All in the Family

by Heather Graham

  He didn’t say it. Kelly let out an oath and spun around to return to her own room. Amazing. She’d managed to get her work done. She’d showered and gone to bed. Jarod had finished his homework and gone to bed, too. Everything had been going along so normally…

  Dinner. The next step—according to Marquette! Kelly slammed a fist into her pillow. Oh, Jarod! she thought again. Couldn’t you have picked a girl with a more human father?

  Eventually she fell back to sleep.

  * * *

  Dan Marquette sat with his feet up on his desk, his chair tilted back, his eyes on the amber swirl of Scotch against the ice in his glass. He lifted the glass to himself in mock salute.

  “Fine bit of parenting, there, Marquette. Fine, fine bit of parenting!”

  He swallowed a gulp of Scotch and frowned because he didn’t even shudder, and he began to wonder how much of the stuff he had already drunk. Not that much, was it? And have a heart, it wasn’t every day a man learned that his baby, his daughter, his girl, his pride and joy, his greatest pleasure, was pregnant.

  Pregnant. Really, honestly, pregnant.

  “And to the fine, mature way you handled the situation!” Dan mocked himself, lifting his glass again. Listening to Sandy sob out her story, then running off half-cocked that way.

  He grinned suddenly. Well, at least the boy’s mother had been every bit as stunned as he had been. The boy’s mother. She didn’t look like more than a girl herself. She didn’t look old enough to have a son who was almost eighteen. She didn’t look anywhere large enough to have created such a child.

  “Oh, Sandy!” Dan said softly.

  He smiled ruefully; he didn’t really have it in him anymore to blame either of them. He’d been ready to blame the boy—any father of a daughter was probably apt to do such a thing. But then he’d met Jarod McGraw, and he’d instantly liked him. Liked the way he’d stood up for Sandy, liked his honesty, his determination, his purpose. It might have been an absolutely horrible disaster, but maybe…

  There was a soft rapping on his door. Sandy didn’t wait for him to call her, but slipped in, running around to land on her knees by his chair and take his hand anxiously.

  “Daddy?”

  He smiled into her beseeching eyes. “I’m okay, sweetheart. How are you doing?”

  She nodded and remained silent for a minute; then she lowered her head and asked, “Daddy, you like Jarod, don’t you?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Then everything is all right?”

  “No, everything is still a mess. You two are too young for this. He’s responsible and mature for his age, but that isn’t going to help much. Not when you’re both still in school. Not when a baby needs constant love and attention. Not when you’re going to need a home at the same time as you’re trying to buy textbooks that might cost as much as fifty dollars apiece.”

  “Daddy—”

  She was going to start crying again. Dan was ready to kick himself. He placed his hands on her head and kissed her quickly, drawing her against him.

  “Shush, shush, sweetheart! Everything is going to be okay. I love you, Sandy. No matter what, I love you! You know that. No matter what, I’ll always be here.”

  She was smiling then, through her tears, a little pleased—a little relieved.

  “You do like him, Dad?”

  “Yes, I do like him.”

  “He’s the best!”

  “Sandy, he might be the best, but he’s still only seventeen.” Dan swung his feet to the ground suddenly and stood, then began to pace his office. Through the picture window in back he could see the mountains and endless forests, and he found himself wondering: Where? Where did those two go? Was it the coming of spring that brought the death of innocence? Or was it something beautiful, something natural, something that I can’t see because I’m her father? She seems to love him so much; they’re both so sure. Isn’t this what I should want for her? A love this deep?

  Yes…it was just way too early.

  She was watching him anxiously. He sighed. “Sandy, I’m still just…amazed, I guess.” He went back to his chair and fell into it, staring at her. “I always thought that we were close. I thought I’d done a decent job with the birds and bees. And for heaven’s sake, Sandy, they’ve been teaching sex education in school for years now!”

  Sandy flushed a brilliant pink, but she didn’t turn away from him. “I got caught by the odds, Dad.”

  “The odds?”

