* * *
After dinner, Taylor asked Annie if she wanted to take a walk, but she turned him down. “I need to get home and get Meg to bed. Come out for brunch on Sunday, Taylor. She misses you.”
After giving her a hug and promising to be there on Sunday, he headed home. It would be nice to drive out to Annie’s. He’d kidnap Meg, and they’d head to the beach. It would give him some time with Meg and give Annie a little time to herself. He worried about her. She worked so hard at the dance studio and still managed to always be there for all of Meg’s school functions. She was looking tired, he realized, something unusual for Annie with her seemingly boundless energy.
As he opened the door to the condo, Taylor was struck by how empty it was. He was on the road too much to keep a pet, although the house had been full of them when he was growing up. There were no houseplants, either, since no one was there to water them. In fact, except for some family photos, it looked more like a layout for some architectural magazine than a place someone lived.
He opened a new bottle of wine and went out onto the deck. The sun had already set; the empty blackness of the bay stretched out before him. A few lights from ships dotted it here and there, but it was mostly deserted. The gated community was quiet, too. Usually, solitude didn’t bother him, but tonight the silence seemed oppressive.
Coming back inside, he turned on the computer. After pouring another glass of wine and starting a Rachmaninoff CD in the player, he went back to the computer.
He looked over the list of mail in his box and read the messages from his agent and a couple of theatre friends. He skimmed over the others, deleting most of them until, toward the end of the list, he saw the one he’d been looking for—an answer from Laura. He hadn’t realized until then that he’d been almost holding his breath, hoping it was there. Relaxing for the first time all evening, he began to read her answer.
* * *
Laura read several chapters of her book. Normally, reading was her great escape, her recreation. Tonight, she realized, she had managed to read for an hour and had no idea what Dirk Pitt had been up to. For all she knew, he and Giordano had finally confessed their love for each other and come out of the closet. She wondered what Cussler—Pitt’s author—would think of that scenario!
Restlessly, she wandered into the kitchen and took a couple of cookies before heading for the computer. It wasn’t unusual for her to check email when she couldn’t sleep, but she knew that wasn’t the reason now.
Logging on, she skimmed down the short list of messages. Some in-house mail from the paper, one from an old college friend who lived in California now, but nothing from Taylor. Sighing, she answered her friend, then started to log off. Just as she hit the quit button, the computer beeped with new mail. She quickly logged back on and found an answer from Taylor.
Laura,
Great to hear from you! I was out to dinner with Annie and just got home.
Yes, I have been resting quite a bit. Long walks along the bay, a little skating, sleeping late, being lazy. It’s been nice.
I start work on some new music next week to add to the next leg of the tour. I’ll be seeing Annie and Meg on Sunday. Meg and I will probably head to the beach for a while to give Annie a break.
That’s it. The exciting life of a superstar. I’m sure yours must be considerably more interesting.
Taylor
Laura debated with herself as to whether she should answer right away. She didn’t want him to think she’d been glued to the computer waiting to hear from him, but he was probably still logged on if the lag time tonight wasn’t too bad. Finally, she pushed the reply button.
* * *
Annie drove home through the soft, tropical evening. It might be autumn in the rest of the world, but Florida didn’t believe in seasons. That was one of the reasons she loved it here.
Taylor had been strange tonight. He’d been brooding over something, and she had a suspicion he’d met someone he was attracted to. Please, God, not someone like Janis—that barracuda he’d gotten himself engaged to. She’d been so wrong for him.
Janis had been the closest they’d come to losing their friendship. She’d tried to tell him how wrong Janis was for him, but he’d been furious, reminding her that he hadn’t tried to keep her from marrying “that cretin,” and he’d stomped out after telling her he was marrying Janis no matter what she thought.
They hadn’t spoken for two weeks.
Finally, late one night, the phone rang. When she’d answered, Taylor had said, “You were right.” His voice was flat.
“About Janis? What happened, Taylor?”
He and Janis had been at a charity function benefiting Shelter for Children. She’d been perfect and beautiful until one of the children had brought her flowers. Accepting them, she smiled, then, perfunctorily, handed them off to someone. Taylor had been down on the little girl’s level, talking with her, when she’d reached out one sticky hand and touched the bright blue silk of Janis’ dress.
Janis had been livid, causing a scene, claiming her dress was ruined. The child was in tears, Janis in hysterics, Taylor embarrassed. They’d left quickly then, and, when they got to the hotel, had a horrendous fight. Janis had demanded he give up the charities, give up being accessible to his fans, give up touring, and concentrate on recording and living the fashionable life she wanted. He’d broken their engagement then, finally seeing what Annie had seen all along.
They’d picked up their friendship as if there’d never been a rift. In the five years since, they’d never seriously quarreled. Their few disagreements had been over his outrageous spoiling of Meg, but as he’d pointed out, that was his job as her godfather; as the only kind of father she’d ever known.
Pulling into the driveway, Annie could see the dark head of her daughter silhouetted in the window. Meg did this to make her feel guilty for leaving her. This was her bereft, lonely, orphan routine, and it was working. Maybe she should have taken her along. Giving herself a mental shake, Annie went into the house where Megan was studiously ignoring her.
