“Because you stole a set of Dad’s company plans and gave it to the competition.”
Kathryn shrugged. “It was a dare. I couldn’t refuse. Besides, after what he said about Bill, I didn’t want to.”
“It cost Dad his job.”
“He got another that paid even more. Why should he care?”
Kathryn realized she and her sister had an entirely different ethical basis for making decisions. There was no way she could convince Elizabeth she’d done anything wrong.
“I’ve learned a man’s career is important to him in a way it probably never could be for a woman. That’s the way our society defines him, the way society values him. When you injure that, you’re striking at the heart of who he is.”
“I don’t know where you learned all this psychological bull, but don’t try it on me. Dad is a selfish old man, and he’s never going to change.”
“Are you going to change?”
“Why should I?”
“There are hundreds of reasons, but I won’t bore you with them. But since you’re here, let’s set a few things straight. I’m not going to buy you or Bill a car. I’ll send money to the kids for their birthdays and gifts for everyone at Christmas, but that’s all.”
“You can’t do that. I—”
“I can. According to that report, Bill makes more than two hundred thousand dollars a year. You can afford to buy anything you need.”
“That’s not true. You don’t know how many places it has to go.”
“Then get rid of some of those places. My money will go to the shelter.”
“You’d give your money to those silly teenagers instead of your nephews and niece?”
“Yes. Now you’d better go collect your son. I don’t trust him to stay out of serious trouble much longer.”
“You haven’t heard the last of this,” Elizabeth said. “I’m going to—”
“I hope you’re going to apologize to Dad. After ten years, it’s about time.”
Elizabeth threw her a furious look and stalked from the room.
“They’ve been talking about him on the news all week,” Mrs. Collias said to Kathryn. “He’s a real celebrity.”
Kathryn hadn’t been able to put Ron out of her mind, but having him appear on the news and in the newspaper practically every day was almost more that she could stand. After everyone had abandoned hope, he’d managed to bring off the biggest merger in European history. The financial commentators were calling him a genius.
They also made a point of showing him with his daughter, saying that even though he was an internationally important businessman, he still found time to be with his only child.
“He said he wanted to stay in Charlotte,” Mrs. Collias was saying. “He’s taken a new job.”
Kathryn was drinking her coffee in the kitchen while Mrs. Collias cleaned up after dinner. They were watching a small TV on the counter. The girls were watching a movie on the big one in the TV room.
The bank had announced its expansion plans at the same time they announced they had retained Ron’s company to handle the negotiations. One vice president even went so far as to say the bank couldn’t have undertaken such an aggressive program without Ron. Her father had called to see if she still had any connection with Ron. She had told him she didn’t.
But the announcement that affected Kathryn the most had come just a few minutes earlier. Ron had appeared on TV, Cynthia at his side, to announce he was beginning a program for unwed fathers. “All the attention is focused on the mother and the child,” he had said, “but the father is just as important. We’ve virtually ignored him except to take him to court to get child support. No one helps with their education, their getting a job and building a career. This kind of help could make all the difference in the boy becoming a productive member of society or a dropout.” When the commentator asked who he planned to get to run the program for him, Ron said he intended to be personally involved at every level. He’d then cited Kathryn’s shelter as an example of the kind of program he hoped to build.
“We’ll have reporters on the phone within ten minutes,” Kathryn said.
Mrs. Collias laughed. “Looks like you turned him around really good.”
“I can’t take credit for it.”
“I didn’t see anybody else sitting with him, talking to him, making sure he and his daughter started talking to each other again.”
“Anybody else would have done the same thing if they’d had the opportunity.”
“Would he have fallen in love with anybody else?”
Startled, Kathryn looked up.
“You don’t think you could live in a house with five other women and not have every one of us know the minute it happened. Or that you’re in love with him.”
Kathryn felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. “I don’t think we’re exactly in love. Besides, we have nothing in common.”
“You have Cynthia in common. From the first you liked her more than the others.”
“I try not to have favorites,” Kathryn said, appalled.
“You didn’t treat her different, but the girls could tell you two got along better.”
“That’s not enough to build a life on.”
“Don’t let your sister ruin the rest of your life. Don’t look so surprised. I told you nothing goes on in this house we all don’t know. We know she’s been using you for years. I’m just glad Mr. Egan had the guts to show her up.”
“Why didn’t somebody tell me before now?”
“People tried, but you wouldn’t believe anybody else.”
Kathryn didn’t remember anybody trying, but she’d always been so sensitive on that subject she wouldn’t let anyone talk about it.
What was hard for her to understand, and even harder to accept, was how someone as smart, aware and perceptive about other people as she thought herself to be had failed to see through her sister’s narcissism. She guessed not being narcissistic herself, she had no frame of reference. Elizabeth knew this and played on it. An even harder truth was that she had been playing rescuer-martyr, using the role to boost her own self-esteem and ego. It had taken confronting her own misperceptions, seeing her own contribution to the dysfunctional relationship, for her to be able to kick away the prop she’d been using.
