Betrayal of Trust (7 page)

R
aven loved the predawn stillness. Sitting on the deck, she sipped a steaming mug of coffee and relished the simplicity of a silent world. A world where she could quiet her mind and just…breathe.

During times like this she could almost believe God was looking down on her—as though all she had to do was look up and she’d have his undivided attention. Maybe while the rest of the city slept, He’d concentrate on her for a change. The thought almost induced a prayer. But not quite.

Her watch alarm beeped, reminding her that if she wanted to look presentable in thirty minutes, she’d better get it in gear.

After a quick, steamy shower, she emerged, ready to face a day of gut-tightening fun rides, cotton candy and greasy pizza—all way too expensive, but in her experience, worth every penny.

A wave of unease washed over her at the thought of meeting Matt’s daughter. What if the girl hated her? Worse yet, what if she adored her and wanted a new mommy? The thought sent Raven rushing to the kitchen
for a bottle of water to moisten her suddenly parched throat.

Her phone chirped. She snatched it up. “Yes?”

“G’morning.”

Her heart did a little dance at the sound of Matt’s low timbre. “Good morning to you too. You standing me up?”

“No way. I just wanted to ask you to meet me outside. Jamie fell asleep on the way over and I don’t want to leave her while I walk up to the door.”

Affection surged through Raven at his protectiveness. What a great dad. “Sure. I’ll be watching for you.”

He chuckled. “Actually, we’re just outside. I’m calling from my cell phone.”

She pushed aside the curtain and spied his car in her drive. A smile tipped the corners of her lips at the shadowy figure in the driver’s seat. “I’ll be right there.”

After a double-check of her face and hair in the hallway mirror, she snatched up her mini-backpack—the best replacement for a purse on an active day—then locked her door and joined Matthew.

His white-toothed smile found its way straight to her heart. “All set?” he asked.

Raven nodded and slid into the leather seat. Matthew formed the same heart-stopping figure in casual clothes that he did in an elegant suit. A pair of jeans and a pullover shaved a good five years off his appearance. Not that he needed it.

She closed the door, covering them in darkness. With care, Matthew backed out of the drive and turned the car toward the interstate.

“Thank you for being okay with a change in plans today. I just didn’t want to leave her alone.”

“It’s okay. Really, I love amusement parks.”

A snort from the back seat gained her attention and
she glanced over her shoulder. The little girl’s eyes were closed, but twitching a little too much to be believable. By that cynical snort, Raven could only conclude that Matt’s daughter was determined not to like her. And Raven had a pretty good idea why.

“Oh, sure,” she said, with an airy wave of her hand. “Amusement parks are where I take all my boyfriends.”

“Huh?” Matthew gave her a frown that clearly indicated he thought she’d lost her marbles. But that sort of look couldn’t deter Raven Mahoney. The little girl in the back seat had to be taught a lesson right up front, or today would be very uncomfortable for Raven. And she had no intention of allowing that to happen.

“Especially the ones I plan to snag into marriage.”

Matthew’s scowl deepened. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, Matt. Imagine us at the top of the Ferris wheel, locked in an embrace.” She frowned and clucked her tongue. “’Course, I don’t know what we’d do with your little girl while we’re up there together. Oh, well. No matter. I’m sure we can find someone willing to sit with her. Or maybe we can just get a rope and tie her to a pole until our romantic ride is over.”

An indignant gasp shot forward from the back seat. “If you’re riding with my dad, so am I!”

“Oh, so you’re awake. Thought so.” Raven grinned and held out her hand. “I’m Raven. Nice to meet you.”

Without moving a muscle, the little girl sized her up. “You knew I was faking?”

“I figured.”

“How’d you know?”

Clearly, the child wanted to avoid making the same mistake twice.

“You fidgeted in your seat like you were having trou
ble sitting still, and your eyeballs were moving too much under your eyelids.”

“Hmm.” Finally, the little girl accepted Raven’s hand. “Jamie. Named after my Gramps.” She gave a little sigh. “He died when I was seven.”