“Hi, kid.” There was no answer. “You should be in bed. I’ll tell Susan goodbye while you get ready. Then I’ll be in to tuck you in. Go on—scoot.”
At this point, ignoring Meg was the only way to handle her. When Annie returned, she found that Meg had actually gotten ready for bed. In fact, she was so ready, she was already under the covers, with her back turned to the door.
“Well, Miss Megan, I guess you don’t want to hear that Taylor will be out to brunch on Sunday.”
The transformation was instantaneous. Meg sat up, her eyes glowing, and said, “He will? For the day?”
“He didn’t say, but he probably will. He usually does.”
“This is great, Mom! I have so much to tell him. He’s been gone so long this time.”
Looking at her daughter, Annie found it hard to believe that this leggy child was hers. Meg had inherited her father’s dark coloring, but not his temperament, thank heavens. She was a sunny child, incapable of deliberately hurting anyone.
“I know you’ve missed him, darling. He missed you, too. He was a little annoyed that I didn’t bring you with me, but how could I have talked about you if I did?”
“Mother!”
Annie laughed and hugged her. “Go to sleep, Meg. Sweet dreams.”
“’Night, Mom.” Meg slid back under the blanket as Annie went to the door. She turned out the light and started out when Meg said, “Love you, Mom.”
“Love you, too, Meg,” she said as she gently closed the door behind her.
* * *
Annie went to her desk in the family room and opened her account books. The studio was doing well, but expenses were going up; rent had nearly doubled in the last three years. Keeping Meg in private school was beginning to be a struggle. It looked like she’d have to raise her rates again, although s
he wasn’t sure how much that would help. Whenever she did, someone dropped out, and she felt terrible for causing some child to lose her dream of becoming a dancer. She was never sure the increased rates compensated for the dropouts.
She knew she could go to Taylor for help. He’d been trying for years to get her to let him pay Meg’s tuition. But, damn it, he wasn’t her father, even if he tried to be. She just couldn’t bring herself to ask him for help.
Feeling an increasingly familiar tightness behind her eyes, she closed the books and put her head down. The tightness intensified to a pain that built, then subsided, leaving her a little breathless and with a dull headache. This wasn’t the first time it had happened. She supposed she should make an appointment with the doctor, but what could she tell him? Besides, it would just be another expense that she could ill-afford right now. She wearily stood to go to her room.
Chapter 9
Taylor woke late on Sunday. He had been up late “talking” to Laura by e-mail. They’d been writing every day this week and seemed to never run out of things to talk about. Most of the time it was little, everyday stuff, but he’d begun to hear details of her life and was sharing small details of his with her. Until now, Annie had been the only one in his life that he’d opened up to. Even Janis had never known the real Taylor, not that she’d really wanted to.
Looking at the time, he knew he should get up and get moving. Meg was not the most patient of people, he acknowledged with a smile. She’d be driving Annie crazy about when he was supposed to be there.
After showering, he dressed in khaki shorts, a cream-colored linen shirt, and put on a pair of sandals. He started out the door, then turned back to check the computer. Nothing from Laura. He wasn’t surprised. It was still early there, and she had said last night that she planned on spending the day with her parents.
He logged off and left the condo, carrying flowers for Annie and a new book for Meg. She loved to read, and he paid attention to what was new in children’s literature so that he could keep her up on all the newest books. He’d read it himself, as he did all of the books he gave to her, so that they could discuss them when she had finished. Obviously, having a librarian for a mother had marked him for life!
* * *
It was mid-morning when Laura woke. Talking with Taylor last night had been fun. She tried to remember all that they had discussed, but there had been so much. He’d told her about the condo and the bay, the area where he went on his in-line skates, little details of his everyday life. She’d told him about Beth and the paper and started trying to educate him about life in the land of “mañana”—which was when she would mention Cary, since she’d somehow never gotten around to it this week!
It had been late when they’d logged off, and she’d fallen asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. Now she needed to get up and get moving. Mom was making green chile chicken enchiladas for her. Real food for a change. And, before the end of the day, she hoped to find time to talk to her mother about this abundance of men in her life. Maybe Mom could help her sort out her feelings.
* * *
Taylor arrived at Annie’s house a little after ten. As he got out of the car, a small figure exploded from the door and launched herself into his arms.
“Taylor! I thought you’d never get here.”
Taylor whirled her around in a circle before he set her back on her feet. “Hello, Meg! I’ve missed you!”
“I missed you, too, Taylor,” she said, suddenly solemn as she stared at him. “I wish you didn’t have to be gone so long.”
“I know, Meg, but it’s my job. C’mon now. Let’s go find your mother.”
He took her hand in his, and they went into the house. Annie was in the kitchen, cutting up fruit for a salad. Taylor gave her a kiss before reaching into the cupboard for a vase.
“You didn’t have to bring flowers, Taylor,” she said as she washed her hands.
“Maybe they’re not for you, Annie,” he teased. “Maybe they’re for Meg, and this book is for you.”
