A Long Way From Eden

by Jana Richards

  Tom turned to look at him, his expression fierce. "I don't want my kid to grow up with nothing but an empty spot where his father is supposed to be."

  For the first time Zane realized that Tom Evans wasn't just some hormone-driven kid who'd carelessly slept with Erin. He had real feelings for his unborn child. Zane felt a grudging admiration for the boy.

  He stopped at a red light. "Erin's probably told you that I own a construction company, Sloane Construction."

  "Yeah, she told me. She said she's worked there the last two summers, helping out in the office."

  "We're a busy office, especially in the summer. We have a residential construction branch and also a branch that builds commercial structures." He turned his attention back to his driving as the light turned green. "I can always use a smart, hard working guy on my team, especially a guy with training in structural engineering."

  "Are you offering me a job?"

  The kid was quick, he'd give him that. "Yeah. When exams are over you can work for the construction crew in the commercial branch this summer. After you get your degree, we can talk."

  Tom gave him the same sort of wary look his mother had given him earlier, as if he didn't quite know whether to trust him. "What will we talk about?"

  "Well, if you fit in with the crew this summer, we can talk about a more permanent position when you finish your degree. The pay in the industry is pretty competitive." He named a nice, round figure, trying to sound casual. "I've been thinking about expanding the commercial division, but I'd need someone to run it, a partner I could trust." He turned to glance at Tom. "I could trust my son-in-law."

  Tom nodded. "I see. So in other words, if I marry Erin, not only will I get a good paying job in my chosen field, I have the opportunity to become a full partner, and in time, possibly the owner of one of the biggest construction firms in Winnipeg."

  The kid really did catch on quickly. "That's about right."

  "That's bribery."

  "I like to think of it as an incentive for potential employees."

  "Do you offer your daughter to all potential employees?"

  Zane pulled into a parking spot in front of the engineering building. He turned sharply towards Tom.

  Tom's face was set in angry lines. "Before you offer Erin as some sort of consolation prize, think again. She's worth a hell of lot more than that." He got out of the car and grabbed his backpack from the rear seat. "Thanks for the ride."

  He slammed both doors of the Lexus and walked away, anger evident in every stride.

  Zane leaned back against the headrest. Once more he'd mishandled the Evans family. But despite the mess he'd made of things he'd made an interesting discovery. Tom Evans had feelings for his daughter. He just hoped they were strong enough to last a lifetime.

  Chapter Three

  Meg stood on the front step of Zane Martin's house, vibrating with anger. The elegant lines of the impressive three-story brick structure, the manicured grounds and the expensive car in the driveway only fueled her fury. Who the hell did he think he was? Just because he had money didn't give him the right to manipulate people, to push them into situations that would affect them for the rest of their lives.

  A girl with dark blonde hair falling in thick waves around her shoulders, answered her impatient knock. They stared at each other for a moment, neither of them quite knowing what to say. Meg cleared her throat.

  "Erin? I'm Meg Evans, Tom's mother." She held out her hand.

  Erin blinked once and then took her hand, shaking it briefly with a firm, confident grip. She was shorter then Meg, maybe five foot three, with an angelic oval face of pale alabaster. But despite her petite stature and delicate features, Meg sensed a strong woman in the making.

  "It's nice to finally meet you, Ms. Evans," she said. "Please come in."

  She stepped aside to let Meg pass. The inside of the house proved even more impressive than the outside. The heels of her sensible work shoes clicked against the marble tiled floor. Tasteful pieces of art decorated the walls in strategic places. Meg got the feeling they were there more to impress visitors than because of any deep, abiding love the owner might have felt for them. However beautiful, Zane Martin's house felt more like a museum than a home.

  "I'm glad to finally meet you too, Erin. How have you been feeling?"

  The girl smiled and seemed to relax a little. "Tired, but at least the nausea has passed."

  Meg smiled back. "Yes, I remember feeling that way too, as if I could sleep for a year." She didn't add that at times she was afraid to sleep. "I hope that sometime soon we can go out for lunch and get to know each other, but today I really need to speak to your father. Is he home?"