“Your Gramps was a great man. I liked him very much.”

Jamie’s eyes grew wide. “You knew him?”

“I did. A long time ago.”

The little girl hesitated a minute, still sizing Raven up like a judge in a hog contest at the county fair. “My Dad said you almost married him.” She leaned forward. “Why’d you call it off?”

Raven distinctly remembered Matt’s promise to “introduce her as an old friend from college.”

She glared at him. He gave a sheepish shrug, but his boyish grin didn’t offer much apology. “Sorry. She forced it out of me. What can I say? I’m weak where the women I love are concerned.”

The look accompanying his last statement made his underlying message quite clear, and Raven was glad the little girl in the back seat prevented any further exploration of the topic. The kid might come in handy after all if Raven wanted to stave off any sort of personal conversation while she was working on the story.

“So?” Jamie’s childish impatience rang in her voice, reminding them she’d voiced a question and wouldn’t be put off. “Why’d you break up with my dad?”

“Hey, sport.” To Raven’s relief, Matt interjected. “What’s with the third degree? Give Raven a break, huh?”

Jamie shrugged. “Just wondering.”

“My past relationship with Raven is between us.”

“Okay.” She shrugged and stared out the window. “But I figure she must not be very smart if she dumped you.”

Raven laughed. She couldn’t help herself. This kid was great. Spunky, way too smart and wise beyond her years.

Matt’s frown deepened. “Jamie, we had a deal. Stop it, already, and apologize to Raven.”

“Sorry.” Yeah, right, she was sorry.

“Hey, no problem. You know what? You’re right. I was a dope back then.”

“Does that mean you want him back?” Jamie’s tone was fierce, almost threatening and Raven wasn’t sure if the little girl didn’t want her back in Matt’s life, or if she simply didn’t want him to be hurt again.

“Jamie…” Matt’s voice took on a new firmness. A stern parental tone that relayed to his daughter enough was enough.

Jamie released a little sigh and clammed up. Matthew reached across the seat and gave Raven’s hand a squeeze. “Sorry about that. She promised to behave herself.”

Raven relished the warmth of his fingers. How long had it been since she’d actually wanted to be touched by a man? “I enjoyed the mental stimulation. You’d be surprised how little challenge I get these days.”

“Anyone want to play a game?” Jamie asked.

Matthew removed his hand from hers. Raven shifted slightly so she could look in the back seat without whiplash. “What kind of game?”

“License plates. You have to see how many different states you can find.”

Raven nodded and scanned the back of the car in front of them. “Okay. I see Michigan.”

“Hey! That doesn’t count. I go first.”

“Why do you get to?”

She gave a scowl and a breathed out a huff. “Youngest always goes first.”

“Not where I come from. When I was growing up, I
always started the games, and I’m the oldest kid in my family.”

Jamie gave her that wise beyond years look again. Then nodded. “Fine. Oldest goes first. How old are you?”

“Jamie!” Matt’s face reddened.

Still loving the challenge, Raven waved off his protest. “No problem, Matt. It’s not like you don’t know my age, anyway,” she said matter-of-factly before turning back to her worthy opponent. “Thirty-five. How old are you?”

“Eight.”

“Well, then. I guess Michigan stands and I get a point.”

“Nope.” A smug grin tilted Jamie’s baby-pink lips. “Dad’s thirty-seven. So he gets first pick.”

Matthew laughed outright. “Hey, don’t drag me into this. You two can battle it out on your own.”

“Come on, Dad.”

“Nope. I’m driving. I need to concentrate.”

“But you always play.”

“Not this time.”

“Well, then,” Raven said, unable to withhold a smug grin of her own. “I guess as the oldest, I go first. Write down Michigan under my name and give me a point.”

Releasing a heavy sigh, Jamie poised her pencil. “Fine. How do you spell it?”

Raven supplied the spelling and the game moved forward.

