by Leanne Banks
Katie nodded, feeling for Wilhemina as she came to terms with her responsibilities. It was almost as if Wilhemina was growing up before her very eyes. “Have you thought about contacting Douglas?”
Wilhemina's eyes immediately welled with tears. “He was really hurt when I left. He doesn't want to hear from me.”
“Even if you're carrying his baby?”
“I can't think about that today. Can I take the couch?”
“Yes, it's, a sleep sofa,” Katie said, feeling self-conscious about her modest home. “I wish I had more to offer you.”
Wilhemina turned to her with tears in her eyes. She set Chantal's kennel on the floor and took Katie's hands in hers. “You have been something live never had before. A friend. I couldn't ask for anything more.”
Katie felt her own eyes fill with tears. Oh, wow. “You're pretty darn special, Wilhemina. You'll he-a great mom.”
Wilhemina lifted her shoulders and smiled. “Thanks.”
Michael spent that entire night on the Internet.
And the next. And the next.
He was in a war of wills with Ivan, but something else weird was happening to him. He couldn't stop thinking about Katie. He was worried about her. He wondered if she was pregnant. He wondered how her job search was going. He knew Wilhemina and Chantal were staying with her. Lord, the woman had to be a saint.
But he knew she wasn't. He'd known her when she came apart in his arms and made him come apart in hers. She had the oddest ability to pull him apart, yet make him feel whole. He wanted her in his bed, in his life. He'd spent so many years pushing people away that he didn't exactly know how to allow someone in.
Since Ivan was still so angry he was spitting venom at every opportunity, Michael knew he just had to wait the man out. Sometimes he thought waiting was stupid, yet at the same time, he felt as if he'd spent his life living down his father's unreliability and instability, and winning against Ivan would prove to everyone that he was different. This went a lot deeper than his bank account, but today the thought that he should be with Katie instead of battling Ivan bad slid through his mind more than once.
While he was waiting, he might as well do something productive with his time, such as conduct security checks for other clients. And search for information on Katie's parents: He learned the name of her father and began the arduous search of how the man had disappeared. Katie had been told he'd died.
Searching death records in ten states for the four months around his guesstimate of her conception, he looked until his eyes were ready to pop out of his head. Remembering she'd mentioned that her mother had always said she'd been conceived in Myrtle Beach, he searched the death records for South Carolina.
When her father's name appeared, he felt his heart stop. Killed in an automobile accident, he'd only been twenty-three, and he'd never gotten to see his daughter. That was only the beginning. He searched for her grandparents and learned that they, too, were dead. Then he found something interesting. An unclaimed inheritance.
This was going to require telephone calls during business hours. Michael rubbed his eyes and rested his head in his hands. His weariness hit him like a sledgehammer. He sat there for a moment that turned into ten, waking when his chin hit the desk.
Swearing, he shook his head. He needed some sleep. Adrenaline and sexual need could only keep a man awake for so long before he crashed. He automatically checked the company E-mail before he signed off. There was a message from a hog farmer in Texas.
Katie answered the heavy knock on her door and stared in amazement through the peephole, “Douglas?” She opened the door unable to think of a thing to say. How had he found her apartment?
“Where's Wilhemina?” he demanded, striding through the doorway. “I know she's here. It was a mistake for her to leave and I'm not leaving until she realizes it.” He folded his arms over his chest. “Now where is she?”
Heaving in the bathroom. This was going to get interesting. “Just a second. I'll get her.”
“Tell her there's no use in hiding. I'll come after her.”
Katie nodded and headed for the small hall bathroom where Wilhemina had spent many of her waking hours during the last couple of days. Wilhemina walked slowly toward the sofa.
“Wilhemina,” Katie said.
Wilhemina adjusted the washcloth over her forehead. “In a minute. First, if you don't mind, could you please give me a few crackers and soda? I know that will help it—”
She rounded the corner and shrieked. “Douglas! What are you doing here?”
