“It’s pretty clear Brady either needs some food or to take a nap. Is he always this grumpy this time of day?” Jake asked.

  He turned away from the jewelry and led the way out of the store. He’d thought maybe once he made a move to leave that Brady would run ahead, but the other man brought up the rear. Jake hoped that his choice for food was better than rings. After a grueling practice, Jake was starving.

  The three of them had gone out for post-practice sustenance before, but Brady had never seemed so moody. It made Jake wonder if there was something up. Maybe after Brady got some fries or something in him, Jake would hazard asking. As it was, he felt it would probably only aggravate the situation, since his question about Brady being grumpy earned him a light smack on the back of his head.

  “I’m not grumpy. I’m just trying to bring some reality back to this conversation. I have absolutely no footing to critique a relationship, but you and Kelly seem like total opposites. You’ve got a charity that helps get people off drugs, and she’s a recovering addict, who used only a few months ago. That alone screams friction to me.”

  Jake listened to Brady’s words, slightly tuning them out as a young blonde walking with an older couple caught his eye. He’d just seen the side of her face, but something seemed familiar about her. The group was walking into a building, so he got a better look at her face when the man held the door open for her.

  “Is that Mia?” he asked.

  “Mia who?” Brady replied as he looked where Jake’s finger pointed.

  Jake, Brady and Curtis hadn’t made it too far out of the jewelry store before he stopped to figure out where they were going to eat. The other two were the “experts,” so he’d expected one of them to lead the way, but no one had made a move.

  “Fiona and Simon’s nanny,” Jake said.

  “The one who was screwing Brian?”

  Brady moved forward as he asked the question. The group had already entered the building, so it wasn’t like he could get a better view or anything.

  “Yeah, I’m sure that was her, and something about the couple she was with looked familiar. I can’t put my finger on it, but I think I’ve seen them before.”

  Remembering faces wasn’t Jake’s thing. The hundreds of fans who sat in immediate view around the ring were probably the cause of that. He saw so many faces on game days that he just couldn’t handle trying to remember all of them.

  He didn’t think the couple were necessarily fans. They just reminded him of the fact he needed to get better about remembering some faces.

  “You want to go check it out? They just walked into my go-to place for lunch, so I’m sure we’ll be welcome.”

  Jake glanced over at Brady as he spoke, so he saw some humor spread across his face that didn’t echo in his tone. Jake wasn’t sure what the funny secret was, but something told him to see what Mia was up to.

  Usually when he was around the house, Mia wasn’t. So, it wasn’t like he had a good handle on the woman. As it was, Kelly had planned to fire her after Nina confirmed the affair was legit. He wasn’t sure if that had happened yet, but she was supposed to be at work if it hadn’t. The soap opera of it all was hard to keep track of.

  “You sure? We could just walk by and look in the window. Maybe if I get a better look, this nagging feeling will go away.”

  If he was alone, there was no way he’d go in. He didn’t want Mia thinking he was following her around. Not that she would immediately jump to that conclusion, but she wasn’t exactly the model of good character, so maybe she’d be suspicious.

  “You’ve got me curious,” Curtis said, starting to walk towards the building.

  Jake thought about stopping him and telling the guys they should find somewhere else to eat, but his feet didn’t listen to the idea. As they walked the fifty feet to the restaurant, his brain kept going through images, trying to pinpoint where he’d seen the couple. The more he thought about it, the more he was sure he knew them for some reason.

  “Shit,” Curtis muttered as soon as they got to the building and looked through the glass window.

  Instead of going inside, he kept walking. Jake looked to see what he’d seen that changed their course of action. Seeing Mia and the couple in the booth right next to the window was obviously part of it, but Jake still couldn’t place them, so he was confused. The older woman had her hand on Mia’s almost like she was comforting her. Jake thought maybe that meant they were related, but Mia’s light skin tone and blonde hair didn’t really match the couple, so they probably weren’t her parents or close relatives. At least that was Jake’s initial reaction.

  Brady didn’t seem to have any reaction, but he followed silently behind his best friend as Curtis took them to a restaurant a few doors down. It was a little nicer than the diner option. It wasn’t going to answer any questions, though.

  “Just the three of you?” a brunette hostess asked.

  Jake was too busy burning holes in the back of Curtis’ head to really pay attention to the woman. His friend paid no attention to him as he confirmed the hostess’ question and followed her to a table. With Brady between him and Curtis, Jake tapped Brady on the back to see if he had any idea what was going on. Brady looked over his shoulder and shrugged.

  “No idea. I got the same sense you did that they’re familiar, but I couldn’t tell you where I saw them,” he whispered.

  Groaning, Jake was getting frustrated. When they were seated at a table in the back, he waited only a few seconds after the hostess left to try to get some answers.

  “What was that all about? I thought we were going to go in, so I can figure out who they are.”

  “Shh,” Curtis said harshly as he picked up his menu and pretended to look at it. At least it looked like he was only glossing over it. “We didn’t need to go inside, because I already know who they are.”

