“I appreciate what both of you have done. It wasn’t easy to walk such a fine line.”
“No,” said Luke. “What I’m about to say may put me on the other side of that line, but I’m going to say it, anyway.”
“Luke,” West warned.
“You might want to go inside,” Luke told him. “There is no reason for both of us to take the chance.”
“Hell, Luke, what kind of man do you think I am? Whatever happens, we’re both responsible.”
Luke had always known that West Chadwick had a keen mind. Now he also knew that West was no lightweight when it came to loyalty. He would be a valiant friend, one to be depended on when times got tough. He nodded and turned to Zarcone. “Don’t let any grass grow under your feet. Time may be important.”
“You mean he may be planning to leave town?” Zarcone asked. Then he waved away his own question. “You’re not going to answer that. I’m on my way.” He hurried across the lawn to his car.
Luke’s hand was on Alexandra’s door, when West spoke. “Good luck. She’s pretty mad but she’s smart. She’ll understand and come around.”
Luke couldn’t hide his surprise.
“Hey, I’ve got eyes,” West went on. “If I couldn’t have her, you’d be my next choice. Besides, she’s the kind of woman who needs a ring on her finger. I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready for that.”
Luke went inside. Alexandra was waiting for him, fire in her eyes. “You needn’t stay tonight, Luke. I doubt that I would be considered bait any longer.”
He slid his hands into his pockets and looked at her. “You never know.”
She seemed to hesitate for a minute. Then she said, “Good night, then.”
“Good night, sweetheart.”
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped.
She almost made it to the door before the phone rang. The sound halted her in her tracks, and she turned back to Luke, fear and despair in her eyes. “Oh, no,” she whispered.
“I’ll get this one,” he said.
“No.” She held up her hand. “No, I’ll get it.” She went swiftly to the phone, but before she answered, she sank into a chair and took a deep breath.
Luke’s fists were clenched as he watched and admired her strength. God, if he could only spare her.
“Hello.” The color left her face as she listened. Her delicate frame swayed slightly.
It was all he needed. He was across the room in two steps. He grabbed the phone from her and shouted, “Listen, you damned son of a bitch...” His voice trailed off when he realized he was cursing a dial tone.
“Same old, same old. He said what he had to say and hung up.”
“He won’t be saying it much longer,” Luke said with determination.
She tried to stand but didn’t make it. Luke scooped her up in his arms and held her close to his heart as he headed for her room.
He laid her on the bed and went to the bathroom for a cold cloth. This he laid on her head.
“Sweetheart, can’t you even look at me?”
“Maybe I’ll be able to later. Not now. Please, just leave me alone.”
* * *
Late that night, Zarcone rang Luke’s doorbell. West was there.
“I was hoping I would catch you together,” he said. “I thought you would want to know that when we pieced the story together and forced it on Ned Austin, he caved.”
“That’s great, Zarcone,” said Luke, as if he didn’t care one way or the other.
“It seems that the pilot, Brigadol, was arranging shipments of chips for Mr. Henderson. Unfortunately for him, he got greedy. He decided to hold off on one delivery. Henderson killed him, we don’t know where yet. Not where he was found, that’s for sure.
“Then he put on the uniform in order to gain access to Brigadol’s locker. Places like that are normally restricted to the public. Not just anybody can go walking in there. He got the chips out of the locker. Changed back into his clothes and that’s when he ran into Mrs. Prescott.
“Her sketch of Henderson—or his ring—was the only connection between him and the pilot or the smuggling ring. We’d been watching the pilot—not seriously, but keeping an eye on him. While her drawing wouldn’t serve as evidence, her eyewitness to his presence would. Don’t know why he lied. Maybe he thought he was such a big wheel anyone would believe him over her. Don’t know where he got such a stupid idea as that, either.”
Neither of them responded for a minute. Then West said, “Thanks, Mr. Zarcone. We really appreciate all you’ve done.”
