Duncan couldn’t believe it when she actually reached out and smacked his arm softly with one gnarled, arthritic hand. He couldn’t remember his grandmother ever touching him so affectionately. Or touching him at all for that matter. Could she possibly have mellowed?
“His name was Monsieur Poussy, and he did not fall asleep. He was concentrating,” she said coolly.
“Right. While snoring,” Duncan said, his lips lifting in a half smile at the memory. Old Pussy had been in his eighties—a retired concert pianist that Evelyn had paid very well to instruct Duncan. The lessons hadn’t been as bad as Duncan made them out to be—he still played quite well actually—but spending his afternoons practicing scales and arpeggios had paled next to getting out on the ice with Kevin and their friends.
His grandmother had been angry when he’d refused to touch the piano at age ten, and even more irate when she discovered that his mother had registered him for hockey when she’d been out of rehab one Christmas. A hockey player in the family was not how grandmother had envisioned things at all.
“Nevermind. It doesn’t matter now. But I’m sure you could get that scar fixed if you wanted. They do marvelous things with lasers now.”
He touched the scar absently. “I’m not getting it fixed, grandmother. I like it. It holds some great memories for me. Every single time I look in the mirror I remember how it used to feel to get out there and play. Why would I erase that? It’s part of who I am. Kind of a reminder of the only part of my childhood I actually enjoyed.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes, but avoided the subject of his childhood. “All right. It was just a suggestion. You’re so touchy. Always have been. Now, shall we quit wasting time and get to why I’m here?”
“Yes, let’s,” he said shortly. “Theresa isn’t going with you unless she wants to. You didn’t answer my question before. Where is she?”
“So blunt. I’m surprised at you Duncan. You were always more subtle than that. It’s what would have made you such an excellent executive. That ability to be charming under even the most trying of circumstances.”
“Was that actually a compliment? I don’t believe it.” Duncan said, opening his eyes wide to show his shock. “But you’re wrong. I would have made a terrible executive. I hate meetings and having people suck up to me. I’m where I should be, here, doing the job I love. We’d both be a lot happier if you’d just accept that that piano-playing corporate drone is someone else.”
“You’re happy? Is that why you practically kidnapped Theresa? Because your life is so fulfilled?” She asked mockingly.
“I did not kidnap her.” Duncan snapped. “She told me she would just run away again if I tried to send her back to you.” He’d meant to cushion that slightly, but this woman still had the power to push his buttons, so he spoke without thinking how his words might hurt her.
Evelyn closed her pale eyes for a moment, but quickly retrieved her haughty composure. “And you allowed yourself to be manipulated by that child?” Evelyn asked with a harsh bark of laughter and a disbelieving shake of her head. “Honestly, I can’t imagine how you’ve managed to survive this long. First, that Kerry-hussy, and now your own sister. Don’t you know that it is never prudent to give into blackmailers? Believe me, I know.”
“So, I should have just thrown her in a burlap sack and shipped her back on the first freighter to Toronto?” Duncan asked angrily.
“No, you should have phoned me and I would have taken care of things from there. I believe that was our arrangements, wasn’t it? The girl is my responsibility, after all, not yours.”
“And what would you have done? Quietly sat back and let her stay with me? Doubtful,” he said sarcastically.
“Duncan, despite what both you and your sister seem to think, I am not an unreasonable woman.” She ignored Duncan’s snort, and continued, “I wanted you to find her because I was sick with worry over the girl. Not because I have some evil scheme to control anyone.”
“What about Theresa’s boyfriend? She said you paid him to break up with her.”
“I found that charming young man in the pool house with one of the downstairs maids,” Evelyn said with an indignant sniff. “My intention was to get rid of him before she could discern that he was unfaithful. A disappointment like that at her age would have devastated her.”
“Why didn’t you just tell her what you saw?”
“Because she wouldn’t have believed me,” Evelyn paused and looked at him meaningfully. “But more importantly because it would have hurt her terribly. I just couldn’t let that happen. She actually thought she loved that boy.” She shook her head and stared out at the water, lost in thought and memory.
