Ch.22 - Talia

Talia kept busy in the kitchen preparing vegetables for the cookout while Charlie tended to chores outside. It had been quite awhile since they'd had their last get--together and seeing friends would be a welcome change of pace. Life had gotten so busy over the past few months. Between working on the rental property and dedicating time to Charlie's new business, not to mention her work at the shelter and helping Enid out a few days a week, there had been little time left to stop and smell the roses. A little fun and relaxation was exactly what the doctor ordered, especially since she'd been feeling so worn out as of late.

I'm taking on too much. I need to slow down. Talia glanced over at Carter in the baby bouncer next to her, swiveling around happily, entertaining herself. Carter won't be a baby forever. If we're not careful one day we'll blink and she'll be all grown up. Then we'll be left wondering where all the time went. We need to take advantage of every moment with her before it's too late. . .

Talia turned to the window, peering outside to watch Charlie clean out the grill. Winston was lying at his feet, his tail occasionally thumping against the wooden planks of the deck.

She smiled as she watched him work, the muscles in his chest moving underneath his t-shirt, the sun reflecting off his hair enunciating golden highlights. It was amazing how just looking at him still caused her heart to race. How the butterflies fluttered in her stomach as if she were some love-struck teenager. And he was all hers, the most wonderful man she had ever known.

Besides her father. What she would give to have her parents here with her now. To be able to enjoy the day with them by her side. If only she could see them again. If only. . .

Talia returned her attention to the onion on the counter, slicing it into several thin strips. Before she could stop them, her thoughts slipped back to her childhood. . .to the day that had forever changed her life. Years later, the senseless murder of her parents still hurt. A part of her would always hurt. Losing them the way she had. . . So much death in her life, so much turmoil.

Without warning, tears pressed against the backs of her eyes. Damn onions! Talia slammed the knife down and leaned against the counter, gripping the edge with both hands. Oh, who was she kidding? It wasn't the onions causing her to cry. . .it was her past. It was the unfair twists her life always managed to take. Why was she so unlucky?

Stop it! Stop feeling sorry for yourself. The past is the past. You're not there anymore. She bent her head forward and choked back a sob. Concentrate on the family you have in front of you!

Turning away from the onion, Talia stooped down in front of Carter who was happily playing in her seat. Surprise covered her angelic features before her tiny face lit up into a grin. "I love you, baby girl," Talia whispered fiercely. She kissed her chubby cheek then pressed her forehead to hers. Carter buried her hands in long, brown hair and giggled as the silky strands wrapped around her fingers. Talia smiled. "What have you got there?" Carefully, she started unwinding her hair, making certain nothing was left in her grasp.

"Carter!"

Talia turned her gaze toward the door. Tallulah charged through the front room, a bundle of unbridled energy, slowing down only to throw herself in front of the baby seat. Carter shrieked with joy as the little girl bounced up and down on her knees, making silly faces.

Standing up, Talia ruffled her fingers through the four-year-old's strawberry-blonde waves. "Lulu, it's good to see you. Carter's been waiting for you to get here."

Lulu looked up with wide emerald eyes. "Really? She can talk now?"

Talia laughed. "No, not quite. But when I told her you were coming to our cookout she smiled. I think she missed you."

The little girl looked back at the baby, a wide grin covering her face. "Did you miss me, baby girl?" she sing-songed, planting a kiss on the tip of her nose. Carter jumped in her seat, rattling the toys attached to the tray.

"Where's your mom?" Talia asked, trying to drag Lulu's attention away from Carter.

"I'm right here." Betsy wandered into the kitchen holding up a large rectangle container. "My famous caramel cake. Where do you want it?"

Talia eyes lit up with delight. "I'll take it." She reached over and took the container from her hands and placed it on the counter-top. "What else do you have there?" she asked, eyeing the bag that hung from her wrist.

