Taylor Made Owens (54 page)

When the song came to an end, Jennifer stepped forward and said, “Hello, London. It’s great to be home!” That whipped the crowd into a frenzy. She broke into her most popular song as the audience continued to scream its approval.

Robert, Kara, and Brian sat and gazed at the show open-mouthed. Deep bass notes, the thump of the drums, and the loud, upbeat tune had everyone on their feet dancing to the music and singing along. At the end of her number, she looked down to the first row and said, “Hi, honey!” to Kara. As arranged earlier, Robert got up to give Kara to Jennifer.

“My daughter, Kara Taylor Owens,” she informed the audience. They cheered on cue. Jennifer sat her daughter on her lap and sang a slow song. Kara turned her head into her mother’s chest to avoid the bright lights and the scary, noisy darkness beyond. During the chorus, Jennifer started laughing as Kara burrowed in between her breasts. Fans laughed with her when she remarked, “You’re just like your father.” That connected her with her audience and proved she was actually singing. Jennifer was a consummate entertainer.

At song’s end, she kissed her daughter on the cheek and turned her toward the audience. “Isn’t she glorious?” Jennifer asked her fans. They whooped. Robert got up to take her back. The music commenced for Jennifer’s next song, and the audience applauded again.

Watching the show, Robert understood how beautiful but otherwise ordinary people at the zenith of the entertainment industry are considered icons. The music was beside the point; it was so mediocre it could be nothing but. Everyone got caught up in the incredible showmanship. The concert was larger than life, with a stunning woman exuding sexiness while singing her popular songs, proficient musicians turning out the rollicking beat, professional dancers prancing in carefully choreographed routines, and an amazing lightshow transfixing a frenetic crowd that was clapping, singing, and swaying to the music. Television cameras recorded highlights for the local news story of the day: London’s own Jennifer Taylor comes home!

After the show ended, Robert and his children joined Jennifer backstage. “Well? What did you think?” Jennifer asked as they joined her in her dressing room.

“God, Jenny, you were incredible. You were right all along. I never gave you enough credit for your terrific talent or for what you’ve accomplished. I’m so impressed, I’m practically speechless.”

“Thank you, Bobby. You don’t know how much it means to me to hear you say that.” The four left for home having thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

T
he afternoon of May 16
^th
, Kristen was paged. Someone was waiting to see her at her office. She finished with her patient, went to her office, and stopped in her tracks when she saw Jennifer standing there.

Without Robert’s knowledge, Jennifer went there on her way to Toronto, where she was to perform that evening. “Can I come in?” she asked.

“No, Jenny. I don’t want—”

“In private in your office or in public out here, you’re going to listen to what I have to say.”

Kristen opened her office door; the cousins walked in, and Kristen closed the door. “I can never forgive you for what you’ve done to Bobby and me,” she said.

“I know. I’ve been despicable to you, and I’m sorry. I did it because I love him. And because I love him, I came here to tell you something: Smarten up!”

“Pardon?”

“He came back to London for you, and you go and get yourself engaged to someone else. He is head over heels in love with you. God, how I’m tempted to lie about that. Krissy, you have to marry what’s-his-name because Bobby will break your heart again. He’s in love with me! That would be perfect for me. With you out of the picture, maybe I could finally have Bobby for good, but I know he’d always be unhappy that he didn’t have you and continue to blame me. So, I’ll say this once: Stop being an idiot, and back out of your engagement. Tell Bobby you want to marry him.”

“Why are you doing this? I know how much you love him.”

“I just want him to be happy, and he never will be unless he has you. There’s another reason, too. When you marry him, I don’t want to feel hated when I come to see my daughter. I have to go. Don’t mess this up, Krissy. Bobby’s yours for the taking. Goodbye.” Jennifer left.

Tonight at the press conference!
Kristen promised herself.

Said press conference was intended to be the climax of Mark’s election campaign. He had skillfully managed the intensive final steps of the police investigation to make an air-tight case against the leaders of the two rival gangs warring against each other in the London area. They had been arrested earlier that afternoon, with Mark going in person to do the honors in front of TV cameras. He scheduled a press conference that evening to summarize his accomplishment and proclaim the end to gang violence in London. What a triumph just two weeks before the election. He hoped it would be enough to swing the polls in his favor. Mark called Kristen and asked her to attend. She said yes.

