Remember the Night: a Heroes of the Night military romance novel (12 page)

Monday

Evelyn woke and turned to check the time. Four in the morning. From her last check, the red lit numbers only progressed two hours. The last few days in paradise had been difficult. Though there were activities and outings planned, every forced "joining" had been a chore. The only enjoyment she'd been able to find was playing in the ocean with the kids. They helped ease the knot of loneliness growing since Cody left to deal with his troubles at home.

Now she was at home and dealing with reality once again. She punched the pillow. This was not the way she operated.
And how's that been working out?
The kids started school today, and she would return to work. Since Cody left, her nights had been free, and she'd filled them catching up on emails and setting meetings for this week. Not nearly as much fun as walks on the beach and midnight swims. Not even close.

She'd thought about asking Daniel for Cody's number a thousand times, but fear of repeating her past mistakes gnawed at the edges of her heart. She'd loved Nathan once, or at least she thought she loved him. She didn't want to hurt Cody again. The failure of her marriage had shaken her belief in herself when it came to relationships. Plus, opening herself to potential teasing from her brother-in-law provided another reason to keep silent. Other than texting Daniel to let him know he'd arrived safely back in Wisconsin, no one had heard from Cody.

Last time had been different. He'd wanted to exchange numbers and stay in touch. She'd refused as things at home weren't at a point where she was free to pursue any type of relationship with him. Maybe they could've maintained some type of friendship, but the feelings he evoked went far beyond the parameters of platonic. She allowed herself a small smile. He hadn't been content with blurring all of her carefully constructed and laid out boundary lines. No, he'd completely erased them.

The smile faded. Playtime had ended for them. Maybe their times together were destined to be fireworks on the Fourth of July—best celebrated on a beach, burning brightly for a short time and then burnt out, returning to the mundane and routine of everyday life.

She kicked the covers off to start her day. The holiday was over, and her well-constructed, planned out, façade of a perfect life awaited.

"Why can't you stay and take us to school?"

Evelyn forced air slowly in and out of her lungs. She now understood why some species ate their young. "Michael, we've been over this—at least five times this morning alone. I have to catch the train. Your father works here in Naperville. That means I have to leave earlier than he does. You didn't want to take the bus, so this is the plan we came up with. Now please make sure you have everything ready to go. Your dad is taking you for breakfast this morning since it's the first day of school."

"We should just live with Dad. He's the only one who has time for us anyway." Michael stomped back into his room, leaving the trail of venomous words in his wake.

Michael's words set Jason off, and tears formed in his big brown eyes. "Mommy, we're not going to go live with Daddy, are we?"

She gestured for Jason to step into her arms for a hug and squeezed him tightly. "No, sweetie, you and your brother are staying with me."
Daddy has other obligations now, too.
She'd been doing her best not to say anything negative about their father, but bearing the full brunt of responsibility for the failed marriage with their children wore on her already thin nerves.

"I love you, Mommy."

Thank God parents had several years with their children before they turned into angry, attitude-filled teenagers. She gave Jason another hug. "Love you too. Now, go finish getting ready. I'll see you after school."

Evelyn finished assembling her briefcase for the day, right before the doorbell rang. She opened the door to a smiling man sporting a far-happier-than-she-felt look.

"Hi, Ev. Kids ready?"

Anger surged, but she forced it back down to the depths of her heart. "They should be, though it's been a battle all morning."

"Nothing some chocolate chip pancakes won't fix."

Was this man serious? Their lives were falling apart, and he thought carbs and sugar would fix it. She'd also learned trying to reason with him turned her into the bad guy—with him, with the kids.

"Some protein might be a good addition to the pancakes."

She flinched as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

Now
he wanted to be affectionate? "Sure thing. I'll even add a side of fruit for a well-balanced meal to start their day."

"Thanks. Speaking of balance…"

Nathan directed an annoyed glare at her, and his smile faded. "Not now, Ev."

"Then when, Nathan?" She moved closer and lowered her voice. "I don't mind keeping your dirty little secret from my family, but at some point you're going to need to tell the boys something. Right now, you're the hero, and I'm the villain."

His eyes flashed before settling back to their normal shade of grey. "We were both miserable. I just had the courage to do something about it."

Unbelievable. This really wasn't the time or place to have this discussion, but he'd stepped out of line—way out of line.

She moved closer. The boys didn't need to overhear this. "Sleeping with another woman in our bed? We have two very different ideas about what constitutes courage."

