Prodigal Son

by Danielle Steel

  “What’s happening with your mom and my dad?” Ryan asked Lisa, as they walked in the woods, with their parents trailing behind them, enjoying watching them and talking.

  “Nothing. Why?” Lisa looked surprised, wondering if he knew something she didn’t.

  “I wish something would. They’re nice together,” Ryan commented. “I’d hate it if he got together with some woman we don’t like. It would ruin everything.”

  “I guess it would,” Lisa said thoughtfully. “My mom says they’re just friends.”

  “Yeah,” Ryan said, looking disgusted. “They’re both stupid. It would be cool if we were brother and sister instead of cousins,” he said wistfully, and Lisa smiled.

  “Maybe it would,” she conceded.

  “If they stay like that, she’ll end up with some creepy guy you’ll hate one of these days, and my father will end up with some bimbo, and we’ll all be screwed,” Ryan said, and Lisa laughed.

  “My mom says being friends is better.”

  “That confirms it,” Ryan said unhappily. “We’re screwed. Are they dating anyone else?” Ryan asked her, looking worried.

  “She’s not. My mom’s still married to my father.”

  Ryan nodded. “We’re already divorced.”

  “I guess we will be too.” They both knew what had happened with her father and never talked about it.

  At dinner that night, Peter reminded Maggie about the skiing trip he was planning with the boys after Christmas.

  It was another wonderful weekend that they all hated to see end when the boys flew back to L.A on Sunday. And they were due back in three weeks for Christmas vacation, right after their mother’s wedding in L.A. Neither of the boys was enthused about the wedding, and Bruce seemed to be wearing a little thin, but Peter still had the impression that he was nice to the boys, which was all he cared about. And he wished Alana well. He was no longer in love with her, and his ego had recovered after being dumped. And he was having a wonderful time in London with Maggie and her kids. They satisfied all his needs for companionship for the moment. There was a very pretty woman in his office, but he didn’t have time to take her out, and then he heard she was engaged. He took some woman out a few times and was bored with her, so he stuck to Maggie and her kids. And all of them were looking forward to the holiday in Courchevel. The photos of the chalet looked terrific, and all the kids had approved. Maggie was touched again by his kindness to them.

  By the time the boys came back, there was snow on the ground in London, it was freezing cold, and Peter had put a tree up for them. Maggie and her children had helped him decorate it, and he and Maggie had talked endlessly as they strung up the lights and hung the decorations. It was the first time Maggie had decorated a tree since she was married. She and Peter did most of it, since Lisa and Bill were watching something special on TV in the other room. Decorating the tree, or even watching someone else do it as she had had to for years, always brought back memories of her childhood. And it did for Peter too, though his weren’t as pleasant.

  “My brother knocked the tree over one year, and blamed me of course, and then I got punished for lying when I said I didn’t do it. I think I was about seven. Michael was always doing things like that to me.”

  “He can’t stand being blamed for things,” Maggie said, looking pensive. She didn’t like thinking about him now. It always upset her. Peter could see it and changed the subject quickly.

  “Do you remember when you and I were dating, and we hitched Mrs. McElroy’s pig to a sled?” he said, and she started to laugh until tears ran down her cheeks.

  “It was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “I got in a shitload of trouble for it with my father,” Peter said, laughing, “but it was worth it. He said the pig could have gotten hurt.” But it hadn’t. They had had good times in those days, before things got complicated. Before her accident, and everything that came later. And then suddenly, he remembered when he kissed her on the raft at the lake. She had been beautiful, and they were both so young, fifteen and seventeen. Life was just beginning. He looked a million miles away, and Maggie noticed it and asked him what he was thinking. “You’d laugh if I told you.”

  “Try me.”

  He looked sheepish when he said it. “I was thinking about when I kissed you on the raft at the lake.” She looked nostalgic as he said it.

