Love Me Tonight (16 page)

Her cell phone rang, and she answered it. “Hello.” It was Judson.

“How far from me are you?”

“I'm in a guest room someplace.”

“Does it open out to the pool?”

“Uh…yes.”

“Thanks. Drake's here with his wife, Pamela. How long before you'll be ready? I'm going down there for you.”

So he wanted to introduce her. “Ten minutes.” She jumped up, slipped on the black velvet pants and yellow blouse and combed out her hair. Thinking that she looked pale, she put a little rouge on her cheeks, slipped on the black sandals, dabbed some Fendi perfume in strategic spots and fastened gold bangles to her ears. Satisfied that she could hold her own in any crowd of glamour girls, she put the two gifts in a small shopping bag, put a handkerchief in a little black purse and waited.
There was a knock at the door and when she opened it, she nearly swallowed her tongue.

“My goodness, you look great in that gray pin-stripe.”

He blessed her with a smile that spread from ear to ear. “And did you notice my yellow tie that goes with your blouse? You look beautiful, and I want to kiss you.”

“What's stopping you?”

“Common sense. If I start that now feeling as I do, the Harringtons won't meet you tonight.”

“Oh, I'll have something to say about that.”

He took her hand. “Really? Let's go.”

She'd never been more proud than when she walked down that hall with Judson to meet the family that he hoped would be his own. When they entered the living room, Drake and Russ Harrington stood and walked toward them.

“Russ, Drake, this is Heather Tatum.”

“I'm glad to meet you, Russ, and you, Drake. This is astonishing. Please call me Heather.”

They each shook her hand and Russ kissed her cheek. “Come,” they said simultaneously.

“Heather Tatum, this is my wife, Velma Harrington,” Russ said. The two women embraced and she turned to the woman who was Drake Harrington's wife.

“I'm glad to meet you both,” she said after Drake introduced her to Pamela, his wife. Maybe she'd find a close friend in one of the three women.

Pamela embraced her. “I've been looking forward to meeting you and Judson. This is so exciting. We're
hoping he joins our family, because it's so clear that he belongs with us.”

She liked Pamela at once and decided to cultivate her friendship. The women had in common excellent taste in clothes. Alexis wore a flattering long, green silk shift. Velma wore a long, straight skirt, split up the side to midthigh, and Pamela wore red silk evening pants with a matching jacket, elegant yet not too dressy. “I brought just the right thing,” she said to herself.

Tara came into the room, and Heather approached the little girl. “Where is Mr. Henry? I haven't met him yet.” She handed Tara the package containing the gift she brought for her.

“This is for me?”

“Yes. Maybe your mother will let you wear it to Mr. Henry's party.”

Tara's arms slid around Heather's waist. “Oh, thank you. Can I open it?”

“It might be a better idea for you to wait until you go to your room. Where's Mr. Henry?”

Tara took her hand. “Okay. I'll wait. Gee, thank you. I love presents. Oh. Mr. Henry's in the kitchen. Let's go find him.”

They passed through what she imagined was the family room, walked down a short corridor and into a yellow-brick, blue-tiled kitchen. “Mr. Henry, this is Miss Heather, Mr. Judson's girl, and she wanted me to find you so she could meet you,” Tara said when they found him. “Her last name is Tatum, and Mommy said she's an ambassador, and she brought me a present in this box.”

Henry wiped his hands on his apron and shook her hand. “I'm glad to meet you, Heather. You've got a good man there, and from what I'm seeing in ya, I say he's got fine taste. Welcome.”

“Thank you, Mr. Henry. I appreciate that. I understand you raised the Harrington men. Congratulations. It's rare to find three such remarkable men in one town, not to speak of one family.”

“Their daddy worked himself to death, and their mother wasn't suited for parenthood. I was all they had, and I did the best I could. Call me Henry. Tara calls me Mr. Henry because she's seven. You're a mite older than that.” His eyes twinkled with devilment, and she suppressed the urge to hug him. “My little assistant here and I will be in there in a minute with some eats,” he told her.

