Cross My Heart

by Phyllis Halldorson

  The call came at one o'clock just as Clint was leaving his office for lunch. "Sorry I missed you this morning," Paul said.

  "No problem," Clint answered, "but I do want to talk to you. When can we get together?"

  "I want to talk to you, too." Paul's voice sounded strained. "Are you free for dinner tonight? I can meet you at the Lillian Russell Room at Sam's Town around seven-thirty?"

  Clint checked his appointment book. "Fine. Will you be spending the night at the house?"

  Sam's Town was a large sprawling restaurant and pioneer town facsimile along the freeway at Cameron Park, thirty miles from Paul's apartment in one of the new high-rise buildings in downtown Sacramento.

  There was a pause. "I'm not sure. Tell Alice it's a possibility."

  Alice and Grover Irwin had been housekeeper and gardener-handyman for the Sterlings for years. They were both past sixty but continued to live in the apartment above the garage and pamper both the property and Clint. Alice kept telling Clint they couldn't retire until he brought home a wife to take care of him—a prospect that seemed more unlikely every year.

  Clint arrived at the restaurant a few minutes late and found Paul in the bar. The two brothers looked nothing alike. Paul was a few inches shorter and several pounds lighter, and his hair, which had been golden as a child, had darkened only slightly over the years. His wide blue eyes were fringed with long thick dark lashes that apparently no woman could resist, and he had a perpetual happy-go-lucky attitude that wasn't always an asset. It was hard to get him to take anything seriously.

  The brothers found a table at the back of the dimly lit room, which they hoped would afford a little privacy.

  After the greetings were over and the waitress had brought Clint a Scotch and soda and replaced Paul's gin and tonic, Paul opened the conversation. "Funny you should have stopped by the office to see me this morning, Clint. I tried to get in touch with you Tuesday, but Alice said you were in D.C. and she wasn't sure when you'd be back."

  Clint was surprised. He and his younger brother lived totally separate lives, and sometimes weeks went by without their contacting each other.

  "Alice didn't mention it," he said as his gaze settled on the other man. For the first time he noticed that the usual cocky grin was gone and the twinkle in Paul's eyes had been replaced by a bewildered sadness. "I got back last night and tried to call you, but you weren't home. Is something wrong?"

  Paul took a quick swallow of his gin. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. You see, there's this girl—"

  Clint's hands knotted into fists. "Oh, hell, Paul," he bellowed, "not again!"

  Paul looked up, startled. "No, you don't understand. This girl's different—"

  "They always are, aren't they? Right up to the time you drop them. Then they turn vicious. For God's sake, won't you ever learn?"

  He felt sick. What was Elyse demanding as her price for not causing a big blowup just six weeks before the primary elections? Damn, he'd hoped…

  "Calm down, will you?" Paul demanded. "I don't want to drop this one. I'm in love with her. But I asked her to marry me and she refused."

  Clint stared, unable for a moment to understand what he'd just heard. "She refused?"

  Paul nodded miserably. "Yeah, and I don't blame her. I've behaved like a jerk. Haven't even introduced her to any of my family. I've bragged about my brother, the senator, and my mother, who owns a string of pharmacies inherited from her parents, but, well, to tell the truth, I didn't want you to know about her until I was sure how I felt. After that last woman I…well, anyway, I'm in love with her. I proposed to her on Sunday, and she not only said no, she won't even speak to me now."

  Clint was stabbed at the same time by elation and despair. Paul must have proposed to Elyse when he got home from Monterey on Sunday evening, after Clint had spent most of the weekend with her. She'd refused him. Did that mean she'd recognized Clint as Senator Sterling and decided to go after bigger fish, or was she playing some sort of game with Paul?

  Or was there any possible chance that she really was as open and honest as she seemed to be and she just wasn't in love with Paul?

  Before Clint could comment Paul continued. "Look, Clint, I want to ask a favor." Clint opened his mouth, but Paul held up his hand for silence. "I want you to go to her house with me tonight and let me introduce you." For a moment his teasing grin was back. "Since Dad and Mom aren't available, you're the next best thing." Again he was serious. "She's a stickler for manners. She won't refuse to speak to me as long as you're there. She's a real lady. I swear you'll like her, and I need your help to get her to listen."

