Title: The Trust Game
Author: Nicky (NickyM96@yahoo.com)
Rating: PG
Category/Keywords: JMPF/R
Summary: Takes place months after that fateful day at the ice cream parlor. Can Miss Parker find a way to make Jarod to trust her again? Will she ever be able to trust herself?
Disclaimer: The characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots etc. and the fictional Centre, are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and used without permission. I'm not making any money out of this and no infringement is intended.
Book II: The Trust Game
Chapter 1
Miss Parker stares absently at the computer screen in front of her. Broots was standing over her yammering on about some new tracking program he developed to do something she didn't really want to know about. For all she cared, it could have held the secrets of the universe. It didn't matter to her. Nothing mattered to her anymore. Not her job. Not her so called family. Nothing. It's been seven months since that day at the ice cream parlor with Jarod and Imani. The day he thought she betrayed him.
They were so close that day. Laughing. Talking. Eating ice cream. And she found herself falling more and more in love with him with each passing second. Everything he did seemed different that day. The smug grin that constantly adorned his face and usually made her blood boil with anger instead was stirring up feelings of desire and passion. And the wide-eyed innocence that usually annoyed her was instead rather endearing. She even didn't mind it so much when he tried to steal her ice cream.
"What?" he asks, wondering why she's suddenly giggling.
"Nothing," she says, still laughing. "It's just you have a little fudge on your chin. You're about as bad as the baby. Let me get you all cleaned up." She slides across the booth until she's right next to him. She reaches up and grabs his face with one hand while gently wiping the fudge from his chin with the thumb of her other hand.
"Thanks," he whispers, suddenly aware of how close she was to him. Suddenly aware of the warmth coming from her hands as they still stroked his face. And suddenly aware of their lips drawing closer and closer together.
Her heart was beating so quickly she thought it was about to jump out of her chest. And although her eyes were closed, she knew what was about to happen. She could almost anticipate the kiss. His warm breath was washing over her face in short, jagged bursts. She could even hear his heart pounding in rhythm with hers. She felt an electric shock tingle her skin the closer they got. Then, with their lips just mere micrometers apart, so close she could feel his mouth brush slightly against her own, her world came crashing down around her.
"You liar," Jarod growls. "And to think I actually believed you. I actually believed you cared."
"Jarod, what are you talking about?" she asks, suddenly very confused. "I do care. What's going on here?"
He looks outside again and she follows his gaze to the cars.
"Oh no. Lyle," she whispers. "Jarod, I don't know what's going on here, but . . . " She stops abruptly when she notices that the seat next to her is empty. Jarod is gone. And so is Imani.
Miss Parker quickly stops a tear before it can begin it's descent down her face. She'd been doing a lot of that these past few months. Too much, some would say. But she couldn't help it. Her heart ached so much with an empty pain she's never known.
"If you just let it all out, it'll get better," Sydney whispers in her ear.
She looks up at him and then quickly scans the room, suddenly embarrassed that she was breaking down in front of him and Broots.
"Don't worry. Broots left. I sent him home early. I knew you wouldn't want him to see you getting this upset," Sydney tells her. "Thinking about Jarod again?"
"Is it that obvious?" she asks with a shaky voice, allowing a few more of her tears to fall. Just a few. Because if she truly let go, then she was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop. "I've been thinking about him since he left that day. I can't help it."
"For so long, your lives were intertwined. What affected one of you, affected the both of you in one way or another," Sydney explains.
"How long is it going to hurt like this, Sydney? Because I don't know how much more I can take."
"I honestly don't know, Miss Parker. You finally admitted to yourself that you loved him. You've loved him for quite some time, I imagine. Something like that lasts a life time. You won't forget it any time soon. And you may not believe this now, but he won't be able to forget, either."
"I think he's already forgotten," she sighs. "Sydney, it's been six months since we got that note. I don't think he's coming back ever again."
"What are you going to do now?" he asks her curiously. "Because you can't go on like this. You're barely making it, Parker. I've noticed it. Broots noticed it. I'm sure Lyle and your father have noticed as well. If you're not careful, you might find yourself taking a little trip to be 're-educated' soon."
"I don't know," she confesses. "But you're right. I can't go on like this. Jarod's always been in my life. For as long as I can remember. But he's gone now. And I don't know who I am anymore."
"Why don't you take some time to figure it out," Sydney advises. "Take a couple of days and go someplace to clear your head. It might do you some good to step away from the situation for a little while."
"Where would I . . . . "
"My cabin is always available to you. Feel free to use it for as long as you like."
"Thank you," she says with a sincere smile. "I think I just might take you up on your offer." She wipes the last of the tears from her face before standing to hug the man. The man who's been more of a father to her than her own had been. A man who's seen her at her worst, but loved her nonetheless. A man who's seen her through her worst and asked for nothing in return. But she was glad that she was finally able to give him her love.
"Take care of yourself, Parker."
"I will. Thanks Sydney. Thank you for everything. I love you," she says, placing a kiss on his cheek.
"I love you, too," he says, returning the gesture. "I'll see you when you get back."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Coming to the cabin had been a brilliant idea. Already being away from the Centre was making her feel 110% better. After getting the car unpacked and the groceries stocked in the kitchen, she goes into the bedroom and peels off her hot, sticky clothes. She digs through her suitcase until she finds an outfit more comfortable. She pulls on a tank top and a pair of cargo shorts and goes out on the porch to enjoy the rest of the day.
He watches as she swings lazily on the hammock hanging on one side of the porch. Eyes closed. Arms and one leg dangling over the sides. She seemed to be trying to relax, but he could still see the stress around her eyes.
"It's good one of us can let their guard down," he says to her, now standing mere inches away from her. Her surprised eyes fly open, revealing cool seas of blue that sends a tingling down his spine. He finds he has to shake himself out of her spell before completing his thoughts. "I don't have that luxury."
"Jarod," she says simply, trying hard to hide her relief at seeing him and knowing he's alright. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought I'd surprise you. Let you know what it feels like to have someone suddenly show up and ruin your life. Like you did the last time we met like this. Imani and I have been on the run since then, thanks to you."
"Well, you seem to have it all figured out," she spits out, her words suddenly taking on a sharp edge. "I'm surprised you have to nerve to get this close to me. Aren't you afraid of me taking you back?"
"I figured I'd give you a chance to explain yourself. Explain how you can come into my home and use my family the way that you did. Explain to me how you can live with yourself knowing you broke my baby's heart. Imani really liked you, Miss Parker."
"Explain to you?" Anger flashes in her eyes and she hops out of the hammock to stand face to face with him. "I don't have anything to explain, Jarod. How about you explain to me why you don't trust me . . ."
"Trust you?" he interrupts with a laugh. "You're joking, right? Why would I trust you? You've been chasing me for years, Miss Parker. Threatening to take me back to that place. You tried to seduce me. And it almost worked. I almost thought we had a chance at that life we always dreamed of. But I got distracted. And I saw your brother and a team of sweepers just across the street. You lied to me Parker. I thought you cared about me. I thought you cared at least about Imani. . . ."
He doesn't see it coming. The hand she held at her side, clenching and unclenching the fist throughout his tirade. Finally, she can't take any more and hauls off and punches him, right in the eye.
"Don't you EVER call me a liar again, Jarod," she screams. "How can you say that? How can you think I would do that? I'll admit that we've had a strange relationship. We used to best friends. You were there for me at the worst times of my life. But then we grew up. We changed. And we grew apart. But there was always something between us. An unspoken game of trust that we would play. I had a job to do. To bring you back to the Centre. But it was more like a game we played. With unwritten rules that neither of us broke. How could you think that I would break them now? Jarod, I've never lied to you. I've always been straight with you. I've always done what I said I was going to do. I've always played the game fairly. I would never stoop to using emotional warfare to trap you." She ends her monologue and dissolves into tears right in front of him.
"You didn't know about Lyle being there?" he asks quietly, suddenly starting to realize he misjudged her.
"I didn't know. I would have never made you a sitting duck like that. I would have never done something like that to Imani. No matter what you think of me, no matter what I've done to you, it really hurts to know you think I'm a monster," she cries.
"I'm sorry. I should have trusted you. I was just too afraid of getting my heart broken. And I refused to let you break Imani's heart." He pulls her into his arms and hugs her tightly until she stops crying. Gently stroking his hand up and down her back to comfort her.
"I should be getting back to Imani," he whispers when she's calmed down.
"Tell her I miss her," Miss Parker begs. "That I think about her all the time."
"She misses you too, Miss Parker," he smiles.
"Can you do me a favor? Can you give her something for me?"
"Sure," he agrees. "Where is it?"
"Right here." She steps up on her toes until she can reach the top of his head and places a kiss on his forehead. "Promise you'll give her one of those every night you tuck her in. Just to let her know I'm thinking about her."
"That's sweet, Miss Parker. She'll be very happy. I promise I'll do it," he says, following her to the door. He wants to make sure she gets inside safely before he leaves.
"I have something for you, too," she says coyly. She turns around just as her foot steps inside the cabin.
The move surprises him and he has to abruptly stop before he crashes into her. They're standing face to face now and he can see a sly smile spread across her lips just as they brush against his own.
She pulls him closer to deepen the kiss, and her arms wrap around his neck. She doesn't want to let him go, but she knows she must end it soon.
He feels himself gets pulled into her arms and suddenly can't think of any other place he'd rather be. His own arms respond and wrap around her waist, pulling her closer and closing what little gap there was between them. But just as suddenly as she had kissed him, he soon finds his arms empty. He reaches out to her for another kiss, but she puts a hand up between them.
"You have to go. Imani, remember?" she says with a teasing laugh.
"What? Oh yeah. Imani. I have to go," he's finally able to piece together. However, he just stands there, looking stunned and a little confused.
"Good night, Jarod," she purrs, winking at him before giving him a slight push out of the doorway so that she can close it.
He stands there for a few more minutes while his mind processes what just happened. He stares at the door, almost as if he was trying to will it to open, but it never did. He finally recovers completely from Miss Parker's surprise and starts to laugh. He shakes his head as he walks down the path to where his car was parked. He didn't know if what she did was a trick. Or a plan to get him back to the Centre. But frankly he didn't care. Because the moments her lips left his, he knew he'd do anything to kiss them again. He didn't see himself running too far from her in the future. Not away from those lips. Or those kisses. But for some strange reason, he didn't feel that he would have to anymore.
Chapter 2
Miss Parker glides down the halls of the Centre, not feeling at all like she did just a few short days ago. Things with Jarod had been straightened out, and she felt as if they were on the right path towards . . . something. She didn't know what, but she felt good about it, whatever it was. Almost as if it were a new start for both of them. Another chance at love and happiness.
Her obvious change in attitude was apparent to everyone she encountered. The desk clerks whom she normally ignored got a smile and a nod from her today. The random sweepers patrolling the hallways that normally were victim of her icy glare were greeted today by a warm and sincere hello.
