The young man standing at her door smiled broadly. “Delivery for Alicia Fallon.”
Her mouth dropped open.
“Surprises are nice, aren’t they?” he asked pleasantly holding out the vase she’d admired at the antique shop. It was filled with lilacs, yellow day lilies, pink sweetheart roses and baby’s breath.
Carefully she took the vase from him. The delivery man gave her a final smile and ran to the florist’s truck parked at the curb. Alicia carried the flowers inside. Her fingers trembled as she took the small envelope from the plastic holder and opened it.
Thanks for dinner. And the kiss.
Jon
He was slipping past her reserve.
Gently running her fingers over the iris pattern on the glass, she wondered if he was this thoughtful with everyone. She wondered…
The phone rang. Before she picked up the receiver, she took a long whiff of the lilacs and smiled as she said, “Hello. Designs For You.”
A woman’s voice on the other end of the line asked, “Is Jonathan Wescott there?”
Why would anyone think Jon was there? Unless it was his secretary or someone he’d given the number to. “No, he’s not. This is Alicia Fallon. Can I help you?”
“I’m Valerie Sentara, Mrs. Fallon, from the West Coast Sentinel. I’m looking for information.”
“What kind of information?”
“As you probably know, Jonathan Wescott is of interest to many of our readers. I need a tidbit or two for my column this week. Is it true he’s purchasing a Harrisburg newspaper?”
“How did you get my number?”
“I have my sources, Mrs. Fallon. Can you tell me if my information is correct?”
“No, I can’t.” Alicia hadn’t had much experience with reporters, but she knew enough to watch her words. This woman was fishing, and Alicia didn’t want to give her any bait.
“Surely you can tell me if he’s interested in purchasing one.”
“No, I can’t.”
“What can you tell me, Mrs. Fallon?”
“I’m afraid I don’t have any information for you.”
“Then why is Mr. Wescott having brochures printed with your company?”
Apparently Ms. Sentara didn’t know she and Jon had a nonbusiness connection. “You’d have to ask him that.”
“Yes, well, Mr. Wescott is under the impression that he doesn’t have to inform the public about his business dealings. Anyone who owns ten newspapers and varied other interests in communities is accountable to the people he affects. Are you sure you can’t give me any information?”
Ten newspapers? Varied other interests? Jon possessed a lot more status and wealth than she’d imagined. She didn’t want to seem defensive or the reporter would sense she was holding back. The less she said, the better. “I’m positive.”
The reporter paused. “All right. But let me give you my number in case you get any information.” The woman’s voice lowered conspiratorially. “In fact, if you do, I could make it worth your while.” She rattled off her number.
Alicia didn’t bother to write it down. When she hung up the phone, she stared at the flowers, at the vase she’d determined was too expensive for her budget.
Taking the beautiful glassware in her hands again, she appreciated its elegance and the loveliness of the flowers. She thought about Jon’s kiss and the way it had made her feel. Was the vase really a gift of gratitude? Or was it another strategy?
Chapter Six
Alicia had called to thank him for the flowers and the vase, and had been polite. Jon knew her well enough to realize that when she was polite, she was protecting herself. Did she think he was trying to buy her?
He’d given presents to women before. Much more expensive presents than that vase. And they’d always responded favorably—especially when they’d been involved in a relationship. Was that what Alicia meant by trading favors? He’d truly simply wanted to thank her. Hadn’t he? Jeez, she had him questioning his own motives!
Suspecting time would only put distance between them, he decided a visit would be less threatening to Alicia during the day because her free time would be limited. He approached her backyard knowing she usually took the hour after lunch to play with Emily. But mother and daughter weren’t in the yard. He heard voices coming from the kitchen and went to the back door.
Emily’s usually excited voice sounded tearful and sad. Jon didn’t bother to knock.
Alicia was sitting at a chair at the table, Emily by her side, her finger in her mouth, the streak of tears down her cheeks. Unable to stop himself, he went over and crouched down beside her. “What’s wrong, honey?”
Alicia gave him a look he couldn’t interpret. But her voice was politely cool as she said, “Jon, Emily and I have something to settle. Maybe it would be better if you gave us a few minutes.”
She didn’t have to take care of everything alone anymore, and he wouldn’t be shut out of his daughter’s life. As tactfully as he could, he suggested, “Maybe two heads are better than one.”
Alicia brushed Emily’s hair away from her eyes. “Do you want to tell Mr. Wescott what’s wrong?”
The child didn’t hesitate. “I didn’t get my turn at the computer. I didn’t get a turn yesterday, either. Mark did. And Jenny did.”
Her lower lip trembled and Jon’s heart melted. “Why didn’t you get a turn?”
“’Cause Mark used it, then we had to sit in a circle, and Jimmy used it, then we had snacks, then Jenny used it and it was time to go home!”
Alicia explained, “The school district just bought two computers for the kindergarten. And of course the children can’t use them at just anytime when their teacher is teaching. They have to wait their turn. There are twenty-five in the class, and I’m trying to explain to Emily that this is just like waiting her turn to slide down the big sliding board if the playground is crowded. Only this wait is longer. It might be a few days until she gets her chance at the computer.”