“You gonna let me help, Mr. Henry?”

“Don't I always?”

She walked back to the living room, and she couldn't believe the stricken look on Judson's face. “Tara took me to meet Henry,” she explained. “He was so nice that I didn't hurry back. I like this family.”

“So do I. What would you like to drink? I'm having bourbon and soda.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Really? Why?”

“Because I'm not driving. What do you want?”

“I'm not ready to live dangerously, so I'll have a vodka comet.”

They sat down to dinner at seven o'clock. Henry entered the dining room bringing a large tureen and
took the empty chair at Telford's left. “Am I going to say grace tonight, Uncle Russ?” Tara asked.

“No, you definitely are not. By the time you blessed everybody in the state of Maryland, we'd have died of starvation.” Russ said the grace, and Alexis served lobster bisque.

“Tara and Russ have been playing this game ever since Tara was four,” Telford told Heather and Judson. “No one ever heard Russ say grace until Tara subjected him to her version of it. Thereafter, he managed to beat her to it every time. Now, she asks, and he says no.”

“Uncle Russ is my friend, and Uncle Drake is my best buddy,” Tara said. “I love my uncles, and I love my aunties, 'cause they all love me.”

Heather observed carefully the interactions among family members. “Are you and Velma blood sisters?” she asked Alexis, having observed a resemblance.

“Yes we are, and Velma is the older.”

Russ was the one person there who was taking her measure. She didn't mind if someone studied her. They'd already made up their minds about Judson, and she supposed they figured that if he became a member of their family, she'd probably be a part of the package. She hadn't made up her mind about that, but she already knew she'd suffer if she and Judson separated.

After a scrumptious five-course meal, they gathered in the family room. The Harrington women served espresso and chocolates, Tara served mints and Telford served cognac and liqueurs. “There's nothing so satisfying,” Heather said to herself, “as a meal done right.”

Judson walked over to her and sat on the arm of the big chair in which she sat. “Hi, beautiful! The brothers and I are going to meet at ten tomorrow, right after breakfast, so I doubt you'll see me at lunchtime. The party for Henry is at the hotel, but we'll all gather here first. A sitter will stay with the baby, but Tara's coming to the party.”

“She is?”

“Henry put his foot down. So she's coming. Alexis will tell you that you and the Harrington wives are having lunch at Drake's house, but Tara's taking Henry out to a restaurant for lunch. Telford rented a limousine and driver for them.”

“Let me know when I should wake up. These people do things in style.”

“Alexis will leave a note on your pillow explaining everything. If you want to make a friend, help in the kitchen in the morning. Henry will be in there cooking breakfast about seven-thirty. If he's in a talking mood, you'll learn a lot about the family.”

By ten o'clock, she was exhausted. “Would you mind if I turn in, now?” she asked Alexis. “I've been up since five, and I can hardly keep my eyes open. I've consumed three times the alcohol I usually take in, and I think that's why I'm so sleepy.”

“Of course I don't mind. You'll find a note on your bed that'll tell you what we're doing tomorrow and when.”

Judson caught her signal that she was leaving the party and took her hand. “Good night, all,” she said. “Sleep has overcome me.”

With an arm around her waist, he walked with her to her room, stepped inside and took her in his arms. “What do you think of them?”

“So far, I'm enchanted with them. What a wonderful family! They have already embraced you as one of them, and no matter what anyone says, you definitely are one of them. I pray that you find the proof.”

“So do I. It's sinking into me. I'd better go back, but believe me, I'm in no mood to leave you.” He opened his arms, and she walked into them with her own arms wide and ready to embrace him.

“Take it easy, sweetheart. If you turn it on, I won't be able to walk back into that room.” She kissed him without parting her lips. “I didn't say you should forget how to do it.” He hugged her. “See you at breakfast.”

 

“Man, you could walk away from that woman so fast?” Drake asked him with raised eyebrows.

“Sure thing,” Judson replied, sipping more bourbon and water. “It was leave then or spend the night, and I didn't have her permission to do the latter.”

