Forever After (12 page)

The tuna sandwich felt like lead in Seth's stomach, and the feeling had nothing to do with the tuna.  He was edgy because he didn't know what was going to happen with his seven o'clock appointment.

Seth heard the door to the outer office open.  He tossed the sandwich wrapping into the waste can, stood, and strode into the waiting area.  Brad Winston stood there, jiggling the keys in his jeans pockets.

Seth studied the man who looked older than his thirty- two years.  A blond forelock fell over his forehead.  He was as tall as Seth but lankier.  His pale blue eyes looked worried.

Seth motioned him into the office.  "When you called this afternoon, you said this was an emergency.  What's going on?"

Seth sat in his high-backed chair and motioned for Brad to take the chair in front of the desk.

"You're mad because I cancelled my last appointment."

"You didn't cancel it.  You just didn't show."

Brad sat on the edge of the chair, clearly restless.  "Yeah, well, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do.  Now I am sure.  Marsha left Jenna alone again and she sprained her arm.  We have to take action."

Seth saw Brad for what he was--a desperate man.  "Marsha left Jenna alone?"

Brad wouldn't meet Seth's gaze.  "Yeah.  She and her date went to dinner."

"You're lying."

Brad sat straighter in his chair.  "What do you mean I'm lying?  How the hell would you know?"

Seth's voice was as calm as Brad's was agitated.  "I know Darcy Kearn was babysitting Jenna."

"Did Marsha call you?  Did her lawyer?"

"No one called me.  I've been seeing Darcy."

Brad gaped at him.  "Darcy's Marsha's best friend!  How can you believe what she says?"

"Darcy took Jenna to the hospital."

"Well, sure.  She probably found Jenna in the house

alone--"

"Can it, Winston.  I know Darcy had plans to babysit Jenna.  You're lying to me.  What else have you lied about?  Marsha's supposed neglect?"

Brad's neck reddened under Seth's grilling.  "I thought you represented men.  That's why I came to you.  I want my daughter.  I'll pay you whatever you want."

Seth sighed and repeated, "Did you lie to me about Marsha's neglect?"

"I wasn't lying.  She doesn't care about Jenna now.  She only cares about her new lover.  Don't you understand?"

"I understand you don't want to lose Jenna.  But you can't lie to safeguard that."

"I only see her two weekends a month.  I want more than that."

Seth had heard that statement from men more times than he could count.  Because of the limited time with his daughter, Brad thought whatever he did was justified.  "Talk to Marsha about more.  Maybe she'd let you take Jenna on a vacation.  She has sole custody.  You have to work this out with her."

"Work it out?"  Brad's hands clenched into fists.  "We can't talk about the weather without fighting.  She doesn't trust me to take care of Jenna.  I'd never let anything happen to my daughter.  I love her."

Seth felt sorry for the man, but there was nothing he could do.  If Marsha was a good mother, and from everything he'd seen she was, they didn't have a case.  "If you love your daughter, work something out with your ex-wife.  There are mediators--"

Brad shook his head vehemently.  "I'm not spilling my guts to a stranger.  I don't want to sit in someone's office and go round in circles."

"I can't represent you, Brad.  If you want me to help work out visitation more often, I can."

Brad swore and jumped up.  "I want my daughter.  If you can't help me get her, I'll find someone who will."

"That's your prerogative."

Brad spun on his heels and stormed out of Seth's office.  Seth heard the outside door slam.

He rubbed his hand across his forehead.  Why wasn't life fair?  Why did two people have to hurt each other?  Why were there no easy answers?

Suddenly Seth realized he couldn't solve Brad's problems, but Brad had just solved one of Seth's.  The situation with the Winstons no longer interfered with his dating Darcy.  Neither of their loyalties were divided.  He had to tell her.  He wanted to see her.  Paperwork could wait until tomorrow.