  "Hello, Meg."

  Meg turned to see Zane Martin leaning casually against a doorframe with a coffee cup in his hand. For a moment her traitorous body reacted like any woman's would to an attractive man. Her eyes ran down the length of his body, noting the narrow hips and trim waist, the broad shoulders that suggested strength.

  Today he was dressed in jeans and a casual shirt. He appeared far more comfortable in them than in the suits she'd seen him in previously. The corner of his mouth turned up as if he read her thoughts.

  Meg lifted her chin slightly, clamping down the urge to wipe the smirk off his face. "I need to talk to you."

  He stepped towards her. "Would you like some coffee? I just made a fresh pot."

  "Thank you, no. If I could just have a few moments of your time."

  Zane glanced at Erin, and then nodded at Meg. "Sure. We can talk in my office."

  Meg turned to Erin and smiled. "I'll call you soon and we can talk some more."

  "I'd like that."

  Zane led the way to his office. Light streamed in through the large east-facing window. The window was flanked by floor-to-ceiling bookshelves packed with books. A large mahogany desk was cluttered with papers and blueprints, and on the wall behind the desk hung photos of Erin at various ages. This room radiated much more warmth and hominess than the ones she'd seen so far.

  Zane shut the door behind them. "What can I do for you?"

  "You can stop acting like a dictator for a start."

  His eyebrow rose in mild inquiry. "I don't know what you mean."

  Meg fought to hang on to her temper. "You couldn't bully Tom into marrying Erin, so now you've resorted to bribery. Did you think that dangling a partnership in front of him was going to make him care about Erin any more? What kind of relationship would they have if it started out as a business deal?"

  "I was simply pointing out to Tom what he might expect if he became my son-in-law. I just offered him a job."

  "Yes, you offered him the job as Erin's husband." She took a step towards him. "You have some stupid Victorian notion that our grandchild is inferior because his parents aren't married. I'm sorry for the problems you had in your childhood, but don't make Erin and Tom pay for them now."

  Zane's eyes narrowed and his jaw twitched. "I'm not doing that."

  "Aren't you?" He was looming over her now, and she had to tilt her head to look up into his angry face. She hated confrontations and her body trembled, but she had to say her piece and protect her son. It occurred to her that regardless of his size, she didn't fear him anymore. Despite her earlier beliefs, she knew instinctively he wasn't like Paul. "If that's true then ask yourself why the opinions of others are more important to you than your daughter's happiness."

  He stared at her, as if made speechless by her words. They were standing only a few inches apart, so close that Meg could make out the different shades of blue in his eyes. She could also see the hurt that lay just under the surface, like a wound that had never quite healed. She was sorry for that; she didn't wish to inflict pain on anyone. But better he face the truth than condemn their children to a life of unhappiness.

  "I'd better go." She turned and opened the door, stopping short when she saw Erin directly in her path. Tears streamed down the girl's pale face and she held one hand over her womb
as if to protect her unborn child. Meg felt sick inside. She'd never meant for Erin to hear what her father had proposed to Tom.

  "Daddy, is that true? Did you offer Tom a partnership in the company if he married me?"

  Zane went to his daughter and tried to put his arm around her but she avoided his embrace. Fresh hurt flashed across his face.

  "I spoke to Tom. I was just trying to help him, to show him how good his life could be if he married you."

  Erin's chin quivered. "Do you know how insulting that is? I'm such a loser that my father has to bribe a man to marry me. How could I ever marry Tommy now? How would I know if he married me because he cares about me or because he got a really great job with the deal?" She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm not marrying anyone, ever."

  With that she turned and ran from the room. Zane called after her, but she ignored his pleas. He turned to Meg, his angry, flushed face making the scar above his eye even more pronounced. "Thanks a lot, Ms. Evans. You've succeeded in alienating my daughter from me."

  Meg swallowed. Had she been wrong to confront him today?