“Yeah,” Drake said. “Been there and done that. Life has its crappy moments. Have you made any more progress? We've checked out this region, but we've found nothing more substantial than you've found. Still, that doesn't concern me much. Nobody in this family really doubts that you're Uncle Fentriss's son, but I know that isn't good enough for you.”

“As much as I appreciate what you've just said, and in spite of the deep affection I'm developing for
you and your families, I need the proof for my own edification.”

“I'm sure I'd feel the same way. In any case, we'll all get together tomorrow morning. By the way, I like your girl a lot, and I really hope the two of you make a go of it.”

“Thank you. Your sentiments about this mean a lot to me. I saw her and I was hooked. I only needed to learn that she lived up to her notices, and she does, a few times over.” He sipped his drink with relish. “There are no shortcomings in this group, either. I've decided that the Harrington women, including Tara, are a superior group.”

“Thank you. My brothers and I are fortunate that our wives like each other and that they're good friends. Of course, Alexis and Velma are sisters, but they treat Pamela as if she is, too.”

“You're fortunate indeed. Say, where's Henry?”

“Probably sound asleep, either in that room back there or over in his house. He doesn't stay up late, and I guess he's resting up for tomorrow, his big day.”

“I think I'd better turn in, too.” He shook hands with everyone, said good-night and headed up the stairs to his room. Ten minutes later, he was in bed.

 

“Well,” Telford said to his brothers and their wives, “what do you think?”

“They're a terrific couple,” Russ said, “and she's every bit his equal. If he doesn't marry that woman, he's crazy.”

“She's warm and friendly, and you don't see that
in many women who are educated, successful
and
beautiful,” Velma said. “I think she's perfect for him.”

“You don't see many women who're as educated, successful and as beautiful as she is anyway,” Pamela said. “I think she stunning, and he appreciates her.”

“Just like women to look at that side of it,” Telford said with a laugh. “What kind of woman would you expect a man like Judson Philips to have? Same kind of women that we have. Shall we call it a night? Tomorrow will be a long day.”

 

Heather walked into the kitchen minutes after Henry got there. “Happy birthday, Henry,” she said. “Nobody should cook his own breakfast on his birthday. You sit somewhere and tell me what to cook. I'm not as much of an expert as you are but, when it comes to breakfast, I'm pretty good.”

Henry looked hard at her. “Well, danged if you ain't just like me others. Me wife—God rest her soul—and I weren't blessed with any children, but me boys married women who look to me as me boys do, and they're like daughters to me.”

“It isn't accidental,” she told him. “Love and caring beget love and caring. Now, what do you usually cook for breakfast?” He told her. “I doubt my biscuits will be as good as yours, but I'll also make some waffles. No.” She waved a hand when he started to get up. “You sit there and talk to me. Today is Henry's day.”

She hadn't made biscuits in a while, but she knew that if she had self-rising flour and put buttermilk, eggs and enough fat in them, they'd be good. She made a big
batch, cut them and put them on trays. “Where's the waffle iron?” Henry put it on the table.

She put on two rings of rope sage sausage and a pound of double-smoked bacon, measured the grits and water in a saucepan and made the batter for the waffles.

“Danged if you're not real handy in a kitchen,” Henry said. “I put the oven at four hundred, and you can put the biscuits in now.” She did as he suggested, washed strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, and put them in a bowl. Only one hour and ten minutes had passed.

“Where's everybody?” she asked Henry.

He barely raised an eyebrow. “Sleep.”

“Well,” she said, “they're going to get up. Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes.”

Telford walked in and saw Henry sitting in the corner without his apron. “What's the matter, Henry? Are you okay?”

“I'm fine. It's me birthday, and me new daughter over there thought I shouldn't cook me own breakfast. She said it's ready, and she's threatened to wake up everybody.”

Telford's facial expression said, “Heaven forbid.” His words were, “I'll be right back.”

She heard him running up the stairs. Minutes later, he walked into the kitchen. “They'll be down shortly.” He sniffed. “I smell biscuits, so I'd better get the table set. I'm surprised that Henry let you cook.”