Zach drew in a deep breath. “Mia’s fortunate to have such a clear view of her future,” he said, trying for light, and not sure he was succeeding. “What do you want?”
David grinned. “It sort of seems like under the circumstances that not having a major is a good thing, huh?”
Zach mentally grabbed on to his self-control with both hands. “If you’re talking about transferring at the end of your sophomore year, you’ll have to declare a major to be accepted, won’t you?”
“I guess. I could just take poli sci, like Mia. It might be fun.”
“Fun? David, we’re talking about your future. What do you want to do with your life? While I’m not suggesting you pick a career that’s boring, I would think you’d want to put a little more thought into a major than the fact that it’s what your girlfriend is studying.”
David’s head snapped up. “You said it didn’t matter that I didn’t have a major.”
“It doesn’t. Not now. But it will matter soon. It will matter a lot if you switch schools. What if what you want to study isn’t available at Georgetown? I don’t object to you transferring, if it’s in your best interest. But simply to follow Mia?”
“We’re getting married. I can’t marry her and live on the other side of the country.”
Something snapped. Zach heard the audible sound as his frustration and concern exploded into temper.
“Dammit, David, this entire situation is crazy. You’re barely eighteen years old. You don’t have a clue as to what you want for your future, so why are you so fired up to get married? If you and Mia are so hot to be together, then move in with her. Sharing an apartment for a few months will take the bloom off the rose. You’ll both figure out that there’s more to love than sex.”
David flushed, but he didn’t look away. Instead he slid forward in his seat and jerked out his chin. “I thought you’d be proud of me wanting to marry her instead of just living together. Isn’t marriage the right thing to do?”
“Sure. If you’re ready. If you’re sure. You and Julie looked chummy. Want to tell me what’s going on there?”
“Nothing.” But David didn’t look at him as he spoke. “We’re just friends.”
“Is that why you kissed her?”
David glared at him. “You were spying on me.”
“I was concerned.” And apparently right.
His son stood. “This isn’t your business.”
“You made it my business when you said you wanted to get married. You’re so in love with Mia that you’re going to marry her and transfer across the country, yet four months before the wedding you’re kissing some other girl?”
“It’s not like that. I love Mia.”
“You don’t know what love is.” Zach stood to face his son. “Mia is your first girlfriend, David. You don’t have a job. Marriage requires commitment and responsibility. It requires fidelity. What do you know about working out problems, organizing a budget, paying bills, while working and going to school? You’re overwhelmed by your current schedule. What happens when it gets worse?”
“We’ll be fine. We’ll learn together.”
Zach played his trump card. “And if I refuse to pay for your college?”
David stiffened. “I didn’t think you’d do that, but I can’t stop you.” He glared at his father. “You don’t understand. You’ll never understand. I love her. You’ve never loved anyone in your whole life, so you can’t know what that feels like. You get involved for a few weeks, then you walk away. To you marriage is just something that ends in divorce, but it doesn’t have to be like that. I know you think Mia and I are going to fail, but you’re wrong.”
His voice rose until he was practically shouting. David’s strength and determination marked his first foray into manhood. It was a hell of a time for his kid to start growing up.
“I know exactly what love is. What I don’t have is your rosy view of the future. You can say what you want about me, but know this. I love you and I have always been there for you. Whatever it took, whatever it cost, I was there. And I’ll be damned if I’ll stand by and watch you screw up your life.”
David blinked several times as if holding back tears. “It won’t be like that. Why can’t you see?”
“Because I’ve been there. I was seventeen when I married your mother. I know what it’s like to be your age and drowning in responsibility. It sucks big time.” He clenched his fists as he remembered the daily hell of wondering how much he could screw up the fragile life he’d been given to care for. Being David’s father in those early years had been terrifying.
“I would have given anything to walk away from it all, but I couldn’t,” Zach continued. “First you’re married, then she turns up pregnant and everything changes. I don’t want that for you.”
The second the words were out, he wanted to retract them. But it was too late. David took a step back. He bumped into the wingback chair and moved around it. His gaze never left his father’s face.
The anguish in his son’s eyes made Zach want to throw himself in front of a truck. “David, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it came out.”
Tears spilled down David’s face. “You did,” he said, his voice harsh. “You did.”
“No.”
Zach moved toward him, but David held out a hand. “Stay away from me.”
“David!”
“No. I didn’t realize I’d made your life a living hell. You should have told me before that I was such a pain in the ass. I would have stayed out of your way.” He angrily brushed his hands across his face. “Don’t worry. I won’t bother you anymore.”
“David, wait.”
But his son was already bolting for the door. Zach hurried after him, but before he could catch up with him, David was gone. The front door slammed shut. Seconds later he heard the sound of his son’s car starting. Zach ran outside anyway, just in time to see David driving away. He stood there for a long time before he realized it was raining and that he needed to go back inside.
