Missed Call (Love on Thin Ice Book 3) Page 3
“No, I’m not, ma’am. This is Sergeant Kline with the NYPD. If you are Ms. Martin, we’ve been trying to get ahold of you. The Dallas police haven’t been able to speak to you in person. There’s been an accident, and we’d like to speak to you before you hear about it elsewhere. Can you tell me where you are, so we can send someone to you?”
It was weird that Kelly felt goosebumps sprout up her arms, because her mind went completely blank. She was close enough to the bed that she let her knees buckle to sit down. The shock spreading through her body was overwhelming.
“Are you still there, ma’am?”
Kelly didn’t know how much time had passed before he asked the question. Her mind had fired up again and was going over the possibilities for the call. She was fairly certain there was only one reason the police in New York would be calling her to let her know about an accident.
“Is she alive?”
Sniffing, Kelly tried to wipe the tears away from her eyes, but it was a losing battle. She hadn’t realized she’d started crying.
“It’s really better if you let me send someone to speak to you. This isn’t the kind of thing we like telling a loved one over the phone.”
“Is she alive?”
Kelly’s words were more forceful. She didn’t care whether the guy liked sharing the news over the phone or not. She preferred that it wasn’t done in person. She hated people feeling sorry for her, and there was no doubt in her mind that pity would have been oozing out of whichever cop was the unlucky one to tell her.
“If you’re asking about your sister, I’m sorry to have to tell you that she didn’t make it. I know you don’t live in town–”
“I’m actually in town,” Kelly said quickly. “So, if you could tell me where my sister is, I’d like to see her.”
He went on to indicate what morgue and offer to send someone to pick her up, but Kelly assured him she could get there on her own. Since her body seemed to be shutting down, she had no idea how she’d accomplish that, but she’d figure out something. She had contacts in the city that could get her a little something to make the numbing pain easier to deal with. As much as she hated getting in touch with them, she knew there was no way she’d make it through the coming days without some help.
After she hung up, she realized she hadn’t asked about Brian. They usually called the spouse to let them know about a death, so Kelly didn’t think it was likely he’d made it out alive either. The man on the phone could have told her one way or the other, but she’d spaced out a few times.
Even with the information in hand, Kelly didn’t move to throw on her clothes and get to the morgue. Kirsten was the only family she had left, after their mother’s death from cancer. Her father had died in a work accident when she was five, so she didn’t really remember him. There were aunts, uncles and cousins, but no one Kelly had ever been really close to.
The sound of a child running through the house snapped her out of a daze she’d fallen in. Not only had she forgotten to ask about Brian, but she’d totally forgotten about the kids. Since Brian and Kirsten were more than likely on the way to work, she hadn’t considered whether the kids were with them.
She scrambled off the bed and grabbed the pair of jeans she’d set out for the day. Throwing them on, and then a tank top, she slipped into her sandals and hurried to get downstairs. She managed to grab her phone and her wallet in the rush. She felt like she should call someone and share the news, but she didn’t have anyone to call.
Trent was a possibility, but it’d take him hours to show up, not that he’d drop everything and rush to comfort her. That wasn’t how their relationship worked.
Voices from the kitchen got louder as she got closer. Simon was asking for blueberry pancakes, while his nanny insisted he’d already had enough breakfast, and it was time for just a snack. The concept of having breakfast before ten was foreign to Kelly, so she shook her head as she entered the room.
Mia, the nanny, looked up at the intrusion and quickly back down to the fruit she was cutting for the kids. She only took one slice before her eyes lifted again. The two women didn’t know each other well, but Kelly’s disheveled look told a story. Mia’s eyes widened slightly as she took in the other woman’s appearance.
It had surprised Kelly to see the kids’ nanny was only in her twenties and was a beautiful blonde with green eyes. When she thought of nannies, she thought of the mid-forties or older caregiver types, not the college student looking to make some extra money.
“I have to head to the hospital for a little bit. I don’t know exactly what kind of arrangement you have, Mia, but is it possible you could stay overnight?”
Kelly’s knowledge of the nanny was only that she wasn’t live-in. She came while Brian and Kirsten were at work and left each day. Revealing that an overnight stay was necessary shared some of the severity of the situation, without saying anything that would worry the kids. Kelly had no idea how she was going to tell them and hoped someone else would appear to take that responsibility away from her.
“But I thought you had to go to the airport this morning,” a confused Fiona said as she looked over at her aunt.
Apparently, the tears in her eyes weren’t a dead giveaway something was wrong, because the little girl didn’t question them. She just looked at Kelly with her big blue eyes, so much like her mother’s, and waited for an answer. Kelly bit her bottom lip for a second, and then tried to paste a smile on her face.
“Something came up, pumpkin. I think I’m going to be staying here for at least a few more days.”
She had to plan the funeral and make sure the kids were settled. She vaguely remembered Kirsten mentioning Brian’s parents in Florida. Kelly figured that was who they’d end up with, if Brian hadn’t made it out of the accident. He didn’t have any siblings, and Kelly wasn’t in a place where she could raise two kids, so the grandparents were the most logical place for them.
