by Gina Wilkins
“You’re still determined to start this fight?”
She set her jaw. “Yes. And just as determined to win.”
Cody ran a hand through his hair. “He’s a good kid, Dana. I can see that you love him.”
“Almost as though he were my own son.”
He nodded. “I know. It’s in your eyes every time you look at him.”
Sudden hope filled her heart. “Does this mean you agree now that I could give him a good home?”
Cody seemed to grope for words. “I know you could give him a lot of love.”
She tried not to notice that he hadn’t exactly answered her question.
“Then you’ll help me?” she demanded. “You’ll say something to Barbara to encourage her to leave Andy to me?”
Looking a bit regretful, Cody shook his head. “No. I told you I’m staying out of that. I haven’t changed my mind.”
Bitterly disappointed, Dana lashed out. “Then why the hell did you drag me in here and ask all these questions?”
“I guess I just wanted to know.”
Dana whirled away, turning her back to him to hide her expression. “I’m so happy to satisfy your curiosity,” she said cuttingly.
“Dana, don’t—”
“You still think he’d be better off with them, don’t you? You still think I’m not capable of raising him. Even after seeing us together, even after spending the whole day with us, you think I couldn’t take care of him properly.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to say it.”
“I told you I’d meet your sister and her husband. Watch them with Andy—”
“Stepsister,” Dana cut in. “Trust me, she’ll make a point of correcting you if you get it wrong with her. She’s never claimed me as a sister. And she’s never referred to Andy as anything more than her half brother.”
“Is she really such a terrible person? Will she abuse Andy? Harm him in any way?”
Impulsive words trembled on Dana’s lips. And then the genuine concern in Cody’s words got through to her. She sighed.
“No,” she answered honestly. “She won’t abuse him. She won’t harm him. Regardless of our personal relationship—or lack of one—she isn’t an evil person. But she won’t make him happy, either. Not the way 1 can.”
“Are you really so sure?”
She turned to him then, her eyes filled with hot, despairing tears. “Yes,” she whispered. “Of that I am sure.”
Cody searched her face for a moment, then reached a hand to her. “Look, honey, I—”
She flinched away from him. “I’m not your honey! You can drop the pretense now, there’s no audience to perform for. You’re here only because you want a return favor from me, not because you give a damn about what happens to Andy-or to me. Well, fine. We’ll get through this weekend and then your part is done. I’ll do whatever you want for your family, and then we’re even. And you can forget all about my problems.”
“Dana, you aren’t being fair. I—”
She drew herself up with painful dignity, her chin lifted, her lower lip quivering despite her best efforts to hold it steady. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you, Cody? Life isn’t fair. If it was, I wouldn’t be dealing with this now. Andy wouldn’t be facing the loss of his mother, nor I the only family I have.
“But that’s not your problem, is it? You’re the golden boy. You have everything—your business, your friends, your looks, a family that adores you. You don’t let anything spoil your fun—and it wouldn’t be fair for me to interfere with your games, would it?”
He started to say something, but she didn’t give him the chance. Within moments, she’d jerked open his door, thrown herself through it and closed it firmly behind her. A moment more, and she was locked in her own room, the tears streaming down her face, her fists clenched in impotent fury as waves of hopelessness washed over her.
She’d never felt so very much alone.
Chapter Seven
Lynette and Alan Manningly arrived late the next morning. Hilda opened the door; Dana, Cody and Andy stood nearby to greet them.
Leaving her husband outside to bring in the bags from the rental car they’d driven from the airport, Lynette swept in on a cloud of expensive perfume, her black designer outfit setting off her long, slender body, her artfully blond hair swirling around her striking face.
“There’s my little sweetheart,” she exclaimed, singling Andy out first. She held out scarlet-tipped hands to him. “Come give me a kiss, Andy,” she crooned.
Andy gave Dana a speaking look before stepping forward slowly to greet his other sister. “Hi, Lynette,” he murmured as she swooped down to give him a smacking kiss on the cheek that left a smear of crimson behind.
