But he didn’t want to go into Charleston. He wanted to pick her up and take her to the Hilltop House and have dinner. And when dinner was over he wanted to walk outside. To let nightfall find them where they could look down on the river and up over to Maryland Heights and to the horizon, where land and water and sky all met with a beauty that was gentle and serene and breathtaking.
She won’t even come with you, friend! he warned himself. He hadn’t called her, and he didn’t intend to—he was still trying to convince himself that seeing her at all wouldn’t be a very big mistake. It was amazing that things were going as well as they were. Amazing that Sandra and Jarod were taking things in stride. Amazing that he and Kelly McGraw were managing to take a helpful and active interest in the children’s future.
Don’t blow that! he cautioned himself.
But the warnings just weren’t any good. He wasn’t sure when it had begun, the fascination—the obsession! He had to get to know her. Had to learn what made her move and function and tick…
He groaned aloud softly and readjusted his tie.
Find another woman!
But he didn’t want to find another woman. He wanted this one. He’d loved the sparks and blue fire in her eyes when she’d fought him that first day, like a little tigress, fierce in battle, determined to let no harm come to her cub. He’d thought her a child that first day. Now, of course, he knew that she was anything but.
He never should have taken her tubing. Never should have seen her in that soaking wet T-shirt over that minimal bathing suit. Never should have studied the delicate lines of her face when her hair had been drenched and pulled back, revealing her features so cleanly.
He never should have watched that flowing wealth of golden hair dry over her shoulders, curl over her breasts….
No, she wasn’t a child. Not at all!
But she was almost as innocent as one, he knew. Mature, fierce, responsible—but innocent as all damn hell, and here he was…
“I’m just going to ask her to dinner!”
“What was that, sir?”
Dan didn’t know that he had spoken aloud until Reeves Remington cleared his throat and asked the question.
Dan turned ruefully away from the hallway mirror and grinned at Reeves. “What did you think of Mrs. McGraw, Reeves?”
Reeves cleared his throat again, dusting an imaginary speck of lint from his impeccable white shirt. “I think that she’s quite…charming.”
“Charming is not what you were going to say,” Dan told him dryly. Reeves had been with him for almost eighteen years. He knew the elegant old man better than he had ever known his own father, and there had been definite disapproval in Reeves’ voice.
“Young.”
Dan nodded slowly. “She’s not that young, Reeves. Her son is about to marry my daughter.”
“And a very nice young man he is!” Reeves said enthusiastically.
“Ah.” Dan leaned against the sideboard and grinned. “Jarod is a nice young man. He seduced my nice, innocent young daughter, but he’s okay. And Mrs. McGraw is ‘charming’ and ‘young.’ So what you’re attempting to say here—”
Reeves stiffened very regally. “I never attempt to say, sir! You’re demanding an opinion, I’ll give you one! She’s too innocent, too charming, and too young for you!”
“Hey! I wasn’t demanding an opinion that vigorously!” Dan protested, laughing.
“Well,” Reeves murmured, “it’s true.”
“It probably is,” Dan said unhappily.
“Shall I put the car back into the garage?” Reeves asked hopefully.
Dan shook his head. “No.”
“You’re still going out with her?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Reeves! I’m asking her out to dinner!”
“Not to make love on the mountain, huh, Dad?”
Dan spun around in startled surprise to see Sandy, her chin perched on her hand, her elbow on the banister, as she stared down at him with vast amusement.
He arched a disapproving brow. “Young lady—”
“Dad, I’m just kidding!”
“Sandy, don’t you dare talk about…things like that to me. I’m still not accustomed to the fact that you’re going to have a baby. Honestly, young woman—”
“Whoa, please forgive me, Dad!” she pleaded, running down the stairs to throw herself against him. “I’m sorry. Honest! I just couldn’t help it! Reeves was standing there staring at you, looking so grim. Dad?”
