Suddenly a Family

by Harris, Leann

  “Let’s sing our final song,” the choir director announced.

  “Good.” Lisa’s voice rang through the church.

  Once outside the building, several church members came by to say hello, and Toni introduced her new family to them. Through the crowd of people, Carl Ormand made his way toward them.

  “What a surprise.” His voice always had a nasal quality to it. “I’ve never seen you here, Knight.”

  “I didn’t know this was an exclusive club, Ormand. I thought the church was open to everyone,” Zach countered.

  Carl’s eyes narrowed. Before he could reply, George Anderson appeared by Toni’s side.

  “Ah, Carl, are you here to congratulate my daughter on her marriage?” he asked.

  “To whom?”

  “Our head of security, Zach. And I believe that Toni is thrilled with the girls.”

  Through gritted teeth, Carl offered his best wishes, then quickly departed.

  Toni and Zach exchanged a knowing glance, remembering the Christmas party where Carl had made a fool of himself, and Toni had first realized she was attracted to Zach.

  “C’mon, Toni, bring your new family to lunch. We’ll inform Zach of the family traditions he’s going to have to live up to.”

  After George walked away, Zach leaned closed. “Am I going to like this?”

  “Probably not.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of.”

  Zach glanced at the reports his secretary had placed on his desk. Before he’d left on Friday, Zach had asked for all the service records of the company that worked on the field that blew up. From the papers, the company had done a lot of business with Anderson.

  Looking at the address of the service company, The Caprock Service Company, Zach frowned. They were using a street address plus a suite number. He pulled out the phone book and looked for the company’s listing. There was none.

  Writing the address from the invoice on a piece of paper, Zach stuck it in his pocket and locked up his office. He’d spent longer than he intended looking at the records. He felt guilty for hurrying Toni and the girls away from the Anderson estate this afternoon, but he wanted to check out this report.

  As he strode toward the elevators, Carl Ormand walked out of his office. “Zach, what are you doing here?” A note of surprise colored his voice. “And so soon after your marriage? Didn’t you want to spend time with your new bride?”

  Zach pinned the man with a hard stare. “I think your mother did a poor job of teaching you manners, Ormand. But if you continue to ask personal questions, I can demonstrate what’s appropriate.”

  Carl’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t say anything but turned around and went back into his office.

  Zach had an uneasy feeling between his shoulders about Ormand. What was the man doing here on Sunday? Zach could understand Carl’s attitude about his marriage to Toni—sour grapes were never easy to swallow—but why was he here today?

  Zach got in his car and drove to the address listed on the invoice. The billing address for the Caprock Services was a private mail center. Staring at the building, Zach decided that first thing tomorrow he would call the phone number on the invoice and see if he could track down Caprock.

  When he drove into the driveway of Toni’s house, he noticed a rental car parked in front. As he pulled out the house key Toni gave him before he left, the front door opened and his ex-sister-in-law, Melanie, appeared.

  “Zach,” Toni said from behind Melanie. “I called your office, but you must have left. Melanie’s wanting to talk to you.”

  Narrowing his eyes, Zach studied his ex-sister-in-law. “Why don’t we go inside and talk?”

  The woman glared at Zach, then turned and walked into the living room. Melanie clenched her teeth so hard, Zach was surprised that she didn’t break her jaw.

  “Daddy,” Lisa yelled. “Look, Auntie Melanie is here. Did ya know she played with me and Sam? I told her all about our new family. Uncles, aunties and the other kids.”

  Zach looked at his other daughter. She sat on the sofa, her fingers wrapped around Sam’s collar. He worried about what Melanie would say in front of the children and turned to Toni.

  “Could we use your office to talk?”

  “Of course. The girls and I will finish setting the table for dinner.”

  Once the door to the study was closed, Melanie turned and struck like a snake. “If you think that this sham marriage is going to work, then think again, Zachary Knight. You were never there for the girls. My sister had to raise those girls alone.”

