SECRET IDENTITY (11 page)

But she could see her and Lorne making a life together.
Maybe even living in this house, right next door to his brothers. He’d like
that. Only, there was one small obstacle standing in the way of believing
everything would be all hunky-dory between them if they did become a couple.

Lorne didn’t push her buttons the way The Defender did.

It was late afternoon, getting close to quitting time.
Brenda checked her watch as she phoned her boss.

“Well, what have you found out?” Wagner asked right off,
without a hello. “We’re starting to get some major feedback from our
dissenters. Did you know we have at least six lawsuits pending? We’re talking
millions of dollars, and that’s not taking into consideration having to pay for
the clean-up of the grounds.”

“Is the board considering rebuilding?”

“It hasn’t come up yet. I’m thinking they’re going to wait
to see what the final report says about the cause of the blast. We have to find
out who’s responsible.”

Who’s responsible. Or, in lawyer speak, who to blame. And
maybe squeeze a few dollars out of.
Brenda frowned. “I watched The Defender
fly off with something in his hands. I believe it has something to do with the
explosion, but I’ll need more clearance to check it out.”

“You got it. Anything else? Anything we can use right now?”

“I’m sorry. That’s all I have. For God’s sake, Wil, I just
buried my father! Can’t you just let me have some uninterrupted downtime just
this once? If I find out anything more about the blast, I promise I’ll be in
touch!”

Brenda heard the pitiful, whining way her voice sounded, but
it couldn’t be helped. She was tired physically and emotionally, and it wouldn’t
take much for her to throw up her hands and call it quits. To her surprise, her
usually obnoxious, overcompensating boss came back using a more understanding
tone of voice than she’d expected.

“I was just checking over your leave status. Take as long as
you want, Brenda. As long as you feel is necessary. You’re overdue for some
time off, anyway.”

“Thank you,” she replied with a hint of sarcasm. Wouldn’t
have mattered anyway. Wilson Wagner was impervious to that sort of thing.

They signed off when Wagner received another phone call he
had to take. Brenda tossed her cell onto the sofa, next to her purse. The man
wasn’t as concerned over her taking leave as he was her remaining in Fullerton
where The Defender was still attached. The only reason he was willing to coddle
her was because she was a hometown girl, and he felt she would be able to open
more doors than a total stranger would. The company would always come first and
foremost to the man. Brenda felt a shred of pity for Wagner’s own family.

Looking out the sliding glass door leading from the den to
the backyard, she felt a twinge of hunger. Sighing, she went to the kitchen and
opened the refrigerator door. Inside was dish after covered dish of more food
than she would be able to eat in a week, even after much of it had been
devoured by the Palmer boys. Unsure what to reheat, she looked around for the
half-gallon of milk, when it struck her.

“Hell. No milk.” They had polished off the carton they’d
brought with them yesterday, and she hadn’t picked up any more at the store.
Well, no harm, no foul. There was a Jiffy Gas two blocks away. She debated
whether to drive to it, but the late afternoon was inviting. This was her old
stomping grounds where people could still stroll down the sidewalks in relative
safety. Besides, the exercise would do her good. She could go there and be back
in less than fifteen minutes.

Grabbing her wallet and keys from her purse, she found one
of her father’s old windbreakers in the hall closet and put it on, shoving the wallet
in one of the deep, flannel-lined pockets, and her keys in the other.

The air smelled pure, filtered clean by the countless trees
lining the street and dotting the lawns. Traffic was practically nonexistent.
Given another hour, the neighborhood would be bustling with people arriving
home after work.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to come home to this place after my
kind of day on the job?” she softly wondered aloud. But she knew it was a
dream. Fullerton had no airport, for one thing. And in her line of work, airline
access was as crucial as her company credentials. If she needed to fly
somewhere, she’d have to travel two hours plus to Ocean City and catch a plane
at the Intercontinental Airport located on the other side of the metropolis.

Once she got to the little combination mini-market and gas
station, she met several people whom she knew, and who had known her father. By
the time they offered their condolences, and Brenda had bought milk and a few
other odd items, the sun was beginning to set. Hoisting her two plastic bags,
she rounded the corner of the store, and nearly ran into a familiar figure.