  Jake nodded, supposing that made sense. When Curtis didn’t immediately say anything else, he kicked him under the table. It came in handy that they were sitting across from each other, with Brady next to Curtis.

  “I stopped you from going in because I’m pretty sure it’s not good news that Mia is eating lunch with Brian’s parents. You weren’t at the visitation very long and didn’t come to the funeral, but I heard them talking to people at both, and it was clear who they were.”

  “Shit,” Jake said a little louder than he meant to.

  A woman with a kid sitting at the table across from them glared at him. Jake tried to look apologetic, but his head was busy thinking about what in the world was going on in the diner. Was Mia working with the McKinneys to get custody of the kids? From what he’d just seen, it seemed like a strong possibility.

  There was no way Jake was going to be able to eat. He needed to get home and find out what Kelly knew about the new wrinkle, and if she’d heard anything about the DNA testing. Without more than a wave, he got up and left his teammates behind. He was sure they’d understand, especially since Curtis’ almost morose tone made it clear he was thinking along the same lines of something big being up.

  Chapter 23

  “You’re absolutely sure?” Kelly asked for at least the fifth time.

  Jake had come home all worked up, and Kelly was still having trouble believing the words coming out of his mouth. Mia was in cahoots with the McKinneys. How could that be possible?

  Kelly and Jake were curled up on the couch. Well, they had been curled up until Jake had shared his news. As soon as he started talking, Kelly pushed away from him a little, so she could see his face. She thought for sure he had to be joking.

  “I only vaguely remembered their faces, but Curtis was sure it was them. You can call him and ask if you don’t believe me.”

  Jake sat up and pulled his phone out of his back pocket. Tapping on it before handing it over. Kelly looked down at the screen, surprised to see a picture of herself. She took it from him to see the photo better.

  “When did you take this?”

  She could barely recognize herself. The smile on her face made her look so carefree. The picture itself was black and white. She seemed to be in a white sweater, staring up at something that apparently made her happy.

  “Christmas Eve. We’d just finished decorating the tree, and while I took some pictures of it, I snuck that one of you.”

  He took the phone back and looked at it. Then looked over at her.

  “Have I mentioned how much I like the brown hair? I know you didn’t want the change, but it does suit you.”

  Kelly rolled her eyes. Her hair looked the same as it did in the photo, so it wasn’t like he was seeing her before and after.

  “You have mentioned that once or twice. But, that’s not what I’m worried about right now. Nina got us in to get the swabbing all done, but it’s going to take a week or two to get the results back. It may be sooner, if Nina’s persistence pays off, but I can’t count on that.”

  It would’ve been one thing if Kelly had gotten around to firing Mia, like she’d planned. With the busy morning, she had just told the other woman she could have the time to herself. She should’ve told her then, but it wasn’t something she wanted to do in front of the kids, since she wanted to verify how serious things were between her and Brian. The fact that she was hanging out with his parents made it seem it was more than just a fling between them.

  “I think you underestimate the fear that woman instills in people. Whether the results come back within a week or not, we need to figure out what we’re doing on the Mia front. I don’t have a good feeling about it. It was one thing when it was just an external party, but if she’s working with them…”

  His voice trailed off as he seemed to need more time to figure out how to finish the sentence. Kelly didn’t blame him. She assumed Mia knew about the possible issues with Fiona’s paternity, since Brian didn’t appear to have a problem sharing that information, which meant the McKinneys would know too. If they already knew they weren’t related to Fiona and were still seeking guardianship, they had to have something else up their sleeves.

  Kelly sighed. “As much as I hate to say it, I think it’s a case of keeping your enemy close. She’s been off visiting family so much lately that I have to wonder what family she claims to be visiting.”

  “Did she say that’s what she’s doing today?”

  Shrugging, Kelly wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her head on his shoulder. She had no idea how Mia planned to spend her day. For the most part, the nanny kept to herself. When Kelly had first taken over guardianship, Mia had taken care of the kids most of the day, leaving Kelly to try to figure out what to do with them in the evening.

  Once Kelly and the kids set a rhythm, Mia had disappeared to the back burner. She still came every day and tried to insert herself into their daily routine. Kelly had thought about telling her she wasn’t needed anymore even before hearing about the affair, but she was still worried about doing something wrong with the kids and needing someone to bail her out.

  “She never gives me any particulars when she has to go out,” Kelly said, after thinking about it for a minute.

  “That’s because it’s none of your business where I go.”

  Kelly was startled to hear Mia’s voice, and the terseness in it. She sat up away from Jake and looked to where the woman stood between the living room and kitchen. There was a mean, fiery look on her face that surprised Kelly even more than the words.

  “I take it your little boy toy filled you in on my lunch date. I saw him and his goon friends run past the window. It was a little hard not to see the recognition on Curtis’ face.”

  Well, if Mia wasn’t going to pretend nothing was going on, Kelly didn’t see a reason for her to act stupid. The idea of keeping her enemy close went up in smoke when she saw the combatant stance Mia stood, with her hands on her hips and a defiant air to her.

  “So, you don’t deny you’ve been talking to the McKinneys.”

  “Why should I?”