  Clint was appalled. He'd never messed up this badly before. He usually had tight control of any situation he was involved in, but this time he'd fumbled right from the minute Mary Elyse Haley had opened the door and smiled at him. Now what was he going to do? If he showed up at her house with Paul and told her what he'd been up to, she'd throw them both out.

  On the other hand, if Paul was really serious about her, then it was more important than ever that he find out just what she was up to. This was something he was. going to have to face. He might as well do it and get it over with. He just hoped they'd come out of it with Paul, at least, still speaking to him.

  Clint gulped the rest of his whiskey and nodded. "I'd heard you were seeing another woman, so this doesn't come as a complete surprise. In fact, that's what I wanted to talk to you about this morning." He stood. "Come on, if we're going to see her we might as well do it now. We can eat later." If we still have appetites, he thought grimly.

  Paul stood, also. "Great. I really appreciate this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out Elyse's pale pink business card. "She lives in Placerville. Here's the address. It's only a short drive. You can follow me."

  Elyse was on her way downstairs after putting Janey to bed, when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," she called to Liz, who was grading test papers at the kitchen table.

  She ran down the remaining steps and opened the door, to find Paul Sterling standing on the porch. It was darker out than she'd realized, and although she could see another man standing a few feet behind him, she couldn't tell who it was. "Paul, come on in," she said. She moved aside to allow him to enter and looked away to switch on the porch light. "Liz is in the kitchen, but I don't think she'll—"

  She looked up and blinked. The other man was Clint Edwards! He'd followed Paul in and was standing beside him in the hallway.

  Before she could react Paul said, "Elyse, I'd like you to meet my brother, Clinton Sterling. Clint, this is Elyse Haley, Liz's sister." He grinned tentatively at Elyse. "Clint's the family mediator. I brought him along to meet the woman I intend to marry. Maybe he can help convince her that I'm all grown up and haven't worn diapers for years."

  Elyse was staring at Clint, but her eyes didn't focus enough to see him. The man she'd known as Clint Edwards was really State Senator Clinton Sterling—Paul Sterling's brother!

  No wonder he'd looked so familiar. She should have recognized him. She would have, if he hadn't deliberately deceived her by giving a false name. Which meant that he'd also lied about his reason for coming to see her.

  It was then that the delayed wave of pain and disillusion rolled over her.

  Clinton Edwards/Sterling wasn't only a senator, he was also a liar and a first-class bastard.

  Chapter Three

  Elyse made an effort to pull herself together, and her rapidly developing rage was a big help. So the handsome, charismatic young senator wasn't above trampling on his constituents' personal rights to privacy!

  But why her? What on earth had she done to merit his dubious attention?

  A thought sent her anger skyrocketing. Clint had no interest in her. It was Liz he was spying on, using Elyse to do it. That had to be it, since his only connection with the Haley family was through his brother.

  She didn't acknowledge the introduction but squared her shoulders and turned to Paul. "Come with me," she said, and started down the h
all toward the kitchen. She was going to stick with them until she found out what was going on. If Clint Sterling considered Liz an unsuitable candidate for the sister-in-law of a state senator, then he was going to get more than he'd bargained for.

  Elyse had been gullible enough to think he was special. She'd unknowingly given him access to the family, but she had no intention of letting him hurt her sister.

  Liz looked up from where she was sitting at the round oak pedestal table, covered with student papers, as the three of them walked into the huge old kitchen. She was wearing her dark-framed reading glasses, and she'd obviously been running her fingers through her short brown hair while she worked. It stood up in some places and hung limp in others.

  Liz would never be considered beautiful. Like most women she was sometimes very pretty and at other times quite plain. Elyse winced as she realized that this was definitely one of Liz's plain moments. She'd changed from the neat skirt and blouse she'd worn to school into a comfortable old pair of faded jeans and a sweater she'd bought years ago. Since then, she'd blossomed, but the sweater had shrunk, so the resulting fit left little of Liz to the imagination from the waist up. And the makeup that had been so expertly applied at seven that morning had faded and melted into an oily sheen.

