Love Me Tonight (15 page)

“If my conclusions are correct, I can at least enjoy the fact that I was a love child, conceived in love. Fentriss Sparkman was last in Hagerstown looking for Mom between three or four years ago. He's been dead almost that long.”

“Wouldn't a DNA test prove paternity?”

“It would prove that I'm related by blood to the Harringtons, but it wouldn't confirm that Sparkman was my father, because he had a brother, and that brother was Telford's father. And don't forget—I look enough like Drake Harrington to be his twin.”

Her fork clattered on her plate. “You don't think—?”

He interrupted her. “No, I don't, because I have the letters that Mom and Sparkman wrote each other. Mom kept copies of hers. Besides, Henry said that when Sparkman and Telford's father were young men, they looked almost like twins. What I'm saying is that genuine and undisputable proof is hard come by.”

For about an hour after dinner, they sat on the floor playing jazz records.
I'm so comfortable with her,
he thought, more comfortable with her than he had ever been with anyone. A glance at his watch told him that he'd better get a move on.

“Will you be unhappy if I leave now?” he asked her. “I have to write a brief tonight for a discussion with my partners at nine in the morning.”

“I mind because I love being with you, but I understand that you were away from your office today, and you have to get your work done. Will you ask Telford to ask his wife about the dress code at their home?”

“Sure, but I can tell you she looks good at dinnertime, not dressed up, but nice.”

A grin spread over her face. “In other words, the lady's good-looking to begin with.”

“You could say that.”

“Ask anyway. I'll walk you to the door.”

As much as he wanted to spend the night with Heather, he didn't let his lips linger on hers. Everything in him wanted to lose himself in her. He looked down at her. “You make it hard for a man to use his common sense. If I call you tonight, I won't get that brief written. I'll phone you tomorrow.”

Her arms eased around his waist and tightened. “You'll get it done, and you'll be proud of it.” She opened the door. “Get out of here while I'm in a good mood.”

 

He worked until two o'clock the following morning, but he was pleased with what he'd done. If he won that class-action suit, his firm would get more cases than it could ever handle. He didn't take hopeless cases, because he didn't like to accept payment from an unsatisfied client. He'd done it once, and from that time, he made it a policy not to accept a case unless he figured he had at least a fifty-fifty chance of winning it.

After the conference with his associates that morning, he called Telford. “What time would you like us to be at your place Friday?” he asked him after they greeted each other.

“Anytime after noon is good, but by five-thirty at least. Dinner's always at seven, and Alexis will want to get you settled in and comfortable and enjoy a couple of drinks before that.”

“Good. I'll ask Heather if we can plan to leave Baltimore by four-thirty. Friday afternoon traffic out of Baltimore can be horrendous. By the way, what's the weekend dress code? Since Heather hasn't met Alexis, she asked me about her style.”

“We're country casual, but you saw my wife at dinner. That's her style. A pretty street dress or something comparable for Henry's party would probably work. If I've misled you about that, I'll call you back. Women
take these things seriously, and I wouldn't like to get you into trouble.”

The picture of Heather fuming because he'd given her the wrong information set him to laughing. “I'm single, and I know that much. I laughed because I got a mental picture of Heather's face if she went to dinner wearing slacks and a T-shirt only to find Alexis sitting at the table in that red silk jumpsuit she wore when I was there. I doubt I'd ever live it down.”

He hung up. He had to buy Henry a birthday gift, and he had no idea where to begin. Perhaps Heather would have an idea.

 

Heather sat on the edge of her desk dictating a report to her secretary when her cell phone rang. “Hello.” She listened for a second. “Just a minute.” She looked up at her secretary. “That's all for now,” she said to him and waited till the man left her office, then resumed her call. “Hi. Did you finish it?”

“Hi, sweetheart. I did, indeed, and my partners said I hit a home run.”

“I knew you would. Congratulations.”

“I won't keep you because I know you're busy. Telford said they dress country casual.”

“Thanks. So she's a relaxed person, and she doesn't go to dinner in what she's worn all day. I get it.”

“By the way, I need to get us a present for Henry. He'll be seventy. I imagine he doesn't leave Eagle Park except on special occasions or when he goes to do the marketing. They're surrounded by forests, shrubs and
their property. The Monocacy River is a short walk from the house.”

“I'd get him a good rod and reel and a digital camera. Even if he doesn't have a computer, the Harringtons certainly have them, and they can print out his pictures. Buy them in Frederick, and he can exchange them easily.”

“What a great idea. It's not for nothing that I love you, woman. How about meeting for lunch at twelve-thirty today?”

She realized she'd taken too long to answer and stopped her musing when he asked her, “Are you still there?”.

“Uh…yes. I was thinking of reasons why I love you,” she said softly.

“And you couldn't think of one?” Uncharacteristically, he'd raised his voice, but she figured she might have annoyed him and that finesse was not on his mind.

“I thought of a few,” she said, “but I was trying to decide which was the most important.”

“And?”

“I don't know. You interrupted my thinking process.” She knew that her voice had carried the sound of laughter and that she'd gotten to him. His next words confirmed that she knew her man.

“Wait till I get you to myself. I'm going to make you scream uncle.”

“Really? Lord, I can't wait. See you at lunch.”

“Bye, sweetheart.”

She hung up, put the cell phone in her purse and
walked over to the window. If she'd ever been so happy, she didn't remember it. She didn't see how she could bear it if her bubble should burst.

J
udson had said that Telford had an seven-year-old daughter. Heather dialed her secretary on the intercom. “Rod, you have little girls. What can I buy for an seven-year-old girl who lives in remote suburbs and whose parents are wealthy?”

“This is my theory, Heather. If her daddy's rich, you can bet her ma's good-looking. Good-looking women wear pretty clothes, and their daughters try to copy them. Buy her a necklace.”

Heather clapped her hands. “Take a bow. At last I know how men think. That was deductive reasoning at its best. I'll go to a store for girls and follow your advice.”

Before taking care of the gift, she went to meet Judson. She arrived at the restaurant almost simultaneously with
him. He greeted her with a quick kiss on the mouth and took her hand. “I don't have anything new to tell you, so let's have a good lunch and enjoy each other's company,” he said.

They sat at their favorite table. Her right hand reached out and stroked his arm, and he seemed to know that she was merely verifying that he was real, live flesh and blood. No emotion played on his face as he observed her, but, she let him see what she felt, and the fiery stars that leapt into his eyes gave her his response. Shivers streaked through her, and she had to avert her glance.

He reached for her hand. “If you'll give me a chance, I'll make a new world for you. A world of calm waters, clear skies and soft breezes. A world without loneliness. A world filled with all the love you can tolerate.” She squeezed his fingers and wiped the tears that wet the white table cloth.

“Why would you pick a place like this to say that to me,” she said, fighting to keep her emotions in check.

“I didn't choose to say it, Heather. It's what I feel with all my heart, and if I had complete privacy with you right now, I'd make love to you, and I wouldn't hold anything back.”

“Sometimes when I'm with you, I think I no longer know who I am,” she said. “You have a way of showing me a different Heather Tatum. You're something special.”

“Do you think I'm the same man who heated soup for you when you were in bed with the flu? I definitely am not. And I'd tell anybody that I like myself better, and not because I've begun to decipher the identity of my
birth parents, but because you've given me something that I never had and didn't dream that I needed. You showed me that I'm acceptable for myself no matter who my parents were, and when you made love with me, you told me something else that brought me peace of mind. Someday, I hope to share that with you.”

She didn't know what that could have been, but she knew he'd tell her when he considered it appropriate. They didn't talk while they ate lunch, and it amazed her that each seemed content to glance up occasionally and smile, knowing that the other understood. Later, he called a taxi for her as they stood outside the restaurant holding hands.

“I'll get a little gift for Alexis and their daughter,” she said. “So get a bottle of something for Telford.”

“I will. Be at your place tomorrow afternoon at four. Okay?”

“Yes. I'm excited. Bye for now.” His kiss sent shock waves throughout her body. “Do you do that intentionally?” she asked him. A taxi stopped, and he smiled as an answer. Maybe it was just as well, she thought. That man hardly had to lift a finger to set her on fire.

Back at her office, she learned that Annie had called her, and dialed the number at her father's home in Hagerstown. “Hi, Annie. This is Heather. How's Dad?”

“I don't know. He wanted to sit out on the back porch this morning, and when I told him it was too cool, I think he got mad at me. I don't know what to do. Suppose he catches cold out there and develops pneumonia?”

“Why don't you phone the gardener and ask him to install the storm panels, including those on the door? If it warms up, you can remove one of the panels so that he can get fresh air. At this point, I don't see the logic in arguing with him or denying him anything he wants.”

