by Gina Wilkins
Leslie nodded. “I’ve taken care of him since he came home from the hospital, a week after he was born. I don’t think I could love him more if he were my own.”
“Then we’ll have to make sure he stays with you, won’t we?” Nina looked at Tom as she spoke, her resolution to help clear.
Tom nodded. “We’ll do whatever we can.”
Even marriage? Leslie couldn’t help wondering. Would Tom really sacrifice that much to help her? And if he did, how could she ever repay him?
“I simply don’t understand why Steve Pendleton is causing such problems,” Nina fretted. “Surely he can see that this baby is healthy and happy and perfectly well cared for.”
Leslie repeated her explanation about Steve’s resentment toward her because of the old, painful debacle between her father and his mother.
Nina shook her head. “That has nothing to do with this. It isn’t your father who’s taking care of the child. It’s you.”
“Ben Harden’s daughter,” Leslie said with a touch of bitterness. “Steve would hate me for that alone, but he also resents my friendship with his sister, who was estranged from him for so long. And he knows that I have no job now and no immediate prospects.”
Nina shook her head. “That shouldn’t be such an issue. You’ll find another job. Other single women with fewer job skills than you have managed to raise children,” she added, glancing meaningfully at her own son.
On that long-ago night when Tom and Leslie had shared stories of their childhood, Tom had explained that Nina had become pregnant at sixteen, had been abandoned by Tom’s father and only grudgingly supported by her disapproving family. Tom had alluded to how hard his mother had worked to provide him a home and a secure childhood. He’d expressed some guilt that Nina had devoted herself so totally to him that she’d never married or even dated more than a few rare times during his childhood.
At forty-seven, Nina was still petite and youthful looking, her face barely lined, her green eyes clear and bright, her smiles frequent and contagious. She seemed content with her nice apartment and the profitable florist shop she owned and managed in historic downtown Fayetteville. She made no secret that she adored her son, but Leslie had never considered Nina an interfering or demanding mother. In fact, Leslie had often envied Tom and Nina their relationship. Her mother had been more involved in her own problems than in her only daughter’s life.
As if she’d read Leslie’s thoughts, Nina asked delicately, “You have no family to help you, dear?”
Leslie shook her head. “My mother lives in Florida with her third husband. We aren’t particularly close. My father moves around a lot. He’s just divorced wife number four, and I think he’s hanging around Vegas, trolling for his next ex-wife. I hear from him sometimes, when he remembers my existence.”
She’d tried to speak with her usual wry humor in regard to her parents, having learned years earlier that it was better to laugh about them than to cry over them. This time her humor fell sadly flat.
Nina’s eyes grew even more sympathetic, and Leslie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Sympathy she could accept, but pity was difficult for her to take. She cleared her throat and spoke brusquely. “Isn’t there anything I can do to help you prepare for lunch?”
Nina shook her head. “The ham is in the oven, the green beans are simmering and the cold side dishes are prepared and waiting in the refrigerator. All I have to do is brown the rolls, which will only take a few minutes and can be done after Mr. Pendleton arrives.”
Tom lifted an eyebrow. “You went to a lot of trouble for this, didn’t you?”
Nina’s smile was impish. “I’ve learned that a well-fed man tends to be a more reasonable man. We’ll make sure Mr. Pendleton has a nice meal before we discuss business.”
Leslie couldn’t help smiling. To be honest, she didn’t know if Steve was more approachable after eating or not, since she had seen him only a handful of times in the past twenty years, but if anyone could soften him, she would bet that Nina Lowery was the one.
The doorbell rang. Leslie’s pulse jumped, and she saw the sudden tension that gripped Tom. Both of them rose, feet planted as if prepared for battle. Only Nina seemed completely calm about the impending confrontation. She kissed the baby again, stood and placed him in her son’s arms.
“You hold the baby. I’ll get the door,” she said, smoothing her hands over her trim navy pantsuit.
