays in the conference for a few more moments to get herself together when a knock at the door startles her.
"Miss Parker?"
She turns around and sees Broots and Sydney standing in the doorway, looking very much like two scared little boys. But she can't really blame them. Lyle possibly taking over is a pretty scary concept.
"How did it go, Parker," Sydney asks.
"About as well as can be expected," she shrugs. "I managed to buy myself some time. A week to be exact. The board members want to see Daddy back here by their next meeting."
"That doesn't give us much time," Broots says.
"Brilliant deduction," she says, rolling her eyes at him. She's about to open her mouth to start yelling at him when a wave of nausea catches her off guard. She managed to grab a wastebasket to avoid a really nasty display.
"Parker! Are you okay?" Sydney asks her when she's finished heaving into the wastebasket. He hands her his handkerchief, which she gratefully accepts and wipes her mouth.
"I'm great, can't you tell?" she answers him sarcastically. "I just love puking my guts out in front of the two of you."
"It's okay," Broots assures her. "Let's get you out of here. Get you to a doctor."
"I don't need a doctor," she insists.
"It could be your ulcer," Sydney suggests.
"It's not. Trust me. But I do need to get out of here. To your place, Broots. You can start research on where Daddy is and Syd, you can treat me."
"Treat you for what, Parker?"
"I think I've been poisoned." She tosses the handkerchief in the trash, silently reminding herself to buy Sydney a new one, before walking out the door.
They watch her walk away, frozen in shock at what she just said.
"Did she say poisoned, Syd? Geez, what kind of vacation was she on?"
"I don't know, Broots," Sydney chuckles lightly, trying to keep his worrying at bay. "I just don't know. But she certainly knows how to get herself in trouble, no matter where she is."
"I guess we better catch up with her before she does anymore damage," Broots says.
"That, Mr. Broots, is an excellent idea."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jarod turns into the driveway of his house and shuts the engine off. He's been driving around for the past few hours for some reason. Looking for her? Maybe. Although he knew he wouldn't find her. He knows exactly where she's gone. And he knows that he can't run after her this time. He'll have to wait for her to return to him.
He looks in the seat behind him at the sleeping child. What is he going to tell her when she asks for Parker? He closes his eyes and sighs, dreading that moment. How could she do this, he asks himself. How could she just leave without saying good-bye? He's grateful that Summer's asleep. Hopefully she'll sleep the rest of the night and won't notice that Parker's gone.
He opens his car door and moves to get Summer when a shadow catches his eye. He gasps when he sees a form through the darkness coming towards him. She's back, he thinks with a smile. He starts to run towards her, but stops abruptly when she steps into the light.
"Jarod, you're home," she says.
"Yes, I am," he says, confused by what's going on. "What are you doing here, Kristen?"
"Parker wasn't feeling well. I came by to check on her."
"You've seen her? When?" he demands to know.
"Not since this morning? Why? What's wrong, Jarod?" Kristen asks suspiciously. She takes a step closer to him and grabs onto his arm. "You're shaking. What's going on?"
"Nothing," he says, pulling his arm way from her cold hands. It's not like he doesn't appreciate the gesture. It's just not the touch he's yearning. "Parker's not here. She had a work emergency to deal with. I just forgot for a minute."
"She's not here? Well I guess I'll have to take care of you until she gets back," Kristen insists.
"Thanks, but we'll be fine," he says with a smile. He reaches into the car and lifts the sleeping child easily to avoid waking her. When he turns back around, he's surprised to see Kristen still standing there. "Really, Kristen. We'll be okay. You can go on home. I'll stand here and wait until you get in safely."
"You're too sweet," she gushes, causing him to blush slightly. "A true gentleman. Good night."
"Good night, Kristen." True to his word, he watches until she's into her house before turning to go inside his own home. He puts Summer to bed and then tries to find himself something to eat. But everything is bland and tasteless, refusing to move past the lump in his throat. He wanders around the house for a few hours, willing himself not to pick up the phone and call her. Any contact from him could put her in more danger. He won't do that.
He eventually walks himself to exhaustion, falling asleep almost immediately when hitting the bed. He pulls a pillow, soaked with her scent, closer to him, holding it tightly in his arms like he's held her on so many nights. Despite his worries, sweet dreams fill his sleep. He hugs the pillow even closer and can almost convince himself that she's really in his arms. He can almost feel her warm softness against his chest. A small smile graces his face in his sleep knowing that he'll always have the dream version of Miss Parker. Her soft, thudding heart beat takes him further and further into dreamland.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Interlude 6
*****************
He paced around the house so much tonight. I guess he's worried about her. But he's going to need to learn how to live without her. And tonight is as good a time as any.
I can understand him missing her. I don't exactly miss Jimmy, but I doubt Parker was as bad a spouse as Jimmy was. Nevertheless, she's not the spouse that Jarod deserves, so she has to die. And I will take her place.
I'm a little annoyed that he didn't even notice the changes I made to please him. I'm trying to look like her. I changed my hair for him. I changed my eyes for him. I wear the clothes she wears. I even got a small bottle of the expensive perfume she likes. He didn't say a word to me about it. Maybe I was appealing to his wrong senses. Maybe he needs other . . . stimulations. When I was lurking in the shadows, he thought I was her. I could see it in his eyes. Maybe the cover of darkness is what I need.
He's finally gone to bed. The house is dark. Perfect. I wait until I know he's asleep and sneak in through the back. I've been in this house a few times since they've moved in, so I know my way around. I silently make it into our bedroom without detection. He's clutching onto a pillow now, snuggling it close to him, probably wishing it was her. Well, he's about to get his wish. I gently pull the pillow away and replace it with my own body. He stiffens momentarily, but relaxes when he takes a deep breath, taking in a big whiff if her perfume. He may think that I'm her, but it won't matter. I'm going to be who he finds in the morning.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
By Nicky
Chapter 1
*****************
Miss Parker sighs as a gentle breeze cools her wet skin. She opens her eyes and sees a blanket of stars covering her from above, their light a comforting presence to the silence around her. This time of night is her favorite for running, especially since discovering this little pond not far from the outer edge of her property. After a hard day, she tends to subject her body to an even harder jogging pace. And after her run, this pond has turned out to be the perfect place to take a relaxing swim to drown away the daily stresses that come from working at a place like the Centre.
The bright moonlight is suddenly obscured by a cloud and another breeze causes her to shiver. Looks like a storm. She really needs to get home before the rain starts. With reluctance, Miss Parker swims back to the bank and squeezes the water from her dripping hair. She pulls her t-shirt and leggings back over her wet underwear and slips her shoes on and begins the journey home. The hour is late and she keeps herself alert, realizing how dangerous it is being out this time of night. But it's the only time she can truly relax. It's the only time she can let her guard down and really enjoy the warm pond in privacy.
Sooner than she expects, Miss Parker finds herself climbing the steps of her deck leading to her back porch. The trip home seemed shorter than usual, probably because her mind was wandering more than usual. She's been like that the past few weeks. Distracted. Unsettled. And not really sure what the problem is. Actually, she knows exactly what the problem is. Her dreams are the problem. Or rather, one recurring dream in particular. Haunting is not the word to describe it. That one dream has been plaguing her waking hours as well as the sleeping ones, infusing itself into all aspects of her consciousness. She's found only one way to make any sense of the confusing images.
Miss Parker tips quietly into her mother's old art studio, honoring the silent sacredness of the place. She never really spent much time in here before a few weeks ago, before she started having the dream. But for some reason, this is now the only place she has any peace. It's as if the dream is leading her here. She flips the cover from the painting she's working on. She never realized how much of her mother's talent had been passed onto her until she picked up the brush one night and tried to paint what she saw in her dream. She's been working on it every night since and finally it's taking shape. She stares at the image of the little girl formed on the canvas. It's the girl she sees in her dream. She feels as if she knows her, but she can't for the life of her figure out who she is.
"It's beautiful."
Miss Parker spins around quickly at the voice behind her, not really knowing why she's so surprised. Just like she knew what to paint, she knew he'd find her here one day.
"Jarod. What are you doing here?" she asks out of routine. She knows that he's here for the same reason she is. And she has a feeling that he doesn't understand that reason anymore than she does.
"I need to talk to you. About her," he says, nodding his head toward the painting.
"What about her, Jarod? She's a figment of my imagination. An image from my dream. How would you know anything about her?" Those are the questions she knows she must ask to play the 'game' that's become the essence of their lives. But she knows that he has as much at stake in this as she does. Whatever answers she hopes to find will be answers for Jarod as well.
"Her eyes," he says absently, still staring at the painting. "You've got them wrong. The color is more . . . intense. They're the same color blue as your eyes get when you get your mind set on something." He smiles dreamily, recalling a memory from the past. "I remember that day you kissed me. I could tell the moment you made up your mind to do it. You looked at me and the instant before your lips touched mine, your eyes turned this amazing shade of blue I don't think I've ever seen anywhere else. Until recently. Until I saw it in this girl's eyes."
"Her eyes are the same color as mine?"
"Not just the same color, Miss Parker," he whispers. "The same eyes. She has your eyes. And she . . . "
"She what?" Miss Parker asks, although she's not sure she wants to know the answer. She can tell by his hesitation and by the look on his face that what he has to say is something that even he is having trouble dealing with.
"She has my nose. And my smile, but with that cute little overbite of yours that you spent two years in braces correcting." He pulls out an envelope from his pocket and hands it over to her, watching as she pulls out a stack of pictures to flip through. "She's not your dream, Miss Parker. She's very real."
"Jarod, who is this girl?" she asks, her hands shaking with each picture she sees. "Why does she look so much like . . . "
"Like how you did when you were that age?" he finishes for her. "I don't know the answer to that question. All I know is that for some reason, you've been dreaming of her. And for some reason, I was drawn to her. I think we were meant to find her. And now that I have, I want to keep her. But to do that, I'm going to need your help. That's why I'm here."
She looks up at him in shock, not sure at what to say at that.
"My help?" she gasps out. "What do you mean? You want to me to help you kidnap her or something?"
"No, nothing like that. Although, the thought did cross my mind," he chuckles. "But an aggressive approach like that would cause too much attention. I need to do this as quietly as possible, in case the Centre has anything to do with her existence."
"Which they probably do," she sighs in resignation as she looks at one of the pictures of the girl. "I can see so much of both of us in her."
"That's why I have to get to her and keep her safe. Will you help me?"
Miss Parker can't seem to keep her eyes from the pictures in her hand. At first, the girl was just an abstract image in her dream. But now, she's a real, living breathing person, who quite possibly belongs to her. No, scratch that. This little girl very probably belongs to her. She's almost certain of it. And because of that, despite any doubts she may be having, everything in her is telling her to do this. To help Jarod.
"Okay," she says quietly, nodding her head to show her agreement. "I'll do it. I'll help you."
"Great," he smiles excitedly. "Thank you so much."
"What do I need to do?"
"Not much for now. You'll be getting a call in the morning from your father forcing you on a mandatory vacation," he explains. "If he asks your plans, just tell him you'll be traveling for the next few weeks or so. That should give us enough time to do what we need to do."
"How did you manage that?" she asks incredulously. At the smug look on his face, she quickly decides she doesn't want to know. "Never mind, don't tell me. Although, I'm guessing you just assumed all along I'd be helping you on your little mission."
"Anyway," he smiles again, ignoring her comment. "We can leave as soon as you get that call."
"I guess that means you're staying here tonight," she sighs, rolling her eyes at the twinkle he gets in his own eyes. She walks past him out the studio and to the linen closet where she pulls out a blanket and pillow for him. "Honeymoon's over, Loverboy. You're sleeping on the couch. Goodnight." She heads up the stairs to her own bedroom, leaving him in shock at her unexpected innuendo.
"Wrong Sweetheart. The honeymoon's just beginning," he mumbles to himself.
"Jarod," she calls out, stopping in the middle of her trek up the stairs. She turns back around to face him.
"Yeah?" he squeaks, suddenly afraid that she heard his muttered comment. But the serious look on her face tells him that this has nothing to with that.