“All in a day’s work, boys. See you later.”
“Yeah,” Luke said. “See you.”
Chapter 12
“She won’t listen to me,” Luke raged, pacing West’s living room.
“And you won’t apologize to her.” West shook his head in obvious disgust. “You’re as stubborn as two mules in a tug-of-war.”
“How can I apologize for doing my job? An apology means you won’t do it again, doesn’t it? And I would have to do the same thing, the ethical thing, under the same circumstances.”
West shrugged. “So, smart man, where does the ethical thing leave you when your bed is empty on a cold winter’s night?” He paused. “You were going to ask Alexandra to marry you, weren’t you?”
“Hell, yes.” Luke was quiet for a minute. “David’s on my side.”
West laughed without humor. “David’s always been on your side,” he said wryly. “But he’s not going to dictate her decision.”
Luke slumped into a chair and buried his face in his hands. “I know,” he said quietly, feeling his energy dissolve like sugar in hot tea.
He sat that way for a minute, then he straightened. “If she won’t even try to understand my position, if she won’t listen, then maybe she isn’t the woman for me.”
“Maybe not,” he agreed with ambiguous amiability. “Maybe you have to face the fact that Alexandra isn’t the princess to reign in that castle you’re building out on the river. Maybe you’re just going to have to start looking again.”
That brought Luke’s head around. “It isn’t a castle.”
“Damned close.”
“And don’t get any ideas,” he warned. “She’s not the woman for you, either. If you even look at her sideways, I’ll—”
West threw back his head and roared with laughter.
* * *
An hour later, David entered his mother’s studio. He wandered around for a minute. Then he blurted out, “I think you should apologize to Luke.”
She looked up from the drawing board. “Oh, you do, do you?”
She was wary. David had been very angry with her, refusing even to discuss the situation for a whole day. The response was so unlike him that she had pulled back. Her relationship with her son was on shaky ground right now and she didn’t want to take any chances.
He crossed the room and perched on a swivel stool. The sunlight coming through the window behind him threw his face into shadow. For the first time, she noticed that his childish features—his jaw, his nose, his forehead—were beginning to sharpen and define themselves into a manly cast.
Backlit as he was, a barely perceptible fuzz was visible on his cheek and chin. Her boy was growing up. She had already noted that his voice was more often baritone than alto these days. Now, it seemed it would soon be time for him to shave.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, unaware of her observations. “I think Luke loves you, Mom. And I know he’s the best thing that’s happened to you since Dad died. You thought he should have gone against his sworn oath but aren’t you always telling me that a person’s word is his bond? Didn’t you say that a good reputation is more valuable than gold? And—”
“Enough, enough,” Alexandra protested. She tried to smile. “I never thought to have all the maxims quoted back to me.”
“Well, Luke didn’t have a choice, Mom. He’s a lawyer and that client-privilege thing is intense.”
She tossed her pencil on the board
and watched it roll to a stop. Then she raked her hair back with her fingers and gave a heavy sigh. “I know.”
“I think he and West are pretty brilliant. To get you to that party, and make you see for yourself what they couldn’t tell you.”
She lifted her eyebrows. “Oh? So West is included in this admiration society?”
David hunched his shoulders dismissively. “West isn’t so bad, I guess. He just wasn’t right for you. Luke is. So. Are you going to?”
Alexandra, distracted for a minute, looked at him blankly. “I’m sorry. Am I going to do what?”
“Apologize, Mom.”
“I’m going to think about it,” she said slowly.
“Mo-om.”
“David, I said I’ll think about it.” Her voice was sharp this time.
He shrugged. “Okay. I guess that’s all I can ask.”
“You betcha.”
He left. A few minutes later, she heard him leave the condo, whistling.
David was right. The moral concept of client confidentiality was inviolate.