“Only two computers? Why aren’t there more?”
Alicia stroked her daughter’s hair but sat up straight in her chair. “Because schools have cutbacks just like everyone else. Computers aren’t a necessity in kindergarten.”
“But she could learn so much faster!”
Alicia gave him an annoyed look. With a nod at Emily, and in a lowered voice she said, “You’re not helping.”
He knew he was a problem solver; he wouldn’t apologize for that. And he could see an easy solution to this problem. Putting his arm around Emily’s shoulders, he said, “Your mom’s right, honey. For now. It’s like standing in line to get a hamburger at McDonald’s. You just have to wait.”
His daughter’s pretty green eyes met his and her voice was resigned. “If you say so.” She turned to Alicia. “Can’t you talk to Mrs. Edmunds so I can have a turn tomorrow?”
“I’ll bet Mrs. Edmunds has a list with everybody’s name. What you could do tomorrow is ask her how many names are before yours. Then you’d know what day you can have your turn. Okay?”
Emily nodded. “O-kay.” Turning to Jon, she asked him, “Are you gonna work on my playhouse?”
“Not right now. I’d like to talk to your mom for a little while.”
Alicia tucked Emily’s hair behind her ears. “Why don’t you go get your letter board and take it downstairs? I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
Emily ran into the living room and scampered up the stairs to her room. Jon rose to his feet and waited until she was out of earshot. “She shouldn’t have to wait. She should be in a school that will give her the opportunities she deserves. She’s a bright child, Alicia.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” she answered defensively. “Waiting her turn to use a computer won’t dim her intelligence. It’ll teach her she can’t have everything when she wants it.”
He went to the living room and glanced up the stairs, then paced back to Alicia. “And I say she needs to be challenged in a forward-looking school, one where she
’ll get individual attention and can progress at her own rate. There are several of them in the L.A. area and—”
Alicia stood. “And what?”
Jon didn’t even realize it had been an idea in his mind. Yet, eventually the subject would have come up. “Maybe you should consider moving to Los Angeles where we could put Emily in one of the best private schools in the country. I have a friend on the board.”
If possible, Alicia’s ramrod-straight posture became even straighter. “I imagine you do.”
In his best boardroom persuasive manner, he pushed further. “There’s always a niche for your kind of business. I’d be glad to back you. We need good graphic artists on the West Coast, too. With your talent and skills, I could always get you a job on one of the papers if you’d rather do that.”
Emily came scurrying through the kitchen and hopped down the steps to the lower level.
Alicia clasped her hands in front of her and steadily pinned Jon with her gaze. “How long have you had this planned out?”
The suspicions were back in her blue eyes. Jamming his hands into his pockets, he insisted, “I didn’t have it planned out. But it certainly would solve a lot of problems, wouldn’t it? I would be near Emily and so would you.”
“It will solve your problems. I have a life here, Jon. I not only have a business that has taken time to build, but I have friends. So does Emily. And Ria’s here. I don’t think you have any idea how difficult it would be for us to leave her.”
“Even if that’s what’s best for Emily?”
Alicia’s hand waved through the space between them in frustration. “Treating her like one of the privileged few and giving her anything she wants is not what’s best for her. There’s nothing wrong with public school, waiting her turn and learning the world doesn’t revolve around her. We’ve known you two weeks and already you’re trying to run our lives!”
Taking his hands from his pockets, he went to the window and stared at Emily’s swing set and the playhouse that had provided him the opportunity to get to know her. “I want to be near my daughter. I want her to have everything I can give her. What’s so wrong with that?”
Alicia’s voice soared over his shoulders. “What’s wrong is that I’ve spent the past two years since Patrick died trying to give her a stable life. You talk about moving as if we can just pick up and make a change overnight. You’re asking us to give up an awful lot. What are you giving up?”
He faced her then and boardroom persuasion was forgotten. “What do you want me to do? Move here? My headquarters are in Los Angeles. I’m offering to make you comfortable and give Emily the things you can’t.”
Alicia’s expression didn’t soften; neither did her determination. “Things aren’t what she needs, Jon. She needs security and love. She has that here.” Shaking her head, she added, “I suspected that vase would come with strings. I was right.”
Her implication made him see red. “No, you were not right. I purchased that vase because you liked it. And that’s the only reason. I wanted to give you something you obviously couldn’t give yourself. You think about that, and then you think about how you’d feel if your daughter were living three thousand miles away. If you don’t seriously consider moving to California, joint custody might be a necessity. So think about that before you decide your life is too good to change.”
He strode to the back door and left, his heart heavy. The idea of not seeing his daughter for months at a time was a reality he didn’t want to contemplate.
Alicia brushed Emily’s hair the next morning as she helped her get ready for school. Taking a pink barrette from the dresser, she clipped it in her daughter’s hair.
“Mommy, is Mr. Wescott comin’ over today?”
If she wasn’t thinking about Jon, Emily mentioned him. “I don’t know, honey.”
“He’s gonna do my playhouse, isn’t he?”
