If You Only Knew (And Then Came Love Book 1) Read online

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  She’d only seen marijuana once, but she was pretty sure that’s what it was. Should she put it back? What if one of her clients got nosy? No, she owed it to Julian to get rid of it, since he’d been so kind to her. She stuffed it into her purse, clutched her bag in front of her, and raced up to the house. No one else was there. She hurried inside and emptied the contents into the toilet. Flushing twice to make sure nothing came up. She hurried to stash the plastic bag in the garbage can pushing it down in the muck, and prayed the trash would mask the smell.

  Pumping soap onto her hands, she washed them and then pulled a bottle of perfume out of her bag. The last thing she needed was to smell like weed.

  Liza ate her lunch and threw the bag away, before Kate arrived.

  “Sorry, I’m late.” Kate climbed up the stairs to the landing. She sniffed the air. “Is that you?”

  “Umm – what?” Liza froze. Had her boss caught a whiff of the weed she had flushed?

  “The perfume? I like the fragrance. It’s citrusy and a little spicy. What is it?”

  “Oh, right.” Liza forced a smile. “It’s a cheap orange body spray I got from the drugstore.” She cringed at her choice of words. She had to call to Julian.

  “I’ll have to see if I can find it.” Kate nodded then changed gears on her. “Do you have Joanne’s plan?”

  “I need to sign it and my pen disappeared.”

  Kate handed Liza a pen and sat down at the table. She tugged a cell phone out of her bag and handed it to Liza. “Here’s your new phone. Give me yours I’ll give it to the main office and see if they can fix it.”

  “Thanks.” Liza handed her the pen. “What am I in trouble for?”

  “Well I was going to ask how you were feeling. Did everything go all right last night? Were you able to figure anything about getting a new vehicle?”

  Not sure, of the status of the car she shrugged. “Mine is in the shop. I’m borrowing the one I have. The women who hit me said her insurance would take care of everything.”

  “Well good.” Kate looked out the window at the car Liza had driven into work. “It’s a lot nicer than yours.”

  Liza forced a smile at Kate, why was she surprised about her lack of tact. Kate was stalling and she found out why when she peeked out the window. Her lunch rolled in her stomach as she saw Trina Harding climb out of her vehicle and came toward the house. Trina was the Clinical Director of the Yarrow Center.

  “You could have told me she was coming.” Liza sighed.

  “I didn’t want this to be a big thing.”

  “Then why not tell me, why drag it out until she arrived?”

  “You’re not lying about the accident and I can see your phone is not working. However, Trina found out about it and made a big deal about it.” Kate explained before Trina came in the door.

  “Hi girls.” Trina lumbered up the stairs to the main level of the house.

  “Hi,” Kate said.

  Liza forced a slight smile.

  “Nice car, is it a rental?” Trina pointed at her car.

  “No, I’m borrowing it.” Liza’s leg bounced. She tried to still it by crossing her legs, but they continued to bounce.

  “An Infiniti G series. It’s not a cheap car.”

  “A friend rented it for me.” Liza tensed. Why was it any of Trina’s business who the car belonged to? She kept her answers short, as she did not want to add any fuel to Trina’s fire. She hadn’t thought about Julian renting an expensive car. He lived in a huge house, in a wealthy neighborhood. She shouldn’t be surprised he would choose a luxury model.

  “Well—” Trina dug a paper out of her briefcase. “— here’s the write-up. I‘ve had people complain they’re having problems being scheduled for the Batterers Intervention Program. They say they can’t get a hold of you.”

  “I don’t even get a say in this? I’ve explained to Kate on a number of occasions I don’t have access to the scheduler during visitations. By the time, I’m ready to make calls it’s nine at night. When I do answer the phone, I tell them to call the main office. It’s easier for the intake coordinator to schedule the appointments than it is for me.” Liza scanned over the write up.

  Heat rushed through her body and her pulse rate quickened the further into the paper she read. “And as far as last night, I was on my way to the client’s home when I had an accident. I tried to call Kate, but my phone broke. The only reason I was even able to get a hold of her was because the son of one of the women who hit me let me use his phone.”

