Return to Sender

by Fern Michaels

  Certainly jumping the gun, she thought to herself. Caroline will just love this. And I am not about to screw this up. No way. He can be my ticket to the good life.

  “No, it wasn’t. I could’ve just moved here, for all you knew.”

  The Carpenters’ “We’ve Only Just Begun” played in the background. She forced her cheeks to flame. Gawd! Corny, but she’d act the part. Innocent and charming, hanging on his every word, as though privileged just to be in his presence.

  “Want to dance?” Nicholas asked.

  Chelsea saw several couples dancing in the middle of the room. Arms wrapped around one another, heads on shoulders while footsteps moved to the rhythm of the music. Someone lowered the lights.

  Nicholas took her by the hand and led her to the middle of the room, where the dancers were grouped closely in a circle.

  She let Nicholas guide her to the makeshift dance floor. The song changed, and she would swear someone was reading her mind tonight. Olivia Newton John’s “I Honestly Love You” droned in the background.

  When she finally allowed herself to relax and enjoy the music, she leaned against Nicholas’s chest, the top of her head fitting neatly beneath his chin. Effortlessly, he led her around the room. Chelsea closed her eyes, breathed in his scent. Beer and a musky soap. She wanted to burn the moment in her memory, because she didn’t think there would ever be another. This was just a party, she kept telling herself. He was just another guy. But, if she played her cards right, it could be the beginning of something big. Very big. And very rewarding.

  They danced two dances; then the beat kicked up. Grand Funk’s “The Loco-Motion” blared from the speakers. Dozens of people grabbed their mates and began doing what the song instructed, making a chain and swinging their hips, then jumping up and back. It was a fun song, and Chelsea would’ve liked to dance, but Nicholas led her back to the corner.

  “That’s a little too fast for me. What about you?” Nicholas asked once they were seated.

  “It’s not that fast!” She laughed.

  He grabbed her hand. “Then let’s do it!” He pulled her back to the center of the room, where they joined the train of people swinging, jumping, and getting into the song. Someone went to the turntable and set the record to play again. There were at least fifty people squeezed in the center of the room for the second go-round.

  After jumping, swinging, and laughing, Chelsea, out of breath, was glad when the fast-moving song ended. “That’s a lot of work.” She fanned her face with her hands.

  “It is, but fun. I can’t remember when I last danced.”

  Chelsea took his words as a good sign. Maybe he didn’t have a girlfriend. Maybe the rumors she’d heard about his engagement to Cathryn Carlyle were simply that. Rumors.

  “Then you need to go out more,” Chelsea offered.

  They returned to their seats. “I should, but I’m preparing to work at my father’s company full-time. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. It doesn’t leave me much time for a social life.”

  Chelsea wondered if this was his way of telling her he wasn’t engaged.

  She watched his eyes, dark and smoldering, as he stared at her. “It’s too loud in here. Do you want to go somewhere quiet where we can talk?”

  She looked at her watch. Going on midnight. Chelsea scanned the room in search of Caroline. She spied her across the room, in the corner, with the small girl and a guy she’d met earlier. She waved. Caroline saw her, motioned for her to come over.

  “I’ll just be a minute,” Chelsea explained to Nicholas.

  “I’ll be right here waiting,” he replied.

  His words caressed her like a soft, warm rain. She smiled over her shoulder as she made her way to Caroline’s side of the room.

  Before Chelsea could say a word, Caroline yanked her by the arm, dragging her to a small powder room beneath the staircase. “Do you realize every woman and girl and some of the damned guys here tonight hate you? I can’t believe Nicholas Pemberton would…Never mind. Just give me the details.”

  Chelsea set her purse on the sink, removed her cherry lip gloss. She pursed her lips as she peered into the mirror above the sink. “There isn’t anything to tell, really. We’ve danced, and that’s about it. He did ask me if I wanted to go somewhere quiet where we could talk. That’s why I’m here. You won’t mind if I don’t come back to your place tonight, will you? If things go as I plan, I might not make it back till the wee hours of the morning.”