"The little girl. What's her name?" She bites on her lip nervously. It's a habit he knows she's had all her life that only manifests itself when she's truly worried about something. It takes all the self-control Jarod has not to run to her and pull her into his arms to comfort. But he also knows her well enough to know that gesture would only upset her more.
"Summer," he smiles, trying to reassure her from afar. "Her name is Summer Joy."
Chapter 2
*****************
The room is not much more than a classroom converted into a playroom by the school. Jarod, pretending to be a child psychologist, convinced them that it was the best setting to conduct his counseling sessions with students. He gives Miss Parker a quick tour of the place while they wait.
"So all that time we wasted looking for you for the past few months and you've been right here playing a shrink the whole time?" she asks, picking up the name plate from the desk and tracing the words 'Dr. Jarod Hamilton' with her finger.
"Well, most of the time," he says with that little smirk of his that she's not sure if she wants to slap or kiss off of him. At the moment, she's too nervous to do either. She returns the nameplate to its proper place and searches for something else to fidget with.
"Relax. She should be here in a few minutes, Miss Parker," he says gently, grabbing her hands to stop her from wringing them. "Or should I say Mrs. Hamilton?" He chuckles at the flush staining her cheeks.
"You would think this was funny, Jarod. Oh, excuse me, Dr. Hamilton," she says sarcastically. "Only you would think to pull me into this little pretend of yours as your wife. Why do we have to be married anyway?"
"I told you. If I just took Summer, it would cause too much attention. She lives in a children's home just outside of town and has been passed over a few times for being adopted. Us pretending to be married and looking to adopt her is the perfect way to get her, legally and for good."
"And this is really going to work?" she asks dubiously. "You think we'll be able to be convincing as a married couple, Jarod? A *happily* married couple?"
"Dr. Hamilton," a voice drawls over the intercom, stopping him from answering that question. "Summer Dawson is here for her one o'clock appointment with you."
"Thank you, Susan. Send her in." He looks up at Miss Parker and can see her nervousness has returned.
"Do you really think is a good idea? I mean, me being here?" she asks him. "She's used to you already. Won't she be afraid of meeting someone new?"
"I've been counseling Summer for awhile now. She's the happiest, most easy going child around. She definitely lives up to her name," Jarod smiles. He takes her hand again and gives it a gentle squeeze before walking to the door. A little ball of energy flies through just as he opens it, grabbing onto to Jarod's leg and squealing with delight.
"Jarod," she screeches, holding her arms up to him. He bends down and lifts her up, giving her a quick hug.
"Hey Summer. It's good to see you today." He shifts her to his hip and walks toward the side of the room where Miss Parker seems to be frozen in place.
"Who's she?" Summer asks shyly when she notices the woman. She immediately puts a thumb in her mouth and buries her head in Jarod's shoulder.
"Just a nice lady I wanted you to meet. Summer, this is my wife, Parker."
"Hi Parker," Summer says sweetly with an easy smile. She reaches her arms out and waits patiently for Miss Parker to take her. Miss Parker can do no more than comply with her wishes and takes her from Jarod.
"Hi Summer," Miss Parker says once the girl is situated in her arms, her discomfort melting away with each passing second. It feels surprisingly natural to be holding the child. "It's very nice to meet you."
"She's pretty, Jarod. I like her a lot," Summer says.
"Well thank you, Summer. I like her, too. I think I'll keep her," Jarod smiles, winking at Miss Parker who once again feels the redness burn her cheeks. "Come on, young lady. It's time for us to get to work. And you know what day it is, don't you?"
"It's play day," Summer shrieks, clapping her hands with delight. She starts to squirm around, giving Miss Parker the hint she's ready to be put down. But before she runs off, she surprises Miss Parker yet again with a little kiss on the cheek. "Are you going to play with us too?"
Still reeling from the unexpected feelings coursing through her, she's again frozen in place, unable to speak. Her wide eyes, full of apprehension, make contact with Jarod and she viciously shakes her head to tell him no.
"Not today, Summer," he tells the girl. "Why don't you pick out a game and set it up. I need to talk to my wife out in the hall for a second, okay?"
He leads Miss Parker outside the little room and sees a few tears on her face. He closes the door behind them so that Summer won't overhear.
"I can't," she whispers. "I'm sorry. I know I told you that I . . . but I can't."
"It's okay, Miss Parker." He reaches up to her cheek to wipe away the tears. "I can understand how today would be a bit . . . overwhelming for you."
"Overwhelming is an understatement, Jarod," she chuckles mirthlessly. "Looking at her is like looking at pictures from my childhood. I know I saw her in the photos you brought me, but seeing her in person . . . I just didn't expect her eyes to be exactly like mine. Or for her smile to match yours perfectly. And those freckles. Jarod, I swear she has one right under her eye that's a bit darker than the others and is destined to become a mole just like the one you have. I knew hypothetically what to expect coming into this. But the reality of it is another story. It's one thing to see a picture, but nothing prepared me for this. She's real, Jarod. And she's ours. I'm positive of that."
"I believe she's ours, too," he nods solemnly. "I didn't want to risk a DNA test, but look at her. What more proof do we need?"
"What did they do? What reason could they possibly have had for making her?" she cries, falling into his outstretched arms as if it's something she does everyday.
"I don't know. I don't know why they made her or why they just threw her away. But I'm not going to let them hurt her ever again," he swears. "I'm getting her out of that children's home and with me where she belongs."
"I said I'd help and I meant it, Jarod. I just need some time to process it all," she explains, pulling herself from his comforting embrace.
"I know. And I understand." He places a kiss on her forehead before letting her go completely. "Are you going to be okay? I still have this session with Summer, but I can . . . "
"I'll be fine," she tells him, giving as much a smile as she can. "Go back to her. I'll see you later." She tries the smile again before turning and walking towards the exit.
"I certainly hope so," he sighs, watching her walk away. He understands her retreat. It's the way she deals with things. He just hopes she doesn't run far enough away where he'll never find her. He needs her. And the little girl inside that room needs her. And though she may not admit it, he knows Miss Parker needs them both. Hopefully she'll realize that before it's too late.
Chapter 3
*****************
Jarod returns home later that evening and is pleasantly surprised to see Miss Parker waiting for him. He wasn't sure she'd be there after that hasty exit she made earlier that day. He's relieved to know she didn't break her promise. He wouldn't have blamed her if she did, but he's glad she didn't. He's glad she's still here.
"Hey," he calls out to Miss Parker gently, trying to not scare her. But when he walks into the room he hopes to one day be Summer's, he sees that she's sitting in the middle of a pile of clothes and looking a bit flustered. The clothes were spread out all over the place. Lots of clothes. Lots of little clothes he doesn't remember buying. "What's going on in here?"
"Hi, Jarod." She looks up from her spot on the floor and gives him an embarrassed smile. "I guess you're wondering where all of this came from."
"The thought did cross my mind," he says, trying to hold back a grin. He sits next to her and lifts up a small t-shirt with the price tag still on it.
"I was a little upset when I left you today. So I drove around awhile and ended up at a department store. Shopping tends to soothe me, so I did some. Did you know they had such cute clothes for little girls? I couldn't resist." She holds up a tiny pair of flare leg jeans and smiles at how cute they are.
"Couldn't resist what? Buying out the whole store?" he laughs. He picks up a little bathing suit and wrinkles his nose. "A bikini, Parker? She's three years old. Why did you get her a bikini?"
"Because it matches the one I bought for myself," she says with a suggestive rise of her eyebrows.
"Ooh. I think I need to see that. Are you going to model it for me?" he replies, in an equally suggestive tone.
"Oh, so a bikini is good enough for me, but you wouldn't want to see one on your dau . . ." she pauses abruptly, the words she's saying finally sinking in. She sits back against the bed and lets out a shaky breath. "Wow, Jarod. We have a child. I still can't wrap my mind around that."
"Me either," he says, grabbing her hand, holding it in his own in what has become a symbol of comfort for them both. "You know, if you're not sure about this, it's not too late to back out. I don't want to force you . . . ."
"I've already been forced, Jarod," she interrupts him. "But that's beside the point. She may have been created without my consent or knowledge, but she's here now and I have to take responsibility for her."
"*We* have to take responsibility. She belongs to both of us. But right now we need to focus on getting her. I think this adoption thing will work."
"When do we get started?" she asks him.
"It's mostly done, actually. The paperwork and everything. I had to forge most of the documents, so it was easier to get all that out the way. And I don't think there's going to be much resistance to us adopting her because she's pretty much in the 'unadoptable' category."
"But why? She's so beautiful and so sweet? Why wouldn't anyone want her?"
"Well, for one thing, she's not a baby. Most people want babies. But she's young enough for most of the prospective parents to give her a chance. But the few parents she's visited with brought her back because of her nightmares. They couldn't deal with them," Jarod explains. "Ironically, that's how I met Summer. Mrs. Pritchard from the children's home heard about the counseling sessions I give at the school. She brought Summer to me to see if I could uncover what's behind the nightmares. After a week or so, she noticed how well Summer and I got along and asked if my wife and I were looking to adopt."
"Your wife? She thought you were married?"
"Yeah," Jarod blushes. "I've pretended to be a teacher before. Let's just say that those single mothers were pretty relentless in their efforts to seduce me."
"Oh, you poor baby," she teases.
"Anyway, I decided to wear a wedding band this time around to head off the unwanted attention."
"So this Mrs. Pritchard. I assume she's going to want to meet me or something. I'm sure she's not just going to hand Summer over to us without some sort of evaluation," Miss Parker says.
"How does tomorrow sound for you? I don't have any sessions scheduled, so I told her to come by then. If all goes well, Summer will stay the week with us as a trial."
"Here?" she squeaks. "In this house with us? Jarod, there are only two bedrooms. Where are you going to sleep if she's going to be here?"
His only response is a wink and a leer. He stands to his feet, leaving her in stunned silence on the floor.
"I'm going to the store to make sure we have enough food and stuff. You need anything?" She just shakes her head. He chuckles at her reaction and then turns to leave.
After he's gone, she manages to shake some sense back into herself. She doesn't know why the sleeping arrangements are so shocking to her. They're both adults. Surely they can handle sleeping in the same bed for a week. There's nothing really to fear. She's sure Jarod will be a perfect gentleman. She wonders briefly to herself why that thought is suddenly so disappointing to her before shoving aside that line of thinking. With Summer coming tomorrow, there's work to be done. No time to hope for slightly less than noble intentions from her pretend husband.
Miss Parker watches as Jarod makes one last lap around the house, making sure everything is in order. His nervousness is starting to drive her crazy.
"Jarod, will you just sit down?" she snaps at him.
"Sorry," he apologizes, giving her a sheepish look. "I just want this to be perfect. Mrs. Pritchard can't be suspicious about us. I don't want any more delays in getting Summer."
"I'm sure it'll be fine," she reassures him. But her words are for herself as much as they are for him. She's pretty nervous about the whole thing, too. "How about we go over our story one last time?"
"That's a good idea," he nods. "We're sticking as close to the truth as possible, right? We grew up together. You went away to school and when you came back, we ended up working at the same . . . research facility."
"Oh, is that what we're calling the Centre?" she laughs, picking up the story where he left off. "You saw me again and fell madly in love with me and pursued me relentlessly."
"I pursued you? Come on, Miss Parker. I thought we were sticking to the truth here. I'd say you were the one doing most of the chasing."
"Whatever, Jarod," she says, rolling her eyes. "Why don't you just shove your little story up your . . . "
"Ooh, I'd watch that if I were you, Miss Parker," he grins, amused at her how much he's annoying her. "None of that filthy language around our child. Also, no smoking. No drinking. And while we're at it, I better make sure your gun is well out of reach."
"Anything else about my personality that you find so offensive?" she growls.
"Just one more thing," he smirks. He pulls out a cell phone and hands it to her. "Here, just for practice. When you hear that ringing sound coming out of it, the thing to say is *hello*," he enunciates slowly, dissolving into a fit of giggles. "Not *what*. Hello."
"Funny, Jarod," she says sarcastically, shooting an annoyed grin at him that only makes him laugh harder at her. "You think you're the great pretender, but just watch me. I'm going to charm the pants off Mrs. Pritchard."