13
Katie picked up the phone, then set it down. She picked it up again, dialed three numbers and hung up, then buried her head in her hands. This was much worse than the time she’d invited Steve Klausen to the Backwards Dance in high school and he’d made her wait for an answer while he found out if he had to work that night. One would think that at her age she would have learned maturity, poise, and grace. Unfortunately, one would be wrong.
“It’s just a business call,” she told herself, trying to sound both firm and in control. “I have information to share with a client. It is, in fact, my obligation to keep my client updated on what is going on.”
Which was nearly the truth, but not completely. The missing factor was, of course, that she and Zach had made love last week. They’d gotten naked, done the wild thing, then she’d crept out in the middle of the night without even leaving a note.
That could have been recoverable if they’d spoken since. But they hadn’t. She should have called, but she’d been scared and embarrassed and definitely out of her comfort zone. She’d wanted him to make the first move and when he hadn’t, she’d felt…icky.
Now she felt awkward and confused about calling him at work. Normally she never sweated getting in touch with a client, but Zach was the first one she’d ever slept with, so the rules of engagement weren’t all that clear.
She dropped her hands to her desk and leaned back in her chair. She was going to have to get over this and start acting like a sensible person. Baring that, she was simply going to have to suck it up and call Zach because she had to move forward with the fund-raiser.
And she would like to take this moment to remind herself that she had only herself to blame. She could have said no. She could have walked away while still fully dressed and then not have had to worry about postcoital etiquette. This uncomfortable, slightly embarrassed, definitely weird sensation in her midsection was something to remember the next time a tempting client walked into her life and tr
ied to get past first base.
Determined to be brave and professional, she picked up the phone and dialed Zach’s office number. Dora picked up on the first ring and immediately put Katie through.
“Stryker,” Zach said in a deep, masculine voice that made her go weak at the knees—never mind that she was sitting down.
“Hi, Zach, it’s Katie. I’m calling with some good news about the fund-raiser.”
“Okay.”
She hesitated. His response didn’t have the enthusiasm level she’d been hoping for. Nor did he seem to be in a rush to gush enthusiastically about their night together. Had he forgotten already? Or was he so used to one-night stands that this one didn’t matter?
The silence stretching between them was its own response, so she ignored the feeling of being a complete fool and retreated to the safety of business.
“As you know, the, ah, invitations went out two weeks ago. Already we’ve had positive responses from more than fifty percent of those invited.” She consulted her notes. “Of the five hundred we invited to the party-within-a-party, three hundred have said yes. Not only will the rooms be delightfully teeming with guests, but if all goes according to plan, we’re on target to beat last year’s charitable proceeds by at least twenty-five percent.”
She paused and waited for the applause. Or at least a “well done.” Instead she heard silence.
“Zach?”
“That’s really great, Katie. You’re doing a fine job.”
A fine job? The man had seen her naked, made her scream with pleasure, and “a fine job” was the best he could do?
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Did I call at a bad time?”
“I’m afraid so. I’m in the middle of prepping for court.”
She stiffened as if he’d slapped her. The implication of his words being that his work was far more important than hers.
Bitter regret burned on her tongue. His rejection couldn’t have been more plain. She swore silently as she realized that once again she’d risked believing the best about Zach only to have the worst proved to her.
She’d thought he was a real person. She’d thought they were establishing a connection. She thought their night together had mattered. Damn if she hadn’t been wrong on every count.
“I won’t keep you, then,” she said, forcing her voice into a bright, cheerful “you don’t matter because I’m doing fine” tone. “I’m very excited by the positive response to the party and wanted to let you know.”
“I appreciate it.” He cleared his throat. “Don’t feel you have to give me regular updates. Until I hear otherwise, I’m going to assume everything is going great.”
In other words—Don’t call me, I’ll call you.
Her eyes burned, her chest hurt, and she wanted to curl up in a ball and sob. Instead she clutched the phone more tightly.
“Not a problem. Good-bye, Zach.”
She hung up without waiting for him to respond.
It took several minutes for her ragged breathing to return to normal. A few tears escaped, but she congratulated herself on only needing two tissues. He wasn’t worth more than that.
When Katie had gathered at least a facade of control, she placed her hands on her desk and told herself she’d been lucky.
Zach wasn’t for her. He never had been, but she kept forgetting that. Jumping into bed with a man she wasn’t emotionally involved with had never been her style. For reasons she didn’t understand, she’d slept with Zach, and now she was paying the price.
It hurt. It hurt bad. But in time the pain would ease and she would be grateful not to be taken in by a good-looking guy in a six-hundred-dollar suit. Yes, he was funny and smart and fun to be with. And a good father. Oh, and a great kisser and dynamite in bed. But he didn’t care about her. She was a means to an end. One in a long line of women he’d conquered. He used women, then tossed them aside.
If she felt confused and out of sorts, well, so what? She would get over it. People healed from broken hearts all the time. Not that her heart was broken. The fact that he was more than a pretty face and that she hadn’t responded like that to a man since…okay, since never…was interesting but not significant. She would get over him in a flash because she had nothing to get over. Nothing had happened. She’d learned a cheap lesson, and now she was going to move on.
