A Silken Thread

by Brenda Jackson

  “Hey, don’t you dare cry anymore, Rita Tonette Sparks Lawson. What’s done is done and it’s time to move on. Time to get prepared.”

  Rita let out a sigh. “For what?”

  “For your body to start craving the very thing you gave it a taste of. All I’m saying, best friend of mine, is don’t be surprised if you start feeling the urge to seek out your Mr. Sanders again, married or not.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “Daddy! This is a pleasant surprise.”

  Wilson smiled as he entered Erica’s home after leaning down and kissing her on the cheek. He wished there was some other way to find out the information he wanted but hadn’t thought of one, and the need to know about Rita was like a bellyache that wouldn’t go away.

  “I hadn’t seen you in a couple of weeks and missed you,” he told her. That was no lie. He had missed her, but he was also hoping for some information during his visit.

  “Things were slow at the library so I left for Dallas to start celebrating Brian’s promotion early.”

  “And how is Brian?” he asked as he followed her into the kitchen.

  “Brian’s fine and we celebrated all four days I was there. On Saturday night I met the other two partners, nice older men who had been friends of Brian’s father, and their wives. They took us out to dinner.”

  “Sounds wonderful.” He paused a moment and then asked the burning question. “What about Brian’s family? His grandparents? His mother? How are they doing?”

  He was taking a chance that Rita hadn’t mentioned anything about them seeing each other in Sweden and being stranded together there. Chances were she was trying hard to forget the entire episode. A part of him knew that if this was the case, he should grant her wish and let her be, but he couldn’t.

  Erica was standing at the counter making coffee. He was nervous she might suspect something and patted his shirt pocket for cigarettes, but immediately recalled he had broken the nasty habit a year ago. This was the first time he’d forgotten he’d done so.

  She turned around and smiled. “Everyone is fine. I saw his grandparents and got to spend a little time with them, but I didn’t get the chance to see his mother.”

  A knot settled in his stomach and only deepened the ache there. “Oh? Was she out of town?” he asked, trying to sound as casual about it as possible.

  “No, she had just returned from one of her trips the day after I arrived. Seems her flight got delayed somewhere in Europe because of that volcanic ash like yours did. Only thing was she came back with a little bug. She called to cancel our lunch.” She paused a moment and then said, “I hate that I didn’t get to see Rita this trip. I really like her, Dad.”

  Wilson drew in a deep breath, tempted to tell his offspring that he really liked the woman as well, but for different reasons.

  The time he spent with Rita had shown him that as a man he liked having a woman in his bed, a woman he found desirable, a woman who had a passion to match his own. A woman he could laugh with, enjoy jazz music with. A woman he could talk about his favorite pieces of art with and who didn’t make him feel like a sissy for doing so. A woman who could make his blood race and, yes, a woman who could also give him bellyaches. Like the one he’d been feeling since waking up that morning in Stockholm and finding her gone.

  There was only one woman he wanted. She was free to be pursued but he had yet to do any pursuing. However, he planned to remedy that, and soon.

  He wanted more than anything to talk to Rita, hear her voice, convince her that what they’d done was no one’s fault and that he had no regrets.

  And heaven help him, he would do it again in a heartbeat. But only with her.

  “Dad?”

  It was then he realized that Erica has been talking to him. “Yes, sorry, sweetheart, I missed hearing what you said.”

  She smiled, reached over and gently patted his hand as if he might be in the first stages of dementia, and if so, that was fine. She understood. “I was saying that I haven’t mentioned anything to Mom yet, but I’m thinking about resigning my position at the historical center and moving to Dallas a month early.”

  He lifted a brow. “Before the wedding?”

  “Yes. Brian mentioned the possibility of us looking for a house sooner than we planned. With him making partner it means more money will be coming in.”

  Wilson couldn’t help but smile. His daughter never had to worry about money. Her grandparents on both sides had seen to that by leaving her trust funds. But she had mentioned a few months back, right after she had announced her engagement, that she had no intention to intimidate Brian with all her wealth. For once in her life she wanted to live like a normal human being who had to survive within her means. She had even considered donating all the monies in her trust to various charities.

  He had talked her out of doing such a thing and instead had suggested she keep the trust funds to pass on to her kids, since she and Brian seemed eager to have plenty of them. According to her, they wanted at least four.

  He didn’t mind being a grandfather, although Karen wasn’t looking forward to being a grandmother and was still wailing at the very thought that her daughter would want that many children.

  Comments like that often made him wonder about Karen’s childhood and what could have possibly gone on at the Delbert house, behind those huge mansion doors. He’d tried to get her to talk about it once and she had refused, saying her parents had given both her and her sister the perfect life, and that she didn’t appreciate him insinuating that the Delberts had somehow been a dysfunctional family. Hell, he didn’t see why not, when the Sanderses definitely were. His father was a social drunk and his mother a sophisticated and refined nymphomaniac. It was sad but true. His father never wondered, or possibly never cared, why there had been so many gardeners rotating on and off the mansion’s grounds. When his mother got tired of one she gave him the boot. Oh, she had been discreet, or tried to be, until the time he and Marshall had stumbled upon her and one of her lovers at the lake house. They’d been kids at the time but old enough to figure out what was going down.

