Celia slowly turned her wide eyes in Rachel’s direction. Her face was alight with her amusement when she shook her head. “Wow,” she said. “Now that was a declaration of intent if I’ve ever heard one.”
Rachel started to say something, but had to stop to clear her throat. “Could we maybe talk about something else for a while?” she asked weakly.
Celia laughed and linked her arm through Rachel’s. “My poor, shell-shocked big sister. You really have had a trying couple of days, haven’t you? Let’s see what we can do about that face of yours before the kids come home.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Why are we coming to Seth’s office, Mama?” Aaron asked, looking with interest through the side window of their car on the following Thursday afternoon.
Rachel wasn’t exactly sure how to answer. It had been five days since she’d seen Seth. During that time, he hadn’t called, hadn’t dropped by. As he’d promised—or warned—he was leaving the next move to her.
And by the way, Rachel. I love you.
She gulped, and tightened her hands around the steering wheel as she guided her car into the parking lot of his law office. Maybe he wouldn’t be in, she thought. Maybe it would be better if she waited a day or two for this.
But his black sports car was parked in front of the building, next to a tiny economy car. She glanced at her watch, noting that it was almost five-thirty. Was Seth’s secretary still here, or did the little car belong to a client? Would Rachel be interrupting something important if she went in now?
She should have called. The only reason she hadn’t was because she hadn’t known she was coming until she’d found herself driving toward his office instead of her home after picking the children up at their day-care center.
“Mama?” Aaron said as Rachel parked the car and then just sat behind the wheel, staring at the building. “Aren’t we going in? I want to see the fish.”
“I’ve missed Seth,” Paige said from the back seat. “We haven’t seen him in a long time. Do you think he could have dinner with us tonight, Mama?”
Rachel moistened her lips. “Maybe we’d better just go on home. Seth may be busy.”
Two disappointed protests greeted that suggestion. Just as Rachel was about to start the car again, the door to Seth’s office opened and a young, very pregnant woman walked outside, toward the other car.
Rachel decided the woman must be Seth’s secretary, Maddie. She remembered now that he’d told her she was pregnant.
Maddie noticed Rachel’s car and approached the driver’s window, which Rachel lowered, feeling rather embarrassed that she’d been caught staring at Seth’s office. “I’m Mr. Fletcher’s secretary,” she said, leaning slightly toward the window with a curious smile. “May I help you with something?”
“Actually, the children and I dropped by to see Seth, if he isn’t busy,” Rachel explained. “If he is, we won’t bother him.”
Maddie shook her curly head, her smile deepening. “You must be Rachel Evans.”
Rachel wasn’t even sure she wanted to know how Maddie had guessed that. “Yes, I am,” she admitted.
“Just go on in. Seth was cleaning his desk a minute ago, and the mess it was in, it’s going to take him a while. He’ll probably welcome the distraction.”
“Thank you,” Rachel told her, feeling well trapped now. Why oh, why, had she given in to impulse by coming here? She should have known better. Every time she gave in to her impulses, rather than making specific plans, something went awry. Impulsive behavior just seemed better suited to others, like Celia. And Cody. And Seth, darn it.
Aaron already had his hand on his door handle. Rachel doubted that Seth would have been flattered by Aaron’s eagerness, since it could be attributed as much to a fascination with the aquarium as a fondness for Seth.
Maddie drove away just as Rachel and her children reached the outer door to Seth’s office. Once again, Rachel was aware of a sudden, cowardly urge to run before Seth spotted them, but she reminded herself that her children would probably think she’d lost her mind if she did that. She’d actually started to wonder about that, herself.
Aaron headed straight for the aquarium when they entered Seth’s reception area. Rachel asked Paige to join him. “Just give me a minute to speak to Seth alone,” she added in a low voice.
Paige looked curious, but obediently moved to stand beside her brother in front of the colorfully decorated tank.
Rachel tapped lightly on Seth’s closed door. His voice bade her to enter. She opened the door.