"Sounds intriguing. Why haven't you ever tried that with me?" he asks, his eyes flashing mischief.
"Because based on some of the women of yours I met throughout the years of chasing you, I can see that it doesn't take much to get your pants off, Jarod," she groans in exasperation, trying to hide her jealousy. It bothered her more than she cared to admit meeting some of the women left in his wake. Especially that FBI Agent. What was her name? Rachel?
"Someone sounds jealous," he grins smugly.
"Shut up," she snaps, not even bothering to deny it. She knows she wouldn't be able to pull that lie off. "Will you just stop with the lame flirting attempts and focus on what we're doing?"
A knock on the door stops the verbal sparring match going on between the two. They stare at the door in stunned silence for a few endless seconds before Jarod lets out a deep breath he didn't even realize he was holding.
"I guess this is when you start to charm my pants off," he quips. But she can see how nervous he really is and appreciates his attempt at levity.
"Just wait, Jarod. After this performance, you'll be wanting to give me a lot more than your pants," she says with a wicked little smile and wink that shocks the breath right back out of him. He has a feeling he's about to see a side of Miss Parker he never knew existed. He doesn't know whether to be afraid or excited. Maybe even slightly aroused. In any case, he knows it's going to be a performance he doesn't want to miss.
Chapter 4
*****************
"Come in," he hears Miss Parker say as sunlight streams through the open door. "You must be Mrs. Pritchard."
"Hi Parker," Summer chirps cheerfully as she runs into the house and throws her arms briefly around Miss Parker's legs before running past her and jumping into Jarod's outstretched arms.
"And based on Summer's reaction, I'd say you're Jarod's wife and that we're definitely in the right place," Mrs. Pritchard smiles cheerfully, offering her hand to shake. "It's good to finally meet you. Summer couldn't stop talking about the two of you last night. I have a feeling this is going to work out for everyone."
"We hope so," Jarod says, walking up behind Miss Parker with an armful of Summer.
"Silly me. Where are my manners?" Miss Parker says sweetly. "Please come in, Mrs. Pritchard. Would you like something to drink? Jarod, Honey. Go get some iced tea." She has to stifle a laugh when Jarod looks at her as if he's never seen her before. She admits, she may be laying it on a little thick.
"That would be nice. Thank you." Mrs. Pritchard sits in the seat offered to her and glances around the room in awe. "Your home is lovely, Mrs. Hamilton."
"Call me Parker, please," she insists, tossing another sweet and frighteningly sincere looking smile Jarod notices as he makes his way back into the living room with the drinks. "And thank you. But I'm afraid I can't take the credit for it. Jarod did everything here. I was taking care of moving us out of our old house. Jarod handled moving us into here, didn't you Sweetie."
Jarod is glad his back is to Mrs. Pritchard to hide his reaction. So far, he's gotten a 'Honey' and now a 'Sweetie' from Miss Parker. He wonders what else she has up her sleeve.
"A brave woman, you are," Mrs. Pritchard laughs. "I can't trust my husband to keep the garage cleaned, let alone picking out and decorating an entire house."
"Well, I trust him," Miss Parker says, gazing at Jarod. She takes his hand and gives it a little squeeze for effect, giving him a look of love that takes his breath away yet again. If she's not careful, he might just keel over before the day is over, he thinks to himself. She's better than he expected. The looks, the glances, the touches. They all seem so real. He smiles back at her and tosses his free arm over her shoulder.
"I trust him with everything I have," she says, tucking herself easily into his embrace. If she had a moment to think about it, the ease of getting used to Jarod's touch would be a bit disconcerting.
"You two are just so sweet," Mrs. Pritchard comments with a dreamy look in her eyes. "I can see how much love you have to give. I'm surprised you don't have children already, though. Jarod tells me you've been married for about six years."
"We've been trying," Jarod says solemnly, tightening his grip around her. "But it hasn't worked out yet."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Mrs. Pritchard gasps. "I didn't know."
"Don't be. We're fine about it," Miss Parker assures her. "If it's God's will, it'll happen in His time. Who knows, maybe *this* is His Will - for Summer to be our first born. Maybe this is just meant to be."
She almost loses it at the look of wide eyed shock on Jarod's face. They both are trying to hard not to laugh. But a comment comes from their guest that sobers their amusement.
"I think I've heard enough here," Mrs. Pritchard says with a sigh as she puts away her pen and notepad.
Jarod and Miss Parker nervously glance at each other. The amusement is gone and panic has taken its place. He can see her starting to blame herself for possibly taking her act a bit too far.
"S-so you're leaving?" he stutters, trying desperately to hide any other signs of fear in his quivering voice.
"I don't have any other questions," Mrs. Pritchard says, before a big smile spreads across her face. "As far as I'm concerned, the two of you are perfect candidates. If after a week with Summer this is what you still want, then I'll do my best to help the adoption go through as quickly as possible."
"Really?" Miss Parker asks with some surprise. A few tears well up in her eyes and neither she nor Jarod are sure if they're just a part of the act. She's genuinely happy things seem to be working out the way they hoped.
"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton. It looks like it's a girl."
"Thank you so much, Mrs. Pritchard," Jarod says, shaking her hand vigorously.
"No thanks are necessary, Jarod. Just take care of that little girl. Summer, why don't you come out and get your backpack from the car. You're going to stay with Jarod and his wife for a few days. Would you like that?"
Summer nods her head with a big smile and runs out the house behind Mrs. Pritchard. After they're gone, Jarod lets go of the chuckle that's been plaguing him the whole afternoon. Now that the stress of meeting with Mrs. Pritchard is over, he can breathe a sigh of relief.
"God's will? Parker, I never pictured you the meek, God-fearing, house wife. You were incredible," he laughs.
"You couldn't have been that impressed," she says, slowly walking towards him with another one of those *looks* in her eyes. The sultry tone of her voice stops him mid-laugh and makes his knees tremble. "You still have your pants on."
"That's a problem that can be easily remedied," he whispers huskily.
"I swear you are too easy," she laughs, giving him a knowing look. "And here I was thinking all those women took advantage of poor, innocent Jarod. Looks to me like you couldn't whip it out fast enough."
"You really are jealous," he realizes, watching in amazement as her cheeks flush with embarrassment.
"What makes you think that?" she asks, trying to sound not guilty.
"Well, this is the second time you've mentioned 'all my women'. Let me get a few things straight. First of all, there weren't that many. Just two or three, one fairly serious."
"Which one was she? The serious one?" she hears herself asking. Her voice is shaky and quiet. Almost a whisper and he has to strain to hear her.
"Her name is Zoë," he tells her.
"The one Lyle and Cox kidnapped?" He just nods. "I heard about what happened, Jarod. I'm sorry they pulled her into all of that."
"She was okay. My dad helped me rescue her. Unfortunately after that, she didn't think my um . . . adventurous lifestyle was compatible with her safety. I haven't seen her since."
"Did you love her?"
"I loved being with her," he answers after a few moments to think. He didn't expect that question from her and takes a second to wonder why she's asking it. "But no. I didn't love her. I guess it's for the best she left when she did. Before she really got hurt."
"Like Thomas."
"Yeah. Like Thomas." They both offer a moment of silence for their friend lost to the Centre war. Eventually, curiosity starts to burns away at him as he blurts out, "Did you love him?"
"Yes," she answers without hesitation. "I loved him as much as I could. Enough to be willing to go away and make a life with him. But I wasn't in love with him," she admits.
They endure an awkward silence while they contemplate the significance of the conversation that just passed. Jarod bites his lip and wonders to himself why he's feeling jealous of a dead man who happened to own Miss Parker's heart for awhile. At the same time, Miss Parker wonders why her heart leapt for joy when Jarod admitted to not loving the woman he considered himself serious with. Summer comes back into the house and surprises them both. No time for those thoughts now. They have a week to get through with Summer. They have to focus on that.
Interlude 1
*****************
Dear Diary. An interesting development. A woman. His wife, to be exact. And a child. The woman is tall. Beautiful. With dark hair and blue eyes. They seem to make a good couple. The child is a girl. She looks like the woman. But I can also see a lot of him in her. Obviously their child. And an extra challenge. But one I won't back down from. They may be a perfectly happy family now. But they won't be for much longer. Not if I have anything to do with it.
Chapter 5
*****************
The nightmares start three days later. Miss Parker hears and sits straight up in the bed, untangling herself from Jarod's long legs. She doesn't understand how, no matter how far apart they start the night off, they end up practically wrapped around each other by morning.
"Jarod," she whispers, nudging his chest with her elbow. "Did you hear that?"
A muffled cry drifts down the hall and both of them sleepily get up to investigate. They come to Summer's room and find the girl huddled in a little ball in the middle of her bed. Jarod sits down and pulls her into his lap.
"What's wrong, Summer?" he asks gently, sweeping her curly hair from out of her eyes.
"I had a bad dream," she sniffles.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Summer shakes her head and starts to shake. He has to try and calm her again. "It's okay, Sweetie. You don't have to say anything. Why don't you lay back down and try to go back to sleep." She shakes her head again and clings even tighter to him.
"Do you want to come sleep with us, Summer?" Miss Parker asks. She can see how scared the little girl is and is reminded of her own nightmares as a child. The only thing that would comfort her was falling asleep in the bed between her parents.
Summer quickly nods and reaches up for Miss Parker. Miss Parker eagerly draws the small girl into her arms, finding herself unable to deny her anything. They all go back to the master bedroom and settle in the big bed. Sleep quickly reclaims Jarod and Summer while Miss Parker breathes a little easier having a physical barrier between Jarod and herself. Just like she's unable to resist Summer, she's finding it harder and harder to resist Jarod. And she can't allow that, not when she has to go back to the Centre eventually. She can't allow herself to fall into the trap of feeling like Summer's mother or Jarod's wife. It will just break her heart when it's all over. And like all good things in her life, she knows this will be over soon. Keeping her distance is the key, she chants to herself like a mantra. But as sleep overtakes her, she feels Summer roll over and snuggle into her chest, and doesn't do anything to stop her.
Miss Parker wakes to an empty bed and wonders where Jarod and Summer went. She hears a happy giggle float from the living room and realize that they're probably already up. She slips on a robe and wanders down the stairs to find them.
"Cartoons, Jarod?" she asks him when she sees them huddled on the couch cracking up at the antics of the Rugrats.
"I hear this is what kids like to do on Saturday mornings," he shrugs and blushes slightly. It's kind of cute when he's embarrassed, she thinks to herself before she realizes the thought went through her head. She really needed to stop thinking things like that. Fortunately, the ringing doorbell distracts her from any further thoughts she shouldn't be having.
"I'll get it," she says almost too quickly. She walks to the front door and swings it open and is shocked to find herself face to face with an equally surprised woman. "Can I help you?" she says when she recovers a bit.
"I'm sorry. I was looking for Jarod," the woman says slowly, looking over Miss Parker's shoulder into the house. "Is he here?"
"Parker, who's at the door?" Jarod asks, coming up behind her before he recognizes their guest. "Oh, hey Kristen. I see you've met my wife, Parker. Honey, this is our neighbor, Kristen Briggs."
"Nice to meet you, Parker," the woman says, not even taking her eyes off of Jarod. "Jarod mentioned you, but he's been here all alone for so long, that I forgot you were supposed to be joining him."
"Well, I'm here now," Miss Parker says icily. "He won't have to be alone anymore. Can we help you with something, Krista?"
"It's Kristen," she corrects. "And actually, I just need Jarod. I know this is late notice, but I was wondering if I could bum a ride off of you. My husband stayed out all night again with the car hasn't gotten back yet. Would you mind terribly if I rode with you to the school? Alexa has her ballet class today."
"Alexa?" Miss Parker asks curiously.
"She's my little girl," Kristen explains impatiently before turning her pleading eyes back to Jarod.
"I actually don't have any sessions today, Kristen. But I wouldn't mind dropping you off. Give me a second to get dressed."
"Thank you so much, Jarod," she says with a huge smile. "I really appreciate this. I'll just go get Alexa ready." She smiles again before dashing off across the lawn and into her house.
