Nina sighed briefly. “He was like a father to me,” she said sadly. “But he had a big mean girlfriend who couldn’t stand the sight of me. And I was there before she was, mind you. He met her after I’d been staying there for almost two years. She tried to pretend like she liked me at first but that didn’t last. She tried everything in the world to get rid of me and I finally had enough and moved on. Al was so crazy about that ol’ heifer he couldn’t see straight, and if she was what made him happy so be it.” She shrugged, through with the topic.
John glanced over at Nina, looking relaxed and happy in the passenger’s seat. “I’ll bet you were an adorable little girl, Nina. Were you as cute as you are now?”
Nina gave a short, mirthless laugh. “We’ll never know. I don’t have any pictures of myself from childhood.”
John was stunned. “None at all?”
Nina shrugged. “I don’t have anything from my childhood, John. No pictures of me, my brothers,” she drew a shaky breath, “my mother, nothing. Not a doll, a book, nothing from when I was a child. It’s like that part of me just vanished forever.”
Ironically, it was John who looked stricken. Nina had to take his hand to comfort him. “John, that’s just the way life is. You go from foster home to foster home, from here to there and everywhere and things get lost, they get stolen, they just disappear. Living on the street isn’t exactly conducive to treasured memorabilia,” she said with dry, bitter wit. “In a way, it’s better this way. I remember everything about living with mommy as being perfect and I don’t have anything to prove me wrong. It’s weird but it works for me.”
John wanted to crush her in his arms and tell her again how much he loved her, but with the car going 75 mph, he settled for kissing the back of the hand he was still clasping. “It’s okay, Nina. From now on we’ll make memories, just you and me,” he promised.
Chapter 20
The weather had changed by the time John and Nina returned to Ann Arbor. It was seasonably cold and although the snow hadn’t begun in earnest, there were periodic flurries. It seemed amazing to Nina that so little time had actually passed. She was sitting in the middle of John’s bed wearing and old shirt of his with her hair wrapped in a towel. John came out of the bathroom clad in a beautiful navy blue velour robe lined with terry cloth and observed Nina’s pensive face.
“Why are you so deep in thought? You look like you’re millions of miles away,” he said.
“I was just thinking about how fast this year had gone by. We came here in April, you found out about your family in June, you had the surgery in July, Adam and Alicia eloped in September, and got married again in October, and now here it is December and we’re…engaged. And shacking up,” she mumbled.
Ah ha, so that’s it, John thought. He got into bed behind Nina; pulling her up against his chest while his legs cradled hers. She leaned back against him with a little sigh.
“I don’t like how you said “shacking up”. That implies a permanent condition and this is a temporary condition with us, you know that,” he murmured, angling his head so he could kiss her neck. “We’re getting married, don’t forget that.”
Nina smiled dreamily as she held out her hand with the magnificent ring sparkling at her. “When, John?”
“Whenever you like. Do you want a big wedding?”
Nina sat straight up, knocking the towel off as she did so. She turned around to face John. “No, I don’t. It seems crazy to spend all that money. Let’s just get married at the courthouse or something,” she said anxiously.
John played with a strand of her damp hair and looked at her pretty face. He’d never get tired of looking at her. He liked her best this way, half-naked with messy hair and no makeup. He slid down a little and put his arms around her so she was resting on his chest and he could feel the weight of her on the lower part of his body. She put her head on his shoulder and waited for his answer.
“At the courthouse? I think we can do better than that, Nina. How about we get married on New Year’s Eve, something nice and intimate for just the two of us, how does that sound?” he asked. She nodded happily and he continued talking.
“So we’re not going to hear the phrase ‘shacking up’ again? Because it just doesn’t make sense to rent a place for you for what, two weeks, three? What does make sense is to buy a nice big house for us, which is why we’re going to look at some places tomorrow,” he murmured, moving his hands up and down her body. He never got tired of touching Nina. He started tugging at the shirt, wanting to feel all of her, and she started pulling away.
