Tangled Web
By Sarah & Lanie
Chapter 22
Cory Mansion
Jake and Vicky walked over to Rachel with Steven, Kirkland, and Sean. Rachel beamed at the sight of her grandson and his family. "We're so pleased you could make it. It wouldn't be a family dinner without you here."
Vicky smiled. "We wouldn't have missed this for anything. It's been too long since we all got together." Vicky walked over and hugged Carl tightly. "It's great to see you again, Carl. We missed you so much while you were away."
"And I all of you," Carl replied affectionately.
The swirl of conversation continued as everyone mingled. Lila and Cass excused themselves to take Jasmine up to the nursery for a nap. Sean walked over to join Nick, Remy, and Alli. Sean fidgeted for a moment as he and Alli purposely avoided looking each other in the eye. Nick and Remy shared a look and a secretive smile.
Nick slapped Sean on the shoulder. "So how's the play going?"
Sean's eyes immediately shot to Alli's. He shrugged. "It's okay. It's just part of the class, nothing special. I don't know why we have to do Shakespeare anyway. Who understands that stuff?"
"You might if you took as much time studying it as you do looking at Hayley Webster," Alli spat.
Sean raised his eyebrows at her prickly response. "I suppose you understand all of it, Miss Know-it-all," he shot back.
As Alli and Sean glared at one another, Remy grabbed Alli's arm and tugged gently, finally succeeding in pulling her away.
Nick and Sean looked after them as they walked across the room together. Nick patted him on the back.
"Girls," Sean said with a disgusted tone.
Nick smiled. "Yeah, don't ever try to figure them out. It will only make you crazy."
Sean nodded in agreement as he shot a glance at Alli over Nick's shoulder.
When Remy thought that she had Alli a safe distance away, she whispered, "What was that all about?"
Alli glared openly at Sean. "He infuriates me! I just want to strangle him sometimes."
"You don't like him even a little bit?"
Alli's shook her head emphatically. "Not even if he was the last man on earth."
Remy nodded her head and smiled slightly, finally understanding everything.
Paulina was talking with Vicky and Carl when she happened to glance over at Amanda. Paulina noticed a strained look on Amanda's face and excused herself from the conversation.
Paulina crossed the room and went to where Amanda stood alone near the terrace doors. She touched Amanda's shoulder and was surprised to see her jump. "Amanda, are you ok?"
Amanda hoped that her answering smile was convincing. "I'm fine. I was just thinking about something."
"Whatever you were thinking about, I get the feeling it wasn't good. Did you want to talk about it?"
"Thanks, but what I'd prefer is to be able to forget about it." In the back of her mind, Amanda registered the sound of the front door opening. She smiled as her eye caught on something across the room. "Now that isn't something you see every day."
Paulina looked in the direction of Amanda's gaze and chuckled. Jake and Joe were laughing together over something that Gary had said. "It is incredible how well they get along now. They do their best to hide it though."
Amanda laughed with her and turned to take an appetizer from the tray being offered by a passing waiter. Paulina heard the sounds of greetings being exchanged and looked over her shoulder. She grinned when she saw Matt with his arm around Tess Richardson's waist. "Well, that explains where Matt has been. It looks like your matchmaking worked, Amanda."
Paulina turned back to face Amanda, expecting to see happiness in her sister's face. Instead, Amanda was glaring with open hostility at Tess. A wrinkle of confusion appeared between Paulina's eyes. "You don't seem happy about this."
"That's because I'm not," Amanda replied with her teeth gritted.
"I don't understand. I thought you wanted Matt to be with Tess."
"That was before I knew… She's not good enough for Matt. Not even close."
Paulina was wide-eyed with surprise at Amanda's attitude. "Is there something I should know?"
Amanda's eyes flew back to Paulina's. "All I can say is that Tess Richardson is completely wrong for Matt. I need to take care of something, excuse me." Amanda walked away without another word. Vicky passed her and said something that Amanda didn't bother replying to. Vicky walked over to Paulina and asked, "What is wrong with Amanda? I thought she was going to plow me over."