  “You called from a stranger’s phone?” Trina turned to Kate.

  “It wasn’t a number I recognized.” Kate shrugged.

  Liza drew in a slow, steady breath trying to control her racing pulse rate. “I didn’t have much of a choice. I was stranded, at the mercy of a stranger. I didn’t know the area.” She did her best to keep her voice controlled.

  “Kate said last night she called your client at eight in the evening and you had not arrived.” Trina looked at Kate. “What time did she call you?”

  “She called me about eight fifteen.” Kate scanned through her phone.

  “I wasn’t scheduled to be there until eight fifteen.” Liza knew her comment would do no good. They were convinced she was in the wrong. “I was ten minutes away when I got hit. I had plenty of time if it weren’t for the accident.”

  “I thought it was at eight.” Kate voice was skeptical, but her implication was clear.

  “I didn’t finish with Tamera until seven forty five and the directions said it would take twenty five minutes to get to her house. She’s a new client. I did my best to be on time.” Liza’s hands clenched under the table and her fingernails dug into the flesh of her palms.

  “We’ll see, but this is not the first complaint about you running behind,” Trina said. “You’ll go a day without pay. Next time it will be three days without pay and a six-day a week schedule. A third write up will get you fired. Let’s try and not make this a habit.”

  “You’re joking, right?”

  Trina tugged her glasses down her nose and glared at her over the top. As if that was an explanation.

  Liza opened her mouth to defend herself again. Where in the policy book did a car accident warrant a write up? She let out a breath, it didn’t matter what she said. Trina wouldn’t listen anyway. “I promise to try harder.” Her voice was calm. She could cry and scream later when she wasn’t in front of her bosses. It didn’t matter they were throwing her under the bus. It didn’t matter she had been in a car accident the night before. She somehow still managed to get in trouble. If Trina and Kate didn't leave soon she'd explode. She held her breath.

  “Well good, then I think I’m done here. I’ll see you both later.” Trina stood and headed back out the door.

  At one point, she liked Kate as a person, but lately everything she did felt like it had ulterior motives. She’d always sucked as a boss. Kate was there for herself and would do anything in her power to make sure she came out on top. There was no way she would let Kate know how she was feeling. “Anything else?”

  “No. I have to get going. I have a visit to cover in ten minutes.”

  “I’ll see you later then.” Liza forced a smile. She observed her boss stand and collect her things wishing karma would trip Kate.

  “I’m sorry about this.” Kate walked down the stairs. “She gets this way sometimes.”

  “I’ll lock up when I leave.” Liza dropped her head into her hands and rubbed her temples.

  She remembered she had to call Julian as she was locking up the house. She slid the piece of paper with his number on it out of her pocket.

  He answered on the third ring. “Hello.”

  “Hi Julian, it’s Liza, we met last night?” Why was her heart beating so erratic?

  “How could I forget?” He chuckled. “You slept on my couch. How’s your day going? Better then yesterday, I hope?”

  “I got my ass chewed for being late, for having to cancel, and not answering my p
hone when my boss called.” She walked to the car.

  “You have a shitty boss.”

  “I shouldn’t be complaining, I don’t know you,” Liza told him. “Anyway, I’m calling to thank you for the rental car.” She slid into the car and started it.

  “I didn’t rent you a car. You’re driving one of mine.”

  “What? I can’t!” She dropped her head onto the steering wheel. How was she ever going to manage to get out of this one? “I don’t have to work tomorrow. I’ll set up a rental during my next appointment and drop off your car first thing in the morning.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” He laughed. “I have another vehicle and I’m pretty sure you’re not going to steal my car.”

  “I’m not, I promise.” She felt her eyes widened as she put two and two together. Which meant it was his pot in the glove compartment? “Oh my God, it was yours.”

  “What was mine?”