"Do you want me to take Summer or will you be okay here with her by yourself? I know you haven't spent a lot of time alone with her these past few days."
"No, we'll be fine," she says shortly. "Go take Kristen and Alexa."
"You okay?" he asks when he notices her tone. She seems kind of upset.
"Fine," she says before walking away. She takes his spot on the couch next to Summer and stares at the TV as if it were the most interesting thing in the world to her. She couldn't be jealous, could she? He dismisses that notion with a shrug, running up the stairs two at a time. He has to hurry. The sooner he drops Kristen and Alexa off, the sooner he'll be able to get back to Miss Parker and Summer.
Miss Parker flips angrily through a magazine, not even reading the pages as she passes them. She looks at the clock again and notices that another agonizing ten minutes have gone by. That makes a total of two hours and forty nine minutes. How long does a ballet class last anyway?
Twenty minutes later, she finally hears the car pull into the driveway. She tries to focus even harder on reading the magazine, or at least looking as if she's really reading it when Jarod walks in.
"Don't make a fool of me," is what greets him when he steps into the living room.
"What?" he asks, confused at the statement. He sits next to her on the couch, waiting for her to clarify. She turns to face him and the iciness in her eyes cause him to shiver.
"I don't care what you do or who you do it with, just don't make a fool of me while I'm your wife, pretend or otherwise."
"Miss Parker. What's this about? I called and told you that I was going to stay and take care of paperwork at my office while Kristen took Alexa to ballet so that I could bring them home. I thought you were alright with that."
"Paperwork?" She shakes her head incredulously. "Not the most original excuse, Jarod. Trust me on that one."
"Excuse for what?" he asks defensively. "You think I got something going on with the neighbor? You think I brought you here just so that I can sneak off to be with her?"
"You're right. It sounds crazy when you say it that way," she sighs. "I'm sorry. It's just in my experience, when men start to say they're at the office doing 'Paperwork', that's when I know there's some blond twenty year old in the world with that name. Men have left their wives for me. I guess it's only karma that they'd leave me to go to other women as well."
"Miss Parker, we've known each other all our lives. There's been a lot of good and bad between us. But one thing we've always had is trust. I value that trust. I wouldn't betray it," he vows, suddenly understanding what has her so upset. "I'm sorry all those men have hurt you in the past."
"Just forget it," she mumbles, leaning over to tie her sneakers. "It was stupid of me to feel the way I was feeling."
"Don't do that, Miss Parker. Never apologize for the way you're feeling."
"And don't play your head shrinking games with me, Jarod," she snaps. "I get enough of that from Sydney."
"But Parker . . ."
"I said forget it," she yells, before remembering the sleeping child and lowering her voice. "Summer's taking a nap. I'm going out for a run."
"Okay," he nods, watching her tuck her hair into an Old Navy baseball cap. He wants so badly to call her back and reassure her that there could never be anything between him and the neighbor, but thinks otherwise. Maybe getting out for a run is all she needs to calm down a bit. And when she gets back, they can have a nice evening with Summer. That's all he really wants - to spend time with his family, such as it is.
He waits until she's out the door before he stands to go into the kitchen. He looks around and notices how spotless it is. She must be really mad at him, he surmises. He knows that she only cleans like that when she's angry. But what he can't figure out is why she's so upset. Could she really be jealous of Kristen? Or just mad that he left her alone with Summer for most of the day. In any case, he has to make sure he never repeats either of those mistakes. He hates her being upset. Especially at him.
"Where's Parker?"
Jarod spins around and sees a teary Summer standing in the doorway clutching a small stuff panda bear that Miss Parker gave her two days ago. He bends down and lifts the small girl in his arms, giving her a quick hug.
"She went for a run," Jarod explains to her. "I thought you were napping."
"Had a bad dream," Summer says with a sniff, her little lip starting to quiver. "Is she coming back? She yelled when she left."
"You heard that?" Jarod asks, a frown pulling on his lips. Summer just nods and sticks her thumb in her mouth.
"Is she mad at me?" she asks around the digit.
"No, Honey. Of course she isn't," he says quickly to reassure her. "If she's mad at anybody, it's me. I took our next door neighbor, Mrs. Briggs, and her daughter Alexa into town and was gone for a really long time. Parker got upset with me. But she just went out for a run. She'll be back. I promise."
"I don't want her to go away," Summer whispers, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Me neither, Summer," he admits with a great sigh. And at that instant, he realizes it's true. He really doesn't want Parker to leave. The past three days have been like a dream he never thought would come true. To the outside world, they were three people trying to put a family together. But the same thing has been happening in the home, in their hearts. And now, the thought of being without Parker or without Summer breaks his heart. It doesn't feel like one big pretend anymore. It's very real to him. Their family is very real to him. He decides he'll do everything in his power to keep it together.
Interlude 2
****************
It's me again, Diary. I followed her today just to see where she goes on these little excursions. She's very driven. Relentless in her pursuit of something unknown to me. I can hardly keep up with her as she continues, step after step pounding the pavement. She really is beautiful. I can see what he loves so much about her. Everything about her is perfect. Her hair, although she keeps it hidden beneath the cap while she runs, usually hangs loose and free, framing her blemish-free face. She sticks out a perfectly pink tongue to wet two just right lips. Just the right size. Just the right color. I'm sure he loves kissing those lips. But the best is her eyes. A stormy blue that can stare straight into your soul and either chill you or ignite the flame of passion. All together, the package is too good to pass up. But he'll have to. They don't belong together. The sooner they realize that, the better off we'll all be. She senses I'm here. And as much as I'd love to reveal myself and my intentions to her, now is not the time. But soon. Soon, everything will be as it should.
Chapter 6
*****************
Miss Parker runs through a clearing towards a patch of trees. A familiar sound beckons her and her feet can't help but to obey. A few minutes later, she's rewarded when the trees end at the bank of a small lake. She looks around and notices all the wildlife. Too much wildlife to risk swimming in the water. But the she finds the solitude comforting. Almost as comforting as her own pond at home.
She walks around, finding small pebbles to toss into the water. This is just like a scene from her childhood, she thinks with a smile. Going up the lake house with her momma. They would spend their days together walking and reading and exploring. But at night, she'd sneak out and find the lake, throwing in rock after rock until her arm got tired. She wonders if Jarod has ever done the same? She'll have to bring him one day, she thinks to herself with some surprise. Why is she thinking about Jarod at a time like this? Why would she want Jarod to intrude on her private place? Because she wants to share things like this with him, she realizes. She wants to share good moments with him. And with their daughter. Unfortunately that won't be possible, she sighs sadly.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she picks up on the sensation of being watched. She spins around quickly, scanning the trees for anything out of place. Not finding anything, she decides to leave anyway, the tranquility of the moment broken. In fact, she's now got a sudden case of the creeps she can't get rid of. She quickly jogs through the trees, only slowing when she reaches the wide open clearing. She looks around one last time before continuing home, trying to shake off her bad feeling. Whatever just happened in those woods, she now has the sudden urge to get back home. To get back to her family.
She makes it back to the house in record time, pausing again when she feels more eyes on her. She looks at the neighboring houses and finds a man leering at her.
"Can I help you?" she asks cautiously.
"No, Darlin'. But perhaps I can help *you* with something," he says gruffly, a sneer forming on his lips. "You live there?"
"Yes. I'm Jarod's wife," she says quickly, not caring how old fashioned and out dated it sounds, as if she belongs to Jarod. At the moment, she just wanted to get away from this creepy guy.
"Oh, him," the man frowns. "Well, hopefully now my wife can stop flirting with him."
'Another one?' Parker thinks to herself with a scowl, wondering exactly how man women she's going to have to chase away from Jarod. But then she notices who's house the man is standing in front of and realizes who's husband he must be.
"So you're Mr. Briggs, I presume," she says.
"That's right. James Briggs. But all my friends call me Jimmy. But you," he says, looking at her slowly up and down, eyes pausing at her chest level. "You can call me Jimbo."
"That's awfully nice of you, Jimbo," she says, unable to hide the disgust on her face. "But I don't think I'll be calling you at all." She rolls her eyes at him and continues on into the house.
"Honey, I'm home," she yells out, in hopes that her new friend next door will hear how happily married she's pretending to be. Maybe he'll get the picture and leave her alone.
"That's good. Because we missed you, Darling," Jarod says with a smirk as he walks out of the kitchen.
"Don't call me that," she snaps, startling him with her abruptness.
"Sorry," he apologizes, lips instantly sticking out into a pout.
"No, I'm sorry. It's not you," she says in a softer tone. "I didn't mean to take it out on you. I just met our neighbor. Your little girlfriend's husband."
"Kristen is not my . . . "
"Lighten up, Jarod," she says with a laugh. "It was a joke."
"Oh," he sighs. "Well, I knew how earlier you thought . . . and I didn't want you to think that I would . . . "
"I understand," she smiles, interrupting him again. "I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you earlier."
"I shouldn't have given you a reason," he says.
"Okay, how about no more apologizing from either of us and we can just call it a draw?" she offers.
"Good idea," he says, shaking her proffered hand, not wanting to let it go. He gently strokes her fingers for a few moments before Summer interrupts them, running into the room from the kitchen, wet from head to toe.
"Parker," she screams. "You're back."
"Yes I am, Summer. Did you think I had left you forever?" she asks the child, confused at her enthusiasm.
"I heard you yelling," the girl confesses. "I thought you were mad at me."
"Never, Summer," she says, bending down eye level with the girl and giving her a genuine smile. "But, I do have big questions for Jarod about why you're running around here soaking wet."
"That *is* a good question," Jarod nods. "One that I'm sure you're going to want an answer for."
"Actually, I don't," she laughs, unable to resist the adorable look on his face. "Just get her . . . and whatever she was doing in the kitchen . . . cleaned up by the time I get out the shower."
"Yes Ma'am," he says, giving her a mock salute and a huge grin. He lifts up the wet toddler and carries her back into the kitchen, dripping suds along the way.
Miss Parker just watches them with a smile on her own face, shaking her head in disbelief. What is she going to do with them, she asks herself. Those two are a handful, but she realizes with a smile that they're *her* handful. And she's lucky to have them. Being with them the past few days has made her happier than she's been in a long time. What's so surprising to her is not so much what she's going to do with Jarod and Summer, but the dread she feels thinking what she would do *without* them. However, it's something she's going to have to start thinking about. Although she doesn't want to give them up, she knows that someday, and someday soon, she's going to have to. And then just pray that it doesn't kill her.
"So," Jarod says, plopping down on the bed later that night. "Tell me about this neighbor of ours."
"You mean your girlfriend's husband?" she teases.
"Yes, my girlfriend's husband," he says, rolling his eyes at her refusal to drop the joke.
"Well, his name is James. But he said that I can have the great honor of calling him Jimbo."
"Lucky you," he says, trying to hold back his grin. "Should I be jealous?"
"Well, that pot belly, gold tooth, and comb over do he was sporting did make him awfully enticing," she giggles. "But the way he undressed me with his eyes kind of gave me the creeps."
He notices her shiver a little and sees the humor leave her face.
"Did he do anything to you?" he asks defensively.
"No, I'm fine," she says with an assuring smile. "I think I'll be able to handle Jimbo."
"Just be careful," Jarod warns. "Contrary to your belief, I haven't spent a great deal of time with Kristen. But from what I have seen of her behavior, I think her husband may be abusive."
"That's sad," Miss Parker nods. "To trust a man with your life. Your heart. Give him a child. And then he does that to you. I think I kind of understand why she's attracted to you. You wouldn't do that to a woman."
"I'd never do anything to hurt you," he says sincerely, his hand itching to cradle her face. He watches as her tongue quickly darts out to wet her lips and is tempted to lean over and kiss her. She would kill him, he thinks to himself. But kissing her would be worth his life, he decides. Just as he makes up his mind to risk it all, a noise from down the hall filters through his clouded mind.
"That's Summer," she whispers.
He feels her hot breath on his lips and only then realizes how close he came to actually kissing her. And based on the look in her eyes, killing him might not have been her first instinct. He files away that little tidbit of info to deal with later and gives her a smile.