  “Life was so simple then, wasn’t it? Nothing had happened yet, and everything was easier and happier. You were a good kisser too,” she said, smiling shyly.

  “How would you know? You were fifteen, and you probably don’t even remember.”

  “Of course I do,” she said, looking mischievous, as he moved closer to her, suddenly tempted to remind her, and just as he leaned toward her, Bill walked into the room and asked if Peter wanted a beer.

  “No, thanks,” Peter said cheerfully, and turned to hang another string of lights on the tree. The moment passed after that, and they talked of other things. But for a single moment, a current of electricity had passed through them like lightning. It was the first time Maggie had felt like that in years. And she smiled when they left, and she kissed him on the cheek.

  “I remember the raft perfectly,” she whispered to him as she hugged him, and Peter grinned.

  Chapter 22

  Christmas in London was magic. Store windows were festive, trees were put up and decorated everywhere, people strung up lights on their houses. The weather cooperated and it snowed repeatedly, and people in costumes wandered through the streets singing Christmas carols. It was everything Christmas should be.

  Ben and Ryan arrived from L.A. fresh from their mother’s wedding. Lisa knew that Ryan had been upset about it, and she inquired as soon as she saw him at one of their Sunday-night dinners.

  “So how was it?” she asked cryptically. He knew what she meant, and shrugged appropriately for his age.

  “Dumb. Too much food. Too many people. Cheesy music.”

  “Where was it? Like the Rose Bowl or something?” Although she was older, Lisa was always impressed by the fact that Ryan lived in L.A., and she thought he led a glamorous life, instead of a small town like Ware, and now she lived in London.

  “No, it was at my grandfather’s house. They had gardenias everywhere and I coughed all night. I hate them.” Lisa laughed at the description.

  “Sounds like a typical Hollywood wedding.”

  “Yeah, I guess. I’ve never been to one before.”

  “Did she wear a white dress?” Lisa wanted all the details.

  “No. She wore pink. But she looked nice. So how are they doing?” He nodded toward their respective parents, sitting in the living room near the tree and talking. They did that a lot.

  “Still friends. They have a nice time together.” Lisa had relaxed about Peter. She had gotten used to him. He never crowded her and never came between her and her mother. He was nice to have around, and Bill was crazy about him. He finally had a father figure.

  “I think they’re hopeless,” Ryan said, looking discouraged. But everyone was having fun, despite the lack of romance between their parents. It was just Ryan’s fantasy because he loved Maggie and his cousins, but they staunchly remained friends, with no sign of romance between them.

  The six of them spent Christmas Eve together, and went to midnight mass. And on Christmas Day, Peter took them to Claridge’s so Maggie didn’t have to cook dinner. They all exchanged gifts, and had bought each other small, thoughtful things. Maggie had bought Peter a beautiful cashmere scarf and leather gloves. And Peter bought her mink earmuffs and a mink collar that she loved. All the gifts were just what the other person wanted, and after dinner at Claridge’s, they all went back to Peter’s apartment and watched movies and played games. It was a warm family Christmas. Peter said it was the nicest one he’d had in years. It was light-years better than his last one in L.A., on their way to a divorce.

  And two days later, they left for Courchevel. They flew to Geneva, and then took a v
an to the little village in the French Alps, nestled between three valleys. It was snowing hard when they got there. And the chalet looked like something in a fairy tale. It had six bedrooms, and they only used five since Ben and Ryan shared a room. Ben didn’t like to sleep alone. And every morning, Peter took them to the ski lift, where he had arranged for private instructors for the group, to take them to the various locations on the mountain. They had a choice of all three valleys and several mountains and could ski all day. And after dropping them off, Peter went back to Maggie at the chalet. She had brought some knitting with her, and they sat by the fire and relaxed, and then went for long, easy walks. She had gotten much stronger, and the yoga had helped her. At night, they had the kids, but the days were all theirs.

