Broken Road (33 page)

“I don’t want to go. But it’s not fair to you.” That was the truth.

“Is it because of Misty? She’s married to Brandon now.”

“There are things I haven’t told you about me.” She stared up at the stars wondering if at last she would have the courage to tell him the truth.

“Then we both have something in common.” He whispered and she closed her eyes. Would he finally give her what she wanted?

“Will you tell me what it is?” she asked and waited.
 

“Will you?” He countered. She held her breath.
Tell him!
She exhaled. Not tonight. Maybe not ever. She needed to make a clean break and she knew how to do it without divulging the entire secret.

“I was in a relationship for a very long time. I thought it would last forever, that we would always feel the same about each other.”

"Why are we even talking about this?" He said interrupting her, “Will it change your mind?"

“No, but it might change yours.” She whispered.

Riley looked down at his calloused hands. She continued because she had started and she knew it had to come out. It was the only way.

“He was in the service. Army. He was deployed several times and I waited.” She could feel her voice starting to break. “I wanted to believe that whatever life threw at us we could overcome but we were wrong. We stopped talking, we stopped feeling what we used to feel and it scared me. So, I went to talk to someone about it. That’s what I thought I was supposed to do. Get help, get back on track, feel better and love him again. But that’s not what happened. I felt a connection with the person who was helping me and he felt it too. Long story short, we had an affair.” She was crying now. Until now, she had never actually said the words or told the story even as generic as she’d made it.

“Did he know?” Riley’s voice was hard. She knew he would react to the story of her betrayal because he knew what it was like to be betrayed. It had happened to him.
 

“I don’t know. He died over there and I’ll never know if he knew what I did. I have to live with that for the rest of my life. If I could take it all back I would, Riley. I can’t and I don’t know if I can ever trust myself with anyone ever again.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why should I? Is there something you want to tell me?”

“No. I . . . can't. Not yet.” He said and she couldn’t help hiding her disappointment.

“I’m only telling you this because I need you to understand that I can’t stay and you need to do what you have to do to get yourself well. That’ll be hard enough without trying to make something more out of the time we’ve spent together.”

“Nothing I say is going to change your mind?”

“No, but it doesn’t mean I don’t care.”

"I don't know what you want from me." He said his voice sounded sad and defeated. He was right to feel that way. When it all began she thought she knew exactly what she wanted-the truth about what happened on that road outside of Baghdad. Now she wasn't sure of anything. But she was scared, scared she'd gotten too close, scared he would push her away once he knew the truth of who she was and why she came looking for him. In any case it was time to go back. She had two sons to raise and it had been weeks since she'd heard anything from Meagan McGinnis. It had all been a bluff and she had been too ashamed of what she had done to think about things clearly. Coming here had served its purpose but Louis was right. Being with Riley-even entertaining the idea that sharing a life with him could be a possibility-was just unrealistic given the obstacles they would face. He was right and how could she even risk putting Callan and Taylor in that situation? There were so many reasons why a relationship between them wouldn’t work out.
 

"We should get back it’s getting late." She said to him and he nodded opening the passenger’s side door. She went around to the driver’s side and got in, turned on the ignition and put it in drive. They didn't speak on the ride back to the farmhouse. The only sound they heard was the radio cranking out the love songs that seemed to have lost a bit if their magic as they played in the dark. When they finally came to the gravel road leading to the farmhouse Brenda could see a pair of parking lights in the distance. Someone was up at the house. But who? It was late and while it wasn’t strange for Old Jimmy or even Pastor Dan to make an unannounced visit it was clear to her the closer they got that the car near the house belonged to neither one of them.

"Who’s that?" Riley asked breaking the silence. But she didn’t answer. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she put the truck into park and jumped out. The car door opened and out stepped a woman.

“Brenda?.”
 

Brenda froze. She heard the passenger side door to the truck open. Riley walked up and stood beside her.

