Christmas Cover-up

Cody brushed his thumb over a yellowed newspaper clipping with his father’s photograph. A familiar wave of sadness washed through him. News reports could only skim the surface; mere words were unable to express how the loss of a father affected a family. Though the Berringers stayed on in the same rambling old house, the halls seemed vacant. His father’s seat at the head of the table remained empty until a year and a half later at Thanksgiving when Cody, at age fourteen, took that position to carve the turkey. He had become the man of the house.

His mother hadn’t been much help. She’d managed to drag herself through the day in her job as a schoolteacher, but she was exhausted by the time she got home.

He flipped open the lid on a cigar box. The photograph on top was a wedding picture of his father and mother. So young. So hopeful.

A tear slipped down his cheek as he tried to reconcile the pretty, smiling brunette in the wedding photo with the way his mother looked now. She seemed to have faded. Her hair was gray. Her baggy clothes hung on her thin frame.

He heard a sound from the hallway and looked up in time to see Rue’s back. Had she been spying on him? Had she seen him cry?

He bolted from the chair. Anger surged through him as he stormed down the hall to the guest bedroom. Why the hell was she sneaking around in here? What was she after? Without knocking, he yanked open the door to the guest bedroom.

She stood in the middle of the room wearing a pink nightshirt—one of the few items of clothing she’d thrown into her overnight bag. Her long hair fell all the way to the tips of her breasts.

“Were you spying on me?” he demanded.

She lifted her chin. “I was looking for you. I wanted to apologize.”

“For what?”

“Being rude.”

Her hazel eyes were red-rimmed, and her pale cheeks were smudged. She looked as though she might have been crying, herself. Because of something he’d done? Something he’d said? He didn’t want to care about her. She was only a means to an end. Danny Mason’s little girl.

“How long were you standing in the door to my office?”

“Only a minute. You looked busy, and I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Cody tried to give her a disarming smile. But he couldn’t. Too many sorrows from the past weighed upon him. Past rage. Past frustration.

This was his burden. His alone. He didn’t share his past with anyone. Especially not someone from the enemy camp. “There’s no need to say you’re sorry.”

“But I am. You’ve been really nice to me. All day. I don’t know how I would have gotten through all this without your help. I shouldn’t have fussed at you. So there. I’m sorry.”

He could feel her retreating from him, pulling away. Their budding friendship was dying on the vine. He couldn’t have that. He needed her.

Time to turn on the charisma. He was brilliant at charming people. Juries loved him. Women wanted to be with him. Rue would be no different.

He took a step toward her. A kiss should solve everything. He rested his hand on her shoulder. Though he felt her tense, he leaned down.

“What are you doing?” she demanded.

“Showing you that we can be friends.”

His hand slid down her arm, and he anchored her in place. His lips were inches away from hers when she pulled away. “Stop it, Cody. This isn’t right.”