  Resting his shoulder against the door, he replied, “And the only reason that she had to do that is because she never, ever told me about the twins.” His words were soft, hard and cold.

  Melanie tried to act surprised. “I don’t believe that.” Her bluff didn’t work.

  “Believe what you want, Melanie. But we both know that Sylvia hated me. And not telling me was part of her revenge. That was why we divorced when we did, before we had children. I guess we were a little late.”

  “You were a poor husband to Sylvia. And I don’t doubt you’ll be a rotten father, too. I know my sister would’ve wanted me to have the twins.”

  “Then why didn’t you come forward after the accident that killed her?” he asked.

  “That’s none of your business. All you need to know is that I want the girls.” Tears welled in her eyes.

  “They are my daughters, Melanie, and I won’t give them up without a fight.” He stepped away from the door and opened it.

  “Don’t worry, Zach. That’s exactly what I intend to give you.”

  Zach folded his arms behind his head and stared at the bedroom ceiling. Toni was next to him in the bed and he felt every inch of her luscious form. On the drive from the office earlier, he’d managed to convince himself that it wouldn’t matter if he slept in the spare bedroom tonight to save his sanity. That was before Melanie had blown his plan to hell.

  This day had been endless, with highs and lows that he hadn’t expected.

  “What did she say?” Toni’s voice pierced the darkness.

  Turning his head, he replied, “She threatened to take Lisa and Lori. Did she say anything to you?”

  “No. When she appeared at the doorway, the girls instantly recognized her, and it seemed rude not to invite her inside. Your old apartment manager gave her the new address. Melanie seemed surprised when Lisa announced I was her new mother, and we had all just returned from Las Vegas. She didn’t mention the custody battle to the girls.”

  He shook his head. “I bet Melanie didn’t like the fact that we were married.”

  “She asked the girls how long they’d known me.”

  Turning onto his side, he propped his head on his hand. “And what did they say?”

  “They told her that I helped them when they first came to Midland. That you weren’t very good to start off, but that you were better now.”

  A chuckle escaped him. “And what did she say to that?”

  “What could she say? When I asked how she found you, she mentioned that the social worker in Phoenix told her. She asked if you had received any court papers yet, and I told her she had to ask you.”

  He reached out and squeezed her hand. “Thanks, Toni.” He wanted to pulled her under him and taste those incredible lips again and her neck and breasts—

  Whoa! Common sense reared its ugly head in the nick of time. Instead, he released her hand and turned onto his back.

  “Have you gotten a lawyer, Zach, to represent you in the court hearing, yet?” Toni asked.

  “No. The man I talked to at Anderson told me he did corporate law, not family.”

  “Well, why don’t you consider Anna Nunez? She’s a good family lawyer and she seemed very receptive when we were in her office the other day. I could call her tomorrow and see if she has some time so we could stop by and see her.”

  The idea of having the same attorney who drew up the prenuptial agreement handle the custody hearing ap
pealed to him. Besides, he liked the woman’s efficiency. “That sounds good.”

  “Then I’ll call her.” After a moment she added, “Good night, Zach.”

  He returned the sentiment, but he knew it wasn’t going to be a good night, when his body ached for hers.

  Chapter 9

  “So, you’re telling me that you didn’t know of the girls’ existence until a month ago?” Anna asked Zach. Her gaze, like a laser, penetrated his.

  “That’s right. Sylvia and I met one weekend when I was on leave from my unit. There was instant attraction and we married as soon as the military allowed. But Sylvia and I had nothing in common but s—uh—lust.” He shrugged. “And after a while we didn’t even have that.” Zach glanced at Toni. He hadn’t told her the circumstances of his first marriage.

  “We decided to call it quits before we had any children,” he added. “When we split up, neither of us knew about her pregnancy.”

  Anna’s brow raised with a question. “Are you sure the girls are yours?”