Douglas puffed out his chest. “I've come to tell you that I'll fight anyone, including your father, for you. You belong with me.”
Wilhemina lifted a hand to her throat. Concerned that she might swoon, Katie rushed to her side. “Do you need to sit down?”
Wilhemina moved her head in a circle. “What made you—” She swallowed. “How did you—” She stopped and frowned. “Do you know about the baby?”
“Baby?” Douglas echoed, his voice cracking. “You can't be pregnant. I used a condom every damn time.”
Wilhemina stood for along moment and Katie sensed her quandary. She didn't want Douglas to pursue her out of obligation. She wanted Douglas to pursue her because he loved her.
Katie cleared her throat. “She meant Chantal's babies. Chantal is going to have kittens.”
Douglas relaxed a millimeter. “Oh,” he said nodding. “Must've been Flash.”
Wilhemina nodded. “I think so.”
“I love you, Wilhemina. I want you to come back with me.”
Wilhemina bit her lip and meandered toward me tiny kitchen. Douglas watched her every move. Since the apartment was so small, he could have watched her if she went anywhere except for the rooms with doors.
Wilhemina poured herself a soda and took a sip. “What if I'm richer than you'll ever be?”
“I still want you with me,” he said, rock solid.
“What if my father has disinherited me and I'm broke?”
“That sonofabitch better not mistreat you—”
“What if I'm broke?”
He shrugged. “I want you. I don't want your money. I want you in my bed, in my house every day for the rest of my life.”
Wilhemina looked at him with her heart in her eyes. “Are you very sure?” she whispered, moving back to stand in front of him.
“Surer man I've been of anything.”
She flew into his arms and he held her tight. Katie felt the urge to cry.
Wilhemina let out a little sob against Douglas's throat. He stroked her hair. “Don't cry, honey. I'm here. I love you and I'm never leaving you.”
“I never thought I'd see you again.”
Katie backed toward the bedroom to allow them some privacy.
“Douglas, do you still want me if I'm pregnant with your baby?”
Katie couldn't resist stealing a glance at his shocked, confused expression. “You said it was kittens. You can't be pregnant. I used a condom every time.”
“One of them didn't work.”
Douglas looked as if he'd been hit in the head with a frying pan.
“You sent Douglas, didn't you?” Katie said the following night when she talked with Michael. He called her every other night. She had given up trying not to look forward to hearing his voice. With an amorous about-to-be-married couple proving their love for each other every other hour, she had given up on sanity.
Michael chuckled. “He got there fast. I got an E-mail from him two days ago. I gave him the third degree before I disclosed Wilhemina's whereabouts.”
“Well, they're temporarily staying on my sofa bed until Wilhemina can get the wedding planned.”
“That fast?”
“I wish it were faster.” She heard a sexual groan of pleasure and covered one of her ears. “They're torturing me.”
“How?”
“Michael, I swear they go at it like rabbits. I've almost walked in on them three times.”
Michael laughed
again. “Getting a little too hot around there?”
“Maybe.”
“What do you think about when you hear them?”
Knowing he couldn't see her made her bold. “You.”
She heard his sharp intake of breath.
“You making love with me on a bed. You and me with all the time in the world.”
“I hate Ivan Rasmussen,” he said in a rough voice.
“I do too. I got a job offer today.”
“You did? With who?”
“I'll be working for a female attorney. She's sane. It was so refreshing. I won't get quite as much money, but they offer educational assistance and an extra week of vacation so I think it evens out.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you. I can't tell you what a relief it is to work for someone sane. Are you sure you want to work for Ivan?”
“It's not just the contract, although the money is part of it. I want him to admit that I met the conditions, that I wasn't weak. I want the admission.” He paused, and she could feel his tension through the telephone line. “He brought up my father again today.”
Katie's stomach turned at Ivan's ruthlessness. “You're not weak, Michael. You're strong.”
He sighed. “I want to come see you tomorrow, but I have this feeling that once I see you, I'm going to have a damn hard time coming back.”