“What’s wrong, Maddie?” Seth asked without looking up from the pile of paperwork he was sorting on his wildly littered desk. “Forget something?”
“Maddie just left,” Rachel said.
Seth’s head came up with an almost comical snap. “Rachel!”
“Is this a bad time?” she asked anxiously, poised to run. “I can—”
“No, come in,” he said quickly, shoving papers recklessly aside and rounding the end of his desk. “What are you doing here? Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing’s wrong.” Glancing over her shoulder to make sure the children were still occupied with the aquarium, Rachel pushed the door almost closed to give her and Seth the illusion of privacy. She left a one-inch opening so she could hear the children, but she didn’t feel free to talk if they could see her.
Seth stopped a few inches in front of her, his green eyes studying her face intently. “Your face looks much better.”
She resisted an impulse to touch her still slightly bruised cheek. “Thanks. It feels better.”
“I hear Holder’s going to do some time. Did you know that he’d been given a suspended sentence for beating his girlfriend a couple of years ago? That will be added to the penalty for what he did to you.”
“Leon told me about it,” Rachel agreed. “I didn’t even know Frank had a record. He lied on his job application, and I’m afraid when I hired him I was still pretty new at managing the business. I didn’t think to run an extensive reference check.”
“You do so now, I hope.”
“Yes, as much as possible.”
“Good. It never hurts to take extra precautions.”
Rachel smiled. “That sounds more like something I would have said than you.”
He chuckled. “Yeah. I guess you’re starting to corrupt me. I’m even trying to get my office organized,” he added with a rueful nod toward his desk. “Not that I’m making much headway at it.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Thanks, but I’ll manage somehow.”
“Well.” She twisted her hands in front of her, very much aware that he hadn’t even kissed her yet. And that she wanted very much for him to do so. Soon.
Oh, my, he looked wonderful, she thought with a silent sigh, surreptitiously eyeing him from beneath her lashes. He was wearing a beautifully knit sweater in shades of plum and green, paired with dusky gray slacks. His hair was trimmed, but still fell onto his forehead in that manner she found so endearing. His emerald eyes were bright, questioning, much too perceptive as they remained steadily on her face.
She suddenly felt the silence like an awkward presence standing between them. “The children are in the other room,” she said, though he probably already knew. “Aaron wanted to watch the fish.”
“He can feed them before you leave. I haven’t done so yet today.”
“He’ll like that. Um...Paige wanted me to ask if you’d like to have dinner with us.”
The corners of his mouth twitched, but he didn’t smile. Rachel had the impression he was making an effort not to. “Did she?”
Rachel nodded. If he was daring to stand there and laugh at her—
“And what do you want, Rachel?” Seth asked quietly, never taking his gaze away from her face.
You, she thought immediately, shockingly. “I think it would be nice if you join us for dinner,” she murmured instead, trying not to think of those
nights she’d lain awake remembering their lovemaking. Aching for more.
Seth shook his head. “That isn’t what I asked. I asked what you want, Rachel.”
She frowned at him. “I want you to join us for dinner,” she muttered grudgingly.
“Why?”
“Don’t push your luck, Fletcher.”
He couldn’t hold back the smile this time. He grinned. “Why, Rachel?”
She exhaled loudly. “Because I’ve missed you, damn it.”
“That’s all I wanted to hear—for now,” he assured her, and took her into his arms.
The kiss was all the more powerful for being so long delayed. Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with a hunger that had been building for almost a week. She’d tried to ignore it. Tried to deny it. Tried to convince herself that she didn’t need him, or the problems he would inevitably cause her. But she’d finally conceded defeat. She’d missed Seth desperately during this past week. His kisses. His smiles. Him.
“Mama?” Aaron pushed open the door, then tilted his head quizzically. “Why are you kissing Seth?”
Rachel blushed to the roots of her hair. Seth laughed and hugged her before letting her go. “Because kissing is nice,” he answered lightly.