Meg giggled. “You are both so silly. What’s the book, Taylor?”
“A new one by Robin McKinley. Remember? I’ve read it already. I think you’ll like it.”
Meg was already looking through the book as Taylor and Annie exchanged a look over her head. “Megan? Isn’t there something you need to tell Taylor?” Annie chided her gently.
“What?” Meg was already lost in the first paragraph of the book. “Oh… thank you, Taylor.”
“You’re welcome. Why don’t you go start that while I help your mom with lunch?”
Meg wandered off to the family room while Taylor began to get down plates and glasses to set the table. “Inside or out, Annie?”
“Outside, I think. It’s a beautiful day.” She pulled a quiche from the oven as Taylor opened the patio doors. “There’s a tablecloth there by the door.”
They’d played this scene so many times before. He was comfortable in Annie’s house, probably more comfortable there than in his own. He knew where to find everything and soon had the table ready for them. As he turned to come back into the kitchen, he saw Annie staring out of the window over the sink. She seemed to be miles away in her thoughts, and Taylor noticed that the shadows under her eyes, shadows that had been slight only a few days ago at dinner, had grown larger and darker.
“Annie?” Taylor’s voice was filled with concern. “Is everything all right?”
“Everything’s fine, Taylor.” Annie picked up the bowl of fruit, handed it to him, then picked up the quiche. “Megan! Lunch!” she called as she moved past him through the door.
He couldn’t question her with Megan there and had to put his concern aside until later. He’d find time to talk to her before he left today. Something was up with Annie, and he knew that it was probably money. She was too stubborn to turn to him for help, despite the fact that he’d offered repeatedly. It was probably time for their annual argument over Meg’s tuition, anyway.
* * *
Laura pulled into the driveway that approached her parent’s house. Built on a cliff on the west side of the Rio Grande, it faced east overlooking the river and the city with its backdrop of the Sandia and Manzano Mountains. It had been pretty unremarkable when they moved here, but Dad had put in a lot of work on it over the years, including installing an indoor pool and atrium. He and Tomás had done most of the work themselves, allowing Laura and her mother to do some of the more mundane things like painting. It wasn’t that Dad was a chauvinist. It was simply his time with Tomás. He’d made other time to be with her, and she’d never felt slighted. She pushed open the heavy wooden door and followed the tiled entry as it sloped down into the living room. Her mother was in the kitchen and looked up at the sound of Laura’s footsteps.
“Hello, darling,” she said as she came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on an apron. She was a small woman with beautiful dark hair still unmarked by gray. She looked very little different from the pictures Laura had seen of her as a young bride.
“Hi, Mom,” she said as she bent down to give her a kiss. “It smells wonderful. I’m starving!”
Her mother laughed. “You’re always starving, Laura. I don’t know how you stay so slim. It’s a good thing you inherited your father’s genes instead of mine.”
Laura’s father came in at that moment. “Which genes would those be, Maria?” he asked as he hugged Laura. He was tall and slim, with the same coppery red hair as Laura’s.
“The ones that allow her to eat anything and still stay so thin, Sean. It’s a good thing she inherited her figure from you and not from me.”
Her father gave her mother a frankly appraising look and dryly said, “Well, there are certain things I think she inherited from you, my love. And a damn good thing, too.” He leaned down and gave her a lingering kiss.
“Excuse me?” Laura laughed. “Maybe I should go som
ewhere so you two can be alone?”
“Why?” her father countered. “We never let your presence stop us before!”
Her mother blushed, the color staining her olive cheeks and making her look even younger. “Sean Patrick Collins, behave yourself,” she said as she turned back to the kitchen. “Laura, help your father set the table. I think we’ll eat out on the patio today.”
While they carried plates and glasses outside, her father asked her about her work. She mentioned her opinion of the new mayor, and they were off into a political argument. It wasn’t really that they disagreed, it was more that they both enjoyed the mental exercise. They were interrupted by Maria bringing out a salad and sending Sean in to bring out the hot dish of enchiladas.
* * *
Taylor and Meg cleaned up the kitchen after lunch. Taylor had poured a glass of wine for Annie and insisted she put her feet up and let them do the cleaning. She hadn’t argued and had moved to the chaise on the patio. She could hear them now through the open doorway, Meg prattling about the important doings in her eleven-year-old world, Taylor giving her his full attention and responding to her with respect. They were very good together, those two.
“Annie?”
She opened her eyes to find Taylor standing beside the chaise, Megan close behind him. “So, how many dishes did I lose this time?” she teased them.
“None, thank you!” Taylor said in mock indignation. “Well, Meg, it looks like we’re not appreciated. What do you say we run away to the beach for the afternoon?”
“Yes!” Meg turned and ran back into the house to get ready, leaving Taylor and Annie laughing. Taylor sat on the edge of the chaise and said, “I probably should have asked you first, but I didn’t think you’d mind. You look like you could use a quiet afternoon.”
“I probably could,” she admitted. “Just not too late, Taylor. She has school tomorrow and she needs to be home in time to wind down a little.”
Timing Is Everything Page 6