He held her away from him and stared at her with narrowed eyes, then kissed her forehead. “Sandra Marquette, just don’t you dare come to me—”
“Okay! Okay!” She didn’t sound duly chastised, though; in fact, she was laughing. She smoothed his lapels and inhaled deeply. “But you do smell great. And I love the suit. You’re devastating. Isn’t he, Reeves?”
“Oh, yes, miss. Just devastating!” Reeves sniffed.
Dad groaned softly again. “Good night, Reeves. Good night, Sandy.”
“’Night, Dad.”
He paused at the door, turned back and looked inquiringly at his daughter. “What are you up to this evening?”
“Jarod is coming over.”
“Oh?”
“I shall be here the entire time, Mr. Marquette,” Reeves said primly. “I shall make them popcorn, and they can watch the TV, and that, young lady, will be that!”
Sandy lowered her eyes, but Dan knew she was smiling. He knew, too, that she loved Reeves and would be very good with him as her chaperon.
Where were you three months ago? he wondered. Where were you when she met this boy? But he just shook his head and started out the door again. What was done was done. It seemed inconceivable that the two youngsters who were about to have a popcorn party were going to be newlyweds and parents sooner than any of them wanted to think.
“So what the hell am I doing?” he asked himself again as he sat behind the steering wheel.
Messing everything up….
But, none of his arguments held any weight. He gunned the engine, and started for the McGraw house.
It was just going to be dinner.
* * *
“There’s no game tonight?” Kelly called over her shoulder to Jarod. He was stalking around the house bare-chested, wearing a pair of jeans and waiting for his favorite shirt to go through the dryer. Kelly was perched on her stool, staring blankly at an equally blank piece of paper. Thank God she didn’t have an imminent deadline. She wouldn’t make it. She had told herself that she was going to sit down and work, and she had managed the sitting down part, but the work was coming very, very slowly.
Jarod came up behind her and kissed the top of her head. “Mom, I told you, the game is tomorrow night. There’s nothing going on. I’m going over to Sandy’s, and we’re going to watch television.”
As he started out of the room, Kelly swung around on her stool. “Just television?”
“Just television?”
“Is her dad going to be there?”
“I don’t know, Mom,” Jarod said with forced patience, “but don’t worry, we won’t have too much fun. Not the kind of fun that you’re worrying about. Not that I can see what difference it would make at this point—”
“Jarod!”
He grinned. “Reeves is going to be there.”
“Oh?”
Jarod laughed. “Mom, could you fool around with Reeves there?”
Kelly turned back to her blank piece of paper. “I’m not a high school senior,” she reminded her son.
He snapped his fingers. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot! You forgot how to fool around years ago!”
“Jarod!”
Kelly swung around again in a fury—to no avail. Jarod had dropped his bombshell and hastily left the room. “Kids!” she muttered out loud, then bit her lip. Maybe she could do her strip this month on a problem between parents and kids.
The doorbell started to ring just as Kelly brought her pencil down to the paper. “Jarod! Get tha
t, will you?” she called.
But Jarod didn’t get it; with a sigh, Kelly decided that he must have gone down to the basement to get his shirt. She slid off her stool and went to the door, then stepped back, feeling overawed, when Dan Marquette stepped in.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
“What are you doing?”
“Working.” Kelly held up her pencil for him to see.
He smiled and took the pencil out of her fingers. “I need some help. Want to go to dinner with me?”
Kelly swallowed. She did want to go to dinner. She was dying to leave the house, because she wasn’t in any mood for work. And the way he looked, she would love to go anywhere with him. Anywhere at all. If he had stepped in and said, “Hi, want to have an affair?” she would have been ready to nod and go running off with him.
Are you losing your mind? she screamed inwardly. Maybe she was. The fabric of his suit made her long to reach out and touch him, just as she wanted to reach up and touch his dark hair, still damp from his shower. Touch his cheeks, freshly shaven…
“Hi, Dan!” Jarod, pulling on his shirt, had made an appearance in the hallway.