“Oh, no you don’t! Once you start that it’s all over for me as you well know,” she giggled. “I have to finish my pedicure, John, stop it. Stop it.”
“How about if I do it for you?” John offered.
“Do what? My pedicure?” Nina looked skeptical, but John gently moved away from her body, leaving her on the bed while he stood up.
“Of course I can do your pretty toes. Where’s your stuff?”
In a few minutes, Nina was propped against the headboard and John was sitting cross-legged in front of her with her feet resting in his lap. He had one slender foot in his hands, rubbing it with a sweet-smelling lotion. He did it just perfectly, too. His touch wasn’t too hard or too soft, but a firm pressure that both relaxed and aroused Nina. She lay against the pillows and looked at John with half-lowered eyelids and sighed. His long hair was unbound and he looked exotically sexy as he focused on his task. A soft sigh issued from her lips, making him look at her.
“Am I doing this right, querida?”
Nina tried to answer him, but speech was difficult. The feel of his big warm hand caressing her foot was too distracting. It was quite a while before the pedicure was finished and Nina had to admit it was the best one she’d ever had.
***
John was in a terrific mood the next day. He had the good fortune to be in love with the most incredible woman in the world, he had a warm and loving family, and Christmas was coming. What could be better? John had always loved the holiday and for the first time since the death of his parents, he really felt like celebrating. Even though he and Nina had decided against decorating, it would be very festive as the whole Cochran family was going to the new vacation house Adam and Alicia had built in Idlewild, the community where his father was born. He had no reason to be anything but happy as he left the apartment to get the paper and pick up a few things for breakfast.
He’d just pulled into the parking lot of the whole Food Market when his cell phone went off. It was Titus Argonne, checking in with a preliminary report. “So what have you found out about Oscar Giddens so far?” John wanted to know.
“Plenty. This guy is one of the sleaziest operators on the west coast. There’s so much dirt on him and his operations it’s hard to know where to begin. There’s certainly enough for Nina and her whole neighborhood to start a class action suit,” Titus informed him.
“That’s good news. Great news, in fact. This is just what we’re looking for,” John said. “Thanks a lot, Titus, you do good work.”
“Yeah, well, sometimes I think I work too well,” Titus said gravely. “Look, John, I’m not good at sugarcoating things, I just say them outright. I think you need to know that Nina Whitney isn’t who she says she is.”
John took the phone away from his ear and looked at it incredulously. He put it back to his ear and said, “I don’t think I heard you right. What did you say about Nina?”
“I said Nina Whitney isn’t who she says she is. That’s not her real name, John. Not only that, someone is looking for her. How do you want me to handle that?”
Titus leaned back in his oversized leather desk chair and looked at the phone he’d just hung up. He wasn’t sure if John Flores was the most astute person he’d met in some time or the most gullible, but he was certainly the most confident. Titus mentally replayed the conversation they’d just had and heard once again the unwavering tone of John’s voice.
“John, when
I was investigating Oscar Giddens for the class action suit, I came across some information about Nina Whitney. Naturally I followed it up. There are no school records, no birth records, no birth certificate, nothing regarding a Nina Whitney. Whoever she is, she didn’t exist until about twelve years ago.” Titus had given it to John straight; he wasn’t known for his tact. He was paid for results, not hand-holding. John’s response had been immediate and decisive.
“Thanks, Titus, but I already know everything I need to know about Nina.” He spoke with calm assurance but there was a ribbon of steel in his tone. Without saying it outright he’d just let Titus know that Nina was off limits.
Titus raised his eyebrows and twisted his mouth in a half-smile. He crossed his arms behind his head and stared intently at the Romare Bearden print on the wall across from his desk. He often did this while he was deep in thought. He’d reiterated his earlier statement to John about someone else investigating Nina and John’s response had been tersely emphatic. “Find out who it is and bring him to me.”
