MAX DIDN’T TAKE his usual brisk steps to the ranger station.
“Why so slow? You okay?” Cory asked. The holding cell was a half-hour walk at a fast clip.
“Yeah. Just wondering if Margot’s trustworthy enough not to skip bail. The P.I. told me she had a gambling problem.”
“So you said.”
“Margot was gambling before she disappeared. I wonder if she still is.”
“Thank heaven there’s no casinos down here.”
“I’d hate for Karinne to lose her bail money,” Max said.
“Does Margot know you’ve hired a detective?”
“Oh, she’ll know. I’ll make sure of that.”
“Good for you,” Cory said. “And…”
“I’m waiting for more information. The detective agency has nothing valid from Arizona, no surprise there. He’s still checking in Mexico.”
“Maybe she’s just sleeping with the boyfriend, this Lazar, and keeping up appearances for her son’s sake.”
“That’s a definite possibility,” Max said as the men hiked side by side.
“That would be one legal problem solved for Margot. Although I don’t suppose she can lie to Jon about her marriage to Jeff forever.”
“Even without bigamy charges, Margot’s still liable to the insurance company. None of this explains why she suddenly reappears to see a daughter she abandoned years ago. Why bring her lover’s son? Or risk legal proceedings?” Max asked. “She has everything to lose.”
“Maybe she’s gambled away all her money again, and she’s here to get money out of Karinne. She couldn’t post bail. She needs Karinne’s credit card for that.”
“It’s more than money. Margot had enough to get her and Jon all the way here from Mexico and back.”
“I don’t care. I’m still watching my wallet,” Cory warned. “You should, too. You know…I have an idea.” Cory grabbed at Max, stopping their progress. “Let’s pretend to lose Karinne’s credit card—and keep Margot here a bit longer until the detective finds out more.”
“Tempting…but no. Besides, I plan to use my own credit card.”
“Noble, but stupid, Max.”
“Yeah, well, everything I do when it comes to Karinne is stupid.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You might as well know the wedding is off.”
“What? Karinne called it off?”
“No, I did.”
Cory waited until some of the closer hikers passed them by and they had privacy.
“What happened?” Cory asked, his forehead lined with concern. “I thought you loved her.”
“I do…always have. But it’s obvious she doesn’t need me, Cory. Doesn’t want me. Doesn’t want children. I guess I need more than just the words.”
“What did Karinne say?”
“She’s still in denial. Then her mother showed up and—”
“God, Max, I’m sorry.”
Max shrugged. “Speaking of her mother, let’s pick up the pace. We don’t have all day.”
They reached the jail in good time and started the procedure that would set Margot free. In under an hour, Max, Cory and a weary Margot were outside the holding cell on the trail that would take them back to the others. The two men walked on either side of Margot.
“How’s Jon?” Margot immediately asked once they were under way.
“Good,” Max said. “He’s with Karinne, of course.”
“We left him eating breakfast at the cabin,” Cory added.
“And Karinne? Is she okay?”
“She is,” Max replied.
“I hope Jon’s not too worried,” Margot fretted.
“Yeah, don’t worry about your daughter,” Cory said with disgust. “Listen, I’ll hurry over to the cabin and tell them both that you’re coming.”
Cory jogged ahead on the trail, obviously eager to escape Margot. Meanwhile, she shifted nervously from one foot to the other, her face pale.
“Would you like some water?” Max asked.
“No, my back’s just stiff. Let’s keep walking.”
Max offered his arm. After a pause, Margot took it as they negotiated crowds of people on the footpath.
“The prison bunks aren’t very comfortable. It’s the first time I’ve ever been in one. I hope it’s the last.”
Margot shivered and her fingers around his arm seemed cold. They slowed to a necessary stop as the crowd bottlenecked around a scenic curve. Everyone was actively on the move, and Max took advantage of the empty benches.
“Why don’t we take a breather.”
He led Margot off the trail to a place in the shade beneath some cottonwoods. There, he removed his canteen and offered it as Margot sat.
She took a few swallows and held it in her lap. “I guess I was thirsty after all,” she admitted.
“Did you eat anything yesterday?”
“Not much. I was too upset.”
Margot had another sip of water, then screwed on the cap and handed the canteen back to Max.
“Who called the police on me? I know it wasn’t Karinne. Was it you?”
“No. It was Jeff.”
“I should’ve guessed.”
“Karinne talked to him earlier and told him you’d resurfaced,” Max confirmed. “I’m sorry.”
“So am I.” Margot paused. “If you have any questions, ask them now,” she said abruptly. “Excuse me?”
“You’ve been kind to me and my son—almost as kind as Karinne.”
“I’m not sure about that.”
“The guard said you posted bail, not Karinne. Thank you. I promise I’ll pay you back.”
“You should know that Karinne wanted to post bail herself,” Max said. “She gave me her credit card.”
“Then why use yours?”
Max shrugged. “The important thing is that you’re out of there. Can I ask you a personal question?”
“Ask me anything. If I can answer, I will.”
Max searched for a tactful way to broach the subject. “You mentioned a second husband. I didn’t know you divorced Jeff.”