Paulina shot a glance over toward Tess before replying. "I don't have the slightest idea what happened. But it clearly isn't good."
Cameron was talking to Joe and Jake when Amanda grabbed his arm tightly. "Excuse us for a minute. I need to speak with my husband privately." Joe and Jake simultaneously gave Cameron the "you're in big trouble and we sympathize" look before Amanda dragged him a few feet away. "What is she doing here?" Amanda growled in a low whisper.
Cameron stifled a groan when he followed the direction of Amanda's gaze and saw Tess talking with Matt, Carl, and Rachel. "She must have come with Matt. I had no idea she would be here tonight."
Amanda glared at him in blatant disbelief. "Right. You're telling me that your 'partner' didn't inform you that she was attending a dinner with your family tonight?"
"It's the truth, Amanda. If I had known Tess was planning to be here, I would have told her not to come or at least warned you about it."
"That's comforting," Amanda replied sarcastically. "I think I need to have a few words with your good friend."
Amanda headed off toward Tess. Cameron started to follow, but stopped when he when a restraining hand fell on his shoulder. He turned to face Gary. "Gary, I need to stop her. This is a disaster-"
"Let her go, Cameron. Amanda's smart enough not to do anything to cause problems for your case. Besides that, if you go over there, she'll think you're trying to protect Tess from her. Is that the message you want to be sending your wife right now?"
"Of course not, Gary, but Amanda's so angry, I'm not sure what she's going to do."
"I think that's a chance you have to take. If you get involved, she'll become even more furious than she already is. Just let Amanda handle this her own way."
As Amanda approached, she heard Rachel telling Matt, "Lila and Cass just took Jasmine up to the nursery."
"Why don't you go say goodnight to your daughter, Matt? I'll keep your date entertained while you're gone," Amanda offered in a tone laced with false cheer.
Matt smiled and said, "That's a good idea." He quickly kissed Tess on the cheek. "I'll leave you in my sister's capable hands."
"Ok. Give Jasmine a kiss for me," Tess replied. Matt assured her that he would and headed for the stairs.
"Mom, you won't mind if I steal Tess away for a few minutes, will you? We have some things to discuss."
"All right, but don't talk business too long. This is supposed to be a social occasion."
Amanda smiled stiffly. "This won’t take long at all. Tess, will you join me in the library? I think we should keep this just between the two of us."
Rachel watched Tess following Amanda out of the room. She turned to Carl and asked, "Did you notice anything odd about Amanda's behavior? She seems upset about something."
Carl had silently observed everything that had happened, noting Amanda's chilly behavior toward Tess and the strange interaction between Gary and Cameron across the room. A slight smile briefly crossed his lips. Things do get curiouser and curiouser, don’t they? "Don't concern yourself, dear heart. I'm certain they can handle it on their own."
Tess followed Amanda into the library. Matt had obviously missed the tension in his sister's demeanor, but Tess had picked up on it immediately. She presumed that she was about to get a lecture from a concerned older sister. Amanda didn't stop inside the study, but continued through the French doors out onto the back patio. Once Tess had joined her outside, Amanda shut the doors and whirled around in a fury. "Would you care to explain what you're doing to my brother?"
Tess was taken aback by the vehemence of Amanda's attack. "I don't understand what you mean-"
"You don’t have to cover with me, Agent Richardson. I know exactly who and what you are!"
Tess closed her eyes briefly. "Cameron told you."
"Yes, he did. Now I want you to tell me. What kind of game are you playing with my brother? Never mind. I don't think I want to know. Whatever you were planning to do with Matthew, it's over as of now."
"Wait just one minute," Tess replied, her own temper becoming frayed. "Who are you to tell me what to do? What goes on between Matt and me is none of your business."
"It is my business! I know the truth and I'm not about to let your lies hurt Matt," Amanda told her as her eyes blazed with anger. "He's had his heart broken too many times, and I'm not about to let you break it again! Isn't it enough that you have my husband tied up in all your secrets? Do you have to drag my brother into this too?"