"I'll go check on her. It's probably a nightmare." He gets off the bed and jogs down to the girl's room, turning on the lamp next to her bed.
"What's wrong, Summer?" he asks her.
"Is Parker here?" she asks, trying desperately to hold back tears.
"Of course she is, Honey. She's down the hall. We were just about to go to bed," he assures her. "Did you have another bad dream?"
The girl just nods, wiping away a tear that managed to break free.
"Do you want to come sleep with us?" he offers, knowing that's what usually calms her down
"I'm okay now," the girl says, shaking her head. She climbs into his lap and sticks her thumb into her mouth.
"How about I stay with you until you get back to sleep?"
She mumbles something around her thumb and when Jarod looks down at her, he sees that she's already drifting back to sleep. He stands up and walks around the room with her for a few minutes until he knows she's really asleep before tucking her back into bed.
"Good night, Princess," he says, leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you."
"Love you too, Daddy," she whispers just before a small snore escapes her lips.
Jarod tips out and goes back into the other room, clearly distracted. Miss Parker looks up from the book she's reading and sees his eyes looking suspiciously wet.
"What's wrong, Jarod?"
"Wrong? Nothing's wrong," he smiles. "She called me 'Daddy'. She told me she loves me. I guess it just got to me."
"Do you think . . . " she starts.
"Do I think what?"
"Do you think she knows somehow? You know, that she's ours?"
"No. I don't see how she could know," he tells her.
"So when I'm gone, she won't realize that her mother left her. That I just abandoned her," she whispers, turning over on her side so that Jarod can't see her own eyes tear up.
"I think that's one thing that frightens her so much. She can feel that you're keeping some sort of distance from her. And she has to be constantly reassured that you're here. That you haven't just up and disappeared on her."
"It's the only way," she whispers. "I can't get too close. It will hurt both of us too much when I have to go back."
"Miss Parker . . . maybe you don't have to . . . I mean, what if you just . . . never mind," he says shaking his head. "How about we just take this one day at a time. I'll worry about what to tell Summer when . . . or if . . . the time comes."
"I have to go back," she says after a few moments. 'I wish I didn't have to, but I do,' she wants to add, but doesn't. Saying that aloud won't do either of them any good. "They're going to call for me and I'll have to answer them."
"I know," he whispers, accepting her decision. 'But I wish you wouldn't,' his subconscious says just as sleep comes to him. He doesn't even realize he said it out loud.
Interlude 3
*****************
I've never been back here. The bedroom. It's spotless just like the rest of the house. That doesn't really surprise me. Actually it does. She's different. Not like the other housewives around here. She doesn't strike me as the type to take care of others. I think she's used to having people take care of her. She looks like she comes from money. Looking at all this lingerie, I'm sure of it now. She must have something silky and shiny for every day of the month and then some. Again, not like the other housewives around here. She probably won't even miss anything if I took it. I find a deep burgundy pair of panties and stick them in my pocket and close the drawer. Take a look at all the cosmetics. This perfume is imported, I think. The name is something foreign I can't even begin to pronounce. This one is his. It smells fresh and masculine. Almost addictive. I slip it into my pocket along with the other prize and leave the room. This is enough for now.
Chapter 7
*****************
After attending mass on Sunday, Jarod surprises Miss Parker and Summer with a picnic lunch. Miss Parker surprises him in return with suggesting the perfect spot.
"I found it the other day when I went jogging," she explains to him.
They spread out the blanket and enjoy their meal under the warm sun, feeling much like a real family. After lunch, she takes them to the lake and watches Jarod's eyes light up with glee as she shares with him stories from her own trips to the lake with her mother. She finds herself wanting to promise to take Summer when she's old enough, but realizes that she never will be able to.
"It's okay," he says, seemingly understanding what's going on in her mind. "Let's just enjoy each day as we get them."
"One day at a time, huh?" she smiles.
"Yeah. One day at a time," he nods, taking a hold of her hand and squeezing it gently. He doesn't let go and leads her back through the woods to the clearing to gather their stuff. They reluctantly have to separate when he notices Summer yawn sleepily and has to pick her up and carry her the rest of the way.
They head home, enjoying a comfortable silence. She realizes she's never felt so at peace and knows that she probably never will again. Only with this man. And this child. She smiles as he lays Summer down to finish her nap and laughs at the big spot of drool on his shoulder.
"Looks like she slimed you," she giggles quietly, not wanting to wake the child. "Come get another shirt."
She leads him down the hall to their bedroom and opens his drawer to pull out a shirt. She tosses it to him and turns to her own drawer to find something casual to change into. She opens her own drawer when a strange, cold feeling comes over her. Much like that day she first discovered the lake and she looks around to find the source.
"You okay?" Jarod asks with some concern, noticing her strange behavior.
"I'm not sure," she says slowly, still looking around. "Something feels . . . off. I can't really explain it. It's like something is different. Or missing, maybe."
"Like what?" he wonders.
She takes a deep breath and understanding dawns on her.
"Your cologne. Did you put any on this morning?"
"No. I usually don't wear it," he says. "But it was a gift from my Dad, so I like to keep it with me."
"I smell it now, just faintly. And look, the bottle's missing." She points to his area on the dresser and shows him the spot where his cologne used to be.
"You think Summer took it?" he suggests.
"It was there this morning when I straightened up before church. So I doubt it."
"Which means the idea of one of us simply misplacing it is out of the question as well," he says.
"Jarod, I have a strange feeling. I think someone may have been in here."
"And stole my cologne? Why?"
"I don't know," she shrugs. "Let's just keep our eyes open and hope it isn't anyone . . . dangerous."
"You think it might be someone from the Centre?" he asks with wide eyes. He hadn't considered it before, but now he's seeing the possibilities.
"I don't know," she repeats. "I just don't know."
The rest of the evening is spent in near silence, Jarod and Miss Parker taking turns watching for anything suspicious around the house. They are so close to getting Summer. Just a few more days should suffice. Neither of them want the Centre barging in and messing things up at the last minute.
"Parker," Jarod calls to her as she comes back from putting Summer to bed. "I have a question."
"Okay," she says curiously. "What's up?"
"I don't wear that cologne. How did you know what it smells like, let alone notice that it was missing?"
"Um . . ." she starts to stutter, face instantly flushing to a bright red. "I, um . . . this is so embarrassing . . but I saw it sitting there and got curious. I took a whiff to see what it smelled like. It's really nice. You should wear it more often. I think it would smell amazing on you."
"Thanks," he smiles shyly. "Maybe I will. Just for you of course." His shy smile turns into a leer and he grins at the intended reaction he garners from her.
"Shut up, Jarod," she says, rolling her eyes when she notices the smug grin on his face. But she finds she can't hide her own little grin. "I'm going to bed. You coming?"
Jarod smiles wistfully at how normally domestic they sound. Like a normal wife going to bed and waiting for her normal husband to join her. But as reality bites, he remembers that this pretend marriage doesn't allow those benefits. No need to get his hopes up for nothing.
"Not yet," he says. "I want to check around the house once more. You go ahead."
"Alright," she nods, disappointed that he won't be joining her. As much as she's enjoyed waking up with him, she'd kind of like the pleasure of feeling him wrap himself around her, cocooning her in his warmth as she drifts to sleep. It would be so blissfully . . . normal. But with a sigh of disappointment, she's reminded that this faux union of theirs is anything but. "Good night."
"Good night," he repeats, making himself seem busy until she retreats into the bedroom. When she's gone, he lets out the breath he didn't realize he was holding and falls to the couch. It's going to be a long night. He's finding that he's falling deeper and deeper into this pretend life they've constructed. Pretty soon, he's not going to be able to find his way out. Or want to for that matter.
After about an hour of checking and rechecking doors and locks, checking with his source at the Centre about any possible leads on their location, Jarod decides to head to bed. He's sort of relieved to find Miss Parker already asleep. Although as he slips into bed next to her, he finds himself unable to resist pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. He settles in his own pillow and attempts to sleep, but finds it impossible to shut down his mind enough to rest peacefully.
He awakens hours later and tries to roll over but finds himself trapped by Miss Parker's form. He looks down at her head nestled on his chest with a smile. She completely abandons herself to sleep. It's truly a beautiful sight to see. He's honored that she feels secure enough with him to sleep so deeply and so close to him. Arm slung across his chest. Legs twined with his own.
The first morning they woke like this, she seemed embarrassed. And he felt as if he had to apologize. But they soon got used to it. To waking in each other's arms. And now neither seems to mind very much. In fact, he's never slept as well as he does with her. But tonight for some reason that sleep is elusive to him. Probably mention of the Centre earlier. Causing him to worry about the safety of his family.
She murmurs under her breath and starts to struggle against something, breaking him out of his sleepy ruminations.
"Parker," he whispers, but she doesn't answer. He can see that she's still asleep. She struggles some more and mumbles more incoherent words.
"Parker, wake up. It's just a dream. It's okay," he assures her, running his hand up and down her back.
"Give her back," she gasps, sitting up suddenly in the bed.
"Relax," he says soothingly to her, hand still stroking her back. "It was just a dream."
"Jarod?" she asks, looking around the room as if she doesn't know where she is.
"It's me," he assures her. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," she nods, still appearing to be confused. Her eyes suddenly go wide with some sort of realization and she frantically scrambles out of the bed.
"Parker, what is it?" he asks, afraid she's somehow forgotten about why they'd be sharing a bed.
"Summer. Where is she?" She doesn't wait for an answer and runs down the hall to the little girl's room. Jarod jumps out the bed and follows her as best he can, reaching the room seconds after she has. She's already lifting a teary Summer up into her arms and is attempting to calm the child. "Shh!! I've got you now. You're okay."
"They won't stop, Parker," Summer cries.
"What won't, Honey?" Jarod asks.
"The voices," she sobs. "They get so loud when I try to go to sleep."
"Wh . . what voices are you hearing?" Miss Parker manages to say through her shock.
"Sounds like a lot of people talking at one time," she tries to explain.
"Can you hear what they're saying?" Jarod wants to know.
"No," Summer says shaking her head, tears starting to fall again. "It's all mixed up."
"It's okay, Sweetie," Miss Parker whispers to her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Just go back to sleep. I've got you."
"Don't let them get me, Parker," the girl cries, laying her head on Miss Parker's shoulder.
"I won't," Miss Parker promises, her own tears starting to fall. She takes Summer back into master bedroom and they all get into the bed. She lays the child between her and Jarod and they take turns stroking her back and her hair until the girl falls asleep.
"What do you think is going on with her?" Jarod whispers, not wanting to risk waking her again.
"Do you think she's inherited my Inner Sense? But maybe she has it more like Ethan does. She talked about hearing all the voices. Mine is just my mother's voice."
"More than likely," he nods. "If your mother passed it on to you and Ethan, then I don't see why Summer couldn't have gotten it from you. It makes sense. It's the only thing that makes sense."
"What do you mean?" she asks curiously.
"I mean you, Parker," he says. "You . . . and then Summer . . . that was just . . . weird. It's like you knew she was in there having that nightmare."
"I know," she sighs. "I woke up with the most incredible urge to get to her. When I get there, she's crying and it looked like she'd been crying for awhile. I dreamt something or someone had taken her. And when I get her, she begs me not to let *them* get her, whoever *they* are. I don't believe in coincidences, Jarod. But even if I did, that would be too much to just ignore."
"I agree. There's something going on here. We have some sort of connection with this child that goes beyond the biological. We found her for a reason, Parker. And we have to keep her safe."
"No. *You* have to keep her safe," she says, her voice breaking a little. "After the adoption and I . . . go back, you have to take her far away and disappear. For good."
"Parker, you deserve to see your child too. You may not be able to be with us all the time, but we'll be here whenever you can come to us. She needs you and although you may not admit it, you need her as well."
"You're wrong on both accounts, Jarod. I'll admit that I need her. I want her to be in my life more than I ever thought possible. But she doesn't need me. She'd be better off without me being anywhere near either of you. I can't be selfish and deny her the right to live safely and securely."
