Minor Opposition

by Walters, Janet Lane;

  “But a rich one.”

  “I bet you could match him dollar for dollar and end up with cash to spare.” Megan poured a cup of coffee. “Doesn’t Alex know this?”

  “I’m sure he does and that rankles him.” Laurel joined her friend. “Let Alex handle his father-in-law. Then when the time comes, I’ll deal with Alex. Promise you won’t jump in.”

  “A month. I’ll give you that long. Then I’ll find a way to isolate the pair of you. Why did you buy a house?”

  “To prove to your brother that I have no intention of ever leaving Eastlake.”

  “Great idea.”

  The beeper in Laurel’s pocket sounded. “Must be a customer. Have to go.”

  “When are you off?”

  Laurel opened the door. “Tomorrow.”

  “Invite me for lunch. Good. I’ll be there.”

  Laurel laughed. “See you at noon.”

  “Make that one o’clock. I have some errands in the morning. By the way, congratulations. A triage nurse was very necessary around here.”

  Laurel hurried to the waiting room. Had she held Megan off? She hoped so. Her friend could do a lot of damage to the developing rapport with Alex.

  Chapter 10

  Laurel glanced at the dark clouds that had gathered since morning. She hurried up the walk to the house. This morning, she had overslept and hadn’t remembered Megan was coming to lunch until nearly noon. While she unlocked the kitchen door, she balanced the grocery bag on her hip. The phone rang. She put the bag on the counter and reached for the phone. “Hello.”

  “Laurel, you’ve got to come right now. Please.”

  “Johnny, what’s wrong?”

  “My other Pop called. He says he’s coming and I got to live with him or Daddy can go to jail. Don’t want to live with him.”

  Laurel sucked in a breath. “You don’t have to go with him. Your daddy won’t go to jail. Where’s Sarah?”

  “In the garden with Jake. Daddy said not to answer the phone but it ring and ring so I did. Other Pop yelled and scare me.”

  “Honey, listen to me. Stay in the house. If your grandfather comes, don’t open the door. I’m on my way. Don’t worry. I’m coming.”

  She dropped the phone in the cradle. Was there time to call Alex and tell him what was happening? Johnny needed her. If she took the time, she might be too late. Why hadn’t she bought a cellular phone? Could Sarah and Jake protect Johnny? She groaned. Alex had been reluctant to tell the older couple about the threat. She ran to the door and nearly collided with Megan.

  “What’s the rush?” Megan asked. “Aren’t we on for lunch? If you’ve forgotten something, no problem. I’ll eat anything.”

  Laurel continued running to the car. “Johnny needs me. Call Alex. Tell him Richard Cooper is on the way to the house.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Laurel got in the car. “I don’t have time to explain. Just call Alex.”

  She pulled away from the curb. With a burst of speed, she headed out of town. Just ahead, she saw a police car and though she wanted to wheel past, she slowed. When the car turned into a side street, she hit the gas, only to see a cruiser approaching. Frustration filled her. She had no time for a speeding ticket and no time to waste. As a third patrol car came into view, she gripped the wheel. Was she destined to encounter every police vehicle in Eastlake?

  She turned into the road leading to Alex’s house and hit the gas. The dark sky, the trees lining the side of the road added gloom to her thoughts. What if she was too late? She bore no blood relationship to Johnny. Did she have the right to keep Richard Cooper from taking his grandson? The restraining order did.

  She saw the gray car parked on the road just beyond the driveway and slowed down. Relief filled her. She parked in front of the house. Loud, angry shouts from the backyard sent her running.

  “Come, boy.”

  “No!”

  “Mr. Cooper, I can’t let you take Johnny unless Alex calls to say it’s all right,” Sarah said.

  “Laurel said I have to stay here. I have to wait for her and Daddy.”

  The gray-haired man grabbed Johnny’s arm. “I don’t have time for your shenanigans, young man. We’re going to be late.”

  “Johnny, I’m here,” Laurel called.

  He ran to her. “Don’t want to go. Don’t want lunch. Want Daddy.”