"That's what this is really about, isn't it? This show of protecting Matt is just a pretense. The thing that really has you ticked off is the fact that Cameron and I have a history together. Well, I'm really sorry that it upsets you, Amanda, but I can't change it. And in all honesty, I wouldn't change it even if I could. Cameron was there for me when I had no one else, and I did the same for him. We are as close to family as you can get without sharing blood."
"You don't honestly expect me to believe that nothing ever happened between you two? Please give me credit for some level of intelligence."
Tess's anger made her want to lash out with a cruel retort, but for the sake of Cameron's marriage, she decided to try to convince Amanda that she was telling the truth. "Cameron and I realized a long time ago that there was nothing romantic between us. Amanda… It's hard to describe the way Cameron and I have had to live to someone who has never experienced it. The kind of work we do and the secrecy it forces on us… That all creates a sense of intimacy between the people who share the secret. When most of your life is lived in a lie, the truth is a precious thing. Cameron and I know each other very well, but we've never crossed that line because it wasn't right for either of us. Cameron is my partner. He's my best friend. But he has never been my lover, and he never will be. He is head over heels in love with you, Amanda. You have to know that."
Although Amanda's head told her she should keep her guard up, her heart told her that Tess was telling the truth. "That doesn't change the way I feel about you being involved with Matt. He doesn't deserve to get caught in the middle of this mess."
"That's the first thing you've said that I agree with. You're right, Matt deserves better than this. He deserves better than me."
"Good. Then you'll walk away and leave Matt alone."
A voice came from behind Amanda. "It's not going to happen that way."
Amanda whirled around. "Matt, you don't know what you're getting into here-"
"Amanda knows everything, Matt. Cameron told her."
Matt walked over and took Tess's hand in his. Amanda faced them in stunned silence for a minute. "You… know? Matt… you knew about Cameron and Tess? How could you keep that from me?"
"Matt didn’t know until after you did," Tess said in his defense. "The night that Cameron told you the truth, I told Matt. I thought he had a right to know."
"And this doesn't bother you?" Amanda asked incredulously. "It doesn't matter that Tess and Cameron have been lying since the word go?"
"Yes, it matters. But it doesn't matter nearly as much as how we feel for each other. I've accepted that Tess and Cameron did what they had to do. Maybe you could try to do the same, Amanda. Not for Tess, or me, not even for Cameron. Do it for yourself."
Amanda stared at Matt a moment, then shook her head and walked back into the house.
Matt turned to face Tess. "Are you alright? Things seemed pretty tense when I came out here."
Tess reached up and gently caressed Matt's face with her palm. "I'm fine. I understand why Amanda's upset. She was just trying to protect you from me."
"I don't need to be protected, especially from you."
"Amanda was right. You don't deserve to be stuck in the middle of this disaster I call my life."
"Stop right there. We're not going to go through this argument again. So what if your life isn't exactly normal?"
"That's an understatement if I've ever heard one."
"The point is, my life is better with you in it. I don't want to be shielded or sent away for my own good. All I want is you."
Tess smiled, filled with happiness and a little awe. "Good. Because you're stuck with me."
"Ditto," Matt said with a grin. He leaned in and gently kissed Tess on the lips. "Come on, let's take a walk through the garden before we go back inside and I have to share you again."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael and Ryan watched as Tess and Matt made their way to the garden. They looked back toward the glowing lights of the house.
"What in the hell is going on in there?"
Ryan walked to the edge of the terrace and peered in the small window. He shook his head. "I don't know, but I think I'd rather be out here at the moment."
"Almost every person in that room looks like they are about to bolt. And the rest just look very confused," Michael observed.
"After that exchange between Tess and Amanda, I don't think we've seen the last of the fireworks."
"I wouldn't miss it for a thing," Michael said with a smile.
