Long Time Coming (11 page)

"Tell him I said hi."

"She says hi too. The reason I called is, uh, see…" He was shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other and stammering, both of which were uncommon to him. "I know that you're … that you and my mother … not my mom now, but Sharon … that you and she…"

He listened for a moment, then a smile as glorious and innocent as the first sunrise broke across his face. "Yeah. I figured it out. Hi, Dad!"

Chapter 13

«^
»

I
n under half an hour Law was at their front door.

During that time Marnie had fed the half-cooked dinner to the garbage disposal. David went upstairs to shower and change. Even so, he was standing at the front door, pacing, waiting for the sound of an approaching car long before Law's sporty Land Rover pulled up to the curb.

"He's here!" he shouted over his shoulder before barreling through the doorway.

From the living room window Marnie watched Law jog around the hood of his car. The two hastened toward each other, stopped, hesitated, solemnly shook hands, then seconds later embraced each other tightly.

Marnie's eyes smarted with tears, but she checked them. She was overjoyed for David that Law had the character to regard his son as a blessing instead of a consequence. But seeing them approach the house, their arms around each other's shoulders, made her physically ill with anxiety. She was the picture of composure, however, when they joined her in the living room. "Thank you for letting me come over on such short notice," Law said politely.

"I don't think David would have allowed me to say no."

"I'm just glad you didn't already have plans," the boy said.

There was an awkward momentary lull in the conversation. Eventually Law and David looked at each other and began to laugh spontaneously their joy bubbling over. Law clapped his hands together once and rubbed them together vigorously. "So are we all ready for dinner?"

"You bet, I'm starved," David said, turning toward the entrance.

"Marnie?"

Law's voice was soft, inquiring, sensitive to what he knew she must be feeling. She loved him for not being a heel, and resented him for the same reason. Dealing with a heel would have been easier than dealing with a man you loved who was trying to rob you of your life's focus.

"I'm bowing out tonight."

"What? Why? Didn't David tell you the invitation to dinner was meant for both of you? I thought I'd made that clear."

"You did. It was generous of you to include me, but I think you and David should have this evening alone."

"I think the three of us need this evening alone," he argued quietly.

"Hey what's going on?" David said, poking his head around the door. "What's keeping you?"

"I'm not going."

"Why not, Mom? Why don't you want to come?" It seemed inconceivable to him that anyone would pass up having dinner with Law.

"I'm very tired."

"Is it because of the phone book thing?" David asked coming back into the room.

"What about it?" Law wanted to know.

"Nothing."

"She didn't get the job."

They had answered in unison, but David's statement was the one Law heard. He looked at Marnie quickly, then down at the floor, then back at her. "I'm sorry. I know you were counting on that."

"Not counting on it," she said defensively. "It would have been a nice commission to get.

The exposure, the honor, and all that. But c'est la vie," she said with a phony smile.

"You were one of the final three," David said, trying to be encouraging. "That's really good."

But not best. And anything other than first didn't count. For David's benefit, though, she smiled, "I'm going to repeat that to myself a thousand times while you two are at dinner.

Have a nice evening."

"Sure you won't come, Mom?"

"I'm sure. Run along. If Law made reservations, you shouldn't be late."

"Here, David," Law said, tossing him a set of car keys, "start the car."

"You bet!" David caught the keys and raced for the front door.

Law hadn't taken his eyes off Marnie. She felt distinctly uncomfortable beneath that hot blue gaze as he crossed the room toward her. "Are you upset?"

"Over the contract I didn't get? No."

"That's crap, Marnie. You're upset. Don't keep that anger locked inside. Let it go. Raise hell. Scream and thrash your limbs. Pitch a fit. Throw a tantrum. Don't be so damn gracious about losing out on a good commission."

"What good would a tantrum do?"

"Absolutely none, but you might feel better."

"I wouldn't. I'd feel ridiculous."

"At least the rest of us slobs would know that you're human, that you've got feelings."