  “My thoughts reflected yours, and when I left for Phoenix, I wanted a blood test to make sure the girls were mine. But the instant I saw Lisa and Lori, I knew the truth. They are the spitting image of my mother.”

  “Did you have the blood test run?” Anna asked.

  “I did and got the results this week. It confirms what I knew—the girls are mine.”

  Anna rested her elbows on her desk. “Why do you want them, Mr. Knight? Don’t you think the girls would be better with their aunt and her husband?”

  “No, I don’t, Ms. Nunez,” he replied, his voice firm and commanding.

  She didn’t appear intimidated. “And why is that?”

  “Because I know what it feels like to be rejected by your father. I was a bastard, the product of an affair between a married man and my mother. He was separated from his wife when the affair happened. When my mom announced she was pregnant, my dad went back to his wife. He never wanted anything to do with me. Never acknowledged me in the little rural Texas town where we lived. I vowed to myself I’d never abandon any child I fathered. And to my dying breath, I plan to fight for my children.”

  There was nothing like pulling all one’s skeletons out of the closet and putting them on parade for the world to see. He glanced at Toni to see her reaction. Her eyes weren’t filled with shock and revulsion, like Sylvia’s had been. No, Toni’s expression was full of compassion...and admiration.

  Anna leaned back in her chair. “You’ve convinced me, Mr. Knight.” She glanced at Toni. “It’s my guess that you knew all this before you two were married.”

  Toni nodded. “Yes, I knew Zach wanted to marry me to keep his daughters. And I’m with him to achieve that goal. And, may I add, it was Zach who wanted to draw up the prenuptial agreement that we signed.”

  A new light entered Anna’s eyes as she studied Zach. “All right, Mr. Knight. You’ve hired yourself a lawyer.”

  Zach reached into his coat pocket and withdrew the letter he’d received from Melanie’s lawyers. “I received this notification last Wednesday.” He handed her the letter.

  After scanning it, she made a copy of the letter and gave him the original. “I’ll contact the attorneys listed here, then get back to you.”

  “Do you think she has any legal ground to stand on?” he asked.

  “Sure she does. But you have the better position. Since your wife never told you of the girls’ existence, you can’t be faulted. You acted reasonably from the time you knew of their existence. The odds are in your favor.”

  “Good.”

  With a final handshake, they left the office. Zach walked Toni to her car. He wanted to say something about the ugly facts that he’d just revealed in the lawyer’s office.

  “I hope I didn’t shock you with my stories of my ex-wife and parents.”

  Toni faced him. “You weren’t responsible for your parents’ actions.”

  The tension gripping him eased. “But everyone in that little town knew about my folks,” he replied.

  “Do you want to compare shocking stories, Zach?” she asked, leaning back against her car.

  His brow wrinkled in a frown.

  “You want to hear mine?”

  He couldn’t imagine what she had to say. “Sure.”

  Toni crossed her arms under her breasts. “My dad always wanted a boy.”

  “And he got one.”

  “But he didn’t know about Rafe until last year, when he showed up and surprised us all. My dad grew up in the Valley and didn’t know that the sweetheart he’d left behind had a baby.”

  She shook her head. “At the age of twenty, my dad moved to Midland, determined to make it rich. He worked in the oil fields, then decided to strike out on his own. He became a wildcatter. When he ran out of money, he married the daughter of the local banker. He got his money and later a daughter, my sister, J.D., from that marriage. Years went by, but Dad didn’t get the son he wanted. So he had an affair with his secretary—my mother. He divorced his first wife and married my mother. She gave him two more daughters.”

  Apparently the Anderson family had some unsavory skeletons in their closet, also.

  “The entire community knew what had happened. J.D.’s mom didn’t handle the divorce well. She became an alcoholic. So, Zach, we all know about shame and being put on public display.”

  Zach wondered at her reaction. “And all that doesn’t bother you?”