She had reacted with her emotions, not letting her brain have a say. She had wanted to punish Luke, feeling that he had put her son’s life in danger. But the truth was, he had done everything, short of breaking his oath, facing disbarment, and possibly jail, to ensure that she and David were safe.
It was up to her to apologize. And she was scared out of her shoes.
* * *
David answered the door of Luke’s condo. “Mom, I knew you’d come through,” he said. “Now, I’ve laid the groundwork. Luke is in a very good mood. So all you have to do is ask him to marry you. I think he’ll say yes. You should keep your fingers crossed, of course.”
“Are you leaving?” she asked when he moved to pass her.
“Mo-om, you don’t want me around during this big reconciliation scene.”
Alexandra stared after him, feeling as though she were being cast adrift. He turned back and gave her a thumbs-up, then a shooing motion. “Don’t worry about me.” He grinned and waggled his eyebrows. “And by the way, you look terrific.”
“Thank you.” She had put on her ecru silk blouse and nubby slacks. She wore a little more makeup than she usually did, and she’d left her hair down, only brushing it until it shone.
“I won’t worry about how late you get home. After all, you’re just next door.”
She nodded and finally smiled. The door was open. She stepped across the threshold. The entrance hall was dark but there were lights in the room beyond.
“Hi,” said a voice form the shadows of the kitchen.
Alexandra whirled, startled by the large shape looming out of the darkness. Her hand went to her breast. “Hi,” she said.
“I’m sorry if I scared you,” he said. He didn’t sound sorry. He sounded amused. Dammit, she didn’t need to be laughed at tonight. She took a step closer to him.
He was smiling, his strong white teeth in contrast with his tanned skin. And his smile was open and genuine. One dark eyebrow arched provocatively.
Her heart accelerated at the sight of him. This was the Luke she was accustomed to seeing. This was the Luke she loved.
“Would you like to come in?”
His question reminded her that there was a hurdle yet to be vaulted before she could think of love or commitment or any of the things she’d come here hoping for. “Ask him to marry you,” David had advised. Did she have the fortitude?
“Yes, if you’re not busy.” She noted that his tie was loose, his shirt collar loosened. He had discarded his jacket. He had a glass in his hand.
“No, I’m not busy. Would you like a drink?”
“No. I won’t take—this won’t—”
She broke off the impossible attempt at an explanation and sighed as she led the way into the living room. The return of his formal demeanor didn’t make this easy.
When she reached the door, she stopped dead still. Packing boxes were everywhere. She turned, her eyes wide as they met his.
His smile had faded and his eyebrows came together in a frown. He took a swallow from the glass. “The house is finished. I’m moving in this weekend.”
“I didn’t know,” she murmured, wishing she didn’t sound so dazed.
“Have a seat.” He swept a stack of brown packing paper off the sofa. She sank into the cushions. He sat in a chair.
She sat like a proper child, her hands linked in her lap. “I’ve come to apologize to you, Luke. I wasn’t very perceptive. I realize that you have ethics and standards in your profession and rules that you cannot break under penalty of law.”
She glanced at him to see if her apology was having any effect. He had his hand over the lower part of his face and the gray eyes were very serious as he gave her his complete attention.
“I wish that I had listened when you tried to explain. I was hardheaded. And stupid. And I’m very sorry.” Her voice was infinitely soft by the time she finished.
Suddenly, she felt tears forming in her eyes. What if she lost? The idea hadn’t occurred to her until this very moment. And it was a devastating possibility. How would she exist without this man? She needed him.
Her chin came up. The tears burned but she fought their falling. A knot formed in her throat, threatening to choke her. But she was determined not to cry.
He set his glass down and leaned forward with his shoulders rounded and his forearms on his thighs. His large hands hung between his knees. She could only see the top of his head; the thick, rich brown hair looked as though it had been combed many times with his fingers.
“It was a hell of a dilemma, Allie.” His voice was soft, too.
Her heart gave a bound when he used the affectionate name he only used in moments of extreme emotion. When he was kissing her. When he was inside her. She tightened her grip on her fingers.