Ron had taught her that everybody needs a bit of the narcissist to be able to cope with life. Her own lack of it was part of reason she had opened the shelter, had developed her questions so as not to allow a real man into her life. When Ron barged in and broke the barriers, she had started to see herself through his eyes, had started to see her whole life differently.
“I think you ought to take a piece of your own advice,” Mrs. Collias said.
“What advice?”
“Don’t let one mistake ruin the rest of your life. If these girls can straighten things out, you can, too.”
Kathryn felt like a coward. She’d been doing exactly what she told her girls not to do, feeling sorry for herself.
“You’re right. I’ll begin by apologizing to my parents for being so blind.”
“Then will you talk to Mr. Egan?”
“He may not call again.”
Kathryn knew she probably should have waited for Ron to call her, but she was the one who was in the wrong. It was up to her to make the first move, but she wasn’t sure going to his house was the right first move. But she couldn’t shake the fear that after what she’d said and done he might never call again. She had to see him, no matter what the outcome.
She had driven by his house many times. It was the most impressive house on the street. She knew that’s why he bought it. Everything about it was so perfect it almost intimidated her. She parked her car in the brick driveway and walked up to the front door. His doorbell sounded like cathedral chimes. A very pleasant-looking woman opened the door.
“My name is Kathryn Roper,” Kathryn said. “I’d like to speak to Mr. Egan. Is he in?”
Much to her surprise, the housekeeper broke i
nto a big smile and threw the huge, carved door all the way open. “Come in. He’s in the pool. Cynthia’s with him.”
“I don’t want to disturb him.”
“You won’t. I’ve seen him hold a staff meeting in that pool.”
Feeling very uncomfortable, Kathryn followed the housekeeper through the entrance hall, across a huge living room, and through the French doors that opened onto a courtyard surrounded on three sides by the house. An enormous pool filled most of the space.
“You’ve got a visitor,” the housekeeper announced. “A young woman, so make yourself decent.”
There wasn’t anything indecent about Ron unless you considered him indecently handsome. She felt her stomach lurch when Ron looked surprised to see her. She shouldn’t have come. This wasn’t a good time.
A slow smile spread over his face. “Come join us. Margaret can find you a bathing suit.”
“I’ll go look,” Cynthia said.
“I can’t stay,” Kathryn said, but Cynthia climbed out of the pool and disappeared.
“I think she wanted to leave us alone,” Ron said.
“Why?”
“She hopes I’ll ask you to marry me and you’ll agree.”
“After all the things I’ve said, why should you marry me? Don’t answer that,” she said before he could speak. “That’s not why I came.”
Ron climbed out of the pool and reached for a robe. His expression sobered.
“Why did you come?”
“To apologize for the way I’ve acted. You were right about my sister. Everybody was right about her. I was the only one who couldn’t see her for what she was, but I can’t blame everything on Elizabeth. I made up my mind about some things because they fitted into my prejudices. My father left a lot to be desired as a father, but I didn’t give him credit for what he did. I’m ashamed I didn’t believe him when he told me Elizabeth had cost him his job. I figured it was another man refusing to admit he bore any responsibility for an unmarried girl getting pregnant.”
“Feeling that way, I’m surprised you had anything to do with the fathers or the boys.”
“I never did until you came along.” She laughed self-consciously. “I told myself it was because Cynthia was so sweet and you were such a hopeless case.”
He offered her a glass of lemonade. She accepted it and let him guide her to a lounge. “I was a hopeless case. I would never have come to see what I had become if it hadn’t been for you. I didn’t like anybody else enough to care what they said.”
“That’s something else I have to talk about.”
“Are you going to tell me you never loved me, that you don’t want to see me again?”
She felt a surge of hope. He didn’t sound as if he wanted to get rid of her. She couldn’t expect him to be happy about the way she’d treated him.
“You know I liked you. I would never have gone to Geneva or…”
“Made love to me?”
“Or made love to you,” she said in a faint voice. “I don’t know what you thought of me, but—”
“I thought you were wonderful. I never enjoyed myself as much as I did that trip. I’ve been dreaming about doing it over and over again.”
So he didn’t want marriage. He wanted someone who could go places with him, enjoy the same things, have a good time, but someone he could put aside when she got in the way.
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“I know I’m supposed to be a rich, sophisticated society woman, but I’m not. I want a husband who comes home to dinner, a house I can call my own, and some children to keep it messed up. I don’t want to be a mistress or a party girl.”
“Who said anything about that? I discovered that all the money and prestige didn’t obliterate the lonely trailer park kid hiding inside. It took a while to figure out, but a house full of kids is exactly what I want. And I want it with you.”
“You still love me after all this?”
“This was a minor misunderstanding. I expect we’ll have some real fights down the road, but that won’t change the way I feel about you.” He got up and sat down on her lounge chair. She made room for him. “I don’t want you ever to feel you can’t tell me when you think I’ve taken a wrong turn. I’ve found out I don’t know very much about building a family. I want you to help me.”
