The Woman I Love: Book One (The Woman I Love Series 1) Read online

  “If it’s anything like the first one, then we’re in business,” the CEO of Calico Corporation, a worldwide communication network, said as he gazed out his 70th floor high rise office window to the New York streets below.

  “Listen, Mark, are you sure you want to venture into film making. I mean, for me, it’s a chance of a lifetime, but you have so many other businesses and things.”

  Mark gently cut Gage off. “Those other businesses were handed over to me by my grandfather. I want to do something on my own. That’s why I was on that board to judge the screenplay competition. It has always interested me and… I found myself a great writer on top of it.”

  “Oh, really, are you seeing another writer behind my back?” Gage pretended to pout. “Because if you are, I’ll just call up that same grandfather and have him yank his grandson by the ear. You know, he likes me.”

  “He loves you.” Mark corrected her, thinking fondly of his grandfather who still lived in England at the ripe old age of 90. “No, you’re the only writer for me.”

  “You may want to reconsider after reading my screenplay.” Gage felt confident it was a good story, but this was, after all, a new style of writing for the three times published author.

  “I doubt that. By the way, your latest murder/mystery book just hit the top ten.” Having taken over Gage’s writing contract to publish her work, Mark’s new company, Shadow Publishing, had its first bestseller.

  Pre-occupied by the news of her book’s success, Gage lost sight of a renegade wasp making a beeline for her. Before she could secure the door, the little bugger slipped inside the cabin. A trained eye tracked the wasp as it curled busy circles through the living area. “Great news. But I gotta go. The enemy has infiltrated the encampment and I’ve got a seek and destroy mission at hand.” The author chased after the intruder barely hearing Mark’s farewell as she spied the wasp fly into the master bedroom, landing on the king size bed. Flipping the telephone on the couch, she declared all out war. “Oh, no, you don’t. Not in my bed.”

  She slammed the aerosol can on the kitchen counter and reached for her weapon of choice, yanking it from the side of the kitchen cabinet. With fly swatter in hand, she stealthily pursued her adversary. Gage’s sharp eyes surveyed the interior upon entering the master bedroom. She scanned the area immediately surrounding the huge bed that was located in the center of the room. Upon seeing no unidentified flying objects, Gage gracefully moved to the edge of the adjoining bathroom entrance. Peeking around the corner, she searched the room shifting her eyes from the counter to the large jet tub, next to the glass encased shower and finally checking the dressing area with no results.

  As Gage stepped in, a buzzing object jetted by her. Twisting around quickly, she stalked the invader out of the master bedroom into the second bedroom just down the short hallway. The high cabin ceiling gave the wasp plenty of airspace, circling around one of the twin beds, placed on either side of the room. “I’ve got you now.”

  Gage leaped up on the twin bed on the right just when the wasp diverted its direction to the other side of the room. Jumping from one bed to the other one, she cocked her arm and swatted at the wasp. Damn, almost.

  It made its escape past the door, taking a direct route though the open kitchen area, once around the living room then coming to rest on the screen door facing. “Come on you cagey little thing. Hold still just a little bit longer.” Arm cocked and ready to strike, the fly swatter came barreling down on a direct path to its target. The lucky insect came within inches of its life before it quickly ducked out a small opening in the screen. When the fly swatter finally landed, it found no one home.

  Gage pushed open the screen door as green eyes following the wasp on its happy flight to freedom. The smart wasp had lived to fight another day. Letting the door slam behind her, the defeated writer plopped down on the couch. Spying the discarded telephone, she thought. I don’t think I’ll tell Mark how this little encounter turned out. It would pleasure him way too much.

  *********************

  She zoomed around the first class cabin in her own flight of freedom. Dani loved to fly and was desperately encouraging her little brother to follow suit, but to no avail. The more she tried the more Derek shied deeper into his mother’s grasp.

  Not having been able to reach her mom as they waited for their airplane, Lacy tried again, successfully this time, connecting with her mother while in flight. Now, she was having a hard time concentrating on her telephone conversation with her mother. “Mom, hold on just a second, will you?” Turning her attention to her excited daughter, she requested. “Dani, why don’t you come sit down next to me?”

