“Wherever I go around the world, I have my lawyers contact the local hospital and find one or two children for whom my money could make a difference in their last days. Then once the lawyers have provided the hospital with my credentials, I go and visit the children. I talk with them and find out what they would like most in the world.” A soft smile curved her lips. “I love talking to them. Most of their cases are hopeless, but they’re so brave. I always come away feeling quite inadequate.
“Today I met a little girl who a year ago was diagnosed as having leukemia. They never expected her to live this long, but she’s fooled them all. She wants more than anything to go to Disneyland, and I’m going to see that she gets there. We were waiting for the results of her latest tests before making final plans though. Those were the test results the doctor’s nurse mentioned to you.”
“You make me feel very ashamed.”
“Don’t be.” She reached over and took his hand. “I told you. It’s all right. And we’ve both learned some things about each other tonight.”
“I love you, even more than I did a few minutes ago, and I didn’t think that was possible.”
She looked down at their joined hands, then back up at him. “Take me to bed and hold me.”
“I can’t think of anything I want to do more.’’
* * *
She awoke at dawn. They hadn’t drawn the curtains the night before, and now the first rays of the rising sun were making their way into the room through the immense windows. She was curled against the warmth and solidity of Burke’s body. Carefully, so that she wouldn’t wake him, she shifted away from him and raised up on one elbow so that she could get a better look at him.
She remembered that Bridget had told her Burke had had to be strong. Well, he was—and so much more. A great man knew how to use his strength. She had learned that Burke did. He was a hard man, it was true, but there was also a gentleness in him. He lavished it on her. And there was loyalty and compassion—qualities to be admired and respected.
In the gradually brightening light she could see his black lashes lying heavily against the bronzed skin of his cheek. Even in sleep he didn’t look vulnerable, but she knew he was. He had been almost out of his mind with worry last night when he believed she might be pregnant.
A sudden thought occurred to her. A baby. She couldn’t think of anything more marvelous. A tiny person who would be part her, part Burke, but all itself. No baby could have a better father. He would be loving and protective.
She was pretty sure she wasn’t pregnant, however, and today she would go to the doctor to insure that there would be no surprises for them along those lines. But still. A baby! A perfect symbol of their love... . Their love.
Oh, God, it had happened! She loved him, and the depth of her love for him threatened to swamp her.
She lowered her head to the pillow beside Burke and turned her face toward his. For long moments her body trembled with the shock, but as she slowly absorbed the knowledge the trembling stopped and the wonder of her love took over.
Burke had said she would be able to count on his love her whole life, and she believed him. She could walk into his arms and never be afraid that he’d let her go. He would hold her for all time.
She suppressed the urge to wake him and tell him. She didn’t want him groggy with sleep. She wanted the moment to be as special as she could make it. Perhaps she would ask the cook to prepare a champagne breakfast.
In his sleep Burke reached for her, and she nestled closer, feeling a certain and warm peace. Her newly discovered serenity sank in all the way to her bones, and she slept.
Nine
Cara awoke with the feeling that something important had happened. Then it came to her like a flash. She loved Burke. Immediately she reached out for him, but he was gone.
Of course! His meeting was this morning, and his brothers were due in. They were probably already here! Quickly thrusting back the covers, she jumped out of bed.
Thirty minutes later, showered and dressed, she went directly to the kitchen. Burke was at the table, drinking coffee, and with him were Rafe and York Delaney.
The three Delaney brothers—the Shamrock Trinity. They were legends, and Cara could easily see why. Together their individual power became magnified, and they sent out the loud, clear message of utter invincibility.
Although she hadn’t seen York and Rafe since she was a little girl, certain things remained true of both of them, and she had no trouble deciding which brother was which.
York, with his dark features and vivid blue eyes, had retained the beauty of his youth, but with the years had come a maturity that had complemented the perfection of his features, making him the most beautiful man she had ever seen in her life. Not handsome. Beautiful. Added to that was a brooding air that only increased his astonishing effect on a person.
Rafe on the other hand had good looks that were more unconventional. He had the same bronze-dark skin and black hair as his brothers, but when he laughed—as he was doing now in reference to something Burke had said—his looks turned roguish and his black eyes positively danced.
Her gaze went to Burke, and her heart swelled with love. She couldn’t deny that his features showed a harshness and a ruthlessness that had escaped Rafe and York. But it didn’t bother her. She knew how gentle and understanding he could be. He had told her that he loved her, without asking her for any commitment in return. He had allowed her to see inside of him and exposed areas of himself to her that were painful.
He was the man she loved with all her heart, and she was sorry now that she hadn’t given into her earlier urge to wake him and tell him of her love.
She saw Burke turn to York. “I gather you haven’t worked out your problem yet.”
York shrugged, and the jacket of his custom-made suit stretched over his broad shoulders. “There are some problems that don’t have any solutions.”
“Maybe not, but problems are sometimes a hell of a lot easier to bear if they’re shared.”
“I appreciate it, but it’s nothing you and Rafe can help me with.”
“Not unless you let us,” Rafe said.
“Look, if it was anything else...” He stirred uneasily in his chair, then said decisively, “No, I have to deal with it myself.”
