Miles Away (Carrion #1)(97)
-Amanda
Letty smirked a little as she hit send. Everything about her cryptic message was code. Knox couldn’t care less about the weather. Letty was alerting Knox that everything was okay. Closing the lid of her Dell, Letty reached down to pat the head of the dog that sat by her feet. A silky-coated chocolate lab looked up at her with a happy face. Sawyer was a stray that had wandered through the woods and happened upon the Cormack homestead. Miles liked to say that the dog chose them. Sawyer had climbed up on the porch shortly after they had arrived in Pennsylvania and decided to never leave. Miles and Letty were happy to welcome Sawyer into their lives, and G saw the dog as something of a companion.
“Good boy,” Letty said as she pat Sawyer’s head.
Rising from her chair, Letty crossed the living room, skating across the shag rug in her satin bedroom slippers. Flicking on the old tube TV, Letty turned to channel six as the game show Jeopardy came on.
“Seven o’clock already?” Miles asked as he broke his eyes from his mother’s manuscript.
“Sure is,” Letty said. “This day flew by. Is it an interesting read?” Letty asked, pointing to Andie’s memoirs.
“This?” Miles asked as he pointed to the stack of papers on his lap. “Very interesting. She knew a lot more than she let on to.”
Letty didn’t look surprised. “She was not a dumb woman.”
“No. Not by any stretch of the imagination. This right here…” Miles said as he tapped his finger three times on the manuscript. “Would blow the lid off of organized crime in Carrion.”
Letty’s eyebrows raised with interest. “Really? What do you intend to do with it?”
“Me? Nothing. But what’s to stop someone else from publishing my mother’s work posthumously…” Miles hinted. “Especially a certain someone who is always on the computer,” Miles said as a smile tugged at his lips.
Letty snickered. “I’m pretty sure that’s what Andie would have wanted. To make Carrion safe for her children and grandchildren.”
Miles nodded as he gathered the papers and set them aside. He decided he would pick up where he left off in the morning. Miles’s eyes fell upon the TV set as Letty took a seat on his lap. The TV program cut to a commercial and when Miles saw the man on the screen, he laughed loudly. The Cormack homestead was located deep in the Pocono Mountains in the northeast corner of Pennsylvania. Being so close to New York City, they got many of the city’s commercials and news programs. Letty sighed loudly as she glared at Knox on the TV screen. Shaking her head just slightly, Letty complained, “This is only going to inflate his ego more.”
Knox Capadonno’s thousand-watt smile beamed back at them from the TV screen. The commercial showed Knox walking through the streets of New York talking with citizens and shaking hands. Standing against a wall covered in graffiti, Knox stood with his sleeves rolled up as he talked with a group of teenagers. As inspirational music blared from the TV, a man’s voice said, “The City of New York congratulates District Attorney Knox Capadonno on his re-election. Upholding justice, tough on crime and for the people.”
As the commercial ended and Knox smiled brightly from the TV screen, Miles griped, “Oh, for f*ck’s sake!”
Miles quickly reached for the remote control and flicked off the TV. As his eyes met with Letty’s, they broke out into uncontrollable laughter. Shaking his head, Miles rose from his seat. Walking over to the far wall of the parlor, Miles opened a cabinet door and pulled out one of his mother’s old records. Letty approached Miles, delicately placing her hands on Miles’s back. Miles placed the record on the player and gently dropped the needle on top. As the seductive blues melody of “At Last” by Etta James began to play, Miles turned around, taking Letty’s hands in his own. Staring in her eyes, Miles smiled as he began to sway with Letty to the music.
“At last, Letty. At long last,” Miles said as he closed his eyes, nuzzling his cheek to hers.
Letty smiled warmly as Miles’s voice tickled her ear.
“No more drama. No more mayhem. No more secrets,” Miles whispered.
Letty’s eyes lit up with a flash. Looking up at Miles, Letty smiled mischievously.
“Well, I still have one little secret, Miles,” Letty said in a suggestive tone.
“Oh?” Miles asked in a sleepy voice. “And what might that be?”
Letty whispered something into Miles ear as his face lit up with surprise.
“Are you serious?” Miles asked.
Letty nodded as she gaged Miles’s reaction.
“Wait, you’re not kidding?” Miles asked as a serious look overtook his face.
Letty smiled warmly.
Miles’s face lit up. “You’re pregnant?”
Letty nodded, giving Miles the only verification that he needed.
“We’re going to have a baby?” Miles asked, looking overjoyed.
“Yes, Miles. You’re going to be a daddy.”
“Again…”
“What do you mean again?”
“I already have G. So I’m going to be a daddy again.”
Miles’s sentiment warmed Letty’s heart. In agreement, Letty replied, “Yes, Miles. You’re going to be a daddy again. I’m six weeks along.”
Miles’s eyes appeared glassy as he processed the news. Shaking his head, Miles replied, “I’m, uh… I’m speechless.” Miles sounded out of breath and out of sorts. Letty stared at him with a nervous look on her face.