  Peter and Maggie explored the shops in the town, some of which were luxurious, and others were quaint. They had lunch sitting outdoors in the winter sunshine, and afterward she would tuck her hand into his arm and they’d walk, until they got tired and went back to the chalet to sit by the fire again.

  “I wish we could stop time and stay here forever,” Maggie said wistfully. She was dreading going back to Ware in two weeks for the trial. They were both trying not to think about it, but it crept into their minds anyway, whether they talked about it or not. Peter had had several e-mails from the district attorney, and everything was on track. Michael had claimed his right to a speedy trial instead of trying to postpone it, which was something of a relief. None of them wanted the trial hanging over their heads all year. And apparently, he wanted to get it over with too.

  “Thank you for sharing your vacation with us,” Maggie said to Peter as she handed him a mug of hot chocolate one afternoon after their walk. He was sitting in a comfortable chair with his legs stretched out in front of the fire, reading a book. And he smiled at her as he took the mug of hot chocolate.

  “It wouldn’t be half as much fun without you here.” He was finding that that was true of most things. He enjoyed Maggie’s company everywhere. He’d been thinking about it a lot recently, and he gently touched her hand as he took the mug. Maggie looked surprised.

  “My kids love being with you,” she said, and sat down on the rug near his feet, enjoying the warmth from the fire.

  “I love being with you, Maggie,” he answered. “Do you ever think about what it would have been like if we’d wound up together?”

  “I wasn’t glamorous enough for you,” she said as she laughed. “You were destined for stardom in New York. I was just a small-town girl.”

  “As I recall,” he reminded her, after a sip of the steaming chocolate, “you were the one who dumped me, for some hot football player. I think he was the captain of the team.”

  “He was on the basketball team,” she corrected him with a grin.

  “So what was so hot about him?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t remember. I was dumb in those days, and that was before I hit my head,” she teased, and he gently touched his fingers to her cheek.

  “You were never dumb. You were smarter than I was, even then.”

  “If it’s any consolation, I was sorry after I dumped you. I broke up with the other guy in two weeks. He was a jerk. He practically tore my sweater off at the movies.” She giggled.

  “Smooth move. We were all so sophisticated then,” he said, and she laughed.

  “I was always pretty square,” she said, comfortable with him. She could say anything to Peter. And after all they’d been through recently, even more so.

  “I remember how square you were,” he chuckled.

  “Come to think of it, maybe that’s why I dumped you. You wanted to go further than I did.”

  “I was two years older. It makes a big difference at that age.” She nodded.

  “And then you went off to college after that summer, when you kissed me on the raft.”

  “I should have taken you with me.” He looked down at her sitting next to him, and their eyes met, and without thinking, she reached up and rested a hand on his knee. He gently took her hand in his and stroked her fingers. “What do you think about us now, Maggie?” He had been wanting to ask her that question for months, especially lately.

  “What do you mean?” She looked startled.

  “Do you ever think about our being together?”

  “We are together,” she said simply.

  “I mean more than this.”

  She lowered her eyes then. She had thought about it too. “I don’t know,” she said shyly. “I don’t want to spoil anything.”

  “I don’t think we would. I don’t want to scare you, Maggie,” he said gently. But he didn’t. He never had.

  “You don’t,” she said, looking up at him again. “You couldn’t.” He was nothing like Michael. He hadn’t scared her either. He had overwhelmed her. Peter never did. She knew she was totally safe with him. That was important to her now. And she enjoyed what they had, and the time they spent together with their children.

  “Should we put it to a family vote?” he teased her. “I think I know what they’d say. My kids are crazy about you.”

  “So are mine.” She smiled up at him, and then with a sad look she added, “Maybe we should get through the trial before we think about it. That’s going to be so hard.” He nodded and squeezed her hand. It was going to be the first time she saw Michael since the hospital.

  “I’ll be there with you. I won’t let anything bad happen to you ever again,” he said with a serious look, and she knew he meant it, as much as anyone could ever promise that. But Peter would have done anything he could to protect her, and he had.

