Page 15 of Whispers in the Dark

I frowned. I didn’t want to discuss my past with anyone, least of all her.

Yes. I was born and raised there.

Greece is so beautiful. At least, it is in pictures. You will need to tell me about growing up there some time. I would love to hear all about it. Were you close to Santorini? Or Athens?

I despised discussing that part of my life with anyone, and I’d had to make it clear to Bea that it was off topic to her over the years. I would now have to do the same with Brynn.

It doesn’t matter, not that it is any of your business, either. I will see you in the office on Monday. Goodnight, Miss Davis.

With that, I tossed my cell phone onto the nearby cushion. It chimed with a notification, but I was done with the conversation. I had simply wanted to ensure she made it home, which she had, and now my concern could disappear.

Leaving my cell phone where it was, I took another swig from the bottle of whiskey before I returned it to the liquor fridge. From there, I went into my bedroom. Once finished with my shower, I got into bed and tried hard not to imagine the smileand sense of wonderment that had to be on her face as she had excitedly typed those questions to me.

I knew this woman, mostly from the time I had spent observing her especially since she started work at Benedict Technologies. If I even entertained this line of questioning, she would become more invasive and I couldn’t have it. I wouldn’t. With that firmly cemented in my head, I reached over and flicked the lamp switch, then went to sleep.

10.Brynn

Iwasn’t entirely sure what had happened last night when I had asked Adrian a few questions about Greece and his childhood, but I wouldn’t make the mistake again. I also wouldn’t allow his reaction to ruin the weekend plans I was about to have with my father.

Just a short flight up the coast meant I could see him whenever I wanted, and since he had moved to Portland to get away from my mother over a decade ago, I made a point to fly up at least once a quarter.

Stepping out of the airport into the cool Oregon air, I immediately spotted the black Range Rover parked curbside. He flashed the lights twice, but I was already walking toward him, my smile growing wide while I watched his six-foot-two-inch frame unwind out of the driver seat. When I reached the tailgate of the SUV, he immediately enfolded me into a bear hug and the familiar feel of his arms around me felt like home.

Robert Davis was the finest man I knew, which is why my mother and he couldn’t stay married. He was too good for her. I only wished I could have lived with him instead of her, but that would have meant leaving Blair and there was no way I would have done that to my sister. My bitch of a mother knew that, too.

“There’s my girl. Hi, Punkin,” he said, giving me another tight squeeze. Releasing me, he took a step back before grabbing the one large duffle I brought with me. I had never been one to need a ton of luggage.

“Hi, Daddy. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too, baby. I’ve already got breakfast lined up for us at Sweedeedee.”

“Good,because I am starving. I didn’t even go to bed last night since I had to be at the airport so early. I just took a nap on the couch until my ride share arrived.”

We chatted on the way to my favorite diner, covering a variety of topics from Lug Nut, my new job, my new boss, the latest update on Randall, Dad’s latest trip… anything and everything except the main reason why I made the trip this specific weekend: Today was Blair’s birthday.

My father wasn’t her biological father, but he had raised her for the most important part of her life and for all intents and purposes had been her Dad, too. They had loved each other as much as he and I did, so I know he was grieving her loss as well. I didn’t want either one of us to be alone on this first birthday without her.

After being seated and placing our orders, we held hands and just enjoyed being in each other’s company for several moments. Part of me wanted to talk to him about Adrian and ask for advice, but I knew if I did, I would immediately bias my father against him and that wouldn’t be fair.

“You’ve got something on your mind, Punkin?”

I shrugged and hoped I could make this sound casual. “I’m still trying to figure out my new boss. No big deal. He’s got a few quirks. Likes things a certain way, you know? And I may have to learn Japanese.”

My dad grinned and asked if learning Japanese meant I would get to go to Japan. I nodded. “I believe so. The formerassistant, the woman who trained me, said that it would be expected. She wasn’t able to travel because her husband has medical issues. That was why she retired. She needed to spend more time with him.”

“Needed to spend… oh. Man, that’s rough,” my dad said.

“I know. She’s a very nice woman. She worked for Mr. Benedict for quite a long time. Gave me some good intel. I’ve got a notebook full of tips and tricks.”

The food arrived then and my eyes widened when I saw how much was on my plate. I had apparently forgotten that the portions were large enough to feed over-the-road truckers here. My scrambled eggs with black beans and potatoes came out smoking hot, as did Dad’s breakfast sandwich. We left an hour later with full stomachs and full hearts after catching up a bit.

As we headed toward his house, I knew we would pass by my favorite country chapel which stayed open for anyone who wanted to wander in for a prayer, a private confession, or to light a candle. I felt the need for two of the three.

“Dad, would you stop at that chapel that I like, please?”

He glanced at me sideways, but didn’t say no. In the distance, I saw the white steeple and my heart began to beat faster as the building grew larger. Finally, we were there and he pulled into the parking lot.

It was as I remembered from the first time I had seen it right after he had moved to Portland and he was driving me around showing me the area. A traditional white church with stained glass windows, it had felt welcoming the second I stepped inside back then. The same was true this morning.

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