Tom looked surprised to find himself suddenly holding the baby, and Leslie realized that it was the first time he’d done so. There was an odd expression on Tom’s face when he looked down at the baby, who was eyeing him. Kenny suddenly broke into a smile and clutched Tom’s shirt with damp fingers. Tom couldn’t seem to help returning the smile, though there was still an expression in his eyes that Leslie couldn’t quite interpret.
“Here, I’ll take him,” she offered, moving toward them.
Tom shook his head and adjusted the baby more securely against his chest. “He’s fine.”
Before Leslie could reply, Nina came back into the room, Steve Pendleton following closely behind her. Leslie was wryly amused at Steve’s expression as he was practically towed along in Nina’s wake. Nina was chattering as comfortably as if she’d known him forever, treating him as an honored guest in her home, nothing in her manner implying that there was even a possibility of unpleasantness or conflict. Leslie tried to read Steve’s expression, but his sternly cut, reasonably attractive face had always been closed to her.
She saw reminders of Crystal in Steve—the dark hair and eyes, the shape of his mouth, the slight cleft in his chin. But even at the lowest point of her illness, Crystal had never been as grim and somber as Steve habitually appeared. Maybe Crystal had made some bad choices in her life—actually, there was no doubt of that—but she hadn’t deserved her brother’s disapproval or anger.
It was that thought that brought Leslie’s chin up, so that the first expression Steve saw when he looked at her was defiance. She watched his eyes narrow in immediate reaction.
As though sensing the unspoken challenge, Nina stepped between them. “I hope everyone’s hungry. Lunch is almost ready.”
Steve hesitated a moment, then reached into the pocket of his conservatively cut gray sport coat. He pulled out a small cardboard rectangle. “Actually,” he said, “I only came today to bring this to Leslie.”
He held the card out to her, and she took it instinctively. “What is it?”
“That’s the name of my attorney,” he replied, his gray eyes hard. “A custody suit on my behalf is being filed here in Washington County first thing Monday morning. If you run with the baby again before a ruling is made, you’re going to find yourself facing legal action.”
Chapter Four
Leslie heard Tom growl a curse, heard a small, distressed sound from Nina, but she kept her attention focused on Steve. Trying to hide the surge of panic she felt, she spoke coolly. “I told you that I didn’t run from Chicago with the baby, Steve. I simply moved back here to marry the man who is going to help me raise Kenny.”
As if in affirmation, the baby grinned around the fingers he’d crammed into his mouth. He rested his head trustingly on Tom’s broad shoulder. Tom patted Kenny’s back, looking utterly at ease with the child.
Leslie noted that Steve was watching Tom and Kenny with narrowed eyes. She thought she saw the faintest hint of concern in Steve’s expression. Was he thinking that some judges would tend to give preference to a married couple rather than to a single man when it came to deciding the best home for a child? Even if the man was the child’s biological uncle, Leslie reminded herself with mentally crossed fingers. Especially since the child’s mother had expressed a definite preference about whom she wanted to raise her child.
“Mr. Pendleton,” Nina said softly. “Won’t you reconsider this course of action? Surely you can see that Leslie loves your nephew very much and has taken excellent care of him. He’s obviously happy and healthy.”
“He is my
sister’s child,” Steve argued stubbornly. “He should be raised by his own family. And I think I can provide the best home for him. I don’t for a minute believe in this convenient engagement. There wasn’t a hint of any involvement between your son and Leslie before I told her that I intended to file for custody of my nephew. Which means that you’re asking me to turn Kenny over to a single woman who has no home, no job—you do know she was fired by the legal firm in Chicago, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Nina replied calmly, interrupting when Leslie would have answered much more heatedly. “She told me about that. When she had to make a choice between her job and taking care of little Kenny, she chose Kenny and was penalized for it. It sounds to me as though she takes her responsibilities to this child very seriously. I understand her employers were also annoyed with her for spending so much time taking care of your sister during her illness.”
Steve’s face hardened. “I would have taken care of Crystal, had anyone bothered to notify me that she was ill.”