  She hugged him. “It’s all right. I’m here. Auntie Megan went to get your father. He’ll be here soon.”

  Sarah bustled over. “Mr. Cooper came to take Johnny to lunch. Alex forgot to tell me he was coming. Let me go call him.”

  Laurel shook her head. “He came to take Johnny. Alex has a restraining order forbidding him to come on the property or to see Johnny unless Alex is present. Didn’t he tell you?”

  “I don’t understand. Mr. Cooper’s nothing like his daughter. He wouldn’t hurt Johnny the way she did.”

  Richard Cooper stalked over. “Young woman, you have no right to interfere.” He poked his finger into her chest. “I know all about you. I hired a detective to learn just what kind of woman was around my grandson.”

  Something in his eyes made Laurel wonder if the man was sane. She pushed Johnny behind her. “I’m Alex’s fiancée. You’ve frightened Johnny with your threats. He called me and begged me to come. What right have you to scare him by inferring his father would go to jail unless he came to live with you? How dare you defy a court order?”

  “Fiancée, in a pig’s eye. You walked off a plane from Europe and into Alex’s bed. Bet you thought you found a soft spot.” He grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

  “Get your hands off me. Sarah, call the police.”

  Johnny darted from behind Laurel and pummeled his grandfather with his fists. “Let Laurel be. I love her.”

  “Honey, run to the house and wait for your father. Your grandfather won’t hurt me.” Though she wasn’t sure her words were true, the boy’s danger was greater than hers.

  Richard Cooper released her. She stumbled backwards. He grabbed for Johnny and missed. The boy ran toward the woods.

  “Johnny, come back.” Thunder rumbled. A distant flash of lightning zipped across the sky. Laurel wheeled and faced the older man. “See what you’ve done. You have no right to threaten to take him away from his father.”

  “He’s my heir and the only one I’m going to get.”

  “That doesn’t make it your right to take him.” Fat drops of rain splattered on her arms. The sound of thunder drew closer.

  “Don’t think you’re going to get your hands on my money through the child.”

  Laurel edged away. She had to reach Johnny and calm his fears. “Do you know who I am?”

  “Honey, I can tell what you are, so who doesn’t matter. I know what I’ve been told about you.”

  “I’m Laurel Richmond, Lawrence and Rita’s daughter. I can match you dollar for dollar and have a fortune when I’m done. As Alex’s fiancée, my fortune is at his disposal. All he has to do is call the Mellwood Bank.”

  “I don’t need your money,” Alex said.

  Laurel turned. When had he arrived? Would he deny the engagement? She opened her mouth to speak but Richard Cooper shook her wildly.

  He pulled Richard Cooper away. Rain poured over them. Alex glared at Laurel. “Go to the house and wait with Johnny. I can handle this. I don’t need your interference. Go.”

  For a moment, Laurel stared. His words had crushed her hopes. What Alex felt for her would never go beyond physical desire. The snap of lightning sounded directly over her head. Rain fell in heavy sheets.

  “Go to the house,” Alex shouted. “See if Johnny’s all right.”

  Johnny, she thought. He hadn’t run to the house. He’d gone to his secret place. She ran to the woods. Alex’s voice rose above the noise of the storm. “Laurel.”

  She turned. “Johnny’s in his cave. I’ll find him.”

  *****

  Cave. Alex stared after Laurel. Had she said cave? He h
ad heard her order his son to the house. He took two steps toward the woods. Had Johnny chosen one of the caves that riddled the hillside leading to the quarry lake for his secret place. He wanted to follow the pair, but he had to settle matters with Richard first. Laurel would find Johnny. She loved his son more than Rhonda ever had. With great reluctance, he turned to face Richard.

  Rain flowed over them. Richard’s expensive suit was drenched and shapeless. “Why are you doing this?” Alex asked.

  “You’d never understand.” The older man shook his head. “I need my heir.”

  Alex put his hand on Richard’s arm. “Let’s go to the house. What did Rhonda tell you that set you off? Did you read the papers my attorney sent you detailing her behavior while we were married? Do you want these things spread all over the tabloids?