  Mia walked into the room, over to the fireplace, where some family pictures were proudly displayed, pictures of Fiona and Simon with their parents. Mia lingered on a photo of the family all together. Her finger reached up and traced the image of Brian.

  “And of course you won’t deny you were having an affair with my brother-in-law.”

  Looking over her shoulder, Mia’s face transformed for a second to reveal a sly smile. Her face quickly reverted to prepare for whatever fight she had in mind.

  “I can’t imagine you know how hard it’s been for me to hide how much his death rocked my world. When you told me you were off to the hospital that day and things were ‘the worst’ I about fainted.”

  “Then why are you still here, where everywhere you turn is a reminder of him?” Jake asked.

  The fact that she lingered at the pictures was a testament to the question. Jake probably hadn’t lost anyone close to him if he had to ask. Kelly knew firsthand how helpful it could be to think her sister was still around watching over her. She often found herself talking to Kirsten, asking her advice.

  “I’m not going to pretend with you anymore. It’s been stressful enough to put on a happy face every day. So here it is,” she said as she turned around. “I was pregnant with Brian’s child, but after his death, I lost the baby. Now, I want Fiona and Simon. Obviously, I don’t have any claim to them, but their grandparents do as far as anyone else knows, and they’re willing to let me have them as soon as they win the case.”

  Kelly had no idea what to say. A part of her thought she should say something in condolence of the baby she lost, but she was the woman trying to take the kids away from Kelly. Plus, there wasn’t anyone who could back up the story of the pregnancy. It could’ve just been a line she came up with to sell her story.

  “How could you guys do that to Kirsten?” Kelly asked.

  It probably wasn’t the best response. She was already pissed off, so bringing up Kirsten was like throwing gasoline on top of a burning building.

  Mia scoffed and laughed at the question. “You think I was the first one he screwed around with? I was just the one who wouldn’t go away. I don’t kid myself into thinking he loved me as much as I did him. Fuck, he wasn’t even going to leave Kirsten for me.”

  She said Kirsten’s name like it left a bad taste in her mouth. The hatred made Kelly get off the couch, even though Jake’s arms tried to hold her back. He was quick to stand next to her and whisper in her ear.

  “Remember that she’s the enemy. Don’t give her anything she can use against you.”

  They were words she should heed, but it was hard for Kelly to keep her temper down. Maybe that was Mia’s goal. Kelly tried to keep that in mind, along with the idea maybe she was recording the conversation. She’d already said enough that didn’t bode well for her, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t cut something to serve her purpose.

  Kelly did her best to try to get in her enemy’s head. She’d thought she left her conniving life behind after she walked away from the runway, but it was easy to get back in that headspace. Too easy.

  “But she was going to leave him.” Kelly waited to gauge Mia’s reaction to that before she continued. The other woman didn’t let her fierce expression drop. “She knew about you two, which is why she changed her will to make sure I get the kids.”

  It was still hard to believe her sister had presence of mind to worry about what would happen after her death when she was still dealing with what was going on in her life. Kelly wouldn’t have thought that far ahead, and yet it was the first thing Kirsten did.

  “Of course, she knew. Brian was the only one hiding it from her. Once it was clear it was all out in the open, I thought that would be the end of it. He’d be happy with me, and we’d ride off into the sunset.”

  Mia glanced down to her left hand, more particularly at a ring on one of her fingers. Kelly had never noticed what looked to be an engagement ring. She hadn’t paid that much attention to Mia, so she could have worn it all the time.

  When she looked back up, the slight softening that had taken place as she looked at the ring disappeared. The way she went back and forth with emotions was enough to cause whiplash, and frankly a little worrisome. Kelly had spent plenty of time with people she thought would register on the bipolar level, and Mia was giving off that vibe.

  “Brian decided he didn’t want a divorce. He didn’t want to leave his happy little family, even after I told him I was pregnant with his child.”

  Her hands fisted together as she spoke, and for the first time, Kelly worried what Mia might do. She was a woman scorned, who had lost everything the day Brian and Kirsten died it sounded like. It sounded like she’d lost it before then. That just made the fact that they still had her working there crazy. Kelly couldn’t understand, so she had to ask.

  “If they were working on fixing their problems, why are you still here?”

  “Did you miss the part when I said I was pregnant with his child? It’s not like they could just throw me out on the street. I threatened to tell everyone all their dirty little secrets if they didn’t let me stay.” A sinister smile spread across her face. “I bet you don’t even know the half of the secrets your sister was keeping.”

  “You mean like the fact that Fiona isn’t Brian’s?”

  Instead of being shocked by Kelly’s words, Mia raised her hands and started clapping. It was a slow clap, with hard slaps.

  “Good for you. That little unplanned pregnancy happened when Brian and Kirsten took a couple of weeks off in college. Brian realized back then he was so in love with your sister that he didn’t care if he was throwing his life away to marry her. I always thought that was so romantic of him.”

  Mia cocked her head to the side, as if she was waiting for something else. Kelly wasn’t sure what that was, so she waited to see if Mia would enlighten them or move on. The nanny didn’t seem to have any trouble sharing secrets.