“Of course, honey.” Starr touched the child’s face. “At lunch today the senator told me some wild sheep in the San Jacinto mountains are sick—sort of like the people on the docks. Only, the sheep are dying. The senator wants me to see if I can find out why.”
“You...you’re gonna go away?” The little girl’s lower lip trembled and tears sprang to her eyes. Stoically she dashed them away.
Starr hadn’t expected a tearful reaction.
“No, silly! Well, I am, but not unless you can go, too. That’s the surprise. Over Christmas break, if Wanda says it’s okay, we’ll take my dad’s motor home to the mountains for a week. I won’t have to work all the time. We’ll play in the snow and explore. What do you think?”
The dark eyes cleared and the sparkle returned. “Oh, wow!” Seli breathed. “I’ve never seen snow. Will we see deers? Or bears? Won’t Woody and Trader John just split a gut when I tell them? I bet they’ve never been to the mountains.” She bounced wildly in her chair.
“Whoa! Calm down.” Starr rested a hand on SeLi’s arm, ignoring her dock talk this time. Some would call them bums, the two derelicts SeLi referred to. Granted, she’d picked up some bad habits from the old coots, but they’d also protected her from those who would harm a child. They’d been SeLi’s family. Not exactly the influence Starr would prefer a child to have, but she recognized a need to wean the girl from them slowly.
“Remember,” she cautioned, “I have to get this approved. We don’t want Wanda reporting that I’ve run off with you.” Starr gazed into space, speaking more to herself than to the child. “I can’t imagine that she’d object.”
SeLi’s face fell. “Do you have to tell her? Wicked Wanda hates me.”
“Not you, Skeeter.” Starr saw no point in making an issue of the fact that she was the one the social worker disliked, not SeLi. Starr wished she knew why. “Tell you what, SeLi. If you can’t go, I’ll turn the job down. The senator will have to get himself another biochemist. Deal?”
SeLi gave her a thumbs-up and grinned. “De-al,” she drawled. “But don’tcha think Senator Dude can pull those strings again? Buffy and Heather’ll crap in their pants if they hear where I’m goin’.”
“SeLi Lederman! Young ladies do not say ‘crap.’”
“I thought you told me young ladies didn’t say ‘shit.’”
“That, too,” Starr said.
“So what do young ladies say?” SeLi demanded.
“Why, uh, they...” Starr floundered for a moment, then in a no-nonsense voice said, “They simply don’t speak of bodily excrements.”
“Well, gol-ly. That sounds boring. Why be one? Young lady, I mean.”
At a loss for a comeback, Starr was exceedingly glad when the telephone rang, providing her with a reprieve.
“That’s probably the senator now,” she said in a rush. “If you’ve finished your homework, you need to take a bath and get ready for bed. I’ll come say good-night when I finish here.”
“Okay. Don’t forget to tell him you’re gonna ask Wicked Wanda first thing tomorrow.”
“I will, I will,” Starr promised, snatching up the phone on the third ring.
The line crackled. “Starr, it’s Harrison. I know it’s late, but I just got your message. Have I caught you at a bad time?”
She thought he sounded exhausted. “It’s fine. I’m glad you called. This’ll be hard for you to believe, but your brother paid me a visit.”
“I know.”
“You do?” That stopped her. “Then I imagine you set him straight about our relationship,” she said, after recapping what’d happened. When she finished and encountered silence, Starr felt her cheeks grow hot. Maybe she hadn’t explained things well, but somehow, she’d expected sympathy. “Hello? Are you with me, Senator?”
“I’m here. I guess I’d better explain. You see, when I got home, Vanessa was packing. Said she was leaving me for good. I would’ve begged her to stay, but Clay showed up. Without so much as a hello he started lambasting us for having an affair—you and me, I mean.”
“That’s what I was trying to tell you,” she burst out. “I denied it. But he wouldn’t listen. I hope you made it very plain.”
“I’m afraid I didn’t.”
“What? Why not?”
“Because Vanessa looked so shocked—and she acted jealous as hell. Kind of tells me how much she cares, if you get my drift. So I didn’t correct their mistaken impression. I didn’t come right out and confirm it, either, mind you.” He hesitated. “I just didn’t deny it.”