Zach drove slowly through the UCLA campus and circled up toward the dorms. It had been three days and he still hadn’t heard from David.
He’d called dozens of times, left at least ten messages, and not had one of them returned. Zach was done waiting. He would find his son and make him understand that he had never been anything but the best part of Zach’s life.
Careless words, he thought as he parked and climbed out of his car. How many relationships were destroyed by careless words?
He entered the dorm building and spotted several kids hunched over a video game. A couple looked familiar. Zach walked toward them. One of the boys looked up, frowned slightly, then smiled.
“Mr. Stryker?”
“That’s right.” Who was this kid? Jackson? Jason? Oh, yeah. “Justin, I’m looking for David.”
“He’s playing pool. Just back there.”
Zach nodded. “I know the way. Thanks.”
He walked down the back hallway to the rec room. Three pool tables sat in the center of the huge room. There were vending machines along one wall and ratty sofas along the other. All three tables were in use. One had a group of girls, another had guys in sports jerseys playing, while the third had only a young couple at one end.
The girl laughed and turned. As she moved, the overhead light glinted off her long red hair. Zach stopped just inside the room. There was no mistaking Julie, nor his son. David smiled, then slipped his arm around the girl and pulled her close. She welcomed him with an easy familiarity that made Zach’s gut tighten. They kissed, slowly and deeply, losing themselves in the passion.
Victory, he thought. The engagement would end and life would go back to normal.
He waited to feel relieved. Happy. But there was nothing except for a hollow emptiness and disappointment in his son’s behavior. He didn’t care how many girls David slept with, but he hadn’t been raised to cheat.
Zach backed up and returned to the hallway. He wanted to talk to David, but not under these circumstances.
As for Julie—and Mia—Zach didn’t know what the hell he was going to do. There was no way the marriage could take place—not with David sniffing after someone else. But what was he going to say and to whom? He didn’t want to be the one to tell Mia what was going on. That was David’s responsibility.
“A hell of a mess,” he muttered as he walked back to his car. And he didn’t have a clue as to what he was going to do about it.
The hacienda kitchen was empty for once. Francesca glanced around in surprise, then headed for the refrigerator. She was about to drive to Los Angeles for one of her experiments and wouldn’t have time to eat once she arrived. Not if she wanted to be in place by the time people were leaving work and hurrying home.
She dumped some leftover pasta into a bowl and stuck the bowl into the microwave. While her food heated, she bent over and studied the tattoos on her ankles. While she planned to carry an umbrella, the rain might still splash on her legs. Unfortunately in the fake-tattoo world, water was not her friend.
Still, she would have to take a chance. She’d pulled on a relatively short skirt and pumps, leaving her legs bare. A long vine-with-roses tattoo wrapped around one ankle, while a butterfly hovered on the other. She’d put another butterfly on the back of her thigh, just at her hemline, so anyone watching her walk would catch glimpses of the design. With luck, she would get some great reactions today.
The microwave beeped. She drew out her bowl and fished a clean fork from the drawer by the dishwasher. Then she headed for the kitchen table. Unexpectedly a door slammed in the house.
Francesca put down her bowl and headed for the noise. A subtle tension seeme
d to thicken the air, making her heart rate increase.
As she made her way down the hall, she could hear voices coming from the library. Although the door was closed, muffled words became more distinct as she approached.
“ ’Tis God’s punishment,” quiet Grammy M said with a force Francesca had never heard from her. “It was wrong thirty years ago and it’s still wrong.”
“God has no reason to punish this family,” Grandpa Lorenzo roared. Something heavy, probably a book, slammed on the desk. “We’ve been good Catholics for generations.”
“Sometimes that isn’t enough to please the Almighty,” Grammy M said.
Francesca’s father spoke next.
“This is an old argument that doesn’t change anything.” His voice sounded frustrated. “Do you think there’s a day that goes by that Colleen and I don’t regret what we did? Do you think there’s a day we don’t think of him?”
Francesca froze. She didn’t want to hear any more, but she couldn’t seem to tear herself away. She heard the sound of crying and would guess her mother had given in to tears. Grandma Tessa said something, but was too quiet to be audible.
“I should have been stronger. I should have run away rather than agree.”
Francesca heard her mother’s words and cringed.
“We’re all to blame,” Grammy M said, her voice heavy with pain. “We all carry the burden.”
Francesca took a step back, then another. She didn’t know what her family was talking about, but she didn’t like it. She grabbed her purse and hurried toward her truck. Once she was inside, she turned on the engine and cranked up the stereo as loud as it would go. Maybe the pounding beat would drive everything she’d just heard from her head.
Katie paced through her small house. Normally she found the space cozy rather than confining, but not tonight. Even more frustrating, she could no longer fool herself about the nature of her discontent. Restlessness when combined with excess ice-cream consumption could only have one cause: heartache.
The Sparkling One Page 16