  “Yes. We were very careful. Only one in ten thousand would have gotten pregnant the way that I did. It was—”

  “Wait, wait, wait!” Dan put up a hand, wincing. “Never mind! I thought I was raising a vestal virgin here! My fault, but I’m not up to the particulars here, okay?”

  Sandy nodded. He gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Go to bed, huh?” he said huskily. “We’ll discuss this tomorrow. You’ll need your rest.”

  “I will?”

  Dan rolled his eyes. “You haven’t met your dear beloved’s mother yet, have you?”

  Sandy shook her head ruefully. “Does she hate me?”

  Yes, I think she does! Dan thought, but he wasn’t about to say that to Sandy. “She just has a few definite opinions, so you’d better be ready to listen—and defend yourself on cue!”

  “That bad?” Sandy whispered.

  Dan laughed, then grew sober. “No, she isn’t that bad. She’s…cute. I think I got us both off on the wrong foot by assuming that she was Jarod’s sister. She was very indignant when I insisted on seeing her father.”

  “Oh, Dad! You didn’t!’

  “I did. Sandy, she can’t be more than five-two, and I doubt she weighs a hundred pounds.”

  “Really?” Fascinated, Sandy curled up by his feet again. She frowned. “What else is she like?” Sandy laughed. “At least I’m bigger than she is! She won’t be a physical threat!”

  “I’m the only physical threat you need to worry about, young lady,” her father chastised her. But he smiled suddenly. “We’ll handle Mrs. McGraw, don’t worry. She has enormous blue eyes—”

  “Like Jarod’s!”

  “Hmm. Like Jarod’s. And her hair is gold, like the sun. Like a wheat field, shimmering—”

  Dan caught himself, realizing that his description was taking on a poetic edge. He glanced at Sandy quickly, but she was frowning, worrying only about what would take place between her and Kelly the next night.

  “Sandy, go on to bed now, huh?” Dan repeated, keeping his voice at its strictest, most parental best. “She’s going to have a lot of things to say, good things for you both to listen to. You two are busy being in love, and neither one of you has spent two seconds thinking practically.”

  “Dad, you flew right off the handle—”

  “Yes, I did. But I calmed down, and now we’re all going to have to look at this thing from every angle. Now good night!”

  Sandy stood up and started out of the room, smiled weakly, and closed the door behind her. Dan stayed in his office for a few minutes longer, then sighed, rose and followed her out. In the hallway, he paused. He could hear her crying, up in her room.

  He climbed the stairs quickly to reach her.

  She threw her arms around his neck. “Daddy, I’m so scared! I don’t want Jarod to hate me. I don’t want him to turn away from me! I’m afraid! I want to marry him right away, tomorrow, before he can discover that I’m not special.”

  “Shush. You are special, princess!”

  Dan rocked her back and forth, assuring her that Jarod McGraw was very much in love with her, and that things would work out, but only if they were aware of all their options. He kept talking to her, softly, until she sniffed and shuddered, and at last fell asleep.

  Only then did Dan leave her.

  He went back downstairs, down to the huge modern kitchen that overlooked the mountains. He thought about young Jarod McGraw, and he thought about Jarod’s mother.

  “Damn!” Dan muttered, suddenly feeling fiercely protecti
ve. “You think it was all Sandy’s fault, huh? You’re the one raising the young stud there, ma’am!”

  Then Dan laughed out loud. They were young; they were in love. No one was at fault.

  But Mrs. McGraw was going to have to see it that way, too, he decided. He smiled slightly, envisioning the night that was to come. The battle that he was about to join.

  She really was just a little bit of a thing. But her fighting spirit was keen. He thought about the way her eyes had flashed, the way her blond ponytail had looked like liquid sunlight.

  She was a pretty woman. No, not just pretty. She had elegance, for all her casual appearance. She was delicate but strong. Those eyes of hers, so brilliantly blue, and fringed by such dark lashes, though she was so blond. Unique. There was something arresting about her face. Something alluring, something in her smile…

  A smile that was warm and giving and honest—like Jarod’s, Dan found himself admitting wryly. He really did like the boy, and he felt he understood why Sandy had fallen under his spell. He had those eyes…and that smile.

