Page 31 of Karma

“Do you need help changing?” he asked, that gruff voice back.

She swallowed hard. “I think I can manage. If you just…” With her fingers, she indicated he should turn around.

Like a gentleman, he faced the door, and she slowly maneuvered her old clothes off and her pajama clothes on, aware of the few seconds she bared her breasts and exposed her pink lace bikinis.

“You had some phone calls,” he said as she changed.

She’d appreciate the effort at normal conversation if his voice didn’t sound strangled and tight. He was as aware of the fact that she was changing as she was.

“I was going to let it go to the answering machine, but I didn’t want the ringing to wake you,” he continued.

“You can turn back now,” she said, finally dressed. Or as dressed as Victoria’s Secret would allow.

He faced her again and walked closer to the bed.

“Who called?” she asked.

“Your brother…and your parents.”

Her stomach cramped, and she folded her arms across her chest. “What did they want?”

Dare set his jaw, wishing he could avoid this particular conversation. His brief talk with her family members had given him a glimpse into her life that was truly painful.

“Brian wasn’t sober, so I wouldn’t worry about what he had to say.” There’d been a lot of whining and talk of how she should have let him take his turn against the cop. No mention of an apology nor did he ask how she was feeling. In fact, Dare wondered if he’d even remembered what had happened.

“Where is he?” she asked, unable to meet his gaze.

“I know someone from the department drove him home and confiscated his car keys, so he’s home. He’ll have to come down to the station to get them when he’s sober.”

“And my parents? I’m guessing someone called and told them what happened?”

In Dare’s mind, this was a tougher revelation. “Yes. They’d heard about Brian’s scene.”

“And that he hit me?” she asked, her eyes wide in her pale face.

He nodded.

“And? Don’t hold back on me. Wait, I’ll make it easy on you and tell you what they said. How could I let Brian make such a public scene? Why didn’t I stop him? Is he okay, or should they come home and be with him?” She stared at him, her expression hard. “Well? Which one was it?”

He swallowed over the lump in his throat. “A combination of all three. After they got past the fact that a strange man had answered your phone and how would that look to their friends here. I explained that I was a local cop as well as a friend who was just here looking out for you until you could take care of yourself.”

Liza blew out a long stream of air. “You shouldn’t have wasted your breath. They don’t care about me.”

Though he wished he could argue, his quick talk with her parents merely confirmed what she thought. Which really made him sick. They hadn’t asked about Liza or her condition. Their only concern was for Brian or, more accurately, Brian’s behavior and how it reflected on them.

“You really stepped into a lot more than you bargained for by helping me.”

“Why? Because your family is as dysfunctional as mine?” He shook his head, amazed that she really couldn’t see it. “You do know the infamous Barron family history, right?”

“I know your parents died in a car accident,” she said softly. “But I’d switched schools by then, and Brian started getting into real trouble…so not really.”

“Are you sure you want to hear it? It’s a long story.”

She smiled. “I have nowhere else to be, and you volunteered to hang out here, so you might as well make yourself comfortable,” she said, laughing.

The sound settled inside him. He preferred this lighter, warm version of Liza. “Is the pill kicking in?” he asked.

“Mm-hmm.” She patted the space beside her. “So come tell me a story.”

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