Love or Justice Read online

  Dante turned and Albert did, in fact, have on a different shirt. He found himself wondering if there was a real stain or not. He figured he would just rather not know. If his father lied to his mother, then he did it for Laurie and himself.

  “You finally listened to me. Our son has to come home for you to finally listen to me.” Emma shook her head in wonder as she picked up and carried Albert’s plate to the table.

  “Well, I thought you’d be happy. If that’s the thanks I get, I just won’t do it all next time.” Albert sat down at the table with a frown.

  “Then I guess you won’t have any shirts left, because I’m not helping you buy more any time soon.” Emma plunked his lunch down on the table with a pointed look.

  “I don’t need your help to buy a shirt.” Albert shook his head, taking a bite of his sandwich.

  “No, of course not. You’ll come home with a dozen shirts that are either too small or too big. Then you’ll ask me to take them back because you didn’t try them on in the dressing room.” Emma sat down, thunking her water glass on the table.

  “You don’t need to try them on, Emma. That’s why they have sizes. If I buy a large I expect it to be a large.” Albert waved his sandwich in frustration. He was about to say something else, but Laurie’s choking laughter stopped him.

  Albert and Emma looked across the table.

  Laurie and Dante were snickering into their hands, hunched over their plates like schoolchildren. Laurie was almost purple, she was trying so hard to hold the laughter back.

  “What do you two think is so funny?” Albert put his sandwich down.

  “You two,” Dante replied through his laughter.

  “Just you wait until you’re married. Then Albert and I will laugh at you.” Emma half-smiled into her tomato sandwich. There was a knowing gleam in her eye that made Dante edgy.

  “Fair enough.” Dante lowered his eyes and bit into his lunch.

  “Did you get the leak fixed?” Emma looked back at Albert.

  “Yes. Now we can pull in the hay. Next, we need to get some more of that corn in the south field in.” Albert leaned over the table, taking a long drink of water.

  “Good. Laurie and I are going to drive on over to the orchard.” Emma smiled at Laurie.

  “Emma said they have some early apples. She wants to show me how to make an apple pie.” Laurie clasped her hands together.

  “Now, wait a minute. How far is this orchard? Isn’t it on a neighboring farm?” Dante turned to his mother with a frown.

  “Why?” Laurie’s face fell in an instant, and it made Dante miserable, but he just couldn’t let her go wandering off.

  “Laurie.” He softened his tone. “You know why. I can’t just let you go off somewhere. Not after everything that’s happened.”

  Laurie nodded, staring at her plate with resignation.

  “Well, why don’t you two come with us? The corn can wait a day.” Emma looked sharply at Albert.

  “Emma, the corn is as ripe as it gets. We need to get it in.” Albert shook his head. Emma’s look turned to a glare.

  “It can wait one day, Albert.” Emma she gritted her teeth. “I promised Laurie we could go over to the orchard. I need to make sure the fungus we spotted the last time is gone. Do you want to lose our first apple crop over the corn?”

  Albert rolled his eyes.

  “No, dear.” He put his napkin on his plate, heaving a sigh.

  “Can we?” Laurie looked to Dante, her hands clasped in supplication. He chuckled.

  “Yes.” He rolled his eyes. “We can go.”

  “Thank you!” Laurie jumped up from the table, and grabbed his plate for him.

  “Let’s go pull out the apple baskets and put them in the pick-up truck before they change their minds!” Emma took Laurie’s arm.

  The two women half-jogged down the hallway and out the front door. The door slammed behind them with finality. Dante and Albert looked at each other. For the first time in his life, Dante commiserated with his father.

  “I feel like we just got hustled.” Dante ran his hands through his hair.

  “We did.” Albert gave him a grim smile. “Come on. Let’s go apple picking.”

  Dante chuckled as he got up from the table.

  “There won’t be enough room for us in the pick-up.” Albert handed him a set of keys. “I’ll take the car. You can just follow me.”