  “So, what do you have planned for the rest of the day?” Erica broke into his thoughts to ask him.

  He glanced across the table at her and smiled. “Nothing. I decided to take the day off work.”

  He wanted to blame his malaise on jet lag, but he knew what he really was going through was sexual withdrawal. He had shared something that night with Rita he had never shared before with a woman and his body hadn’t adjusted, just refused to accept that it might never get to feel that way again.

  Besides, mentioning anything about his time in Europe might get Erica to start asking questions and determine that he and Rita had been stranded in the same city.

  “Why are you asking? Is there something you need me to do?” he asked her.

  “No, but I was going to do some errands and would love to have you come along. I promise not to bore you and we can take my car. I’ll even stay within speed limits.”

  He chuckled. He knew if she didn’t stay within speed limits, she would be the last person that the good sheriff would give a ticket to. That thought made him think of some thing. “I understand Griffin is thinking about running for mayor.”

  She smiled brightly. “Yes, I heard. If he does decide to run I think he’ll be just what Hattersville needs. He’ll get my support.”

  “You won’t be living here then. You’ll be in Dallas.”

  “Yes, but that doesn’t mean I can’t come back and help in some way with his campaign.”

  Her father lifted a brow. “And Brian wouldn’t have a problem with it, considering Griffin is his rival?”

  Erica shook her head, grinning. “Trust me, Griffin was never Brian’s rival. Besides, Brian knows all about Mom’s planned future for me and Griffin, and doesn’t feel threatened by it. He knows I love him and no one else. Just like I know he loves me.”

  Now it was Wilson who reached across the table and patted his daughter’s h
and. She sounded confident and he could tell she was happy. It was all over her face, in her voice. And he was happy for her and couldn’t wait for the day that he became the father of the bride.

  He also couldn’t wait for the day he would get to see the mother of the groom again. But he wanted to talk to Rita long before then, and wished there was some way he could ask Erica for her phone number without her wondering why he wanted it.

  He would be spending a few more hours with Erica, and hopefully before they parted ways today he would think of something.

  Brian glanced around his new office. It was a lot more spacious than the one he’d had before and he had a beautiful view of the new stadium that was still under construction. But what really made it special was knowing this had once been his father’s office.

  He drew in a deep breath, wondering how he could be so lucky. But then, luck, his grandmother would be quick to say, had nothing to do with it. It was all about blessings. Then in that case he definitely felt blessed.

  He reached out and touched the potted plant that was sitting on his new desk. He wasn’t into flowers and greenery but he would be into this one. Erica had bought it while they had been out shopping on Saturday and said it would be easy to keep alive with little care. And then when they had come here Sunday night she had placed it on his desk just moments before they had officially christened this office. He couldn’t help but smile just remembering it.

  He had promised to water the plant every day and to make sure it got plenty of sunlight. He would do all those things and whenever he looked at it, he would think of her.

  He turned around when he heard a knock on his door. “Come in.”

  Donna walked in, smiling. “So this is where you’ve moved to. I was hoping I would be able to join you in court again this week but I see they’ve changed your schedule now that you’ve made partner.”

  He nodded and returned her smile and leaned against his desk. “Yes, I intend to keep most of my clients, but Roland is filling in for me this week while I attend several important meetings with Talbert and Minor.”

  “I see.” She glanced around the office. “Nice. But you need a pretty plant in here.”

  He glanced behind him at the plant sitting on his desk, figured she hadn’t seen it for him blocking her view and moved out of the way. “I have one already. See?”

  She waved her hand in dismissal. “That little plant? I think I could do better.”

  He frowned. “Excuse me? Erica picked it out for me and I like it just fine. Was there something you wanted?”

  Ah hell, Donna thought. Evidently she’d pushed the wrong buttons. The damn ugly plant had sentimental value to him just because his fiancée had given it to him. She needed to leave, regroup and return another time, now that she knew what side of the bread he buttered. He was smitten with his fiancée, that was for sure.

  “No, I really didn’t want anything, other than to say hello. I jogged by your house for the past couple of days and didn’t see you. I thought maybe you’d gone out of town.”

  She would deliberately time it just right to make sure she jogged by when he was out collecting his morning paper. For the past four days his newspaper had still been in the yard when she’d jogged by.

  “I slept later than I usually do. Erica was in town.”

  She nodded. “Oh. I’m sure you were glad to see her.”

  His smile widened. “I was.”

  “Well, I’ll let you get back to work. Congratulations again.”

  “Thanks.”

  She turned to leave and, pretending that she had just thought of something, she turned back around and smiled brightly. “This is spaghetti night for me and I always seem to make more than I can eat. I’ll drop some off later at your place.”

  He shook his head. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m dining at my mother’s place this evening.”

  “Oh. Well, enjoy.”

  She then walked out of his office, knowing she had her work cut out for her. But she loved a challenge.

  Chapter Twelve

  Brian kissed his mother on the cheek and then leaned back to look at her. He might be wrong but it seemed as if she’d lost weight and there were still those bags under her eyes. He frowned, concerned.