Mark performed well in front of the media in summarizing the top-notch police work that brought the criminals to justice. He highlighted his central role in the investigation, which was in his interest, given the impending election, but was also hazardous, given the audacity the gangs had shown in flaunting the law and in visiting retribution upon those who presumed to constrain their lawlessness.

Robert watched the press conference and became alarmed as the chief ranted against the gangsters, so he called Kristen to find out if she was there. Learning she was, he begged her to leave at once, but she said she had to speak with Mark about something important.

He got Melissa to baby-sit, drove to the site of the press conference, and went inside. He saw Mark talking to reporters and Kristen standing off to the side. She spotted him and excused herself from Mark, telling him she’d meet him in the parking lot. Mark said he’d be along in a jiffy.

Before she could say a word, Robert urged, “Krissy, don’t go with him!”

“Come outside with me,” she said. Once there she asked, “Why are you so anxious?”

“You heard Mark tonight. Do you think arresting the leaders will stop the rest of those bastards? They’ll be gunning for him for sure. I don’t want you caught in the crossfire.”

“I agree he’s treading on dangerous territory, but do you think they’d actually try something against the chief of police?”

“Absolutely. Let me take you home,” he entreated.

“Are you sure there’s not another reason you came here? Do you have anything else to say to me?”

“Yes, something really important, but now is not the time.” Her intense gaze pleaded for him to speak his mind. He said, “You said I had to convince you I’ve changed. I’m still not sure how to do that, but I can assure you I do know how to love. In fact, although I didn’t know it at the time, I’ve been deeply in love since I was seventeen.”

He took her hands in his, smiled, and continued, “You see, there’s this incredible girl I fell in love with so gradually, so naturally, so completely that I never even suspected it. It wasn’t until I lost her that I discovered how hopelessly in love with her I was. But my revelation came too late.”

Tears brimmed in Kristen’s eyes.

“After living without the love of my life for over seven years because of my awful mistake, I finally got her back, and what did I do? I ran away from her!” He shook his head.

Her tears overflowed.

Robert continued, “Why did I run away? I’ve asked myself that a thousand times. Why didn’t I come back for four years? I can’t even explain it to myself, let alone to you. I’ve been trying to reason it out, but I think the problem is reason never had anything to do with it. It was a purely emotional response, and those are hard to understand when the emotion is gone. I can recall what I felt when you gave me back the engagement ring, but I can’t reproduce the avalanche of grief that swept away my reason for so long. I felt exactly the way I did when the police told me my family had died.” He looked down as his eyes watered. “Absolute devastation. Love is gone again. She … she threw me away …” He stopped to try to hold back his tears, but was unsuccessful.

“Oh, Bobby, I’m so sorry.”

“No, Krissy, I know now you weren’t throwing me away. My reaction has never made any sense. I just remember thinking I had to run away from the hurt, and I had to stay away from love or the heartache would kill me.”

Kristen embraced him and said, “I had no idea. I’ve known all along your incredible loss made you fear love, but I’ve clearly underestimated … the extent of … “ She was having trouble choosing the right words.

“The psychological damage?” he said.

“No … maybe. But now that I understand, I’ll make sure to be very careful to avoid anything you might construe as rejection.”

“I’ve learned my lesson; it’s branded on my heart and seared on my soul. You taught me love, profound love. That you still love me after everything I’ve put you through is so miraculous, so awe-inspiring, so wonderful … I’m overcome. So, now that I really understand, I can express myself simply: Krissy, I love you as much as you love me.”

She put her head on his shoulder and continued to cry.

“If you marry him, I don’t see how I could go on … I would construe it as rejection.” She lifted her head, saw his tearful smile, and chuckled. His expression turned solemn, and he said, “Please,
please
don’t marry him!”

With a loving look, she said, “And if I don’t?”

