by Diana Palmer
She went back to work with a sore heart, not even roused by the forthcoming holiday season. Christmas decorations were up now in Chicago, the television schedule was scattered with reruns of regular programs and holiday specials. Janine worked right through them.
Her parents and Kurt had put up a Christmas tree. Quentin called to say hello and mentioned that he was having the occasional date with the English major he’d met on his trip. He spoke of her with such warmth that Janine was certain that education was not the only thing the two of them discussed. She was happy for him. She and Quentin could never have lived together.
“Hey, isn’t this one for the books!” Kurt exclaimed. “Take a look!”
He handed Janine a financial magazine. Inside there was a story about a successful merger of a software company with a hardware computer firm, and there was a photo of Canton Rourke shaking hands with a well-known Texan who owned a line of expensive computers.
“They say he’ll make back every penny he’s lost, and more,” Kurt read. He glanced wickedly at Janine. “I told you he would.”
She looked away. “So you did. More power to him.”
“Doesn’t it matter to you?”
She turned back with a poker face. “Why should it?” she asked. “He hasn’t even phoned in two months. I’m sure he wrote me off as a holiday flirtation, and why not? He can have the most beautiful women in the world. What would he want with me?”
Kurt was taken aback. Janine was a dish. She didn’t seem aware of it, but Kurt was certain that Canton Rourke had found her irresistible. Karie had said as much, when they were in Cancñaun. Of course, Janine was right, he hadn’t even called since their return to Chicago. That really was too bad. He’d have thought they were made for each other.
He wanted to say something to comfort her, but Janine was already buried in her book again. With a sigh, he went on about his business.
Idly he wondered what Karie had done with the photographs they’d taken in Cancñaun. Every day, he’d expected to hear something momentous from her about them. She had contacts, she’d said, and she was bound to find someone who’d be ecstatic about them. But to date, he hadn’t heard a word. Perhaps she’d given up on the idea in the fervor of having the Braves win the pennant. Or maybe her dad had gotten wind of their secret project and confiscated the photos. Either way, he thought he’d heard the last of it….
Two days later, a tabloid’s front page showed a “sea monster” washed up on the beach at Cancñaun, of all places! It had fur and feathers and gruesome green skin. Its skull resembled most closely that of a bovine. Scientists said it was a new form of life.
Kurt bought three copies and ran back from the corner newsstand to the house he shared with his parents. Janine was visiting over the weekend. Kurt waved the headline under Janine’s nose, disrupting one of her best new scenes on her laptop computer. “Look!” he exclaimed. “Just look! It was found right on the beach where we were!”
She looked at the creature with a frown. Something was nagging at the back of her mind when she saw the blown-up photo of the “creature.”
Before she could really have time to think about it, there was a knock at the front door.
“See who that is while I save my file, could you?” she asked Kurt, putting the tabloid aside. “Look through the peephole first.”
“I remember.” He went to the door, peered out and suddenly opened it with a laugh. “Hello!” he greeted.
Canton Rourke smiled at him. Karie was with him, grinning from ear to ear in her Braves cap and shirt.
“Where’s Janine?” Canton asked.
“In Dad’s study,” he said. “Right through there.”
Canton’s deep voice had already announced his presence, but Janine felt a jolt somewhere near her heart when she saw him. Two months was so long, she thought. She’d missed him unbearably. Her eyes told him that for her, nothing had changed. She felt the same.
He didn’t seem to need words. He smiled tenderly and held out his arms. She got up quickly and ran right into them and lifted her face for a kiss that seemed to have no end at all.
Hectic seconds later, she pressed close, trembling.
“No need to ask if you missed me,” he said huskily. “We can get a license in three days, or we can fly down to Mexico and be married in one. Your choice.”
“Here,” she said immediately. “So that my parents and Kurt can come.”
He nodded. “I’d like that, too. I don’t have many friends, but the ones I have are the best in the world.”
“Mine, too.” She reached up and touched his lean cheek. “You look worn.”
