"I'm not avoiding you, Maura replied calmly, returning Rick's gaze. "I just don't have anything to say to you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm in the middle of dinner." She stepped back and tried to shut the door but Rick twisted into the doorframe, getting a door knob in the gut for his effort.

"Ow! Maura, I'm not letting you off that easily!" He said pushing the door away from his midsection. "You left me ten years ago without even a note. I think it's high time I got an explanation." Maura took a step back and folded her arms across her chest, stubbornly. Rick Upton would not get anything out of her, she thought fiercely. She'd had her reasons, and secrets, at the time and that was all he needed to know.

"I have nothing to say to you Rick...."

"Everything okay out here, Mo?" Luke asked from the dining room door, his eyes flipping between her and the stranger.

"Yes," she replied startled at his voice. "It's just an old...friend of mine from college."

"Rick Upton," Rick said sliding past Maura, his hand extended, to take advantage of the interruption. "And you must be Luke. I remember Maura talked quite a bit about you."

Luke hesitated, looking back at Maura, before shaking Rick's hand. "Nice to meet you Rick. She's never said a word about you."

"I'm not surprised. We didn't part on the best of terms."

"I see and you're on good terms now?" Luke asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I'm trying but your sister is stubborn," Rick chuckled. 

"Yes," Luke nodded, "she is. Um...maybe Maura didn't tell you, but we're in the middle of a family dinner. Perhaps you could come back at a more convenient time?"

"Oh absolutely," Rick nodded in agreement. "We were just planning that, weren't we?" Maura shot him a scathing look. "I won't keep her very much longer."

"Fine, don't take too long," Luke warned before closing the dining room door to give them some privacy.

"How dare you!" Maura hissed furiously after the door was closed.

"Oh don't get all high and mighty, Mo. All I want is dinner with you. I want to hear how you are and what you've been doing. Is that so terrible?"

"I told you, I don't have anything to say."

"I'm not leaving until you say yes." He folded his arms across his chest and planted himself firmly against the wall. "Say yes and I'll leave."

Maura fought a silent battle with herself. She was curious about what he had done since she had left. But she most certainly didn't want him to know what she had been doing. There was too much he didn't and couldn't know. If she went to dinner with him, then there was a possibility a layer of her self-imposed armor would crack and any of it could slip out. But then, she was much stronger than that. She'd kept it to herself for so long, one meal certainly wouldn't make a difference. And she already had enough to explain to Luke. If Rick stayed any longer, she'd have the whole family to explain to, especially Jillie. 

"Fine," she said at last. "When and where?"

"Tomorrow night. I'll pick you up at seven," he answered grinning triumphantly.

"I don't think so. Just tell me where and I'll show up."

"The Fountains, then," Rick said moving towards the door. "At seven. And Maura? It's a nice place. A little bit more formal than Connie's, so dress nice." He ducked out the door, grinning, as Maura slammed the door behind him. Dress nice?! She'd show him how nice she could dress!


Scene 2

"Is the coast clear?" Jamie asked, poking his head into his mother's office. Gwen lifted her head and smiled, motioning for him to enter.

"If you mean, is Hallie here or not, yes, she has left. She went to the Conlan's to speak with Luke about the engagement party that I will be hosting for them next month," Gwen replied innocently.

"You bribed her," Jamie responded after settling onto the dark velvet divan. "Shame on you Mother."

"I did nothing of the kind! All I did was offer Four Winds to her for her party. It's what she's wanted since she was a child."

"I suppose it doesn't hurt that the day you decide to do this is the day she is asked to leave Mason Enterprises. Mother, she's not stupid. She isn't appeased at all, and I think you know it."

Gwen stood and went to the window, gazing at the setting sun. "Jamie, I know Hallie very well. She's a lot like me. If I were in her shoes, I would be hopping mad as well. Of course she isn't appeased. But letting her have the biggest and best engagement party...and wedding is the least we can do for her, Jamie. She is still family."

"You're right, Mother. I don't begrudge Hallie a wonderful party or wedding. I just don't trust her. She's still angry and she'll find a way to get her revenge," he returned simply. He wasn't in the mood to argue with her, but she had to see that Hallie was still a threat no matter what she offered. 

"I am well aware of what Hallie is capable of," Gwen sighed, turning back to her son. "Now, tell me about this house."

Jamie turned a shade of crimson under his mother's reproachful gaze. He had never told her they would live at Four Winds, only that they would stay there until a suitable house could be found. The house was already well inhabited with Dane and Hallie and Jude all living there. And love the house as he did, he could never ask Michaela to live there. She would never feel at home in a mansion with servants at her beck and call. She would be more comfortable running her own household. And the house he had found would be perfect for her.

"It's in the Historical District. Just off Maryland Avenue," he said dropping his eyes. "It's a great house...Michaela will love it."

"I see," Gwen nodded. "Jamie...Is there a reason you don't want to live here?"

"Mother," he sighed. "I have a family now. I have to think of them. The boys need room to grow and Michaela needs her own space. A home she can call her own."

"The boys can grow here! I have plenty of room!" Gwen cried. "And Michaela can have whatever room she wants!"

"There are too many people in this house already. Dane and Jude aren't leaving anytime soon. And Hallie will probably have her new husband move in after the wedding. No, with my family on top of it, there won't be any room to walk." He stood and went to her, hugging her gently. "I came back for you, Mother. I never wanted ME or this way of life, you know that. Don't force it on my family."

"I can't help but want you and your children here Jamie. Someday this house will be yours and they should know it as well as you do." Gwen looked up at him, her eyes misty. "But until then, if you have to live elsewhere I understand. At least you're here."

"Yes, Mother," he replied. "I'm here."