  “Mom, did you call your doctor?”

  Rita glanced up him and smiled. “Yes, and he said I should be fine in a few days. I just need to continue to rest.”

  Wrapping his arm around her shoulders he walked her over to the sofa. “It’s going on a week. You haven’t even been back at work and that’s not like you. Are you sure you’re telling me everything?”

  She shot him a surprised look. “Everything like what?” Then she waved him off. “I’m fine and I’ll be back to work on Thursday.”

  “But only if you’re feeling well.”

  She smiled. “Yes, only if I’m feeling well.”

  “And since I know you’re probably not in the mood to cook, I’m here to do it for you.”

  “You really don’t have to bother. Lori dropped off a pot of soup this morning.” She paused and then said, “I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to see Erica while she was here. I really feel bad about that.”

  “Hey, she understood and like me just wants you to get better. There’s a wedding in three months, remember. We definitely want you there.”

  “Yes, I remember and I will be there.” She smiled at him. “You look so happy. But then you’ve been looking happy since you met Erica. I can remember the day you came back from your trip to South Carolina to tell me about meeting her. I knew then she would be the one.”

  Brian leaned back against the sofa cushions. “I think I knew she was the one, too. The moment we began talking there was something about her that did it for me. And the more I got to know her, the more in love I fell. And that’s saying a lot from a guy who used to think of himself as a bona fide player.”

  “You just weren’t ready to settle down. Your dad was that way, too. He had a reputation around campus. I had heard about it so, of course, I kept my distance.”

  Brian smiled. “But he kept pursuing you.”

  “Yes.”

  “And when did you realize that he was serious?”

  “When he began writing poetry just for me.” She chuckled. “At first I thought he was merely running a game to break down my defenses, but then he shared other poems he’d written, and then I knew he’d stepped out of his comfort zone of being the macho man around campus for me. We began dating and were together thereafter. By the time he finished law school I was graduating with my bachelor’s degree and we married a year later.”

  Brian nodded. He’d heard the story several times but never tired of hearing it, especially now that he knew how true love really felt. “So, my godmother made some of her heart-winning soup, did she?”

  Rita smiled. “Yes. We can eat while you tell me what Erica said when you told her about the trust fund and what a wealthy man you are now,” she said, easing off the sofa.

  “I didn’t tell her.”

  Rita glanced at him with a lifted brow. “You didn’t?

  “No, and I won’t tell her before the wedding.”

  Her brow lifted a bit higher. “Why?”

  A huge smile spread across Brian’s lips. “I’m telling her on our wedding night. I want to surprise her. What’s so special about Erica is that she’s willing to marry me, move here, give up a lavish lifestyle and be content to make do on my salary and the paycheck she’ll make at the accounting firm that wants to hire her.”

  “Hey, you’re a long way from being a pauper, Brian. You were earning a six-figure salary before making partner, and you’ve made good investment decisions.”

  “I know, but she didn’t know that.” He paused a moment and then said, “She got a call from the accounting firm and they’d like her to start work a month early, and will still give her time off for the wedding.”

  “She’s thinking about doing that?”

  “She would love t
o. Only problem is that she’ll be needed in Ohio as we get closer to the wedding date. She has a number of bridal showers planned and luncheons scheduled in her honor. Mrs. Sanders is going all out with our wedding, making it the event of the year.”

  When his mother got quiet, he glanced up at her. “You okay?”

  She met his gaze and smiled. “Yes, I’m fine but I feel hungry. Are you ready for soup?”

  He chuckled as he stood to his feet. “Yes, just lead the way.”

  “And how is she today, Ms. Vickers?”

  The nurse glanced over at the well-dressed woman and smiled. “Your sister is fine, Mrs. Sanders. For the most part, she’s having more good days and when she starts hallucinating, we keep her sedated just like you suggested so she won’t harm herself.”

  Or spill secrets that are better left untold, Karen thought while walking the long dreary halls of Westminster Nursing Home. She hated coming here but knew she had to do so. Most people in Hattersville remembered the young, vibrant and beautiful Blair Delbert. They would shake their heads sadly upon recalling how Karen’s younger sister at twenty-two was involved in a near-fatal car accident a week before her wedding to the town’s most eligible bachelor, Simon Hayes. She’d lost control of her car and hit a pole. She survived but was left in a coma.

  Blair had remained comatose for seven years and then out of the clear blue sky she had emerged into a conscious state. But the brain injury she sustained from the accident had greatly impaired her mental capabilities. Luckily for Karen there were no facilities in Hattersville capable of handling Blair’s care so she’d been moved to Westminster, a facility located in Cleveland. Out of sight and out of mind. It had been close to twenty years now.

  Most people, including Wilson and Erica, assumed Blair had eventually died because that was the lie Karen had told them. She’d even arranged a private funeral service ten years ago. To this day, no one knew the ashes in the urn that supposedly belonged to Blair were the remains of someone else—a poor soul who’d died without any family. One day her sister would eventually die and take all those sordid secrets they shared to the grave with her.