“All right, we won’t push,” Burke said. “But you know we’re here.”
York smiled. “Haven’t you always been?”
“Yes,” Rafe said, and grinned. “It’s just that you weren’t always smart enough to know it.”
York’s eyes narrowed on his younger brother. “Why don’t we talk about something else for a while? Like... your positively splendiferous appearance.”
Rafe pretended outrage. “Splendiferous! I’ll have you know—”
“Cara!” Burke had just seen her. He stood and crossed the room to her. “Good morning. How long have you been up?”
“Not long. I woke at dawn, but then fell asleep again. The next thing I knew, it was nine o’clock.”
“I’m glad you got some extra sleep.” He pulled her into his arms and, regardless of his brothers’ presence, kissed her with tender passion. By the time he released her, she was shaking.
Taking her hand, he led her to the table and his two brothers rose.
“Oh, please,” she protested, extremely nervous at meeting them, “don’t get up on my account.”
Their only response was to smile charmingly at her, worsening her state of nerves. After all, these men were the two most important people in the world to Burke.
“Rafe and York. I’d like you to meet—”
“You don’t have to tell us who this is,” Rafe said, stepping forward and taking her hand away from Burke. “This is the merger you’ve been working so hard on.” He dropped a gallant kiss on the back of her hand, and when he raised his head from her hand, Cara could see that his black eyes were glittering merrily.
“Merger?” she asked.
“We’ve been worried about Burke,”
York said, taking her hand away from Rafe, and holding it with a real warmth. “He told us that he’s been working extra hard lately on a merger, but he wouldn’t let us in on any of the details. Now we understand why. Hello. By the way, I’m York.”
“I know,” she said, breathing deeply, trying to pull air into her lungs. These Delaneys had a way of taking your breath away.
Rafe’s winged brows shot up. “You know him and not me! That’s not fair!”
“Sibling rivalry is really a terrible thing,” Burke remarked to her, leading her to the table and pulling out a chair for her. “I have such a time with these two.”
Cara laughed. “I don’t believe a word of it. And Rafe, I know you too. I remember teaching you how to play jacks.”
York’s blue eyes cut to Burke. “Isn’t that interesting? I never knew Rafe played jacks.”
“I never did,” Rafe denied flatly.
“Yes, you did,” Cara said, as the brothers settled back into their chairs around the table. “One summer afternoon you happened to be riding by the foreman’s house on Killara and saw a lonely little kid playing by herself on the porch. You stopped to talk to me and—”
“Cara Winston! You’re Bill Winston’s daughter!”
“That’s right.”
“Well, I’ll be damned.”
“That’s right,” Burke agreed. “Cara, would you like some coffee?”
“Please.”
“How long have you been back?” York asked.
“About a month. It’s been wonderful being on Killara again.”
“How long are you going to stay?”
Since she wanted to tell Burke of her love for him in private, she wasn’t sure how to answer York. But Burke saved her from having to answer by cutting in smoothly. “I think that’s one of those things we’re still negotiating. Now, you two behave. I don’t want Cara embarrassed.”
Rafe looked shocked. “Us embarrass someone with probing, tactless questions? Heaven forbid!”
York took the clue from his older brother. “Speaking of someone embarrassing himself, Rafe was preparing to tell us about his suit when you came in, Cara.”
“My suit can’t be embarrassing and splendiferous,” Rafe maintained. “Make up your mind.”
“We think your suit is”—Burke took his time in searching for just the right word—“white.”
Rafe brushed an imaginary speck of lint from the sleeve of his jacket. “It’s obvious to me that you’re both eaten up with jealousy over my suit, and I think it’s time I had a woman’s opinion. Cara?”
Hardly able to contain her laughter, she said, “Oh, I definitely like it, and the whole outfit is beautifully coordinated.”
“You can say that again,” York muttered. “Everything—his jacket, his pants, his shirt, his tie, his handkerchief, his shoes, his socks—everything is white!”
“Is there some special occasion to warrant all this finery?” Burke asked. “Something other than the board meeting, I mean.”
“Honestly! If you two keep this up, you’ll give Cara the impression that I don’t normally dress well, when in fact the exact opposite is true. Why, I often wear this very suit to muck out the stables.” Hoots of laughter erupted from everyone.
“It must be hell on those shoes.” York offered.
“Actually the substance that I quite often find myself stepping in conditions the leather.”
“Conditions the leather!” York repeated.
“Not many people know that.”
Burke glanced at his watch. “I’m sorry to break this up, gentlemen, but we do have a meeting and we have quite a bit of business to cover.”
Rafe and York groaned. Burke looked at Cara. “You’d think I was inviting them to their own hanging rather than a meeting to tell them that they’re richer than they were the last quarter.”
Smiling, she rose from the table. “I need to get going too. Rafe and York, it was nice seeing you again.”
“It sure was.” Rafe grinned. “I’ll even forgive you for spilling the beans about my playing jacks.”
“I’m sure we’ll see you again soon,” York said.
“What are you planning to do today?” Burke asked, drawing her a short distance away from his brothers.