  “I love being with you,” she said softly. He nodded, and then just so she would have something to remember until after the trial, he leaned down and kissed her, and she kissed him back. Thirty years faded between them when he did it, and it felt just like being on the raft. She was smiling when they stopped. “See, I told you, you’re a great kisser,” she said, laughing, and he kissed her again, just to prove it. Kissing her was exciting and he wanted more. For the past year, he had felt nothing, and now a lifetime of emotions were welling up in him and pouring into her. She could feel it too. It gave them both something to look forward to, and to hope for, after the trial.

  They were sitting quietly by the fire, talking to each other, sitting close together, when the kids came home from skiing, and Ryan gave Lisa a knowing look. When they got upstairs to take off their ski clothes, he whispered to her.

  “I think he kissed her.”

  “How do you know?” Lisa whispered back.

  “I can tell. They look like they have a secret.”

  “You’re crazy,” she said, laughing at him. “Maybe they’re just having a nice time.”

  “Yeah,” he said, shrugging. “Maybe you’re right.” And when they came back downstairs, Maggie was in the kitchen, getting dinner ready, singing to herself, and Peter was smiling into the fire, remembering the day on the raft. He had something to compare it to now.

  Chapter 23

  Maggie, Bill, and Peter flew back from London together for the trial. Peter had arranged for a car to pick them up in Boston. And Peter was going to be staying at their house in Ware. There was nowhere else that made sense for him to stay, and he didn’t want to commute from the lake. And Maggie and Bill were grateful for his support. It was hard for both of them to be back in their house again. Maggie hadn’t wanted Lisa there, and she was staying with a friend from school in London, without explaining the reason for her mother’s trip. It was too painful for her.

  Their first night in Ware, they had dinner together at the diner. And it gave Maggie the creeps when they walked into the house afterward. It was all she could do to force herself upstairs to the bedroom, and see the room where she had been sick for so long. But there was nowhere else for her to sleep, since Peter was in Lisa’s room, and Bill was in his own. The house felt like a graveyard to her now. She was planning to put it on the market after the trial, and file for divorce. She was dreading the tria
l, and her first sight of Michael in all this time, eight months.

  They had a meeting set that night with the DA, after dinner. He was coming to the house. He wanted to prepare each of them for their testimony and for cross-examination by Michael’s attorney. Maggie wondered why he had insisted on a jury trial when he was so clearly guilty. She wondered if he thought he’d be acquitted at a jury trial. He was still pleading not guilty. Jack had tried to talk him into changing it to guilty, but Michael had just laughed.

  The whole town was talking about the trial. At the diner, several people had told Maggie it was nice to see her back. And everyone was friendly to Peter. There was no question who the good brother was now. When they met the DA at the house, he went over their statements with each of them. He was there till after midnight. He told them they were starting jury selection the next morning. None of them had to be in court for that. They only had to be in court for their own testimony. And he was planning to put Maggie on last. He thought her testimony would be the most powerful for the jury. And the most shocking. Of the three of them, he was going to put Bill on first, then Peter, and last Maggie. The families of the elderly people Michael had killed were going to be his first witnesses, and would set an early emotional tone for the trial, since many of their relatives were terribly upset, like the man who had come to see Peter at the lake.

  The DA explained that he also had several expert witnesses, mostly about poisons and medications. He expected the actual trial to last for about two weeks. He estimated two days to select the jury. And there was no predicting how long it would take for the jury to reach a verdict. He just hoped it wouldn’t be a hung jury. And he was anxious to do all he could to avoid a mistrial so they wouldn’t have to do it all over again. Maggie trembled at the thought.

  They all went to bed after he left. Maggie lay awake in bed for hours, thinking about the things the DA had said. They would be sequestered in a private room at the courthouse during the proceedings, away from prying eyes and the press, but readily available when they were needed. It was going to be a long week or two while they waited to testify.