  Oblivious to her mother’s gentle command, the self-proclaimed pilot smiled happily as she continued her flight though the aisle as other passengers delighted in the rambunctious antics of the young girl. Her infectious personality and laughter captured the other first class passengers’ attention when she made one more pass by her brother. “Vrrrroom. Come on, Derek. Fly like a plane. Fly like a plane.” Dani’s shoulder length dark hair swayed from side to side as she flapped her arms, dipping them back and forth wildly. Finally, forcing a reluctant smile from her brother.

  Firmly, Lacy drew her daughter’s undivided attention. “Dani!”

  Shoulders plummeted downward and were crowned by a crestfallen face as Dani spiraled back to her seat, plopping down next to her mother. She looked apologetically at her audience when her performance came to an abrupt halt. A young steward, witnessing the show, followed her down the aisle.

  Before she was even settled in her seat, Dani turned to her mother. “Can I go get Grace? She’s way in the back and I’m sure she doesn’t have anyone to talk to.”

  Finding it hard to deny her daughter anything, Lacy looked to the steward for help with the proffered question. “Is there any way our friend could come up here with us?”

  Hesitant, the newly hired steward shook his head slightly while thinking. “I don’t know, ma’am, if we can allow that. Everyone has their assigned seats and we don’t….”

  Dani jumped in before another word was spoken. “We have plenty of seats up here. Look. Right there.” Pointing to the vacant seat directly across from her.

  Scanning his nametag, Lacy offered. “I could pay the difference, if that’s the problem, Tim.” A brilliant smile accentuated the added, “Please.” And the imploring look from the well-known actress settled the issue.

  Giving in, Tim agreed. “Sure.”

  Shooting up from her seat, Dani grabbed the young man’s hand and bolted down the aisle in search of her friend. “I have to go with you since I know what she looks like.” With a quick glance back to the steward, Dani continued. “She’s old and has wrinkles all over her face, but she says it gives her character. I don’t really know about that though she is rather funny at times.”

  Lacy returned to her long forgotten telephone conversation with her mother. “Oh, sorry, mom. I guess you heard.”

  “She hasn’t changed much, has she? Of course, I could be wrong. What has it been? Now, let’s see, almost a whole year since I’ve seen my grandkids.” Lynn Lewis inserted, making her point crystal clear.

  “Message received, mom.” With assurance, Lacy continued. “After our little vacation, we’ll try to stop by for a visit.”

  “Try?” Lynn’s voice housed disappointment. Ever since her actor daughter hit the big time with her television show, Lynn and her husband, Daniel, had rare sightings of their daughter and her children.

  “Okay. It’s a definite visit then.” Lacy hoped David wouldn’t object and come up with another one of his thousand reasons to thwart her plans for a little family time.

  With that extracted promise from her daughter, Lynn perked up. “Dan will be ecstatic to hear that. Now, how’s Derek? With all that carrying on I heard over the phone, you don’t have to tell me how Dani is doing.”

  Brushing warm lips across her son’s forehead, Derek smiled at his mother. “Just fine. Glad
to have his mommy around full time now.”

  “Is that the plan?” Lynn hoped her daughter was sincere. Having raised three boys and two girls of her own, Lynn knew the importance of a mother’s role in their lives. With the good, steady construction job her husband had, Lynn had the luxury of staying at home with her children, something not afforded to many moms these days.

  Lacy watched her daughter return with Grace in hand. As they settled down in their seats, she confirmed her mother’s hopes. “Yes. At least, after I get this next movie in. Then I intend to take off a few years. Maybe just do some guest spots or a movie a year.”

  “And no more series?” Lynn asked hopefully.