"Don't say that, Parker. We may be able to work something out where you won't . . ." His words are cut off by her finger raised to his lips, stilling their motion.
"Not tonight," she smiles sadly. "One day at a time, right?"
"One day at a time," he nods, not able to refute his own advice as she throws his words back in his face. He watches her eyes drift shut. She's already resigned to the fact that she'll have to leave them. There's no changing her mind. Mentally he knows that. But deep inside his heart, he wants to try to change her mind. He wants to beg her to stay. To forget all about the Centre and stay with him and Summer.
Maybe he can persuade her. Couldn't hurt to try, he decides. Perhaps his advice is sound after all. He'll take it one day at a time. But eventually he'll wear her down, he vows. He refuses to lose his family now that he's finally found them. With that resolution made, he allows sleep to overtake him. He's going to have a tough job ahead of him.
Chapter 8
*****************
Miss Parker runs up the back porch of the little house she's been living in with Jarod and Summer for the past ten days. She normally comes back in the front of the house, but lately she's tried taking different routes to avoid being watched. All of last week she took her normal route and every day felt as if she were being followed. Today is the first day she's felt the solitude she's been searching for. Maybe she was just imagining it all.
She walks into the house, tossing her baseball cap into the corner where Jarod's own running shoes rest.
"Anyone home?" she yells, peeling off her sweatshirt.
"You're back early," Jarod says, sticking his head from the kitchen, but blocking the door so that she can't get in.
"What's going on?" she asks suspiciously. She tries to peek into the kitchen, but he comes out and closes the door completely.
"Nothing," he says quickly. Too quickly and he gets another suspicious look from her. "Okay, I'll admit it. Summer and I have something special planned for you."
"Like what?"
"I can't tell you," he says with a mischievous grin. "Why don't you go up and shower. I laid out something nice for you to change into. We should be done by the time you get back down here."
"Jarod, what are you two up to?"
"Just trust me, okay?" He gives her the little puppy dog look he must have learned from Summer and she finds herself unable to resist.
"Okay, I'm going," she sighs. "But Jarod, I swear you'll be sorry if . . . "
"You're going to love it. I promise," he assures her, pushing her gently towards the bedroom. "Shower. Change. And meet us back here."
"Fine," she says with a huff before following his orders. But as annoyed as she tries to make herself seem, she's really intrigued. What could he have planned? She smiles to herself, realizing that whatever it is, she knows she'll love it. She's grown to love any time she gets to spend with Jarod and Summer.
She showers and changes quickly, examining the silky dress Jarod selected for her. It's nothing from her wardrobe and she briefly wonders where he got it from. But she quickly steps into it when she hears a crash from downstairs. She finds a pair of shoes to slip into and makes her way back to Jarod and Summer.
"Is everything okay down here?" she calls out, stepping into the dining room where she hears some more bumping around. She pushes open the door and gasps at the sight before her.
"Surprise!" Summer shrieks, jumping up and down at the look of shock on Miss Parker's face.
"What is all this?" Miss Parker asks, taking Summer's outstretched hand. The little girl leads her to a chair at the table and pushes her down. Jarod comes behind her and helps her scoot her chair in. Then he takes Summer to the next chair and sits her on a stack on phone books so she can reach the table.
"What does it all look like?" Jarod teases her as he takes his own seat.
"It's a sella . . . a sella . . . what is it again, Daddy?" she whispers.
"A celebration," he says slowly, trying to hold in a chuckle.
"Really? So what are we celebrating?" Miss Parker lifts her glass and takes a sip of what she assumes is champagne, but discovers that it's sparkling cider. When she sees a glass in front of Summer, she realizes why the substitution.
"Mrs. Pritchard called today," he starts, looking at her to see if she can guess the rest.
"And?" she asks warily, not wanting to get her hopes up despite the obvious celebration going on.
"And it's official," he smiles, reveling in the joy now shining on her face. "It won't be final for a few more months, but for all intents and purposes, it's official."
"What's 'ficial?" Summer asks, confused by the conversation.
"We have some news for you, Summer," Miss Parker starts. Up until now, they haven't told Summer their plans to adopt her. Now seems like the perfect time.
"We know that Mrs. Pritchard was nice and living at the Children's Home was good, but how would you like to stay here?" Jarod asks.
"With you and Parker, Daddy?" she asks, her tiny voice surprisingly wary for one so young. Jarod and Miss Parker look at each other, trying to decide how to answer that question. They don't want to lie to her and have her heart broken later. But at the same time, they know she needs to feel secure.
"We're going to take care of you, Honey. The both of us. And we're going to do it the best way we can," Miss Parker says. "You may not understand it all the time, but just know that we both love you and we don't want anything to happen to you. Whatever we do, it's going to be for you. Okay?"
"Okay," Summer nods hesitantly. She's not entirely convinced her question has been answered, but she's really too young to understand why.
"Why don't we eat," Jarod suggests, breaking the uneasiness that has settled on the room.
"Good idea," Miss Parker agrees, lifting one of the tray tops. She pauses momentarily and has to hide a smile as she examines the contents in front of her. "Everything looks . . . interesting."
"Cheeseburgers and Macaroni. Summer's favorites," Jarod explains.
"I made the macaroni myself," Summer says proudly.
"Did you now?" Parker asks. "Well, then, I bet it's going to be the most delicious macaroni I've ever tasted."
She scoops a hearty helping onto Summer's plate and then onto her own and watches as the little girl digs into her meal. She looks across the table at Jarod and notices that he's staring back at her.
"What is it?" she wonders aloud.
"Just looking at my two girls," he smiles dreamily. "You're both so beautiful. That dress looks amazing on you, Parker."
"Thank you," she blushes, looking back over at Summer. She has to remind herself that a minor is present. Because Jarod's looking at her as if she's one of the dishes to be devoured tonight. A few more glances from him and she just might let him.
"We forgot the music, Daddy," Summer realizes.
"That's right," he says, standing up and walking over to the stereo. He turns on some soft music and walks back to Summer's chair. "May I have this dance, my dear?"
She giggles and reaches her hands up to him. Once she's secure in his arms, he twirls her around the room a few times until she's out and out laughing.
"That's enough," she gasps, trying to catch her breath. "It's your turn to dance with Parker."
"Oh, Summer. I'm not a good dancer," she lies quickly. She thought it was bad enough sitting across the table from Jarod. One dance with him and she'd be putty in his hands.
"Come on, Parker. You scared? I won't bite," he smirks.
She looks defiantly at him and rises from her seat, taking his proffered hand. He spins her around once and then back into his arms.
"You may not bite, but I can't promise the same," she whispers into his ear, pulling the lobe into her mouth and squeezing it lightly between her teeth. She grins when she feels a noticeable shudder run the length of his body. Good, she thinks to herself. It's good to know she's not the only one affected tonight. She doesn't know exactly what's happening between them tonight, but as long as she can stay in his arms, she doesn't even care.
Chapter 9
*****************
Miss Parker grins as she watches Jarod dash around the living room getting his things together. She wonders how long it will take before he admits to be looking for something. All men are the same, she thinks to herself, rolling her eyes. Never willing to admit when something is lost. Not even geniuses are immune that that trait. No, she takes that back. Jarod *is* different. He's not like other men at all. His actions last night proved that.
With other relationships in her past, she would have made the mistake of moving too fast and rushing into sex. But with Jarod, things are different. They're content to move slowly. They don't want to mess anything up. Last night ended with him giving her a few gentle kisses before tucking her into the warmth of his embrace and falling asleep wrapped around each other. She wouldn't have had it any other way.
"Have you seen my . . . " He stops and smiles when she holds his keys up in front of her.
"I think I'm going to hold these hostage," she says seductively.
"Really? And what exactly would the ransom be?" he says with a grin. He can't believe she's being this playful and teasing.
"You're a smart boy, Jarod. I think you can figure it - " Her words are cut off by the force of his mouth meeting hers. He ends the kiss too quickly for her liking and she lets him know with a little whimper. Then she frowns when she realizes he's somehow managed to get the keys from her.
"I have to go to work today," he says apologetically. "I was home all last week. Otherwise I'd . . ."
"I understand," she sighs. "That doesn't mean I like it." She stands up and walks him to the door. They stand on the porch for a few seconds and he leans in to kiss her again just as Summer runs up between them.
"Where are you going, Daddy?" Summer asks.
"Daddy has to work, Sweetie," Miss Parker explains, picking the little girl up into her arms.
"But why?"
"Summer, remember how you used to come to the school to play with me? Well, there are other kids who used to play with me, too. But they haven't seen me all week. Don't you think they want to see me too?"
"Are you . . . are you going to be their daddy too?" she asks.
"No, Summer," he says emphatically. "You're the only one. My special Princess, okay?"
"Okay," she smiles. "I love you."
"I love you, too. I'll see you later." He leans over and kisses the girl on the cheek. He laughs as she wriggles out of Miss Parker's embrace and runs back into the house.
"Now, where were we?" he asks Miss Parker.
"I think we were saying good-bye," she tells him.
"Never good-bye," he says, cupping her cheek with his hand. "It'll never be good-bye with us, Parker."
They both lean in and meet in the middle for the much anticipated kiss that only lasts for a few seconds, interrupted this time by giggling.
"What's so funny?" he asks her, confused at her amusement.
"This. Us," she says between laughs. "One minute we're just pretending to be married. The next we're here on the porch making out while our daughter sits in the house watching Playhouse Disney. How weird is that, Jarod?"
"Pretty weird," he admits, starting to laugh himself.
"Who would have thought I'd ever be playing the housewife role? Kissing my 'husband' good-bye for the day as he goes to work while I stay home with the younguns," she laughs.
"Younguns? Somehow I don't see you hanging around the house, barefoot and pregnant or cooking dinner and vacuuming the floors in high heels and a perfect string of pearls."
"Vacuum? What's a vacuum?" she giggles. "Besides, if I were *just* wearing high heels and said pearls when you got home, I don't think cooking or cleaning would be on either of our minds."
She laughs even harder when Jarod's face turns a bright red color and he opens and closes his mouth a few times, unable to formulate any words.
"Get to work," she says, pushing him towards the car. "I'll see you later."
"Yeah, but the question is how much of *you* will I be seeing later," he whispers to her, causing her knees to tremble a little. She recovers quickly and gives him a kiss that makes his own knees tremble.
"Go. To. Work," she says again, pushing him to the car and opening the door for him. He rolls down the window and she leans inside to give him one more kiss and to whisper, "The sooner you go, the sooner you can come home. And just maybe I'll break out the heels and dust off the pearls."
A goofy grins spreads across his face and he figures he better leave now while he still can. He waves one last time to her and has to stop himself from blowing her a kiss. That really would be a bit over the top he decides. He pulls out of the driveway and starts down the street, feeling very much like going back home. Back to his family. But he continues on his way, despite the bad feeling developing in the pit of his stomach. He pushes it away and goes to work. Besides, what could happen in one day?
Interlude 4
*****************
Hate. That's what I'm feeling. That deep down, in your bones type of hate you feel for someone when you know they're living the life you deserve. The life you want so desperately. The life you'd do anything for. Now is the time for that *do anything* mentality. That little show on the porch where they let everyone know just how much they love each other was the final straw. It should be me! And it will be me. Very soon. It's time now for me to get rid of the thorn that's been in my side. By the end of the day, I will be one step closer to my fairy tale.
Chapter 10
*****************
Miss Parker stands in the driveway until Jarod turns the corner. She sighs and raises a hand to her lips, still feeling his warmth against them. She still can't believe that in the course of one evening, her relationship with Jarod could change so drastically. But then she realizes that things haven't changed that much. They both just gathered the courage to make the step in this direction. The feelings have always been there, from the moment they met.
With another sigh, she decides to go back into the house and check on Summer. Turning around, her eye catches her neighbor standing on the porch, glaring at her. A chill goes through her and she has to literally shake it off. When she looks back at the woman, she's confused to see a completely different countenance on her face.
"Parker," the woman calls cheerfully to her. "It's me, Kristen. Remember? Jarod was kind enough to take me and my little girl Alexa into town the other day."