  “You’re a real society chick now, aren’t you?” Caroline applied some gloss to her own lips. “I suppose it doesn’t matter where you actually sleep. As long as I’m the first one to get the details.”

  “Thanks, Caro. You’re a good friend.” Chelsea turned around while Caroline repaired her make-up, and then they left the room together. She almost collided with Nicholas as they made their way to the front door.

  “You’re not trying to sneak out on me, are you?” he asked, his eyes glowing.

  Damn! “No, I was telling Caroline not to expect me.” Chelsea smiled at him.

  Chelsea had one arm in the sleeve of her coat when Nicholas piped up. “I can drive her back to your place. Tomorrow.”

  Chelsea gave Caroline a keep-your-mouth-shut-or-I’ll-kill-you look. “Are you sure?”

  Nicholas took Chelsea’s hand. “Of course I’m sure. I wouldn’t have offered otherwise. Now, why don’t you say good-bye to your friend and let’s go someplace where we can get to know one an other better?” Then: “I’ll take good care of her. Promise,” Nicholas said to Caroline, a big grin on his face.

  “I’m sure you will,” Caroline retorted. “Then I’m going to call it a night. I’ll see you later, Chels.” She hugged her and whispered, “Details,” in her ear.

  Chelsea cringed, fearful Nicholas could hear her. He waited while she got her purse and said a last good-bye to Caroline and her two friends.

  Ten minutes later they were riding through the streets of Manhattan in his cherry red Corvette. Nicholas turned the heater on, but Chelsea couldn’t stop shivering. Nerves, she told herself. Wasn’t there such a thing as good nerves?

  Nicholas shifted into low gear as he came to a stop. “There’s this little all-night diner right around the corner. I’ve been coming here forever. They have the best hamburgers in the world. Are you hungry?”

  Having bypassed all the food at the party, Chelsea realized she was starving. “Actually, a hamburger sounds good.” She hated red meat, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to let that stop her from agreeing to anything he said.

  “Then you’re about to experience burger heaven.” He pulled into an empty spot next to the curb. She reached to open her door, but Nicholas stopped her. “I’ll do that.”

  A real gentleman. Chelsea wasn’t sure she’d ever dated one. He came around to her side and opened the door. A blast of night air caused her to shiver even more.

  “Come on, let’s get you inside before you turn into a Popsicle,” he said.

  Chelsea let him guide her inside.

  “Nick, my man! What brings you out this late?” a bald man with horn-rimmed glasses called out from the kitchen.

  “Harry, I came for one of your famous burgers. Brought a friend. Told her they were the best. We’ll have two, with the works.”

  Nicholas led her to a turquoise-colored booth. Shakers for salt and pepper and a napkin holder were the only ornaments on the tabletop. Chelsea removed her coat and slid onto the soft vinyl seat. Thinking Nicholas would sit across from her, she was more than surprised when he slid in beside her.

  “I just want to keep you warm. That’s all.” He gazed into her eyes.

  Her stomach flip-flopped, and she looked away. “Who said anything about being cold?” She couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  “Tell me something about yourself,” Nicholas said.

  Chelsea opened up to him. She told him about her childhood, that her parents were older when they’d had her, but that’s where the tru
th ended and the lies began. No way was she going to tell him she was from the Bronx. Who knew where her father was? And her mother, well, when she wasn’t screwing some strange guy, she was drinking. No, Chelsea painted a pretty, happy picture for Nicholas. She knew a family’s lineage was very important to him.

  Their food arrived.

  “I hope you’re hungry,” Nicholas said. The burgers were at least an inch thick and three times that high.

  “Wow, this looks fantastic!” she exclaimed. She cut hers in half. She almost lost it when she took the first bite and saw the blood dripping onto her plate. Her system didn’t tolerate red meat. Juice dripped on her hands, then onto her plate. “They’re messy, too.”

  “A burger has to be messy to be good in my book.”

  They finished their burgers, and Nicholas left a generous amount of money on the table, promising to return. Once they were outside, he helped her with her coat. Then, just as she thought he would turn away, he took her in his arms. His lips were warm when they touched hers. Their kiss was light, affectionate, but she took over from there.

