Baltimore 03 - Did You Miss Me?

pry.’
    She gave him an incredulous look. ‘Yes, you do.’
    ‘Okay, I do. I need to know that you’re okay. I’m guessing it was breast cancer.’
    Her eyes widened. ‘How did you know?’
    ‘You’ve made helping women with breast cancer your focus. I paid attention at all those fundraisers, even though that damn bow tie was cutting off my air supply. One of the services you’re going to provide is wig fittings, right? And there’s the new dorm for single mothers and their families. I’m wondering why the hell you don’t tell people that you’re a survivor, but I don’t need to know now. Just tell me that you’re okay.’
    She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, making him want to do the same. ‘I’m past the five year mark,’ she finally said. ‘I’m okay.’
    Relief sent a shiver across his skin. ‘Good. Let’s go in.’ He drove the Escalade into the garage, parking it by a cherry-red Jaguar. ‘Nice. Yours?’
    ‘I drive a Chevy Silverado. Lets me haul stuff. The Jag is Mama’s,’ she said with a shake of her head. ‘As is the Harley.’
    ‘Really? She ever take you for a ride?’
    ‘A few times, but she’s wicked fast. Scares the hell outa me. She’s a terrible influence on Ford.’ She drew a sharp breath, realizing what she said.
    ‘He’s out there, Daphne. We will find him.’
    ‘I know. I’m just . . . I know.’
    He went around to her side and helped her down. Then put his arms around her, gratified when she snuggled deep. ‘Come on. Let’s get you inside where it’s safe.’
    ‘You’re coming in? I thought you said you weren’t going to stay.’
    ‘I’m not, but I’ll go in and say hi to your mother.’ And to make sure Hal leaves quickly . He walked her into her house, his hand resting lightly on her lower back. As soon as he entered the room, the smell of pine smacked him in the face, dominating Daphne’s own delicate peach.
    ‘Mama?’ Daphne called out as she went into the great room and stopped short. ‘What the hell is that? And where did it come from?’
    ‘That’ was a Douglas fir that had to be fifteen feet tall. Daphne’s mother knelt on the floor at the tree’s base, sorting through a box of holiday ornaments. A lady with a sweet face was muttering over a string of lights. And a man dressed in jeans and a suede jacket sat on the sofa.
    Glaring at me . Or more precisely, glaring at Joseph’s hand, which still rested lightly on Daphne’s back. Joseph returned the man’s stare coolly, arching his brows. It was a petty middle-school-boy challenge that he wasn’t proud of, but he didn’t look away.
    Simone looked at the tree, her expression determined. ‘It’s a Christmas tree. I bought it and it’s staying. Any other questions? Hello, Joseph.’
    ‘Hello, Mrs Montgomery. Nice to see you again.’
    ‘But . . .’ Daphne trailed off, looking up the height of the giant tree.
    ‘Simone,’ Simone said absently. ‘Call me Simone.’
    ‘But . . .’ Daphne looked back down to her mother. ‘Mama, we said we’d do a tree in the parlor, a normal sized tree. This is enormous.’
    ‘I know,’ Simone said. ‘That’s what I was going for. Fucking enormous.’
    ‘Language, Simone,’ the lady with the lights said mildly. ‘She bought a tree for the parlor, too, Daphne.’
    ‘And one for the upstairs hall,’ the man on the sofa added affectionately.
    Daphne’s mouth opened, but no words came out. ‘Why?’ she finally asked.
    ‘Because,’ Simone said with a firm nod, ‘we are going to decorate every one of these damn trees so that when Ford gets home, he’ll see them from the Parkway.’
    Daphne’s expression softened. ‘Oh. Kind of our version of “Every Light in the House is On”.’ She looked at Joseph over her shoulder. ‘It’s a country song.’
    ‘I’ve heard it,’ Joseph said. ‘It’s a beautiful tree, Simone. And a wonderful idea.’
    ‘Thank you,’ Simone said, but her lips trembled. She turned her face away and Joseph watched the lady with the lights press a tissue in her hand. Seconds later Simone was back to her task, her expression as determined as before. Maybe more.
    It wasn’t hard to see from where Daphne had gotten her strength.
    Daphne turned to the man on the sofa. ‘Hal, I’m sorry. I was about to tell you hi, then I saw the tree.’
    ‘It’s okay,’ he said with an easy smile. ‘I did the same thing when I came in.’ He rose and walked up to them, then leaned forward to murmur,