Betsy plopped the plastic bag down onto the table and pulled out a smaller container. "Bacon wrapped jalapenos with cheese. Ryan made them on the grill this morning."

Talia laughed. "They sound delicious. Are you trying to get me fat?"

"You, fat? Please. I've seen you pound away the desserts and never gain an ounce. Me on the other hand . . ." Betsy's voice trailed off as she grabbed a roll from her plump midsection. "Although I did lose six pounds last week watching my carbs."  She nodded toward the container on the counter, her eyes filled with longing. "Needless to say, I'll gain it all back after I dive into that cake."

Talia grinned. "Where's Ryan?" she asked, peering back toward the door.

"We smelled the barbecue when we pulled up so he went straight back to help Charlie."

Talia glanced out the back window and saw the men standing before the grill, each one holding a beer in their hand. A faint smile played on her lips and looked back at Lulu. "She's looking more and more like her dad every day."

"Don't I know it." Betsy laughed. "And thank the good Lord for that. I'm so happy she ended up with his head of hair instead of mine. Strawberry-blonde waves are so much prettier then this stringy mess." She drug a hand through mousy-brown strands of hair.

"Oh, stop it," Talia scolded. "You're gorgeous and you know it."

Betsy huffed. "I'm no where near your league." She smiled affectionately at her. "But then not many women are. Some people were just meant to be thin and perfect. Others. . .not so much. Believe me, I'm okay with being not so much. I'm too lazy to keep up with appearances."

Talia was just about to disagree when another guest arrived.

"Well here you all are." Enid walked into the kitchen holding a pan between her oven-gloved hands. "I'm gonna set this on the stove, I don't want anyone to get burned."

"Is it mac and cheese?" Talia asked. Her stomach was starting to growl.

Enid nodded. "It is. Charlie asked me to bring it." She pulled of her gloves and kissed Talia on the cheek. "How are you, dear? You look tired."

"Oh, I'm fine. Carter had me up early again. I'd like you to meet Betsy Sullivan." She glanced at her friend. "This is my mother-in-law, Enid Wilson."

Betsy smiled and offered Enid her hand. "It's nice to meet you. Charlie talks about you all the time. I'm surprised we haven't met before."

"Sullivan," Enid repeated. "As in Ryan's wife? I've met your husband on numerous occasions. Such a nice man. And who is this little cutie-pie playing with my granddaughter."

"This is Tallulah." Betsy beamed. "Say hello to Ms. Wilson, Lulu."

Lulu barely glanced up from entertaining the baby and threw a quick wave.

"Sorry," Betsy said, laughing. "When Carter's around Lulu's oblivious to everything else."

"I understand. I feel the way every time I'm with my granddaughter. She's a special little girl." Enid watched the children for a moment, a small smile decorating her face. "It's so nice to have little girls around. They're just the sweetest little things." Carter shrieked with delight as Lulu ran in circles around her. "And noisy." Enid laughed. "But it's music to my ears. Shall we go outside? It's such a nice day, I'd hate to spend it indoors."

The women moved the food and plates out onto the patio. Enid lifted up Carter, snuggling her close, while Talia took the bouncer outside.

"Hey, Mom." Charlie walked over and enveloped Enid in a hug. "I'm glad you could make it. So, how is it being free of house guests for a change?"

"Quiet. I'm not used to it. It feels sort of eerie. I'd rather have a house full of people than live there by myself. I'll be happy once everything's painted and repaired and those rooms are full again." She slid Carter back into her seat and glanced at Ryan. "It's been a while, Mr. Sullivan. Nice to see you again."

Ryan twisted the cap off a bottle of beer and took a swig. "Nice to see you, too, Ms. Wilson. You're looking as pretty as ever."

Enid waved her hand and smiled demurely. "Such a flatterer."

"I only speak the truth." He chuckled. "Would you like a beer? I've got a cooler full of them."

Enid thought for a moment then nodded her head. "I think I will have one."