Leslie wondered if that was part of the reason Steve was pursuing this custody battle. Was he trying to punish her for keeping him from Crystal during those last months? Did he blame her for not contacting him? She wanted to tell him that she’d tried repeatedly to talk Crystal into calling her brother before her death, but Crystal had refused. In fact, Crystal had begged Leslie not to call Steve.
Leslie opened her mouth to tell him, but found that she couldn’t. It simply seemed too cruel—unless, of course, he left her with no other option.
“The engagement,” Tom cut in smoothly, taking a step closer to Leslie, “is real. If you want proof that Leslie and I have known each other as long as we said, I’ll give you names and phone numbers of people who knew us as a couple before Leslie moved to Chicago. Sure we split up for a while. But we’re back together now. And Kenny is very much a part of our family. We’re not letting you take him away from us.”
Us. The word hung meaningfully in the air. Tom was making it very clear that Leslie was no longer facing this conflict on her own. She had reinforcements now, and they were fully prepared to do battle on her behalf.
“Maybe we’d better let a court decide that,” Steve challenged, throwing an angry look at Leslie. “And all of you had better be prepared—I’ll use any evidence I can find to support my claim that I will be the better guardian for my nephew.”
Leslie felt Tom go very still. “Is that a threat?” he asked slowly.
“Take it however you want.”
Nina wrung her hands. “Please, can’t we just sit down and discuss this over lunch? I’m sure we can work something out. Something that doesn’t involve an ugly court battle. Leslie and Tom aren’t trying to keep you from seeing your nephew, Mr. Pendleton. They only want—”
“I’m not interested in visitation rights,” he snapped, then looked at Nina and sighed faintly.
“I’m sorry,” he said more quietly. “I know you’re only trying to help your son and his...friend. And it was very kind of you to invite me to lunch, but under the circumstances, I think I’ll decline.”
“You won’t win this, Steve,” Leslie said, trying to speak with utter confidence. “You’re only going to be out a great deal of effort and expense for nothing. I have Crystal’s will on my side, and you have absolutely nothing to use against me in court.”
“You’re the lawyer,” Steve noted with a curl of his lip that made the word almost obscene. “You know better than most that justice in this country is for sale to the highest bidder. Well, I’m prepared to invest everything I have in this battle, if that’s what it takes. Are you willing to do the same?”
“I’ve already invested everything I have in Kenny,” Leslie answered frankly. “And I’m not letting you have him.”
As if sensing the tension in the room, the baby began to fret. Leslie reached for him. “He’s getting hungry,” she said. “Maybe you’d better go now, Steve, so the rest of us can enjoy our lunch.”
He flushed at her deliberately curt, dismissive tone, but he nodded tautly. “Fine. You’ll be hearing from my attorney.”
Leslie looked at him over Kenny’s head. “As you will from mine.”
Steve turned abruptly to Nina. “I’m sorry,” he said to her. “I’m sure you went to a great deal of trouble to prepare a nice lunch. But I really must go now.”
She nodded regretfully. “I suppose so. I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”
“So do L” he assured her. “But I can’t see that I have any choice.”
With one last, challenging look at Leslie and Tom, he departed without waiting for an escort to the door. He left a strained silence behind him, broken only by Kenny’s increasingly demanding whimpers.
“I’ll go warm his bottle,” Leslie murmured, turning toward the kitchen with the baby held tightly in her arms. She found herself suddenly reluctant to meet the others’ eyes. She was embarrassed that Steve had just illustrated so cruelly exactly how alone and vulnerable Leslie would be without Tom and Nina. For someone who’d taken such pride in her independence and self-sufficiency, that admission was very difficult to make, even to herself.
Nina didn’t immediately follow Leslie to the kitchen. She was looking at her son, searching his face with too-perceptive eyes. “You didn’t say much,” she commented.
Tom shrugged. “There wasn’t much to say. Pendleton made his position clear. He’s going to cause trouble for Leslie any way he can. All I wanted him to know about me at this point is that I’m prepared to fight back on her behalf.”