  Richard shook off Alex’s hand. “Johnny’s the only grandson I’ll ever have. My son...” He shook his head. “He’s fixed it so he won’t ever give me an heir.”

  Alex shook his head. “What about your three granddaughters?”

  “They’re girls.”

  “But one of them might be the perfect person to take over the company. You never know.” He took Richard’s arm. “Come to the house. I know you’re upset by Marisa’s diagnosis, but you can’t afford to be sick. She’ll need you.”

  Richard turned to Alex. “I’ll be alone. I don’t want to be alone. Marisa’s dying. Don wants out of the company. He wants to be a teacher. I could mold Johnny and teach him all he needs to know.”

  “He’s five years old.” Alex led the older man to the kitchen door. “If you take him, he’ll grow to resent you. You can be part of his life, but his future will be his to choose. If you’d like, I’ll bring him for a visit on Wednesday.” He opened the door. “Try to think of what other people want and not just Richard Cooper’s desires. That’s a lesson your daughter never learned.”

  “Are you going to marry that Richmond woman?”

  “That’s between Laurel and me.” Alex pushed Richard into the kitchen. “Sarah, find Richard some dry clothes. I’m going for Johnny and Laurel.”

  *****

  The rumble of thunder and the sharp crack of lightning made Laurel increase the length of her stride. Little light penetrated the dense canopy created by the intertwined branches of the trees. Several times, she stumbled over fallen limbs and slipped on debris soaked by the rain that oozed through the openings.

  As she ran, she remembered warnings about the dangers of being near trees during a storm. She had no choice but to take the risk. Johnny needed her.

  The gloom lightened to gray when she emerged from the cover. She sped across the wet grass and struggled to keep from falling. Had Johnny managed to reach his hiding place before the storm had begun in earnest? The rising wind blew gusts of rain to buffet her from all directions. By the time she reached the gate, her jeans and tee shirt, saturated by the downpour, clung to her body.

  Bright flashes of lightning reminiscent of a fireworks display illuminated the slope and turned the lake into a seething pewter caldron. The pungent smell of charred wood followed the next clap of thunder. Laurel fumbled with the catch of the gate. The rain-coated metal slipped from her grasp.

  A boom of thunder like a hundred gun salute set her heart pounding in her chest. A bolt of lightning struck the rocks near the bottom of the slope. She screamed. The flare had revealed the figure of a child huddled among the rocks.

  “Johnny, don’t move.” Wind whipped her words away. A gust of wind-driven rain slapped against her and pushed her back from the gate.

  She shouted again. Could he hear her above the storm?

  Her rain-soaked fingers pulled the bolt free and the gate swing open. She stared at the ribbons of water rolling down the hill. Some of the miniature streams had enough force to pry small rocks loose.

  She peered through the gloom. Johnny lay near the rock that had halted her slide the day he’d shown her his secret place. She swallowed and fought memories of the stormy night, the car and the rocky hillside where her parents had died.

  Flashes of the scene threatened to destroy her determination to reach the child she’d come to love. She gripped the gate. Her thoughts flipped from the past to the present. In one instant, she became the terrified three year old trapped in the crumpled child. In the next, she was an adult about to step onto a treacherous path.

  Then. They wouldn’t answer though she screamed until her throat was raw. Now. She shouted to a child who couldn’t hear over the booming thunder.

  In the past, she’d been too terrified to move. In the present, she took the first step on the gravel path.

  She held onto the gate and moved her hands down the horizontal bar until she had to stretch to retain her hold. Another flash of lightning showed her Johnny hadn’t moved. Had he been hurt?

  The wind tore the gate from her grasp. She slipped on the gravel and fought to keep her balance. Inch by inch, she moved down the hill in a side-step-slide pattern. All the while, she kept calling to Johnny.

  “Honey, I’m coming. Don’t be afraid. It’s Laurel. You’ll be all right. I promise you’ll be safe. I won’t let your grandfather take you.” Tears streamed down her face and mingled with the rain.

  When she finally reached him, she knelt. His dark eyes were wide and staring. Was he remembering a time when he had cried and no one had heard?