“How could you not?” Starr asked angrily. “You’ll be ruined politically. And what about me? When this hits the newspapers, Wanda Manning will see to it that SeLi’s taken away.”
He chuckled.
“Frankly I don’t see anything funny,” she said.
“Now, Starr, you’re making mountains out of molehills. Clay isn’t going to let this leak. I told you—deep down, he has a soft spot for family.”
“No, you said kids and animals.”
“Well, I should’ve included women, and women and kids spell family. He certainly has a soft spot for animals, too. Which brings us back to business. I don’t know how he stands on the oil explorations. At first he was violently opposed. You’ll have to guard what you say. I can’t take a chance on him stirring up trouble down there.”
“Really? Well, I can’t take a chance on him stirring up trouble here. Senator, I need to give your proposal more thought.”
“Now, now. Don’t get yourself in a dither. Trust me. Clay will escort Vanessa to Cloud Haven tonight. Way I see it, she brought this on herself by always running to him. A taste of her own medicine will do Van good. Let her stew for a few days, then I’ll call and throw myself on her mercy.”
“Sounds risky to me. Or should I say for me?” Starr twisted the telephone cord around her finger. “You didn’t see the way your brother looked at me—as if I was sewer sludge.”
“Naturally. He’s trying to be Vanessa’s hero.”
“How can you defend him after what you said earlier—about them carrying on an affair behind your back?”
“Ahem, I, uh, could’ve been wrong. My son, Morgan, let a few things slip today. Enough to make me think Clay and Van may not be sleeping together—not yet, anyway. I love her, Starr, enough to go to any lengths to get her back.”
“Yes, well, I can’t help wishing those lengths didn’t involve me.”
“Believe me, they’ll be halfway to the ranch by now. Put it out of your mind, honey. I did. Listen up—I’ve had someone at the university call your boss. You’re cleared for a two-week leave. That’ll give you a week for me and a week to do the Santa thing. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that secrecy is imperative.” He paused. “If you run into trouble getting equipment, let me know. Otherwise I’ll call again tomorrow night.”
At once the line went dead. Starr clicked the receiver. “Hello?” She heard a steady hum and glared at the phone, not believing he’d simply hung up. But after returning the receiver to its cradle and waiting for a ring back, she decided that was precisely what he’d done.
Amazing. Politicians—they all had colossal egos and played silly little-boy games. Starr had a funny suspicion that the senator didn’t know his brother well at all.
Put it out of your mind, he’d said. All right. She’d go tuck SeLi into bed, write up a list of the equipment she’d need, then soak in a hot tub. After that she would crawl into bed and forget anyone by the name of Barclay McLeod existed. By morning all would be rosy again.
* * *
STARR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN from experience that the morning wouldn’t be rosy. It rarely was in the Lederman household. She liked to sleep until the last possible second, and as a result she and SeLi were often late. Never one to eat breakfast, Starr had been forced to change her ways when she became a mother. More accurately, she’d seen a need to change when she caught SeLi hoarding food under her bed. That, and Wanda Manning’s checklist, with
three nutritious meals a day right at the top, had been strong motivators.
These days, though, SeLi usually ate anything put in front of her.
Not today.
“Why me, Lord?” Starr exclaimed to the kitchen clock. Last night hadn’t been too good. Sleep had evaded her. Not because she was worrying about her encounter with Barclay McLeod, but because she’d been plotting into the wee hours how best to approach Wanda with this outing. Her uncharacteristic lack of patience with Seli definitely reflected her loss of sleep.
“This is lumpy,” wailed SeLi, expression militant. “Why can’t I just eat cold cereal like kids on TV?” Her spoon made ragged craters in a bowl of steaming oatmeal porridge as she picked out lumps and plopped them on her napkin.
“SeLi, stop that. Oatmeal is good for you. It’s supposed to have a few lumps. I always ate hot cereal when I was a kid. Especially when it was cold and rainy out.” Starr bent and gave SeLi a coaxing smile around the hair ribbon she held in her teeth as she attempted to French-braid SeLi’s hair.
“Ouch!” The girl jerked away. “You had a cook—Nana Patrice said. I bet no cook ever fixed yuck like this.” Plop went another lump, only this one flew and stuck to Starr’s chenille robe.