“Lorne! What are you doing here?”

He gave her a grin, and she felt her heart skip a couple of
beats. “Stopping by on the way home for a soda. Hold on a sec, and I’ll help
you carry those bags.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but the man had already
slipped past her and gone inside. It took him practically no time to grab a
canned drink and pay for it before rejoining her. Mutely, he snagged the
heaviest bag and casually rolled it over a shoulder.

“You were on the evening news.”

He began the conversation on their stroll back, and slowed
his long-legged stride for her benefit.

“Again? Did they superimpose a target over my face this
time?”

“They didn’t show your press conference this time. They
showed you talking to that new superhero. Mr. What’s-his-name.”

“He’s called The Defender, in case you’re wondering.”

“Thank you. I’ll file that bit of information for further
teasing. So, what were you two talking about? Looking for a date?”

Brenda glanced up to see him silently berating her with
those warm, woolen-gray eyes. “Lorne! My boss called with an offer I couldn’t
refuse.”

“Oh? He wants you to go on a date with the flying man in
black? Excuse me. With The Defender,” Lorne teased.

“You’re mean. No. He wants me to help investigate the cause
of the explosion. Find out if it was caused by accident or from human error. I
was hoping The Defender could provide some information.” She gave him a playful
punch in the shoulder. It was like hitting rock. “Why do you tease me like
that?”

“Because you know I can read you like a book. Well?”

“Well, what?”

“Did you tell him?”

“Tell who what?” She gave him an exasperated look. “Lorne,
have I ever told you how irritating you can be?”

“Yeah. It can become one of my many middle names, like ‘crazy’,
‘thoughtful’, and ‘idiot’. I think I have room to add ‘irritating’.”

Brenda felt the laughter bubbling up inside her. What was it
about Lorne Palmer that always made her feel good, even in the worst moments?
Luke didn’t affect her like this. Neither did Lee.

“Did you tell him you had the hots for him?” Lorne reminded
her.

“Lorne!” She could feel her face burning, and it wasn’t from
the sun. “Awright. You’re right. The Defender does turn me on, but I can’t tell
him that.”

“Why not? Guys usually like that sort of thing.” They took a
couple of steps in silence, then he added, “Do I turn you on?”

For some reason, she’d been expecting him to ask. Sooner or
later. “Lorne
¼
”

He quickly shook his head. “Never mind. That one word said
it all.”

“Lorne, look, it’s not that I don’t care. Truth is, I love
you lots, but it’s not
¼
well, you know.”

“It’s not the all hot and bothered type of love,” he teased.
“It’s not the ‘ooh, take me now, Mr. Defender!’ kind, right?”

He had her laughing again, damn him. No matter how serious
the subject could get, Lorne could always lift her spirits and dispel her
melancholy. It was that ability that made her love him all the more.

“So, are you going to tell him? Ever?”

Brenda shook her head, still smiling.

“Why not?”

“Because he’s The Defender! Hell, he could already be
married!”

“You think so? Does he wear a wedding ring?”

She made a rude sound. “Superheroes don’t wear wedding
rings. Nahh, forget I said anything about him being married.” Funny how the
thought of the man in black already being spoken for was like stabbing herself
in the heart.

“Well, let’s pretend he’s not married,” Lorne assumed. “What
if he approached you and asked you out? Would you go?”

“In a heartbeat, but I’m not holding my breath.”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s too busy keeping the world a safe place
without having to worry about mundane things like taking some girl out to the
movies.”

They turned the corner of the block and began strolling
toward home. Already twilight was casting shadows on the sidewalk. Brenda
glanced at the man beside her to find him deep in thought. Fishing inside her
jacket pocket, she pulled out a penny from the change she’d gotten at the store
and held it out to him. Lorne looked down in surprise.

“What’s that for?”

“For your thoughts.”

“I’m thinking about what I saw on the news.”

She gave a nod. “You mean the part where he snuffed out
another minor explosion? Did you catch him flying away?”