  Shock crossed her face. “Sure it does. I wish my father hadn’t done what he did. But my dad poured himself into his three daughters. J.D. tried to be the son my dad didn’t have until recently. As for Alex and me, Dad was always there, pushing us to be the best we could be.

  “When I broke my legs in that crash, it was Dad’s will that brought me through that crisis. He never gave up.” A tear misted in her eye. “Last year when Dad and Mother were in the crash that killed her, I worried about Dad. He seemed to give up the will to live. When he started to push men at me, again, trying to arrange a husband for me, it was a relief. He was back.”

  Apparently, George Anderson had a bit of history himself.

  “I can pick the girls up this afternoon, Zach, after my class,” Toni told him. Both Toni and Zach had gone to the day-care center this morning and notified the school of the change in the girls’ lives.

  “All right. I have to run down some problems we’re having.”

  “Something to do with the incident in field number one the other day?”

  “Yeah, it does. I need to check out Caprock. Their billing address was one of those mailbox franchises. I need to track them down.”

  “I’ll try to have dinner ready about six-thirty.”

  With the exception of his time in the military, for the first time in his memory, someone had told him when to show up for dinner. “I’ll be there.”

  Zach stared down at the phone number for Caprock. He tried it again, and the same little old lady answered the phone. He hung up without saying anything. The woman had told him she’d had that number since 1954.

  He walked down to Carl’s office. Carl was in charge of servicing all the fields.

  “Carl, I tried to call the number on this invoice from Caprock. I got an Eda May Stonehouse and she informed me that the number on this invoice is hers and has been hers since the mid-fifties. What do you know about Caprock?”

  Carl sat back in his chair. “They’ve worked for us for the past eighteen months. I haven’t had any problem with them.”

  “Have you ever been to their offices?” Zach asked.

  “No. They’ve done their work. I didn’t need to hold their hands.”

  Carl’s attitude stunk.

  “Who recommended them to us?” Zach wanted a name and he wanted a body he could question.

  “Our field manager.”

  “Which field manager?” Zach asked.

  “Ollie Townshed.”

  “Well, why don’t you have Ollie call me. I want to talk to him about Caprock,”
Zach ordered.

  “Sure. I’ll get a message out to him. It might be tomorrow before he can get back to you.”

  That wasn’t unusual. “No problem.” Zach left the office and went back to his own. He checked Caprock’s account in the computer to see how often the company had serviced fields for them. Thirty entries over the past year and a half, worth forty thousand dollars. That seemed excessive. He printed out the data.

  He wondered if the work Caprock had claimed had actually been done. He called George and told him of his suspicions. George agreed with him, that the fields needed to be checked. He’d hire an engineer to do that work.

  Glancing at his watch, Zach noted that he needed to leave for home. Toni and the girls were waiting for him. The thought sent a shaft of warmth through him.

  Toni and the girls had just finished putting the last of the dishes on the table, when Zach pulled into the driveway.

  “Daddy’s here,” Lisa cried, going to the front door.

  Sam barked his welcome and Toni heard the girls offer their welcome. Zach’s deep voice rumbled a greeting.

  “Hurry, Daddy, we’re hungry,” Lisa added.

  Toni turned in time to see the twins dragging Zach into the kitchen-dining area. She grinned at the sight of the two little girls tugging on their father. When her eyes met his, a charge of awareness raced through her body. The more she was around Zach, the more in tune her body seemed to be to his.

  “We made chicken and dumplin’s,” Lisa informed him. “We got to help make this funny green Jell-O, didn’t we Lori?”

  Lori nodded her head.

  “They did help,” Toni affirmed.

  Zach had an odd look in his eyes as he took in the scene before him, almost as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Suddenly, it occurred to Toni that maybe Zach had rarely had this kind of experience of coming home and finding his family and a dinner waiting for him.

  Her eyes met his. And for an instant Toni felt she saw straight into his soul.