Ryan shot a look at him, then laughed quietly as he shook his head. "Nope, me neither."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
David Halliday's Townhouse
"You didn't answer my question, Cindy. Were you worried about me?"
Cindy could not pull away from him. She was transfixed as she stared into his eyes that were filled with gentleness like she had never known.
"Yes," she whispered, then remembered that she was still upset with him. "There have been papers coming in about the Tanquir project since you've been gone. There are loose ends to tie up, and I haven't been able to reach you for days. I thought you wanted to get moving on this project."
David sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. "I have more business dealings than the Tanquir project to take care of. Sometimes one project has to take precedence over others."
"And what project would that be?" Cindy questioned, probing not so gently into his whereabouts.
"Drop it, Cindy. I don't want to discuss it."
The anger crept into Cindy's eyes once again. "Fine, if that's the way you want it, buddy….I've been here working….working everyday trying to make sure that everything is in order so that you can get this huge project under way, and you don't even bother checking in to see about the progress. Well if you don't care about it, why should I?" she spat then pushed past him to leave.
David spun around and followed her to the door. As she placed her hand on the doorknob, he pulled her arm from behind, swinging her around. The momentum of his touch brought her body in full contact with his.
David's face softened as he looked into her eyes, seeing a mixture of anger and hurt. He cupped her face with his hand and softly said, "I do care."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cory Mansion
Cameron kept his eye on the hallway, anxiously waiting for Amanda and Tess to reappear. When Amanda came back in alone, Cameron wondered what had happened. He started to walk over to Amanda when Josie came up to him. "Why don’t you let me talk to her?"
"Considering how you reacted the other night, why should I want you to talk to Amanda? She's already furious at me without any help from you."
Josie looked away for a minute. "Look, I was angry when you told me the truth about the case and … everything else. But now that I've had a chance to cool off, I've realized that you didn't really have a choice. I'm still not thrilled with the way you handled things, but … I know you never intended to hurt any of us. Basically, I understand what you did, and I think it might help for Amanda to know that she can talk to someone about this."
Cameron could see that Josie sincerely wanted to help. "Ok, maybe she'll listen to you. Thanks, Josie."
"No problem. Just remember that you owe me one," she said with a smile before walking over toward Amanda.
Amanda was pouring herself a glass of water when Josie said, "Hi. Can we go out on the terrace for a minute?"
Amanda looked up and saw Cameron's eyes locked on her. Suddenly, the idea of escaping the room again had a lot of appeal. "Sure, Josie. I could use some fresh air."
The two of them left the house through the French doors. When they were alone, Josie said, "You look like you need to vent. I'm here to listen if you want to talk about it."
Amanda started to protest that she couldn't talk to anyone about it. Then she saw the expression on Josie's face. "You know too, don’t you." It was not a question, but a statement of fact.
"Yes, Gary and I both know the truth about Cameron."
"It seems like everyone knows the truth. I almost expect to see it as the headline in tomorrow's Herald: 'Local P.I. leads double life - Clueless wife the last to know'."
"It's not easy to get your mind around, is it? I know I didn’t react well when I found out."
"What did you do?"
Josie offered Amanda an embarrassed smile. "I bruised my fist on his jaw."
Amanda laughed. "I would have liked to have seen that."
"It wasn't as satisfying as it might sound… Amanda, there's something I need to explain to you about Cameron-"
Amanda folded her arms across her chest defiantly. "If you're about to tell me that I should just let it go, you can save your breath."
"I wasn't going to say that. I know that you and Cameron have to work this out between the two of you. But I know something about how the FBI works."
"What do you mean?"
"I was only with them for one case, but that was long enough for me to see how they control the people that work for them."
"I know. They threatened to send Cameron back to jail if he didn't cooperate."
"It's more than that, Amanda. They couldn't threaten me with anything, but they still convinced me to risk my marriage for them."
"How?"