"Yes, Kristen, I remember you," Miss Parker says, pasting on a wary smile. "How are you?"
"I'm good. Listen, why don't you and Summer come over for lunch today? I think it's time we got to know each other, us being neighbors and all."
"I'm not sure. Summer and I have a lot to do today," Miss Parker lies.
"Well, how about just some coffee, then? And the girls can play together for a little while."
"Okay," Miss Parker says with another forced smile. The last thing she wants to do is hang out with this woman. But she also doesn't want to alienate her. "Let me get Summer dressed and we'll be right over."
"Perfect. We'll be waiting." Kristen gives her another smile, but Miss Parker notices it doesn't quite reach her eyes. In fact, her eyes seem hard and cold. Almost evil. There's definitely something off about this woman. Perhaps it's just the abuse that Jarod suspects. But whatever it is, Miss Parker is suddenly sorry she ever agreed to go anywhere with the woman.
Twenty minutes later, she's at the front door of Kristen's house, having to practically drag Summer up the stairs. She's never had a problem with the girl's behavior. Now all of a sudden, she can't get the girl to set foot inside the house. She stops, takes a deep breath to stave off the frustration, and bends down eye level with the girl to talk to her.
"Summer, you're normally such a well behaved child. Why are you giving me such a hard time today?"
"I don't want to go in there," she pouts.
"There's a little girl around your age in there for you to play with," Miss Parker says enthusiastically, trying to change the girl's mind. "You two can play together and have lots of fun."
"Really? Okay, then," Summer relents.
Miss Parker breathes a sigh of relief, glad that Summer won't be giving her any more trouble. Although, she can hardly blame the girl. She doesn't want to go into the house either. Nevertheless, she promised. And she has a feeling she won't be getting this woman off her back until she does so.
"Parker! Come in," Kristen says when she opens the door. She steps back and allows Miss Parker and Summer into the house, closing the door behind them. "I'm so glad you two could make it."
"Well, thank you for inviting us."
"Not a problem," Kristen says. "I should have done it much sooner. You must think me a terrible neighbor. You've been next door for weeks before I invite you over. Anyway, have a seat. And Summer, why don't you and Alexa go back to her room and play."
Summer looks nervously at Kristen before grabbing onto Miss Parker's hand, not wanting to let go.
"It's okay, Baby," Miss Parker says to the little girl, nudging her gently in the direction of Alexa's room. "I'll be right out here waiting for you. Go and have some fun."
"Okay," she whispers and reluctantly lets go of Miss Parker's hand. She follows Alexa and the two small girls disappear down the hall.
"She's a beautiful little girl," Kristen comments, picking up the coffee pot. She pours two cups of coffee, offering one to her guest. "She looks so much like you. Kind of strange for a child not even related to you."
"Coincidence, I guess," Miss Parker says, feeling kind of uncomfortable with the woman's comment. Why would she even say something like that? There must be more going on with her than Miss Parker initially anticipated. She'll have to be extra careful around this woman. Miss Parker smiles uncomfortably and takes a sip of her coffee before asking, "So, how long have you and Jimbo been living here?"
"You know my husband?" Kristen asks, her pleasant mask slipping for a moment before she puts the happy face back on.
"Not really. I saw him in front one day when I came back from running and he introduced himself," she explains quickly, taking an even bigger gulp of her coffee. The sooner she finishes it, the sooner she can get out of there. This woman is starting to give her the creeps.
"Running. Do you do that a lot?" Kristen asks, obviously trying to change the subject. She traces a finger around the rim of her mug, but doesn't drink any of it.
"I try to," Miss Parker nods. "It's a good way to stay in shape."
Another lull in the conversation as the women run out of things to say again. Miss Parker drinks more of her coffee, cringing at the after taste. Must be instant coffee, she assumes. She doubts this woman would have anything imported like she's used to.
An alarm goes off in the kitchen and Kristen pops up from her seat.
"That must be the cookies I had in the oven," she explains. "Excuse me while I go check on them. You stay here and finish your coffee."
"No problem," Miss Parker says to the woman's retreating form, her smile dropping from her face when the woman disappears into the kitchen. Bad coffee. Bad conversation. She just wants to get out of the there as quickly as possible. She hopes the cookies aren't as bad as the coffee. Her stomach is already beginning to ache. Come to think of it, so is her head.
She stands up to possibly find a restroom and is forced back down by a wave of dizziness. Something is very wrong. She looks around to try to get her focus back and her eyes land on Kristen's coffee cup. Kristen's *untouched* coffee. Suddenly she begins to wonder why the woman didn't drink any and encouraged her to drink all of hers.
Looking down into her own mug, she sees that she's only had a few ounces at the most. Hopefully not enough of whatever's in the coffee to do much damage. She pours the rest into the carafe still on the table to make Kristen think she drank it all. It's time to get out of there. She tries to stand again, shaking off the dizziness that tries to strike and calls to Summer. The little girl gets to the room the same time Kristen returns.
"What's the matter, Parker?" she asks innocently.
"It's nothing. Summer and I should be going now. I'm suddenly not feeling very well," she says.
"Oh, that's too bad," Kristen says, offering fake sympathy. Miss Parker can see a gloating look in the other woman's eyes. "I hope it wasn't anything you had here."
"Probably not. I just had the coffee."
"Oh, and it looks like you drank it all," Kristen observes the empty coffee cup. She tries to hide a victorious grin, but it doesn't escape Miss Parker. "You probably just need some rest. I'm sure you'll be feeling better in no time."
"I'm sure," Miss Parker nods. "Good-bye Kristen. And thanks again for inviting me over."
"It was my pleasure, Parker. You have no idea."
Another shiver runs through Miss Parker and she knows for certain this woman is responsible for how she's feeling. If she had to guess, she'd say it was poison. But she doesn't know which one or what to do to counteract the effects. Thankfully she knows someone who might be able to help. With one last forced smile, she says good-bye and hurries back home with Summer. All she can do is hope and pray that whatever the woman gave her won't kill her.
Chapter 11
*****************
She doubles over as another wave of nausea hits. This time, she barely makes it to the bathroom before she throws up again. Hopefully this is helping to purge whatever poison is in her system. She rinses her mouth and splashes some water on her face to refresh herself. She has a lot of work to do.
After getting Summer settled in her room with a coloring book and a box of crayons, Miss Parker grabs her cell phone and dials a number she hasn't dialed since she got there. She waits patiently for someone to pick up, rubbing her hand on her upset stomach to settle it.
"This is Sydney," a voice answers.
"Syd. It's me."
"Parker! Where are you? We've been searching everywhere for you," another voice says. She recognizes it as Broots.
"Daddy sent me on a sabbatical. You guys know that," she tells them, surprised at how guilty she feels about lying to them. But Jarod and Summer's safety is more important. She can't risk telling Broots and Sydney about them.
"Well, your father has disappeared," Sydney tells her.
"Again," she sighs. "Why does that not surprise me? What is it with his knack for vanishing?"
"And Lyle is trying to take over," Broots says.
"That's not surprising either. But that does put me in a bit of a bind," she says with a groan at the end.
"What's the matter, Parker?" Sydney asks.
"Something I ate," is all she says. "Which is the reason why I called."
"Well, you might want to tell us all about it in person. If you don't get back here as soon as possible, it's very likely Lyle will get his way," Broots says. "I don't know about you, but if that happens . . . "
"Yeah, I get it. It won't be good. For any of us," she sighs before adding quietly, "Especially not Jarod."
"What was that?" Sydney asks.
"Nothing," she says quickly, covering her slip. "How long do I have to get there? Now isn't the best time. I'm kind of in the middle of something." Like having a life, she says to herself. The silence on the other end of the phone scares her.
"Just get here soon," Sydney says quietly, his voice quivering in fear. "And pray that it isn't too late."
She hears the click on the other end of the phone signaling the call has been disconnected. With a shaky hand, she shuts off her cell phone and lets it fall in her lap. This is the moment she knew would come eventually. She has to go back. But she doesn't want to. She never realized until this minute how much she never wants to go back to that place. Before, she could pretend that this fairy tale life with Jarod and Summer could last forever. One day at a time, Jarod said. Don't think about tomorrow. But now, she's facing that tomorrow and is woefully unprepared. How can she leave this man and child, both of whom she's fallen in love with?
She swipes away the hot tears falling down her face. Putting this off will only make it harder for her. She makes it over to her vanity table and applies a heavy layer of her 'Miss Parker' mask, covering the 'wife and mommy' masks she's been wearing the past few weeks. Being that person will only get her killed.
"Summer," she calls when she's done. The girl comes quickly and hops into her lap. She has a hard time holding back the tears threatening to fall again. "Go clean up your crayons and stuff. We're going to go for a ride now, okay?"
"Okay," she says in her sweet, little voice. She runs down the hall and quickly does as she's told, racing back to Miss Parker's room in less than a minute. "Ready."
'Not really', she answers to herself. She'll never be ready to do what she's about to do now. But she knows that she doesn't have a choice. She takes a deep breath and grabs one of Summer's pudgy hands in her own and leads her out the front door. She has to resist taking one last look around the house. Because that would be admitting that she'll never be back. She refuses to believe that. She doesn't know what she's facing at the Centre. But if she has to fight for her life, this is the only life worth living to her. This is the life she'll be fighting for.
Jarod walks his last patient to the door and says good-bye. He waits until they disappear down the hall before walking out to his receptionist.
"That is my last patient for today, Susan. I get to go home now. To my family." He gets a shy smile on his face when he realizes how he sounds.
"Well, I have a surprise for you," Susan says, returning his smile. "You won't have to wait so long to see your family. Well, part of your family at least."
"What do you mean?" he asks, before looking over her shoulder into a classroom behind her. Inside, he sees Summer sitting quietly and coloring. "Summer's here?"
"Yes. Your wife dropped her off. She had to go to work."
"What?" he asks in a panic. Her kind of 'work' usually means trouble to him. Her kind of work means she has to go back to the Centre. Would she really just go without a word to him? "Susan, what exactly did Parker say when she dropped off Summer?"
"She just said it was a work emergency," Susan tells him again, suddenly concerned at his reaction. "I don't know anything other than that, Dr. Hamilton. I'm sorry."
"I understand, Susan. Thanks," he says absently.
"What's wrong, Daddy?" Summer asks, coming out of the room. She can see his obvious distress.
"Nothing, Princess." He forces a smile on his face for Summer's sake. "Everything is fine. Why don't you get your stuff and we can go home."
"Okay, Daddy," she nods, running back into the classroom. She returns a few seconds later. She stretches out her arms to him and he happily lifts her up, needing to feel closer to her.
"Let's go home, Summer," he manages to say in a fairly strong voice. He doesn't want to let on how scared he is. Not so much for him and Summer. But for Miss Parker. If she had to rush back to the Centre, then something bad is going on. And with Summer, he's not in any position to help her. All he can do is hope that there will be someone there looking out for her.
Interlude 5
*****************
She wasn't looking good when she left here. Arsenic has a way of doing that to a person. She had a good dose. But not enough to kill her. Not yet, anyway. I don't want her dead. Just out of the way. I want her to see me taking her life, taking her husband, taking her child before I kill her. She has the life I deserve. But not for long. Soon, it's going to be my life. Looking into the mirror, I see that the shade of dye I bought is perfect. It matches her hair color exactly. These new contacts turn my eyes into the same shade of blue as hers. But this dress takes the cake. It's just like one I've seen her wear. Very sexy. Very daring. Jarod won't know what hit him.
The door opens and she closes the journal, marking her page with a small bookmark. She can almost fantasize Jarod walking through that door, taking one look at her and sweeping her up into his arms for a deep kiss. He'll whisper words of love to her while carrying her up to the bedroom and proving those very words with his actions. She takes a deep breath, inhaling the crisp scent of his cologne she sprayed throughout the house. It makes her fantasy all the more real.
"What's your problem?"
She looks up and her fantasy image is shattered by the person standing in front of her. Her husband. The real one. She sighs in frustration and rolls her eyes at him. In what seems like the blink of an eye, he's stormed across the room and is up on her, grabbing onto her face roughly with his hand.