“Florida,” Jamie said, writing as she spoke.

“Missouri.”

“Missouri doesn’t count.”

“Why not?” Raven’s competitive nature reared its ugly head.

“Because it’s our state.”

“Well, I don’t see why that makes a difference.”

A chuckle from Matt brought a flush of embarrassment to Raven’s cheek. She stuck out her tongue in his direction then turned her attention back to her little nemesis.

“Okay, if my choice doesn’t count, then I get to go again.”

Jamie gave a huff. “Fine.”

They played for the next thirty minutes. Until finally they exhausted their choices. Jamie won by two states, although Raven was highly suspicious that she hadn’t actually spied a Hawaii license plate. But short of calling the little girl an out-and-out liar, she didn’t figure she could do much about it.

Raven’s soft snoring brought a smile to Matt’s lips. Though Jamie was clearly impatient to arrive at Adventure Park, as far as he was concerned, they could stay like this forever. The rousing license-plate game had convinced him Jamie and Raven were two peas in a pod and as mother and daughter, there would be a conflict every day of their lives. Enough to provide Raven with all the “mental stimulation” she wanted until Jamie was at least twenty-one.

The thought of Raven sliding into the role didn’t cause him any alarm. He had no intention of letting her walk out of his life again. He glanced at her, marveling at her sleep-softened features, longing to reach out and test the smoothness of her skin. But he stopped himself short of doing just that. Politics had taught him there was a time to move in and a time to step back and watch. Today was a step-back-and-watch kind of day. He wouldn’t make a pass, wouldn’t talk about the past—unless she brought it up—wouldn’t do anything that might cause her to run away from him.

No matter her motives for reentering his life, Matthew knew she still cared for him. And though he had no intention of revealing the reasoning behind his withdrawal from the senate race, he didn’t mind baiting her a little bit to keep her around long enough to fall in love again.

“There’s the Ferris wheel. No it’s not real—wait, yes it is!” Jamie’s excited announcement jolted Matt from his thoughts. Raven shot up straight.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Jamie just saw the Ferris wheel.”

“It’s eighteen stories high,” the little girl exclaimed proudly. “You can see the whole park from up at the top. Can we ride that one first, Dad?”

Matthew’s stomach turned at the thought. How many minutes did that ride last, anyway? At least most of the roller coasters and other gut-hurling rides were only a couple of minutes in duration. Ferris wheels were a different story. Eighteen stories of slow torture. He gave a little involuntary shudder.

Raven’s sleep-husky voice emitted a low chuckle. “Still scared of heights?”

He sent her a self-deprecating grin and cut a glance her way. “Deathly.”

She slipped her warm hand inside his and smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll hold your hand.”

“If anyone’s holding his hand, it’s gonna be me,” came the voice of outrage from the back seat. “Did you two forget I’m the kid? You can’t go off holding hands and leave me in a park with a million, jillion people hanging around.”

Raven let go of his hand. “The kid’s right,” she mumbled. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

A strong sense of satisfaction spread through Matt at her discomfiture. The fact that she’d let Jamie gain the
upper hand on this one proved she was feeling things that unnerved her. That was a good thing for Matt. Maybe before this day was over she’d realize that things weren’t finished between them. Maybe she’d be willing to open up and tell him what had happened to rattle her enough that she could walk away from the strongest love either had ever known. Maybe by the end of the day, she would abandon her goal to achieve an exclusive (if what Kellie had implied was true) and once again be the love of his life.

Hope burned in his heart.

Maybe.

Keeping at least two cars between them, he nevertheless remained close enough to watch the Strong car swing off the interstate and onto the exit ramp. He took a long drag of his cigarette and held his breath as smoke fill his lungs. With a calm sense of satisfaction he released the smoke and flipped on his blinker. These two were starting to annoy him. What was next—an engagement?

Now, he couldn’t allow that to happen, could he? The senator and the reporter. An unlikely couple, but when he factored in the kid in the back seat, everything took on a whole new dynamic. They were more than just a couple on a date. The kid, the amusement park…One happy little family.