"They make it sound so reasonable, so noble. They tell you that it's better for the people you love if they don't know the truth. They convince you that telling the truth is not only dangerous but also selfish as well. They say that the truth would place unfair pressure on the people you care about, that you should bear the burden and spare them. After you hear that enough times, it actually starts to make sense."
Amanda shook her head and gave a short, humorless laugh. "Cameron said something along those lines to me the other night. He said that he thought the lies were protecting me."
Josie looked at Amanda sympathetically. "Amanda, I know this is going to be tough, but you and Cameron have been through so much to get to this point. I'd hate to see you two lose each other over this." Josie realized that she'd done all she could for the time being and that Amanda needed some time to think things through. "I'm going to go back in now. If you need to talk to someone, give me a call, ok?"
Amanda gave her a weak smile. "Thanks, Josie. It's good to know I have someone I can talk to about this." Josie smiled and turned to walk back into the house. A few minutes later, Amanda turned and went inside herself.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lila stood just inside the doors which led from the living room to the foyer. She ran her finger along the wide strap of her pale pink satin dress, smoothing it back in place. The straps held up a square neckline with a small vee in the center, and the hem of the dress stopped about four inches above her knees. She had pulled part of her hair into a small bun, leaving the rest to float around her shoulders. She took another sip of white wine as she watched the others in the room. She frowned deeply when she spied Matt returning from the terrace with his date. Lila folded her arms in front of her and started to walk toward Tess.
"Honey, withdraw your claws right now," Cass whispered in her ear, stopping Lila in her tracks.
She spun around and took a swipe at Cass's shoulder. "Cass Winthrop, don't sneak up on me like that!"
"I was just stopping you from starting a cat fight in the middle of Rachel's party. She wouldn't like it."
Lila batted her eyes at him. "What makes you think that I was going to start a fight?"
Cass smiled, showing his dimples. He pointed his finger at her. "Don't you bat your eyes at me, Scarlet O'Hara Winthrop. Remember who you're talking to."
Lila narrowed her eyes at him, then turned around in a huff to continue shooting daggers at Tess Richardson with her eyes.
Joe and Paulina were talking quietly in a corner when Jake walked over and stuck his head in between theirs. "Ok you two, spill it."
"Spill what?" Joe said in an annoyed, confused tone.
"You guys had to have noticed the large elephant stomping all over this party the entire evening."
"English, Jake. You should try it sometime. It makes it easier for the rest of the world to communicate with you when you don't speak in metaphorical short hand."
Jake glared at Joe's sarcasm, then smiled with false charm. "All right, for the literalist here, what's with all the tension? The last time I saw this many glares being shot across a room, Grant was in it. So what gives, Paulina?"
"I don't know, Jake."
"Oh come on, Paulina," Jake cajoled. "I saw you talking to Amanda earlier. Didn't she tell you what's going on?"
"Why don’t you just leave it alone, Jake?" Joe said. "Whatever is going on is obviously private."
"You're kidding, right? There's nothing private about it! Ever since Matt walked in with that perfect ten on his arm, this whole place has been going haywire. Amanda dragged Cameron aside, then she took off with the red head-"
"Tess," Paulina provided to prevent more nicknames.
"Thanks. So Amanda takes off with this Tess, comes back looking none too happy, then disappears with Josie out onto the terrace. Amanda's barely speaking to Cameron, Cameron and Gary are standoffish with each other, when Tess and Matt aren't making cow eyes at each other, she and Lila are exchanging glares. Carl looks like he's enjoying the whole thing immensely, but everyone else just looks confused."
"Is there a point to this play by play, Jake, or are you just talking to hear your own voice?"
Jake shot Joe a look before turning his eyes back to Paulina. "You really don’t know what's going on?"
"Not a clue. I know Amanda's upset about something, but she didn't tell me what it was."
Jake was clearly disappointed. "Ok. I'm going to see what I can find out."
Joe shook his head with exasperation. "He just doesn’t know when to quit."
"That's Jake, alright. But he was right about this party. It feels like a demilitarized zone in here. Everyone is keeping the peace, but the tension is so thick that a battle could break out at any moment."