"Good morning, Miss Parker," Broots stutters, cowering behind Sydney. Not yet aware of the good mood ruling his normally grouchy boss.
"Hey Broots," she says with a warm smile. She holds her arms open and embraces Sydney. "Good morning, Syd. Thanks again for letting me use your cabin."
"I take it things went well for you," the old man insinuates.
"Very well," she smiles. Then she looks over at a very shocked Broots and laughs. "It's really me, Broots. I guess Spring Fever can strike anyone."
"Well, your day is about to get even better," Broots promises. "A package arrived just this morning from Jarod. I think it may pinpoint his whereabouts. I have it right here."
She takes the package from Broots, trying hard to conceal the smile beginning to form on her lips. Her stomach starts to do little flip-flops at the mere mention of his name. She realizes, though, that she can't contain her excitement and rips open the package like a small child at Christmas. Inside the box were fixings for banana splits - minus the ice cream and whipped cream, of course. But everything else was there. Even the bananas. Reminiscent of that day in the ice cream parlor all those months ago.
"That fudge sauce is a special brand, made only one place in the country," Broots tells them.
"How do you know that, Broots?" Sydney is curious.
"I'm not supposed to be telling you this, Miss Parker. But you know my loyalty lies only with you," the computer technician starts. "I got in really early this morning. I walked by your office and was surprised to see your light on. When I peeked in, I saw Lyle at your desk, looking through the box. He made me do some research on the items in the box to see if I could find a lead on Jarod. There didn't seem to be any clues we could use. Only the fact that the fudge sauce is made only in this little town in South Carolina. In fact, the town is famous for it . . . "
"A little town in South Carolina," she gasps. All the blood drains from her face and she suddenly feels very panicked. It was in a little town in South Carolina seven months ago her car broke down. She was on her way from a conference in Charlotte, North Carolina to meet up with Lyle in Florida. It was in that same little town that she stumbled upon Jarod and his family. And it was in that little town when she first realized she was in love with him.
She keeps on looking through the box to see if she can find her own clues. Maybe something one of them had missed. Anything to end the feeling of doom coming over her. She comes across a piece of paper folded up and tucked into one of the empty bottles of sauce towards the bottom the box. She hurries to pull out the paper and almost cries at the sight. It's a picture drawn by Imani. Made especially for her. Miss Parker lets a small tear escape as her mind wanders back to the little girl who had stolen her heart. She can actually feel all the love the girl put into the picture. And just as strongly as she feels the love, she feels something else. Danger. Fear. More tears. But not hers. Imani's.
"Lyle got this box first?" she manages to squeak out, trying hard to keep her own tears at bay. "Did you tell him yet about this place? Is he on the way there?"
"He left about an hour ago," Broots admits. "I'm sorry, Miss Parker. I thought a lead on Jarod would make you happy. I didn't know that you . . ."
"Don't worry about it, Broots. You were only doing your job," she assures the man. "Stay here and keep me posted on Lyle's progress. Syd, we have to get to South Carolina before Lyle does. Who knows what he'll do to whoever he finds there."
The two race out of the Centre before Broots can get another word in edgewise. Something strange was going on with Miss Parker. He just didn't know what it was. Maybe she was just jealous that Lyle might capture Jarod before she could. Who knows. And who cares. It wasn't his job to question it.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"What's really going on, Parker?" Sydney gently asks once they get on the plane. They were going to fly down to the Charleston International Airport and rent a car there to drive to the little town Lyle was headed. With any luck, they wouldn't be too far behind him.
"Lyle might find more than Jarod when he gets to South Carolina," Miss Parker sighs. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out the folded up piece of paper she found in the box earlier that day. The one with the picture Imani drew for her. She fingers it tenderly, tracing every line and marking on the sheet. "He's been there for the past few years with his daughter and his wife's family."
"Wife? You told me a little about the little girl. But never about where she came from. Talking about Jarod seemed to upset you, so I never asked much."
"Well, it's a long story. One I can't get into right now. But I can tell you the Centre's involved. And if they found Jarod's daughter, then . . ."
"You really care about her, don't you? And for Jarod," Sydney states. Able to see clearly now what's been bothering Miss Parker all of those months.
"I love them both, Syd," she simply says. "That's why I have to get to Imani before Lyle does. She'll be terrified of him." She holds the drawing close to her chest and can't help the storm of tears that begins to fall.
"Miss Parker, there's more to this than you're telling me," Sydney realizes. His psychiatrist mind was working overtime and he notices that the drawing seems to be eliciting deep emotions from her.
"Syd, I can feel her," she whispers, almost afraid of what she was saying. "It's like . . . It's sort of like . . . Oh, I don't really know how to explain it. But when I held the picture, I could practically see her in my mind. And I saw her crying. I could feel her fear. And I knew at that moment I had to get to her."
"Hmm," he grunts, pondering what she just told him.
"What? What do you mean by 'hmm'? You don't seem surprised that I'm telling you this," she says.
"To be perfectly honest with you, I'm not surprised. Not surprised at all," he smiles.
"My mother?" she asks curiously.
"Yes. Your mother had this same sort of sense. It's a sense a lot like Angelo's ability to empath. But usually occurs when you have a deep attachment to the subject. My guess is that this little girl got your biological clock ticking, so to speak. The maternal feelings you're having for her are what's making the empathetic connection so strong," he explains.
"Oh," she says quietly, turning to look out of the window at the clouds passing by. They still had a long way before they got to South Carolina. Plenty of time to think about her feelings and this new 'sense' she's apparently developed.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Four and a half hours later found Miss Parker and Sydney pulling into the driveway at Jarod's house. The last time she walked through these doors, she had no idea what would be on the other side. She didn't know that she'd find a man trying his best to raise his daughter and keep her safe. She didn't know that she'd find a man that she would want to spend the rest of her life with. She didn't know that she would grow to love a child so much that she'd be able to feel whenever that child was in any kind of pain.
She pulls out her gun and raises a shaky hand to open the screen door. Inside the house, she finds Lyle and a host of sweepers, tormenting the inhabitant.
"Lyle!" she yells. "You mind telling me what's going on here?"
"Sis. Nice of you to join us," Lyle sneers, mentally noting that the computer geek didn't take long to leak this tip to Miss Parker. "We were just questioning this nice old lady about our missing lab rat."
"Looks like she's answered all of your questions," Miss Parker growls. She glances out of the corner of her eye and sees Miss Dee, Imani's grandmother, sitting in a chair in the corner. She looks frightened, but trying to hide it. She does a quick scan of the room and doesn't see Imani anywhere, a fact that gives her some relief, but also some fear. Where could the child be? Her question is answered in the next second. She turns back to see Miss Dee and sees the old woman flash a quick, yet reassuring smile as if the tell her that Imani was okay.
"I guess so," Lyle says, noticing she still had the gun pointed his way and getting the hint that it was time to leave. "Come on guys. We're through here."
All the men except for Sydney exit the house, followed by Miss Parker. She grabs Lyle on the porch and slams him against the door.
"Since when are we in the business of harassing harmless old women, Lyle? Or was that in a memo I missed."
"Listen, we had a tip that Jarod lived here. But apparently not. There's nothing in the house to indicate that," he admits.
"And you couldn't figure that out just by walking in there?" she screams, exasperated at his actions. But also relieved that Jarod didn't get caught. "And where are you going?" she asks when he starts to walk away from her. "Don't you think you should smooth things over with the woman? Make sure she doesn't call the cops or something."
"No, I'll leave that to you," he says, flashing her a cocky grin while putting on a pair of sunglasses. She turns her back and can hear him laughing at her all the way to the car. Little did he know, she was laughing at him all the way back into the house.
"I'm so sorry about my brother," Miss Parker begins apologizing when she sees an obviously ticked off Miss Dee sitting across the room. "I had no idea what he was planning."
"That's quite alright, Dear. Your friend Sydney here was explaining it all to me," Miss Dee says before getting a smile on her face. "Now, is that anyway to greet someone? Why don't you come over here and give me a hug, Miss Parker," she says with a laugh, adding that same taunting tone to her name as the first time the two women met.
Miss Parker runs to the woman's open arms and can hardly stifle her own laugh. Miss Dee just wasn't going to let that little mistake go.
"My name's Deidre Nelson. But everyone around here just calls me Miss Dee." She offers a hand to Miss Parker to shake, giving her a silent invitation to introduce herself.
"Miss Parker. Everyone calls me Miss Parker."
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Parker," the woman says, emphasizing the 'Miss' with a kind of mocking tone.
"Actually, you don't have to call me that," Miss Parker says, with a shocking change of heart that surprises even herself. It just didn't sound right having the woman call her 'Miss' anything. For some reason, this woman's presence commanded respect. And Miss Parker suddenly feels as if she doesn't deserve her respect. "You can call me Tori."
"How have you been, Miss Dee? It's been so long," Miss Parker inquires.
"Much better than you could have been," the woman says. "I can only imagine what you've been going through. Because Jarod's been sulking around here for months now. Ever since you were here last."
"He thought that I betrayed him," Miss Parker says, dropping her head remembering how bad the past few months had been for her. "But I didn't betray him. It was all a misunderstanding."
"I figured as much. He was hurting, though. And there was nothing I or Imani could say to change his mind," Miss Dee smiles. "He's pretty stubborn that way."
"That sounds just like him," Sydney adds.
"You've known him long?" Miss Dee asks.
"All his life. I practically raised him. And Miss Parker here," Sydney says. "I'm not proud of the way I facilitated in keeping either of them at that place, but . . ."
"Jarod's a fine young man, Sydney. He was a good husband to my daughter and he's an excellent father to Imani. You should be proud. Because he had to get his values from someone. I'm guessing that someone is you. It's a reflection on you how he turned out." Miss Dee's smile fades a bit when she stops to think about her own children.
"Miss Dee, you did a fine job raising your kids, too. All of them," Miss Parker assures her, knowing that the woman was thinking she failed Willie somehow. "But sometimes, things happen that are beyond anyone's control. And the Centre is one of those 'things'."
"Billy was such a sweet boy," Miss Dee reflects.
"Billy was your son?" Sydney asks curiously.
"Foster son," Miss Parker corrects him. "But you know him better as Raines' sidekick, Willie."
"He was always so polite and charming. And a handsome little devil," Miss Dee continues. "When he came to live with us, he stole everyone's heart, especially Sharisse. He was a lot like how Jarod is now. Sensitive and caring. Thoughtful and considerate. It's no wonder she and Jarod got along so well. Billy and Jarod even had that same smile. You know the one that Jarod has that melts your heart."
"Oh, I'm more than familiar with that one," Miss Parker giggles, suddenly overwhelmed by a memory of that smile.
"Yeah. That was my Billy. I haven't heard from him since he left, but Jarod's been telling me some things. How he works for that horrible place, the Centre. And he also told me he shot you. I'm sorry about that."