  Dan decided to have another Scotch. At first he told himself that he didn’t need it, but then he decided that he definitely did. Tomorrow was going to be a rough day.

  He would protect Sandy; she would protect Jarod. And then there was Mrs. McGraw…

  Dan grinned suddenly, lacing his fingers behind his head and stretching out in a smug fashion.

  “Why, Mrs. McGraw!” he murmured. “I think I’ve got your number! And if I have to, I will use it.”

  CHAPTER 3

  “You’re not going to wear that, are you?”

  Halfway down the stairs, Kelly paused and turned slowly, suspiciously, to face her son, her eyes narrowing.

  “What’s the matter with what I’m wearing, Jarod?”

  “You look like—you look like someone’s mother,” he said unhappily.

  “Jarod, I am someone’s mother.”

  “Grandmother, then. Mom, you look like a nun.”

  Kelly smiled vaguely and continued down the stairway. She didn’t look that prim, and she knew it. Her skirt was long and her blouse had a Chinese collar, but it was soft and silky in a teal blue that was becoming to her eyes and hair.

  “Jarod, my outfit is fine,” she called lightly to him over her shoulder. “You’re determined to marry Sandra, and I don’t want to meet my prospective daughter-in-law looking like Bubbles La Tour.”

  “Well, you don’t have to look like Sister Margaret-Mary, either!” Jarod protested.

  “Get the car, dear,” Kelly said serenely.

  He gave her one last exasperated glance, then gave up and went out to get the car. Kelly turned to the hallway mirror to give herself a quick once-over.

  Was she dressed—too old? Maybe, but her height was such a drawback when she was trying to stand her ground, and she had to stand her ground—maturely—tonight.

  She had her hair piled on top of her head, but it was soft, fine hair, and little wisps of it were spilling about her face already. Her heels were three inches high, but she still felt short. “That’s your fault, Jarod!” she said heatedly. It was impossible to feel tall when he towered over her.

  He beeped the horn, and she gave herself a little shake. Face it, she told herself wryly, she wasn’t out to impress the young lovers with her age and wisdom. Marquette had mistaken her for a child at their first meeting, and she was vehemently determined to prove to that obnoxious individual that she was not—in the least—a child.

  She smiled grimly, knowing full well that he wondered how old she really was. “I should tell him that I’m sixty,” she said. “And that Jarod was an accident late in life!”

  The horn beeped again, and she shrugged and hurried out the door. Jarod watched her as she climbed in beside him, but she pretended not to notice. He was so anxious. Well, she wasn’t going to let him off the hook so easily. He was just going to have to be anxious for a while. After all, she was a nervous wreck.

  Why was she so upset? she wondered. True, she had some definite opinions, and yes, a few things to say that she hoped were infinitely wise and just might help. But as to the situation, well…

  There were worse things that could have happened. Jarod was alive and well. He hadn’t been in a terrible accident; he hadn’t gotten drunk and driven off a mountain. He wasn’t a dope addict.

  He had just gotten a girl pregnant, and at least he still seemed to be in love with her. And she would probably turn out to be a decent young lady.

  No, Kelly could handle the situation.

  Marquette was the fly in the ointment. He simply rubbed her entirely the wrong way.

  Kelly clinched her teeth and looked down at her hands. What difference did that make? It was Jarod’s life she had to worry about tonight. She had to meet Sandy, had to get to know Sandy, not her overbearing father.

  Kelly roused herself enough to watch where they were going. They twisted and curved up the mountain until they came to a driveway overhung with foliage and seeming to lead nowhere.

  It didn’t, of course. Kelly gasped at her first sight of the house. It seemed to rise naturally from the mountain, all granite and redwood and glass, immense and beautiful. From the driveway she could see the living room, with its walls of glass, and through that glass the stone fireplace, the warm earth tones of the Indian rugs and casual furniture.

  “It’s nice, isn’t it?” Jarod demanded a little smugly.

  Kelly turned on him. “I thought Marquette was some kind of historian. You didn’t tell me that he was well-off. And don’t you dare sound so smug. This doesn’t change anything.”