Charlie's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You? I don't believe it. When was the last time you had a drink?"

Enid pretended to think. "The 1980's?" she teased. "It just sounds good, that's all. When was the last time I was off the clock?"

"Good point." Charlie reached into the cooler and twisted the cap off a bottle, then handed it to her. "Would either of you ladies like a drink?"

"I would!" Lulu exclaimed. She raced to the cooler and pulled out an ice-cold beer.

"Woah, now. Hold on there." Ryan took the bottle from her hand and placed it back into the ice box. "I think your mom packed juice boxes for you." He handed over an apple juice as the corners of her mouth tipped into a frown.

"But I want to drink what you're drinking, Daddy," she pouted.

"Not today, munchkin. You can have you first drink when you're thirty years old, and not a moment sooner."

Lulu stuck out her full bottom lip and then danced off toward Carter, quickly forgetting she didn't get her way.

As everyone settled in around the patio table, Charlie flipped the steaks on the grill, letting them cook slowly.

"So, will your new neighbor be joining us?" Enid asked, turning to Talia.

Talia shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. I haven't seen him since that first day. We thought we'd give him some space to settle in."

"Does he seem nice?" Betsy asked. "It must be weird having someone live next door again after all this time."

"Sure, what I saw of him, anyway." Talia stifled a yawn. "He reminds me of someone, but for the life of me I can't figure out who it is."

"I thought the same thing!" Enid reached for plate and began to fill it with veggies. "Something about his eyes." She popped a cherry tomato in her mouth and looked off into the distance with a thoughtful expression.

"Who's hungry?" Charlie delivered a platter piled high with thick cuts of steaks.

"I'm starving." Ryan took a fork and stabbed it into a piece of meat, then slapped it down onto his plate. "These look great, man. My compliments to the chef."

Charlie laughed as he plopped a steak onto his own plate. "Wait until you try it before you start singing its praises."

Everyone filled their plates and began to eat as the rays of the late-afternoon sun filtered over them through the clouds. A gentle breeze moved off of the water and Talia kept one eye on an alligator that was sunning itself along the bank.

"Look, Lulu," Ryan said, pointing toward the shore. "There's a little friend for you to play with."

Betsy jammed her elbow into his arm. "Stop it. That's not nice," she scolded, her eyebrows pinching together tightly. "Don't listen to him, sweet pea. You stay far away from that thing."

Ryan laughed. "I'm only teasing you, Lulu. Alligators are not meant to be played with."

"Can we feed him?" she asked in a squeaky voice. "I can give him some of my 'nana." She held up half of a banana, the fruit squeezing through her chubby fingers.

Betsy took the yellow mush from her hand and gently wiped a napkin against her palm, cleaning up the mess. "No, we don't go anywhere near them. They bite." She shot her husband a look. He gave a sheepish grin and shrugged his shoulders apologetically.

"Am I interrupting?" Every pair of eyes turned toward an unfamiliar voice.

"Jackson." Charlie stood up from the table, wiping his mouth quickly with a napkin. "Not at all. We're so glad you could make it." Charlie met Jackson at the steps of the deck, gesturing for him to join them.

"I wasn't sure what to bring to a cookout." Jackson smiled, his words peppered with a soft, southern accent. He held out a bottle of white wine. "I hope this is appropriate."

Ryan let out an amused snort, then tried to cover it up with cough.

"It's perfect," Charlie said, narrowing his eyes at his friend. "There's an empty seat next to Talia. Help yourself to whatever you like. I'll go grab a corkscrew."

As soon as Jackson set foot on the deck, Winston raced up and sniffed at his hand. "Woah!" He flinched back, a look of panic in his eyes.

"Back, Winston." Charlie held up his hand and the Labrador retreated to his spot near the sliding glass door. He glanced at Jackson. "Sorry about that. That's Winston." Charlie nodded toward his dog. "You don't have to worry about him, he's  good boy."