Focus on the kids, she told herself. Anything other than the fact her sister was dead.
The smile that spread across Fiona’s face caused a lump in Kelly’s chest to fester. All the little girl knew was that her auntie was extending her trip, and that made her happy. Kelly had no clue how she was going to tell her that her mother had died.
Fiona was only a little older than Kelly was when her father passed away. She had vague memories of him tossing her around and calling her his angel. Would that be all Fiona would have of her mother when she grew up?
And what about little Simon? He was still mastering talking. Would he remember anything about his mom?
Kelly had managed to stop the flow of tears, trying to put on a brave face in front of the kids, but the questions caused them to start again. She really hoped Brian hadn’t been killed. Losing one parent was bad enough. The kids needed someone to remind them of who their mother was and how much she loved them.
“I’ll stay as long as I’m needed.”
Kelly started when she felt a hand press against her upper arm. Mia had walked over and was trying to do something to comfort her. Kelly turned to her and saw that her green eyes looked a little watery.
“How bad is it?” she whispered so the kids couldn’t hear.
“The worst,” Kelly replied in an equally quiet tone.
She heard Mia’s breath hitch. Kelly didn’t know how close the nanny was to the parents, but she clearly cared for the family from all the time she’d spent with the kids.
“Well, you better get going.”
Mia didn’t let on that anything was wrong as she walked back over to the counter and put the cut fruit into two bowls. Kelly marveled at how easy she made it look. Maybe she wasn’t as close to the family as Kelly had observed.
“Kirsten gave me your number just in case of emergencies while you’ve been in town. I’ll text you in a little bit, so you can let me know how your friend in the hospital is doing.”
Kelly nodded when the nanny looked her way. The kids hadn’t asked anything about the hospital, but as far as Kelly knew, their knowledge of it was limited. They were too engrossed with their snacks to start asking questions. Kelly wished she could be that carefree.
Instead of hanging out with her niece and nephew while she waited to head back home, like she’d planned for that morning, she took out her phone and ordered a ride to the hospital. It was going to be at least a thirty-minute ride from Wood Ridge, with traffic it’d probably take a whole hour. She was sure the entire way would be spent crying. It took everything she had to keep the waterworks from flowing again until she walked out the front door. She needed to find something to keep her from totally breaking down, and she had a good idea where she could do that without running into any problems from her past.
Chapter 4
“So, is this how it’s going to be? We meet up at weddings and funerals?” Jake realized how stupid and insensitive that sounded and quickly backpedaled. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry to hear about your sister and brother-in-law. I’m not really good at funerals, so just pretend I led with my sympathies.”
It wasn’t technically the funeral yet, just the visitation. Jake had watched the news a few days before and saw the pictures of the couple killed when a semi lost control on 95. He’d immediately recognized Kelly’s sister, and just to be sure he wasn’t hallucinating, he’d read the obituary in the paper a day later.
It was stupid on his part to show up. He felt out of place but had seen both Curtis and Brady with their wives in the line to speak to Kelly before him. He’d wanted to say som
ething about being there for anything Kelly needed, but instead, vomit soup spilled out of his mouth, and he looked like an even bigger idiot.
Hannah had given him a little glare after she’d noticed him, but he brushed it off. Jake had been sure he’d never see his mystery woman again. He didn’t like the fact that it took a death to find her, but he jumped at the opportunity. Standing in front of her, he braced for whatever reaction she had. Part of him said he would get slapped. He’d probably deserve it for being presumptuous.
He was a little surprised to see that her eyes were more black than silver, as her pupils filled almost the entire space. The whites were red, and her eyes were puffy, no doubt from crying. He did his best not to rake his gaze over her body, and how the black dress she wore clung to it. Someone had died, and he was checking out the grieving party. There was something majorly wrong with that. He knew that and tried to keep his mind focused on the task at hand.
He took a deep breath, trying to get a hold of himself. It wasn’t like he had plans of hooking up with Kelly, but if he let his mind wander, like it had a few times since the day they met, he could easily picture his pants getting tight. A visitation wasn’t the place for that, and he felt like an ass for letting his mind wander in that direction.
“You really need to work on your sense of humor, Jake.”
There was a slight tenseness in her voice, but no anger. She reached over and tucked his hair behind his ear. Her hand lingered on his neck, causing his body temperature to elevate. He hadn’t really thought about how she’d react to him showing up, but he certainly didn’t consider caressing being in play.
“You may be surprised to hear that you aren’t the first to say that.”
He smiled, trying to relieve some of the tension he felt showing up to total strangers’ visitations. Everyone else in the room probably had memories of the deceased, while all he had was a sliver of a connection to the grieving woman in front of him.
“I bet,” she said as her tongue slipped out of her mouth, and she licked her lips. “Why don’t you stick around after the visitation? We can finish that conversation we had the other day.”