Cameron had been trying to give Amanda her space, but he couldn't stop himself from approaching her any longer. "Are you ok?"
Amanda turned around and looked at Cameron for a long moment before saying, "I'm fine. Excuse me."
Cameron watched Amanda cross the room to talk to Alli. As he stood staring after her, he heard a voice behind him. "Trouble in paradise?"
Cameron turned and glared at Carl but didn’t respond. Carl smiled slightly. "It appears that those secrets you've been keeping have caught up with you. Whatever you've been hiding, was it worth the cost?"
Cameron steadfastly refused to give Carl the satisfaction of an answer. Carl clucked his tongue and walked away with his hands clasped behind his back.
Matt and Tess had made their way out to the terrace so they could have a little more time alone. Matt took Tess's empty glass and said, "Wait for me here. I'll go get us some more champagne."
Tess stood leaning against the half wall that partially surrounded the terrace. She heard the French doors open behind her and said, "That was quick."
"I'll bet you know all about fast moves."
Tess turned and glared at Lila. "I'm not in the mood to listen to another one of your speeches, Lila. Why don’t you go back inside and find one of the few people who can stomach a conversation with you?"
"I thought I made myself clear the other day. I won’t have you making trouble for Matthew."
"You know what, Lila? I'm sick of you cornering me and demanding that I stay away from Matt. Quite frankly, it's none of your business. Matt is perfectly capable of making his own decisions without clearing them through you."
"Normally, that's true. But you've got him so turned around that he can’t see what you really are. Well, I do see it, and I'm-"
"This has gone beyond ridiculous!" Tess interrupted angrily. "Why don’t you back off before-"
"Before what?" Lila shouted back.
"Before someone tells your current husband how interested you are in the private business of your ex-husband. For some reason, I don’t think that would go over very well with him. You know, I think now is an excellent time to renew my acquaintance with… Cass, that's your husband's name, right?"
Lila put out a hand to stop Tess from going past her into the house. "You stay away from Cass! How dare you threaten to interfere-"
"Interfere in something that's none of my business?" Tess finished Lila's sentence with a raised brow.
"This isn't over. One way or another, I'll make sure you don't hurt anyone I care about," Lila huffed angrily and stormed back into the house, nearly knocking Matt over in the process.
Matt walked over to Tess and handed her a glass of champagne. "What's wrong with Lila, or shouldn't I ask?"
"It's nothing I couldn’t handle," Tess replied with a smile.
Matt looked at her curiously for a minute, then said, "Dinner is ready."
Tess hooked her hand around Matt's arm. "Great. I'm starving," she suggestively whispered in his ear. The two of them shared a laugh as they entered the house and headed for the dining room.
The barely veiled tension between the dinner guests did not alleviate as they entered the formal dining room. Rachel looked around in total exasperation as Carl held a chair for her. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.
"Chin up, sweetheart."
Rachel smiled a small, tentative smile. "I'm trying," she whispered. "But I suddenly have the urge to hide all sharp objects."
Carl walked to the other end of the table and took his seat. Matt held Tess's chair, then walked to the other side of the table. He and Gary passed each other as they made their ways to their own seats. Gary laid his hand on Matt's shoulder as he passed.
"Interesting date, Matt," Gary said in a low voice as he tilted his head toward Tess. "I'd keep an eye on her, if I were you."
Matt looked at Gary in confusion. "What have you got against Tess?"
Gary met Tess's eyes. The look between them could only be read as an open challenge. "Nothing at all, but I know a powder keg ready to explode when I see it."
With that, Gary continued to his chair and Matt shook his head before taking his own seat. Cameron was sitting between Gary and Amanda. Tess was seated across from Amanda between Cass and Josie. Rachel had thought it was a good idea to mix everyone up a little bit. Tess and Amanda exchanged cold glances and tried to focus on others in the room. Amanda leaned as far away from Cameron as possible. When Tess leaned forward, she could see Lila. They exchanged glares every time they moved the wrong direction. Jake looked around the table, then leaned toward Joe.