"I’m sorry are you lost?"he asked the woman as she walked toward them.

"No not at all. I'm exactly where I want to be." She said reaching out a perfectly French manicured hand. Riley hesitated as he took her hand briefly and shook it. His gaze went from the woman to Brenda and back again.

"Have we met?" He asked her. She smiled displaying a brilliantly whitened set of teeth that seemed to glisten even in the shadow of the moonlight.

"No, I don’t think we have." She said with a laugh as she glanced at Brenda. Brenda could barely breathe as she heard the woman introduce herself.

"I’m Meagan McGuinnis."

“Nice to meet you.” Riley said and glanced back at Brenda again. Meagan McGuinnis flashed him a smile as she kept a hold of his hand.

“I was told by the proprietor of the cafe that I could find you here.”
 

“You mean Doreen?”

“Yes.
 
She’s absolutely delightful.
 
I had a little supper there before I headed out here. She’s a fabulous cook!” Meagan gushed.

“That she is.” Riley agreed. Brenda continued to stare. “You’ll pardon me for not inviting you in but Renae and I just got back and were thinking about turning in.”

“Renae?” Meagan repeated as she turned to Brenda and smiled like a shark. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you,
Renae
. I’m Meagan McGuinnis.”
 
Brenda found it hard to speak.

“Nice to meet you.” She mumbled and very quickly brushed her hand against Meagan’s and took it back.
 

“You know, Renae, I can’t help but think that you and I have met somewhere before.
 
I wonder why that is?”

“I don’t know.” Brenda felt the tension oozing off her body.Was Meagan McGuinnis
 
about to expose her?

“Ms. McGuinnis, what is it exactly that you want?”Riley asked and Meagan was all business again.

“Well, Mr. Favreau. I’m a reporter for KZTV News Channel 9 at 9 and I’ve come to talk to you about an interview.”

“A reporter? I’m sorry I don’t give interviews.” He said and started to walk away.

“Wait, please. Your story is very important to me, to the country-don’t you think it’s time people got to hear what really happened from your own lips instead of making up their own stories from what they see in that picture?”

Riley stopped walking. He turned around and quickly walked back toward the reporter. He stopped only inches from her face.

“My story? You think I care about that? I
know
what happened. I was
there
.
 
I just want to be left alone. Why can’t you all understand that?
 
I did my duty, I served my tours I just want to live in peace.”

“Fine.” Meagan McGuinnis said, “But what about his family?”
 
She turned and looked directly at Brenda as she said it.

“His family?” Riley repeated hoarsely.

“Yes. What about Captain Jenner’s family? He had a wife and two sons. What about them?” Brenda gasped, she could barely contain the shock at hearing Meagan McGuinnis refer to
 
her family.

“What about
them
?”

“Don’t you think they want to know what happened to him on that road?”

“What do you mean?”

“I think you know exactly what I mean, Riley.
 
I think that’s why you refuse to accept any awards or do any interviews. You don’t want anyone to know what
really
happened.” Brenda was beside herself. What did Meagan know about what happened to Shane?

“You need to leave!” Riley grabbed Meagan McGuinnis by the arm and started to drag her toward her car.

“Riley!” Brenda called out. He didn’t need to face assault charges too. She wouldn’t put it past the reporter to accuse Riley of attacking her. She was digging her heels in the gravel making it difficult.

“They have a right to know how their husband and father really died, Mr. Favreau. You were the last one to see him alive. You know what happened and you can’t live with it.
 
You have to tell someone, someone who will treat your story with the dignity and respect it deserves. I can be that person!”
My God, does she use that line on every potential interview victim?

“Leave, now!” Riley was furious but Meagan McGuinnis stood her ground. He let go of her arm and turned to go again. She yelled after him.