  Elyse groaned as her sister's eyes widened in surprise. Why hadn't she made Paul and Clint wait in the family room and given Liz the opportunity to fix herself up? Liz had always been particular about how she looked when she knew Paul was coming. But Elyse had been so thrown off balance by the appearance of Clint she hadn't been thinking straight.

  Liz blanched, but her composure held as she pushed back her chair and stood. "Paul, I—I wasn't expecting you."

  Paul walked over to the table but didn't touch her. "I know." His voice wavered slightly as he continued. "I was afraid you wouldn't see me if you knew I was coming. Honey, I want you to meet my brother, Clint. I've told you about him, but I made the mistake of not telling him about you. That was an error on my part, and I'm truly sorry."

  He turned to Clint. "Clint, this is Mary Elizabeth Haley, and I'm very much in love with her. I've asked her to marry me, but I'm afraid I was tactless about it, and she's said no. I hope the three of us can sit down and talk and straighten this out."

  Elyse was still standing just inside the kitchen door and could see Clint only in profile, but there was no mistaking the shock on his face. To his credit he suppressed it immediately and put out his hand. "Mary Elizabeth, I don't think you'll ever know just how pleased I am to meet you."

  Now it was Liz who looked shocked as she put her hand in his. "Th—thank you, Senator Sterling."

  "Please call me 'Clint'." He smiled. "If you're going to be a member of the family, we'd better get on a first-name basis, don't you think?"

  Liz shook her head sadly. "I'm not going to marry Paul, but I'd like it if you'd call me 'Liz.' Both my sister and I were christened 'Mary,' so we go by our middle names. Have you met Elyse?"

  Both of them turned to look at Elyse, and Clint caught her off guard by moving toward her and taking her arm. "Yes, I have. In fact, I—"

  "Paul introduced us at the door," Elyse cut in quickly. "Why don't you three go into the family room, where it's more comfortable. I'll make some coffee."

  She didn't know what Clint had intended to say, but if he planned to tell Paul and Liz he'd been spying on them, she had to stop him. That would be the final humiliation for her genteel sister and would make her all the more determined not to continue her relationship with Paul.

  "Well, I—" Liz started, but Paul closed the gap between them and put his arm around her waist.

  "Come on, sweetheart," he said. "This is going to take a while. We might as well have a soft place to sit."

  Liz allowed him to walk her out of the kitchen, like a sleepwalker being guided back to bed. Or a sheep being led to the slaughter, Liz thought grimly.

  As soon as they were out of the room, Elyse pulled away from Clint. "Elyse," he said huskily, and reached out to her.

  "I'd rather you didn't touch me, Senator Sterling," she said icily.

  He dropped his arm and sighed. "I don't blame you for being upset, but I'll explain everything in a few minutes. I know it's a lot to ask, but could you hold off making judgments until you've heard what I have to say?"

  She had to admit he was a good actor. Probably part of the makeup of a politician. He really did look repentant.

  "I'm afraid not," she snapped. "I've pretty much figured it out, anyway. You were using me to get information about Liz."

  "That's not true," he said anxiously. "I thought it was you Paul was seeing. The names—"

  "Ah, yes, the old problem of our similar names." She glared at him. "I don't like people who lie to me, Senator. Especially men who are supposed to represent me in the state legislature. I'm not interested in your explanation, but if you have a shred of decency you won't tell either Paul or Liz what you've been up to. My sister is a very proper school teacher. She believes in setting a good example for her students, and she'd be shattered if she thought Paul's family was sneaking around having her investigated."

  Clint muttered an expletive, but she didn't pause. "If it's me you're worried about, if the fact that Liz has a sister who sleeps around and got herself pregnant is going to contaminate your family honor and political reputation, then—"

  "Dammit, Elyse! Stop that!" Clint's roar must have been heard all over the house as he reached out and folded her in his arms.