Turning to Dana, Lynette smiled brightly. “Dana,” she said. “It’s good to see you. You look lovely.”
Conscious of her inexpensive sweater and slacks set, Dana forced an answering smile. “It’s good to see you, too, Lynette.”
“How is Mother?”
Dana phrased her answer carefully, aware of Andy standing so close by. “She’s looking forward to seeing you.”
“Is she in the den?” Lynette took a step in that direction.
“No,” Dana said, detaining her. “She’s in her bedroom. She’s hoping to feel up to joining us for lunch.”
Lynette frowned, then deliberately smoothed her expression as she turned to Cody. “And who is this? A friend of yours, Dana?”
Cody spared Dana the introduction by stepping forward. “I’m Cody Carson. Dana’s fiancé. It’s nice to meet you, Lynette.”
“Dana’s…fiancé?” Lynette was much too self-controlled to gape, but she did blink rapidly a time or two. “This is quite a surprise.”
“We only announced it yesterday,” Cody explained with his charming smile. He slipped an arm around Dana’s shoulders. “Dana wanted her family to be the first to know.”
Dana glanced up at Cody and smiled, some of her anger with him from the night before subsiding.
Lynette’s gaze went straight to Dana’s left hand. “Is that your ring? I’d love to see it.”
Self-consciously, Dana held out her hand.
Lynette took Dana’s hand in her left, her own massive diamond wedding set gleaming. She studied the unpretentious stone Cody had provided. “How sweet,” she murmured. And then she kissed Dana’s cheek again. “I’m so happy for you. When’s the wedding?”
“We haven’t set a date yet,” Dana replied, avoiding Cody’s eyes.
Lynette smiled at Cody. “Clinging to the single life?” she asked, obviously trying to make a slight joke.
Cody slipped his arm around Dana’s waist. “I’ve found something better,” he said, an affecting huskiness to his voice.
Dana couldn’t help admiring his acting abilities. He should have been on a stage, she thought, wondering why she was suddenly feeling a bit wistful.
“What a nice thing to say.” Lynette smiled at Dana. “You’ve found yourself a romantic one, Dana.”
Dana returned the smile and murmured something noncommittal.
A suitcase beneath each arm and a very large leather attaché case in his left hand, Alan Manningly noisily entered the foyer, giving Dana an excuse to slip away from Cody’s loose embrace.
“Gee, Lyn, you could have helped me with some of this,” Alan complained, dumping the bags on the floor, but hanging on to the leather case. “Hello, Dana. Andy.” His greeting was brusque, accompanied by a slight incline of his head.
At thirty-two, Alan was already balding, a fact his twohundred-dollar haircut couldn’t quite disguise and his posttrendy ponytail couldn’t quite compensate for. He was tanning-salon brown, health-club fit, designer garbed.
Stuck in the eighties, Dana had always thought when she was around him.
He tapped the leather case. “Where can I set up my notebook and fax? Okay to use the office?”
“Alan, there’s someone else here,” Lynette chided,
her voice resigned. “This is Cody Carlson. Dana’s fiancé.”
Alan looked Cody over, taking obvious note of Cody’s black-and-purple western shirt, tight black jeans, and black fancy-stitched boots. He stuck out his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Carlson,” he said, showing no surprise that Dana was engaged.
“Carson,” Cody corrected. “Cody Carson.” The handshake was brief.
“Uh, right. I’m Alan Manningly. But I guess you already know that.”
He turned back to Dana. “I’m expecting a couple of faxes. I’ll just go set this up now. Have Hilda take our bags up, will you?”
Dana set her teeth. She would take the bags up herself before she would ask Hilda to do so. And it hadn’t escaped her notice that Alan hadn’t even asked about his mother-inlaw.
“I’ll get the bags,” Cody said, stepping forward. “Any more out in the car?”
“No, that’s it. Thanks.” Alan was already moving toward the office, his precious computer in hand.
At least, Dana thought seethingly, he hadn’t tried to slip Cody a tip. “He’s expecting faxes on the Sunday before Labor Day?” she asked Lynette.