"Don't get that attitude with me," he says, nostrils flaring in anger.
"What attitude, Jimmy?" she asks, feigning innocence. She bats her eyes at him, causing him to pull away from her in shock.
"What's with you today, Kristen? There's something different," he gasps. It's been years for him, but he finds himself actually turned on by her.
"You like it?" she purrs, feeling herself become less and less like the person she used to be and more and more like the seductress she imagines Miss Parker to be.
"Oh yeah," he groans, grabbing her thigh savagely. "You look nothing like yourself. You look like that babe from next door." He leans over and tries to kiss her, only to groan again when she pushes a hand into his chest.
"Not yet, Baby," she whispers. "Why don't we have a drink first? You go in the bedroom and wait for me."
He can only nod as she slips out of his embrace and goes to the kitchen for a beer. Nothing fancy for good old Jimbo. He's a regular kind of guy who'll take a beer over something fancier. She pops the top and pours some of the beer down the drain. She replaces the missing liquid with her own little concoction - a lethal dose of the arsenic cocktail she served to Miss Parker earlier today.
"Here you go," she says, holding the beer out to him when she joins in the bedroom. "Drink up."
She smiles as he downs the entire thing in one big gulp. He belches and wipes the back of his mouth with his hand.
"Now, where were we?" he growls, crawling towards her with a feral grin. The growl turns into a long, labored gasp for breath until eventually his breathing stops all together. His lifeless eyes stare at her, as if to ask why.
"Good-bye, Jimmy. Good riddance," she spits out. One obstacle down and one to go. Killing Jimmy was just for practice. She has a bigger fish to fry. Once that woman from next door is out of the way, she'll be able to have what she desires. A good man to love her. One who won't stay out all night. One who won't keep bringing sexually transmitted diseases to her. One who won't beat her senseless. Jarod would never do that. She deserves a man like that. She deserves a life like what Miss Parker has.
Now that Jimmy's gone, she finds herself with a taste for killing. It was just so easy. She can easily become addicted to it. She has to kill Parker. It's an urge too strong to resist. Jarod may be devastated at first, but she'll be there to pick up the pieces. She looks into the mirror one more time, fixing a stray piece of hair. She must admit, she looks good. He won't be able to resist her.
Chapter 12
*****************
Miss Parker arrives in Blue Cove late that afternoon. After making a quick stop at home to outfit herself appropriately, she hurries straight to the Centre.
"Miss Parker," Broots calls to her as she steps off the elevator. He runs down the hall the catch up with her, Sydney walking quickly behind him. "You made it here."
"Well, when I spoke to you earlier, it didn't sound like I had much of a choice. What's going on?"
"Let's just say that you're here in the nick of time, Parker," Sydney says when he catches up with them. "There's a meeting on the fifth floor that you need to get to immediately."
"You're scaring me, Syd. What's up?"
"Just get there, Parker. Our very well-being may depend on it."
She just nods and heads back to the elevator. The one that arrives first is the one she hates getting on. But she's running late and really doesn't have a choice. She climbs into the car, trying to ignore the bullet holes in the wall. A cold feeling runs up her spine as she finds herself praying silently that she doesn't meet the same fate.
The bell dings, signaling her arrival at the floor. She straightens her back and takes a deep breath, getting her ice queen persona back in place. It would do her no good for them to see how terrified she is. She walks down the long hallway, finally reaching the door to the conference room after a seemingly endless trip. Upon reaching the room, she takes another deep breath for courage and pushes her way inside.
"Gentlemen. I can't believe you'd start without me." She would laugh if she weren't so terrified. The look on Lyle's face alone is enough to have her busting a gut. He definitely was not expecting her.
"Miss Parker, what are you doing here?" he asks through gritted teeth, but then changes his tone when he realizes how suspicious he sounds. "I mean, it was my understanding that you were unreachable for this entire month."
"Yes, that was my understanding as well," she nods, glaring at him in the process. "But as soon as I heard about this little gathering, I rushed right in."
"Very well then," one of the board members says. "Since you're here, Miss Parker, maybe you can shed some light on your father's whereabouts."
"My father is attending to a private matter," Miss Parker lies, hoping that she isn't digging her own grave. "It required him leaving town unexpectedly. He should be returning soon."
"Really?" another board member asks. "Your brother gave us the impression that Mr. Parker is missing. That he couldn't be located or contacted."
"Well you know Lyle. Ever so ambitious. But he doesn't have all the facts," she claims.
"Miss Parker, if you know where your father is, we'd suggest you get him back here immediately. Tell him we expect to see him at our next weekly meeting. Otherwise, his further absence will lend credence to Mr. Lyle's claims. Meeting adjourned." The board members rise from their seats and make their way out of the conference room, leaving Lyle and Parker alone.
"What was that about?" she growls. "Trying to take over again? What did you do with Daddy?"
"You were bluffing. You have no idea where he is," he says, staring at her in disbelief. His smug confidence returns when he realizes she doesn't know where their father is. His plan may work after all.
"And neither do you," she realizes suddenly when she sees the relief on his face. He didn't have anything to do with their father's disappearance. And he doesn't know where the man is either. "You were lying to the board as well."
"Not really. Our father is gone. And nobody knows where he's gone to. Someone needed to step up and be the leader around here. You certainly weren't available."
"And you certainly weren't in any hurry to let me know about the problems around here, Lyle."
"In due time, Dear Sister," he chuckles. "I would have told you."
"Yeah, after you managed to get the board the appoint you Chairman."
"You know me too well," he says with another laugh that is cut off abruptly with his air supply when she tightens his tie around his neck.
"Laugh now, Lyle. But I'm going to find Daddy and bring him back here and stop you from whatever it is you're planning," she threatens.
"Maybe so," he says, gasping for air when she finally releases him. "But if you don't, then you won't have a leg to stand on. So you see, all I have to do is bide my time and wait to see what you turn up. *If* you turn anything up at all. If it takes you as long to find our father as it's taken you to find Jarod, then I don't have anything to worry about. You have a week, Sis. Good luck."
He gives her one of those annoying grins before walking out the room, loosening his tie enough to be more comfortable. She watches as he walks away and lets out a breath she didn't realizes she was holding. One week. She managed to stall for time, but in exchange she's put herself out on a limb. Lyle's right about one thing. It's all on her to find her father. Otherwise, Lyle could make things very unpleasant around the Centre for everyone. She stays in the conference for a few more moments to get herself together when a knock at the door startles her.
"Miss Parker?"
She turns around and sees Broots and Sydney standing in the doorway, looking very much like two scared little boys. But she can't really blame them. Lyle possibly taking over is a pretty scary concept.
"How did it go, Parker," Sydney asks.
"About as well as can be expected," she shrugs. "I managed to buy myself some time. A week to be exact. The board members want to see Daddy back here by their next meeting."
"That doesn't give us much time," Broots says.
"Brilliant deduction," she says, rolling her eyes at him. She's about to open her mouth to start yelling at him when a wave of nausea catches her off guard. She managed to grab a wastebasket to avoid a really nasty display.
"Parker! Are you okay?" Sydney asks her when she's finished heaving into the wastebasket. He hands her his handkerchief, which she gratefully accepts and wipes her mouth.
"I'm great, can't you tell?" she answers him sarcastically. "I just love puking my guts out in front of the two of you."
"It's okay," Broots assures her. "Let's get you out of here. Get you to a doctor."
"I don't need a doctor," she insists.
"It could be your ulcer," Sydney suggests.
"It's not. Trust me. But I do need to get out of here. To your place, Broots. You can start research on where Daddy is and Syd, you can treat me."
"Treat you for what, Parker?"
"I think I've been poisoned." She tosses the handkerchief in the trash, silently reminding herself to buy Sydney a new one, before walking out the door.
They watch her walk away, frozen in shock at what she just said.
"Did she say poisoned, Syd? Geez, what kind of vacation was she on?"
"I don't know, Broots," Sydney chuckles lightly, trying to keep his worrying at bay. "I just don't know. But she certainly knows how to get herself in trouble, no matter where she is."
"I guess we better catch up with her before she does anymore damage," Broots says.
"That, Mr. Broots, is an excellent idea."
Jarod turns into the driveway of his house and shuts the engine off. He's been driving around for the past few hours for some reason. Looking for her? Maybe. Although he knew he wouldn't find her. He knows exactly where she's gone. And he knows that he can't run after her this time. He'll have to wait for her to return to him.
He looks in the seat behind him at the sleeping child. What is he going to tell her when she asks for Parker? He closes his eyes and sighs, dreading that moment. How could she do this, he asks himself. How could she just leave without saying good-bye? He's grateful that Summer's asleep. Hopefully she'll sleep the rest of the night and won't notice that Parker's gone.
He opens his car door and moves to get Summer when a shadow catches his eye. He gasps when he sees a form through the darkness coming towards him. She's back, he thinks with a smile. He starts to run towards her, but stops abruptly when she steps into the light.
"Jarod, you're home," she says.
"Yes, I am," he says, confused by what's going on. "What are you doing here, Kristen?"
"Parker wasn't feeling well. I came by to check on her."
"You've seen her? When?" he demands to know.
"Not since this morning? Why? What's wrong, Jarod?" Kristen asks suspiciously. She takes a step closer to him and grabs onto his arm. "You're shaking. What's going on?"
"Nothing," he says, pulling his arm way from her cold hands. It's not like he doesn't appreciate the gesture. It's just not the touch he's yearning. "Parker's not here. She had a work emergency to deal with. I just forgot for a minute."
"She's not here? Well I guess I'll have to take care of you until she gets back," Kristen insists.
"Thanks, but we'll be fine," he says with a smile. He reaches into the car and lifts the sleeping child easily to avoid waking her. When he turns back around, he's surprised to see Kristen still standing there. "Really, Kristen. We'll be okay. You can go on home. I'll stand here and wait until you get in safely."
"You're too sweet," she gushes, causing him to blush slightly. "A true gentleman. Good night."
"Good night, Kristen." True to his word, he watches until she's into her house before turning to go inside his own home. He puts Summer to bed and then tries to find himself something to eat. But everything is bland and tasteless, refusing to move past the lump in his throat. He wanders around the house for a few hours, willing himself not to pick up the phone and call her. Any contact from him could put her in more danger. He won't do that.
He eventually walks himself to exhaustion, falling asleep almost immediately when hitting the bed. He pulls a pillow, soaked with her scent, closer to him, holding it tightly in his arms like he's held her on so many nights. Despite his worries, sweet dreams fill his sleep. He hugs the pillow even closer and can almost convince himself that she's really in his arms. He can almost feel her warm softness against his chest. A small smile graces his face in his sleep knowing that he'll always have the dream version of Miss Parker. Her soft, thudding heart beat takes him further and further into dreamland.
Interlude 6
*****************
He paced around the house so much tonight. I guess he's worried about her. But he's going to need to learn how to live without her. And tonight is as good a time as any.
I can understand him missing her. I don't exactly miss Jimmy, but I doubt Parker was as bad a spouse as Jimmy was. Nevertheless, she's not the spouse that Jarod deserves, so she has to die. And I will take her place.
I'm a little annoyed that he didn't even notice the changes I made to please him. I'm trying to look like her. I changed my hair for him. I changed my eyes for him. I wear the clothes she wears. I even got a small bottle of the expensive perfume she likes. He didn't say a word to me about it. Maybe I was appealing to his wrong senses. Maybe he needs other . . . stimulations. When I was lurking in the shadows, he thought I was her. I could see it in his eyes. Maybe the cover of darkness is what I need.
He's finally gone to bed. The house is dark. Perfect. I wait until I know he's asleep and sneak in through the back. I've been in this house a few times since they've moved in, so I know my way around. I silently make it into our bedroom without detection. He's clutching onto a pillow now, snuggling it close to him, probably wishing it was her. Well, he's about to get his wish. I gently pull the pillow away and replace it with my own body. He stiffens momentarily, but relaxes when he takes a deep breath, taking in a big whiff if her perfume. He may think that I'm her, but it won't matter. I'm going to be who he finds in the morning.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