Her heart squeezed at his admission.
“Someone is going to come see you tomorrow. You need to try to be there tomorrow afternoon.”
“Who is it?”
“I promised I wouldn't tell. Just be at your apartment tomorrow afternoon.”
“A mother's love is a gift that keeps on giving…long after she's gone.”
—SUNNY COLLINSES WISDOM
Chapter 22
By three-thirty, Katie had made twenty-three trips to the window.
“Who are you expecting?” Wilhemina asked when she came up for air from kissing Douglas.
“I don't know. Michael wouldn't tell me. It's a surprise.” She made a face. “I hate surprises,” She shrugged. “Well, whoever it is must have changed their mind. They're not coming. They're not—” She stole another glance and saw a car pull into the parking lot. Anticipation thrummed through her as she watched the car pull into a space. Two women got out. A young woman with long blond hair. Katie's heart raced. “It's Lori and, and—”
She stared at the other woman. Brown hair cut in a hip, choppy bedroom style swung slightly in the wind. Katie glanced over the rest of the woman and couldn't help noticing her hourglass shape. She was dressed in a sophisticated curve-conscious suit and looked like sin waiting to happen. There was something vaguely familiar. She frowned as the two women walked out of her sight.
Then it hit her. “Dee!” she cried. Her middle sister. Twelve years since she'd seen her. Her heart hammering, Katie flew to the door and pulled it open just as her two sisters appeared.
“Dee! Lori!” She grabbed them both and squeezed. Lori returned the embrace. Dee hesitated.
“Priss,” she said, removing her dark sunglasses. Her lips curved in a smile, that Katie suspected had caused more than one man to walk into lampposts. “It's good to see ya.” She glanced around the apartment. “A little cramped in here.”
“She's been spending all her money on Jeremy,” Lori chided.
Dee pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
“I'm sorry. You can't smoke.”
Dee paused. “Are you allergic?”
“No, but the cat is pregnant,” Katie said. “And so is Wilhemina.”
“Who's Wilhemina?”
“I am,” Wilhemina said, tugging Douglas along with her. “Katie's my best friend.”
“Katie?” Lori echoed.
“I don't go by Priss anymore,” Katie said.
“And this is Douglas,” Wilhemina added proudly. “We're getting married tomorrow.”
“How exciting,” Lori said.
“Best wishes,” Dee said with more politeness than enthusiasm, putting away the cigarettes.
“How did this happen?” Katie asked.
Dee's lips lifted in a genuine smile. “Your man Michael.”
“He's not really—”
Dee waved her hand. “Don't be pedantic. He called both of us, and I agreed if I could be the one to tell you the news. I've always wanted to do this kind of thing. Lori and I would have been here sooner, but our plane sat on the tarmac forever. That gave us a chance—” She cleared her throat and gave a wry smile. “A chance to bond since we hadn't seen each other in twelve years.”
“And what is the news?”
“Well, Michael has been a busy boy and he has done a lot of research on you.” She gave Katie a considering glance. “I wasn't able to establish exactly how much research, but he knows all about Mom and your dad and your grandparents and sisters. He knows we all have different fathers and that Lori and I were taken from Mama twelve years ago. He found out that your father lived and died in Myrtle Beach. Your father was the son of upper middleclass parents, who have unfortunately died. The good news is that his parents—”
“His parents left Mama some money, but she never got the notice,” Lori interjected, clearly unable to contain her excitement.
Dee scowled. “I'm supposed to tell this.”
“You're taking too long.”
“Okay. Michael found an unclaimed inheritance. It was supposed to go to Mama, who in turn left everything, which wasn't a helluva lot, to all of us. That means her children get to split the inheritance, but we are giving our share to you and Jeremy.”
Katie's head spun. She could only stare.
“Katie, that's wonderful,’’ Wilhemina said.
“You're not saying anything,” Dee said. “Do we need to go over it again?”