  No. She had to protect Tommy, and Erin too, from Zane's obsessive need for them to marry.

  She lifted her gaze to his, refusing to be intimidated. "No, Mr. Martin. You've managed to do that all by yourself."

  With that she walked out of the house without a backwards glance.

  * * * *

  A week later Zane entered Joe's Diner just after one in the afternoon. To his chagrin, the restaurant was still packed with the lunch hour crowd. He'd wanted to talk to Meg Evans, and since she'd refused to take his calls, he'd have to do it here.

  A pretty young waitress with curly blonde hair and a big smile seated him at a table. "Can I get you some coffee?"

  "Yes, please, and a cheeseburger with fries." He handed back the menu. "Would you mind asking Ms. Evans if she could speak to me a moment when she's free?"

  "Ms. Evans?" The waitress smiled. "You mean Meg? Can I tell her who's asking for her?"

  He wondered if Meg would head out the back door if she knew he was there, and then decided she had more guts than that. "Zane Martin."

  "Aren't you the fellow who was in here asking for Meg a couple of weeks ago?" When Zane nodded, she smiled again and extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Jane Evans. Are you and Meg friends?"

  Jane's undisguised interest made Zane smile. "Our children are...friends."

  "Oh, that's nice. I'll bring you your coffee right away and tell Meg you'd like to speak with her." She hurried away with his order.

  Zane scanned the restaurant. It had an old-fashioned diner motif with booths covered in red leatherette and matching stools lined up along a front counter. A glass-fronted refrigeration case was filled with pies, the featured star of the restaurant. People traveled to the restaurant from all over the city to sample the homemade pies, many made from local fruits when in season. He remembered bringing his mother here a few years ago for her favorite, lemon meringue. He wondered if they still made it and if it still tasted as good.

  A moment later Meg emerged from the kitchen, her long dark hair caught back in a ponytail and making her look about nineteen. She poured a cup of coffee and brought it to his table, her face unsmiling.

  "Jane tells me you have something to say to me." Suddenly her face changed, a look of alarm replacing the wariness. "Erin's okay, isn't she? Has something happened?"

  "No, Erin's fine, just still angry with me, that's all. I came to apologize to you--again. I seem to be doing a lot of that these days."

  Her mouth briefly quirked in a smile. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I think Tom is the one you really need to apologize to."

  "I did. I found him studying at your apartment." He sighed and took a sip of his coffee. "We made a deal. He's going to work as a laborer for the commercial construction division this summer. He'll be paid the same as anyone else we hire for the summer and he'll get no special treatment. The company needs summer help and he needs a job. That's all there is to it."

  "All right. If Tom's okay with it I guess I am, too." She slid into the seat across from him. "How's Erin, really? Is she feeling okay?"

  Zane sighed. Coping with Erin's ever changing moods, the crying one minute and the hysterical laughter the next, perplexed and frustrated him. He didn't know what to do for her, and anything he tried seemed to only make things worse. She was approaching the four-month mark, and the closer she got to term the more worried he became. She was her mother's daughter after all.

  "I'm hoping things will improve once her final exams are over next week. She's tired and moody, and apparently all men are scum, with me right at the head of the line."

  This time Meg made no effort to hide the smile that blossomed on her face. It transformed her, making her seem young and carefree, and the beauty of it took his breath away. "Well, I guess she's got the right to be a little cranky."

  "Yeah, I guess so. She should be out with her friends, shopping, looking for a summer job, all the things eighteen year old girls are supposed to do, instead of sleeping and throwing up all day."

  Meg stiffened and her eyes resumed their wary appearance. "It's not exactly a cakewalk for Tom either. He takes his responsibility to Erin and the baby very seriously."

  Zane briefly closed his eyes and chided himself for making her angry again. "Meg, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that it was easy for Tom. I guess I'm not handling things very well."

  She pushed herself out of the booth, her face still unsmiling. "It will be a lot easier on all of us when you do."