Jackson gave a tight smile.

Talia stood up and handed him a plate, trying to distract him from the onset of tension. "I'm so happy you stopped by. Do you remember Charlie's mom, Enid?"

Jackson scanned the table and stopped as his gaze fell upon her mother-in-law. He nodded his head. "Enid, it's nice to see you again."

Enid's lips turned up a fraction. "Likewise. How's your hand?"

He held up his hand, his palm facing her. "So much better, thank you. You fixed it right up."

"I'm glad I could help." Enid smiled, but Talia could see it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"This is Ryan and Betsy Sullivan, and their daughter, Lulu," Talia offered, gesturing around the table.

Ryan stood up and shook Jackson's hand. "It's nice to meet you. Jackson, is it?"

Jackson nodded. "It's nice to meet you, too." His eyes landed on Lulu. "Lulu. That's an interesting name," he said, watching as the young girl devoured an ear of corn. A trail of butter dripped down onto her shirt.

"It's short for Tallulah," Betsy explained. "Ryan's grandmother's name."

"Ah, a namesake. A wonderful way to honor someone special." He looked at Ryan and smiled. "Your grandmother must be thrilled."

"She's dead," Ryan said, amusement dancing in his green eyes. "Betsy insisted we name Lulu after her."

Betsy sighed softly and glanced at her husband. "Please excuse him. He has a way with words." She turned back to Jackson. "Ryan's grandmother raised him."

Jackson blinked, once then twice, obviously taken off-guard. "Well, I'm sorry for your loss." He shifted uncomfortably.

Ryan shrugged and popped a large hunk of meat into his mouth. Talia looked around the table and felt slightly hesitant. She was anxious to make their guest feel at home. "What would you like, Jackson? We have steak and veggies, corn on the cob, rolls, bacon-wrapped jalapenos, mac and cheese. . ."

"I'll take a little bit of everything. I'm starving." He grinned, more relaxed. "Thanks again for inviting me over. I can't even tell you the last time I've been to a cookout."

Talia scooped up a spoonful of pasta and set it on his plate. "It's our pleasure. Thank you for joining us."

"Alright, who'd like some wine?" Charlie carried the open bottle through the patio door along with a stack-full of plastic cups.

"Ooo, Reisling, my favorite. I'll have some of that," Betsy said, taking a cup. She held it out as Charlie poured the golden liquid inside.

Charlie turned to Jackson. "Would you like some?"

"Yes, please." Charlie tipped the bottle, filling his cup to the rim.

"Talia?"

She shook her head. "No, thanks. I'm afraid if I have any I'll just end up sleepier than I already am."

"So, this is quite a view you have here," Jackson complimented after Charlie sat back down. "This property is amazing. I bet you get in the water every chance you get."

"Oh, I do. Besides the kayak we also own an air boat. That's the only way I can get Talia out there."

Jackson turned and looked at her, his blue eyes kind and curious. "You don't like the water, Talia?"

She swallowed down a bite of carrot. "I think it's beautiful. . .from a distance." She laughed. "I don't mind taking the air boat out. Actually, I really enjoy it. But I'm not interested in walking along the shore or going out in the kayak. I'm not a big fan of what lurks in the water." She threw an apprehensive glance at the alligator still sitting on the bank.

"Yeah, I saw that there." Jackson followed her gaze. "It's crazy to think they live right in your backyard."

"Talia was almost swallowed up by one a few years back," Enid chimed in. "She's been scared of them ever since."

Jackson raised his eyebrows. "Is that so?"

Talia nodded, a rush of heat moving over her face. "There was an incident."

Enid laughed. "An incident. That's putting it mildly. Talia fell through a rotten plank and Charlie had to pull her to safety. That monster came within inches of her."

"Well, I can see why you'd be frightened, Talia. After something like that it'd be hard not to be." He turned to Charlie. "But you're not afraid?"