"Daddy, are you and mommy going to kiss?!" Jason's question created quick distance between them.

Nathan moved to scoop his son up. "I kissed Mommy when she opened the door. You missed it, sport. Ready for breakfast?"

"Yes!"

"Go grab your stuff and your brother, and let's go. We don't want to be late."

Jason ran out of the room on his mission.

Evelyn grabbed her things as well. "Very soon, you need to talk to your sons. Take a little responsibility and explain why you left."

His presence loomed large over her. "Or what? You'll tell them?"

She'd faced bigger and better enemies than Nathan Walters. He didn't intimidate her. "No, Nathan. You're not getting off that easy. I'm taking responsibility for my part, and I expect you to be an adult and do the same. How or what you tell them is up to you, but my patience with your timing is running thin."

"You always have to control everything and everyone around you, don't you? That's your biggest problem, you know. When you try to control everything about someone, you miss out on what makes them special and unique. Try to not do that with our sons. I'll wait in the car."

He didn't slam the door but shut it with enough force it brought the boys from their rooms. "Great, Mom. Running Dad off again?"

"Enough, Michael. Get your things and your brother, and meet your dad in the car. We'll talk about all of this later."

"Whatever."

The teeth marks on her tongue were going to be permanent by the time his teenage years were over. Either that or she'd be in prison for child abuse. She'd look good in orange, wouldn't she?

Three meetings later, Evelyn finally found a minute to grab a bite of her salad and diet soda. She'd finished exactly two bites when one of the associates and wannabe partners popped his head into the door. "Welcome back, Evelyn. You have a minute? Grayson would like to see you."

The lettuce lodged in her throat, making her cough at his request. She held up her index finger in a gesture to give her a moment.
Not the finger I want to use…
"Of course. I'll put this away and make my way to his office."

He offered a totally fake smile. "Sure thing, when you're done with your leisurely lunch."

She couldn't even muster a fake one in return. Edward Grayson was the managing partner. Being summoned to his office—never a good thing. Nodding, she tossed her salad into the trash. What little appetite she'd possessed vanished with Nevil's request. Less than five minutes later, she stood in Grayson's office with one other of the senior partners. She nodded in acknowledgement. "Gentlemen."

Grayson smiled, another fake effort. Maybe Cody was right, and lawyers couldn't be trusted. "Welcome back. Did you enjoy your time off?"

Right until Cody left.
"Yes, thank you."

The smile disappeared, the pleasantries apparently over. "I've been reviewing your client list along with your billable hours over the past several months. They've shown a steady decline. I…we're concerned about your ability to maintain revenue consistent and necessary for a senior partner."

A phantom punch in the gut almost forced her to double over in pain. Dread settled low in the pit of her stomach, and tendrils of distress gripped each lung, making it difficult to breathe. "I assure you, your concern isn't justified. I took a week's vacation, the first one in over five years. I have no doubt my revenue will increase now that I've had a brief rest."

"You've been under a lot of pressure lately. Your personal issues have resulted in an overall lack of focus."

What the hell is happening?
She pulled herself to her full height, lifted her chin, and narrowed her eyes in his direction. "I don't appreciate the inference."

He stood, returning her glare. "There's no reason for this to become adversarial. I'm simply looking out for what's best for the firm. Senior partners must be focused and generating significant income. That hasn't been your record of late."

She'd given the best years of her life to this damn firm. It was high time they returned the gift. Placing her hands on the edge of his desk, she leaned forward and spoke low and slow. "As a partner in this firm who has contributed significantly over the past several years, I would anticipate a little understanding when personal matters result in a minor dip in revenue. I believe you're acting unilaterally to represent your own agenda. You want me gone, call for a vote. It's the only way you can make me leave. Otherwise, I suggest we end this meeting, and you let me get back to work."

She had the pleasure of watching him swallow hard. He had no idea who he was messing with. Not only was she familiar with the bylaws regarding partnership in the firm, but she'd helped write them.

"This meeting is over, Ms. Alexander. Hopefully, you'll find your focus once again, and none of this will be necessary."

Leveling one last glare at him, she offered a parting remark. "On my worst day, I'm more focused than you can ever hope to be." She finished her statement with a nod. "Gentlemen."

Somehow, she managed to contain the trembling until she'd closed the door of the stall in the women's restroom. Assured no one could see her, she let the trauma roll through her body, adding waves of nausea and knots of fear in each fiber and nerve. Honestly, could her life shatter into tinier pieces than it already had?