  She made a move to leave, but Zane grabbed her hand, preventing her escape. She looked pointedly at their entwined fingers but he held on anyway. "I want to buy the baby a crib, but I don't know the first thing about them. Will you come shopping with me?"

  Where did that come from? He hadn't actually given the purchase of a crib a thought until just that moment. He still had trouble thinking of Erin's pregnancy as resulting in the birth of a real, live infant. Meg said nothing, her brow furrowed in thought. His words came out in a rush, as he continued to squeeze her hand.

  "Look, I know I've been a jerk, but I'm really trying here. Cut me a little slack, will you?"

  Her lips turned up on one corner. "Well, at least you admit you're a jerk." She pulled on her hand and he let it go. "I'll come shopping with you on one condition. You let me pay half."

  He started to protest and then abandoned the idea. They both knew he could afford the crib far easier than she could, but he saw by the determination in her eyes that this was a point of pride for her. Pride he could understand. This was her grandchild too and she'd pay her fair share.

  Zane nodded. "Okay, it's a deal. When's a good time for you?"

  "How about tomorrow evening? I'm off at seven."

  "Fine. I'll pick you up here."

  Meg nodded her assent and headed back to the kitchen. Zane watched the swing of her ponytail as she walked away, its cadence matching the gentle sway of her hips. He sipped on his coffee and thought about what she'd said to him last week. Why are the opinions of others more important to you than your daughter's happiness?

  Why should he care what other people thought of his family? It wasn't as if Erin was the first girl in history to ever get pregnant without being married. He'd finally abandoned the idea of Erin marrying the father of her baby, though it hadn't been easy for him to do. Everyone's refusal to go along with his idea forced him to examine why this marriage meant so much to him. He finally came to the conclusion that it had more to do with his circumstances then Erin's. He was the one who'd never overcome the childhood taunts and rejections.

  He bowed his head and gripped the handle of his coffee cup. Zane loved his mother, but for forty years she'd been keeping a secret. She'd never told him the name of the man who'd fathered him.

  Even after all these years he still felt empty and angry. Had his father abandoned them knowing his mother was pregnant, or had he simply disappeared from their lives never kno
wing Zane existed? No matter what the reason, the pain was still strong. He knew he'd never have any peace until he discovered the identity of his father and the reason his mother had kept it secret from him all these years. He had a right to know where he came from. But how did he convince his mother of that without hurting her?

  * * * *

  Meg could think of plenty of reasons to avoid seeing Zane Martin. She'd built a good life for herself and her son, and she couldn't let anything, or anyone, ruin it for them. In her experience, relationships with men brought nothing but heartache and pain.

  So knowing all this, why did her heart begin to beat faster when he walked into the restaurant?

  Wednesdays and Fridays were her days to wait on tables while Maria took the early shift to bake the pies and cinnamon buns. She bustled around the diner, picking up dishes and pouring coffee, trying to ignore Zane's presence and the effect he seemed to have on her. It was just hormones, she told herself as she poured coffee and chatted with two elderly ladies. Just her body's reaction to an attractive man that her brain could overcome. If it wanted to.

  What was she thinking? Of course it wanted to. Hormones had gotten her into plenty of trouble twenty years ago. It was too frightening to go down that road again.

  She lifted her head and saw Zane watching her. She sighed and walked over to his table. He was dressed casually in a tan golf shirt and navy blue Dockers, but on him they looked anything but casual. Meg raised her coffee pot.

  "You're early. I have to finish my shift and freshen up a little before we go shopping. Would you like some coffee while you wait?"

  "Sure. Actually I came early on purpose. I remember having a pretty terrific lemon meringue pie here years ago. Do you still make it?"

  She grinned, amused at his request. "Of course, but I'm not sure if there's any left. It's our biggest seller. Do you have a second choice, just in case?"

  He thought it over for a minute. "I don't know. What's good?"

  "Everything. We make everything from scratch in our kitchen. But I would say our second biggest seller is apple. I know we have lots of that because I made about twenty apple pies yesterday."