“Yeah. It looked like he had something in his hands.”

“That’s what I thought, too. I tracked him to the bomb
disposal barracks the police have outside the city, but I couldn’t get access
in.”

They walked the remaining distance in easy silence,
occasionally remarking about one thing or another as they passed by. Once they
reached Brenda’s house, Lorne handed over the other sack of groceries.

“Want to come in and have leftover lasagna?” she offered. “I
could throw a salad together, and I can make some garlic bread, too.”

“Sounds tempting, but Lee’s fixing dinner tonight, and you
know how he is when he thinks no one wants to eat his cooking.” Lorne wrinkled
his nose.

“That’s because no one wants to eat his cooking!” Brenda
laughed. “All right. Be that way, then. Tell the others ‘hi’ for me.”

He nodded, and turned to head for his front door, but not
before she stopped him.

“Lorne?”

He paused to look back at her. He looked so warm and
inviting, she was sorely tempted to run up and throw her arms around him. If
she did, she knew he would hold her until she was ready for him to let go.

Another thought came to her, almost overwhelming her. Thank
goodness the sun was at her back, hiding the growing redness in her face. In
the meantime, he continued to patiently wait for her to say what was on her
mind.

“Will I see you tomorrow?”
God, that’s so lame.

“Sure.” He nodded and smiled. “Any idea when you think you’ll
be going back to Ocean City?”

“Maybe next week,” Brenda told him, although she hadn’t made
any definite plans.

“That’s good. It’ll give us a little more time to visit,” he
said, throwing her a mock salute. “Later, Bren.”

“Yeah. Later, Lo.” She continued watching the tall, handsome
middle brother until he disappeared into the next house. When he was finally
out of sight, she went into hers, but not without feeling as if an opportunity
had come and gone, and she had missed it.

Chapter 13

Seduction

She read the paper she’d bought at the convenience store,
then watched a couple of numbing hours of television before deciding to go to
bed. After a brief shower, Brenda opened the bedroom window a little ways to
let in air. It was a pleasant night, if a bit on the cool side. It reminded her
of the times the Fullerton Four would camp out in the backyard, telling ghost
stories behind their flashlights, and eating bags of buttery, greasy popcorn
Mrs. Palmer would bring to them.

She stared at the little twin bed with its pink patchwork
spread. It looked incredibly small, but there was no way she could sleep in her
parents’ bedroom, much less in their queen-size bed.

Sighing, she grabbed a quilt from the top of her closet and
opened it over the bedspread. That done, she pulled back the coverlet and top
sheet, and sank onto the mattress. Despite it being noticeably smaller than her
bed back in Ocean City, it remained inviting and overwhelmingly comfortable.
And it still fit her curves and bumps, as it should. After all, it was home.

She could hear the frogs croaking outside, and the
occasional car going by. They were comforting sounds. Last night, she had been
too distraught after the funeral to enjoy them. Ditto the night before that,
her first night home after a long absence.

Tonight, however, she could relax. Ease into sleep, rather
than bolt down a couple of sleep aids and hope they worked.

At some point she did slip into unconsciousness. For how
long, Brenda had no idea. But something awoke her. Nothing frightening or out
of place. She felt nothing threatening. Regardless, she continued to lay in her
little bed and looked out at the moonlight-filled backyard. There was nothing
out there moving about. Not even a dog or a cat left outside to stray.

Sighing, she pulled the bed linens up over her shoulders,
and rolled onto her side, curling into a fetal position to preserve warmth.

She sensed him standing there the moment she faced him.

“Who?”

Odd, but she felt no fear. It was as if she had been
expecting him. Propping up on one elbow, she waited for him to make the next
move.

Like a shadow detaching itself, The Defender stepped into
the pale moonlight streaming through the window. At the sight of him, her
entire body went on high alert, and Brenda sat up further in bed.

The Defender moved closer, holding out a gloved hand palm up
as if to quiet her as the other hand placed a single finger to his lips. “Shh.
I’m not here to harm you,” he whispered.