Duncan suddenly felt very guilty. After all these years of remembering his grandmother as a domineering harridan, was it possible he’d been wrong about her? Looking at her now, with the cracks in her façade so obvious, he wondered if she might just be a controlling, abrasive, but well-intentioned matriarch used to getting her way, rather than genuinely evil. “What about what Theresa said on the phone? That you were going to have me arrested for kidnapping?”
She had the grace to look uncomfortable. “Well, I had to say that. She wouldn’t let me in otherwise.”
Duncan chuckled derisively. “Ah, blackmail. I see you have nothing against practising it, despite being so firmly dead-set against submitting to it.”
“Desperate times, call for desperate measures, my dear.” She said with a cool smile.
Duncan shook his head. “I can’t believe you. You’re still a force to be reckoned with, you know that?”
“Yes I do,” she said with a twinkle in her faded blue eyes. Turning toward him, she asked, “So, what happens now?”
“First, tell me where she is?”
“Out walking that ill-mannered beast of yours. They’ll be back soon.”
“You let her leave? How do you know she’d not just going to take off?”
“With your dog? I hardly think so. Besides, we’ve come to an agreement, her and I.”
Duncan eyes her suspiciously. “What kind of ‘agreement?’”
“Well, it all really depends on you and what you want out of all this.”
“Listen, I don’t want anything except what’s best for my sister.” Evelyn gave him a knowing look and he shrugged his shoulders. “Okay, I would like to get to know her,” Duncan admitted. “But if she stays with me at least she’s registered for the Fall semester at UBC. It’s a great school, and she seems keen to go. If you make her go back—if you can, that is—I think she’ll just do whatever she can to rebel against you and I think she’ll end up hurting herself in the process. I’m sorry, but I honestly can’t see how going back with you is in her best interest.”
Evelyn pursed her lips for a moment and then said softly, “You may be right.” Duncan was tempted to crow a bit about over her admission, but held his tongue and waited for her to continue. More forcefully, Evelyn said, “But are you sure you’re equipped to deal with a seventeen-year-old-girl? Especially one as free-spirited and independent as your sister. She’s a handfull, I can tell you.”
Duncan shrugged and said sincerely. “I don’t know, but I’d like to try at least.”
Evelyn nodded and continued. “And you haven’t exactly been an excellent representative for family devotion these past ten years…”
“I know that,” Duncan interrupted. “But after that whole mess with Kerry, it seemed the best thing for me to just keep my distance. You made it very clear that you didn’t want her around. What was I supposed to do exactly?”
She ignored his question and changed the subject. “Where is the ever-ambitious Kerry now, by the way? My private investigator didn’t say a word about her.”
“Your private investigator?”
“Well, yes, how else would I have found out about Theresa? I knew something was awry when I talked to you on the phone three days ago. You’ve always been a disastrous liar. I honestly wonder why you even bother.”
&
nbsp; Realization dawned on Duncan and he inwardly groaned at his treatment of Jessie. “You had me investigated?”
“Really, Duncan you left me no choice. What was I supposed to do when I suspected you weren’t telling me everything? Besides, I still had several investigators on the payroll. It was better to make use of them rather than allow them to just walk around the city, padding their expense accounts, wasn’t it?”
“You could have just asked me, point blank,” he mumbled.
She laughed dryly. “Yes, that would have made perfect sense. You’d been so forthcoming with me up to then.”
Duncan flushed. She had him there. But he still couldn’t believe she’d had him followed. Maybe she hadn’t changed so much after all. “Kerry left for Europe three and a half years ago,” he said shortly.
A bright smile lit up his grandmother’s face. She tried to hide it, knowing it was impolite to show glee at her grandson’s separation, but Duncan could tell it was a struggle for her to seem even slightly regretful. She gave up and beamed at him. “Finally. It took seven years, but I finally got a return on my investment.”
“So you did offer her money to leave me at the altar?”