  “Johnny, it’s Laurel. I’ve come to take you home.”

  He blinked and threw himself into her arms. The sudden movement caused them to slide. Laurel slammed into a jutting rock. Johnny clung to her. His body shook, and though she couldn’t feel his tears, she knew he cried.

  Crooning softly, she stroked his soaked shirt. “It’s all right. It’s all right.”

  “Water poured in my cave. I was scared. Tried to get to the path but I fell. Thunder and lightning are scary.”

  “They sure are. I’m scared, too.”

  “But you’re big.”

  “The storm makes me think about a bad time.” She wiped her eyes on her sodden shirt. “Do you think you can climb the hill with me?

  “Can’t. Hurt my leg.”

  “Let me see.” She was relieved to see a large scrape and a reddened area but no break in the skin. She checked to see if the bones were broken. “You’re going to have a big bruise but I think that’s all. Put your arms around my neck. I’ll try to carry you.”

  Before she stood, she inhaled. The hillside and been slick coming down. Could she climb and carry Johnny at the same time?

  Try, just try, she thought. She pushed against the rock and got to her feet. One step and on the second, she slid. She let Johnny down. “Do you think you can crawl?”

  “I’ll try.”

  “You first. When we get to where I can reach the gate, I’ll pick you up.”

  As she inched up the hill behind Johnny, she wondered what had happened between Alex and Richard Cooper. The older man had not seemed entirely sane. Had Alex persuaded the man to leave Johnny alone?

  *****

  Alex hurried through the woods. Twice, he had to stop and pull huge fallen limbs from the path. The thunder faded and the lightning flashed in the distance. Though the wind still gusted and the rainfall remained heavy, he believed the worst of the storm had passed.

  The caves. He had never imagined Johnny would open the gate and explore the cave-riddled hillside. When the trauma of this episode faded, he had to talk to his son about his secret place.

  Alex emerged from the trees and ran to the fence. He peered down the slope. Laurel grasped the bottom of the open gate. Johnny clung to her back. She struggled to pull herself to her feet.

  He swallowed a shout. He didn’t want to startle her. There was no way he could go to them without causing them to fall. He grasped the wooden rail and held his breath.

  Laurel pulled herself to her knees and then to her feet. The gate creaked. Alex’s heart pounded against his chest. Would the gate hold? Laurel took one step and then two. He ca
ught them the instant they reached level ground.

  Alex took Johnny and hugged him. “It’s all right, buddy. Your grandfather’s sorry he scared you. He won’t take you away from me ever. It’s just you and me against the world like it’s always been.”

  *****

  Just like it’s always been. Those words were like bricks being mortared into a wall. Though she knew Alex’s first concern should be for his son, that he had nothing left for her shattered the last of her hopes.

  Alone. Just like it had always been. From the moment her parents had died and her life placed in the hands of a bank, there’s been no one. Her body shook. Tears burned.

  She moved away from the fence. There was nothing for her here. She didn’t want to hear Alex’s thanks or see pity in his gaze when he realized she wanted what he couldn’t offer. Before the tears that rose gushed out and before the sobs in her chest erupted, she had to reach her car. She had to drive away and hide until she could face Alex with a smile and no regrets. Though exhausted, she ran.

  “Laurel.”

  She didn’t stop. Falling in love with Alex hadn’t been her choice. What am I going to do? How can I stay in Eastlake and risk seeing him every day?

  A shudder made her stumble. Eastlake felt more like home than any place she’d ever lived. Though staying would be hard, she couldn’t leave.

  “Laurel!”

  She tripped and hit her shoulder against a tree. He was too close.

  “I love you. I need you.”

  Afraid to believe the words he shouted, she stumbled on. His voice belonged to a fantasy she couldn’t remember creating.

  Alex grabbed her. “Look at me. I love you.”

  “Me, too,” Johnny said.

  Alex pulled her against his chest. Johnny reached for her. Could she believe? Could she trust? Reflected in Alex’s dark eyes, she saw the love she’d always wanted. The tenor of her emotions shifted.