“And how far are you prepared to take this fight?”
He didn’t hesitate before he answered. “As far as I have to.”
He couldn’t quite read his mother’s expression, but he thought he saw approval deep in her eyes. “Leslie’s lucky to have a friend like you,” was all she said.
Friend. Tom mulled over the word for a moment, decided he didn’t particularly like the sound of it, but nodded anyway. “That’s what friends are for, right?” he asked, knowing the words came out more flippantly than he’d intended.
Nina only smiled.
Nina watched Tom and Leslie during lunch. They were so very polite to each other, she observed thoughtfully. Like two friendly acquaintances rather than a couple with an intimate history between them.
Tom had never actually talked to his mother about his feelings after Leslie had taken the job in Chicago and moved away, but Nina knew her son had been hurt more than he’d let on. Nina had liked Leslie, and had been disappointed when the relationship fell apart. She’d always wondered if Tom had ever expressed his real feelings to Leslie. Her son had never been comfortable verbalizing emotions, and camouflaged them, instead, with perpetual jokes and wisecracks.
Or at least that was the way he’d been before the accident, she mused a bit sadly. Since then, he’d become rather quiet. Subdued. It was obvious to everyone who knew him that he had changed. It was that thought that made her ask, “What’s Zach up to this weekend, Tommy?”
“He and some of the guys were going rock climbing today, since the weather’s turned so nice,” Tom answered offhandedly. “He called this morning to ask if I wanted to join them later to watch the basketball game at his house. I told him I had other plans,” he added with a glance at Leslie.
Leslie frowned. “Don’t skip the game on my account. I don’t need to be entertained. I’m sorry you had to miss rock climbing with the guys this morning. I know how much you love that sort of thing.”
Nina saw the spasm that crossed her son’s face, but she wasn’t sure that Leslie did. Nina’s heart ached. She knew how Leslie’s innocent words must have hurt Tom, but again he hid whatever he felt behind a casual shrug. “No big deal,” he said. “There’ll be other climbs.”
But probably not for Tom, Nina thought sadly. She wondered when he was going to tell Leslie.
Leslie apparently missed the undercurrents beneath Tom’s nonchalant reply. “Really,” she said a bit too brightly. “Go watch
the game with your friends, if you like. Kenny and I will be fine at your place—if you don’t mind us staying there awhile longer,” she added somewhat hesitantly, glancing at the baby, who dozed in his plastic carrier, his newly filled tummy making him drowsy.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to.”
Tom’s reply was a bit impatient, making Nina frown in disapproval at the way he was acting. She had definitely taught him better manners than that.
“As for the game,” Tom added, “I’ve already told Zach I won’t be there. I told him you and I have some catching up to do. He understood.”
Nina suspected that Tom would have made an excuse to Zach even if Leslie hadn’t been there. He’d been doing that more and more lately. Avoiding his friends—particularly Zach. She thought she understood Tom’s behavior, but she knew Zach didn’t. She hated to see them all hurting so badly.
Leslie was toying with her food, trying to look appreciative of Nina’s efforts, but the unhappiness in her eyes was unmistakable.
“Try not to worry so much, Leslie,” Nina felt compelled to say. “I can’t imagine that any judge would take Kenny away from you. Not after all you’ve done for him.”
Leslie bit her lip, looked at the baby, then glanced at Nina. “I hope you’re right. But Steve’s obviously prepared to fight dirty.”
Nina frowned. “I don’t understand why he’s being so hard about this. He doesn’t seem like a cruel man.”
He had, in fact, been nothing but polite to Nina. Her first impression of him had been positive—tall, attractive, courteous. His coffee-brown eyes had seemed kind to her. And then they had hardened when he’d looked at Leslie, and she’d seen the darker side of him.
“Steve has an impeccable reputation,” Leslie admitted. “He’s successful in his business, an honest, upright, straitlaced citizen. He’s never been in trouble with the law, pays his taxes regularly, sings tenor in a church choir and is a member of an expensive Little Rock country club, where he plays golf and tennis.”