“Darn it, SeLi, watch—” The doorbell rang sharply, cutting off the rest of Starr’s lecture. She swiftly tied a bow at the end of the braid, then settled her hand on SeLi’s shoulder to keep her seated. The girl had leapt up to answer the door.
“That’ll be Kevin and Mike,” SeLi said in the tone of one seeing a reprieve. “You’re not really gonna make me finish this junk, are you? The school van won’t wait,” she warned. “Yesterday the driver told Darcy you’ll have to get up earlier or he’ll leave me behind.”
Starr scraped at the cereal embedded in her robe. “Sit. If it’s the van, it’s early.” She checked her watch. “Fifteen minutes early. He’ll just have to wait.”
Starr was determined SeLi wouldn’t wriggle out of eating this morning, even if she had to drive all three kids to school herself. “Eat half. I’ll invite the boys to wait in the living room.”
“Brother.” SeLi sat and picked up her spoon.
On her way down the hall, Starr gloated a bit over this minor triumph in the clash of wills. Yesterday the principal had recommended that she dig in her heels on some of the smaller issues. He said the larger ones would follow. It sounded logical. After all, SeLi had had free rein a long time.
Well, no one ever said motherhood was easy, Starr thought as she opened the door and stepped behind it to conceal her ratty robe. It was comfy and warm, but not fit for any neighbor who happened to be in the hall to see.
“Come in, guys. SeLi will be with you in a minute. Have a seat in the living room. I guarantee you won’t be late for the van.” Starr nearly choked on her last word as the door swung fully open to reveal the last person she’d expected to see. Barclay McLeod!
It took a moment for the shock to pass. When it did, she snapped her open mouth shut so quickly she bit her tongue. The moment she was able to speak, she asked icily, “What do you want?”
“Not a morning person, are we?” Clay shrugged and doffed his black Stetson. The action drew Star’s eye to his Western-cut suit, white shirt and tie. He looked impeccable—and very handsome, she admitted grudgingly.
A spark of vanity made her feel a bit embarrassed about how she compared in her rumpled state.
“How did you get into the building?” she demanded, transferring her anger to its rightful place.
Barclay McLeod again stepped uninvited into her home. “In answer to your first question, I seem to have misplaced my wallet. I thought perhaps I’d dropped it here. The answers to question two seems obvious, but I’ll explain in case it slipped by you. As property owner, I have a master key.” He seemed amused by her attempt to hide behind the door.
Starr held on to her temper by a thread. “There is such a thing as a tenant’s right to privacy. Since you’ve already invaded mine, by all means, retrace your steps. Look for your stupid wallet. You won’t find it here.”
“Thanks, I will. It contained a fair amount of cash. Enough for someone needing a quick getaway,” he said pointedly.
“Good. When you find it you can get out of Dodge.” Why was he still here, instead of heading south as Harrison had said? Starr thought it was ironic that a man so drop-dead good-looking could be such a jerk. Today he looked civilized, too. Yesterday he’d been more appropriately dressed in satanic black.
She lingered by the door while he knelt and looked beneath her couch and both chairs. Her gaze was caught by the sprinkle of dark hair on the wrist of the arm reaching to feel beneath the furniture. Suddenly very warm, Starr shifted from one slippered foot to the other and nervously retied her robe. Why, the two times he’d shown up, did she have to look as if she was heading for bed? Especially since he thought she made her living there.
When he rose and glared at her, she willed her features to remain passive. Instinct warned her not to let him see how nervous he made her. “You obviously left your wallet someplace else. Did you check under your sister-in-law’s bed?” she asked sweetly.
Before he could react, the doorbell rang. No doubt Darcy’s twins this time.
“Hi, fellas.” She waved the pair in and the man out. “If you don’t mind,” she said to her unwanted guest, “I have a busy morning ahead.”
Mistakenly she’d thought he would leave. Instead, he introduced himself to the twins.
“Excuse me,” she said, “I’m going to check on SeLi’s progress. I won’t object if you’re gone when I come back.”
Staring at her coolly, he turned back to the boys. “Do you kids go to a neighborhood school?”
