by Meryl Sawyer
"I'd rather eat a lizard without salt than take any of their food."
She laughed, a light mellow sound that caused several men nearby to turn and look at her in a way that spiked his anger. His irritation with the Stanfield clan must be getting to him. He couldn't be jealous.
"I say we wait until we get home and eat with Pop."
"Good idea." From behind his sunglasses, he gave her a slow once-over. Kelly had no idea how she looked in that soft denim dress. He turned away, uncomfortably aware of the subtle change in his body. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, so his usual willpower could reassert itself.
"In your article, what did you say about the Stanfields?" he asked, opening his eyes.
"I told the story from your point of view. It doesn't paint a flattering portrait of the family." She caught her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment, thinking. It wasn't a deliberately provocative gesture, but it made him aware of just how attractive her lips were. "If I'd known how badly they'd treated you, I would have been harder on them. Why did you wait until today to tell me?"
"I hate whiners. I wasn't raised to be a cry-baby." Wasn't that the truth.
She tilted her head slightly, a mannerism she shared with her grandfather, and he could feel her studying him from behind the dark glasses. "What aren't you telling me?"
He didn't bother to smile, knowing it wouldn't work on Kelly. She had a built-in bullshit detector and knew he was up to something, but she hadn't quite figured out what.
"Some of the info is classified. The rest … trust me, babe, you wouldn't want to know."
"Try me."
"The offer is still open. Come to my room tonight." He knew Kelly wouldn't do it. The information he had on her revealed she had been faithful to her husband, and judging from what Pop had told him, she was still struggling to cope with Daniel Taylor's death.
What the hell? He was only teasing Kelly, getting perverse pleasure out of baiting her. But he had to admit the thought of her sharing his pillow, her blond hair tousled, her sweet lips breathlessly parted—was a real turn-on.
Benson Williams's voice came over the microphone, instructing everyone to help themselves to the food, then find a table. It took another few minutes for the guests to take their places.
While they did, reporters jockeyed for spots in front of the podium. All cameras had been banned because this was a "family celebration" and they didn't want to make the barbecue too much like a political event. One photographer had been hired to take the single family photograph, which would be released to the media.
What a crock! Didn't the media understand that Nazi prick, Benson Williams was manipulating them, putting his spin on the story?
"Shouldn't we move a little closer?" Kelly suggested.
"Nope. They'll find me here." He was through being treated like shit and ordered around. As soon as this press conference was over, he was leaving the Stanfields behind forever.
Trouble was, he didn't have a clue where he was going or what he would do when he got there. For damn sure, he wasn't taking a desk job in the Pentagon.
Benson Williams began speaking again, thanking everyone for coming, and saying how much the Stanfield family appreciated their friends.
Kelly whispered, "Do you actually think they have any friends here? Political cronies and media people are all I see. What would it be like not to have any real friends?"
He could tell Kelly wasn't being sarcastic. She was genuinely distressed at the thought. Little did she know that he was more like the Stanfields than she suspected.
Danger was his best friend. His only friend.
Okay, Brodie Adams could be considered a friend. The two of them had been on enough missions together. Logan could turn his back on Brodie, something he rarely did with anyone. It had been Brodie who'd broken the news about being the missing boy to Logan.
* * *
Kelly tuned out Benson Williams and checked her watch. It was almost five o'clock, which meant it was eight in New York. Information about her article on Logan McCord would be posted on the Exposé Website at eight. Word would spread quickly. She'd bet anything that by ten minutes after the post, someone in New York would contact one of the media honchos attending the barbecue. Most of them had cell phones or pagers, or both.
Haywood Stanfield would be asked some tough questions, she thought, trying not to smile. She glanced sideways at Logan and wondered how he would react to his father's speech. She tried to imagine what it would be like to suddenly discover you were part of a family like this.
A love child.
She couldn't conceive of what Logan must be feeling. His reception by the family had angered him, which was lucky for her. Now she had an exclusive interview, but she couldn't shake the impression that there was more to this story than what Logan had told her. If he'd lied to her, and she'd convinced Matthew to run the story, it could ruin Matt's career.
She shuddered inwardly at the thought. Matt did not deserve to have his life turned inside out because of her. She mentally crossed her fingers and prayed Logan hadn't lied to her.
Haywood Stanfield walked up to the podium, and Ginger stood beside him. The twins, Tyler and Alyx waited nearby. They were ten years older than Logan, and had their mother's Nordic blond looks while Logan could have been Woody Stanfield's younger brother.
Despite her beauty and her father's money, Alyx had never married and rarely dated. She was very active socially, never missing an A-list party, but she was usually with her brother or with Benson and Ginger.
Tyler had been married several years ago. His wife Suzanne's tragic death must have been a terrible blow because Tyler had never remarried. Even though Tyler seemed shallow, life having been far too easy for him, Kelly sympathized. She knew how achingly lonesome the world seemed after you lost someone you loved.
Haywood began by thanking everyone for coming. His expression was somber, his dark blue eyes—Logan's eyes—were troubled. Kelly sensed the crowd's anticipation. They were expecting him to announce his intention to run for president and were wondering why he wasn't more upbeat.