“I have sources that tell me a special investigation has been opened into the death of Captain Shane Matthew Jenner! That investigation will focus in part on the
specific
events leading up to his death and in particular your involvement prior to and immediately after the photograph by Steve Rappaport was taken. He
remembers
, Mr. Favreau. Steve Rappaport remembers and there are
more
pictures.” Riley froze in his tracks. Meagan McGuinnis continued.

“I’m offering you the chance to get ahead of this story, Riley. Once it goes public your image as the brave, hometown hero will go up in flames. Think about what it will do to your reputation? What it will do to your family and friends. What it will do to this town. The good people of Bess will never be able to hold their heads up in public again. That would be a shame. I hear from Doreen at the café that the town council is making plans tonight for a statue downtown in your honor.
 
They’re going to put it right next to the beautiful memorial wall listing the names of all those who proudly served from Bess, including your grandfather.”

“Go to hell!” Riley replied and walked away into the darkness. Meagan McGuinnis finally seemed to notice that Brenda was still standing there, shocked by the accusations she’d made about Riley’s involvement in Shane’s death.

“Well, well.” Meagan said walking toward Brenda.

“You’re the very last person I expected to find here.”

“I’m sure.”

“I would almost have to say I’m shocked. I figured you might go into hiding. Most people do. They lay low, wait for things to blow over. Sometimes it works. It almost worked for you. But
this. . .”
She pointed at Brenda’s short hair. “I almost
didn’t
recognize you. The color really works by the way but what I really want to know is what are doing
here.
With
him
.”

“That’s really none of your business.”

“Isn’t it? I mean, it’s my job to
expose
things that might be harmful to the public or to a person, who may not realize that someone is deceiving him,
Renae
.”

“What do you want?”

“I thought I knew until I walked into this little charade.
 
Does he know who you really are?”

Brenda didn’t answer.

“So, as far as he’s concerned you’re just Renae?
 
His employer, according to the good people down at the café?”

“Yes.”

“But he has no idea you’re Captain Jenner’s widow?”

More silence.

“Well, this is like getting two extra gifts for my birthday.” She said with a smile.

“What were you talking about when you told him there was special investigation?”

“Exactly what I said. The DoD is opening up a special investigation based on new statements made by Steve Rappaport and a new set of photographs recovered from his camera that have recently surfaced. But I thought Captain Procter would have kept you in the loop about this.”

“I’m not in contact with Captain Procter.”

“Interesting.” Meagan McGuinnis raised an eyebrow.

“How did you know where to find Riley?” Brenda asked and watched as the reporter pulled out a piece of newspaper and unfolded it.

“National Hero Honored By Local VFW.” She read then turned the article around so Brenda could see. There was a picture of Riley posing with members of the VFW during the Community Dinner. He looked awkward and uncomfortable but there was no doubt that it was him. “The AP picked it up so I’m not the only one who knows where he’s hiding out now. I just got here first.” Brenda was choking on guilt she should never have convinced him to go to that dinner. He wouldn’t have been photographed and Meagan McGuinnis wouldn’t be standing here.

“What do they think Riley did? Why the investigation?” Brenda finally asked but she was afraid to hear the answer.

“Ah, I suppose you deserve to know the truth.”

“Please.”

“I wish I could do that but nothing’s changed since the last time we talked.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“You can take me up on my offer or you can deal with the rest of the piranhas in the tank.”

“Sandra Simmons.”

“You really pissed her off. I don’t think she’ll be inviting you back anytime soon. She’ll let the “facts” do the talking then she’ll do the rest. She won’t need you for anything. It’ll be more fun if you’re not there anyway. More airtime for her- the old bag.”

“Riley will never give you the interview, you know.”

“Maybe. But you could help him out of this mess and help yourself in the process. You might even learn what really happened to your husband on that road.”

“What do you want from me?”

“Talk to me about you and Captain Procter. I promise I’ll spin it right. You’ll still come out looking like the grieving widow who turned to him because of how the war separated you from your loving husband. Not his fault- not yours. It’s the price of war.”