“All right. I'll do that right now. Some days he's so contrary, but at other times, he's so…so sweet.”

“I know, and I understand.”

“I wonder if you do. I don't think anybody does.”

“I'd tell you, Annie, but I don't think you want me to.”

“Did he tell you anything?”

“Some, but not as much as I told him. I'm a woman, too, Annie, and I have eyes and an ability to understand what goes on with the people I love. I'll see you soon.”

Her father loved Annie, and Annie certainly loved him, and it didn't make sense that they had never married. Annie didn't want people to think she'd been “living in sin,” and he didn't want a woman who behaved as if she were ashamed of him. What a terrible waste in the lives of two wonderful people!

On the way home after work, she bought two pairs of velvet evening pants, one black and one navy, an elbow-length, billowing-sleeved yellow blouse for the black pants and a dusty rose, long-sleeved silk tunic top for the navy pants. She found a small opal pendant on a white gold chain for the Harrington daughter, and completed her purchases with a Dior sachet set for Alexis. “I don't dare buy perfume for her, but this sachet is wonderful for any woman.”

 

“I'll be out of town this weekend,” she told Scott on Friday morning. “If anybody upstairs wants to send me somewhere, would you mind volunteering? This is very important to me. I'll cover for you sometime.”

Scott leaned back in his desk chair and looked hard at her. “Are you spending the weekend with Judson?”

“For goodness' sake, Scott! Good guess. Actually, he and I are guests of the Harrington family in Eagle Park, Maryland.”

“He told me about Harrington and his brothers. If he's taking you there, he's sending out a signal, and I hope you're smart enough to catch it. My, my. Things are looking up. Sure, I'll cover for you. And, Heather, wear your hair down and put on some spiked-heel shoes. You're a gorgeous woman, and I wish you'd believe it.”

“I like to look feminine, Scott, but damned if I'll break my neck in shoes doing it.”

“Then practice at home.”

“I don't need to practice. I have a couple of pairs. I've worn them, but believe me I hated every second they were on my feet.”

“Grin and bear it if you have to, babe, but wear them. They're sexy.”

“Thank goodness Judson isn't as frivolous as you are.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah? Judson's a man, and what's sexy to me is sexy to him. You can trust me on that. We grew from kindergarten to manhood
together. I repeat—wear your hair down and get some sexy shoes.”

“Judson has seen me with my hair down, and—”

A grin spread across his face. “Oh, yeah? The brother's not as slow as he seems.”

“Don't make something out of nothing,” she said and went back to her office.

 

He wasn't nervous, and he didn't allow himself to get overly excited about things over which he had no control, Judson reminded himself. So why was his heart pounding like the hooves of a spooked thoroughbred horse? “Want to stop for anything?” he asked Heather. “I don't recall seeing a store within several miles of the place.”

“Thanks, but I have everything I need. If you want to stop, please do.”

“Thanks, but I'm in good shape. We'll be there in about ten minutes.”

Drops of rain spattered the windshield as he drove into the circle at 10 John Brown Drive. “Here we are,” he said.

She reached for the door.

“I thought you and I agreed that I open that door for you.” He got out, opened the trunk of the car, removed an umbrella and walked around to the passenger door. It got on her nerves, perhaps, but that was the way he wanted it. As soon as he opened the umbrella and the door and she stepped out of the car, a cloud
emptied a torrent of rain. He held her close beneath the umbrella.

“Now, aren't you glad you behaved and didn't jump out of the car in a huff?”

“Just because you were right this time doesn't mean you'll forever be right,” she said and kissed his lips.

“Come on,” he said and sprinted with her to the front door, which seemed to open automatically the minute he touched the bell. “That's Tara playing,” he explained of the sound the doorbell made, looked down and saw the little girl standing there with a welcoming smile.

“Come in, Mr. Judson. Mr. Henry opened the door, but he had to run back to the kitchen. Welcome, Miss Heather.”

He bent down and hugged Tara. “Thank you for the warm welcome, Tara. Heather, this is Tara Harrington.”

She curtsied and shook Heather's hand. “Actually, Mr. Judson, it's Stevenson-Harrington, but I don't use the Stevenson part. It's too long, and anyhow, I don't like it.”

“Hello, Judson. Welcome back,” Alexis said, striding to the door. “I've been looking forward to meeting your girlfriend.”