“Hi, Jarod.”
“You’re not at home,” Jarod blurted.
Dan grinned. “No, I’m not. But Reeves is.”
Jarod looked at the floor, blushing. “I know.” Then he looked at Dan curiously. “What are you, umm, doing here?”
“I came to see if your mom wanted to go up to the Hilltop House for dinner.”
“Oh.”
Jarod looked curiously at his mother, who refused to meet his eyes.
“I’d have to shower and change,” she murmured.
Dan shrugged. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Kelly nodded vaguely and started up the stairs. Jarod watched her and stared at Dan.
“Dinner?”
Dan laughed. “Dinner.”
“Yeah, well, Reeves won’t be with the two of you if he’s with the two of us.”
“That’s right.”
Jarod started to laugh. “All right, all right! But…” His laughter faded; he felt extremely awkward. “Be, uh, decent. Be good, I mean. I, uh, I mean…”
“Dinner, Jarod,” Dan said very softly. “We’re just going to dinner.”
“Yeah. Well, I’m, uh, on my way, I guess. Can I get you something while you’re waiting? A beer? Scotch? Glass of wine?”
“A beer would be nice.”
Jarod nodded and headed for the kitchen. Dan was still in the hallway when he returned. “Uh, why don’t you have a seat in the parlor,” he suggested. “Mom won’t be long. She’s quick. She’s real quick. She’s not a primper. You know how some women are—an hour and a half in the shower and all that. Fifty minutes for lipstick and mascara. Mom’s not like that. She’s quick. Oh boy, yes, she’s real quick. You won’t have to wait but a minute.”
“Jarod…”
“You can make yourself comfortable right here. In the parlor.”
“Jarod…”
“Well, I guess I’ll be going. Sandy is expecting me.”
“Yes.”
“You drove over here, right? Yeah, of course, you drove. I was going to use my mother’s car. That’s still okay, huh? I mean, you’ve got your car, so you won’t be needing hers. You will be using your car, though, right? You won’t be staying here alone, will you?”
“No. We’ll be using my car. If you were planning on taking your mother’s car, I’m sure that’s still fine.”
“Yeah.” Jarod backed toward the door. “Yeah. Well, have a nice dinner. Have a good time, huh?”
Dan nodded. “Thanks, I’m sure we will. You, too.”
Jarod went out the front door and closed it behind him. Dan stared after him, a secretive smile on his face.
“Well, you know what it feels like now, huh, young man?” And he laughed softly. No, Jarod couldn’t really know what it felt like. Not yet. He would have to wait until he had a daughter of his own.
Which might be quite soon, Dan reflected dryly. He picked up a magazine off the sideboard in the hallway and walked into the parlor with it. He hesitated, glancing toward the stairs. I’m going to go straight into the parlor and wait for your mother, Jarod, he promised silently. I’m going to sit here like the perfect gentleman….
But at that very moment there was a piercing scream of terror and panic. A woman’s scream—Kelly’s scream—coming from upstairs.
Dan dropped both the magazine and his beer and bolted up the stairs.
* * *
Kelly had been quick. She’d always assumed that she could get ready quickly because there wasn’t that much of her to do anything with. Her hair was long, her makeup light. If she had something more to do something with, she reasoned, she would probably take longer.
As it was, she hadn’t really thought—not about herself, not about the evening ahead. She had quickly thrown open her closet door and gazed at her clothing. She didn’t need anything terribly formal, though he did look awfully nice in his three-piece suit. The vest was the killer. The way it fit. Or maybe it was the jacket.
Or maybe his clothes had nothing to do with any of it. Maybe it was the warm, mahogany of his eyes, or the laughter in them, or maybe the slightly crooked slant of his smile.
Kelly had realized that she was just standing in front of the closet, smiling stupidly. She’d reached into the closet for a light blue silk dress. It was a halter-type garment, strapless, with a full skirt that swayed and swirled when she walked. The dress was casual, but felt elegant because of the material. Nothing felt as soft and slinky and sexy as silk.