“I certainly did not,” she said emphatically, showing a glimmer of some of her old fire.
“Then what do you mean by investment?”
“Very simple actually. I never offered her anything. She offered.”
“My head is about to explode. Can you just tell me what you mean, please?”
“Very well then. Before the wedding, that little nobody of yours came to me, and offered to ‘disappear’ if I gave her a substantial amount of money. It seemed like an excellent investment in your future.”
Duncan stared at her. Kerry had tried to extort money from his grandmother? In light of his last encounter with his wife, Evelyn’s claim rang true. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“When? You two eloped what felt like seconds after the check cleared. Would you have believed me anyway?”
He smiled bitterly. “Probably not. Is that what you meant about never giving into blackmailers?”
“Yes, that little tramp taught me a terrible lesson. Who knew it would cost me a million dollars and my grandson to learn it?”
He sighed and glanced sideways at his grandmother. She was staring out at the city, her full mouth turned down in anger at the memory of anyone getting the best of her. Duncan couldn’t help wondering what she’d been like as a girl. Was she always like this? So intimidating and determined? Her daughter, his mother, was flighty at best, and neglectful at worst. But his grandmother was as tough as diamonds. How had Kerry ever gotten the nerve up to try and thwart this woman?
Duncan wasn’t sure if he trusted his grandmother, but after hearing what Kerry had done ten years ago, he couldn’t stand being attached to her a moment longer. His grandmother was his only chance to escape her money-grubbing, manicured clutches. All thoughts of taking care of things on his own faded like mist when faced with the possibility of losing more of his future and his family funds to Kerry. “She’s trying it again, you know. Blackmail. She wants ten million dollars to sign the divorce papers.”
Evelyn’s posture stiffened a bit more and then she choked out a strange, triumphant laugh, like she was delighted that Kerry was up to her old tricks. “Ten million dollars? She is nervy, isn’t she? For the life of me, I can’t figure out why she never went into business. People without consciences generally do very well.”
The side of Duncan’s mouth quirked into an expression that was too bitter to be considered a smile. “Too lazy, I think. Even the most corrupt executive has to show up for work occasionally. Not exactly Kerry’s strong suit,” he said coldly.
Evelyn watched him for a moment as if gauging his sincerity. “Then it’s over?” Duncan nodded. She clapped her hands once excitedly and then reached for her handbag, which was sitting on one of the thickly cushioned lounges next to them. Rummaging for a moment, she pulled out a tiny, silver cell phone and began dialing. As it rung she hurriedly said to Duncan, “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re finally free of that woman. Don’t worry about a thing. Now that I know you won’t be hurt in the crossfire, I can let my lawyers loose on her. I’ve been waiting for this for ten long years.”
Duncan felt dazed. Was it that easy? All he had to do was tell his grandmother the truth and all his marital problems evaporated? From her exuberant conversation with her lawyer, it was evident that Kerry had signed a contract giving up all claims to him and his family’s money in exchange for one lump sum ten years ago. He didn’t know if the contract would stand up in court, but he did know Kerry would not want to spend what cash she had on a fleet of lawyers to trial the case. She would quickly sign the papers and be gone as suddenly as she’d arrived. He’d be free.
Duncan left the balcony and entered the apartment to give his grandmother some privacy to stage her attack. He wanted to talk to Jessie. Tell her that everything was okay. That he loved her, and that nothing could keep them apart if she would just forgive him for everything. He thought about just leaving and going to her, but things were still too unsettled here.
First, he needed to clarify what was going to happen with Theresa, and then he would go find Jessie. He wasn’t sure what his grandmother wanted to do about his sister, but since she hadn’t demanded outright that the girl be returned to Toronto, he thought there might be a good chance that she’d allow him to act as her guardian until Theresa turned eighteen next month. Then it would be up to Theresa where she lived. Despite the noise and inconvenience of having a teenager in the house, he desperately hoped she’d want to stay with him--at least until they had time to build some kind of relationship.