“I believe in the law,” he went on. “Though not always in the way it’s practiced. It is far from perfect, but no one has been able to come up with anything better.
“But I love you and David, too, and I don’t think I could bear to live without you.”
At his words, her fingertips flew to her lips.
“But if I had broken confidentiality, I could not have lived with myself. I wanted to—”
“Stop. Don’t, please...” She rose and went to him. The tears were falling now but she paid no attention to them. “I would never want you to be less than you are, Luke. Your integrity and honesty are part of what makes me love you. You wouldn’t be yourself if you betrayed your principles.”
She sank to her knees beside him. His head came up, his face inches from hers, and she saw her uncertainty mirrored in his eyes. “Oh, my darling,” she breathed. “I do love you so.”
His arms crushed her to him; he lifted her onto his lap and buried his mouth in the sweet, soft juncture of her neck and shoulder. His next words were muffled. “I knew that my silence could be dangerous for you. All I could do was try to keep you safe. I despaired that either of you would ever understand.”
“David did. He was wiser than I was.”
When he lifted his head to look at her, she framed his face between her palms. “But I promise I won’t ever doubt you again.” She pulled his mouth down to hers. “I need you, Luke.”
At last, she thought, warmth flooding through her body from his caresses. At last I am exactly where I want to be, where I should be.
* * *
The clear sunlight shone down on the deck overlooking the river. The railings were festooned with white satin ribbons, which weren’t particularly complementary to the unseasoned redwood but were totally appropriate for a wedding. A crowd of about thirty people milled around, waiting for the ceremony.
It was mid-October. The trees on the opposite bank of the river were at the peak of their autumn colors.
Alexandra looked out on the scene from the master bedroom where she was dressing. “Oh, Maggie, have you ever seen such a perfect day in your life?”
Maggie, dress
ed in an azure blue suit and matching shoes, grinned at the bride’s exuberance. “It is a perfect day, honey. And I’m so happy for you and Luke. And David, too, of course.”
“You’re sure it won’t be any trouble for you to have him while we’re gone?” She and Luke were flying to Maui for two weeks. The travel agent had pushed the Caribbean as being the most romantic place for a honeymoon, but they had vetoed that idea. “Luke wanted to take David with us, but David wouldn’t hear of it. He said he’s holding out for Japan and all those electronics.”
“Of course we won’t mind having him. He can go to school and come home with Morris. I think Morris has even talked him into watching soccer practice. Maybe David will even agree to kick a ball or two and have a surprise for you when you get home.
“I’m only sorry we didn’t know about your problems. He could have stayed with us instead of West’s parents.”
Maggie had her feelings hurt over that. Alexandra had tried to explain that everything had happened too quickly for any logical planning. “I wish he’d stayed with you, too,” she said dryly. “He came home spoiled rotten. An indoor pool and his own driver. Indeed.”
A knock at the door sent Alexandra’s eyes to the clock. “Mom, it’s time,” David called.
She checked her appearance one last time in the mirror. Her tea-length dress was a soft peach silk chiffon. She wore a small matching pillbox with a scrap of veil, her only concession to the bridal consultant who had rushed through all the plans for this wedding.
Maggie handed her a sheath of Talisman roses tied with a dark green velvet ribbon. “Ready?” she asked.
Alexandra put her palm flat to her stomach. “I think so,” she said.
David sat on the top step, waiting. He was to give his mother away. He liked that idea. When she came out of the room, he stood up.
His expression was suddenly vulnerable, childlike, but he was trying so hard to be a man. “Mom, you look beautiful,” he said quietly. “I think Dad would hope that you and Luke will be happy.”
Clearly, he had practiced what he thought would be the right thing to say. His words brought tears to her eyes. Not tears of grief or regret; this was not the day for those. But tears of joy that Daniel had left her with this marvel of a son. “I am happy, honey. So happy.”
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