"I don't know about you, but I'm really hoping that we're not having mashed potatoes," Jake said.
Joe gave Jake an irritated look, then asked, "Why not?"
Jake looked around again before answering, "From the looks I've witnessed getting shot around this table, mashed potatoes could quickly become classified as a lethal weapon. If you hear me yell 'duck', just do it without question."
Joe shook his head. "You have an overactive imagination, Jake."
"Sure, make fun of me, but I'll be the first one laughing when you've got Helen's mashed potatoes and gravy running down your forehead."
Rachel took a deep breath, then gently tapped her knife against her glass to get everyone's attention. She smiled as the room quieted and all eyes turned to her.
"I want to thank all of you for coming here tonight. Each of you has a special place in the hearts of this family. That's what this gathering tonight is all about. It's a celebration of family, friendships, and most importantly, love."
Amanda looked at Cameron as she listened to her mother's words, feeling some of her anger dissipate. Cameron smiled slightly as he caught Amanda's gaze and was encouraged when she did not look away.
"We often wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas to gather together and celebrate each other. This year we have a lot to be thankful for, and I want this to be one of many times that we come together as family and friends to share our joy. We have been on many journeys this year. Tonight we celebrate homecomings, new beginnings, marriages, new additions to the family, new love, and new life."
Rachel lifted her glass and every one around the table joined her. She smiled widely as she said, "May our hearts always lead us home. And may that home be a place surrounded with love, hope, and laughter. To family and friends and the belief that our bonds will strengthen with the passage of time."
As the glasses touched one another, the sound around the room was melodious. For a moment, there was an unspoken truce as the tensions disappeared and the room was filled with laughter and friendly conversations.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After dinner, the party continued with a lighter mood. The smiles came easier and the glares were not as sharp.
Seeing that everything had calmed down, Tess took the opportunity to excuse herself from the party. As she walked toward the powder room, she glanced over her shoulder hoping that Lila was not planning another sneak attack. Tess had had about all of those that she could stomach for one evening. As she rounded the corner, she stopped abruptly. Cameron grabbed her hand and pulled her into the family room, shutting the door behind them.
"What is wrong with you?" Tess demanded. "Are you trying to blow our cover with the few remaining people at this party who don't know that we are partners?"
Cameron let go of her hand and glared at her. "I want to know what you said to Amanda."
Tess rolled her eyes at him. "By the way, Mav, thanks for the warning about the sneak attack. She waylaid me."
"You shouldn't have come here tonight."
"Well, I did try to call you, but your cell phone was off."
"If you hadn't noticed, Amanda and I aren't exactly on the best of terms and I needed to spend some time trying to smooth things over."
"'If I hadn't noticed'! That’s like asking the passengers on the Titanic if they noticed the iceberg. Let me also commend you on the smoothing job you did. The word barracuda enters my head every time I think about Amanda. Between her and Lila, it's a wonder that I'm not dead from all the knives they've thrown at my back."
"What's going on between you and Lila? I noticed a little tension."
"Are you trying to win a contest for the understatements of the century? I don't even want to delve into what motivates that woman. Let's not even talk about it."
"So what happened with you and Amanda?"
Tess started pacing. "She jumped all over me. She told me to stay away from Matt and made it painfully clear just exactly what she thinks of me. And I stood there and took it, defending your honor and smoothing things over as best I could. Are you happy?"
Cameron looked at her a moment before answering. "I'm sorry about that. I should have told you that I had to tell Amanda about our relationship. Maybe she'll come around."
Tess walked to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "You don't sound like you believe that."
Cameron shook his head and clenched his jaw. "The only thing that I believe right now is that I've made a total mess of my life."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cindy softened instantly when she heard David's words. She instinctively leaned into him as his mouth descended toward hers. Their lips moved together in a slow, undemanding kiss.