As for Jessie, now that he knew he was in love with her, and that he was free, he couldn’t wait to tell her. But would she care after everything that had happened?
Chapter 29
It took four blocks for Jessie to lose her nerve. She really wanted to sweep into Duncan’s apartment and help him through the confrontation with his grandmother, but it just wasn’t her. She could fantasize about being brave and bold, but when she imagined Duncan looking at her like she was an intruder, it completely deflated her. She found herself heading toward the park instead.
There she strolled and dawdled until it was too late to go back to work. She couldn’t go back there. Clay would just look at her with pity and try to make her feel better over being such a huge coward. She thought about looking for her sister, but knew she was just too vulnerable right now to face Jamie. Talking to her twin right now would inevitably lead to telling her sister everything and letting her decide for her what she should do. That had been the pattern most of her life, and she was tired of it. She wanted to make her own decisiosn, feel her own pain, and know that whatever happened, she was responsible for the outcome. She couldn’t do that if she continued to let Jamie run her life. But it was tempting. Jamie always seemed to know what to do.
When two hours had passed, Jessie headed for home. It was just too hot out to walk. She was going to force herself to phone Duncan. Actually let it ring through this time, and tell him she wanted to work things out. Wanted to love him and give him another chance. It wasn’t logical, not at all, but she knew in her heart that he was the one for her. Had known it for a long time, but had been too scared to believe it.
Walking into her small, but cheery apartment she set her keys and purse on the kitchen table and went over to the sink, where she splashed cold water on her heated face and wrists. She’d dressed that morning with the air-conditioned store in mind, not the furnace of her apartment. Unbuttoning the top button of her denim dress, she moved toward her bedroom to change into shorts. She paused in the entranceway, noticing that the sound from the street was muted. During hot summer evenings the traffic coming from Robson Street, and the noise from the two patioed Starbucks downstairs was quite loud, but she still left the screened windows open so the apartment wasn’t so stuffy when she g
ot home. Had she closed them? It didn’t seem likely, but she had been distracted lately.
Trying to remember, she slowly walked toward her bedroom, undressing as she went. Four buttons of her denim dress were undone when she looked up and noticed that she wasn’t alone. Diego was lying comfortably on her bed, smiling wickedly, with his ankles crossed and a small pile of her lingerie on the comforter beside him. Jessie stopped, frozen in the doorway.
He had a wild, unfocused look about him that had not been there before. When he’d assaulted Jessie in the bookstore, he’d just looked angry, now he seemed like something hunted. His long hair was greasy and wild about his shoulders, and he looked desperate and unclean. Vaguely, Jessie noticed that his muddy boots had left dark streaks of something unpleasant on her pretty, blue counterpane.
“Please, continue,” he said with a chuckle, waving a hand at the flesh revealed by her open buttons.
Jessie didn’t think. She just reacted and backed quickly out of the room. She turned and ran for the front door, and just felt her fingertips graze the cool glass of her doorknob when Diego reached her and pulled her back against him.
“Did you think I was done with you?” He hissed, breathing into her hair, and wrapping the fingers of one hand tightly around both wrists. “I’ve been following you, Cara. Your police escort abandoned you days ago and now you’re mine.”
This was nothing like her sessions with Clay. She was paralyzed with shock, just like the last time. She couldn’t even scream. Tears sprang into her eyes and ran down her cheeks at her helplessness. He was too big, too strong. She couldn’t hurt him.
Diego buried his rubbery lips in her neck and Jessie wrenched away in disgust. “What’s the matter? Am I not as exciting as that stupid cop?” He asked, pulling her head back against his shoulder brutally. “Well, you’re not my first choice either. Maybe if you tell me where Theresa is, I’ll go find her instead,” he whispered, crudely running his free hand over her breasts and squeezing hard enough to make her cry out.
That was it. The threat against Theresa and the thought of what he might do next was enough to pull her out of her daze. She raised one foot and jammed it as hard as she could on Diego’s instep, just like Clay had shown her a hundred times.
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