"I have something important to share with you all, my closest friends. That's why I asked you here today, so you would be the very first to know. Years ago our family suffered a tragic loss. The son we adopted vanished. His disappearance has haunted us ever since. Not a day went by that we didn't pray for our son."
Ginger sighed and dabbed her eyes with a lace-edged handkerchief. Haywood paused to put his arm around her. The guests murmured to each other, wondering what this was all about.
Kelly stole a glance at Logan. He had taken off the cap and was raking his fingers through his hair. He didn't appear to be nervous, even though in a few minutes he'd be the center of attention.
And controversy.
"Our prayers were finally answered."
Haywood let the words hang in the air, and Kelly decided he had a flair for drama. Or was this Benson Williams's idea? The political advisor was on the sidelines, his arms crossed in front of his chest, watching intently.
"You all may remember me sponsoring legislation that became the 1995 National Crime and Terrorism Prevention Act. As a result law enforcement agencies received funds to electronically store fingerprints and photo identification to check the tidal wave of crime sweeping this country."
Kelly heaved a sigh, detecting Benson Williams's attempt at rescuing Haywood's reputation.
"The FBI was able to update their files, adding information from across the country. The Cobra Force asked them to run a fingerprint check. They discovered our boy, now a grown man, was working for the government and using the name Logan McCord. Logan had no idea that his last name wasn't McCord. He had been kidnapped by a couple who never told him the truth."
The guests whispered excitedly. Kelly noticed a prominent newscaster pull out his cell phone. It had been exactly three minutes since Exposé had posted the information about her upcoming article on their Website.
Haywood co
ntinued, explaining how Logan had "suffered," never attending school and living in abject poverty. He made the McCords sound heartless, which was not the impression Logan had given her.
And it wasn't the way she'd portrayed the McCords in her article.
True, she condemned them for stealing the child, but she didn't say Logan had been miserable with them. Just today Logan had said: I was lucky to have been kidnapped. The more she thought about it, the odder his comment seemed.
"Naturally, Ginger was delighted to hear Logan was alive and well." Haywood's arm was still around his wife, the perfect image of a loving husband. "We invited Logan to come here and meet the family again. It was a shock to all of us when he arrived."
Kelly noticed several other guests had out their cell phones. She glanced at Logan and smiled. Earlier she'd told him about the Website post. He said the reporters at the barbecue would be furious with Benson and Haywood for allowing Kelly to scoop them.
"I had done something terribly wrong," Haywood admitted, a quaver in his voice. "I never told my family the truth. Logan wasn't just some child we happened to adopt. I'd had a fling with his mother, and she became pregnant. I should have told Ginger before we adopted Logan, but I love her and didn't want to hurt her."
A buzz rippled through the crowd. The twins remained stoic, but Ginger began to cry silently. Logan's mirrored sunglasses concealed his face, but he was leaning against the sycamore as if he weren't involved.
"In the end, I hurt my wife … and my entire family by not telling the truth. When Logan returned, it had been many years since we'd seen him. Logan had been five and had light hair and blue eyes. The man who knocked on our door looked exactly like me. You can imagine how shocked Ginger was … and how terribly devastated."
Ginger had stopped crying, but tears glistened on her cheeks. She was one of the few women who could cry and still look beautiful. She'd aged well, Kelly observed. There was hardly a line on her face, and she was as slim now as she'd been in the photographs at the time Logan disappeared. Most men would find it difficult to imagine cheating on her.
Kelly wondered what Logan's mother had been like. She'd asked, but he didn't know anything about her. And he didn't seem to care.
"I can only thank God that I have been blessed with a wonderful, understanding wife. I explained what had happened and Ginger immediately welcomed Logan into the family." He looked over at the twins. "Tyler and Alyx were thrilled to have him home again."
Thrilled was not how Kelly had described the family in her story. The Stanfields were portrayed as self-absorbed, interested in the political implications of Logan's return, not in the man himself.
"We begged Logan to stay with us, but he has his own life and a career combating terrorism. He's chosen to return to the Cobra Force and keep the name he's always believed was his own—McCord. Logan did agree to come today to meet all our friends." Although Haywood had never looked in their direction, he now motioned for Logan to join him.
People pivoted in their seats, craning their necks to get a glimpse of Logan. He handed Kelly his cap and sunglasses. He strode forward, looking neither right nor left as he passed the tables and went to the podium.
Kelly couldn't help being proud of him. Despite his nonchalant attitude, this had to be difficult for him. He smiled too often, joked too much. There was something about him that suggested a bleak soul who had traveled the back roads of life and had seen unimaginable things, experienced things that would have destroyed a lesser person.
As sophisticated and urbane as most of the guests were, startled gasps and excited chatter filled the air as Logan stood beside his father. Haywood's revelation had stunned them, but seeing Logan, a clone of his father, shocked them even more. Kelly knew they were all assessing the effect of this on Haywood's political career.
A dozen reporters jumped to their feet, shouting questions. Kelly exhaled fully for the first time since Haywood had begun speaking. She had been worrying without a reason. Logan had told her the truth about what Haywood Stanfield would say.