  When they went back to his place, he was raring to go. After holding him off for a bit by suggesting that they have something more to drink, she slipped him the already prepared knockout drops and started to get him aroused. By the time they got to the bedroom, he was just about out on his feet. She undressed the two of them and slid into bed beside the unconscious Nicholas, waiting for the morning and the inevitable aftermath—marriage. By the time she had the convenient miscarriage, she was already the wife of Nicholas Pemberton, heir to Pemberton Transport and one of the richest men in the business.

  Chelsea refilled her cup of coffee. And look at her now. She truly was laughing all the way to the bank. Scratch laughing. She had the terrible feeling she was going to be crying, and the bank was suddenly going to be empty.

  Chapter 9

  Lin spent part of the afternoon on the phone with Jack. He’d run into problems that only she could resolve; most involved money.

  “Kelly Ann scheduled six New Year’s Eve parties. Can you believe that? At this rate I’ll have to hire at least two more crews,” Lin said after hanging up the phone.

  “That’s what it’s all about, Lin. Making money. You’ve said it yourself,” Sally reminded her.

  “I know. I do like having the restaurant, though. It’s the only thing I know how to do, besides being Will’s mom. I have to be a success, or I might end up marrying some skunk like Nicholas Pemberton just to pay the bills,” Lin joked.

  “I can’t see you stooping to Chelsea’s level. Of course, she could’ve been in love with him. At least in the beginning,” Sally said.

  Jason had provided them with background information on Chelsea. She came from some nowhere in the Bronx and had become the biggest social climber in the city.

  Lin rolled her eyes. “Good old Nick was making the rounds back then. It wasn’t easy telling him no. He was slick, and I fell for everything he said. Could be what happened to the current Mrs. Pemberton. When I think about these letters I haul around, I want to burn them. But like you reminded me that day I was ready to burn them, I might need them someday.”

  Sally gathered up the morning papers and tucked them under the sofa. “So what’s next on the list?”

  “Jason says to lie low for a few days. He wants to see where this leads. I think he wants to make sure our butts are covered before we attempt anything else. Nick and Chelsea will be on their guard at this point, and for sure the police have been alerted, so what he said makes sense.”

  “You’re right. It does make sense. Then why don’t the two of us take in the sights? We’ve practically been shut-ins since we arrived.”

  “You know I would love to, but I just can’t take the slightest risk of bumping into Will. I know the odds are in my favor that I won’t, but I’ve got too much at stake to take another risk, Sally. Sorry.”

  Sally smiled. “You know we don’t have to stay in New York. Let’s go home to Dalton and come back when Jason says the coast is clear.”

  Lin felt as though she’d been given the Hope Diamond. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that! There isn’t a thing in the world to keep us here. We can work a couple of days, give Jack and Kelly Ann some time off, or at least help out.” Lin gave Sally a high five.

  “What are we waiting for? Let’s pack. We’ll call Jason from the airport.”

  They made quick work of removing the suitcases stored beneath the bunk bed. They tossed in their toiletry items, then made sure to disconnect all things electric.

  “I’ll run the garbage out if you’ll get us a cab. I’ll meet you out front,” Sally said.

  “Deal.” Lin said, feeling as lighthearted as she did the day she’d attended Will’s banquet. Before seeing Nicholas, she thought.

  Scanning the small apartment one last time, Lin took their luggage, placed it on the hall floor, then locked the door. Not that they’d left anything worth stealing behind, but this was New York City. Inserting her key into the final dead bolt, Lin heard the reassuring click, then ran outside to hail a taxi.

  Ten minutes later they were on their way to JFK.

  “I hope we can get a flight out tonight,” Lin said.

  “Shoot, Lin, this is New York! Of course they’ll have a flight. We might have to pay out the kazoo, but who cares? We’ve both got boatloads of money. Why not enjoy it?” Sally teased.

  “There you go again, spending my money, but it’s okay. Like you said, why not enjoy it? I can’t see hanging out in that cracker box any longer than necessary. You want to call Jason now or wait till we’re home?” Lin asked.

