Rise - Part Two (Rise #2)(18)

"With Dane?" He looks down at my face. "It went better than I thought it would. He was upset, but he handled it surprisingly well."

That's not giving me much to go on. "Did he go see your father?"

"He did. We all did. The three of us saw him on Saturday afternoon."

I finally feel as though my fishing expedition is paying off. "That must have been difficult."

"It was cathartic in a sense. We all got to speak our minds; my dad included. The guards actually had to step in a couple of times when my mother got on her feet."

I've yet to meet Landon's mother, Anja, but I know from what Gianna shared with me on the flight to L.A. that's she's got a strong spirit and always puts her sons' happiness before her own. As she retold me countless stories about the days following Landon's father's drowning, I'd bitten my tongue, almost literally.

I had wanted to tell her that Frederick was alive and that the sadness that crept into her voice whenever she said his name wasn't warranted. That man's plan to fake his own death had touched countless lives and each one of those people deserved to know the truth.

"Gianna was talking about your dad on the flight." I know this may not be the best time to bring this up but I doubt that they can keep Frederick's presence a secret forever. "Are you going to tell her and Gabriel soon?"

"What did she say about him?"

I feel slightly annoyed that he skimmed over my question in favor of his own. "Not a lot. She mostly talked about when he drowned."

"About the day he drowned?"

I stare at his face wondering why the pointed details of something that happened so long ago matter at this point. It's been years since that day on the water when the boat Landon and his father were in capsized and it's been weeks since he resurfaced from the dead.

"She talked about the days after the accident," I clarify. "It upset her a lot. I'm sure that has to do with the fact that her sons took part in the rescue."

He runs his hand over the base of his neck, pulling at the edge of the sweater he's wearing. "She helped my mother through those first days. I'll always be grateful to her for that."

"She seems very kind," I say based on my limited knowledge of the woman. Personally I think she's nosier than she is kind, but I haven't spent enough time with her to form a concrete opinion on her strengths and weaknesses.

"Is she still in California?"

I shrug my shoulder as I reach past him towards a bottle of water he placed on the table. I open the plastic cap and take a drink. "I think she's still there. I don't know. She went to see her son."

He takes the bottle from me and finishes the contents. "My mom was asking about her. She wants to see her before she heads back to Boston."

I take a moment to absorb what he just said. I was hoping that when he asked me to stop by that Anja would still be here. I'd realized as soon as he pulled me into his arms, grabbed my ass through my jeans and kissed me that his mother wasn't in his apartment. I just assumed that she'd gone back to Boston to nurse her emotional wounds.

"Where is your mom?" I ask without reservation. "Is she out?"

"She's staying at Dane's place." He taps his shoe against the floor. "She wanted to be close to him and his fiancé."

"Will I get to meet her before she goes home?" I try not to let any excitement fall into my tone. I'm anxious to meet her and Dane.

"Not this trip." He pushes himself to his feet. "Maybe next time, Tess."





Chapter 17


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"When did you get back from your trip?" Lilly hands me a small pink cardboard box. "I've missed you a lot."

I smile at the confession. I've missed her too. We texted almost non-stop when I was on the west coast but it wasn't the same as seeing my best friend. "I got home yesterday."

"Did you see Landon?"

I know she's not asking because she wants to gauge his importance in my life next to her. That's not what Lilly is about. It's the romantic part of her rising to the surface again. She wants me to tell her that he swept me into his arms when I landed at the airport and then he kissed me in the taxi on the ride to his place before he devoured my body all night.

In reality, I had hoped that he would offer to meet me when my plane landed, but the offer never came. Instead, I took a taxi home, showered and then when I finally did hear from him, I went to his apartment and after our Gianna centered conversation, I excused myself under the guise of an apology about being jet-lagged.

I didn't lie about being exhausted but I didn't go home after I left his place. I went to a diner and as I finished every last bite of a cheeseburger and fries I thought about Frederick Beckett and why since that night in the elevator it's seemed that his oldest son has done everything in his power to keep the news of his father's return a secret.

It might be as innocent as Landon says it his. Perhaps the police are keeping it under wraps because it's aiding in their investigation or maybe there's more to it than that and Landon is trying to protect me.

"Open the box, Tess."

I look down at my hands at the small cardboard box. "You got me a present? I didn't expect you to get me something."