Mike, the more outspoken twin, answered as Starr hastened into the kitchen. “Nah,” he said. “We go to a private school, ‘cause our mom thinks we’ll learn more. Why? You got kids?”
“No. But my nephew moved in upstairs last night. He’s been home-schooled. But I think it’d be good for him to have friends his own age.”
Starr had returned with SeLi in tow just as Clay made his big revelation. Did Harrison know? she wondered, unable to hide her dismay. She was startled by SeLi’s squawk. The girl stopped right in the middle of thanking her for the family pictures. “What’s he doin’ here, Mom? You said we’d never see him again!”
“He lost something, honey,” Starr said absently. In the next breath she asked Clay, “Do you mean the senator’s son, Morgan?”
He smirked. “Yes. Cozy isn’t it? Luckily I noticed a vacancy when I checked the books. Perfect for Morgan and his mom. But then, I’m sure his parents breakup isn’t news to you.”
It wasn’t of course. But obviously the estrangement was more permanent than Senator McLeod realized. Or at least more than he wanted to think.
SeLi sidled past both Starr and Clay, then ran for the door. “C’mon guys, the van’s waiting. Mom, you’re still gonna go see Wicked Wanda, aren’t you?”
In the process of digesting Clay’s news, Starr glanced up and nodded at the departing child. “This morning,” she murmured.
Clay frowned. “How is it you have a job but don’t ever seem to work? And who’s Wicked Wanda?”
“Wanda Manning. SeLi’s case worker.” Starr broke off suddenly. What had struck her in the midst of her preoccupation was the odd way her daughter was acting toward Clay. Yesterday she’d all but had Starr married to him. Today she couldn’t seem to escape the man fast enough. Fear gripped Starr’s heart.
“Please leave,” she told Clay. “I have to run. I—I forgot to give SeLi lunch money.”
“Fine. Vanessa promised me breakfast in exchange for helping her move.”
Tight-lipped, Starr acknowledged this new information with nothing more than a nod. She didn’t want to hear about his breakfast arrangements. Or his sleeping arrangements. Right now she needed to stop SeLi. It would be a touchy situation, but if she didn’t ask the girl about Clay’s missing wallet, she’
d have this knot in her stomach all day.
Not caring that she still wore her bathrobe, Starr ignored the elevator and ran down the three flights of stairs. She caught up with the children as they were about to leave the building. Asking the boys to hold the van, she motioned SeLi back.
The girl’s guilt showed in her reluctance. Starr’s heart spiraled downward as she realized the time for finesse had passed.
“Do you have something to tell me about Mr. McLeod’s wallet, SeLi?” she asked gently.
SeLi ducked her head. “I was gonna tell you ‘bout it last night. Till you made such a big deal over Buffy Jordan’s purse.” Defiant eyes rose to meet Starr’s troubled ones. “I didn’t take her old purse.”
“Forget Buffy’s purse for now. What about Mr. McLeod’s wallet?”
Narrow shoulders shrugged. “He didn’t even have it buttoned in his pocket. Somebody downtown coulda heisted it easy.”
“But they didn’t, did they, SeLi? It was gone before he went downtown, wasn’t it?” Starr ignored the van driver’s impatient honking and smoothed back strands of dark hair that had already escaped SeLi’s braid.
“It’s under my mattress,” the girl mumbled. “Can I go now?”
Starr sighed, stepped back and gathered the lapels of her robe beneath her chin. For a moment she closed her eyes. This compounded yesterday’s theft at school. It was serious business, and she didn’t know what to do.
“I didn’t take any of his money,” SeLi stated defensively as she ran toward the van.
Starr’s eyes sprang open. “I sincerely hope not,” she said, even though SeLi probably didn’t hear her as she boarded the van. Once it was under way, Starr turned leaden feet toward the elevator—an elevator on its way down from the top floor and the penthouse where Barclay McLeod was no doubt about to enjoy breakfast.
Oh, Lord, she hated the thought of facing him! She hadn’t the foggiest idea how to go about returning his wallet. But Starr knew she’d go to any lengths to protect SeLi. With all her heart she believed permanence and stability in SeLi’s life would ultimately erase her compulsion to steal. All Seli needed was a chance to prove herself.
Christmas Star (Contemporary, Romance) Page 5