Kiss me like you'll never
see my face again
As soft and tender as you can
Hold me like we'll never make sweet love again
Please make me feel like a man
Cindy tore her mouth from his leaving David standing there in a daze as she quickly pulled open the door and closed it behind her. She leaned heavily against the strong wood as a silent sob parted her lips.
~*~*~
Donna walked around her bedroom quietly getting ready for bed. She looked out the window at the streetlight hoping to see something….someone. She walked to the dresser and picked up the picture of she and Michael, tracing his profile, then clutched the picture to her.
So let's send up a prayer
For this love that we share
'Cause it could change in the blink of an eye
~*~*~
Jake sat on the couch with Kirkland on one side and Steven on the other. Sean was studying his part for the school play. Vicky sighed as she walked into the living room with a huge bowl of popcorn smothered in butter. She loved the scene before her. Everyone was content. This was the time of night when things started to settle down and this was exactly what she liked.
Jake stood giving both boys quick kisses before he turned to Vicky.
"I'm going to put the paper to sleep. I'll be back before you know it."
Vicky smiled. "Wake me up when you get home."
"I will," he promised as he gave her a hug and a brief kiss, then walked out the door.
You just never know
How tomorrow will go
So let's make sure we kiss goodbye
Let's make sure we kiss goodbye
~*~*~
Cameron and Amanda walked toward the door to their bedroom. When Amanda opened the door, she did not turn to close it, so Cameron followed her into the room.
Amanda turned toward him only to find that he was only standing a few inches behind her. She lifted her hands to his shoulders to get her balance. Cameron rested his hands on her waist to steady her. Their eyes held with a deep longing.
"You are so beautiful," he told her.
Amanda smiled slightly. "I miss you," she admitted.
Cameron hesitated for a moment before he leaned forward and gently touched his lips to hers. When he did not sense any resistance, he slowly moved his lips against hers in what was meant to be a gentle kiss. But as Amanda responded to his touch, their pent up desires took over, making the kiss more sensual and hungry.
Cameron lifted his head, looking in Amanda's eyes. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead before he walked to the door and closed it behind him. Amanda sat down heavily on the edge of the bed staring at the closed door with tears in her eyes.
Look at me like the day
we fell in love
And found the missing pieces to our souls
You and me have always fit just like a glove
Wherever you are feels like home
~*~*~
Ryan looked in the windows of the cottage watching Vicky getting ready for bed. The boys had already gone upstairs. Ryan's eyes followed her every move. He touched his hand to his lips placing a kiss there, then pressed his hand to the window.
Vicky looked toward the window as Ryan moved into the darkness. She placed her hand on her lips, then turned out the lights.
So let's send up a prayer
For this love that we share
'Cause it can change in the blink of an eye
You just never know
How tomorrow will go
So let's make sure we kiss goodbye
Let's make sure we kiss goodbye….
~*~*~
Logan's Office
Logan made notes in his appointment diary as he spoke to the man on the phone. "And you're certain about the timing? … Excellent. Contact me if you need anything more from my end. This operation needs to come off without a hitch. … Right. I'll speak to you soon."
Logan hung up the phone with a satisfied smile. Everything was falling into place perfectly. Logan picked up the receiver and dialed. "I hope you're prepared to have company soon."
"How soon?" was Grant's impatient reply.
"If all goes according to plan, your package will be delivered tomorrow night."
"I'll be ready," Grant said. "I'm sure you'll notify me when the package is in your possession?"
"You'll be the first to know. I'll speak with you tomorrow."
Logan hung up the phone. Now that he'd informed Grant of the situation, only one thing remained - He needed to establish his alibi. With the FBI running around town, he needed something airtight with an unassailable witness. Logan picked up a picture of Tess Richardson from the file on his desk. A slow, dangerous smile spread across his lips. He knew exactly what to do…
So let's make sure we
kiss goodbye
Let's make sure we kiss goodbye….
Author's note: The song for the music montage is "Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye", which was recorded by Vince Gill and can be found on his CD Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye.