Max 2 - A Love Remembered

by Annette Broadrick

  Tim grinned. "She couldn't have gotten any of that from you, of course."

  "Damn right. I've still got all of mine.''

  The two men smiled at each other.

  Charlie sighed. ''I did what I could. She was so damned full of pride. Didn't want anyone's help. Was convinced she could do everything on her own. But she was only fourteen, just going into high school." He shook his head. "We went round and round. I wasn't about to be bested by some slip of a girl, though."

  ''I'm sure you weren't," Tim murmured.

  "I adopted her, you see. I had the letter from her mother. I got a copy of her birth certificate. I insisted she come live with me."

  ''Did she?"

  "Hell, no. We finally compromised. I convinced her the only way she could be truly independent in this world was to get the best education money could buy. And I had the money to pay for it. Finally we agreed that she would go back East to private schools, with her keeping a record of every damn dime I spent so she could pay me back." He chuckled. "Damn if she didn't do that very thing!"

  Tim sat forward, startled. "How could she do that?"

  "Out of sheer, unadulterated bull-headedness. She worked part time when she got a little older, and began to write on the side. Soon she started selling her work, and found a ready market."

  ''What does she write?"

  ''Damned if I know. She seldom shows me anything. I've seen a few articles in magaidnes, a couple of short stories."

  "They must have paid well ''

  "Actually, I think she sold a book once, some historical journal or treatise. Hell, I don't know. But she managed to get a nice advance. Wouldn't keep a damned dime of it, of course. Wrote me out a check while she was still in school." He shook his head, his eyes lit with pride and admiration.

  "You love her very much."

  "Better than I've ever loved anyone. One of the reasons I was willing to spend so many years in Washington was so I could be close to her. Used to visit her all the time. Never missed a chance to see her." He closed his eyes. "Yes, sir. We've had some real good times together." His eyes opened. "And some real shouting matches. Lord, that woman's stubborn."

  "So how did you get her to move to Colorado?"

  "You know, that's a funny thing. She'd already told me that she was content living back East. Had no desire to come to these parts. I had to accept that. Had no choice. I flew East one time after I retired to visit with her. We'd gone out for dinner, like always. I guess I didn't have much to say. I'd really been missing her, even though it felt good to be home." He was quiet for several moments, as though reliving a memory. "Don't know what happened, really. I still feel foolish even thinking about it. I was sitting there listening to her, thinking about how beautiful she was, how proud of her I was, and damn if I didn't start leaking tears all over the place. Damned things kept trickling down my face like sweat on a hot summer day."

  He shook his head. "Shocked the hell out of both of us, let me tell you. Elisabeth wanted to know what was wrong, and all I could say was, 'I miss you, girl. I miss you so much.' "

  "Emotional blackmail," Tim said with a smile.

  Charlie grinned. "It worked. Damned if it didn't. She packed up and moved out here. Been with me ever since."

  "You're shameless, Charlie. Totally unscrupulous."

  "Well, I have to admit I like getting my own way," he pointed out in a modest tone of voice.

  Tim began to laugh, then touched his head gingerly.

  ''Head still ache?"

  "Some." He stood up. "I need to go and you need to get some rest, Charlie."

  "Sit down, sit down. That's all I do is rest. Guess I got sidetracked a little, and there's still things you need to know."

  Reluctantly, Tim sank into the chair and folded his arms. He would keep the old man on track this time and try not to let him wander. Tim's head was beginning to gain his attention, and he knew he was far from recovered from the mysterious injury he'd received.

  "Jason and Marcus are a couple of conniving jackals determined to get their hands on every bit of property they think should be theirs."

  "Such as your place in Colorado?''

  "Everything. They resent Elisabeth's presence in my life. I had to do a great deal of cover-up work in order to convince them that their father was, in fact, married to her mother when I first found out about the alliance. Otherwise they would have made her life even more miserable."

  ''Does she know the truth?"

  "Who knows? She's always insisted it never mattered to her one way or the other. She was still who she was and that had nothing to do with whether or not her parents were married.''

  ''Good point."

  "Anyway, Jason and Marcus inherited a great deal of money and property from Chuck and from their mother, Nancy, when she died a few years ago. Nancy's from an old, prestigious family with lots of clout in all the right circles. They fit right in." He muttered something under his breath about snobs.

  "So you think they're going to give Elisabeth a bad time once you're gone?"

  Charlie smiled a sharkish smile that reminded Tim of who he was talking to. "They're going to try." He shifted restlessly in the bed. "But I want her to have the homestead. It means something to her. It means nothing to them. Of course the only time I tried to broach the subject she refused to discuss it with me. Said she would just give it to Jason and Marcus if they wanted it, anyway."

  "Will she?"

  "Of course not. She loves this place. It's the only place she truly feels at home. She was raised on a ranch, loves horses, loves the outdoors. I've watched her blossom since she's been here."

  ''Being around you may have helped."

  Charlie sobered. "I'd like to think so. She's given me so much. I'd like to think I've given some of that back."

  Tim studied his friend for several moments in silence. ''All right, Charlie, where do I come in with regard to all of this?"

  When he saw the shark smile he knew he was in trouble.

  "Well, at first I wasn't really sure. I wrote you because I needed to share with you some of my concerns about everything. I just needed to talk to somebody I could trust."

  Tim felt a lump form in his throat and hoped he didn't disgrace himself with his own reaction to his friend's obvious sincerity.

  "Thank you," Tim managed to say, "for your trust."

  "Well, hell, man. If those big shots in the government trust you, why the hell shouldn't I?"

  Tim smiled, shaking his head. There was only one Charlie Barringer. He was unique.

  "I explained to you my concerns. At the moment Jason and Marcus are hovering like a pair of vultures, waiting to dive in and grab everything."

  "Do they know you've left this property to Elisabeth?"

  "Of course not."

  "Are they going to contest the will?"

  "They can damned well try, for all the good it'll do them. What's the point of having money if you can't pay for the best legal counsel around?"

  ''So there's really nothing you expect from me?" Tim felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders at the thought.

  ''Well, at the time I wrote you the letter I was sort of hoping you'd be willing to look after Elisabeth, maybe. Give her somebody to lean on."

  Tim smiled. "She doesn't appear to be a leaning kind of person."

  "Don't let that damned pride of hers fool you. She's got a heart as big as the whole outdoors. Get past the prickly exterior and she's as soft and as sweet as a melting marshmallow."

  Tim remembered the night before, waking up to find himself in her bed. My God, if Charlie had any idea that Tim had slept with Elisabeth, he'd permanently remove that portion of Tim's anatomy that could do possible injury to her. Tim broke out in a cold sweat at the thought.

  "Maybe so, Charlie, but from everything I've observed since I woke up this morning, Elisabeth doesn't seem particularly enamored of me or my presence here."

  "You don't understand, Tim. It came as quite a shock to Elisa
beth to discover that you didn't recognize her."

  "It was every bit as much a shock to me, let me tell you," Tim admitted.

  "I'll never forget the day you first saw her," Charlie said in a reminiscent tone, as though it had been years ago rather than the few weeks that Tim knew it to be. ."You seemed to almost be knocked to your knees when she walked in the door."

  Tim nodded. "I can understand that. She's a beautiful woman."

  ''Yeah, she is, both inside and out. You looked like you were in shock. It was all I could do to keep from laughing."

  Tim squirmed in his chair. "I'm glad I managed to keep you so amused."

  ''You had a lot df questions about her. Seemed to absorb every drop of information, much like you've done tonight, as a matter of fact."

  Tim straightened, "Wait a minute, Charlie. I'm just trying to get to the bottom of all this, trying to find some explanations for what I'm doing here and why I can't remember anything."

  Charlie sighed. "Well, as for the blow on your head, I'm afraid nobody seems to know much about that. You'd gone riding a few days ago, but you didn't bother telling anybody where you were going, not even Elisabeth." He grinned as though he found that amusing.

  Why the hell would Charlie think Tim would tell Elisabeth if he decided to take a ride? Tim wondered.

  "All I know is what I was told. Nobody wanted me upset, of course," Charlie's tone was filled with irony. "It seems your horse returned alone. Elisabeth had the presence of mind to get my hunting dogs out, gave them one of your shirts and went looking for you."

  ''Obviously they found me," Tim said stiffly, feeling like a fool not to remember any of this. It was as though he was listening to a story about someone else.

  ''Yes. You were still unconscious. No one knows what happened. There were trees in the area, and Elisabeth suggested you may have ridden under a limb and got knocked off.''

  Tim looked startled.

  "I know," Charlie added with a grin. "I didn't bother to tell her that you've been riding since before she was born."

  "Well, maybe not quite that long," Tim muttered.

  "No, I decided that the less she had to worry about, the better." He frowned. "But I was really disappointed when she told me today that you had no memory of what could have happened."

  "How long ago did this happen?"

  "About three days ago."

  "And I've been unconscious ever since? Why wasn't I taken to the hospital?"

  "Oh, you regained consciousness enough to insist you were all right and didn't need to be hospitalized. Elisabeth agreed, although the doctor's been out to see you every day to make sure you were progressing normally. She wanted you there so she could look after you."

  Elisabeth's concern puzzled him, unless it was because she understood the close friendship the two men shared. He would probably never understand her. As far as that went, there was no reason for him to try. Once he left here, there would be no reason for him to see her again, Tim was surprised to find the thought didn't particularly console him.

  "You think I might have stumbled across something I wasn't supposed to?''

  "There's that strong possibility."

  "Hmm."

  "Now you're beginning to see why I'm glad you decided to come see me in answer to my letter... then decided to stay."

  Tim had been thinking about all they had discussed and looked up suddenly at Charhe's last remark. "Well, of course I'll stay for a while, Charlie. You know I wouldn't leave as long as you or Elisabeth might need me, although I don't see what I can do to help her. She may have to face some unpleasantness for a while after you're gone. But as far as I can see, that can't be helped."

  "Yeah, that's the way I was looking at things when you first arrived, Tim. I couldn't see any way to protect Elisabeth from what the future might bring. That's why I was so damned pleased with your solution to the situation."

  "My solution? What did I do?"

  "Why, son, it's still hard for me to realize that you don't remember anything about it. You married her."

  Chapter 3

  Tim drove toward the Barringer homestead on autopilot, still in shock from Charlie's revelation. He was married? He couldn't seem to grasp all the implications.

  Unfortunately, the more Charlie had revealed to Tim about his forgotten past, the more questions arose. Yet Tim knew he couldn't stay any longer. Elisabeth had been right to insist that Charlie rest. He didn't need to get excited.

  As far as that was concerned, Tim hadn't needed it, either. His head pounded as though a fire and drum corps had taken over space inside his skull for interminable practice.

  Elisabeth.. .my wife, he thought, tentatively returning to the subject of the shock he'd received. His mind kept returning to the idea much like a tongue returns to the site of a lost tooth... probing for pain or for sensation of some kind. At the moment all he could feel was bewilderment.

  What the hell was he doing married? If Charlie was to be believed, it had been Tim's idea to marry. But then, could Charlie be believed? He was a devious old coot, as sly as they come. But Tim could think of no reason he would agree to such an arrangement, even if it had been Charlie's idea.

  And what about Elisabeth? What were her thoughts on the subject? She could have told him this morning ... could have explained. As a matter of fact, as soon as he got to Charlie's place he'd demand some—

  Charlie's place: that sprawling countryside that was measured in miles rather than acres, that was already listed in many of the historical guidebooks of the area. Charlie's place until he died, whereupon it would become Elisabeth's property. Elisabeth, his wife.