"Don't be, Miss Dee. It wasn't your fault." Miss Parker grabs the woman's hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry we can't stay longer, but my evil twin will start to get a little suspicious if we don't turn up soon after he does. But before we go, do you think I can see Imani?"
"Of course. My other daughter, Tracee, took her to the park before those men could see her. I told her not to come back until they left. But, they should be back any . . . "
Just then, the door bursts open and blinding flash races past Miss Parker. All she can hear is the pitter patter of tiny feet hitting the floor that stop and hide behind Miss Dee's legs.
" . . minute," Miss Dee finishes, trying to detach the little predator from her legs. "Imani, look who's here."
"Miss Parker," the little girl squeals, unwrapping herself from around her grandmother and running over and jumping up into Miss Parker's open arms. "You came back."
"Of course I did, Baby Girl. We're friends, remember? There's no way I'd leave you and never come back. I missed you so much."
"I missed you too," Imani says, planting a little kiss on Miss Parker's cheek. "Can you stay?"
"I'm sorry, Sweetie. We have to go. I won't be far, though. I promise. And you can call me, whenever you want. Preferably not at two in the morning, though," Miss Parker laughs, while the little girl is pretty confused, not understanding her father's knack for his middle of the night phone calls to Miss Parker. "Give me one more little kiss. I have to go."
Imani obliges her and Miss Parker gives the girl an extra hug before finally letting her go. She says a hasty good-bye to Imani and Miss Dee and runs out of the house before anyone can see the tears.
Chapter 3
Sydney walks down the long hallway leading to Miss Parker's office. He knows that she's in there even at this late hour. She's been working late all week now. As if she were avoiding going home. He finally reaches the door and gives it a gentle tap before slowly easing the door open.
"What are you still doing here, Parker?" the old man asks, worried about his young friend.
"The same thing they pay me to do everyday, Syd. Work. What are you still doing here?"
"The same thing I've been doing all your life, Parker. Looking after you. Making sure you're okay. I'm worried about you. Why are you keeping these insane hours?"
She looks at him and sighs. She can see that all he wants to do is help, but how will it really help to talk about it?
"I can't go home, Syd," she finally admits after a pause. "It's just so quiet there. It makes me think about what's missing in my life."
"It makes you think of Jarod. And Imani," he realizes.
"I have to keep them safe. Last week shouldn't have happened, Syd. I should have been able to prevent it. Lyle shouldn't have been able to harass Miss Dee the way that he did."
"So you figure by staying here, you'll be able to predict his movements?" Sydney asks her, trying to understand her motivations. "Miss Parker, you do realize how silly that sounds."
"I have to do something. I can't let something like that happen again. She's counting on me."
"Who's counting on you, Parker? Imani? She's just a little girl. And from what I could see last week, she adores you. You don't have to put so much pressure on yourself to meet such high expectations."
"Not just Imani. But Imani's mother. And my mother," she whispers. "And before you look at me like that, I know what you're thinking. They're dead. I know that. But Imani said something one time . . . They talk to her. I know that's not possible, but . . ."
"Some people think that children can see and hear things that we can't. Including angels," Sydney tells her.
"Really?" Miss Parker asks curiously. "Because Imani knew things. Like what my mother looked like. And a name that only my mother would call me. Is it possible that she could really speak to my mother? And her mother?"
"I think the mind can rationalize anything. You'll believe whatever you want to believe. So the question is this, Parker. Do you want to believe that Imani was speaking to your mother? What is it she said that's haunting you so?"
"Imani said that her mother and my mother led me to Jarod and Imani. To help take care of her," Miss Parker tells him.
"So that's it," Sydney suddenly realizes. "That's why you feel such a connection with the child."
"You think?" she asks. "You think this is just my mother's way of . . . "
"It doesn't matter what I think," he interrupts. "What do you think? Because this is your life."
"I feel like I'm supposed to be with this child. And I know that I couldn't love her any more even if I had given birth to her. There's a place in my heart that literally hurts when I'm not with her."
"Well, then. I think you have your answer," he smiles. He goes over to her and pulls her out of her chair, leading her to the door. "Go home, Parker. Get some rest. And trust that everything will work out how it's supposed to."
"Thanks, Syd," she says, leaning over to kiss his cheek before walking out of the door. "Good night."
When she gets home, she's ready to peel her clothes off and climb in a hot shower to wash her day away. She throws her stuff on the table by the door and kicks her shoes off as she walks across the living room. She stops suddenly, a strange feeling slowly building in the pit of her stomach. Something wasn't quite right. She didn't know what it was, but she could feel it.
She goes back to the table and grabs her gun, holding it out in front of her as she begins a search of the house. A tour through the kitchen, den, dining room and living room leaves her empty handed. She slowly heads up the stairs, still letting the gun lead the way. When she gets to the first guest bedroom she notices that the door is closed. But she can hear faint breathing on the other side. Her trembling hand slowly reaches out to grab the knob and start to turn it gently. But before she can open the door, it opens by itself, revealing her unexpected visitors.
"Jarod," she almost screams.
"Shhh!" he whispers, pointing to the little body laying in the bed.
Miss Parker looks over his shoulder at the sleeping Imani and smiles at the little girl. She looked like and angel, sleeping peacefully despite the fact that she was in a strange place. Comforted by the safety offered by the presence of her father.
She puts the safety on the gun and tucks it into her waistband. It wasn't necessary anymore. Her intruder had been identified and was harmless. She directs her smile towards Jarod, before grabbing his hand and quietly leading him down the hall to her bedroom so that they could talk without risk of waking the baby.
"I didn't mean to scare you," he apologizes. "But I couldn't exactly announce my arrival without risking someone finding out. I'm already putting you in jeopardy as it is."
"Don't worry about me. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself, Jarod."
"I know. That's why I'm here," he says softly, his mood suddenly turning very serious.
"Jarod, what is it?" she asks, suddenly getting very worried. She sits down next to him on the bed and puts a reassuring hand on his knee.
"Last week. At my house with Miss Dee. It was too close. I can't allow anything like that to happen again," Jarod begins.
"I understand. I feel the same way. If only I had known what Lyle was up to," she says to him.
"How could you have known? To hear Miss Dee tell it, you got there not long after Lyle did. You did all you could. It was good you got there when you did. But it makes me think about the future. And what would happen if something like that happened again? Maybe next time, Miss Dee won't be able to get Imani out of the house before someone saw her. Maybe they'll be able to grab her one day and figure out she's my daughter. I can't let that happen. I love Miss Dee, and I can't put her in that kind of danger. She's not prepared. When I have to be away, I need for Imani to be with someone who will be able to handle the situation."
"Are you saying that you think that someone is me?" Miss Parker asks incredulously, finding it hard to believe that Jarod was about to entrust the life of his child to her.
"I need you Miss Parker. To look after my little girl. She's all I have left. And I don't know what I would do if anything happened to her," he sighs, tears starting to form in his eyes.
"She's not all you have left, Jarod. You still have me," Miss Parker says, inching closer to Jarod. "We're on the same side now."
"What do you mean? I have to be entirely sure here, Miss Parker. I can't play games anymore. Imani's life is at stake." He stares deep into her eyes, hypnotized by the intense look she was giving him in return.
"Maybe this can clear things up for you," she whispers, slowly moving her face closer to his.
Their lips meet for a seemingly endless second. And in that one second they both feel the years of anger melt away. All the times they hurt each other disappear into a bottomless pit. The harsh words spoken to drive each other way now turn into declarations of love, whispered sweetly into each other's ears.
"I hope that gave you something to think about," she purrs into his ear, gently tugging on the lobe with her teeth.
"To be perfectly honest with you, I'm not in any shape to do much thinking right about now," he says hoarsely, trying hard to catch his breath after that kiss. A warm breeze that she exhales glides down his neck as she plants a trail of hot kisses from his ear down to his chest.
"Thinking can be overrated at times," she murmurs between the kisses that were driving him crazy. She takes the kisses back up, following the path she just made until she ends up at his lips again.
"We can't do this. Not tonight," he manages to say just as she takes his mouth hostage. He takes her in his arms and holds for awhile, trying to convince his heart to listen to his head. "We don't have to rush anything. We have forever."
She reaches up and gives him one last kiss before finally releasing him from her embrace. They walk hand in hand to the door where they have to say good night.
"You better lock this," he says with a smile. "In case I change my mind."
"Just go," she laughs. "Before I won't let you leave. And you'll be my prisoner. You'll be mine forever."
"I've always been yours," he tells her and then quickly kisses her on the lips before she can say anything. "Good night."
She watches in silence as he turns and practically runs down the hall to the other bedroom, gently closing the door so he wouldn't wake up Imani. She does the same and then finds herself almost gliding across the room, as if she were up on a cloud. She finally makes it to the bed and sinks deep into the pillows with a huge smile on her face. Her eyes close in happy reflection and soon sleep takes over, allowing the sweet dreams of Jarod's luscious lips to rule her mind.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Miss Parker awakens to the sound of muffled giggles coming from downstairs. She rolls over and looks at her clock, the bright red display showing the time to be almost noon. She hops out of bed and pulls on a robe before going downstairs to join her houseguests.
"Look who's up, Daddy," Imani squeals, jumping of the couch and running to the base of the stairs where Miss Parker is standing. "Daddy said we had to be real quiet to let you get your rest."
"That was sweet of you and your daddy," she says to the little girl, lifting her up and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before setting her back down. "But I usually don't sleep this late on Saturdays. I'm so sorry I haven't been a very good hostess. Did you find something to eat?"
"Daddy made some chocolate chip pancakes," Imani tells her.
"Mmm. My favorite. But I can't eat them alone. You think I can convince you to eat some more with me?"
The little girl nods her head enthusiastically and runs into the kitchen, leaving the two adults shaking their heads and laughing, wondering where she gets her endless energy from.
"I told you she never walks," Jarod laughs. He slides over on the couch, making room for Miss Parker to sit down. "She makes me tired just watching her."
"I just hope I can keep up with her," Miss Parker says, joining him on the couch.
"You'll do fine. I trust you," he says quietly, gently brushing a wisp of hair behind her ear. His fingers slide lightly down the side of her face and begins to trace the curve of her lips before he leans in the kiss them.
"That's nice," she whispers. "How about another one?"
He obliges her, taking her fully into his arms and gives her another kiss that leaves them both breathless.
"I have to leave soon," he says after a silent moment they share. It's time I start to put my plan into action."
"This plan is why you needed me to keep Imani for you?" she's curious.
"Yes," he admits. "It's time I did something about the Centre, once and for all. Lyle got too close to Imani. I can't let that happen again. I could always just take her and disappear, but I can't be away from you anymore." He pulls her tightens his hold on her and she lays her head on his chest.
"I want to help," she says quietly.
"Are you sure? Members of your family might not like what I have planned very much when it's all over," he warns.
"I'm positive," she assures him. "Ever since that day at the ice cream shop last year when I thought I'd lost you and Imani, I knew that the day would come when I would have to do something to stop them. I think this is the sign I was waiting for."
