Shaking off the residuals of a lifetime of warding off others’ negative reactions to her mother, Lucy thought about Jack Colton. About Professor Melissa Beck. About…
“Have you always lived in Aurora?”
What was with the personal questions?
Did he realize that turnaround was fair play? They had another forty-five minutes in the car and Lucy wanted to know some things about him, too. Just to file away in the box labeled A Guy I Used to Work With.
“Yes, I’ve always lived here…” she said. “Though I was born in Newport, Kentucky, which is where my dad was living and working until his death.”
“He was a cop, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Killed in the line of duty?”
“Yep. He was working undercover, part of a drug sting. My dad went for a drop. His dealer made him and came out of the car shooting. I have copies of the newspaper articles about it. He was given a posthumous commendation.”
“Was this before or after you were born?”
“Before. Mama couldn’t catch a break, you know?”
“Were they married?”
“No. He was recently divorced. They met when he was called in to work a lead on her case—someone turned in a surveillance tape from a bank. The camera caught a woman and child that matched the description of Mama and Allie during the time Mama can’t remember anything. It turned out not to be them, but all it took was that one meeting. He made her feel safe. When she was with him, she felt less panicked. And he drank with her. Anyway, she fell for him. Things got out of hand. Mama thinks he would have married her.”
“You don’t think so?”
“After he died, there was money. It all went to his ex-wife who turned out not to be quite so ex. He was separated, the divorce papers had been filed, but nothing was final.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. I was never acknowledged as his child. Mama wanted them to do blood tests after I was born, to prove that I was his and therefore entitled to some of the settlement, but she was threatened with a harassment charge. They said that she was an emotionally unstable woman trying to make trouble for a fallen officer. The guy had kids of his own. Friends in high places. And Mama didn’t have money to get an attorney and pursue things.”
“Is he listed on your birth certificate?”
“No. She was afraid someone would file charges against her if she did. She let them intimidate her into putting Father Unknown.”
“Have you ever tried to find your half siblings?”
“No. Why would I? I didn’t know their father. He’s no more than a biological set of chemicals to me. Not that there’s any proof of that. And I already know I wouldn’t be well received.”
She and Sandy were a family.
“All my mother ever wanted was to love and be loved,” Lucy said, needing him to understand, even while she knew it didn’t matter. “She just made some bad choices where the men in her life were concerned.”
“What about while you were growing up? Were there men, then, too?”
“One. He finally gave up on her and moved to Arizona.” “Only one? Your mom never dated after that?”
“Nope. After the rape…and then my father… Mama doesn’t have much faith in men.”
“How about you? Do you share her feelings?”
Did he think she was gay? Was the chemistry that absent for him?
They should be discussing Jack Colton. A guy she most definitely didn’t trust.
“I like men just fine,” Lucy said, wishing the miles between them and UC would pass more quickly. I especially like you, Ramsey Miller, and I don’t like that at all.