He moved a step nearer and brushed his thumb across her cheekbone. "But I know you've got feelings. They show in your eyes. And right now you look like I would have if I'd got sucked into a black hole while I was in space. I've never seen eyes look so bleak. Is it because David found out about me?"

She nodded, wishing she could yield to the temptation to rest her cheek in his palm. One quarter turn of her head and she could. But she didn't. She wouldn't allow herself even that much intimacy with him. Instead, she angled her head away from his touch.

"His finding out was inevitable," she said. "I've known that since you first came here.

He's too smart, too perceptive." She drew in a shaky breath. "Anyway now it's done and I don't have to dread it anymore."

"You look on it as a tragedy? David doesn't."

"He's ecstatic," she said on a bitter laugh. "What boy wouldn't be thrilled to discover that his father is a national hero?"

"Oh, I see. It's not necessarily me he's happy about. It could have been anybody famous."

"Law, don't." She moaned. "Don't pick a fight with me. I'm too exhausted to battle with you tonight."

"How'd he find out?"

"He guessed. He noticed your sunglasses here and asked me why you'd come by in the middle of the day." She looked away. "He jumped to the conclusion that we were having an affair."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him no!"

"I mean about how he was conceived."

"Everything. He had also jumped to the wrong conclusion that I was his birth mother."

He touched her again, this time sliding his fingers around the back of her neck, encircling it. "You are his mother. I won't forget that. David certainly won't. Right now he's excited about me. But that doesn't diminish his love for you."

He moved closer still, until she could feel his breath on her face. "This is a family occasion. Let's celebrate it together. Come to dinner with us."

For the span of several seconds she was mesmerized by his eyes and persuasive tone of voice. Then she shook her head. "No, Law. Out of almost sixteen years, I think you and David deserve this time alone together."

"Did anybody ever tell you you're stubborn?"

"Just about everyone I've ever met."

Smiling ironically he dropped his hand. "Okay but we won't be gone long."

"Take your time."

She saw him to the door. David waved at her from the driver's seat of the Land Rover.

"Hurry up, Dad, I'm starved," he called with the ease of lifetime practice.

Marnie closed the front door and leaned against it. The pain in her throat from having held back tears was almost unbearable." It was a profound relief to submit to it. Her sobs shook her petite body. Tears streamed down her face. She groped her way back into the living room and collapsed into one of the easy chairs … the one in which she had almost made love with Law.

She lost track of time while sitting curled in the chair, sobbing. Eventually the hard weeping subsided. She went upstairs and washed her face in cold water. The pipes were creaky reminding her of the advice given her the last time the plumber had been called.

He had recommended that she replace all the plumbing.

The house was old and becoming rundown. She'd made it as attractive as her budget would allow, but it was certainly no match for Law's decorator-perfect house. It had no swimming pool, no aquarium built into the wall, no friendly dog awaiting the master's return.

Marnie left the bathroom and went down the hall to David's bedroom. She paused outside the door for a long time. Finally she went in, noticing the dirty clothes he'd stepped out of before his shower. They were lying in an untidy heap on the floor.

Starting with them, she began collecting items and articles of clothing and setting them on his bed. She hoped she had time to finish before they returned.

* * *

"Why do you think she did it?" David asked his father several hours later as they pulled away from the curb.

Law was driving, but his eyes were on the rearview mirror, where he could see Marnie standing in the open doorway a tiny silhouette, looking like she was about to be swallowed by the house.

"I guess for the reason she said," Law replied. "She felt like we needed time together."

He glanced at David across the console. "Does the idea of living with me for a while appeal to you?"

"Yeah, sure," David answered, his hearty approval evident in his sparkling eyes. "I think it's going to be really great." Gradually his smile faded. "I just keep thinking about Mom staying by herself. 'Course it's for only a little while. I don't want you to think you're stuck with me forever," he rushed to add.

"You're welcome for as long as you want to stay, David. I mean that."

The smile David gave him tugged at his heart. The guys at the center would hoot if they knew that several times during the course of the evening, the cocksure Law Kincaid had had to combat tears or risk making a public spectacle of himself.