  What the hell had he gotten himself into? He was no rancher—or miner, either, come to that. Although he had his little ski cabin in southwest Colorado and a condo in Denver, Tim didn't consider himself a person with much in the way of property that needed managing. He was gone too much of the time. It was no accident that there was no one in his life who had any claims on him or his time. Greg and Brandi were the closest people to him, and they had learned years ago not to expect to hear from him regularly.

  Greg and Brandi. What would they think of his sudden marriage? He could almost hear Greg laughing now. Brandi would probably be wanting to share recipes and baby clothes with Elisabeth.

  His foot slipped off the accelerator at the sudden thought of baby clothes. He hadn't thought to ask Charlie how long he'd been married, but it couldn't have been more than a few weeks. Could it be possible that he might already be—

  No. What was he thinking of? The marriage had to be a farce, something he and Elisabeth had agreed to do for Charlie's sake. Tim knew himself well enough to know that he would never—

  Damn it! What a hell of a time to get a knock on his head and a memory lapse. Here he was in a personal crisis, not to mention the precarious state of Charlie's health. What a ridiculous time to lose track of a few rather vital weeks in his life.

  By the time he turned in at the gate of the Barringer place, Tim was tired, hungry, in pain and more than a little angry that his mysterious dearly beloved had omitted to tell him a few basic facts earlier in the day.

  She could have at least explained why they were sharing a bed. It might have eased his conscience somewhat when he'd had to face Charlie.

  He followed the winding black-top road through the hills until the lights from the hulking mansion came into view. It was certainly ostentatious enough, Tim had to admit. He also knew that to Charlie, who had been born there, it was home. Perhaps Elisabeth felt the same way.

  If that was the case, why would her brothers not want her to keep it? There were so many undercurrents in the situation, the nuances of which were still uncertain to him. He needed more information.

  "Hang tough, Charlie," he said out loud. "Don't let us down now. We both need you."

  He pulled into the parking space he generally used whenever he was visiting, near the multicar garage. As he got out of the car Tim could hear Charlie's dogs barking from the
ir pen. Living this far out in the country might bother Elisabeth, now that she was alone.

  But she isn't alone, he had to remind himself, walking up the steps to the front door. She has you. Why didn't he find the thought more comforting?

  He no sooner closed the front door behind him than the foyer seemed to fill with people. Or maybe because of his head, everyone seemed to have a double. Mrs. Brodie appeared from the kitchen, and Elisabeth came down the stairway.

  His eyes were drawn to the cool blond freshness of the woman who slowly descended to where he stood watching her. She had changed into a matching sweater and skirt of pale green. Her hair, still braided, was in a coil at the nape of her neck. He wondered if she had any idea how the hairstyle accentuated the purity of her facial bone structure.

  Tim had never seen a picture of her father, Charlie's son, but if Elisabeth was any indication, he'd been a striking man.

  ''Oh, Mr. Walker, I'm so glad you're home. I was beginning to worry about you, what with your head and all. I was afraid this was too soon for you to be out of bed. What if you'd passed out or something trying to drive home? Elisabeth couldn't have taken too much more happening to her at the moment, I'm afraid."

  Although he heard Mrs. Brodie, Tim couldn't seem to bring his gaze away from Elisabeth as she paused on the bottom step, her eyes even with his.

  "Were you worried?" he asked her in a low voice as though no one else was around.

  Her eyes flickered to Mrs. Brodie hovering in the background, then she met his gaze. "I was a little concerned. You said you didn't plan to stay long with Granddad."

  He took her hand, feeling the slender coolness of her fingers. "That was my intention. However, he was so full of rather astounding information, Tm afraid I lost track of the time." He watched a faint wash of rosy color fill her cheeks.

  "Are you ready to eat, Mr. Walker? Elisabeth suggested we wait for you."

  He turned and smiled at the woman standing nearby. "Yes, Mrs. Brodie. I'll just run upstairs and wash up." Still holding Elisabeth's hand, he squeezed it slightly and said, "Thank you for waiting for me." Feeling a strange reluctance to lose contact with her, Tim dropped Elisabeth's hand and stepped past her to go upstairs.