  “Mom, you’re just so worried about money! We won’t starve. Don’t you see—”

  “If you take a penny of his money, Jarod, I will be so disappointed in you that I’ll—I’ll scream.”

  He laughed softly and reminded her, “You were going to give me money for college. A lot of parents do.”

  “That’s different.”

  “Mother—”

  “Drop it, Jarod, and let’s go in before I change my mind!”

  He decided that she was serious. With a sigh he walked around the car to escort her out. Kelly already felt tense and miserable.

  The front door opened before they could reach it. Marquette was standing there. Kelly hesitated on the path; only Jarod’s touch got her moving again.

  Marquette looked…good.

  Really good. He had on a light, casual jacket, a shirt open at the neck, and nicely tailored trousers. His hair had just been washed. She could tell, because it was still damp against his forehead. He smiled when she came nearer, a deep, inviting smile. She realized with a bit of a shock that he was handsome, very handsome, and that his smile was more than inviting—it was dangerous. With those dark eyes of his and the white slash of his smile against his bronzed, rugged features, he was alluring…and exciting!

  “Jarod, Mrs. McGraw, come in. Mrs. McGraw, I assume that you’re quite anxious to meet Sandy.”

  Yes, of course, she was anxious to meet Sandy. But shock had done cruel things to her, Kelly decided. Marquette took her hand in one of his big ones, and his scent, not so much aftershave as some kind of clean, woodsy soap, seemed to wash over her. She wanted to shriek, let go of my hand! And of course it was worse, because even in heels she still had to tilt her head back to meet his sardonic smile.

  “Mom,” Jarod prodded her. “This is Sandy.”

  Kelly didn’t know what she had been expecting. Maybe some sultry Mata Hari who had led her upstanding innocent son astray. A natural reaction, perhaps. But Sandy was, quite simply, beautiful, and far more innocent-looking than Kelly could ever have expected. She was dark, like her father, with beautiful, big dark eyes, and dark hair with a touch of red that made it one of the richest shades of auburn that Kelly had ever seen. She wore it long, with no concession to fad or fashion. She was tall, too. About five-foot-nine—a beautiful height against Jarod’s size, but—irritating!

  The whole damn wo
rld suddenly seemed to be tall! Kelly felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland. Here she was, so tiny, with a bunch of normal-sized people, as if she had eaten something strange.

  “Sandy, how do you do?”

  She offered the words softly, and gave the girl her hand with a nice smile. How could you be so perfect? she thought in despair. You’ve ruined his life! He could have had his choices of colleges….

  “Come in,” Marquette said. “We’re all here. Can I get you a drink?”

  “No!” she said sharply. What did he think this was, a social occasion? Of course, she told herself, it was a social occasion; they were all trying to get to know each other, and she actually did want a drink.

  “Ah, yes, thank you,” she murmured easily a moment later.

  Unlike her, Dan Marquette seemed to be perfectly at ease, even amused. “Come into the kitchen with me, Mrs. McGraw.”

  He didn’t wait for her reply, just started across the vast living room with the wonderful glass walls and inviting fireplace.

  Sandy and Jarod were staring at each other, oblivious to the fact that anyone else was around. Kelly glanced at them uneasily, then followed Dan Marquette.

  The kitchen, too, was beautifully contemporary. Cool light oak European cabinetry, a big butcher-block island, restaurant range, rows of gleaming copper pots, and a booth against another glass wall.

  Kelly wandered over to the window. Something smelled wonderful, though she didn’t know what was cooking. Dan pulled glasses from the cabinets, then got ice from the freezer. Kelly could feel him watching her all the while.

  “What will you have?”

  She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Wine. A wine spritzer or a cooler, something like that.”

  He poured wine and soda over ice and offered her the glass, searching her eyes, his own amusement so evident that Kelly snapped at him. “I can’t begin to see what you find so funny.”

  “You, Mrs. McGraw.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Yes. You are appalled that we’ve left the children together. Alone.”

  “Yes, I guess I am,” Kelly replied coolly.