  It had to be a fluke. There had to be a reason for him to have pot in his car. Someone else must have put it there. He didn’t appear like the type who would use drugs. “Nothing.” She’d have to work up the courage to tell him what happened.

  “Why don’t we discuss this over lunch?”

  “My appointments are back to back. I’m on the way to the next one now.”

  “Dinner? You have to eat something today.”

  “As in a date? I’m not sure—” Dates required time to get ready and she didn’t have enough time for that.

  “How about two people getting to know each other?”

  “All right. My last appointment ends at seven thirty. We could meet then.”

  “Where?”

  “The Yarrow Center is in Marion?”

  “I’ll see you at seven thirty.”

  “Thank you again.”

  “You’re welcome.” Julian hung up.

  Liza sighed. How was she going to tell him what she’d done? Why couldn’t she have met him when she wanted a relationship? Now, when she couldn’t devote time to a relationship, someone like him happened into her life. He was turning out to be quite the man.

  *****

  Liza walked into the lobby that evening. Joanne, the mother, and her son Nicholas, arrived but her daughters, Jasmin and Chiara, had not. She went up to the reception desk. “Any calls?”

  “No but the foster parents tend to be late.” Brenda, the receptionist, smiled.

  “I’m going to get something to drink and then I’ll be back.” Liza gave a slight wave and headed for the door.

  Joanne leapt in front of her.

  Liza jumped back, stunned by her movements, and gave her a fake smile.

  “Where are my kids? You called them didn’t you?” Her voice held an accusatory tone.

  “They received a reminder. They’re running late.” Liza motioned to the chairs. “Have a seat. I’ll be right back and hopefully they’ll be here.”

  Liza went into the break room and pulled a soda from the refrigerator.

  Liza was sipping her drink, when Brenda entered. “Joanne’s kids are here and she’s already ranting.” She shook her head.

  “What pissed her off this time?” Liza rolled her eyes.

  Brenda heaved a heavy breath. “Who knows with her? She mentioned something about clothes?”

  Liza nodded and went into the reception area to see Joanne whispering something to her oldest daughter.

  “Time for the visitation.”

  Joanne’s son snatched up his book bag and headed for the visitation room. Jasmin and Chiara waited for Joanne to head to the room. The visitation started out well, for this family. Nicholas worked on homework – ignoring everyone. Chiara sat in the corner chatting with Jasmin.

  Jasmin was wound up. She kept insisting on jumping on the furniture and talked a mile a minute. She was the youngest of the three and at eight years old was a ball of energy. Joanne found Jasmin’s actions amusing, but ignored the older two children.

  Liza left the parenting to Joanne, as directed by the Center, but marked the lack of control in her visitation notes.

  It was seven twenty when Joanne motioned to her oldest daughter. “Chiara, what are talking about in therapy?”

  “Nothing.” Chiara shrugged and rolled her eyes.

  Joanne then looked Liza. “You see the city is paying thousands of dollars to this place and she’s not getting anything out of it. You have to complain to the state if you want to get anything done,” Joanne rambled. “Jasmin’s out of control because she can’t live with me.”

  Liza opened her mouth to make a comment, but snapped it shut.

  “I’m going to call the governor. I’ll get this straightened out.”

  Liza held up her hand. “It’s almost time to go.” She finished typing her last sentence, saved her work, and closed her laptop. “Why don’t you calm down and say bye to the kids?”

  “I know how to deal with the end of a visit.” Joanne whipped her head back and forth and shook her finger at Liza. “You think I’m crazy, you don’t want me to get my kids back, I know what you write in your reports.” She stomped her foot and postured with her hands as trying to get Liza to fight her.

  Liza held up her hands as she moved toward the door. “Joanne, I have nothing against you, but it’s time to go. Let’s go to the reception area.”

  This visitation room set her up so she was sitting too far away from the door. She hated to feel trapped in a corner with volatile people around. “You’re trying to end my visit early again.” Joanne pointed at the clock.

  Seven twenty eight close enough.

  Jasmin snickered at her mom. Chiara and Nicholas rolled their eyes as they gathered up their things to leave.

