Page 4

Chapter Four

V oices! Claire woke with a start. She jumped out of bed, put her ear to the door, but all she could hear was her heart pounding out danger, danger. Was Keith here? If he was, how did he find her so fast?

No. It was a woman’s voice, and she and Mark were talking and laughing. Claire sighed in relief. Still safe. She was grateful that she didn’t have any bad dreams or nightmares last night. The first night in a long time.

She got out her extra pair of slacks and a top.

Slipped her feet into the designer flats she bought at the thrift shop and snorted at the irony.

How many pairs of designer shoes had she left at the apartment?

She went into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.

Felt her bra. Still a little damp but too bad.

She had to wear it. Maybe in a week or so after she found a job, she could buy another.

Unlocking the bedroom door, she stepped hesitantly into the hallway. The woman was telling Mark something. He laughed.

Claire followed their voices to the kitchen. A small woman was handing Mark a cup of coffee and almost dropped it when she saw Claire.

“Claire, there you are.” Mark smiled. “I want you to meet my…” He turned to look at the woman and smirked. “Girlfriend, Sam.”

The woman blew out a breath and rolled her eyes.

“Hi. I guess my cousin didn’t tell you I would be visiting for a couple of days,” Claire said.

Sam shook her head. “I’m always the last to know. Sit down. Can I get you a cup of coffee?”

Coffee! The elixir of the gods. Oh, hell, yes. “I’d love one and a little milk if you have it.”

“You got it.” Sam pulled the milk from the fridge and placed a cup in front of her. “So, you and Mark are first cousins.”

“Yes, on my mother’s side.”

“Sam,” said Mark, “I’m sorry I forgot to tell you Claire was visiting for a few days while her husband is out of town on business. Oh, and Joe is stopping by in a few. He left his wallet here the other night.”

Mark placed his cup on the table and pulled out a chair. “So, as I was saying, Claire and Keith live in New York City by Central Park. They have a penthouse apartment there.”

“Oh, I love New York City. I’ve been there a few times.” Sam poured herself another cup of coffee and sat opposite Claire. “So, what do you do there?”

“Well.” How to answer that question? What did she do?

Nothing. “Keith is involved in his business and has a lot of meetings out of town, so he likes to have me go with him. I don’t work per se, but I do volunteer a couple of days a week, at the gift shop in the Metropolitan Museum. ” Did that sound lame or what?

“Oh, I love the Metropolitan. So, what does Keith do?”

“He’s a partner in a law firm. ”

“I bet you’re glad to have the opportunity to visit while your husband is away. Although weather-wise, I’m sure New York City is probably a lot cooler than Florida.”

Claire smiled.

Sam squinted her eyes. Was she assessing her?

Claire was positive she was. Although her eyes gave nothing away she seemed to take in everything.

Could she guess Claire was on the run? Would it even cross her mind?

Bet Sam never ran from an abusive situation or a man.

She looked like a no-nonsense woman who would kick butt.

“Do you have other relatives in Florida you’re visiting?”

Claire thought for a moment. No, she didn’t, but they didn’t need to know that.

“Yes. Keith’s dad has a condo on the west coast. I’m going there for a couple of days after this.” No lie there, but there was no way in hell she was visiting him. The man hated her and hated that Keith had married her.

Sam’s eyes looked skeptical; she wasn’t buying any of Claire’s story.

Besides, Claire knew she was a horrible liar.

Lying made her nervous, and she couldn’t stop wringing her hands.

Drips of sweat ran down her neck. Had Sam noticed?

And her life in New York, living in a penthouse overlooking Central Park, one of the most expensive cities to live in?

Her husband a partner in a law firm? Of course, she noticed.

Sam looked her up and down and probably guessed her clothes weren’t the designer ones she left in her closet.

She hadn’t the money to buy at an upscale consignment shop, so she shopped in a thrift shop for designer pants and top.

The clothes looked clean, but she knew they were slightly worn and faded.

She didn’t have makeup to put on, and it had been a while since she’d been to the hairdresser.

The mirror hadn’t lied this morning, and she knew she looked haunted and had dark circles under her eyes.

Sam was too sharp, and since she owned a security business, she probably saw right through Claire’s charade,. She would have to be careful. Keith would destroy anyone who helped her.

Joe knocked on Mark’s door. He was mentally knocking his head for forgetting his wallet.

Hadn’t been out of the house in a day and didn’t notice until this morning when he needed to charge gas that it wasn’t in his pocket.

Then he remembered he had taken it out for some reason the other night when he and Mark played the video game.

He was leaving for his job in a couple of hours, so he had a just a few minutes to get it.

“Guess we’re going to have to call you grandpa if you’re forgetting things,” Mark teased as he opened the door.

Joe punched him in the shoulder.

“Come on in. My cousin’s here, and I want to introduce you.”

Great. Joe hated making small talk with people and talking to relatives. He looked at his watch. “I only have a few minutes before I have to get to the airport.”