He dropped his arms and rubbed his hands together. Yes, John Flores was decisive if nothing else. I just hope he’s not dead wrong. He stood up and glanced at his watch. He decided to take a walk while he digested his conversation with John. A walk through the complex would be just the thing, particularly if it ended in Paris’s office. He smiled at the thought as he entered the reception area. Popping a couple of Altoids in his mouth, he told his secretary he’d be gone for about thirty minutes.
***
Paris had just returned to her office after a meeting with her staff and was studying her planner. One thing Paris had learned from grad school, law school and her two years of interning for Cochran/Deveraux was the importance of planning and she was organized to the hilt. With the Christmas holidays so near, she had dozens of functions to attend, which required precise scheduling if she was going to make them all. In addition, she was going home to Louisiana for part of the holidays, and to Michigan for the rest. She was looking forward to both trips, although she’d drop everything to spend the holidays on a remote beach with Titus. Stop that, you horny ol’ girl, she scolded herself. There was no point in denying it; she wanted Titus in the worst possible way. But what she was going to do about it was another question entirely.
“Miss Deveraux, a Mr. Argonne is here to see you.”
Paris smiled. One day she would convince her secretary to call her Paris, but in the meantime, the object of her desire was here. She took a quick glance in the mirror she kept in her desk drawer to make sure her nose wasn’t shining like a beacon and pushed the intercom button on her desk phone. “Thank you, Deirdre, please show him in,” she said, happy that her voice sounded normal.
She stood and walked around her teakwood desk and held out both hands to Titus as he entered her office. He took them and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. “Hello, Paris, I hope I’m not disturbing you. I was in the neighborhood and well, you know the rest.”
“Hello, yourself. Have a seat and tell me how your day is going,” she invited, waving a hand at her long rose colored Ultrasuede sofa. Titus sat with his long legs stretched out and gave Paris an admiring look.
“You look very pretty, Paris. Although you always do, so I guess compliments are superfluous to you.”
Paris did look sophisticated and sexy, albeit professional in a pair of cuffed, wide-legged taupe trousers and a cable knit cashmere turtleneck in the same color. “Thank you very much, Titus, and any woman who thinks compliments are superfluous needs her head examined. I’ll take them all, thank you,” she said with a smile.
Titus returned the smile and was about to ask if she had plans for dinner when some pictures on her bulletin board caught his eye. Paris had a huge easel near her desk and it was covered with all manner of things. She had a habit of tacking things up that captured her attention or sparked an idea she might develop later. Titus stood and went to the board, taking some pictures off the board and examining them closely.
Paris was too surprised to be offended by his action, but not too surprised for curiosity. “Do those mean something to you?”
“Hmm?” Titus looked at Paris and realized what he’d just done. “Paris, I apologize. I just got a glimpse of this picture and I had to get a better look at it. Rita Shannon was a fantastic singer, wasn’t she?”
Paris agreed with him. “Yes, she had a beautiful voice. I like old-school R&B and she was like the queen of the girl groups back in the day.” She pointed at the picture she’d put with the one of Rita. “That, of course, is Nina Whitney, John Flores’s fiancée. Doesn’t she look just like Rita Shannon?” Without waiting for a response, Paris continued. “I have a theory about the resemblance. I’m not sworn to secrecy or anything, but it’s such a delicate matter I haven’t discussed it with anyone. Anyway, I’m convinced Nina Whitney is Rita’s daughter.” Gratified when Titus didn’t look at her like she was nuts, Paris took his hand and led him back over to the sofa. She sat down and turned to the side so she was facing Titus with one leg curled under her. She told him what Bump had shared with her about Rita’s children.
“There was all this hoopla in the papers about Donella Divine, who was also in The Sensations, adopting her children, but it turns out she only took the boys and they all moved to Toronto. There isn’t any information about the little girl. And I mean no information at all, because I looked everywhere. I do excellent research because I’m incredibly nosy,” she admitted with a smile. “I couldn’t find one thing to tell me what happened to Rita Shannon’s little girl. It was kind of weird anyway, Donella taking those children, because she and Rita didn’t get along,” Paris mused.