From the face Aaron made, Seth could just as well have said that eating worms was nice. “Yuck,” the child pronounced clearly. “I wouldn’t kiss a girl. Except my mama, of course,” he added.
“I wouldn’t kiss any other girl, either,” Seth said.
Rachel thought about hitting him, just to shake some of that smugness out of his expression. Only her frequent lectures to the children about not hitting other people held her back.
“You’d kiss me, wouldn’t you, Seth?” Paige asked flirtatiously, appearing in the doorway behind her brother in time to hear the exchange.
Seth swooped on Paige with a smacking kiss on the cheek. “You bet I would, sweetheart. And thank you for asking me to dinner,” he added, touching the tip-tilted end of her nose with an affectionate finger. “I accept.”
“Really? Cool!”
She might as well admit it, Rachel thought resignedly. Her kids were nuts about the guy.
She knew just how they felt.
* * *
Seth was ecstatic. Rachel had come to him! And just when he’d finally decided he was going to have to go after her.
He felt like punching the air and cheering. He settled for grinning like an idiot.
It didn’t take him long to finish clearing his desk. He simply opened the only empty drawer and swept an arm across the surface, dumping everything into a cluttered pile in the drawer. He surveyed the now-clean desk in satisfaction; Rachel looked at him with the horror of someone for whom filing was a religion. She didn’t comment, though it must have been difficult for her to resist.
“I’m ready to go now,” Seth announced. “You guys choose a restaurant and I’ll follow in my car. Tonight’s my treat,” he added, noting that the kids seemed to wholly approve of the plan.
“We could go to my house,” Rachel suggested. “I could cook for us.”
The children frowned, and Seth shook his head. “I feel like taking you all out tonight. I want to show you off.”
Rachel automatically smoothed the hem of her rose-colored sweater over her matching wool slacks and then glanced toward the children. Seth knew she was checking the damage they’d done to their appearances since she’d sent them off to school. He could have told her that the kids looked fine, as she did, but he guessed moms were supposed to do that sort of thing before taking their offspring out in public.
He was really going to like this family thing, he decided.
He had one hand at Rachel’s waist and another on Aaron’s shoulder as he ushered his family-for-the-evening through the reception area and toward the outside door. They had almost reached it when it suddenly opened.
It seemed to be his day for unexpected visitors, Seth thought as he stared at the man who stepped through the doorway. Too bad this one wasn’t as pleasant a surprise as the last one had been. “Dad,” he said without a great deal of enthusiasm. “What are you doing here?”
The gray-haired man with Seth’s green eyes glanced first at Rachel and the children, and his attention lingered for a noticeable moment on Seth’s hand at Rachel’s waist. Intimidated by the man’s stern manner, the children shifted closer, Paige to her mother, Aaron peeking out from behind Seth’s leg. Arthur Fletcher’s brow lifted a quarter of an inch as he turned his gaze to his son. “Seth,” he said by way of greeting. “Were you leaving?”
Seth knew his father was pointing out that it wasn’t six o’clock yet. Short of an emergency, Arthur Fletcher had never left his own office before six in his entire professional life. Just as he’d rarely missed a Saturday morning in the office—or Christmas Eve, or birthdays, or baseball game days, or school play days...
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am leaving,” Seth replied coolly, shoving the unpleasant memories aside. “Why are you here?”
Rachel stirred at Seth’s side, looking rather startled by his cool manner toward his father. She didn’t know, of course, quite how bitterly Seth and his father had parted six months ago. But Seth hadn’t forgotten one cutting, hurtful word.
Arthur didn’t look at all surprised by his son’s chilly welcome. Seth knew it was because his father hadn’t forgotten their parting, either. “I have to be in a courtroom in Harrison tomorrow morning,” he explained. “Since I have to pass through here on the way, I thought I’d stop by and see your office.”
He glanced around Seth’s minimally furnished reception area, his attention lingering for a moment on the aquarium. Seth couldn’t help picturing the plush mauve-and-silver reception area of the prestigious Fletcher Law Firm in downtown Little Rock.