Charlie shook his head. "I've lived near the water my entire life. I'm used to the animals that run around here. Are you much of an outdoors-man?"

Jackson shrugged. "I get out from time to time. I'm really looking forward to snooping around here. I'd love to go out on that air boat of yours if you ever have some free time. That the kind of hands-on experience I need to research my articles."

"Absolutely. Whatever I can do to help." Charlie addressed the guests. "Jackson's a writer. He's doing a series of articles on the Everglades. You know, if you really want the Everglade experience, you should come hunting with me sometime. Actually, I'm hoping to go out tomorrow, if you're not busy."

"And what will you be hunting tomorrow?" Jackson asked, his interest peaked.

Talia saw a flash of skepticism stretch across Ryan's face as she listened to Charlie and Jackson's conversation. Her new neighbor really didn't seem like the hunting type. Especially not what her husband had in mind.

Charlie smiled. "Wild boar."

"Wild boar?" Jackson eyes went wide with surprise. "I didn't realize they were native to the area."

"They're not," Charlie explained. "They think they may have been brought over by a Spanish explorer in the 1500's."

Jackson hesitated. "Well, I'm afraid I don't have a hunting license."

Charlie shook his head. "That's okay, you don't need one. Talia and I own about thirty acres here, most of it wooded. You don't need a license to hunt on private property, as long as you have the owner's permission." He grinned. "And you have my permission."

Talia could see Jackson wrestle with the invitation. Finally, he surprised her by agreeing.

"Sure, Charlie, that would be great. Thanks for the invite."

Talia relaxed in her chair as she listened to the easy conversation taking place around the table. Charlie and Jackson seemed to be hitting it off, thank goodness. Having another friend around would be good for him. Maybe the extra activity would help relieve his pent-up stress. As for her, she would be calling Dr. Blair first thing Monday morning to make an appointment. Ever since Janice Cooper went back to her husband her anxiety had been creeping back with a vengeance. She wasn't sleeping as well, and with a nine-month-old in the house catching up was next to impossible. She'd also been thinking more and more about her parents, the emptiness she felt stronger than normal.

Talia took a big bite of Betsy's caramel cake and caught Charlie's eye. He gave her a wink and slid his leg alongside hers underneath the table. He'd been bouncing Carter in his lap, mimicking the playful noises she was making with her lips. Talia sighed as she watched them, a satisfying warmth spreading through her chest.

My family, she smiled. Nothing in the world meant more to her than them.

At the end of the evening, after they'd said goodbye to their guests, Talia yawned as she began cleaning up the mess. Tomorrow would be Sunday, a day of rest, when she could recover and recharge for the busy week ahead. She'd spend quality time with her husband and child and ignore the chores that would still be waiting for her the next day.

Charlie grinned at her as he sat in a chair, feeding Carter. "Hey, why don't you go lie down. Carter and I will get the rest of this."

She opened her mouth to protest, then decided against it. "Are you sure? There's still a lot to take care of."

"Go ahead." He nodded his head toward the door. "Get to bed. Your daughter and I have this under control." He looked down at Carter who was smiling up at him over her bottle.

"Thank you." Talia was too tired to argue. She walked over and gave him a kiss, then planted another on top of Carter's blonde curls. "Goodnight, my loves."

Charlie gave her a soft smile. "Sleep well."

Talia turned and walked into the house, exhausted.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Hello and thank you for reading Secrets and Lies! If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider leaving a vote or comment—I'd really appreciate it!

This chapter is dedicated to Wattpad reader and writer @BobDallas12! Swing by her profile and check out her story Violet and the Bad Boy! Thanks for all of your support!

So, Charlie and Jackson are going hunting together? I'm not so sure that sounds safe. Crazy Jackson with a gun around sweet, innocent Charlie? Talia's hubby better watch his back!

Today I'd like to thank readers from Zambia, Jordan, Ghana, Albania and Macedonia—thank you for reading! :)