  Dante nodded. They walked out of the front door. Emma and Laurie had the baskets all ready, so he told Laurie to get in the pick-up. He got in on the driver’s side, started it up, and followed his father out of the driveway.

  “Seems like you and my mom are getting along…maybe a little too well.” Dante gave her a sidelong glance.

  “What do you mean?” Laurie raised her chin. She flashed him her sweetest smile, which contrasted with the wicked glint in her eye.

  “Don’t,” he said, grinning. “Don’t even start. You know exactly what I mean.”

  “She’s nice. I like your mom a lot.” Laurie glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “How’s it going with your dad?”

  “Fine, not much different than usual.” Dante shrugged. “Why?”

  “No reason.”

  Dante’s eyes narrowed. He could hear the lie in her voice.

  “Laurie,” he said in warning. “Why?”

  She sighed. He saw her roll her eyes in his peripheral vision.

  “I think your mom’s worried. She said you two got into a fight a couple of years ago and that’s why you haven’t been back to visit.”

  Dante grimaced.

  “Well, I never knew where they lived.”

  Laurie gave him a stern look.

  “All right, so it was because of the fight we had.”

  “I think she’s worried that if you two get into another fight you won’t come back again—ever.” Her words, couched in tenderness, cut him deep.

  “I didn’t mean to,” Dante started. Then he heaved a sigh. “I didn’t mean to be away this long. By the time I had cooled off, I just kept getting more assignments. When I didn’t have assignments, I kept making excuses. But I shouldn’t have.”

  He sighed again, mad at himself and feeling foolish.

  “I know it was selfish, but I just didn’t think about how it might have been hurting Mom.”

  “She understands, Dante. She loves you. I just think she’s worried. Maybe a little scared.”

  He clenched his jaw, trying to focus on the road between his car and his father’s.

  “Why do you have such a hard time with your father?”

  “I don’t know.” Dante shook his head. “Because I’m stubborn, I guess.”

  “I don’t think that’s the real reason. People usually get stubborn because they want something.”

  Dante thought about that. He honestly didn’t know.

  “I don’t know, Laurie. It’s always been this way. He says or does something and it just sets me off. I don’t know why.”

  Laurie nodded, as they turned off the main road to another driveway. There were trees on both sides of the drive, ripe with pears. Laurie leaned her head out the window, her eyes as big as saucers. They pulled up to an old farmhouse. It was mint green with dark green shutters and a white porch. There was a brand new, white barn next to it, both sitting on a bed of emerald grass.

  “That’s so beautiful!” Laurie sounded breathless.

  It put the smile back on Dante’s face. It was beautiful, picturesque. It had a simplicity that just wasn’t possible in the dramatic landscape of Hawaii. Dante pulled the pick-up truck beside his parent’s car. They got out in a chorus of slamming doors.

  “All right, Emma, where are these apples you’re so worried about?” Albert gave a nod toward the rows of trees behind the barn.

  “The ones right behind the barn.” She led the way into the apple orchard.

  Emma managed to look surprised when the apples turned out to be in perfect condition and ready to be picked. Dante and Laurie jog
ged back to the barn to grab a few apple pickers to help them harvest. Dante and Laurie took one line of trees while Albert and Emma took another.

  After a few tries, Dante and Laurie mastered a system. Laurie would start with the low-hanging fruit on one side of the tree, while Dante would start with the other. Then Laurie would use the apple picker to scoop up the fruit for a while. Dante would take over, using his height and the apple picker to glean off as many ripe apples as possible. Finally, one of them would gently bend down the branches even lower, so they almost picked the tree clean of reddening fruit before they moved onto the next.

  Dante and Laurie filled several heavy baskets to the brim. Dante looked down the line to see his mother and father slowly plucking the easiest fruit off the trees. They were taking their time, his mother walking over to the basket to lay each apple in, rather than tossing it as he and Laurie did. They had filled maybe one basket so far, maybe a basket and a half. They were laughing at something. Dante rarely ever saw his father smile, let alone laugh. He could hardly believe his eyes. Then his parents kissed. Dante was shocked.