Whatever Arthur’s opinion of Seth’s place of business, he kept it to himself. He turned to Rachel. “We’re being rude, Seth,” he said.
Seth nodded. “Rachel Evans, this is my father, Arthur Fletcher.”
Rachel offered a hand, as composed and dignified as if greeting one of her customers. “Mr. Fletcher,” she said. “It’s very nice to meet you. These are my children, Paige and Aaron.”
Arthur shook her hand and studied her assessingly. “You’re a friend of Seth’s?”
“A very good friend,” Seth answered for her.
“I see.”
Rachel shot Seth a look that subtly reproved him for his behavior, and then smiled at his father. “We were just going out for an early dinner, Mr. Fletcher. Would you like to join us?”
Seth somehow managed not to protest aloud. Aaron clung more tightly to his leg.
Arthur looked from Rachel, to Seth, then back again. “Yes, I believe I will join you. Thank you for asking.”
Seth shouldn’t have been surprised. His father had always seemed to delight in making Seth feel awkward and uncomfortable. Arthur would waste no opportunity during dinner to do so in front of Rachel.
“Rachel, you take the kids in your car,” he instructed. “My father and I will follow you.”
“There’s no need—”
“This is the way I want to handle it, Dad,” Seth contradicted curtly. “Rachel?”
She nodded and quickly ushered the children outside.
Arthur cast one last, quick glance around Seth’s office. “Nice little place.”
Seth didn’t miss the frown Rachel directed over her shoulder when she overheard the condescending comment. Maybe now she knew exactly what she’d gotten them into by inviting Seth’s father to dine with them, Seth thought.
* * *
“All right, Dad. Why are you really here?” Seth demanded the moment he and his father were in his car, Seth behind the wheel.
“I told you why I’m here,” Arthur repeated patiently. “You are my son, Seth. Is it so surprising that I want to see where you work and live?”
“Six months ago, I got the impression that you didn’t care whether you ever
saw me again,” Seth said coldly.
“You know that’s not true.”
Seth’s reply was flat, expressionless. “No. I don’t know it.”
Arthur stared through the windshield ahead of him. “Then you’re very much mistaken.”
Seth turned right, following Rachel’s car, not even particularly curious about where she was leading them. “How is Mother?”
“She’s fine. Busy, of course.”
“Of course,” Seth repeated dryly. Being busy was a way of life for his family. Anything less was unacceptable behavior for a Fletcher.
“She told me that you haven’t called her in a while.”
“She’s difficult to reach.” In more ways than one.
“Yes.” Arthur changed the subject. “Your practice is doing well?”
“Well enough.” It could be better, of course, and he hoped it would be, eventually, but Seth saw no need to go into that. One of the things his father had predicted six months ago was that Seth would soon find himself in bankruptcy, should he try to go out on his own.
“This is a very small town, with several existing law firms. You couldn’t possibly be making what you were earning with the family firm.”
“Dad, just don’t start, okay?”
“Fine,” Arthur snapped, obviously annoyed. He crossed his arms and looked out the side window. After a moment, he asked, “Where are we going?”
“I don’t know. I told Rachel to choose. You might as well be prepared that it won’t be anything fancy. She’ll pick someplace that’s suitable for children.”
Arthur nodded. “I assumed as much when I accepted her invitation.”
“Why did you accept?” Seth couldn’t resist asking. “I’ve never known you to be interested in dining with kids. God knows, you rarely did with us.”
He was looking at his father when he spoke, so didn’t miss the muscle that jerked in Arthur’s jaw at the dig. Arthur let it go. “I wanted to get to know her,” he said, instead. “I could tell from the way you acted with her that she is important to you.”
Seth was surprised that his father knew him well enough to have interpreted his feelings for Rachel. Or were his feelings for her so obvious that even a stranger could read them? “I intend to marry her, as soon as she’ll have me,” he heard himself saying without pausing to think about it.
A Man for Mom Page 18