“It’ll be the blind leading the blind,” Kathryn said, so happy she felt tears coming to her eyes. “I made an even bigger mess out of mine.”
Ron took her lemonade out of her hands and set it on the table. He drew her hands to his lips and kissed them. “We can learn together. Deal?”
“Are you sure you want to have more children?”
“I hated being an only child. I want Cynthia to have a couple of brothers and at least one sister.”
“I’m too old to be chasing after three kids.”
“I’ll help you. I missed too much of Cynthia’s growing up. I don’t want to do it again.”
“I heard about your establishing a program to help unwed fathers. I think that was a wonderful idea.”
“I got it from you, so you can compliment yourself.”
“If I do, I’ll compliment myself on being lucky enough to have you fall in love with me. Why on earth did you do it?”
“I was bored and looking for something to do.”
She punched him and he pulled her into an embrace. “Can you move in right now?” he asked when he broke the kiss. Kathryn laughed at the foolishness of such a question.
“You’re making the fatal mistake of marrying into high society. We have to have a formal engagement, hundreds of showers and a huge wedding with a reception at the country club. I figure it’ll take at least a year to plan.”
Ron looked horror stricken. “Let’s elope.”
“Okay.” She couldn’t believe she’d just said that. “When?”
“How about tonight?”
“Give me time to pack a suitcase.”
“You can get married just as you are. After that you won’t need clothes for at least a week.”
Cynthia came out of the house carrying a bathing suit.
“You won’t need that,” Ron said. “You have to help with an elopement.”
“Lisette and Kerry?” she asked.
“No, us,” her father said.
Cynthia grinned broadly. “Can I give the groom away?”
Epilogue
“Are you sure you want all of us to be in your wedding?” Julia asked Kathryn.
“Of course she does,” Lisette said. “We’re her friends. I want all of my friends to be in my wedding.”
“I couldn’t wish for three prettier bridesmaids,” Kathryn said.
“Yeah, right, with all of us so pregnant we’re showing.”
Kathryn couldn’t believe she was getting married to Ron with only three hours notice, the length of time it took them to get a license and blood tests. Her living room was crowded with the families of her sister and her older brother, Alan.
“I had to come,” Elizabeth said when Kathryn expressed surprise at her arrival. “I had to see if the man you bagged was worth waiting so long.”
Elizabeth’s husband, Bill, had already congratulated Kathryn three times, so Kathryn figured Ron probably met her sister’s approval, too. A bustling at the front door heralded another arrival. Kathryn’s younger brother, Bruce, his wife and three children were making a noisy entrance, all wearing shorts, T-shirts and tennis shoes.
“Are you married yet?” Bruce called over the hubbub.
“No,” Kathryn replied. “The preacher hasn’t arrived. I thought you were camping in the mountains.”
“We were,” her brother said, working his way through relatives to reach her, “but when Alan called and said if I wanted to see my little sister get married at last I had a little over two and a half hours to get my butt back to Charlotte, I packed up the kids and broke every speed limit between here and the mountains.” He gave Kathryn a bear hug. “Where is t
he poor guy?” he whispered in her ear.
Kathryn laughed happily. “He’s standing right next to me.” She turned to Ron. “This is my disreputable younger brother, Bruce,” she said. “And this is—”
“I know who he is,” Alan said, interrupting. “His picture has been in the paper half a dozen times this last week. How did you manage to catch such a big fish?”
“Now you know why I say he’s disreputable,” Kathryn said to Ron. “He’ll say anything to embarrass me.”
“Actually it was the other way around,” Ron said, shaking hands with Bruce. “She tried to get away, but I whisked her off to Switzerland. I wouldn’t let the plane land until she agreed to marry me.”
“Not true. I caught him skinny-dipping in his swimming pool and threatened not to give him his bathing suit back unless he agreed to marry me before the sun went down.”
“Is either of you telling the truth?” Bruce asked.
“No,” Kathryn and Ron said in chorus.
Bruce beamed. “My kind of people. Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story.”
Kathryn had barely finished introducing Ron to Bruce’s wife and children when the door opened and her parents entered. Suddenly her throat was tight and she had trouble swallowing.
“Is that your father?” Ron asked.
“Yes,” Kathryn said as she watched her father work his way toward them through a room full of family excited to see him.
“I thought you said he couldn’t come, that he was in Pinehurst at a company golf tournament,” Ron said.
“He was.” Kathryn’s reconciliation with her father had been difficult for both of them, difficult for her to admit she’d been wrong, difficult for him to forget the things she’d said. She hoped for a much better relationship in the future but expected it would take a while to recover from the scars of the past twelve years. She found herself almost holding her breath until he reached her.
“I wasn’t sure you could make it,” she said, not giving voice to her real fear, that he wouldn’t want to come. “I didn’t give you much time.”
“I had to be here to give the bride away,” her father said, smiling. “And to make sure the groom was good enough for you.”
Family Merger Page 23