Katie worked her mouth, but no sound came out. “How much?”
“Oh,” Dee said. “A hundred thousand dollars.”
Katie gasped and lifted her hand to her mouth. “I don't believe it. I can't believe it.” Her heart began to hurt, her eyes felt like sandpaper. “I've counted so many pennies,” she whispered.
Distress filled Dee's eyes. “It's been tough on you; hasn't it? Damn, I wish I'd known.”
“It hasn't been that bad. It's just—” She broke off, swallowing over a lump in her throat. “It's just been…”
Lori squeezed her shoulders. “Not so much anymore.”
“Are you two sure you want to do this?”
“Absolutely,” Dee said.
“It's the only thing we can do,” Lori said.
“But we both want to meet Jeremy.”
Katie nodded.
“Now.”
Still reeling from the news, Katie alternately smiled and wiped at her eyes. “Okay, I'll call the school to tell them we're on the way.”
Within five minutes they were on the way to Jeremy's school. They shared memories along the way while Lori searched for a suitable radio station and Dee smoked a cigarette.
“That's a disgusting habit,” Lori said wrinkling her nose.
“There are worse habits, Little Miss Perfect,” Dee said, and Katie couldn't help noticing how easily the two of them had slipped back into sisterly banter. “What kind of car do you drive, Priss?”
Katie felt self-conscious, then pushed the feeling aside. “It wasn't economically feasible for me to own a car.”
Dee frowned and blew out a stream of smoke. “Maybe you can get one now. I don't like the way this went down for you. It wasn't fair.”
Katie shrugged. “There are lots of things that aren't fair. I just did what I had to. I imagine you have too.”
“I suppose.”
“Where do you work?”
“Here and there,” Dee said vaguely. “Is this the turn I take?”
Katie nodded. “Yeah.” She was getting an uneasy feeling about her middle sister. “How often do you see your father these days?”
“Never. He thinks I am spawn of a devil and a heavenly angel, an
d the devil won.”
“Did he beat you?”
Dee met her gaze in the rearview mirror, and Katie saw the lashings in her eyes. Then her expression grew shuttered. “I survived. This is such a momentous occasion. Let's stick to pleasant conversational topics.”
Katie felt sick. She may have had it tough, but she'd never had to endure abuse. She had thought Dee would be okay, and she hadn't been. There was a shell of cool sophistication about Dee that Katie suspected had been erected as a defense. A shield born of necessity. Katie remembered Dee as a sweet, eager young girl and felt another stab of loss. How many would they face? she wondered, and made a silent oath not to let her sisters get away from her again.
“There it is,” she said, pointing to the house with the children hanging on the porch.
“I like it. It looks welcoming,” Lori said.
“It is,” Katie said. “I'm betting Jeremy will call you by name when he sees you.”
“But he's never met us,” Lori said.
“Yes; he has,” Katie said. “Mama talked about you and I told him about you and showed him photographs.”
“Those photographs had to be ancient. He won't recognize me,” she said doubtfully.
“We'll see. There he is.”
“Where?” Dee asked, stubbing out her cigarette.
“Running down the steps. Brown hair.” She glanced at Dee. “Like yours.”
Her guarded expression melted away for a moment. “He's beautiful,” Dee said.
“Oh, wait till you talk with him. Just remember he'll need to see your lips.”
“Is his hearing all the way gone?”
“Just about,” Katie said. “But trust me, he doesn't want your pity.”
The three sisters got out of the car and Jeremy bounded toward them. He hugged Priss, then looked from Lori to Dee. His gaze moved like a Ping-Pong ball between his two newest-to-him sisters.
“Lori and Delilah,” he said.
“Oh, he knows my full name. Most people call me Dee. I hear you like computer games.”
He nodded, still staring. “Y’ all are so pretty.”
“A man after my own heart,” she said and took his hand. Lori took the other. “Show us your room.”
“It's a mess. I wasn't expecting company.”