“I haven’t. The bigamy charge wouldn’t stand up in court, despite Jeff’s claims. He jumped the gun. I was just protecting Jon. But I could hardly explain that to the rangers in front of my children. If they even would’ve listened.”
“So your second marriage is…?”
“A pretense, of course.”
“I wondered about that.”
“You never trusted easily, Max.”
“In my job, caution gets to be a habit. That’s why I hired someone to check out your background.”
“Why?”
“I felt I had to,” Max admitted. “When you first called me, you asked for money. And there were discrepancies in your story. The investigator didn’t say you still worked as a photographer.”
“I didn’t say I took photos for pay. I photograph Jon.”
“Semantics, Mrs. C. Semantics. You work in a casino—not a good job for someone with a gambling problem.”
“You did get your money’s worth, Max. And I’m not gambling anymore.”
Max frowned. “How did you pass the background check for the casino?”
“I used my real name. We’re not talking Las Vegas or Monte Carlo,” Margot said dryly. “I’m very good at spotting cardsharps. I used to be one.”
“And Stephan Lazar?”
“We met in the casino. When I started, I worked the floor, making sure players at the blackjack and poker tables weren’t cheating. I graduated to the cameras upstairs. But before that, I met Jon’s father. The oil workers came in every payday. They were a pretty honest group. Stephan noticed me and we began dating. One thing led to another…”
“To Jon?”
“Yes. I wasn’t planning on it, but I wanted the baby. I also knew Jeff wouldn’t want me back. At first I didn’t tell Stephan I was pregnant. Finally I had to say something or break off my relationship with him—I couldn’t hide it forever.
So I pretended to be widowed, but said I couldn’t remarry without losing my widow’s pension. Stephan argued that I wouldn’t need it, that he’d provide for me, but I convinced him I couldn’t give up my imaginary pension. He accepted that, eagerly laid claim to his son and calls me his wife. Stephan’s a good man. I agreed to move in with him two months before Jon was due.”
“Does Stephan know about Karinne?”
“Yes. So does Jon. I told them my grown daughter travels frequently.”
“You told them, but not Karinne….” Max shook his head, feeling bad for the unknown “husband” but worse for Karinne.
“So I’m a coward. But I believed concealing the truth was best for my new family.”
“Why the cloak-and-dagger routine? Why break your silence after all these years?”
“I didn’t want to miss Karinne’s wedding.”
Max looked directly at her. “It isn’t for months yet.”
She sighed. “I know.”
“Then why bring Jon? You told me to ask, Margot. So I’m asking. Why are you really here?”
“To save my son. He’s sick.”
“Sick? Jon didn’t seem ill to me.”
Margot hesitated. “Earlier this year, Jon was hospitalized for a prolonged, severe case of the flu. It was viral, but he just couldn’t seem to shake it. The lab work came back with red flags.”
“Go on.”
“The doctors discovered he was born with a problem kidney. The tests show signs of CKD—chronic kidney disease. It’s a progressive loss of renal functions. It can take anywhere from months to years to develop, but eventually causes renal failure. In Jon’s case, we’re talking months.”
“I’m sorry. Does Jon know?”
“Of course he does, but he doesn’t realize how sick he could get.”
“Then why risk your son’s health—”
“I would never do that!” Margot said angrily. “The doctors said he could fly.”
“To reunite Jon with a sister he’s never seen?”
“Jon’s going to need a new kidney soon.”
“You said he had a problem kidney. Singular. What’s wrong with the other?”
“He was born with only one.”
Max suddenly understood where the conversation was going. He recapped the canteen.
“The doctors said Jon needs a kidney transplant. It doesn’t matter if it comes from an adult or child. I’d give him one of mine, but I’m not a match. Down the road, when things get worse, he can hold on with medication and dialysis, but not forever.”
“So you didn’t come for our wedding. You came back for, what, spare parts?” Max felt his stomach drop at the ghoulishness of the situation.
Margot flushed. “If Karinne and Jon are a tissue match, Jon has a fighting chance. It would be perfectly safe for her.”
“No surgery is perfectly safe.”
“She can live a normal life with one kidney.”
“She could die.” He went cold at the very thought. “Jon could die! Do you think I’d risk so much and come so far if there were any other choice?”
“Karinne didn’t say anything about this to me.”
“I haven’t told her yet.”
Which was what he’d suspected. Margot’s presence seemed to be pulling him and Karinne further apart. She hadn’t mentioned her mother and the sweatshirt; he hadn’t told Karinne about the phone calls and hiring a detective. And now this…
“I’ve answered all your questions,” Margot said. “I’d like you to answer one for me.”
Max raised his head.
“When I came to your house years ago and asked where Karinne was, you said you didn’t know.”
“That’s what I said.”
“I’ve wondered all these years—was it the truth?”
“No. I lied.”
Margot blanched. “Where was she?”
“Inside the house, playing with Cory.”
“So close.” Margot looked near tears. “You have no idea of the grief you caused me. I would’ve taken her with me, you know.”
He didn’t respond.
“Why did you lie, Max? You were always honest.”
“Because, Mrs. C, somehow I knew…you weren’t.”