Benson moved to take charge of what was quickly becoming bedlam as reporters shouted questions. "The senator has made his statement. Now Tyler Stanfield is going to explain about—"
"You said we were the first to hear this, right?" A reporter cut off Benson, directing his question to Haywood.
"Absolutely. That's the reason for this party," Benson assured him, but he seemed flustered, obviously sensing something was wrong.
"Then why is Exposé publishing a special issue featuring an exclusive interview with Logan?"
Logan stepped forward, answering the question in his distinctive voice with its husky catch. "I gave them an exclusive because one of their reporters was way ahead of the pack. Kelly Taylor tracked me down before any of you knew I existed."
Kelly suddenly became the focus of attention and she did her best to look every inch the sharp investigative reporter. Logan had given her more credit than she deserved; Matthew had dropped the story in her lap. There was a moment of astonished silence, then everyone began talking at once.
Except the Stanfields.
They closed ranks, the twins flanking their parents as Logan walked off. He shouldered his way past reporters shouting questions at him. When he reached Kelly, he took her arm.
"Take me to the airport," he said as he led her away. She waited until they were out of hearing range before asking, "Do you really want to go to the airport? Your stuff is still at Pop's place."
"I don't want any of these jerks looking for me here. Let 'em think I've left town."
They were waiting for the parking valet to bring up Kelly's Toyota when Haywood rushed up to them.
"Are you satisfied? You just ruined my chances of becoming president."
Logan opened the door to Kelly's car and helped her inside saying to his father, "Did you ever think you ruined my mother's life?"
* * *
Chapter 10
« ^ »
Kelly tipped her champagne until the glass kissed the rim of Matthew Jensen's martini glass. She couldn't remember being happier.
Since before Daniel had died.
The record-breaking success of the Exposé issue with Logan Stanfield on the cover had been a major coup. Her reputation as a cutting-edge journalist had been restored even more quickly than it had been destroyed.
Thanks to Matthew Jensen.
He'd brought her the story, and now he'd come to Sedona to offer her a job in New York. She dreaded telling him that she couldn't leave until… She didn't want to think about the future when Pop would die and leave her alone. With luck it would be years from now.
"I should have printed twice as many issues," Matt told her with a smile. "We sold out overnight."
"All TV had was a still shot and a voice over from a reporter," she responded, resisting the urge to laugh.
The cover made the issue a blockbuster, she decided. A drop-dead gorgeous hunk and an adorable golden retriever with the headline:
KIDNAPPED
What did it mean? people wondered. Inside they read the shocking tale of a potential presidential candidate's illegitimate son who had been abducted as a child.
Every time she thought about her success, Kelly blessed Matthew—and Logan—for making this happen. She had been sitting in the middle of nowhere, her career had nose-dived when Logan's story fell into her lap.
Matthew had flown into Sedona to celebrate, and he'd taken Kelly to Enchantment for dinner. Kelly was prepared, having rehearsed all the reasons she could think of to persuade Matt to employ her as a freelance reporter. As a FL, she would be able to work for him, yet keep her home base here with Pop. She already had a great idea.
Kelly waited until after they'd ordered to say, "There's more to this story than Logan or the Stanfields are telling. I want to nose around a bit and do a follow-up piece."
Matt's dark eyes narrowed slightly. "It'll be toast by Friday."
"I know it will be old news with all the media
rehashing the story, but I'm positive there's something else going on. Logan hates the Stanfields. His reaction seems extreme, considering he just met them."
Kelly could have added that she was certain Logan had diabolically planned to disgrace Haywood Stanfield. He'd used her to do it, his comment about his mother still troubling her. There was much more to Logan's story, and she intended to uncover all the facts.
"We rarely run follow-up articles." Matt sounded distracted as if the last thing on his mind was this story.
"Logan claims not to know anything about his real mother, yet he was furious with Haywood for ruining her life. Doesn't that seem strange to you?"
"Yes," Matt agreed without enthusiasm.
"Let me see what I come up with, then you decide if you want to run the piece."
Matt nodded, the candlelight glinting off his dark hair, but he didn't encourage her. "Do you know where Logan McCord is? No one can find him."
"When he gave me an exclusive, he never intended to discuss his life with anyone else. Movie companies have called me, looking for him. The tabloids are willing to pay him megabucks. Oprah, Rosie—everyone wants him, but Logan doesn't care."
The waiter served their salads, and Matt took a bite before asking, "You didn't answer my question. Where is McCord?"
"Pop convinced him to stay with us. Reporters will never think to look for him there." She didn't add that she liked the idea. She didn't want to chance a crafty reporter getting to Logan.
"Staying with you?" Matt's voice conveyed more than a hint of disapproval.
"There are two casitas beyond the main house," she reminded him. One summer Matt had spent a week in Sedona, staying in a casita. "Pop told Logan to live with us until he decides what to do. He doesn't want the desk job they offered him."
Kelly could have told Matt how uncomfortable their relationship made her. Logan spent hours with Pop, hiking on Sedona's trails and training Jasper. Macho male stuff, but she felt left out in a way that she could never have verbalized.