Humming, she had laid the dress out on the bed, then delved into her drawer for panties and stockings, and headed for the bathroom. She’d pulled back the curtain to start the water and frowned slightly, thinking that she needed to remember to open the bathroom window after her shower. The tile was molding because she never remembered to open the window.
Kelly hesitated, then went ahead and opened it. Who could possibly look through her bathroom window? Her neighbors were hundreds of yards away through the trees.
She opened the window and started to hum again, forgetting all about it. She was trying to forget about everything, in fact. After all, if she thought about it, she was on the way to making a grave mistake. She was falling for the man who was going to be Jarod’s father-in-law. The complications were endless.
No, she told herself. She wasn’t falling for him….
But she was, and she knew it. The attraction had been instant. Men like Dan Marquette just didn’t come along every day. She hadn’t dated much before, and she hadn’t fallen for anyone because she simply hadn’t met anyone who was anything like Dan Marquette before.
Kelly sudsed herself and set her face beneath the spray. Don’t think! she reminded herself. If you think too long, you’ll remember all the reasons why you shouldn’t be going! You’ll remember how you felt, warm and hot and nearly delirious, when he bent over you. When he touched your lips…
It was no big thing.
It was everything. I wanted to kiss him, she admitted silently. I wanted to run my fingers through his hair, and rub my palms over his back, and…
She turned around, letting the water sluice through her hair, and as she opened her eyes, she screamed.
Someone was staring in at her. Someone who was two flights up from street level, just beyond the bathroom window, staring in at her.
“Kelly!”
She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t gasp out a reply. She could only stand with the water sluicing over her. She wasn’t a coward, she told herself. She was short, but not a coward. It was just the absolute terror of looking out and seeing two beady little eyes staring in at her. Staring and staring, golden and glowing.
“Kelly!”
She dimly heard the bathroom door crash open; then the curtain was ripped back. The water was still running, and she was still standing there in nothing but her birthday suit.
Dan Marquette was standing there, too. Tense, anxious, concerned, ready to do battle. Just like the knights in her fantasy kingdom, ready to do battle against the creatures of the darkness.
And the eyes… The eyes were still there. Kelly, too stunned to recognize her state of undress, pointed toward them.
Marquette looked, then he looked back at her. In a panic, Kelly threw herself against him. All of her. Dripping wet.
“Didn’t you see them! Oh, my God, Dan! Didn’t you see them?”
“See what, Kelly?”
“The eyes! You must have seen them! Those eyes, staring in!”
He was holding her. All of her. He had thought the sight of her in her bathing suit had been heaven, but this…
This was paradise. If he had been Adam and Kelly had been Eve, he would have prayed for original sin to begin.
She was perfect! Smooth and sleek and quivering in his arms. Her flesh was softer than silk; she was warmer than warm, she was…
“Didn’t you see them?”
Her eyes…
They were too marvelous to be simply blue. No color was that bright. That wonderful.
“Dan!”
“Eyes?”
“Dan, there were eyes! Staring at me!”
“What? Eyes? Oh, yes. I—oh!”
He grabbed her towel from the rack and handed it to her quickly. “I’ll go check,” he promised her.
“Dan, be careful! There’s someone out there! Oh, God, Dan, be careful!”
Be careful… She was worried, he thought. She thought that he might be in danger.
Oh, Kelly, he thought. The danger wasn’t outside; it didn’t matter who or what those eyes belonged to. The danger was inside.
The danger was seeing her, touching her, holding her.
The danger was when he returned!
CHAPTER 6
Kelly managed to wrap the towel that Dan had handed her around herself, but that was as far as she got. She stood there shivering, thinking that she should move, but unable to do so. Even though the eyes were gone, they were still ingrained in her memory along with all the horror she had felt.
All in the Family Page 8