***

Sweat beaded on Darcy's forehead and trickled between her breasts as she pulled the last cookie sheet from the oven.  She must be nuts baking in this heat.  But Seth appreciated the cookies almost as much as Jenna.

Darcy smiled.  She'd had more fun yesterday then she'd had in years.  She'd forgotten how much fun Hersheypark could be.  They'd ridden so many rides and played in the water park. Seeing Seth in those swim trunks...

The cookie sheet almost burned Darcy's fingers through the potholders.  She dropped it with a clunk onto the counter.  As she picked up the spatula to move the cookies to the cooling racks, the back of her neck under her pony tail prickled.

She turned.  "Brad!  What are you doing here?"

He stood in the doorway, one hand on the frame.  "I knocked.  But you didn't hear."

She switched off the fan in the hood of the stove.  "That makes a lot of noise.  What can I do for you?"

Brad's stance was tense as his arm dropped to his side.  "I want to know why you weren't watching Jenna Saturday night, why you let her get hurt."

"Brad, I'm sorry.  It was an accident.  I feel awful about it."  Though Seth had helped Darcy see she wasn't entirely to blame, she still felt guilty.

"If I had been watching her, it wouldn't have happened.  Do you feel awful enough to do something about it?"

Darcy kept the lid on her temper.  Guilt was one thing, manipulation was another.  She and Brad had always been surfacely friendly, but he knew her loyalties lay with Marsha.  He was trying to get around that.  "What would you like me to do?"

He spoke slowly and clearly.  "Convince Seth Hallaran to take my case."

Had Seth told Brad he wouldn't take his case?  "I can't do that.  I don't have anything to do with Seth's professional life."

Brad took a few steps closer to her.  "Oh, yeah?  Well, I don't think that's true.  I think you've been filling his head with all my 'faults.'  I haven't told anyone this, not even Marsha.  But I'm going to Gambler's Anonymous now.  I haven't missed a support payment in three months and I'm putting away fifty dollars a week for Jenna's education.  Doesn't any of that count for something?"

Brad wasn't a bad person.  He'd been a weak husband and father because he'd always put himself first.  Maybe that was changing.  But Jenna still belonged with Marsha until Brad could prove himself.

"Yes, that counts.  You're taking control of your life.  But that doesn't mean Jenna belongs with you now.  Give yourself time to get your life stable."

He ran his hand through his hair.  "It is stable.  If I wait too long, Chuck Porter will be Jenna's father.  Not me.  I can't let that happen."

"Why can't Jenna love you both?"

"Because Marsha will cut me out.  Jenna's my daughter, not Porter's.  I want her with me.  And I want you to convince Hallaran that's the way it should be."

"I can't do that."

Brad pointed his finger at her chest.  "You mean you won't.  What if I file charges against you for hurting Jenna?"

"Blackmail always backfires, Winston."  Seth's voice was calm but dangerously low as he spoke from the doorway.  He came to stand beside Darcy.  "Back off."

Taking Seth literally, Brad stepped back.  "I mean it.  I'll sue her."

Seth protectively hung his arm around Darcy's shoulders.  "No, you won't.  Darcy has too many people on her side, all who can attest to what a caring person she is.  And then there's Jenna herself.  She's eight, not four.  She's a smart little girl and as loyal as they come.  She'd tell exactly what happened.  Face it, Winston.  You've lost.  Do the best you can with the situation the way it is.  And maybe in a year or two..."

Brad's hand cut through the air in front of him.  "I can't wait a year.  I'll find a way to get Jenna...with or without your help."

Ignoring Seth, he gave Darcy a last long imploring look and left by the back door.

Tears came to Darcy's eyes.  "I feel sorry for him.  He must be hurting so badly."

"That doesn't give him the right to lie and threaten."  Seth cupped her chin in his palm.  "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."  She saw Seth was minus his suit coat and tie but was still dressed in good clothes.  "What are you doing here?"

He grinned.  "Not happy to see me?"

"Of course I am.  But the kitchen's a mess.  I'm a mess."