He watched as they found a parking place and swung into a spot close by. They got out and Matthew Strong took the little girl by the hand. As they walked toward the gate, Strong looked over the kid’s head and smiled at Raven Mahoney. Not that he blamed the guy. Raven was a looker. Better-looking than any girl he’d ever seen.

Pulling in another drag of smoke, he seethed inwardly and kept his gaze riveted on his target. The three
of them looked for all the world like a family. A family. A
family
.

No. He couldn’t allow that.

H
igh-pitched squeals permeated the sky one-hundred and ten feet above St. Louis as the Screeching Hawk rose to its maximum height, then dropped at a rate of sixty miles an hour.

Raven raised her arms, closed her eyes, and relished the danger, excitement, the feeling of being totally out of control. She fought the urge to stand up. To see if she could maintain her balance while the world sped by. Mentally, she knew it was an ignorant thought. Still she couldn’t keep from picturing it…Raven Mahoney, the king of the world—or queen as the case may be.

She hadn’t been on a roller coaster in at least fifteen years, not since the last time she and Matthew had gone to Worlds of Fun in Kansas City. They’d been dating only a few weeks back then. Old memories. Bittersweet.

Was that the reason Matt had chosen to drive four hours to Adventure Park rather than take his daughter to the more local amusement park?

Don’t analyze this, Raven. But the thought had already started to needle at her, pricking her thought processes, the part of her that needed to probe, dig, get to
the bottom of every issue, every story. That part of her had driven her to be an ace reporter. And she couldn’t deny the part of her that had brought her success.

She could still picture her first day as a rookie reporter. Shaking in her boots, standing in front of an enormous metal desk. Jonesy’s cluttered office—the tough-guy station manager, a hulking bear of a man, three hundred pounds of pure attitude, with a voice to match. She’d always joked to herself that he led a secret life as a mob heavy.
Pay attention to the little details. The things no one else considers very important. File everything away in the back of your mind and hang onto it, ’cause you never know when a little tidbit of information will make the difference between reporting the same garbage as every other reporter or standing out in a crowd. I can already tell you’re gonna be the kind to make a few waves. Women are gonna hate you and men are gonna be scared to death of you.
Then he’d winked.
Now, go find some news to report, and don’t you dare let me down
.

And she never had. That little bit of advice had proven to be the reason she moved up so quickly. She noticed everything. Like the blue car that had followed them all the way from Kansas City. The same type of car she’d seen three times during the past week. She figured it was probably another reporter, trying to scoop her. A smile touched her lips. But, as many had discovered before, she didn’t scoop easily.

Too bad Jonesy had turned over his job to that little weasel, Frank Cruise—Kellie’s dad. If Jonesy were still boss, Raven wouldn’t be scrambling to take advantage of her former relationship with Matt just to land an anchor job that was rightfully hers in the first place. But Jonesy’s size and eating habits had caught up with him
five years ago and he’d suffered a heart attack. After bypass surgery and a wife-enforced retirement, he’d dropped seventy-five pounds, and the last Raven heard, had finished a marathon in just over four hours. She was happy for him, even if it did make things harder for her.

The Screeching Hawk ride had lasted a little over two minutes and in that time Raven’s emotions had dipped and spun just as much as the roller coaster. Now, melancholy swept over her. She didn’t like change. Didn’t like that Jonesy was gone, that Ken was flirting around with Kellie Cruise—whether his intention was simply to goad Raven into going after the story or not. She didn’t like that Mac was getting so close to marrying the floozy from Texas or that both of her sisters were now married.

The ride came to a full stop and she glanced over at Matt. Affection surged through her at his white-knuckled grip on the bar.

“You can let go now,” she said. “The ride’s over.”

“Can we go again?” Jamie asked.

Matthew cleared his throat. “Umm—let me just catch my breath before we make that decision.”