Mark smirked. “Uh-huh.”

He followed Mark into the kitchen and spotted his wallet on the counter. Sam was sitting at the table with another woman.

“Joe, I’d like you to meet…” said Mark.

“Joey?”

No, it couldn’t be. He knew that voice although he hadn’t heard it in ten years. Claire couldn’t be Mark’s cousin.

He turned slowly and did a double take. Sam and the woman started standing up.

He stood there like a statue, not believing his eyes.

His Claire in the flesh. Holy shit. Joe took a minute to look at her.

A woman he hadn’t seen in ten years. She had changed from a girl to a woman, was as beautiful as ever.

Her brunette hair was a little shorter. Her figure had filled in, although she looked a little thin, but he could recognize those whiskey-brown eyes anywhere.

However, there was a sadness in them that hadn’t been there before.

“Joey?” said Mark.

Two sets of eyes stared at him, but he only had eyes for her.

“Oh my God. Joey, Joe, I can’t believe it’s you,” Claire said, her voice shaking. She walked over and stood in front of him. Her eyes were wide, and a flush of red streaked down her cheek and neck.

“Slugger,” Joe whispered.

“Slugger?” Sam asked. “What the heck is going on here? Do you know Claire?”

Did he know her? Did the sun come up in the east and set in the west? Did bears hibernate in the winter? Hell, yes he knew her.

There was so much he wanted to say, and he wanted to hear about Claire’s life. God, he didn’t want to stay, but he didn’t want to leave. The way he left things with her embarrassed him still. He couldn’t believe he was just thinking of her a couple of days ago and here she was, flesh and blood.

Claire almost dropped the cup she was holding. She was ogling the fine male body that walked into the kitchen. Never imagined it was Joe. And “Slugger,” well, she hadn’t heard that nickname since high school.

That was the nickname Joe gave her when she was a freshman.

She had been taking a shortcut through the woods from school to her house.

She never had a problem before, but that day, four older boys were fooling around and stopped what they were doing as she walked by.

They started with the taunts, got closer and closer, closing her between them.

One reached over and ripped her shirt, pulled down her bra, exposing her breasts.

She cried out and swung at them, but they were too close, too strong.

They laughed, and one started to unzip her pants while another held her.

Out of nowhere, Claire heard a loud growl, and a boy jumped into the fray and started pulling the boys off her and beating them. Joe Harkin. He was living at Mr. and Mrs. Grissom’s house. They took in foster kids, and Joe was new to the school.

She was screaming and hitting whoever she could.

Joe was small but wiry and angry. He knocked down two of the bullies, who were bleeding and crying on the ground.

He was working on the third. It was up in the air who would win.

The bully had at least thirty pounds and four inches on Joe.

“Run, Claire,” he shouted. But she couldn’t, wouldn’t leave him there.

The fourth boy had whipped out a knife and was heading toward Joe. Claire noticed a bat one of the bullies had thrown on the ground. She picked it up. Swung. Home run to the bully’s back. She knocked him to the ground and stood over him while he whined like a baby.

Joe was able to knock the boy that he was fighting to the ground. He kicked him in the balls and grabbed her hand. They raced toward her house.

Claire was sure she never told Mark about Joe saving her or the incident. Then again, why would she? He lived in Connecticut at the time, her family in Florida. Nothing he could have done anyhow.

“Claire. Claire?”

Joe’s voice cut through her memories.

“What? I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you.”

“I asked if you were going to be here for a while. I’d love to catch up.” She stared into the steel-blue eyes she had dreamed about for years.

No way was she going to be here to talk to Joe.

What would she say? I’m the classic abused woman.

I let my husband beat me until I couldn’t stand it anymore, but now I’m on the run.

My life really sucks right now. I have nothing.

No prospects for the future. No money or job.

My life is a mess. That was never happening.

Besides, she didn’t owe Joe anything. The day he left her, he lost that privilege.

“No, I’ll be here another day or so, but then I’m off.”

Disappointment and relief flashed through his eyes.

“So why don’t we all sit down and get reacquainted,” Mark said as he handed Joe his wallet. “I’m dying to hear this story.”

Joe reached for his wallet, stuffed it into his back pocket. “I can’t. Flight leaves in two hours, and I’m already behind

Joe looked at his watch. “I better get going, or I’ll miss my flight and my boss will fire me.”

Sam rolled her eyes.

Mark clapped him on the shoulder. “No worries. While you’re gone, we get to grill Claire and learn all your secrets.”

“Riiight.” Joe leaned over, gave Claire a little peck on the cheek and practically ran out of the house

Claire couldn’t decide if she was disappointed he left or disappointed that he couldn’t stay.

She sighed. Either way it hurt to see him again and she needed to be gone before he came back.

She just couldn’t win. She thought leaving New York and running from Keith was stressful. Now she would be running from Joe.