"That's just what I was hoping you'd say," he says, a smile suddenly spreading across his face. He hops up off the sofa and pulls her onto her feet. "Go get dressed and packed. We have to get going."
"Going? Where?" she wants to know.
"We're going to go get married . . ." he says with a cryptic little smile, amazed that he finally found a way to render her speechless.
Chapter 4
"Married? Jarod are you crazy? We can't get married! Do you know what my father or Lyle would do . . . "
"I warned you they wouldn't like this plan very much," Jarod smirks.
"Plan? This is just part of the plan?" she asks, somewhat disappointed. As crazy as the idea of marrying Jarod sounded, her heart was ready to convince her to rush to the nearest justice of the peace with him.
"You sound disappointed," he realizes.
"Never mind about that," she says quickly, trying to hide her conflicting emotions. "Just tell me about this plan. And maybe, I'll consider if I want to take any part in it." She sits on the sofa and he sits next to her.
"I can't run from the Centre the rest of my life. I can't run from you anymore, either," he sighs. "But I can't just take Imani and disappear. It wouldn't be fair to her. I need to do something about the Centre that'll allow Imani and I to lead a normal life. I've been digging pretty deep into the records, trying to come up with some area of vulnerability. But the more digging I did, the less anything made any sense."
"What do you mean by things not making any sense?"
"Just little things," he tries to explain. "I'm not really sure what to make of it all. For example, I don't understand why Raines and your father are so intent on getting me back to the Centre. The other pretenders they have are far more productive than I ever was. From what I can see, it's costing them more to try to find me than if they'd just invest in the other pretenders. It just doesn't add up."
"That is odd," she admits. "But maybe it's a matter of pride. Or what they think you know that could incriminate them somehow. Okay, so that's one mystery we'll have to solve. But how does our getting married help anything?"
"Something else strange that I've seen in my research," he starts. "I've found a few DSA's that were sent to be destroyed. Most of the tracks were unreadable, but I found a few sections that I could watch. Not enough to really understand what's going on. But a couple of places mentioned us."
"You and me?"
"Yeah. And about the power we'd have together," he finishes. "One of the DSA's mentioned this contract or something, sort of committing us to an arranged marriage or something. I'm sorry I'm being so vague, but I'm getting most of this information in bits and pieces. It's like a puzzle, almost. Actually, it's like a couple of different puzzles, and all of the pieces are in one big box. I'm having to sort things out and piece them together."
"What do you think it all means?" she wonders.
"I don't know. None of it really makes any sense, but in a way, it does. For some reason, someone at the Centre needs us to be there together. Why is it you think they've kept you trapped at that place all these years? Why is it they want me back so badly when they have several Pretenders just as good or better than I ever was? There's something about the two of us and this arranged marriage contract that's out there. We need to find out who arranged for it and that'll tell us who's going to benefit from it. Then we'll be able to find out what they plan to accomplish."
"That could take forever. Secrets are a pretty hard thing to dig up at the Centre," she tells him knowingly. "We've been trying to find out things for years. What makes you think we'll be able to find these answers?"
"To be perfectly honest with you, I don't think we'll find out those answers. My guess is that your father is involved in a big way. I have no idea who the other party could be or why they'd have the power to bargain with my life. I don't think we'll get any answers from your father. So I figure we could beat them to the punch. Get married on our own and go to the triumvirate ourselves. That may be the only way we find out what we need to know. For some reason, they didn't tell us about this marriage. And I don't think anyone else knows about it. It's probably supposed to be a secret. The element of surprise must be crucial to this succeeding."
She thinks it over. And finds that a lot of Jarod's theory is making more and more sense. Why else would her father had been so against any of her relationships she had when she was in college? And why else would her father go so far as to have Thomas killed, just when things were getting really serious?
"You idea has merit, Jarod. I must admit it," she says. "But, what about Imani? What does she think about all of this? You being married to someone other than her mother"
"She loves you," he smiles, pleased that she's considering Imani's well being. "I'm not sure if she really understands everything, though. She just thinks you want to be her new mom. And she's happy about that. She even put in an order for her Christmas gift this year."
"What?" she asks with a bit of trepidation.
"A baby sister," he reveals with a big laugh that Miss Parker joins in on. They laugh so hard until they're breathless and fall into each other's arms for support. He holds her close, enjoying the feel of her warm breath on his neck. They pull apart just far enough to be joined again in a short kiss.
"Before I tell you my answer," she starts, pulling out of his embrace to face him. "I want you to do me a favor."
"Anything," he promises.
"Can you ask me?"
"Huh?" He's confused. "I don't get it."
"Ask me. To marry you. You know, propose. This is my first marriage proposal. You better make it good," she teases.
"Oh, you mean the down on one knee with a ring thing?" he smiles. "Okay, I think I can do that."
He gets down on his knee and grabs her hand with his own, afraid that his sweaty palms would give away his unexpected nervousness.
"I don't have a ring, but I'll do my best," he starts. But when he looks up at her and stares into her eyes, all nervousness or fear melt away. The laughing and joking stop, because suddenly this wasn't funny to him anymore. His heart almost stops beating and his breath catches in his throat as he feels a wave of love sweep over him. Down on one knee, holding her hand, staring at her eyes, he opens his mouth to say the only thing echoing in his mind at that very moment.
"I love you," escapes his lips. He sounds about as surprised as she looks. But he feels it. He feels what he's always known deep down in his heart, but would never admit it. He knew that he loved her that first time he met her, but nothing like this. This was a feeling of everything finally falling into place. He felt as if he were waiting his whole life for this very moment when he'd be able to look this woman in the eyes and tell her how he feels.
"I love you," he repeats, sounding suddenly confident and sure of his feelings. Sounding as if suddenly, everything made sense. "I've loved you all my life. Even when I didn't know you, I loved you, if that's even possible. I knew that the day would come that I would meet you. And when that day came, I gave you my heart. You've had it ever since. Because I didn't need it anymore. You became my heart.
"All these years, I've felt an aching in my chest and wondered what was missing. Imani is my everything, but I realized at this moment that my heart was missing. You were missing. I need my heart. I need you, Victoria Parker. Be my wife. Not just for today or tomorrow. But forever. For the rest of our lives. I want to live with you and love you. I want you to be my everything. My friend. My lover. My soul mate. The mother of my children."
"Well, when you put it like that, how can a girl refuse," she laughs, trying to make light of the situation. But despite her efforts, she can't contain her tears. Looking into his soulful eyes, she sees that they full of so much love that it's almost overwhelming. She kneels down with him and throws her arms around his neck, crying into his shoulder. "I will marry you."
"You will?" He lifts her head and wipes away her tears, the joy in his eyes impossible to hide.
"Yes. I will. I'll be your wife. Your friend. You lover. And the best mother to Imani that I can be. And to any other children you give me," she says with a smile. "Because I love you. I always have and I know now that I always will."
"Are you sure? This is for keeps. Not just for my plan. I don't intend on ever letting you go, Parker."
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I've missed out on so much not listening to my heart. But my heart is telling me this is right. And for once, I'm listening."
They fall into another kiss, deep and passionate. And full of promise for the future.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Okay. We're married. So now what?" Miss Parker asks Jarod as they enter her house later that evening.
"The honeymoon," he says jokingly, raising his eyebrows suggestively. "You get to have your way with me, Dear Wife." He leans over and gives her a quick kiss before taking a sleeping Imani up to bed. The process takes a few minutes and by the time he gets back downstairs, he sees that Miss Parker is settled quite comfortably on the couch, stretched out almost the whole length of it. He goes to join her, sitting at the end where her feet are and props them up on his lap.
"Honeymoon? That's later tonight," she promises with a seductive smile. "But I meant what do we do now about the Centre. And your plan."
"As for right now, nothing happens. We still need to do a little more research and try to figure out a few more pieces of the puzzle. I don't want to go to the triumvirate completely blind. It'll be too dangerous. I need to have an idea of all the risks so that I can know how to protect you."
"I can take care of myself, Jarod," she reminds him.
"I know. But you're my wife now," he admits. "I feel responsible for you."
"That's really sweet," she says, obviously touched by the sentiment. "But our first concern needs to be Imani and taking care of her. Making sure she's safe. Which reminds me, how am I going to explain her being with me? Somebody's bound to notice that I have a child now. What do I tell them?"
"Don't worry about that. I'll take care of it," he assures her. "I'll have to set up a cover story for you. Monday, call in and tell them that a friend from school died and that you'll be gone for a few days. When you get back, tell them that Imani is your friend's daughter. She didn't have any other family and you couldn't bear to leave the child motherless, knowing what it feels like to grow up without a mother."
"And they'll buy that?" she asks incredulously.
"Probably not initially. They'll check it out for themselves and find that what you're telling them is true. I'll make sure they stumble upon it. It's better not to tell them much of anything and have them go searching. They'll believe what they find themselves. They just won't know that it's all part of our plan."
"A few days, huh?" she purrs, rubbing her foot up his chest seductively. "They think I'm going to be gone a few days." She pulls herself to a sitting position and starts to slide towards him. "That means we have a few days to . . . get to know each other." She climbs in his lap and starts to plant tiny kisses on his neck.
"Yeah," he agrees breathlessly. "I think that's exactly what it means," he mumbles between the kisses he's returning.
"Well then. What are you waiting for, you big stud?" She moves the kisses to his mouth. "Take me to bed . . . or lose me forever."
"What?" he asks, suddenly very confused. His confusion only eliciting a deep, throaty laugh from her.
"Don't tell me you've never seen Top Gun. Tom Cruise? Navy Pilot?" She laughs even harder when she sees him shake his head no. "Well that's a movie we'll have to catch another time. Because right now, we've got other things to do."
She captures his lips again in a deep, searing kiss that literally takes his breath away, letting him up for air only when she turns her attentions back to his neck. The kisses lead down to his chest and precede her fingers as they unfasten each button on his shirt in a teasingly slow fashion.
His hands work their way up to her shirt and he tries to undo her buttons, with much less success than she was having.
"Why don't I help you with that," she whispers, sliding off his lap and standing in front of him. She deliberately undoes each button, maintaining eye contact with him the whole time. Finally, all the buttons are undone, but he sees that she's out of his reach now. She takes the shirt off and drops it on the floor beside her, while slowly making her way up the stairs. By the time he realizes what she's doing, she's halfway up the stairs and halfway undressed, a trail of her clothes between them.
He does the same, following her up the stairs and into the bedroom. He closes the door and turns to his expectant bride, taking her up in his arms and carrying her to the bed. He plants kisses of his own all over her body, trying desperately to discover every inch of her. He wraps his arms around her, wanting so badly to hold her so close that it's almost as if they were one person. His hands travel her body up and down until he's touched every possible section of skin, getting to know her body like his own.
"I love you," he whispers softly into her ear as they finally join and become one. Mind, body, and soul.