  “Awww,” Laurie purred from his right.

  “I’ve never seen that happen. Never. Never in my whole life.” Dante looked away.

  “Well, they’ve been together this long. They have to love each other. You were going to see your parents kissing at one time or another.” Laurie grinned at him.

  “I thought they’d be divorced by now. They argue with each other all the time.”

  “Do you mean yelling at each other, or just going back and forth like they have been?” Laurie glanced at him over her shoulder as she plucked another apple from the tree.

  Dante furrowed his brow in thought. Then he grabbed the branch he was working on, and bent it toward the ground.

  Laurie scooped up a couple of apples from the very tip, dropping them into the brimming basket below her.

  “Like they have been. I don’t think I’ve ever heard them raise their voice at each other.”

  “Well that’s just normal. My parents used to fuss at each other all the time. That’s how most couples are.”

  Dante shot her a look of doubt.

  “I guess I haven’t been around too many married couples.”

  “You never did that with a girlfriend?”

  “Haven’t had too many girlfriends.”

  “I don’t believe that for a second.” Laurie smirked at him over her shoulder.

  Dante looked at her with a small smile. He watched her tuck a strand of sunshine laced hair behind her ear as she reached for a few more apples. He wanted to reach out to her, to touch those silken strands. Her face glowed in the sunlight of the late afternoon. Her eyes were the color of the sky at dusk as she concentrated on reaching those last few pieces of fruit. He swallowed, his mouth dry as sand. He wanted to touch her so badly his skin tingled from it.

  “And why is that?” His voice sounded husky in his ears. He cleared his throat.

  Laurie looked him over with half-veiled eyes and a coy smile.

  “Because I don’t.” He moved closer to her, reaching up just above her head to take hold of an apple. Then he met her gaze.

  “The armed forces, police work, and the Marshals Service aren’t that easy on relationships. I’ve done all three.”

  “How many?” Laurie crossed her arms, doubt in her eyes.

  “I’m telling the truth. I’ve had two girlfriends. The longest relationship I had was for two years. What about you?”

  Laurie jutted out her chin. She looked him up and down, trying to decide if she believed him or not.

  “Three.” She uncrossed her arms. “Two years was about the longest for me, too.”

  They stared at each other. Electricity passed between them, a friction created by wanting to kiss and knowing they shouldn’t. He reached down, brushing a leaf away from her hair. Then he took a step back. Dante knew he wouldn’t be able to resist her much longer. He walked over to their bin and laid the apple in. When he turned back around, she stood in the same spot. She wore an amused smile. He smiled back.

  He spotted his parents coming toward them, so he nodded to Laurie who turned around.

  “I think we’ve about had it today kids.” Emma clasped her hands together.

  “Okay! I think we’ve got plenty.” Laurie gestured to their line of baskets.

  When Emma drew closer, she could see full, heavy baskets loaded with apples.

  “Oh, my goodness! You two have been quite busy. Look at all they’ve picked, Albert!” Emma grabbed his shoulder.

  “I might have to keep you two around to finish the apple harvest.” Albert surveyed their handiwork.

  “We’d be happy to help.” Laurie shrugged. “It was a lot of fun.”

  “Don’t be too happy to help. We won’t get a day’s rest if you start telling them that.” Dante nudged her.

  Laurie slapped him on the arm.

  “Ignore him. We’re happy to help.” Laurie tossed a final apple into the nearest bin. Dante rolled his eyes.

  “Great. Now you can carry your own apple baskets.” Dante gave her a devilish grin.

  “I will then.” Laurie jutted out her chin.

  “Dante don’t you even dare!” Emma wagged her finger at him.

  “No, I can take them back. He can just stay here.” Laurie strutted over to one of the baskets, but it took a couple of tries to get it off the ground.

  “Give me that before you hurt yourself.” Dante closed the couple of steps between them. He lifted the basket up from the bottom.

  “Just put one of the baskets in the truck, the rest can go in the barn. Why don’t both of you carry it back before you both hurt yourself?” Emma grimaced as the basket almost slipped out of their fingers. Dante nodded.