"You don't look like a mess to me."  His eyes ran over her tube top and short shorts.  "In fact..."  He rested his hands on her shoulders.

She looked up at him expectantly.

Instead of kissing her, he said, "I came to give you the news I wasn't taking Brad's case.  He made an appointment with me tonight to tell me Marsha had left Jenna alone and that's how she got hurt."

Disbelieving, Darcy shook her head.  "He must be desperate."

"Once he listens to what I said and thinks about it, he'll put his efforts into coming to an agreement with Marsha."

"I hope so."

Seth played his hands down her arms.  "I don't want to talk about Brad Winston any more.  He's no longer between us."

"What do you want to talk about?"  Her heart beat frantically and the oxygen supply in the kitchen seemed to diminish.

"This."

Seth's mouth was hungry and masterful.  He was vital and seductive and hotter than the kitchen.  Need pulled at Darcy along with the desire to take a risk.  Seth's tongue stroked hers while his hand caressed her neck.

He left her mouth to kiss her throat, touching her as if she were someone special and precious.  An aching, so big and wide and high, swelled inside her.  She'd always dreamed of being held like this, kissed, cherished.  Seth was a passionate man, but also tender--so tender.  Even as desire aroused him and she knew his possession would be complete, she also knew he'd be caring and gentle.

Roller coaster sensations much like yesterday's made her giddy as she waited for his next plunge.  Plunge.  She wanted the plunge.  She wanted as much of Seth as he could give.  And she wanted it now.  She ended the kiss and gradually pulled back.

His eyes were dilated, the black almost overtaking the grey.  "What's wrong?"

"Yes."

He gave her a long scrutinizing look.  "Yes?"

She'd never been this bold.  But she'd never been this sure either.  "I want to make love with you."

His chin tilted, the nerve in his jaw worked.  "You're sure?"

She stroked the shadow of beard stubble.  "Very sure."

He bent his head to kiss her again but stopped.  "I don't want to be unromantic, but there's something we need to think about before we get carried away.  Are you protected?"

She'd almost done it again--let her heart lead her into trouble.  "I'm not sure.  I started the pill three weeks ago.  After another week..."

"I'll take care of it."  His lips almost touched hers when she pushed back again.

His grey eyes became shuttered.  "Second thoughts?"

"No, second thoughts.  It's just I...  Seth, this isn't the way I imagined it."  She frowned.  "I need a shower.  Maybe you can give me an hour?"

His laugh rumbled through the kitchen and the silver lights reappeared in his eyes.  "You are the most honest woman I've ever met."

She leaned back and braced her hands on his chest.  "Is that a compliment or a complaint?"

"I would never complain about your honesty.  I don't think you know how rare it is."

"You're honest."

He rubbed his finger across her upper lip and looked as if he'd rather be kissing her than talking.  "I try to be.  But I don't expect it from others.  I learned early most people have ulterior motives for what they do."

"You don't believe that."

"Yes, I do," he responded quickly.  "I know you don't understand.  You've always had people around you who loved you.  It's not like that for everyone."

She stepped out of his protective circle and crossed her arms over her breasts.  She might be a small town girl, but she wasn't as inexperienced as he seemed to think.  No woman could be abandoned by the man she loved, find out she's pregnant, decide to raise the baby herself, then have a miscarriage, and still remain naive.

Sensing her withdrawal, he asked, "Why do you go out with me?"

She was sure he was leading somewhere, but she answered anyway.  "Because there's something about you that's different from other men I've known.  Because I like you."

Seth gave her an "I thought so" smile and stuffed his hands in his pockets.  "You don't go out with me to be seen in the right places, to get your picture in the social section of the newspaper, to get an introduction to one of my clients.  Do you see the difference?"

She canvassed him from his shiny black loafers to his thick black hair.  "You can't tell me women don't like you for yourself."

"I'm never sure, Darcy.  With you, I know."