  “Certainly not like this last one. It was too time consuming and exhausting.” For five years, five days a week and twelve hours a day, Lacy and her co-star labored to make ‘Crackdown’ the number one rated show four years in a row. Even in its last season, it stubbornly remained in the top ten. It was time to call a halt before it destroyed her sanity and worse yet adversely affected the lives of her children. She realized it had already taken a toll on her kids and her marriage. So, Lacy simply refused to re-negotiate her contract. Instead, she did commit to making a movie for the Hollywood mogul, Ron Griffen, with the persistent urging of her husband and with the understanding that she had completed her commitment to Griffen Studios. “Anyway, we should have plenty of time for visits in the coming years.”

  Satisfied with her daughter’s answer, Lynn changed the subject. “Honey, why’d you call?”

  “I just wanted to hear a friendly voice.” Her mother picked up the desolate feeling in her daughter’s sad voice.

  “Is it David?” Lynn pinpointed the problem.

  With a deep sigh, Lacy admitted. “Yeah, David. He couldn’t come with us yet. And, we kinda left it…. bad.”

  Targeting in on the frequent problems between her daughter and her husband, Lynn recognized Lacy’s latest decision to quit the show must have triggered an even greater distance between them. David was obsessed with both their careers, especially his, and, Lacy, once she had tasted fame realized that not all the flavors associated with it were sweet. “Honey, I suggest you and David have a heart to heart talk about your future. Mostly about what you both want out of a career.”

  “We will. Hopefully, next week.” Suddenly not wanting to talk about this sore issue, Lacy capped the subject closed. “Anyway….”

  The silence that fell between mother and daughter spoke volumes and Lynn took the hint. “Lacy, if you or the kids need anything, you know who to call. Okay? You know, your dad and I both love you.”

  “I do.” Warmed by her mother’s words, a small smile sparked her ivory features before it descended quickly after she said goodbye.

  While talking gleefully to her old friend, with knowing blue eyes Dani glimpsed the forlorn expression that permeated her mother’s face. Ever her mother’s savior, Dani spieled out any kind of nonsense that would deliberately take her mother’s mind off whatever dreadful thoughts that plagued her. “Mom, did you know that Grace built airplanes while her husband flew them in the big one?”

  Curiously drawn from her dark musings, Lacy asked. “Big one?”

  “World War II.” Dani wondered why her mother even had to ask. Didn’t every one know about the big one?

  Chapter Three

  Sally Raye eased her old car down the secluded driveway to Cabin C all the while ignoring her passengers. After pulling to a stop, Sally’s dark brown eyes glanced through the rearview mirror at the child in the back seat who had been suspiciously eyeing her during the five-minute drive from town.

  Hurrying out of the car as fast as her old rickety body could carry her, Sally made her way to the front door, inserting the key. The landlord wanted to get her new tenants settled then head back in town as fast as she could so she wouldn’t miss her regular Wednesday night Bingo game.

  As Lacy extracted Derek from his car seat, Dani slipped out of the back seat, jumped up on the short porch then headed for the front cabin railing that overlooked Lake MyKee.

  Reluctant to help, Sally did pick up two of the lighter bags figuring it wouldn’t strain her bad back too much. If I don’t help, that gray haired old witch, Gladys, will be sure to get my spot at Bingo. At least I got the good sense to dye my hair. Sally smiled at that thought remembering how her handyman’s brown eyes had lit up after her first experiment with the hair coloring.

  Carrying her son, Lacy took the two steps up the porch. “Dani, come take care of Derek while I get our bags.”

  Slowly, Dani tore herself away from the railing all the while keeping a close eye on Sally. She’s not like Grace at all.

  With Derek under the watchful eye of his sister, Lacy started unloading their bags from the back of the station wagon. The slow process agitated the landlord so she retrieved another bag from her car.

  “My son, Ned, was disappointed he missed you. But he should be by in the next day or two to check on things and see if you want to rent a car of your own.” She flopped the last bag down on the porch. “He can drive you to town if you do. That will just tickle him pink. He’s a big fan of yours.” Figuring she had supplied enough chitchat and happy to get away from the young girl’s scrutiny, Sally hurried off without waiting for Lacy to reply.