“You mean finish it?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m not sure.”
“He didn’t say goodbye.”
No, he certainly didn’t. Alicia had gone over their conversation in her head. She’d thought about what Jon had said, rather than focusing on the ever-present threat of a custody suit. Trying to put herself in his position, she asked herself, What if I’d found my daughter after five years and she lived across the country?
Adjusting Emily’s barrette until it was straight, Alicia wondered if she had overreacted. The bottom line was that she didn’t want any man controlling her life the way her father had controlled her mother’s. But was Jon just trying to get his own way or did he truly want what was best for Emily? For all of them.
It was a hard call to make, and she supposed she had to get to know him better before she could judge his motives. For now, she should give him the benefit of the doubt. But he also had to realize he was asking her to change her life, to give up people and a place she held dear, especially Ria.
She and her sister had only been separated during college. Alicia had enrolled in the Columbus Art Institute and Ria had won a scholarship to Northwestern. Those five hours of traveling distance between them had taken forever when they could manage the bus fare. And they’d saved money from their jobs to make at least two lengthy phone calls a week. Alicia had almost felt as if a part of her was somewhere else.
So after they graduated, even though their mother had already relocated to her sister’s, they’d come back to their childhood hometown and rented an apartment together. Then Alicia had met Patrick and the rest was history. Ria now lived in the first floor of the old Victorian house by herself.
Patrick had never been threatened by her relationship with her twin. How would Jon feel?
Emily squirmed under her mother’s hands and Alicia knew she’d kept her daughter still for too long. She turned her around to face the mirror. “Well, what do you think?”
She made a face. “The barrette feels funny.”
“Do you want me to take it out?”
Emily tilted her head. “No. It’s okay.”
After Alicia fed Emily breakfast and watched her run over to the neighbor who was driving for their car pool this week, her thoughts returned to Jon. She needed to see him. She needed to talk to him and not let bitterness or resentment grow between them that could hurt their daughter.
His hotel was across town and Alicia decided to drive there. The whole way over she tried to rehearse what she wanted to say. But each time, it came out differently.
Once at the hotel, Alicia checked Jon’s suite number on the card he’d given her with his phone number. As she passed the front desk, the clerk looked over her lavender-and-blue blazer and tailored blue skirt and smiled. Taking the elevator to the fifth floor, she walked to the corner suite and knocked. No one answered.
A maid came out of the room next door.
Alicia knocked again. She realized she should have called first, but it was too late for hindsight.
The middle-age maid took a look at her and then another. “It’s none of my business, but the man from that suite left with his gym bag about fifteen minutes ago. He goes to the gym most mornings.”
Alicia smiled. “Thank you. I didn’t know whether or not I should wait.”
“You better not take too long to find him. That one’s a looker. You don’t see men like that much anymore, no indeed.”
Alicia took the elevator to the second floor where the gym was located, mulling over the maid’s words. Jon Wescott certainly attracted attention. He was that kind of man.
She found him at the free-weight stand facing the mirror, eyes closed in concentration as he lifted a weight above his head and lowered it again. Sweat gleamed on his forehead. Just watching his raw masculine power made Alicia catch her breath. She remembered his lips on hers, his arms surrounding her, his male scent intoxicating her.
He opened his eyes and saw her standing behind him. The nerve at his jaw twitched but other than that he didn’t move. There was no glimmer of recognition in his gaze, no rela
xing of his stance. He lifted the weight up and down again.
Alicia felt embarrassed, overdressed and downright nervous. She’d worked at becoming assertive all her adult life, but it was still difficult for her sometimes. Especially with someone like Jon.
Holding on to her courage with both hands, she asked, “Can we talk?”
Still he faced the mirror. “You seemed to have everything figured out the last time I saw you.”
“I’m sorry if I overreacted.” Her apology came out so softly, she was afraid he hadn’t heard.
He settled the weight on its stand and faced her. “That’s a start.”
He was acting as if none of this was his fault. “Look, Jon, this isn’t easy for me.” Her gaze ran over him quickly, but not so quickly that she wasn’t aware of every bare inch of him, every muscle, every annoyed vibration emanating from him. “If you’d rather I call and make an appointment…”
Suddenly the annoyance left his expression. “Lately I haven’t made appointments with you, have I? I just barge in.”
She diplomatically kept quiet.
Wiping his face with the towel on the weight stand, he stuffed it into his gym bag then picked up the duffel. “Let’s go up to my suite. This is no place to carry on a conversation.”
He started walking, obviously expecting her to follow. She did, but not at his fast clip. He slowed and turned, raising a brow. “Is there a problem?”
“Was that an order?”
He sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. “No, it wasn’t an order—it was a practical suggestion. Do you have a better one?”
He might be irritated with her but she didn’t deserve his sarcasm. “Did you get out of bed on the wrong side?”
“Actually I didn’t get much sleep. Between the situation with you and a problem with contract negotiations at one of the papers, I might have managed an hour or two. So, you’re right, I’ll warn you right now, I’m not at my best. Do you want to meet later?”
Always Daddy Page 9