“Heather, this is Alexis Harrington. Alexis, this is Heather Tatum. Thank you for the warm welcome.” The two women greeted each other and then took each other's measure. He'd been anxious for them to like each other, and he could see that they did. He eased an
arm around Heather, and when she settled against him, a feeling of contentment washed over him.

“I left our bags in the trunk of the car,” he explained to Alexis. “I'll get them when the rain slacks.”

Heavy footsteps on the stairs alerted him, and when Telford appeared in the foyer, where they still stood, Judson took a step to meet him. They embraced each other as brothers.

“Heather, this is Telford Harrington. Telford, this is Heather Tatum.”

Telford took both of Heather's hands. “I'm so happy to meet you. Welcome to our home.”

“Thank you,” Heather said. “Judson has spoken so highly of the three of you that I could hardly wait to meet you. I think he's enchanted with Tara.”

Judson smiled down at Tara. “I see the rain has let up, so I'll get our bags from the car. Excuse me for a minute.”

Telford rested a hand on Judson's shoulder. “I'll go with you.” When the door closed behind them, he added, “Heather is a lovely woman, and it's clear that you're special to her. I hope the two of you make a go of it.”

“Thanks, Telford. I'm beginning to want that. We'll have to find a way to adjust to her career, but I don't think that will be too big a problem.” He opened the trunk of the car.

“I imagine that a Philips and Tatum law firm would do well,” Telford said. “And especially if the suggestion came from her.”

“I can't afford to be selfish, Telford. I love her, and I want her to be happy.”

“If she feels the same way about you, you have nothing to worry about.”

 

Alexis put an arm around Heather's shoulders. “You may share with Judson or you may have your own room. Whatever suits you.”

She looked at Alexis and grinned. A sister after her own heart. “Thanks. I'd love to snuggle up with him, but that would be too easy for him.”

“You're so right. The harder they work for it, the more they appreciate it. Your room will be down the hall, and he'll be upstairs. Of course, me being a devil, I'll make sure he knows where you are.”

A sly perusal of Alexis told Heather that Judson pegged her right. Alexis Harrington had class. Tall and beautiful with an exquisite figure, she could hold her own among any group of women anywhere. Yet, in spite of her obvious polish, she had an engaging, down-to-earth quality.

“When it comes to me, at least, Judson is a genius at maneuvering. I met him at a party, discouraged him in what he considered a put-down, and the next time I saw him, he was standing at my door. I had the flu, and he came over to bring me food and medicine. I don't know where he got the soup he fed me, but it was delicious.”

“Hmm. Man after my own heart. I suspect he had a helper.”

“Of course he did. We have a mutual friend, Scott,
who's been best friends with Judson since they were in kindergarten. I asked Scott to help me out, and he turned the job over to Judson.”

At the end of the hallway, Alexis opened the door to a beautifully furnished room. “You have a small sitting room through that door. There's a garden and a pool through this door,” she said walking toward it. “The water's very cool now, but if you want to swim in it, you may. That twelve-foot fence is wired at the top, so you're safe. I warn you, there's been a lot of high-powered love in this room. So watch out.”

“Thank you, Alexis. I hope we're going to be good friends.”

“I have a feeling we are going to be friends and that in the years to come, we'll see a lot of each other.”

“Oh. Do you think Judson will find that Fentriss Sparkman was his father?”

“The evidence is so strong that it can't be ignored, proof or not. Wait till you meet Drake.”

“I see a strong enough resemblance between Judson and Telford.”

“Drake and Pamela, his wife, will be over soon. You'll see. That must be Telford with your luggage,” she said, getting up. “Come in.”

The door opened and a hand slid the two bags into the room and closed the door. She looked at Alexis. “Who's hand do you think that was?

“Telford's, of course. Judson would have knocked on the chance he'd get you alone for a minute. Come down the hall around six or six-fifteen. Telford's brothers and their wives will be here and we'll have some drinks
before dinner. If you need an iron, there's one in this closet. See you later.”

“Thanks for everything. When is the birthday party?”

“Tomorrow. Henry will be seventy.”

Heather hung her clothes in the closet, got in the Jacuzzi tub with her Fendi bubble oil, turned on the jets and relaxed. Later, she stretched out on the chaise longue and tuned in the president's speech. “If I was stupid, I'd envy Michelle. That is one gorgeous man,” she said to herself and added, “but he doesn't look a bit better than my man.”