  Lacy Levine spared a moment to watch the landlord head down the road. “All right then, let’s get the bags inside and then how ‘bout a quick look around the place?” With those words, Dani jumped into action, picking up one of the heavy bags and tugging Derek inside behind her. Dropping the bag near the sofa, Dani lifted Derek onto it. “Now, stay right there. Okay?”

  A sense of loss flashed across Derek’s face as his sister turned to leave him. Within two steps, the eight year old twisted back around meeting her brother’s soft gray pouting eyes. “Jeez.” She walked back to him. “I’ll be right back. Then we get to go play. Okay?” With a quick hug from his sister, the young boy’s expression bloomed brighter.

  Lacy observed her children’s interaction, happy in the knowledge that they adored each other. Keeping a close eye on Derek, Lacy sat the two bags of groceries on the counter that she had purchased before leaving town then started to put them away.

  Dani took no time at all in bringing their bags from the porch and piling them next to the sofa. “Okay, mom, ready to go exploring.” She helped Derek off the couch and headed for the front door.

  “Just a minute, Dani.” Noticing the sliding door located off the living room, she placed the last can of food on the shelf. “Let’s go out the back.” Opening the sliding door that led to the porch, her kids slipped through quickly. Dani handed Derek off to his mom then bounded down a long flight of steps onto the grassy area between the cabin and the lake.

  Derek refused his mother’s inviting arms, insisting on taking the five steps down himself giving Dani plenty of time to greet the water’s edge where she was instantly in search of interesting and unusual rocks. The gold mine she found would add handsomely to her already growing collection. Immediately claiming several rocks for her own, both of her hands were full.

  As Lacy caught up to her older child, the brilliant smile blazing on the young girl’s face sprung open to her normal personality instead of the quiet demeanor Dani had shown since their arrival in town. “You were awfully quiet on the way here. Anything wrong?” Lacy inquired, hoping Dani hadn’t been agonizing over her father’s absence.

  “No.” The look on her mother’s face demanded more than the laconic answer she offered, so she added. “I just don’t like her. She’s not at all like Grace.” She continued stockpiling rocks, pulling her shirt out to hold them all. “Wouldn’t answer any of my questions.” Dani mumbled to herself.

  Lacy watched Derek waddle along the uneven shoreline in the opposite direction, but directed her comment to Dani. “No, she’s not though she seemed nice enough.”

  Dani stood back up after retrieving a star shaped rock. “She dyes her hair, you know.”

>   Turning around to face her daughter, Lacy expressed concern at the remark. “And that makes her?”

  “Highly suspicious. Like she has something to hide.” One look at the old woman and Dani had completed her investigation of their landlord. Her deductions about the older woman revealed Sally to be someone with a dark past. Probably involved in some kind of criminal activity, definitely something hiding behind those mean eyes. Five years of watching her mother’s cop show provided Dani with all the education she reasoned she needed to make her assessment. And, of course, I got a gut feeling about her and it ain’t good.

  While proud of her daughter’s language skills and intellect at such a young age, Lacy did not like the fact that Dani was making value judgments about others by the way they looked. “I’ve dyed my hair before. Does that mean I have something to hide, too?”

  “Yes.” She said to the pointedly. An arched eyebrow prompted her daughter to continue. “Yourself.” Dani supplied, laughing out loud. “In your show when your character, Samantha, went undercover, remember?”

  Lacy joined her daughter in laughter as she recalled the red spiked hairstyle she adorned for that scene. I should have worn a wig like Ryan suggested. It took days to get back to my natural hair coloring.

  In the distance, Derek heard the chuckling sounds of his mother and sister waft through the air as he ploughed up a small embankment. Derek loved the outdoors and could play for hours either by himself or with his mom or sister. It was in these alone times that an adventurous nature boldly peeked out from his shy personality. An outgoing personality he stole from, Devlin, the main character on his favorite cartoon show. Devlin was an audacious little guy with a curious and daring attitude cloaked with a bravado that inevitably led him to trouble. Therefore, it was a good thing that Devlin had his very own protector, Gentry.