  “Come on, Mom. It’s time to go.” Nicholas stood and headed for the door with a flush to his face.

  Joanne let out a heavy breath and huffed out the door.

  The five of them walked quietly up front with Liza leading the way.

  Liza put her arm up to stop Joanne from leaving with her kids. She motioned for the seating area. “I need you to wait here while the kids leave, with their foster parents.”

  “I should be able to tell my children bye.” Joanne’s hands flew to her hips and she eyed Liza, her head bobbing.

  “Tell them goodbye, but you can’t leave this building the same time they do. You know the rules. We shouldn’t have to discuss it every single time.” Liza watched as Jasmin and Chiara’s foster mother backed toward the door with the children.

  “Bye, kids.” Joanne moved around Liza to head for the door, following the kids.

  The foster mother’s eyes widened and she looked at Liza as Joanne headed for the door behind her.

  Liza moved in front of the door, between the foster parent and Joanne.

  Joanne backed up and waved her finger in Liza’s face. “I can track you down, bitch. You won’t get away with taking my kids away with this.” She yelled, brought her arm back, and made a fist.

  A male body stepped between her and Joanne, capturing Joanne’s fist and pushing it away. “Back the hell off.”

  Liza recognized Julian’s voice the moment he spoke. She rested her hand on his shoulder to stop him from interfering. She opened her mouth to say something, right as Trina came into the waiting area.

  Joanne swung her fist again.

  Julian sidestepped the blow and moved Liza with him.

  Another therapist, came in from behind Trina, caught a hold of Joanne, holding her arms down.

  “Bitch, I’ll track you down. I’ll kill you for taking my kids away from me.” Joanne screamed and struggled against the woman holding onto her.

  “The state removed your children from your custody, Joanne, we had nothing to do with it,” one of the therapists said. “Your behavior is not helping you get them any quicker.”

  It took two people to drag Joanne into the back and away from Liza.

  “What was that about?” Trina scowled at Liza and then quirked a brow at Julian.

  Julian spun arou
nd and caught Liza’s shoulders as she stumbled. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” She clutched the charm on her necklace and slid it across the chain.

  “What did you do to get her mad?” Trina stepped over to where Liza and Julian stood.

  Julian shot Trina a glare. “That woman called her a bitch and swung at her, not once but twice. Don’t tell me you didn’t see it. Nothing Liza could have done to her would have made that acceptable.” He put his arm around Liza protectively.

  Liza could hear Joanne screaming through the closed door, she shuddered and Julian pulled her closer.

  “You’re correct. She was in the wrong to attempt to strike her case worker.” Trina’s answer held all the tact of an HR rep, neither for nor against the client. Always PC and full of condescending bullshit that made this job old, real fast.

  “What?” Julian pointed a finger at Trina. “There’s a time and place for being politically correct lady. What she did was assault, luckily for you I was here. Otherwise, Liza would be forced to file charges against you and that woman. Whose job is it to keep your employees safe?”

  “And you would be?”

  “Julian Vitalli.”

  The door opened and Joanne walked in with the two therapists who had hauled her out before. “I want her fired.” Joanne sneered when she saw Liza.

  “Joanne, why don’t you come to my office and you can tell me exactly what happened?” Trina watched Liza and Julian out of the corner of her eye, before turning to face the door.

  Joanne smirked as if she had the upper hand when Trina led her through the door.

  Trina stopped and turned to Liza. “I know what she did. I’m going to try and get her out of here while you’re in the other room. Write this up and then you can go home. We’ll discuss it tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow’s my day off,” Liza said.

  “Thursday then.” Trina nodded and exited the room.

  Julian pulled her into a side hug and kissed the top of her head. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “I will be.” She stepped out of his arms. Had he just kissed her? It felt so comfortable standing in his arms. She had to move away to avoid resting her head against his shoulder. She barely knew the man and yet the entire length of her body tingled. “Thank you.” She ran a hand over her arm and watched him, before moving over to the reception desk.