He and David had spent several hours over an enjoyable dinner." The better he got to know his son, the better he liked him and the prouder he became that his seed had produced such an outstanding young man." He had wanted to announce to everybody

"Hey, this is my son."

David was friendly, mannerly, and knew how to conduct himself properly. For his deportment, Marnie deserved an award. She had done exceptionally well in rearing a child alone. These days two parents were rarely so successful, Law mused. He knew that from listening to some of the horror stories his colleagues told about their kids.

"If only she hadn't looked so sad when we left," David said now, bringing Law's attention back to him. "But it was her idea for me to stay with you. She had everything packed when we got there."

They had almost stumbled over the suitcases in the hallway when they came through the front door after dinner. "Who's going somewhere?" David had asked, thinking he was making a joke.

In all seriousness, Marnie had told them that she thought it would be a good idea for David to move in with Law for a while. At first they'd been too stunned to speak. But after trying the idea on for size, they realized they liked it very much and had readily agreed with her.

"Do you think she really meant it when she said she didn't mind, that she wanted me to?" David asked uncertainly.

"We can only take her word for it, David. She repeated it several times." Law sounded far more confident than he felt. Marnie looked on the verge of emotional collapse when she hugged David good-bye, though she'd put up a brave front.

"She knows it's just temporary, right?"

"Right," Law answered.

"She knows I'll be home on my birthday. I promised."

"A promise we'll both keep."

"Then I guess she's okay with it."

"I guess so." Marnie had seemed anything but okay when they'd left. But she'd been emphatic about David leaving right away. Tonight. It was as though she didn't want time in which to reconsider.

Law admitted to himself that he was delighted with the arrangement. Obviously so was David. Then why did each feel that he was, to some extent, deserting Marnie?

Venus went berserk over seeing David again. She chased her own tail in tight, mad circles before she eventually got winded and calmed down.

"Can I go swimming?" David asked almost as soon as he'd deposited his suitcases in one of the empty guest rooms.

"Be my guest. But here are the rules of the house. No wet towels or clothing left on the deck. Hang them in the laundry room."

"Just like at home."

"And make sure the gate is locked and that you turn off the pool light when you come in."

"Yes, sir."

It was almost an hour later before David walked into the small den Law used as an office at home. The walls were covered with framed photographs of him as a navy jet pilot taken aboard aircraft carriers and at air bases all over the world. Others documented his career as an astronaut. Noticing a picture of the
Victory
space shuttle's launch, David remarked on it.

"Mom woke me up early that morning to watch the blastoff. I was almost afraid to after seeing the
Challenger
." We cheered when everything went all right."

"So did I," Law said with a self-deprecating smile. "I'll get you one of those pictures for your room tomorrow and have all the crewmen sign it."

"Thanks. That'd be cool."

"Did Venus come in when you did?"

"Yeah."

"I haven't seen her. She's usually trying to climb into my lap this time of the night."

"She's, uh, in my bed."

Law threw up his hands. "Women!"

David laughed, but it was almost forced. "I guess you've been with lots of them."

"What, women?"

David cleared his throat. "Yeah."

Law tried to catch his eye, but David wouldn't look directly at him. "Is there something you want to ask me about, David?"

He shrugged, his bony shoulders bobbing first up then down. "Mom and I have talks about it. Sex I mean."

"And?"

"Well, I'm no kid. I know all about it."

"Hmm."

"I haven't gone all the way yet, but, of course, I've been French-kissing for years."

Law tried to keep his face impassive. Leaning back in his cream leather chair, he linked his hands over his flat stomach and said, "Of course."

"And there are some girls who'll let you, you know, kinda touch them … in places."

"Hmm."

"Mom's not stupid. She said she knew that I'd want to, you know … sleep with girls."

"Yes."

"She said it would be unnatural if I didn't. Jeez!" He groaned. "I sound like a real jerk."

"Most of us do when we talk about this subject, David. Forget about how you sound.