To be continued in Keys From the Past
Author: Nicky (NickyM96@yahoo.com)
Rating: PG
Category/Keywords: JMPF/R
Summary: Takes place months after that fateful day at the ice cream parlor. Can Miss Parker find a way to make Jarod to trust her again? Will she ever be able to trust herself?
Disclaimer: The characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots etc. and the fictional Centre, are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and used without permission. I'm not making any money out of this and no infringement is intended.
Book II: The Trust Game
Chapter 1
Miss Parker stares absently at the computer screen in front of her. Broots was standing over her yammering on about some new tracking program he developed to do something she didn't really want to know about. For all she cared, it could have held the secrets of the universe. It didn't matter to her. Nothing mattered to her anymore. Not her job. Not her so called family. Nothing. It's been seven months since that day at the ice cream parlor with Jarod and Imani. The day he thought she betrayed him.
They were so close that day. Laughing. Talking. Eating ice cream. And she found herself falling more and more in love with him with each passing second. Everything he did seemed different that day. The smug grin that constantly adorned his face and usually made her blood boil with anger instead was stirring up feelings of desire and passion. And the wide-eyed innocence that usually annoyed her was instead rather endearing. She even didn't mind it so much when he tried to steal her ice cream.
"What?" he asks, wondering why she's suddenly giggling.
"Nothing," she says, still laughing. "It's just you have a little fudge on your chin. You're about as bad as the baby. Let me get you all cleaned up." She slides across the booth until she's right next to him. She reaches up and grabs his face with one hand while gently wiping the fudge from his chin with the thumb of her other hand.
"Thanks," he whispers, suddenly aware of how close she was to him. Suddenly aware of the warmth coming from her hands as they still stroked his face. And suddenly aware of their lips drawing closer and closer together.
Her heart was beating so quickly she thought it was about to jump out of her chest. And although her eyes were closed, she knew what was about to happen. She could almost anticipate the kiss. His warm breath was washing over her face in short, jagged bursts. She could even hear his heart pounding in rhythm with hers. She felt an electric shock tingle her skin the closer they got. Then, with their lips just mere micrometers apart, so close she could feel his mouth brush slightly against her own, her world came crashing down around her.
"You liar," Jarod growls. "And to think I actually believed you. I actually believed you cared."
"Jarod, what are you talking about?" she asks, suddenly very confused. "I do care. What's going on here?"
He looks outside again and she follows his gaze to the cars.
"Oh no. Lyle," she whispers. "Jarod, I don't know what's going on here, but . . . " She stops abruptly when she notices that the seat next to her is empty. Jarod is gone. And so is Imani.
Miss Parker quickly stops a tear before it can begin it's descent down her face. She'd been doing a lot of that these past few months. Too much, some would say. But she couldn't help it. Her heart ached so much with an empty pain she's never known.
"If you just let it all out, it'll get better," Sydney whispers in her ear.
She looks up at him and then quickly scans the room, suddenly embarrassed that she was breaking down in front of him and Broots.
"Don't worry. Broots left. I sent him home early. I knew you wouldn't want him to see you getting this upset," Sydney tells her. "Thinking about Jarod again?"
"Is it that obvious?" she asks with a shaky voice, allowing a few more of her tears to fall. Just a few. Because if she truly let go, then she was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop. "I've been thinking about him since he left that day. I can't help it."
"For so long, your lives were intertwined. What affected one of you, affected the both of you in one way or another," Sydney explains.
"How long is it going to hurt like this, Sydney? Because I don't know how much more I can take."
"I honestly don't know, Miss Parker. You finally admitted to yourself that you loved him. You've loved him for quite some time, I imagine. Something like that lasts a life time. You won't forget it any time soon. And you may not believe this now, but he won't be able to forget, either."
"I think he's already forgotten," she sighs. "Sydney, it's been six months since we got that note. I don't think he's coming back ever again."
"What are you going to do now?" he asks her curiously. "Because you can't go on like this. You're barely making it, Parker. I've noticed it. Broots noticed it. I'm sure Lyle and your father have noticed as well. If you're not careful, you might find yourself taking a little trip to be 're-educated' soon."
"I don't know," she confesses. "But you're right. I can't go on like this. Jarod's always been in my life. For as long as I can remember. But he's gone now. And I don't know who I am anymore."
"Why don't you take some time to figure it out," Sydney advises. "Take a couple of days and go someplace to clear your head. It might do you some good to step away from the situation for a little while."
"Where would I . . . . "
"My cabin is always available to you. Feel free to use it for as long as you like."
"Thank you," she says with a sincere smile. "I think I just might take you up on your offer." She wipes the last of the tears from her face before standing to hug the man. The man who's been more of a father to her than her own had been. A man who's seen her at her worst, but loved her nonetheless. A man who's seen her through her worst and asked for nothing in return. But she was glad that she was finally able to give him her love.
"Take care of yourself, Parker."
"I will. Thanks Sydney. Thank you for everything. I love you," she says, placing a kiss on his cheek.
"I love you, too," he says, returning the gesture. "I'll see you when you get back."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Coming to the cabin had been a brilliant idea. Already being away from the Centre was making her feel 110% better. After getting the car unpacked and the groceries stocked in the kitchen, she goes into the bedroom and peels off her hot, sticky clothes. She digs through her suitcase until she finds an outfit more comfortable. She pulls on a tank top and a pair of cargo shorts and goes out on the porch to enjoy the rest of the day.
He watches as she swings lazily on the hammock hanging on one side of the porch. Eyes closed. Arms and one leg dangling over the sides. She seemed to be trying to relax, but he could still see the stress around her eyes.
"It's good one of us can let their guard down," he says to her, now standing mere inches away from her. Her surprised eyes fly open, revealing cool seas of blue that sends a tingling down his spine. He finds he has to shake himself out of her spell before completing his thoughts. "I don't have that luxury."
"Jarod," she says simply, trying hard to hide her relief at seeing him and knowing he's alright. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought I'd surprise you. Let you know what it feels like to have someone suddenly show up and ruin your life. Like you did the last time we met like this. Imani and I have been on the run since then, thanks to you."
"Well, you seem to have it all figured out," she spits out, her words suddenly taking on a sharp edge. "I'm surprised you have to nerve to get this close to me. Aren't you afraid of me taking you back?"
"I figured I'd give you a chance to explain yourself. Explain how you can come into my home and use my family the way that you did. Explain to me how you can live with yourself knowing you broke my baby's heart. Imani really liked you, Miss Parker."
"Explain to you?" Anger flashes in her eyes and she hops out of the hammock to stand face to face with him. "I don't have anything to explain, Jarod. How about you explain to me why you don't trust me . . ."
"Trust you?" he interrupts with a laugh. "You're joking, right? Why would I trust you? You've been chasing me for years, Miss Parker. Threatening to take me back to that place. You tried to seduce me. And it almost worked. I almost thought we had a chance at that life we always dreamed of. But I got distracted. And I saw your brother and a team of sweepers just across the street. You lied to me Parker. I thought you cared about me. I thought you cared at least about Imani. . . ."
He doesn't see it coming. The hand she held at her side, clenching and unclenching the fist throughout his tirade. Finally, she can't take any more and hauls off and punches him, right in the eye.
"Don't you EVER call me a liar again, Jarod," she screams. "How can you say that? How can you think I would do that? I'll admit that we've had a strange relationship. We used to best friends. You were there for me at the worst times of my life. But then we grew up. We changed. And we grew apart. But there was always something between us. An unspoken game of trust that we would play. I had a job to do. To bring you back to the Centre. But it was more like a game we played. With unwritten rules that neither of us broke. How could you think that I would break them now? Jarod, I've never lied to you. I've always been straight with you. I've always done what I said I was going to do. I've always played the game fairly. I would never stoop to using emotional warfare to trap you." She ends her monologue and dissolves into tears right in front of him.
"You didn't know about Lyle being there?" he asks quietly, suddenly starting to realize he misjudged her.
"I didn't know. I would have never made you a sitting duck like that. I would have never done something like that to Imani. No matter what you think of me, no matter what I've done to you, it really hurts to know you think I'm a monster," she cries.
"I'm sorry. I should have trusted you. I was just too afraid of getting my heart broken. And I refused to let you break Imani's heart." He pulls her into his arms and hugs her tightly until she stops crying. Gently stroking his hand up and down her back to comfort her.
"I should be getting back to Imani," he whispers when she's calmed down.
"Tell her I miss her," Miss Parker begs. "That I think about her all the time."
"She misses you too, Miss Parker," he smiles.
"Can you do me a favor? Can you give her something for me?"
"Sure," he agrees. "Where is it?"
"Right here." She steps up on her toes until she can reach the top of his head and places a kiss on his forehead. "Promise you'll give her one of those every night you tuck her in. Just to let her know I'm thinking about her."
"That's sweet, Miss Parker. She'll be very happy. I promise I'll do it," he says, following her to the door. He wants to make sure she gets inside safely before he leaves.
"I have something for you, too," she says coyly. She turns around just as her foot steps inside the cabin.
The move surprises him and he has to abruptly stop before he crashes into her. They're standing face to face now and he can see a sly smile spread across her lips just as they brush against his own.
She pulls him closer to deepen the kiss, and her arms wrap around his neck. She doesn't want to let him go, but she knows she must end it soon.
He feels himself gets pulled into her arms and suddenly can't think of any other place he'd rather be. His own arms respond and wrap around her waist, pulling her closer and closing what little gap there was between them. But just as suddenly as she had kissed him, he soon finds his arms empty. He reaches out to her for another kiss, but she puts a hand up between them.
"You have to go. Imani, remember?" she says with a teasing laugh.
"What? Oh yeah. Imani. I have to go," he's finally able to piece together. However, he just stands there, looking stunned and a little confused.
"Good night, Jarod," she purrs, winking at him before giving him a slight push out of the doorway so that she can close it.
He stands there for a few more minutes while his mind processes what just happened. He stares at the door, almost as if he was trying to will it to open, but it never did. He finally recovers completely from Miss Parker's surprise and starts to laugh. He shakes his head as he walks down the path to where his car was parked. He didn't know if what she did was a trick. Or a plan to get him back to the Centre. But frankly he didn't care. Because the moments her lips left his, he knew he'd do anything to kiss them again. He didn't see himself running too far from her in the future. Not away from those lips. Or those kisses. But for some strange reason, he didn't feel that he would have to anymore.
Chapter 2
Miss Parker glides down the halls of the Centre, not feeling at all like she did just a few short days ago. Things with Jarod had been straightened out, and she felt as if they were on the right path towards . . . something. She didn't know what, but she felt good about it, whatever it was. Almost as if it were a new start for both of them. Another chance at love and happiness.
Her obvious change in attitude was apparent to everyone she encountered. The desk clerks whom she normally ignored got a smile and a nod from her today. The random sweepers patrolling the hallways that normally were victim of her icy glare were greeted today by a warm and sincere hello.
