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“I understand.” His eyes swept up my figure, pausing at my breasts before continuing up to my face. “You have a right to be angry. I’m glad you came back.”
“You said you would tell me the whole story,” I reminded him.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “Let me get a shirt.”
I wished he wouldn’t, but it didn’t seem appropriate to stop him. He returned with a green T-shirt on, an army color with a tree stamped on the front that looked like an old work shirt. He went to the fridge to grab a beer, popped the top, and drank half of it before turning back to me. I waited silently while he chose a seat, moving the towel off the recliner so he could occupy its place.
“You remember Porter,” he said softly.
I nodded. I wasn’t surprised that it came back to Porter. That brunch at the diner had been suspicious as hell, with everything that went unsaid zapping through the air like missiles. Mike shifted in his seat, getting comfortable.
“Porter and I went to school together. A lot of the kids, once they graduated, moved on to bigger and better things. I had to stay and help my parents with the lumberyard. Porter didn’t have any plans for the future, and he just hung around day after day, getting wasted.” Mike took another drink to solidify his courage before soldiering on.
“I thought that’s all he was doing, just getting drunk. I thought he was an alcoholic, but then I found out he was in with a real bad crowd. These guys, they were moving crystal meth and cocaine through town. Porter was selling for them, but he started using the products instead of selling them and ended up owing these guys a fortune.
“He came to me one night, to my apartment above the garage. He was so far gone on whatever drug or combination of drugs he was using. He said that they were gonna kill him if he didn’t replace what he had used.” Mike sighed, setting the beer down on the end table. “I’ve been over and over my decision, wondering if it was the right one. But I think if I hadn’t done what I did, Porter really would be dead.”
I reached across the empty space between us and patted his hand.
He curled his fingers around my palm and squeezed. “I knew someone at the lumberyard who was a dealer. I used my savings at the time to buy a hundred grams of cocaine.” He shook his head in disgust. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know what kind of drugs were missing, or how much. I just thought if I could replace at least some of them, that would buy us some time and Porter would be able to live.”
He inhaled, coming to the last chapter. “It turns out that the person I bought the drugs from was an undercover cop. They thought I was dealing. They thought I was an addict and a loser, and they locked me up. I lied to the detectives and told them that I was involved in the black market. I pointed the finger at the guys who were threatening to kill Porter. They went down and got life in prison. I got one year because I cooperated, and I got six months off for good behavior.”
I nodded, feeling all the pieces click into place with satisfying finality. Mike had been framed. Or he had framed himself, but he had done it for good reason. He wasn’t a criminal but an incredible friend who was willing to abandon his own future to save the life of a person he had once cared for. Not only did I understand, but my heart was awash with a love I had never felt for anyone before. Mike was too good for me.
I had been obsessing about his character and what he might have done to end up on the wrong side of the law. But he was a saint, loyal to a fault, willing to brave the worst of what society had to offer to save his friend.
“Does your mom know?” I asked, because suddenly Mrs. Newbury’s acidic tone didn’t make sense. If she knew her son had been so selfless, why did she feel the need to throw his past in my face?
“No.” He shook his head. “And she can’t. No one knows. Only you and me and Porter.”
“But why?” I persisted. “If you just tell your parents, they’ll understand. It would be a relief for them to know that you’re innocent.”
“I’ve told them I’m innocent,” he insisted. “If they had any trust in me, they would accept that without having to hear the whole story. I can’t tell them about Porter, or he would be in trouble again.”
“But surely you can tell your parents,” I argued. “They would be happy to know the truth and I’m sure they wouldn’t make trouble for Porter.”
Mike nodded, considering it. He held out a hand to me, and I went to him, settling myself down on his lap. I circled his neck with my arms and feathered loving kisses across his brow.
“You don’t think I’m a fool?” he asked, his eyes wide and full of pain.
“No,” I answered. “I think you’re very brave. And a hell of a friend.”
He trailed one finger up and down my thigh. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before.”
“It’s okay,” I said quickly, thinking of my own deceit. “You didn’t know you could trust me.”
“It wasn’t that,” he objected. “I was afraid you wouldn’t like me. I was afraid it would chase you off.”
“Well, it didn’t. I have nothing but more respect for you.” I said firmly.
He leaned back, planting his palm firmly against my thigh. “My mom drug tests me every chance she gets. Everyone in town looks at me suspiciously. I can’t run a tab at the Lucky Lady. My manager thinks I’m an idiot.”
I kissed him on the nose. “If they knew…”
“But they can’t know,” he sighed. “Now, I’ve told you my secret. What is it that you wanted to tell me?”
I panicked. Sitting on his lap, I could feel my muscles tense, and I knew he felt it too. I tried to force myself to relax. “It’s nothing important.” Nothing important? It was only the rest of our lives, and the lives of our children and grandchildren. Why was it so hard to break through this paralysis? To say two little words that would either bring us together or tear us apart? Mike had been so brave, laying his entire struggle bare for me. Why couldn’t I do the same?