  “She has a point.” Laurie shifted her grip on the basket. Dante laughed. They carried the heavy basket back to the truck.

  The next basket they took into the barn, where Emma and Albert were waiting. There were several large wooden crates for the apples. Each side was almost long enough for Laurie to stretch fingertip to fingertip, and they reached up to her hips. Dante and Laurie set the basket down in front of the crate, so Emma and Albert could transfer the apples from basket to bin. It took a few trips, but soon the surplus apples were all in the crate, the barn locked, the apple baskets were back in the truck, and they were all driving back to the house for dinner.

  Dinner was a full roast, with mashed fingerling potatoes and corn on the cob. Dante spent a little time on his parents aging computer, trying to get it to work, while Laurie watched TV with Emma and Albert. It was early when Laurie and Dante both excused themselves to go up to bed.

  “That was a great day.” Laurie sighed as they entered her room. “I loved the orchard.”

  “Yeah, that was amazing.” He grabbed her by the elbow, pulling Laurie back toward him from the dresser.

  She giggled.

  Dante turned her around and kissed her. The kiss turned deep, passionate. Before long, they were lying beside one another, shimmering from their very languid lovemaking. Dante buried them both under the covers. They drifted off, exhausted, peaceful, and happy.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Dante woke up disoriented. He forgot where he was, and why, until he realized Laurie lay across his chest. He held her for a while, stroking her back. When the sunlight grew to a level he could no longer ignore, he got up. He slipped out from underneath his lover’s sleeping form. He went to take a shower. When he came back, she was still fast asleep, curled on her side. He kissed her on the forehead with a smile, and decided to venture downstairs. When he entered the kitchen, his father sat at the table, reading the paper.

  “Morning. Where’s Mom?”

  “Upstairs.”

  Dante nodded and headed to the cupboard to grab a coffee mug. He reached for the coffee pot. He was about to pour when his father’s voice made him pause.

  “How long have you been sleeping with her?”

  Dante fr
oze. His heartbeat did a triple step. Blood rushed in his head. How did his father find out? How did he know? Dante steeled himself for the conversation he’d dreaded since he got off the plane. He finished pouring his coffee.

  “Why does it matter?”

  “Did you start sleeping with her before you started the assignment or after?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” He turned toward his father slowly. Albert wore a stern expression Dante was all too familiar with. Dante stayed by the counter, determined not to let his father bully him.

  “Son, you have responsibilities you swore—” Albert began.

  “I know what I swore. I know what oath I took.” Dante slammed his coffee cup down on the counter.

  That was all it took for Dante’s blood to turn from ice water to lava. His hands curled into fists, and his jaw clenched. His muscles vibrated with unspoken anger.

  “You could lose your job. Your career!” Albert rose from the table. “Everything you’ve worked for!”

  “It’s my choice, Dad. I didn’t mean for this to happen, but now it’s my choice.”

  “If this gets you fired, every case you’ve ever been involved with could come into question.” Albert placed his hands on his hips.

  “I’m not a cop anymore. I don’t do casework. If you even knew anything about my life then you would know I only do protection.”

  “You’re not protecting a witness if you’re sleeping with them! When your emotions are involved, it compromises your work. You know this Dante.”

  “Look, I didn’t mean for this to happen. But it did, and I’m glad. I wouldn’t take it back for anything in the world. I care about her.” Dante knew he was shouting, but he couldn’t control it.

  “Then you shouldn’t have taken this kind of risk. What happens when the agency finds out? They won’t let you protect her. What happens when someone else has to ensure her safety from Kaimi?”

  Dante fumed silently. His father hit a mark, a mark he hadn’t even thought of before. He knew his father was right, but he couldn’t give him the satisfaction of admitting it.

  “You were supposed to be the best man for this job, Dante. You were supposed to protect her. You might as well have tied her up and delivered her to Kaimi yourself. Now you’ve destroyed your career as well. Everything you’ve worked for!”