Scene 3:

Luke watched Maura as she washed the dishes, taking her time with each dish. She'd been quiet since the visitor had left. Not even Jillie's antagonizing had drawn her out. He took the dish she handed him and dried it dutifully. As kids, their mother had split them into pairs to do the dishes after dinner and Maura had been his partner just as Jillie and Jory had been attached at the hip. Old habits die hard, he thought as he put the plate in the cupboard. 

"All right," he said, dropping the towel on the counter. "What's going on? You've been awfully quiet since your friend left." Maura looked over her shoulder at him, but said nothing. "Come on, Mo. Who is he besides Rick Upton?"

"Just a friend," she replied. 

"Uh uh, I don't buy it. Come on. Out with it." Maura turned and leaned against the counter.

"Fine. You want to know? He was a boyfriend. We were close. Satisfied?" She asked raising her eyebrows impatiently.

"No. Why were you so bothered by his appearance? And if you give me that lame story about how you guys parted badly, I'll throw suds at you."

"Trust me, we didn't leave it badly. I just left. He just wants to know why and it's driving me nuts. He shows up at Connie's for business meetings and always manages to say something to me."

"What's he do?" Luke asked pulling out a chair. Talking about Mo's love life was better than thinking about his precarious position at work.

"Are you ready for this? He's the new editor of The Observer."

"So, he's Jillie's boss?" Luke grinned. Maura nodded. "Oh man! That's funny."

"No it's not!" She snapped back at him. 

"Yeah, it is. Does Jillie know you and he used to..."

"I don't think so," Maura said pulling out a chair next to him. "She knows something's up, but I don't think she knows details. I wish he would just go away, Luke! I dumped him and it's almost embarrassing that he keeps pestering me."

"I don't know," Luke shrugged. "I think it's kind of cute."

"Please...I agreed to dinner at The Fountains with him. I'm such an idiot," Maura said shaking her head.

"Ooo, fancy. You know I think you should do? I think you should dress to the nines, let him buy you dinner and then tell him to shove off. At the very least you'll get a free meal. It's that easy."

"You're no help," she said. A sharp rap at the back door drew their attention away from the conversation. Maura caught a flash of red through the glass pane and grinned. "Speaking of easy," she nodded towards the door. "Looks like Hallie is here."

"Very funny. Leave her alone, she's had a hard day," Luke chastised, opening the door. Hallie burst in, glowing with excitement. 

"Luke! Gwen is letting us have the engagement party at Four Winds! Do you know what this means?"

"The end of the world as we know it?" Maura muttered. Hallie turned a steely gaze at her and smiled sweetly.

"Oh, Maura...I didn't see you there." 

"I was just leaving. See you later Luke." Luke saluted her and turned to Hallie.

"Four Winds eh? Looks like we'll be having one hell of a party."


Scene 4:

Maura left the kitchen and started towards the living room, where Kevin was hissing at the players on that new game show, "Weakest Link". She paused outside the door, staring in at Jillie sprawled across the couch with Jory on the floor next to her. She should join them, she knew, but she couldn't make herself step into the room. She wasn't in a family mood. 

Backing away from the room, she turned and fled up the stairs to her room, shutting the door behind her. Her eyes fell on her closet and she went to it, knowing she had nothing she could wear to The Fountains. Standing before it, she pulled out item after item, throwing each one on the bed after dismissing it for one reason or another. 

"Too young," she said tossing a beaded miniskirt she had worn a couple of years ago but hadn't had the heart to throw it out. She picked it up and set it aside. Jillie might like that one, she thought. "Too old," she deemed a tea length black skirt made of a light crepe. "Too innocent," she said tossing a powder blue sweater set across the room. "Too racy!" The last item was a short black dress with spaghetti straps and no back. It would have done the trick but she most certainly did not want to give him the wrong idea. 

Turning back to the closet, she caught sight of the shoebox buried deep behind her shoes. Of course, it only seemed right that she would see it tonight. After all, the past had come to haunt her hadn't it? She knelt down and crawled into the closet, pulling at the box until it's contents spilled out onto the floor in front of her. She ran her hand across the pile of papers and photographs before picking up a fading picture of herself with Rick....
 
August, 1990

Maura curled up next to Rick and kissed his ear. "Mmmmmm...that's nice," he murmured turning to her. "Hey," he said softly, touching her cheek.

"Hey," she replied. "I thought you might want to get up since it's nearly noon." Rick's eyes shot open and he sat up in bed. 

"What? Oh my god, I'm gonna be late Mo! Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" He asked frantically grabbing a pair of khakis from the closet and hopping into them.

"I didn't know you had to get up. I'm sorry...where are you going?"

"I have a job interview, Remember? The Chicago Tribune?" He said rummaging through the closet for an oxford. Maura frowned at him as he dressed. "What?" he asked noticing her.

"I thought you had changed your mind about Chicago," she said simply. 

"Mo," he said sitting on the edge of the bed. "I'm just going for the experience. You know my heart is with you. Wherever you go, there I am, remember?" Maura smiled softly and nodded.

"I know. I'm sorry," she said reaching for her robe. "Here, let me do your tie. You have to look good for the newspaper men don't you?" He wrapped his hand around hers and kissed it gently.

"I meant what I said Maura Conlan. It doesn't matter what happens, I'll always go wherever you are, I promise you that."

"I know," she answered, brushing his face with her hand. "I love you Rick...now go knock 'em dead."
 

Maura shook the memory loose and laid the picture back down. She had loved him...she still did. But their life together had ended long ago. This was purely an exercise in torment. Even if Rick still loved her, there was no way he would take her back after what she had done......
 

On the next Episode of Secret Horizons...

Episode 10