Her expression crashed. “May I have some cotton candy?”

“Later.” Matt’s legs seemed about to fail him and Raven slipped her hand into the crook of his arm to steady him. “You okay?”

He nodded and gave her a sheepish grin. “I will be. But I have to tell you, I don’t know how I’m going to survive the rest of today without becoming a complete disappointment to my daughter.”

Raven laughed. “You can hold on to me. I’ll keep you safe.”

“Will you?” He stopped short, grabbed her hand and
gave her a look of such intensity that Raven drew a sharp breath.

“Are you guys coming?” Jamie’s impatient voice preempted anything he might have said. “There’s the cotton-candy machine.”

Reluctance flickered in his eyes. Raven let out the breath she’d been holding as his attention rightfully switched to his little girl. “We’re coming, James. And anyway, it’s too early for cotton candy. We’ll have lunch in a little while,
then
cotton candy.”

Jamie kicked at the ground with her gym shoe. Her knobby knees, centered in thin, deeply tanned legs had more marks than Mac’s old work table out at the cabin. “Hey, Jamie,” Raven called on a whim.

“What?” The kid’s tone mirrored her freckled scowl. Raven raised her eyebrows. Apparently the camaraderie of the license-plate game had faded.

Matthew flipped the bill of her baseball cap, knocking it off her head. “Watch your tone, young lady.”

Jamie caught the cap before it could hit the ground. “Sorry,” she murmured.

“It’s okay,” Raven replied graciously. “I was just wondering where you got all those scars on your legs.”

“Lots of places.” Jamie slipped her hand into Matthew’s, turning her back and tugging her dad forward so that Raven was forced to walk behind.

“Like where?”

The little girl lifted her slim shoulders in a shrug. “Soccer, field hockey, baseball.”

“I guess you like sports, huh?”

The girl tossed back a “duh” look over her shoulder. Raven’s lips twitched, mostly because the look was lost on Matthew—exactly what the little girl had planned. Raven had a feeling she’d have to stay on her toes now
that Jamie knew Matthew wouldn’t put up with her being sassy. All the digs from the kid would come on the sly and for the purpose of challenging Raven to tattle. Raven almost looked forward to the challenge.

She fell into step beside the two. “What’s your favorite baseball team?”

“What’s yours?”

“Royals.”

Jamie gave a disgusted snort and pointed to her ball cap. A telltale red bird was embroidered on the bill. “I’m a Cards fan. The Royals stink.”

Indignation spread through Raven, but she held her cool. What did an eight-year-old know about a team making a comeback someday anyhow?

Matthew laughed, obviously sensing her bristle. “Hey, even you have to admit the Cardinals have given Missouri a little more to brag about in the past few years than the Royals.”

Raven sniffed and shrugged. “They’re building the team back up. Just wait. This season they’ll go all the way. Who knows, maybe we’ll watch the Cardinals and the Royals face off in the Series.”

Jamie stopped, bringing Matthew to an abrupt halt as well. Raven took a step beyond then turned around. “What’s wrong?”

“Dad and me always watch baseball together.” She emphasized her words with a pointed stare. “Alone.”

Raven’s cheeks warmed as she realized that she’d implied she’d still be around in a few months. She glanced at Matthew, who met her gaze with guarded eyes. Drawing a deep breath, she turned back to Jamie and grinned. “Look, kid, what are the chances the Royals are really going to make it to the playoffs, let alone win the championship?”

Suspicion clouded Jamie’s eyes, but she nodded. “Well, just so you know…
we
always watch baseball—just us.”

“And I wouldn’t dream of interfering with your time alone with your dad.”

Awkward silence surrounded the three as they made their way down the street trying to find a ride where the line wasn’t so long they’d have to wait an hour for a two-minute thrill. When they passed a rest-room building, Jamie shook free of Matt’s hand and headed toward the side marked Ladies. “I have to go.”

Matt cut a quick glance to Raven.