"Call her already."

Cody rubbed his forehead from the admonition from Daniel. Not the advice he wanted to hear. "I don't want to involve her in my problems."

"Look, man, I get that. I had trouble opening up and letting Mel see the real me. Bottom line is you need her, like I needed Mel."

Cody chuckled. "Oh, I think we both know there were lots of reasons you needed Mel."

"Shut up. You know what I mean. You're in legal trouble. She's a lawyer."

"You have to know at least one other lawyer besides her.
Any
other lawyer."

"Why the hell would I know a lawyer in Illinois? If you get sued in Mississippi, then I'm your man. I'm only a part-time resident here, so if you're looking for my recommendation, it's her. I've been cross-examined by that woman. Trust me when I say being on the opposite side of a fight with her is not a place you want to stay for very long."

"You pick fights with her all the time." Cody had witnessed it, even as early as the time they met in India.

Daniel had practically threatened that she'd better not hurt him.

I ended up hurt anyway, but that's on me—not her.

"That's different. Besides, we're family now. If you can't pick on family, something has gone wrong with the world. Look, man, you like her. She likes you. Both of you need to get laid. This is a win-win-win, my friend.

Daniel was right. He really, really hated when that happened—especially when his buddy pointed it out over and over again. Dammit. "Let's say I did call her. I can't afford her fees. She's a hotshot lawyer at a big Chicago firm. It's those same high-priced jerks who have caused this mess in the first place."

"What better way to fight back? Fighting fire with fire. Get your own high-priced jerk to beat them at their own game. As for payment… I'm sure you two can work something out."

"You realize you just called my sister a high-priced jerk, right?" Melodie's warning tone reminded both of them of her nearby presence.

"Just making a point, babe. You know I think your sis is cool." Daniel made a face in Cody's direction. He was totally trying to climb out of the hot water he'd jumped into.

"You're a real ass. You know that, right?" Cody sighed.

Daniel might be an ass, but he was most likely right. At least the part about fighting fire with fire. If Evelyn could make this go away for him and his sister, he'd pay her back, even if it took installment payments for the rest of his life.

"It's a quality I know you love about me. I'll text you her number. You call her…or I will."

They'd been through enough together for him to know Daniel never made idle threats. "Fine, text me the number. I'll call her."

"Today."

Cody sighed. "Today."

An hour later…

"Evelyn Alexander."

She must've been serious about dropping the married name. He smiled a bit into the phone. "Hello, Ms. Alexander. You sound very professional."

"And busy. Who is this?"

Damn, she didn't recognize his voice? So much for her pining away from missing him. "Sorry. It's Cody."

Several heart pounding seconds went by. "Oh, hi. Sorry. I just left a deposition and am still in full attorney mode. I wasn't expecting your call."

"I don't mean to bother you. I can call you later, after you're home. If that's okay." Ugh, he sounded pitiful and needy—not a position he relished. This was a bad idea.

"No. Wait. Let me get to my office and shut the door."

He breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wasn't hanging up on him.

Less than a minute later, he heard her voice again. "Sorry about that. I really am glad to hear from you. How are you? How's the situation with your sister?"

Not overly affectionate but understandable in the circumstances. She was glad to hear from him. That meant something, right?

"Sorry I didn't call before. I don't like asking for help." Honestly, how many times did he plan to apologize in this conversation? Evelyn respected power and control. He started at pitiful and barely ranked above pathetic at this point in the conversation.

"No apology necessary. We both had lives to get back to."

Story of their relationship. "Always seems to be the case, doesn't it?"

"What can I do to help?"

"How are the boys?" He didn't want to jump straight into his challenges.

She sighed. He wasn't sure if the response was directed at him or her sons. "The boys are fine. Look, Cody, I don't mean to be rude, but I don't have much time."

That was the problem. She didn't have time for him. Not the first time they'd spent a memorable night together. Not now. He provided a fun escape for her. Nothing more. Nothing less. Guess some things never changed.

"I caught you at a bad time. I'm sorry. We can talk about this later. No worries. Take care, Ev."

He cut the connection after her soft goodbye and tossed the phone on the couch. Leaning back into the thick cushions, he closed his eyes. That didn't go as planned. Now, not only did he not have any help for the mounting legal troubles for his family, but he'd probably set his chances for a personal relationship with the one woman life kept serving up to him on a beautiful sandy beach-filled platter back a few notches as well.