“Oh, you know Alan. Work is his life. And his associates are all just like him. I’d like to see Mother now.”
Assuming Lynette would appreciate some privacy, Dana nodded. “Just go on back. Her door is open.”
Cody gave Dana a wry look when they were alone with Andy. She met his eyes and shrugged, knowing his first impression hadn’t been particularly favorable. She thought it was an illuminating one, however. Alan consumed by work, Lynette graciously condescending. A fair assessment of the couple Dana knew.
Cody easily lifted the bags Alan had carried so awkwardly. “Where should I put these?”
“In the bedroom at the end of the upstairs hallway,” Dana answered. “You’ll show him, won’t you, Andy?”
“Sure. Want me to carry one of those, Cody?”
Cody tightened his grip on the obviously heavy cases. “No, that’s okay, pal. You can open doors for me, okay?”
“You bet,” Andy replied. It was a phrase Dana knew he’d picked up from Cody.
Cody and Andy went out to toss the new football around after they carried the Manninglys’ bags upstairs. Dana settled in the den with the Sunday newspaper, waiting for either her sister or brother-in-law to make a reappearance, or for Hilda to announce lunch, whichever came first.
Just over half an hour had passed when Lynette appeared in the doorway. She was obviously shaken as she. made her way to a chair and fell heavily into it, her usual studied grace forgotten. “God,” she whispered. “She looks…awful.”
“You haven’t seen her in a couple of months,” Dana reminded her. “She’s gone down quite a bit since you were here last.”
“I didn’t realize…” Lynette buried her face in her trembling hands.
Dana wanted to reach out to the other woman, but wasn’t sure Lynette would welcome the gesture. Lynette had never seemed to like physical contact, other than those quick kisses she scattered upon arrival and departure.
Lynette took a deep, unsteady breath and lifted her head, her back straightening. “Mother said you’ve been here every weekend and occasionally on weekday mornings when you weren’t in class. She said you’ve gone out of your way to make sure she’s been comfortable and well cared for. For that, I thank you.”
“I love her, Lynette. You know that. There’s no need to thank me for anything.”
Lynette’s gaze slid away from Dana’s. “You know, of course, that I would have been here more often if I could. But we live so far away, and our careers are so demanding. Neither Alan nor I could take any more time off without risking our jobs.”
“Your mother wouldn’t want you to lose your job because of her. When she needs you here, she’ll call you.”
“And I’ll come.”
Dana nodded. “Of course.”
“What have the doctors said? I asked Mother, but she was very evasive.”
Dana swallowed. “They’ve said there’s nothing more to do for her, except keep her comfortable, try to manage her pain with medication…and wait. Hospitalization might become necessary soon, but for now home health care is sufficing.”
“God.” Wearily, Lynette brushed a blond strand away from her pale cheek. “How is Andy holding up?” she asked after a moment.
“Wonderfully. He’s excelling in school…he’s in the yearround program at St. Mark’s, you know. He seems to show particular aptitude in math and science.”
“And emotionally?”
Dana hesitated. “Emotionally…he’s vulnerable. Scared. He’s in denial, I think, about the true gravity of Barbara’s condition, but deep inside he knows how serious it is. Still, he’s being incredibly brave, at least outwardly. He’s wonderful with her, seems content to spend hours just sitting with her and talking to her and making her smile. He’s a very special little boy, Lynette.”
“He seems to be quite fond of your Cody. I saw them playing on the back lawn as I came from Mother’s room.”
“Cody has a way with kids,” Dana admitted. “They all seem to love him.”
Lynette sighed. “Unfortunately, Alan and I don’t elicit the same response from them. I don’t think children like us much. I’m not even sure Andy likes us.”
“Of course he does, Lynette. You’re his sister. He loves you.”
Dana took a deep breath then, sternly stifling a flicker of hope. She had to be cautious, she reminded herself. She didn’t want to set Lynette on the defensive about Andyand yet, this seemed like a good time to suggest that the boy would be better off with Dana.
She had just opened her mouth to do so when Alan wandered in. “When’s lunch?” he asked. “I haven’t eaten since six this morning, New York time.”