Raven nodded. “I’ll go with her.”

She trailed the little girl. Jamie noticed her walking behind and her lips twisted. “I’m not a baby.”

“I know that,” she said in her best matter-of-fact voice. “But you’re not the only one who drank too much this morning.”

“Oh.”

“Okay, Jamie. Let’s make a deal about the whole bathroom thing.”

“Like what?”

“When you get done, wait inside the stall until I say you can come out, okay?”

“Why?”

“Because, as you pointed out earlier, children shouldn’t run around the park alone and even bathrooms aren’t safe.
Capisce?
”

The little girl hesitated, stubbornness oozing from every square inch of her.

Raven gathered a steadying breath. “Look, do it for your dad. He’ll worry about you every time you go to the bathroom if you don’t promise.”

She gave a sigh. “Okay.”

Raven watched her walk into a stall. She was forced to wait a minute before another one became available.

When she opened the door and walked out, she washed her hands and called, “All right, Jamie. You can come on out.” The little girl didn’t answer, so Raven stepped to the stall where Jamie had entered, and knocked.

“Occupied,” came a woman’s voice on the other side of the door. Raven’s heart lurched. “Jamie?”

No one answered. “Jamie!” The stall opened and a fifty-something woman stepped out, indignation lining her face.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. Did you see a little girl come out of there? She was supposed to wait for me.”

The woman’s expression instantly took on a look of understanding and even a hint of concern. “No. It was empty when I came in.”

Panic seized Raven and she raced outside, dread of telling Matthew she’d lost his daughter mingling with every image of terror her imagination could conjure up.

She scanned the street. Matthew stood alone, hand stuffed in his pockets. “Matthew,” she called. “Have you seen Jamie?”

He frowned and closed the distance between them. “I just got back out here. There was a line on the men’s side. What do you mean?”

“Jamie’s not in the bathroom. I told her to stay in the stall until I said she could come out.”

Horror widened Matthew’s eyes. He gripped her arm, fingers of pain licking her soft flesh. “Are you sure?”

Tears stung her eyes. “I looked everywhere. She’s gone.”

Matthew released her arm and whipped around. “Jamie!”

“Okay, where’s my dad?”

He glanced down at the little girl. Her lips were pursed in disdain and her hands planted firmly on slim hips. Resentment welled inside him and he had to fight to keep from slapping her into the cotton-candy vendor. He hated kids. Especially smart-mouthed little girls who were too savvy for their own good. He looked down at her through mirrored sunglasses and forced a smile. “Remember, he said to buy you the cotton candy and wait for him here.”

She gave him a suspicious sneer. “How do I know you’re not lying?”

Mindful of the adults nearby, and the need to keep the kid’s voice down, he bent over, resting his palms on his knees until he was eye-level with the little brat. It took every bit of control to keep a conciliatory tone. “Look, I’m a guard at this park. Would they hire a guard who couldn’t be trusted? Besides, if your dad hadn’t told me to keep an eye on you, how would I know your name is Jamie?” Besides the fact that he’d heard Strong call after the kid. That had been a stroke of luck.

She squinted, as though considering his words. He’d resorted to the “Your daddy said for you to come with me” line used by so many predators, not sure she’d go alone with him. As smart as this kid seemed to be, she’d bought the lie. That was a chilling thought. “Okay. I want purple cotton candy. That’s what Dad always gets me.”

Glancing over his shoulder, he touched her back to move her forward toward the vendor. It wouldn’t take Strong more than a few minutes to remember the girl had asked for cotton candy earlier and locate the nearest one, looking for the precocious kid. Especially with a reporter helping him out.

“Jamie!” His heart rate doubled as he heard the call.

“That’s my dad! Over here!” She turned and craned her neck to see around the adults blocking her path.

Ahh, goal accomplished.

He smiled and slipped from the line. Melting into the crowd, he pulled off his hat and wig and tossed the disguise into the nearest garbage can.

Now they would know he was serious.

He was watching….