Luscious(29)

And then he’d realized what had happened.

“I ran out of water the next day. The chopper came for me that night. I don’t know if we could have survived or not, but I think he made a triage choice. I think he decided I had a better shot without him.”

“Or the pain got to be too much for him,” Adam said.

Macon shook his head. “We were numb by then. At least I was. He’d said something about making the right choices at the right times. We were talking about religion. It’s funny what you talk about when you’re two men dying in a desert. That was what religion meant to him. The right choices. I sometimes think I should have done it. I should have pulled that trigger and given him the shot at living. He had more to live for.”

He was numb now, as oddly unfeeling as he’d been back then. Somehow Ally’s tears couldn’t seem to reach him. It was like discovering her lies had pulled the soft part of him out and left him gutted, hollow and only animated by the survival instinct.

Had he recently stood in the middle of Top and toasted his engagement to Ronnie’s sister? How long would she have played it out? She certainly couldn’t have meant to go through with the wedding. Did she want revenge? If she did, she’d gotten a good one because he was broken and wasn’t sure he would be fixed again. He’d thought Elise’s betrayal had hurt? It was nothing like this. He couldn’t even muster real anger.

“Why didn’t you tell the Army?” Ally’s back was against the wall as though she needed it or she’d fall. “None of that was in the report. That was why Mom was so upset. She knew something was off with that report. She went a little crazy after Ronnie died. She was sick and so lost. She grabbed on to that report. If she’d known…”

“She wouldn’t have received death benefits,” Adam finished for her. “Private First Class Rowe received the regular hundred thousand for dying in the line of duty, but he’d maxed out his SGLI.”

“We all do,” Macon said. This conversation was coming to a close and it couldn’t be soon enough for him. “It doesn’t pay in the case of suicide—not for as short a time as he’d been in. I often wonder if he knew that. He’d only had that policy for eighteen months. He sacrificed himself, but they would have seen it as suicide. When the extraction unit came for me, they covered it up. They knew why he’d done it. It was easy to see. No one wanted his family to suffer. You deserved the money and we weren’t going to allow some paper pusher to make that decision. Not that it helped. How did you end up living in your car? You should have had half a million.”

She covered her mouth again and sobbed. The sound made his spine straighten. He wasn’t going to hold her. No matter how much his instinct told him to. His instincts sucked or he would have figured out her game before now.

Adam had softened. He moved to her side and Macon was a little grateful that someone could be there for her. “Your mother was in an assisted living facility, wasn’t she?”

She nodded. “Medicare wouldn’t pay because she suddenly had too much money. I didn’t know what else to do. She needed the care.”

Macon laughed, the sound bitter as hell even to his own ears. “The facility ate through it until Medicare took over. What a fucking joke. He died for his country and his mother got eaten alive by it. Nice. Well, that explains why you’re broke.”

He couldn’t kick her out. Not if the money was really gone. He owed it to Ronnie. They hadn’t been the best of friends, but they’d worked together and they’d shared something very few people ever did.

It struck him again that Ronnie had been the one who should have survived. The half a million would have thrilled Elise, and his father would have been infinitely prouder of him if he’d died in combat. Another Miles hero to put on the family wall. If he’d been the one to die, Allyson wouldn’t be weeping like she was never going to stop.

“Adam, could I have a moment alone with her?”

His brother frowned. “I don’t think that’s such a great idea. Macon, I got mad. I thought she was sending that PI after you to hurt you, but I think I misjudged her. I didn’t handle this well. I really think we should all go home and cool off and talk about this.”

Ally shook her head. “The first week I had a little money, I rehired the PI who had worked for my mom. He was supposed to ask a few questions. I haven’t paid him anything since. I didn’t intend to ever again.”

“I need a moment alone with Allyson,” he said in his firmest voice.

“Don’t do anything you’re going to regret,” his brother said as he stepped back into the restaurant.

And left him alone with the only woman he’d ever really loved. Hell, he hadn’t even understood what the word meant until she’d showed up. Too bad it had been one sided. “I think you should stay in the guesthouse until you have enough money for a decent apartment.”

The desolation in her eyes damn near killed him. “But you won’t be there, will you?”

“No. My brother has a guest room. I’ll stay there. I’ll head home with him and be out of your way in an hour or so.” They wouldn’t have to see much of each other. Even at work. She was in the front of the house and he was in the back. He could come in early and get most of what he needed to done. He could leave at close or right before.

Or he could go home. He could accept his place. He wouldn’t accept Elise. Nothing could make him do that, but he could go home. Once his father understood no reporter was coming for him to trash the family name, he would likely take him back and the money would open up again. He could shuffle his way numbly through life. He would have to work for his father, of course. It wouldn’t matter.

“Macon, please listen to me,” she said.

He held out a hand. “I’m not angry. I understand why you did it. I should have spoken to you. It was hard to do it, but I owed it to you and your mother. I failed. I wish you well, Allyson.”

He started to go.

“Please talk to me. Please don’t leave me,” she pleaded.

If he stayed he would beg her and he didn’t have anything but his pride left. Without another look back, he slipped through the door.

He’d done his duty. He’d given her what she’d come for and now it was time to move on.

And forget her.



* * * *



Allyson walked into the restaurant well aware that she looked like hell. Her face was red and puffy. She didn’t cry pretty. There wasn’t anything she could do about it. She’d sat out there for thirty minutes after Macon had walked away from her. She’d cried and Deena had come out to hug her. She’d asked what had happened, but Ally had simply cried. After a while, she’d asked Deena if she could be alone. She’d been able to see how reluctant her friend was, but she’d done it.

She was going to miss Deena and Serena and all the friends she’d made at Top. She’d made more genuine friends here in the few months she’d been in Dallas than in the years before. It had been a good place to be.

She wondered if they all hated her now.

It would be easier to slink away, but she was done with easy. She owed Chef Taggart an explanation. He’d given her a job when he shouldn’t have. She would give him the courtesy of quitting to his face. Of course, he might make it easy on her. He might fire her the minute she walked back in the door.

The dinner was going on as planned, though she thought the dining room was a lot quieter than it usually was. She could smell ribs and roasted potatoes, but she couldn’t eat a thing. Macon’s Napoleons looked perfect. Not that she would be invited to join, but she would miss it.

The room went silent as she walked in. It occurred to her that she was interrupting a family dinner. That’s what these people had become. Chef Taggart sat at one end and his brother at the other. They were partners in Top. Big Tag was the silent partner who often said he’d only put money into the business for the free pies, but it was easy to see that the Taggart brothers depended on each other.

Her brother was dead and the only man she’d ever loved hated her now. She was back on the street again. Story of her life.

Every eye was looking her way. She noticed Serena and Jake weren’t among them. The Miles family had closed ranks.

“Ally.” Deena stood up. Tiffany and Jenni stood up with her. All of her server coworkers, it seemed, were ready to talk to her at least.

Ally shook her head and Deena nodded. They all sat back down.

Ian Taggart’s eyes narrowed as he looked at her. His wife had joined him, but it looked like the twins had been put down for a nap. “You broke the pie maker.”

Charlotte Taggart slapped at her husband’s muscular arm. “Ian. Tact, please.”

“Baby, I don’t have any of that,” he admitted. “She broke the dude who makes the pies. She’s gotta fix him.”

She didn’t even want to get into an argument with Ian Taggart. He kind of scared her. She didn’t think he would be impressed with her little hammer. She turned to the man she’d come to talk to. “Chef Taggart, I’m so sorry to interrupt. Could I please have a word with you?”