"Good morning, Miss Parker," Broots stutters, cowering behind Sydney. Not yet aware of the good mood ruling his normally grouchy boss.
"Hey Broots," she says with a warm smile. She holds her arms open and embraces Sydney. "Good morning, Syd. Thanks again for letting me use your cabin."
"I take it things went well for you," the old man insinuates.
"Very well," she smiles. Then she looks over at a very shocked Broots and laughs. "It's really me, Broots. I guess Spring Fever can strike anyone."
"Well, your day is about to get even better," Broots promises. "A package arrived just this morning from Jarod. I think it may pinpoint his whereabouts. I have it right here."
She takes the package from Broots, trying hard to conceal the smile beginning to form on her lips. Her stomach starts to do little flip-flops at the mere mention of his name. She realizes, though, that she can't contain her excitement and rips open the package like a small child at Christmas. Inside the box were fixings for banana splits - minus the ice cream and whipped cream, of course. But everything else was there. Even the bananas. Reminiscent of that day in the ice cream parlor all those months ago.
"That fudge sauce is a special brand, made only one place in the country," Broots tells them.
"How do you know that, Broots?" Sydney is curious.
"I'm not supposed to be telling you this, Miss Parker. But you know my loyalty lies only with you," the computer technician starts. "I got in really early this morning. I walked by your office and was surprised to see your light on. When I peeked in, I saw Lyle at your desk, looking through the box. He made me do some research on the items in the box to see if I could find a lead on Jarod. There didn't seem to be any clues we could use. Only the fact that the fudge sauce is made only in this little town in South Carolina. In fact, the town is famous for it . . . "
"A little town in South Carolina," she gasps. All the blood drains from her face and she suddenly feels very panicked. It was in a little town in South Carolina seven months ago her car broke down. She was on her way from a conference in Charlotte, North Carolina to meet up with Lyle in Florida. It was in that same little town that she stumbled upon Jarod and his family. And it was in that little town when she first realized she was in love with him.
She keeps on looking through the box to see if she can find her own clues. Maybe something one of them had missed. Anything to end the feeling of doom coming over her. She comes across a piece of paper folded up and tucked into one of the empty bottles of sauce towards the bottom the box. She hurries to pull out the paper and almost cries at the sight. It's a picture drawn by Imani. Made especially for her. Miss Parker lets a small tear escape as her mind wanders back to the little girl who had stolen her heart. She can actually feel all the love the girl put into the picture. And just as strongly as she feels the love, she feels something else. Danger. Fear. More tears. But not hers. Imani's.
"Lyle got this box first?" she manages to squeak out, trying hard to keep her own tears at bay. "Did you tell him yet about this place? Is he on the way there?"
"He left about an hour ago," Broots admits. "I'm sorry, Miss Parker. I thought a lead on Jarod would make you happy. I didn't know that you . . ."
"Don't worry about it, Broots. You were only doing your job," she assures the man. "Stay here and keep me posted on Lyle's progress. Syd, we have to get to South Carolina before Lyle does. Who knows what he'll do to whoever he finds there."
The two race out of the Centre before Broots can get another word in edgewise. Something strange was going on with Miss Parker. He just didn't know what it was. Maybe she was just jealous that Lyle might capture Jarod before she could. Who knows. And who cares. It wasn't his job to question it.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"What's really going on, Parker?" Sydney gently asks once they get on the plane. They were going to fly down to the Charleston International Airport and rent a car there to drive to the little town Lyle was headed. With any luck, they wouldn't be too far behind him.
"Lyle might find more than Jarod when he gets to South Carolina," Miss Parker sighs. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out the folded up piece of paper she found in the box earlier that day. The one with the picture Imani drew for her. She fingers it tenderly, tracing every line and marking on the sheet. "He's been there for the past few years with his daughter and his wife's family."
"Wife? You told me a little about the little girl. But never about where she came from. Talking about Jarod seemed to upset you, so I never asked much."
"Well, it's a long story. One I can't get into right now. But I can tell you the Centre's involved. And if they found Jarod's daughter, then . . ."
"You really care about her, don't you? And for Jarod," Sydney states. Able to see clearly now what's been bothering Miss Parker all of those months.
"I love them both, Syd," she simply says. "That's why I have to get to Imani before Lyle does. She'll be terrified of him." She holds the drawing close to her chest and can't help the storm of tears that begins to fall.
"Miss Parker, there's more to this than you're telling me," Sydney realizes. His psychiatrist mind was working overtime and he notices that the drawing seems to be eliciting deep emotions from her.
"Syd, I can feel her," she whispers, almost afraid of what she was saying. "It's like . . . It's sort of like . . . Oh, I don't really know how to explain it. But when I held the picture, I could practically see her in my mind. And I saw her crying. I could feel her fear. And I knew at that moment I had to get to her."
"Hmm," he grunts, pondering what she just told him.
"What? What do you mean by 'hmm'? You don't seem surprised that I'm telling you this," she says.
"To be perfectly honest with you, I'm not surprised. Not surprised at all," he smiles.
"My mother?" she asks curiously.
"Yes. Your mother had this same sort of sense. It's a sense a lot like Angelo's ability to empath. But usually occurs when you have a deep attachment to the subject. My guess is that this little girl got your biological clock ticking, so to speak. The maternal feelings you're having for her are what's making the empathetic connection so strong," he explains.
"Oh," she says quietly, turning to look out of the window at the clouds passing by. They still had a long way before they got to South Carolina. Plenty of time to think about her feelings and this new 'sense' she's apparently developed.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Four and a half hours later found Miss Parker and Sydney pulling into the driveway at Jarod's house. The last time she walked through these doors, she had no idea what would be on the other side. She didn't know that she'd find a man trying his best to raise his daughter and keep her safe. She didn't know that she'd find a man that she would want to spend the rest of her life with. She didn't know that she would grow to love a child so much that she'd be able to feel whenever that child was in any kind of pain.
She pulls out her gun and raises a shaky hand to open the screen door. Inside the house, she finds Lyle and a host of sweepers, tormenting the inhabitant.
"Lyle!" she yells. "You mind telling me what's going on here?"
"Sis. Nice of you to join us," Lyle sneers, mentally noting that the computer geek didn't take long to leak this tip to Miss Parker. "We were just questioning this nice old lady about our missing lab rat."
"Looks like she's answered all of your questions," Miss Parker growls. She glances out of the corner of her eye and sees Miss Dee, Imani's grandmother, sitting in a chair in the corner. She looks frightened, but trying to hide it. She does a quick scan of the room and doesn't see Imani anywhere, a fact that gives her some relief, but also some fear. Where could the child be? Her question is answered in the next second. She turns back to see Miss Dee and sees the old woman flash a quick, yet reassuring smile as if the tell her that Imani was okay.
"I guess so," Lyle says, noticing she still had the gun pointed his way and getting the hint that it was time to leave. "Come on guys. We're through here."
All the men except for Sydney exit the house, followed by Miss Parker. She grabs Lyle on the porch and slams him against the door.
"Since when are we in the business of harassing harmless old women, Lyle? Or was that in a memo I missed."
"Listen, we had a tip that Jarod lived here. But apparently not. There's nothing in the house to indicate that," he admits.
"And you couldn't figure that out just by walking in there?" she screams, exasperated at his actions. But also relieved that Jarod didn't get caught. "And where are you going?" she asks when he starts to walk away from her. "Don't you think you should smooth things over with the woman? Make sure she doesn't call the cops or something."
"No, I'll leave that to you," he says, flashing her a cocky grin while putting on a pair of sunglasses. She turns her back and can hear him laughing at her all the way to the car. Little did he know, she was laughing at him all the way back into the house.
"I'm so sorry about my brother," Miss Parker begins apologizing when she sees an obviously ticked off Miss Dee sitting across the room. "I had no idea what he was planning."
"That's quite alright, Dear. Your friend Sydney here was explaining it all to me," Miss Dee says before getting a smile on her face. "Now, is that anyway to greet someone? Why don't you come over here and give me a hug, Miss Parker," she says with a laugh, adding that same taunting tone to her name as the first time the two women met.
Miss Parker runs to the woman's open arms and can hardly stifle her own laugh. Miss Dee just wasn't going to let that little mistake go.
"My name's Deidre Nelson. But everyone around here just calls me Miss Dee." She offers a hand to Miss Parker to shake, giving her a silent invitation to introduce herself.
"Miss Parker. Everyone calls me Miss Parker."
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Parker," the woman says, emphasizing the 'Miss' with a kind of mocking tone.
"Actually, you don't have to call me that," Miss Parker says, with a shocking change of heart that surprises even herself. It just didn't sound right having the woman call her 'Miss' anything. For some reason, this woman's presence commanded respect. And Miss Parker suddenly feels as if she doesn't deserve her respect. "You can call me Tori."
"How have you been, Miss Dee? It's been so long," Miss Parker inquires.
"Much better than you could have been," the woman says. "I can only imagine what you've been going through. Because Jarod's been sulking around here for months now. Ever since you were here last."
"He thought that I betrayed him," Miss Parker says, dropping her head remembering how bad the past few months had been for her. "But I didn't betray him. It was all a misunderstanding."
"I figured as much. He was hurting, though. And there was nothing I or Imani could say to change his mind," Miss Dee smiles. "He's pretty stubborn that way."
"That sounds just like him," Sydney adds.
"You've known him long?" Miss Dee asks.
"All his life. I practically raised him. And Miss Parker here," Sydney says. "I'm not proud of the way I facilitated in keeping either of them at that place, but . . ."
"Jarod's a fine young man, Sydney. He was a good husband to my daughter and he's an excellent father to Imani. You should be proud. Because he had to get his values from someone. I'm guessing that someone is you. It's a reflection on you how he turned out." Miss Dee's smile fades a bit when she stops to think about her own children.
"Miss Dee, you did a fine job raising your kids, too. All of them," Miss Parker assures her, knowing that the woman was thinking she failed Willie somehow. "But sometimes, things happen that are beyond anyone's control. And the Centre is one of those 'things'."
"Billy was such a sweet boy," Miss Dee reflects.
"Billy was your son?" Sydney asks curiously.
"Foster son," Miss Parker corrects him. "But you know him better as Raines' sidekick, Willie."
"He was always so polite and charming. And a handsome little devil," Miss Dee continues. "When he came to live with us, he stole everyone's heart, especially Sharisse. He was a lot like how Jarod is now. Sensitive and caring. Thoughtful and considerate. It's no wonder she and Jarod got along so well. Billy and Jarod even had that same smile. You know the one that Jarod has that melts your heart."
"Oh, I'm more than familiar with that one," Miss Parker giggles, suddenly overwhelmed by a memory of that smile.
"Yeah. That was my Billy. I haven't heard from him since he left, but Jarod's been telling me some things. How he works for that horrible place, the Centre. And he also told me he shot you. I'm sorry about that."
"Don't be, Miss Dee. It wasn't your fault." Miss Parker grabs the woman's hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry we can't stay longer, but my evil twin will start to get a little suspicious if we don't turn up soon after he does. But before we go, do you think I can see Imani?"
"Of course. My other daughter, Tracee, took her to the park before those men could see her. I told her not to come back until they left. But, they should be back any . . . "
Just then, the door bursts open and blinding flash races past Miss Parker. All she can hear is the pitter patter of tiny feet hitting the floor that stop and hide behind Miss Dee's legs.
" . . minute," Miss Dee finishes, trying to detach the little predator from her legs. "Imani, look who's here."
"Miss Parker," the little girl squeals, unwrapping herself from around her grandmother and running over and jumping up into Miss Parker's open arms. "You came back."
"Of course I did, Baby Girl. We're friends, remember? There's no way I'd leave you and never come back. I missed you so much."
"I missed you too," Imani says, planting a little kiss on Miss Parker's cheek. "Can you stay?"
"I'm sorry, Sweetie. We have to go. I won't be far, though. I promise. And you can call me, whenever you want. Preferably not at two in the morning, though," Miss Parker laughs, while the little girl is pretty confused, not understanding her father's knack for his middle of the night phone calls to Miss Parker. "Give me one more little kiss. I have to go."
Imani obliges her and Miss Parker gives the girl an extra hug before finally letting her go. She says a hasty good-bye to Imani and Miss Dee and runs out of the house before anyone can see the tears.
Chapter 3
Sydney walks down the long hallway leading to Miss Parker's office. He knows that she's in there even at this late hour. She's been working late all week now. As if she were avoiding going home. He finally reaches the door and gives it a gentle tap before slowly easing the door open.
"What are you still doing here, Parker?" the old man asks, worried about his young friend.
"The same thing they pay me to do everyday, Syd. Work. What are you still doing here?"
"The same thing I've been doing all your life, Parker. Looking after you. Making sure you're okay. I'm worried about you. Why are you keeping these insane hours?"
She looks at him and sighs. She can see that all he wants to do is help, but how will it really help to talk about it?
"I can't go home, Syd," she finally admits after a pause. "It's just so quiet there. It makes me think about what's missing in my life."
"It makes you think of Jarod. And Imani," he realizes.
"I have to keep them safe. Last week shouldn't have happened, Syd. I should have been able to prevent it. Lyle shouldn't have been able to harass Miss Dee the way that he did."
"So you figure by staying here, you'll be able to predict his movements?" Sydney asks her, trying to understand her motivations. "Miss Parker, you do realize how silly that sounds."
"I have to do something. I can't let something like that happen again. She's counting on me."
"Who's counting on you, Parker? Imani? She's just a little girl. And from what I could see last week, she adores you. You don't have to put so much pressure on yourself to meet such high expectations."
"Not just Imani. But Imani's mother. And my mother," she whispers. "And before you look at me like that, I know what you're thinking. They're dead. I know that. But Imani said something one time . . . They talk to her. I know that's not possible, but . . ."
"Some people think that children can see and hear things that we can't. Including angels," Sydney tells her.
"Really?" Miss Parker asks curiously. "Because Imani knew things. Like what my mother looked like. And a name that only my mother would call me. Is it possible that she could really speak to my mother? And her mother?"
"I think the mind can rationalize anything. You'll believe whatever you want to believe. So the question is this, Parker. Do you want to believe that Imani was speaking to your mother? What is it she said that's haunting you so?"
"Imani said that her mother and my mother led me to Jarod and Imani. To help take care of her," Miss Parker tells him.
"So that's it," Sydney suddenly realizes. "That's why you feel such a connection with the child."
"You think?" she asks. "You think this is just my mother's way of . . . "
"It doesn't matter what I think," he interrupts. "What do you think? Because this is your life."
"I feel like I'm supposed to be with this child. And I know that I couldn't love her any more even if I had given birth to her. There's a place in my heart that literally hurts when I'm not with her."
"Well, then. I think you have your answer," he smiles. He goes over to her and pulls her out of her chair, leading her to the door. "Go home, Parker. Get some rest. And trust that everything will work out how it's supposed to."
"Thanks, Syd," she says, leaning over to kiss his cheek before walking out of the door. "Good night."
When she gets home, she's ready to peel her clothes off and climb in a hot shower to wash her day away. She throws her stuff on the table by the door and kicks her shoes off as she walks across the living room. She stops suddenly, a strange feeling slowly building in the pit of her stomach. Something wasn't quite right. She didn't know what it was, but she could feel it.
She goes back to the table and grabs her gun, holding it out in front of her as she begins a search of the house. A tour through the kitchen, den, dining room and living room leaves her empty handed. She slowly heads up the stairs, still letting the gun lead the way. When she gets to the first guest bedroom she notices that the door is closed. But she can hear faint breathing on the other side. Her trembling hand slowly reaches out to grab the knob and start to turn it gently. But before she can open the door, it opens by itself, revealing her unexpected visitors.
"Jarod," she almost screams.
"Shhh!" he whispers, pointing to the little body laying in the bed.
Miss Parker looks over his shoulder at the sleeping Imani and smiles at the little girl. She looked like and angel, sleeping peacefully despite the fact that she was in a strange place. Comforted by the safety offered by the presence of her father.
She puts the safety on the gun and tucks it into her waistband. It wasn't necessary anymore. Her intruder had been identified and was harmless. She directs her smile towards Jarod, before grabbing his hand and quietly leading him down the hall to her bedroom so that they could talk without risk of waking the baby.
"I didn't mean to scare you," he apologizes. "But I couldn't exactly announce my arrival without risking someone finding out. I'm already putting you in jeopardy as it is."
"Don't worry about me. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself, Jarod."
"I know. That's why I'm here," he says softly, his mood suddenly turning very serious.
"Jarod, what is it?" she asks, suddenly getting very worried. She sits down next to him on the bed and puts a reassuring hand on his knee.
"Last week. At my house with Miss Dee. It was too close. I can't allow anything like that to happen again," Jarod begins.
"I understand. I feel the same way. If only I had known what Lyle was up to," she says to him.
"How could you have known? To hear Miss Dee tell it, you got there not long after Lyle did. You did all you could. It was good you got there when you did. But it makes me think about the future. And what would happen if something like that happened again? Maybe next time, Miss Dee won't be able to get Imani out of the house before someone saw her. Maybe they'll be able to grab her one day and figure out she's my daughter. I can't let that happen. I love Miss Dee, and I can't put her in that kind of danger. She's not prepared. When I have to be away, I need for Imani to be with someone who will be able to handle the situation."
"Are you saying that you think that someone is me?" Miss Parker asks incredulously, finding it hard to believe that Jarod was about to entrust the life of his child to her.
"I need you Miss Parker. To look after my little girl. She's all I have left. And I don't know what I would do if anything happened to her," he sighs, tears starting to form in his eyes.
"She's not all you have left, Jarod. You still have me," Miss Parker says, inching closer to Jarod. "We're on the same side now."
"What do you mean? I have to be entirely sure here, Miss Parker. I can't play games anymore. Imani's life is at stake." He stares deep into her eyes, hypnotized by the intense look she was giving him in return.
"Maybe this can clear things up for you," she whispers, slowly moving her face closer to his.
Their lips meet for a seemingly endless second. And in that one second they both feel the years of anger melt away. All the times they hurt each other disappear into a bottomless pit. The harsh words spoken to drive each other way now turn into declarations of love, whispered sweetly into each other's ears.
"I hope that gave you something to think about," she purrs into his ear, gently tugging on the lobe with her teeth.
"To be perfectly honest with you, I'm not in any shape to do much thinking right about now," he says hoarsely, trying hard to catch his breath after that kiss. A warm breeze that she exhales glides down his neck as she plants a trail of hot kisses from his ear down to his chest.
"Thinking can be overrated at times," she murmurs between the kisses that were driving him crazy. She takes the kisses back up, following the path she just made until she ends up at his lips again.
"We can't do this. Not tonight," he manages to say just as she takes his mouth hostage. He takes her in his arms and holds for awhile, trying to convince his heart to listen to his head. "We don't have to rush anything. We have forever."
She reaches up and gives him one last kiss before finally releasing him from her embrace. They walk hand in hand to the door where they have to say good night.
"You better lock this," he says with a smile. "In case I change my mind."
"Just go," she laughs. "Before I won't let you leave. And you'll be my prisoner. You'll be mine forever."
"I've always been yours," he tells her and then quickly kisses her on the lips before she can say anything. "Good night."
She watches in silence as he turns and practically runs down the hall to the other bedroom, gently closing the door so he wouldn't wake up Imani. She does the same and then finds herself almost gliding across the room, as if she were up on a cloud. She finally makes it to the bed and sinks deep into the pillows with a huge smile on her face. Her eyes close in happy reflection and soon sleep takes over, allowing the sweet dreams of Jarod's luscious lips to rule her mind.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Miss Parker awakens to the sound of muffled giggles coming from downstairs. She rolls over and looks at her clock, the bright red display showing the time to be almost noon. She hops out of bed and pulls on a robe before going downstairs to join her houseguests.
"Look who's up, Daddy," Imani squeals, jumping of the couch and running to the base of the stairs where Miss Parker is standing. "Daddy said we had to be real quiet to let you get your rest."
"That was sweet of you and your daddy," she says to the little girl, lifting her up and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before setting her back down. "But I usually don't sleep this late on Saturdays. I'm so sorry I haven't been a very good hostess. Did you find something to eat?"
"Daddy made some chocolate chip pancakes," Imani tells her.
"Mmm. My favorite. But I can't eat them alone. You think I can convince you to eat some more with me?"
The little girl nods her head enthusiastically and runs into the kitchen, leaving the two adults shaking their heads and laughing, wondering where she gets her endless energy from.
"I told you she never walks," Jarod laughs. He slides over on the couch, making room for Miss Parker to sit down. "She makes me tired just watching her."
"I just hope I can keep up with her," Miss Parker says, joining him on the couch.
"You'll do fine. I trust you," he says quietly, gently brushing a wisp of hair behind her ear. His fingers slide lightly down the side of her face and begins to trace the curve of her lips before he leans in the kiss them.
"That's nice," she whispers. "How about another one?"
He obliges her, taking her fully into his arms and gives her another kiss that leaves them both breathless.
"I have to leave soon," he says after a silent moment they share. It's time I start to put my plan into action."
"This plan is why you needed me to keep Imani for you?" she's curious.
"Yes," he admits. "It's time I did something about the Centre, once and for all. Lyle got too close to Imani. I can't let that happen again. I could always just take her and disappear, but I can't be away from you anymore." He pulls her tightens his hold on her and she lays her head on his chest.
"I want to help," she says quietly.
"Are you sure? Members of your family might not like what I have planned very much when it's all over," he warns.
"I'm positive," she assures him. "Ever since that day at the ice cream shop last year when I thought I'd lost you and Imani, I knew that the day would come when I would have to do something to stop them. I think this is the sign I was waiting for."
"That's just what I was hoping you'd say," he says, a smile suddenly spreading across his face. He hops up off the sofa and pulls her onto her feet. "Go get dressed and packed. We have to get going."
"Going? Where?" she wants to know.
"We're going to go get married . . ." he says with a cryptic little smile, amazed that he finally found a way to render her speechless.
Chapter 4
"Married? Jarod are you crazy? We can't get married! Do you know what my father or Lyle would do . . . "
"I warned you they wouldn't like this plan very much," Jarod smirks.
"Plan? This is just part of the plan?" she asks, somewhat disappointed. As crazy as the idea of marrying Jarod sounded, her heart was ready to convince her to rush to the nearest justice of the peace with him.
"You sound disappointed," he realizes.
"Never mind about that," she says quickly, trying to hide her conflicting emotions. "Just tell me about this plan. And maybe, I'll consider if I want to take any part in it." She sits on the sofa and he sits next to her.
"I can't run from the Centre the rest of my life. I can't run from you anymore, either," he sighs. "But I can't just take Imani and disappear. It wouldn't be fair to her. I need to do something about the Centre that'll allow Imani and I to lead a normal life. I've been digging pretty deep into the records, trying to come up with some area of vulnerability. But the more digging I did, the less anything made any sense."
"What do you mean by things not making any sense?"
"Just little things," he tries to explain. "I'm not really sure what to make of it all. For example, I don't understand why Raines and your father are so intent on getting me back to the Centre. The other pretenders they have are far more productive than I ever was. From what I can see, it's costing them more to try to find me than if they'd just invest in the other pretenders. It just doesn't add up."
"That is odd," she admits. "But maybe it's a matter of pride. Or what they think you know that could incriminate them somehow. Okay, so that's one mystery we'll have to solve. But how does our getting married help anything?"
"Something else strange that I've seen in my research," he starts. "I've found a few DSA's that were sent to be destroyed. Most of the tracks were unreadable, but I found a few sections that I could watch. Not enough to really understand what's going on. But a couple of places mentioned us."
"You and me?"
"Yeah. And about the power we'd have together," he finishes. "One of the DSA's mentioned this contract or something, sort of committing us to an arranged marriage or something. I'm sorry I'm being so vague, but I'm getting most of this information in bits and pieces. It's like a puzzle, almost. Actually, it's like a couple of different puzzles, and all of the pieces are in one big box. I'm having to sort things out and piece them together."
"What do you think it all means?" she wonders.
"I don't know. None of it really makes any sense, but in a way, it does. For some reason, someone at the Centre needs us to be there together. Why is it you think they've kept you trapped at that place all these years? Why is it they want me back so badly when they have several Pretenders just as good or better than I ever was? There's something about the two of us and this arranged marriage contract that's out there. We need to find out who arranged for it and that'll tell us who's going to benefit from it. Then we'll be able to find out what they plan to accomplish."
"That could take forever. Secrets are a pretty hard thing to dig up at the Centre," she tells him knowingly. "We've been trying to find out things for years. What makes you think we'll be able to find these answers?"
"To be perfectly honest with you, I don't think we'll find out those answers. My guess is that your father is involved in a big way. I have no idea who the other party could be or why they'd have the power to bargain with my life. I don't think we'll get any answers from your father. So I figure we could beat them to the punch. Get married on our own and go to the triumvirate ourselves. That may be the only way we find out what we need to know. For some reason, they didn't tell us about this marriage. And I don't think anyone else knows about it. It's probably supposed to be a secret. The element of surprise must be crucial to this succeeding."
She thinks it over. And finds that a lot of Jarod's theory is making more and more sense. Why else would her father had been so against any of her relationships she had when she was in college? And why else would her father go so far as to have Thomas killed, just when things were getting really serious?
"You idea has merit, Jarod. I must admit it," she says. "But, what about Imani? What does she think about all of this? You being married to someone other than her mother"
"She loves you," he smiles, pleased that she's considering Imani's well being. "I'm not sure if she really understands everything, though. She just thinks you want to be her new mom. And she's happy about that. She even put in an order for her Christmas gift this year."
"What?" she asks with a bit of trepidation.
"A baby sister," he reveals with a big laugh that Miss Parker joins in on. They laugh so hard until they're breathless and fall into each other's arms for support. He holds her close, enjoying the feel of her warm breath on his neck. They pull apart just far enough to be joined again in a short kiss.
"Before I tell you my answer," she starts, pulling out of his embrace to face him. "I want you to do me a favor."
"Anything," he promises.
"Can you ask me?"
"Huh?" He's confused. "I don't get it."
"Ask me. To marry you. You know, propose. This is my first marriage proposal. You better make it good," she teases.
"Oh, you mean the down on one knee with a ring thing?" he smiles. "Okay, I think I can do that."
He gets down on his knee and grabs her hand with his own, afraid that his sweaty palms would give away his unexpected nervousness.
"I don't have a ring, but I'll do my best," he starts. But when he looks up at her and stares into her eyes, all nervousness or fear melt away. The laughing and joking stop, because suddenly this wasn't funny to him anymore. His heart almost stops beating and his breath catches in his throat as he feels a wave of love sweep over him. Down on one knee, holding her hand, staring at her eyes, he opens his mouth to say the only thing echoing in his mind at that very moment.
"I love you," escapes his lips. He sounds about as surprised as she looks. But he feels it. He feels what he's always known deep down in his heart, but would never admit it. He knew that he loved her that first time he met her, but nothing like this. This was a feeling of everything finally falling into place. He felt as if he were waiting his whole life for this very moment when he'd be able to look this woman in the eyes and tell her how he feels.
"I love you," he repeats, sounding suddenly confident and sure of his feelings. Sounding as if suddenly, everything made sense. "I've loved you all my life. Even when I didn't know you, I loved you, if that's even possible. I knew that the day would come that I would meet you. And when that day came, I gave you my heart. You've had it ever since. Because I didn't need it anymore. You became my heart.
"All these years, I've felt an aching in my chest and wondered what was missing. Imani is my everything, but I realized at this moment that my heart was missing. You were missing. I need my heart. I need you, Victoria Parker. Be my wife. Not just for today or tomorrow. But forever. For the rest of our lives. I want to live with you and love you. I want you to be my everything. My friend. My lover. My soul mate. The mother of my children."
"Well, when you put it like that, how can a girl refuse," she laughs, trying to make light of the situation. But despite her efforts, she can't contain her tears. Looking into his soulful eyes, she sees that they full of so much love that it's almost overwhelming. She kneels down with him and throws her arms around his neck, crying into his shoulder. "I will marry you."
"You will?" He lifts her head and wipes away her tears, the joy in his eyes impossible to hide.
"Yes. I will. I'll be your wife. Your friend. You lover. And the best mother to Imani that I can be. And to any other children you give me," she says with a smile. "Because I love you. I always have and I know now that I always will."
"Are you sure? This is for keeps. Not just for my plan. I don't intend on ever letting you go, Parker."
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I've missed out on so much not listening to my heart. But my heart is telling me this is right. And for once, I'm listening."
They fall into another kiss, deep and passionate. And full of promise for the future.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Okay. We're married. So now what?" Miss Parker asks Jarod as they enter her house later that evening.
"The honeymoon," he says jokingly, raising his eyebrows suggestively. "You get to have your way with me, Dear Wife." He leans over and gives her a quick kiss before taking a sleeping Imani up to bed. The process takes a few minutes and by the time he gets back downstairs, he sees that Miss Parker is settled quite comfortably on the couch, stretched out almost the whole length of it. He goes to join her, sitting at the end where her feet are and props them up on his lap.
"Honeymoon? That's later tonight," she promises with a seductive smile. "But I meant what do we do now about the Centre. And your plan."
"As for right now, nothing happens. We still need to do a little more research and try to figure out a few more pieces of the puzzle. I don't want to go to the triumvirate completely blind. It'll be too dangerous. I need to have an idea of all the risks so that I can know how to protect you."
"I can take care of myself, Jarod," she reminds him.
"I know. But you're my wife now," he admits. "I feel responsible for you."
"That's really sweet," she says, obviously touched by the sentiment. "But our first concern needs to be Imani and taking care of her. Making sure she's safe. Which reminds me, how am I going to explain her being with me? Somebody's bound to notice that I have a child now. What do I tell them?"
"Don't worry about that. I'll take care of it," he assures her. "I'll have to set up a cover story for you. Monday, call in and tell them that a friend from school died and that you'll be gone for a few days. When you get back, tell them that Imani is your friend's daughter. She didn't have any other family and you couldn't bear to leave the child motherless, knowing what it feels like to grow up without a mother."
"And they'll buy that?" she asks incredulously.
"Probably not initially. They'll check it out for themselves and find that what you're telling them is true. I'll make sure they stumble upon it. It's better not to tell them much of anything and have them go searching. They'll believe what they find themselves. They just won't know that it's all part of our plan."
"A few days, huh?" she purrs, rubbing her foot up his chest seductively. "They think I'm going to be gone a few days." She pulls herself to a sitting position and starts to slide towards him. "That means we have a few days to . . . get to know each other." She climbs in his lap and starts to plant tiny kisses on his neck.
"Yeah," he agrees breathlessly. "I think that's exactly what it means," he mumbles between the kisses he's returning.
"Well then. What are you waiting for, you big stud?" She moves the kisses to his mouth. "Take me to bed . . . or lose me forever."
"What?" he asks, suddenly very confused. His confusion only eliciting a deep, throaty laugh from her.
"Don't tell me you've never seen Top Gun. Tom Cruise? Navy Pilot?" She laughs even harder when she sees him shake his head no. "Well that's a movie we'll have to catch another time. Because right now, we've got other things to do."
She captures his lips again in a deep, searing kiss that literally takes his breath away, letting him up for air only when she turns her attentions back to his neck. The kisses lead down to his chest and precede her fingers as they unfasten each button on his shirt in a teasingly slow fashion.
His hands work their way up to her shirt and he tries to undo her buttons, with much less success than she was having.
"Why don't I help you with that," she whispers, sliding off his lap and standing in front of him. She deliberately undoes each button, maintaining eye contact with him the whole time. Finally, all the buttons are undone, but he sees that she's out of his reach now. She takes the shirt off and drops it on the floor beside her, while slowly making her way up the stairs. By the time he realizes what she's doing, she's halfway up the stairs and halfway undressed, a trail of her clothes between them.
He does the same, following her up the stairs and into the bedroom. He closes the door and turns to his expectant bride, taking her up in his arms and carrying her to the bed. He plants kisses of his own all over her body, trying desperately to discover every inch of her. He wraps his arms around her, wanting so badly to hold her so close that it's almost as if they were one person. His hands travel her body up and down until he's touched every possible section of skin, getting to know her body like his own.
"I love you," he whispers softly into her ear as they finally join and become one. Mind, body, and soul.
To be continued in Keys From the Past