  She tried to pull away, but his hold was unbreakable. "Don't fight me," he said through clenched teeth. "Just listen."

  He held her so she couldn't get away while he swiftly enumerated his reasons for feeling it was necessary to know more about the woman Paul was seeing. She gradually relaxed as his story began to make a rather botched-up kind of sense.

  "I admit I did everything wrong," he said in conclusion. "It just never occurred to me you weren't the Mary E. Haley Paul was seeing. He even gave me your business card tonight when he asked me to follow him here."

  Elyse nodded against his shoulder. "He asked for some to distribute among his friends after he saw the shop. But of course it has Liz's address and phone number, too, since we live together."

  He cuddled her closer and stroked his big fingers through her soft auburn curls. "You're trembling," he murmured. "I'm sorry I've upset you so. I seem to have a special talent for it. Can't we wipe the slate clean and start over again?"

  Elyse had succumbed to the feel of his arms around her, found refuge in the strength of his hard body but his question snapped her back to reality, and once more she tried to push away from him. "That won't be necessary, Senator." Her tone was all business. "Now that you have the sisters straight, you can deal with Liz directly."

  She took a step back, and this time he let her go. "You'd better join Paul and Liz. They're waiting for you," she said as she turned away. "The family room is right across the hall. I'll bring the coffee in later."

  She kept her back to him as she walked to the sink and started running the water, but she knew exactly how long he stood there looking after her and the moment he turned and walked out of the room.

  Elyse plugged in the coffee maker and leaned against the counter. Clint was right; she was trembling.

  She stalled for half an hour, then put the glass coffee carafe on a tray with cream, sugar, mugs and a plate of cookies and carried it to the family room. As she approached the open door she heard Liz saying, "Wouldn't make so much difference if we were both ten years older, but twenty-six is still very young for a man, and thirty-six is definitely mature for a woman. No, listen to me, Paul. I may not even be able to give you the children you want. A lot of women in their thirties are finding that after postponing childbearing for so long, they're unable to conceive."

  "Sweetheart, don't borrow trouble." It was Paul, and he sounded a little frantic. "We'll worry about that if the problem ever arises—"

  Elyse walked into the room. Paul and L
iz were seated on the couch, engaged in the heated debate, and Clint was sitting in the upholstered chair, saying nothing, letting them talk.

  He jumped up when Elyse came in. "Here, let me help." He took the tray from her and set it on the coffee table.

  "I'm sorry," Elyse said as she poured. "I didn't mean to interrupt." She handed a mug to Liz and another one to Paul.

  "That's all right," Clint answered as he reached for his mug. "It's time for a break." His glance returned to the tray. "Didn't you bring a cup for yourself?"

  "Oh, no, I'll just get my sewing basket and go back to the kitchen. I have some hemming and other handwork to do."

  Both Paul and Liz protested as she crossed the room and picked up the large basket that sat on the floor beside the rocking chair. Clint was more agreeable. "Good idea. I'll go with you. These two don't need me anymore. They're at least discussing the problem now." He took her arm and walked with her out of the room.

  Elyse hadn't anticipated this turn of events. She didn't want to spend time with Clint… with Senator Sterling. Her anger welled as she remembered what he'd done. If he'd honestly thought she was the one his brother was interested in, then why hadn't he simply told her who he was and asked the questions that bothered him?

  Deception was a frightening thing, and she wanted nothing to do with anyone who practiced it.

  Clint set the basket beside the chair he held for Elyse, and she sat down and rummaged in it to find her needle, thread and the peach-and-cream ruffled doll dress she was working on. Clint took the chair beside her, and for a moment neither spoke as she threaded her needle and he sipped at his hot coffee.

  "I would have come to see you tonight even if Paul hadn't asked me to intercede for him," Clint finally said. "I'd have come sooner, but I was on the East Coast. I had no intention of leaving things the way they were between us on Sunday."

  "I'm sure you didn't. It's difficult to get information from a person if that person's not speaking to you."