“I’m going to do a little shopping for some of the kids I met at the hospital yesterday. I thought maybe some stuffed animals might be welcome.”
“I bet they will be.” He reached into his pocket and drew out six one-hundred-dollar bills.
“Burke, you don’t have to give me money. I have my own.”
“I know, but the work you do for the kids at the hospital is important to you, and I’d like to be a part of it in a small way.”
She took the money from him and reached up to kiss his lips gently. “Thank you. That means a lot to me. Your money will go for the softest, most huggable stuffed animals I can find.” She paused. “Listen, are Rafe and York going to be here for dinner tonight?”
“Rafe is heading back to Shamrock as soon as the meeting is over. I’m not sure about York. Why?”
She chewed on her bottom lip. “Well, I was wondering if we could have dinner alone, but if York is staying over...”
“If you want to have dinner alone, then we will, but—” He frowned. “Is something wrong? Didn’t you like York and Rafe?”
“I like them very much,” she assured him with complete sincerity. “They’re wonderful, but then how could they be anything else? They’re your brothers.”
“Then what—”
“Nothing, nothing at all. Just an odd fancy of mine.” She smiled up at him. “Okay?” He nodded, but he was still frowning. Lightly she ran a finger across the deeply etched lines of his forehead. “I’m going to cure you of that habit yet. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
* * *
A few hours later Cara was sitting on the floor of a toy store, literally waist-deep in stuffed animals. She had bought them all, and a lot more, and was waiting for the sales clerk to hand her the final bill. If the store couldn’t deliver her purchases to the hospital this afternoon, she had decided she would hire a fleet of taxis and do the job herself.
“Miss Winston?”
“Yes.” She glanced up. The man who had addressed her was a stranger, but the worried expression he wore caught her attention, even as she noticed he was conservatively dressed in a three-piece dark brown suit. Somehow she didn’t think he was associated with the toy store. “Is something wrong?”
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to come with me.”
For a man he had an abnormally high-pitched voice, she thought, and her brows drew together in puzzlement. “I beg your pardon?”
“I’m Carl Robbins with the Cougar Jones Security Agency.” He pulled out an identification card and offered it for her inspection. “Something’s happened to Mr. Delaney, and they’ve sent me for you.”
Instantly she came to her feet. “Oh, my God! What’s happened? Is he all right?”
“I’ll explain on the way. Mr. Delaney is asking for you, and I’m afraid we have very little time.”
* * *
Burke looked down the table. “Am I boring you, Rafe?”
“What?” Rafe looked at his oldest brother blankly, then as he realized what was going on, a sheepish grin began to spread over his face.
“You’re a million miles away from here.”
“Maybe not so far,” York remarked quietly. “Maybe his thoughts are only as far as Shamrock.”
Burke raised an eyebrow at the secretary taking notes. “Could you bring us some coffee, please?” He waited until she had left the room, then leaned back in his chair. “I didn’t want to bring it up before now, but you’re positively glowing. What’s made you so happy?”
Rafe cleared his throat and pointed to the papers in front of him. “Sure, I’m happy. As you can see, Shamrock has had an excellent quarter.”
“Those are the figures for Hell’s Bluff,” York said.
“Oh.�
�� Rafe’s eyes quickly scanned the column of figures in question. “Well, I’m also very happy about how well Hell’s Bluff is doing.”
Burke and York exchanged amused glances, and Rafe gave up. “I’m that obvious, huh?” Rafe asked.
“Painfully,” Burke said dryly. “Come on, brother, let us in on it.”
Just then the door opened and the secretary hurried in, her face white. “Mr. Delaney, there’s a call for you on line one. It’s that Mr. Davis, and he says it’s an emergency.”
“Davis!” York exclaimed.
“Get Cougar. He’s in his office,” Burke said, as he reached for the phone. He lifted the receiver. “Hello?”
“How are you, Delaney?”
Burke’s hand clenched around the phone as he heard the familiar high-pitched voice. “What do you want, Davis?”
“For you to suffer just like you made my sister suffer.”
“I had nothing to do with your sister’s problem, Davis, and you know it.”
“That’s what the judge and jury said, but you and I both know that you bought them off, don’t we?”
“Look, Davis, you’ve been lucky so far. You haven’t seriously hurt anyone. Stop it now before it goes any farther, and I won’t press charges.”
“Poor Miss Winston.”
Burke’s heart seemed to stop beating. “What?”
“Poor Miss Winston isn’t feeling very well at the moment, but I’m afraid she’s going to feel a whole lot worse very, very soon.”
Burke closed his eyes and gritted his teeth against the nausea he could feel rising in his throat. “What have you done to Cara?”
“You were too well guarded, Mr. Delaney.” The man gave a shrill laugh. “I couldn’t get to you, but I got to her. My sister’s left me, you know. So it’s only fair that you lose someone you love too. Miss Winston’s such a pretty thing, but she’s going to pay for what you did to my sister. Then you’re going to pay. Think about that for a while and suffer!”
The line went dead just as Cougar rushed into the room, carrying a small black box.
Burke, the Kingpin (The Shamrock Trinity) Page 13