Chapter Thirteen
Karinne saw her mother and Max from a distance and ran to greet them. She hugged her mother first, and then Max.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “How is she?”
“A little rough around the edges, but she’ll be fine.”
Karinne gave Max a final squeeze, and then turned back toward Margot. Her release from jail, and the subsequent mother-son reunion, brought smiles to everyone’s faces. Max felt better seeing the boy perk up. Having one’s mother in jail had to be traumatic. He hoped that the stress of this trip wouldn’t have any physical impact on the boy, either. He wondered how Karinne was doing. Margot had left her daughter as a young child, then returned only because of her second child; Karinne would soon find that out.
He noticed that she hadn’t smiled lately. He could hardly blame her. So far, Margot’s appearance had them turning to private investigators and to others, not each other.
And thanks to Margot, Karinne would be distracted as they rafted downriver, during her first real opportunity to learn about his job. While he hardly expected to compete with a reappearing mother and unknown brother, or Jeff with his heart condition, it seemed that there was always something impinging on whatever time he did get with Karinne.
It was just as well that he’d stopped dreaming, stopped hoping for a future for them as husband and wife. That thought hurt, and he suspected it would continue to do so. But all in all, it was for the best. He wanted a woman who was committed to him heart and soul. He refused to be an afterthought or an also-ran. Perhaps it was his own fault. He’d been the older friend, almost a big brother to Karinne as well as Cory growing up. And despite their physical relationship as mature adults, Karinne seemed to take him for granted. He was in the background of her life, the guy she could always count on.
He shook off those gloomy thoughts and replenished the woodpile while Margot showered and changed into fresh clothes. Inside, Karinne kept her mother company. Max and Cory remained out on the porch. Anita and Jon poked around back, searching for and identifying animal life. Max took the opportunity to quietly update Cory on what he’d learned from Margot and his private detective.
“Let me get this straight,” Cory said, stacking his load. “Margot played dead, never got divorced, but says she’s pretending marriage to the new guy. So the second husband’s not a husband…just Jon’s father?”
“Who thinks he’s living with a widow. When Karinne repeated Margot’s story about the marriage to her own father, Jeff obviously jumped to conclusions,” Max said. “Hence the bigamy charge.”
“At least she won’t need a lawyer or a court appearance to deal with that.” Cory shrugged. “So Margot saw your wedding announcement and invited herself—and her son. How’s she been keeping tabs on Karinne…newspaper bylines? The internet?”
“Both, I suspect. But Margot isn’t here for the wedding. That’s months away—not that it’ll even happen. Margot’s on a treasure hunt. And Karinne’s the treasure.”
“Now you’ve lost me.”
Max explained, concluding with, “Jon needs a kidney transplant. Margot’s not a match. She’s hoping Karinne is.”
“What about his father’s side of the family? Has she asked them? Let Margot play vulture around those people, not Karinne,” Cory said indignantly. “How did Margot even know Karinne was here at the canyon?”
“The detective says Margot and Jon were our tour’s last-minute cancellation,” Max said. “And we did just what she’d hoped we do—asked Karinne and Anita to take the vacant space.”
“That detective should be getting more family medical records. Karinne goes under the knife, or Karinne goes to her brother’s funeral. Some choice. Who could say no?”
“I don’t know
if Karinne can—unless it’s a ruse to get money, and I don’t think it is,” Max said. “Margot sounded pretty desperate, but she hasn’t told Karinne yet.”
“You should call the police again. If she’s telling the truth, it’s close to extortion.”
“Karinne wouldn’t press charges against her mother. Margot comes first,” Max said, his brows meeting in disapproval.
Cory broke some long, dry kindling over his thigh. “I’ll bet Jeff would press charges. He’s already proved that much. Did you tell him about Jon’s kidney problem?”
“No, I just found out. Besides, the man’s got heart problems. That’s the last thing he needs to know right now. But I suppose someone will have to tell him if Karinne’s a tissue match.”
“Half siblings…I dunno, Max,” Cory said. “Is it even possible? I mean, they might as well be strangers.”
“That’s irrelevant as far as donor compatibility goes. Besides, Karinne and Margot aren’t strangers,” Max said grimly. “Gods knows what those two are talking about in there.”
Max gestured toward the closed cabin door. Anita and Jon were laughing in the distance, playing pirates with two brown sticks as swords.
“If Jon’s sick, how did he and Margot get down to us from topside?” Cory asked.
“The mules. Margot’s rented the cabin for two more days.”
“I saw she had two mules reserved for the trip up when I was checking for cancellations,” Cory confirmed.
“Which means she’s been planning this for some time.”
Cory lowered his voice even more. “With a sick child, I’m sure Margot’s not staying around until the wedding. It’s in the fall.”
“There’s not going to be any wedding, remember?”
Cory sighed. “You’ve got to tell Karinne about this whole donor idea—before Margot puts her own particular spin on it.”
“I’m sure I won’t have to,” Max said. “Margot’s telling Karinne as we speak. She doesn’t waste an opportunity, that woman.”
“You’re probably right.” Cory thumped his brother on the shoulder in sympathy. “I guess the raft trip is over.”
The Reluctant Bride Page 12