“Hilda should be calling us soon,” Dana assured him, cursing his timing.
“Mother will be joining us for lunch,” Lynette said.
Alan took the chair nearest his wife. “How is your mother?” he asked belatedly. “Should I go see her now or wait awhile?”
“You’ll see for yourself how she is at lunch,” Lynette answered somberly. “Let her rest until then.”
“I’d have gone back with you, but I knew you wanted to be alone with her first,” he assured her…though Dana couldn’t help wondering if the explanation was for her benefit, since Lynette didn’t seem to be impressed.
She suspected that Alan had deliberately postponed seeing Barbara. He’d mentioned on his previous trip that sickrooms made him “antsy.” Cody and Andy came in a few moments later, both a bit disheveled from the stiff breeze that was blowing outside. Cody had rolled his sleeves up on his forearms.
He looked, Dana thought with complete objectivity, gorgeous.
“So, er, what business are you in, Carson?” Alan asked as Cody and Andy sat side by side on the couch near Dana.
“I’m part owner of a country-western club in Percy,”
Cody answered. “We call it Country Straight.”
“Is that the bar where you work as a waitress, Dana?” Lynette inquired with a lifted eyebrow.
“It’s not a bar, it’s a restaurant and dance club,” Dana corrected. “Nothing stronger than beer is served. And, yes, I do work there five evenings a week. That’s how Cody and I met.”
“Marrying the boss, hmm?” Alan asked jovially. “One sure way to get ahead.”
The joke fell flat when no one laughed.
Andy cleared his throat. “Dana’s going to college,” he said proudly. “She’s going to be a teacher.”
“Yes, I know,” Lynette said. “I think that’s very admirable of her. She tells me that you’re doing well in school, Andy.”
Andy shrugged. “Yeah. Pretty good,” he said, squirming on the couch.
He turned to Cody. “Want to go watch TV in my room till lunch is ready?” he asked. “The ‘Bugs Bunny Hour’ is on the Cartoon Network. Roadrunner’s my favorite.”
“You’re allowed to have a television in your room?” Lynette asked with a frown. “But who monitors what you watch…or how much?”
Andy seemed surprised by the question. “I know not to watch the dirty stuff,” he protested. “And Mama tells me to do all my homework before I turn it on. Mostly I like to watch cartoons.”
“Most cartoons are violent and mindless,” Lynette said with a curve of her lip. “Surely you can find something more edifying to watch if you must waste time staring at a television screen.”
Andy looked distressed.
Cody came to the rescue. “Oh, I don’t know,” he murmured in his best cowboy drawl. “I like cartoons, myself. Especially Wile E. Coyote. How about you, Manningly? Didn’t you ever wonder why the guy didn’t just buy a hamburger or something if he had all that money to spend on Acme weaponry to trap the Roadrunner?”
Alan blinked, looking from Cody to Lynette and back. “I, er, hadn’t really thought about it.”
“I have,” Andy said with a grin. “He’s always ordering things like rocket-propelled roller skates and giant magnets and bazookas and stuff. How’d he pay for them, huh? Where would a coyote get a credit card?”
“What I could never understand,” Dana piped in, “was how the coyote thought he was going to kill the Roadrun ner. After all, the stunts usually backfired on him and he was never permanently injured. Even when boulders fell right on top of him, the coyote just walked around for a while with little birds and stars circling his head. Why’d he think the Roadrunner would be more seriously injured, hmm?”
Andy giggled.
Cody gave Dana a look of approval, which Lynette didn’t share. “Honestly,” she scolded. “All this talk of rockets and bazookas and killing and falling boulders only emphasizes my point. What sort of lessons are these to teach an impressionable child?”
“How about the value of a good laugh?” Cody suggested smoothly.
“If one is amused by that sort of thing.” Lynette sniffed.
“Well, actually, I was always rather fond of that little yellow bird who was always seeing a ‘puddy tat,’“ Alan suggested hesitantly.
“Tweetie Bird,” Andy supplied.