“But wouldn’t it be tragic if Nina was somehow Rita’s daughter and she got separated from her family after the only parent she had died? Wouldn’t that be sad?”
Titus was listening to Paris intently, but his mind was clicking away like the tumbler in a combination lock being turned to the correct numbers. He studied the pictures carefully and suddenly gave Paris a brilliant smile.
“Listen, sweetness, I have to go out of town for a couple of days. But when I come back, we’re going to do something really special, I promise you. Something really memorable.”
Paris nodded mutely and wondered if she could get him to shut up and kiss her again. Darned right I can, she thought just as she pulled his head down to hers for a long lingering good-bye kiss.
When they finally broke apart, Titus seemed slightly dazed. “Now that’s memorable, sweetness.”
Chapter 21
John kept taking sideways glances at Nina on the ride to Idlewild. She was quiet and withdrawn, speaking only when he addressed her directly. She didn’t seem to be angry, but something was making her unhappy and he couldn’t have that. He reached over and took her hand, giving it a gently squeeze. “Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad, baby. Talk to me.”
Instead of pulling away, Nina clasped his hand tightly and covered it with her other hand. “John, I do need to talk to you about something. I haven’t been honest with you,” she said quietly.
His voice warm and concerned, John repeated, “Talk to me, Nina.”
“I’m dreading this, John. Going to Idlewild and being around your family, I’m just freaking out inside, but not for the reason you imagine. I really like your family; I think you know that by now. But people are going to start talking about all the pretty babies we’re going to make and I just don’t want to hear it. We aren’t going to have any babies, pretty or otherwise. I don’t want to have children, John. I should have told you this a long time ago, but I didn’t. I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you, at least not at first.
“To tell you the truth I never thought of us as a couple,” Nina confessed. “Not because I didn’t love you, but I didn’t think there was a chance in this world you’d ever love me back.” John’s hand tightened on hers and she winced a little, which made him apologize. “It’s okay, John. Later when it seemed like this might actually work,�
�� she smiled crookedly at him, “I just couldn’t say the words. I didn’t want to lose you,” she whispered. “I should have told you before this.”
Nina was too overwrought to realize John had pulled off the road. He brought the SUV to a stop in the parking lot of a gas station and turned to face her. “Nina, stop. Stop right now, baby, and listen to me,” he entreated her.
“I was relieved when we never discussed children . I should have been man enough to bring it up, but I was selfish and never said a word. I love you so much, Nina, I just hoped I’d be enough for you, even without babies.” He paused and watched her face change from anguished to puzzled. “Yes, querida, without babies. I can’t father a child. Nina, with the possibility that a child could inherit the liver disease that’s a part of my genetic makeup, there’s no way I’m going to have one. That’s a decision I made after the transplant surgery. I should have talked to you about it but I was too selfish, too caught up in what I wanted more than anything in the world. I wanted you, just you. I just prayed that love would be enough even without children. I hope you can forgive me. I promise you I’ll never lie to you again.”
Nina looked into John’s eyes and saw nothing there but regret and love. “John, I can’t believe we put ourselves through this torture for nothing. I should have told you,” she said, wiping away a tear.
“I should have told you,” John countered. “What happened, baby? Why don’t you want to have children?” he asked tenderly.
Nina sighed deeply and looked away from John. “I’m scared, John. I have no idea how to be a mother. I lost my mother so ago she’s like a pretty memory. And I had a lot of substitutes but aside from Marva, Patty Benrubi and Miss Velma, they weren’t my idea of what a mother should be. I don’t even know if I have what it takes to love a child the way it’s supposed to be loved,” she said flatly. “If I hadn’t met you it wouldn’t have been an issue because I wasn’t ever planning on getting married or anything like that. But then…” her voice faded away and she looked at him for the first time since she started speaking.
A Fool for You (The Cochran/Deveraux Series Book 7) Page 21