His Secret Son
Page 21
With time, though, the shock had softened. Now he could accept that night as a kind of crucible in which his old life had been melted down and transformed into a far better one.
A mile past downtown, Dirk turned left into the new development. The yards were small but brightened, even at this time of year, by well-tended flower beds. In front of several houses, people were getting out of cars, carrying covered dishes.
A surge of gratitude welled inside him that he was part of a family, too. That he was only a few blocks away from the sure and steady center of his universe.
He approached slowly, drinking in the sight of the two-story house with its windows aglow. In front, rosebushes burst forth with a final bloom, the scarlets and pinks so vivid that they stood out even in the twilight.
From the absence of a sports car parked in front, Dirk could see that his grandfather hadn’t arrived yet. According to Joni, Herb would be bringing his new girlfriend, a lively widow.
At the touch of his finger on the remote control, the garage door slid open. Dirk pulled in next to Joni’s car.
The interior door flew open and Jeff’s head poked out. “Dad?” he called. Then, over his shoulder, “Dad’s home! Can I tell him yet?”
Tell him what?
As he got out, delicious cooking smells flooded around Dirk, even better than he’d fantasized. He could detect turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie.
Jeff came running out. There wasn’t room to swing him around; besides, the boy was getting too big for such antics. But Dirk picked him up in a bear hug, all the same.
“Can I carry your suitcase?” his son asked as he was set down.
“It’s a bit heavy, but you can handle my carry-on.” Dirk lifted luggage from the trunk. “That’s got the good stuff in it anyway.”
“Good stuff?”
“Oh, presents. But you wouldn’t be interested in anything like that.”
The boy shot him a knowing look and reached for the bag. He marched proudly ahead of Dirk into the house.
Joni came from the kitchen to greet them. Her blond hair, cut in a chin-length pageboy, haloed her head as she wiped her hands on her apron.
It was such a domestic gesture that Dirk almost couldn’t believe this same woman would, in a few days, rip through the new manuscripts he’d acquired and critique them within an inch of their lives.
He dropped his suitcase barely in time to catch her as she flew into his arms. She felt hot and alive against his cool body, which didn’t stay cool for long.
He wished the cooking and the imminent arrival of guests and even their son’s excitement could be suspended while he carried Joni upstairs. Three weeks ago, they’d said farewell after a lovemaking session that lasted most of the night. This time, he figured they’d need the entire four-day weekend.
“You feel wonderful,” Joni murmured into his ear.
“He brought presents!” Jeff called. “Can I open the bag, Daddy?”
To his wife, Dirk whispered, “If you think I feel good now, just wait till later.” To his son, he said, “If you’re careful. There’s a package with your name on it.”
Reluctantly releasing Joni, he shrugged out of his overcoat and carried his large suitcase upstairs so it would be out of the way. Heading back down, he nearly collided with Jeff, who had opened his package to discover an intricate plastic model of a Russian spaceship, ready to be assembled. “I’ve never seen this one before! I can’t wait to get started.”
“It won’t be on the market for another month. Need any help with that?”
Dirk was relieved when he received a resounding “No! I can handle it.” Much as he enjoyed building models with his son, he had other priorities right now.
When he reached the kitchen, Joni was removing a pan of stuffing from the oven. “You look terrific, considering what you’ve been through the past few days. Airport lounges aren’t exactly my idea of luxurious lodgings.”
Dirk regarded her longingly. “I’m not going away again for a long, long time.” Then he remembered his son’s words earlier. “What was it Jeff wanted to tell me?”
Joni removed the apron. Underneath, she wore a fuzzy pink sweater and tan slacks. “Are you planning to go anywhere next July?”
“I don’t think so,” he said. “Why? Is there some kind of publishing conference?”
“If there is, you’ll have to cancel.” Mischief danced in her eyes.
“Why?” He knew she was up to something, but all he could think about was kissing her until they both got dizzy.
“Well, I assume you’ll want to be in the delivery room,” she said.
He stared at her, hardly daring to grasp the implication. “We‘re—you’re—pregnant?”
“I took a home test two days ago.” She beamed at him. “I didn’t mean to tell Jeff, but he saw the kit in the bathroom and asked me what it meant.”
“It’s all right.” Gently, he gathered his wife against him. “Maybe you should sit down. Are you sure that belt isn’t too tight? Could it be cutting off the oxygen supply or something?”
She laughed. “I’m not made out of porcelain. And I’ve had a baby before, remember?”
He had dozens of questions, most of which she probably couldn’t answer yet. Whether it was a boy or a girl. What name they should choose. How soon they’d be able to see it on an ultrasound.
“I can’t believe it,” he admitted. “I was going to ask how you’d feel about having another child, but I wanted to give us all time to settle in.”
“I’d say we’re pretty settled.” She stroked the hair back from his forehead. “You’ll recall we forgot to take precautions before you left. Maybe that wasn’t entirely a mistake.”
“Maybe it wasn’t a mistake at all,” he conceded. “I figured you knew what you were doing. I certainly did.”
“Now we’ve made a baby two different ways,” she teased. “The results may be the same, but this method was more fun.”
He wanted to say more, but the doorbell rang. “Would that be Herb?”
“And Mary Anne. She’s quite a character. You’ll like her.” Joni winked. “Maybe by next Thanksgiving, we’ll have a new member of the family.” With a glance at her stomach, she amended, “Make that two new members.”
“You’re matchmaking!”
“Herb didn’t need my help.” She started for the door. “He found this lady himself.”
Dirk lingered behind, treasuring the miraculous news she’d given him. It was impossible to absorb the implications all at once, but, he decided, he didn’t need to. Half the fun of life was being surprised along the way.
With a prayer of thanksgiving humming through his mind, he straightened his tie and went to help his wife greet their guests.
ISBN : 978-1-4592-5123-6
HIS SECRET SON
Copyright © 1999 by Jackie Hyman
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Dangerous Attraction
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Books by Jacqueline Diamond
&
nbsp; CAST OF CHARACTERS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Copyright