Her tongue again made an appearance in a slow trip around her lips. Something seemed off. He didn’t know Kelly well enough to say for sure, but as her hand ran down his chest before returning to her side, he got the feeling something was wrong. Obviously, the woman’s sister was in a coffin about ten feet away from them, so something was definitely wrong, but the minimal actions he’d seen didn’t coincide with someone at a visitation.
She’d been hesitant to touch him at the reception, but had no problem reaching over to grab his hand. Squeezing tightly, as if to will him to say yes.
Jake had come towards the end of the two hours listed for the visitation, so there weren’t a ton of people left. He wasn’t sure what was going on with Kelly, but he had no problem sticking around to make sure she was okay.
“Sure. I’m going to go over and say hey to Curtis and Brady.”
He looked over his shoulder to verify the guys were still around. It took him a second, but he found them up front by the caskets. Nina was talking to a group that had gathered around her. Jake had forgotten that she was a relative as well, and he should probably say his condolences.
“Great. Don’t go too far. I’ve got my eye on you.”
Jake scrunched his face slightly as he heard the flirty tones in her voice. It was rude to ask if she was drunk, so he just smiled and pulled away to make his way over to his teammates.
Curtis and Hannah were on the outskirts of the circle around Brady and Nina, so he settled with asking them if they had any idea what was going on. Hannah still didn’t look happy to see him there, but he figured she’d get over it.
“You guys notice anything up with Kelly? She was friendlier than I thought she’d be.”
His words didn’t cut the daggers coming out of Hannah’s eyes. He’d heard rumors she used to be shy, but evidently living with Curtis had done something to break her shell open. In the moment, Jake was wishing she wasn’t as generous with letting her feelings echo in her eyes.
“She’s high,” Curtis whispered as he leaned towards Jake.
Jake looked back over to Kelly and thought about the idea. He’d thought she was drunk, but drugs could explain the behavior. When he’d been around people on drugs, they were a bit calmer, and their eyes had pinpricks instead of saucers.
“Really?”
The one word was stupid, but he was trying to rationalize a different reason for her behavior. It wasn’t like she was swinging from the chandelier or anything, but compared to what he’d seen at the reception, she might as well have been.
“Yeah. Nina says there’s a history from back when she modeled. She did a couple stints in rehab and supposedly has been clean for years but fell back into the habit when she heard about Kirsten.”
There were many things in the statement that popped up questions, but Jake stuck to the first one that fired. He’d thought of her body as modelesque. He hadn’t considered she’d actually been a model.
“She’s a model.”
Hannah reached around Curtis and pushed on Jake’s shoulder. His voice was a little louder than their conversation warranted, but he thought the action was more for the fact he couldn’t take his eyes off the woman they were talking about. She smiled and laughed at something someone said. Judging from the look on the other person’s face, nothing funny had been said.
“She was one, about four years ago or so. Nina’s shared plenty of information since we all noticed the change in behavior, but she didn’t mention why Kelly left the industry.”
Curtis relayed the information. Jake wondered if Hannah knew more, since she’d probably spent more time with Kelly during the bridesmaids’ duties throughout the week. Jake had heard Nina kept the women close and busy.
“What are you doing here, Jake?” Hannah asked, quickly clearing any idea Jake had of asking for more information.
She didn’t sound totally pissed at him, but there seemed to be some disappointment in her voice. Jake wasn’t sure why that bothered him. With Curtis as the team captain, Hannah sort of took on the role as team mother. Jake hadn’t spent enough time with the team as a whole, but he felt the dynamic.
“Same thing you’re doing,” Jake replied, taking his eyes away from Kelly to look over at Hannah.
The redhead shook her head and rolled her eyes. She made it seem like Jake showed up expecting to get laid or something. That was the furthest thing from his mind. Although, he had noticed that the boyfriend didn’t seem to be around. He expected to show up to see a guy plastered to Kelly’s side. Unless the guy was taking a long piss, he wasn’t there.
“My best friend’s cousin is in that casket behind us. If you were here to support your teammate’s wife, that would be one thing. You’re not, though. You’re here to support a woman you’ve spoken to for five minutes.”
Jake thought about correcting her and saying it was more like fifteen minutes, but the fire in Hannah’s green eyes told him it was best he kept his mouth shut. She was right. It had been stupid for him to think showing up at the funeral was the right move.
He couldn’t get Kelly out of his head, though. He’d considered asking Brady to see if he could get some contact information from Nina, but the couple was supposed to be on their honeymoon, so he hadn’t gotten to that point. He knew there wasn’t a chance for anything with Kelly living halfway across the country, but he wasn’t over the way she just disappeared without giving him a chance to get to know her.
Women didn’t do that around Jake. They cooed and purred out answers to every question he had. If nothing else, it was refreshing to find a woman who didn’t.
“From what I’ve seen, that woman needs all the support she can get. If she’s high because of her grief, it’s clear she’s not getting it.”
The words were a little harsh, but Jake challenged Hannah with a glare to contradict them. Curtis clearing his voice between them stopped a standoff that presented itself.
Jake didn’t know why he was being so defensive about his actions. He didn’t like Hannah’s clear accusation that he was only there because he wanted to get in Kelly’s pants.