“Then, if you’ll take me, I’ll marry you, and I swear to you, nothing will ever again come between us, and I’ll dedicate my life to making you happy.”

She kissed him. “I’ll talk to Mark. I’ll end my engagement …” she said, stopping when she noticed Mark striding up to her. She released her grip, wiped her eyes, and whispered to Robert, “I’m giving up a good man for you. I’m putting all my faith in you that you will never again abandon me.”

“
Never
. I love you forever,” Robert whispered.

“Come on, Kristen,” said Mark as he held out his hand to her.

Robert held her arm and reiterated, “Don’t go with him!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll just get him to drop me off at my place.” She took Mark’s hand and walked with him to his car. Robert watched as Kristen got into his car and drove away with him.

In the car, Mark said, “What the hell was he doing here?”

“He’s worried that the motorcycle hoods might attack after all your bluster tonight. He asked me not to go with you.”

“Well, I’m heartened that you didn’t listen.”

“He has a point, Mark. These are dangerous men. You may be playing with fire.”

“I’m not afraid of them. I can’t be.”

“Bobby’s convinced you’re putting me in harm’s way, and I must say, I share his concern.”

“All right, Kristen. Come clean with me. You’ve been, I don’t know, almost remote for weeks now. You’re short with me, you’re critical of me—”

“I told you it was dangerous to goad those men, but you paid no attention and went ahead with your fiery speech. You never listen to me.”

“That was tonight. What about the previous few weeks? It’s like you’re becoming someone else. You’re all emotional. You give me the coldest looks.”

“I’m sorry, Mark, it’s just been a really tough time for me.”

“What is the real problem, Kristen? It’s Owens, isn’t it? You love him, don’t you?”

“Oh, this is hard. You’re such a great guy—”

“But you love him. It’s ignorant of you to keep me on the string if you intend on backing out of our engagement.”

“I know, Mark, and I’m really sorry. I never expected—”

“I don’t want your explanations. I love you, but your leaving won’t kill me. I have plenty of interest from other women. Just yester—” Suddenly the passenger window exploded, shattered glass showering Kristen. It was so startling, Mark almost lost control of the car, and Kristen screamed.

A biker had driven alongside Mark’s fancy sports car and smashed the passenger window with a crowbar. Then he sped off. Mark, incensed at the damage to his car, followed despite Kristen’s pleading to let him go.

“This is what I was talking about. They just get away with their crimes because we let them. Not this time!”

“Well, then, call the police.”

“I am the police. If I stop following we’ll never catch him.”

“Call the provincial police. They’ll help. It’s too dangerous by ourselves!”

“I can handle this guy.” The biker took a highway out of the city and turned down a lonely country road. Mark continued to follow. Kristen dug her phone out of her purse just in case. Suddenly the biker came to a halt and gave Mark the finger.

Mark braked, despite Kristen’s “Don’t stop!” command. Immediately after the car stopped, eight more bikers emerged from an abandoned road that intersected with the country road just ahead. They drove up to the car, surrounding it. One of them reached into the car and took Kristen’s phone as she was dialing 9-1-1. Mark got his phone and tried to call for help, but one of the gang smashed his window with a crowbar. Kristen shrieked. The biker attempted to hit him with the crowbar, but Mark managed to grab it and take it away. Unfortunately, in doing so, he dropped his phone on the road.

While he was dealing with this, another hoodlum undid Kristen’s seatbelt and dragged her screaming out of the car. Seriously outnumbered, Mark determined that trying to rescue her on his own was hopeless; he had to go for help. He stomped on the accelerator, knocked aside two bikes and one biker, and took off down the road.

“Mark!” screeched Kristen. Two bikers followed him. The others posted a guard at the barricaded entrance to the road and took their terrified captive and injured comrade down the abandoned road.

The derelict road, overgrown with weeds, followed a forested declivity, at the base of which the gang bivouacked around a fire. Light from the fire sent smoky shadows wavering through the trees that lined the road, rendering the atmosphere eerie. Kristen was in a state of pure terror. It seemed surreal.
This can’t be happening. It’s a nightmare. Wake up! Oh, God, please help me!
she pleaded silently.