“I am. It’s been a hectic two months. I have my financing and my merger, and Marie is now history.”
“What?”
“I flew to Greece with my attorney and had it out with her about Karie,” he explained. “Kidnapping is a very serious offense. If I pushed it, the Mexican authorities might find a way to extradite her for trial. She knew it, too. She capitulated without a groan and was willing to settle for what I offered her. She’ll have visiting rights, but just between us, I don’t think she’ll be using them. Karie isn’t thrilled at the idea of visiting her at all.”
“I remember.” She searched his face. “You couldn’t have called once?”
He smiled ruefully. “I wanted to be sure you knew who I was.”
“I already did,” she assured him. “The more I watch the series, the more differences I find between you and my screen hero. I still think he’s tops. But I love you,” she added shyly, dropping her eyes.
He took a slow breath. “And I love you. Never like this,” he added huskily, his eyes brilliant. “Never in my life.”
“Me, neither,” she agreed breathlessly.
He kissed her again, hungrily, only pausing for breath when young voices came closer.
“Don’t tell me,” Kurt said dryly when he saw the two of them standing in each other’s arms. “The marriage is on again, right?”
“Right,” Janine said dreamily.
“Whoopee!” Karie enthused. “Now maybe you’ll stop being so grouchy, Dad.”
He glared at her.
“Same for you, Janine,” Kurt agreed with a grin.
Canton glanced from the children’s smug faces to Janine’s. “Have you seen the tabloid this week?” he asked, naming one of the biggest ones.
“Yes. Kurt showed it to me,” she explained. “It had a sea creature that had washed up on a Mexican beach.”
“You didn’t recognize it?” He reached into his pocket and unfolded the front page of one, that he’d been carrying around with him. Kurt and Karie looked suddenly restless.
Janine stared at the color photo with a frown. “Well, I thought it was rather familiar…”
“The cow skull?” he prompted. “The hacked-up garden hose? The feathers? The fur?”
She gasped and looked at Kurt with wide eyes. “It can’t be!”
Karie cleared her throat. “Now, Dad,” she began when his eyes narrowed.
“We covered it up the minute we took the photo,” Kurt said helpfully. “The tide would have washed it all out to sea, we made sure of it.”
“Why?” he demanded.
Karie pursed her lips, glanced at Kurt and produced a check. “Well, this is why,” she explained.
He unfolded the check, made out to his daughter, and almost choked. “You’re kidding.”
She shook her head. “I wasn’t sure you were going to make back all that money you lost,” she said. “So I hit on this keen idea. I have to split it with Kurt, of course, but it should get me through college. Gosh, it should get us both through college!”
He was torn between being touched and committing homicide. “This is a hoax! It’s all going back, and there will be a retraction printed.”
“And I told them so in my letter,” she assured him. “I kept a copy of it. They said it didn’t matter, it was a super hoax.” She put her hand on her hip and struck a pose. “Ge
t real, Dad, do you honestly think Elvis is living on Mars, like they said last week?”
She sounded so old and sophisticated that both of the adults broke up, though Canton was still determined to set things right.
“She’s your daughter,” Janine said through tears of laughter.
“And yours,” he reminded her, “as soon as the ring is on your finger.”
“Lucky you,” Karie said with an irrepressible grin.
“Lucky me,” Kurt agreed. “Just think of all the wonderful times we’re going to have together.”
Canton and Janine looked at the picture in the tabloid, and then at the children.
“Private schools,” Canton said.
“In different states,” Janine agreed.
The kids only looked at one another with knowing smiles. Canton took Janine by the hand and led her out of the room, into the office and closed the door behind them.
“Now,” he murmured as he took her in his arms. “I believe we were discussing our forthcoming marriage? I think I stopped just about…here.”
He bent and kissed her with slow, steady warmth, and she smiled with pure joy under his mouth. And it was no mystery at all that he loved her. Or vice versa.
* * * * *
ISBN-13: 9781460335970
Mystery Man
Copyright © 1994 by Diana Palmer
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