  “Call him when we get to the airport. Just to make sure we’re actually leaving,” Sally said.

  “This coming from ‘Shoot, Lin, this is New York. Of course they’ll have a flight.’” Lin shook her head.

  The taxi driver must’ve heard them, because he spoke in a thick, unidentifiable accent. “Where you go?”

  Lin and Sally looked at each other. “Atlanta.”

  He nodded. “They have flight to all major city.”

  “Thanks,” Lin said, then leaned over and whispered to Sally, “I think.”

  Traffic was bumper to bumper as they made their way out of Manhattan to JFK, located smack-dab in the heart of Queens. An hour later the taxi driver dropped them off at the airport. Lin paid for the ride and hustled over to a skycap at the American Airlines counter.

  “I need two tickets on your next flight to Atlanta. One way.” Lin cast a questioning glance at Sally. “I don’t know when we’ll return.”

  “Fine with me,” said Sally.

  The young man clicked at the computer’s keyboard. “Flight four-five-eight-one leaves at eleven tonight.”

  “Perfect. I’ll take two tickets.” Lin removed her American Express and her driver’s license from her wallet. Sally followed suit.

  “Told you we’d get a flight,” Sally smarted off.

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Here, give the man your ID, or we’ll miss the flight.” Lin took Sally’s license from her and gave them to the skycap.

  “I bet he thinks you’re older than you really are,” Lin said matter-of-factly. Both women cackled.

  “You’re slowly digging your grave, Lin,” Sally shot back.

  “So you say.”

  They took their boarding passes and IDs from the young man.

  “Have a great trip,” he said.

  “Thanks,” Lin replied for both of them. “We will.”

  Thirty minutes later they’d managed to get through security. “I can’t believe you still wear white granny panties,” Sally said with an air of haughtiness.

  “I can’t believe they dug through my luggage like they were mining for gold. Since nine-eleven, I swear there is no privacy anymore. And it’s none of your business what kind of underwear I wear.” Lin looked from side to side, making sure no one saw her as she gave her dear friend the single-digit salute.

  Laughing
, Sally continued her razzing. “Take a word of advice. If you plan on getting laid in the near future, make a trip to Victoria’s Secret first.”

  “And you’re such a sexpot.”

  “At least I keep my undies up to date. A girl can never be too prepared.”

  Lin kept up the light teasing banter. “I didn’t know you cared.”

  “Someone has to.”

  As they waited for their flight number to be called, Lin suddenly couldn’t wait to get home. To her own bed, her own bathroom, her own life. She needed to spend quality time at the diner. Their “mission” hadn’t turned out to be as simple as she’d originally expected.

  “I’m ready to call it a day,” Sally said as they walked slowly down the ramp to the plane.

  “Don’t zonk out on me now. You know flying isn’t my favorite mode of transportation. You have to hold my hand, at least during the takeoff,” Lin teased, but she was quite serious. She did not like the idea of being inside what she thought of as a metal bullet soaring through the air at an astounding rate of speed.

  “Quit whining,” Sally said as she stepped on the plane.

  “You’re some friend,” Lin complained.

  Both laughed and found their way to their seats. Lin relaxed while they were still on the ground. She couldn’t get home soon enough.

  Atlanta, here we come.

  Two days after Chelsea’s abduction, like sand flowing through an hourglass, Nick’s once-orderly life was slowly slipping through his fingers, completely beyond his control. It was just a little over a month since the deadly cancer cells had invaded his body, demanding that he surrender to their commands. He would not give up the fight, no matter what he had to do.

  “Herbert, I’m not sure how long I’ll be today. I’ll call you when I’m ready to return to the penthouse.” Out of necessity, he’d had to tell Herbert the truth about his illness. Nick had sworn him to secrecy.

  “Of course.”

  Herbert pulled up to the side of the curb, where one of Dr. Reeves’s nurses waited outside the office with a wheelchair to take Nick up to the seventeenth floor for his chemotherapy. When he finished, he had another series of tests to go through. Dr. Reeves said the results that day would be critical in determining how well he was responding to the treatments.