Midnight Remedy (22 page)

“I thought maybe
 . . .
” Cole’s voice trailed off and then he started again. “Maybe it was ‘cause of me.”

His conversation with Charlie came back to him. It didn’t take much insight to realize what was going on in the kid’s mind. “I’ve missed seeing you, Cole. I always have a good time with you.” He grimaced and scratched his neck, struggling for the right words. “You see, I didn’t mean to, but I did something that hurt your mom and she’s still upset with me.” It stuck in his craw to admit it, but he had hurt her, intentionally or not.

“What did you do?” Cole watched the horny toad hop across the kitchen floor.

“It’s kind of complicated,” Eric said, smiling wryly. “But you and I are still friends, okay?”

Perceptively, Cole said, “You’re mad at Mom, too. Just like she’s mad at you. Are you mad at her ‘cause she did something bad?”

Eric laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “She didn’t do anything bad. Why do you say that?”

“She had me when she wasn’t married. That’s bad,” he stated resolutely.

More problems at school, Eric wondered, or the same one stemming from his talk with his mother? “Some people think so, but I don’t.”

“Why not?”

Eric sighed and squeezed his shoulder before letting go. “It’s easy to say somebody’s good or somebody’s bad. But most people are like your mom, or like me and they make mistakes. You’re that way, too, aren’t you? Don’t you make mistakes sometimes?”

“I guess,” he mumbled, hanging his head.

“Your mom was real young when she had you. But she wanted you, even though she knew some people would say bad things about her. Do you know why she wanted you so much?”

“No.” Unblinkingly, the boy gazed at him.

Eric took hold of his chin and said clearly, “Your mom had you because she loved you. She loves you a lot, Cole.”

“Huh.” He snorted, jerking his head away. “She said I was a mistake. That means she doesn’t want me.”

“She didn’t mean that. At least, not the way it sounded. You say the wrong thing sometimes, don’t you?”

“Sure, but—”

Eric interrupted. “Your mom’s just like you. She’s your mom, and a grown-up, but inside she’s a lot like you.” He didn’t know how to explain that parents aren’t perfect. He didn’t have any kids, for God’s sake. How was he to know what to tell him? Besides that, it grated on him to have to defend Piper, at least right now when he was still hurting from her repeated rejections. But Cole shouldn’t suffer because of his own bruised ego.

“Your mom loves you,” he repeated. “Remember that.”

Suddenly, Cole reached out and put his arms around Eric’s waist and hugged him. Eric suspected Cole was silent because he didn’t want Eric to know he was crying again. So Eric patted Cole’s back and soothed him, and wished that someone could help him.

Not again, Piper thought,
hearing the commotion outside. She looked out the window to see Gus and Jumbo taking care of the latest nosy newsman, who rested flat on his back in the gravel drive with Jumbo’s huge paws planted on his chest. The dog’s big, bushy tail wagged happily and she could hear him bark every time the man tried to rise.

Wait a minute. Unless she was mistaken, the man currently lying underneath Jumbo was Dr. Dave Burson. Great place for him, she thought, but went to rescue him nonetheless, strolling slowly, savoring his discomfort. She heard him shouting at Gus.

“Dammit, old man,” Dave yelled, “I’m not a reporter. Ask Piper if you don’t believe me. And get this misbegotten mongrel off of me.”

She parked a fist on her hip and surveyed him. “Dave, what a surprise. How’s life been treating you lately?”

His beleaguered expression lightened. “Am I glad to see you. Tell this crazy old man I’m not a reporter. He wants to take a shotgun to me. And the dog must weigh a hundred pounds.”

“More.” She shook her head. “Do you think it’s wise for me to tell him who you really are?”

If possible, his face turned even redder. “I’ve been trying to apologize for days now. Let me tell you what’s happened.”

“Missy, you want I should get the shotgun?” Gus interrupted.

“No, Gus, I don’t think that will be necessary. Dr. Burson will leave peacefully, I’m sure.”

“Burson?” he asked incredulously. “The one what brung them dang reporters down on us?” The old man drew himself up to his full height, all five-foot-four of it. “That no account, lyin’, deceivin’ friend of that other nogood varmint?” Gus’s voice rose as he fairly quivered with indignation.

“That’s the one,” she said, grinning.

“Mister, you’re either awful brave or awful stupid,” Gus told him. “Why, if I’da been Sam you’d be pickin’ buckshot out of your butt right now.”

“Piper, please,” Dave begged, “get this damn dog off me so we can talk.”

She stroked her chin and smiled. “It’s petty of me, but I like seeing you lie there in the dirt. After all, your little leak has landed me back in the dirt of the headlines one more time.”

“You’re acting like a child. At least hear me out.”

“Oh, all right,” she muttered, tugging on Jumbo’s collar. Reluctantly, he allowed her to pull him away.

“Thank you.” Dave sat up. “Could we discuss this in a civilized manner? Inside?” He eyed Gus and Jumbo with disfavor.

Piper sighed. “Come on, then. But I warn you Dave, I’m not feeling very charitable toward you.” She led him inside and sat, waving a hand at a chair. “Ten minutes. Start talking.”

“A temporary employee leaked the story.”

“Tell me something I don’t know. Eric told Grandpa that yesterday.” She gazed at him unhelpfully.

Clearing his throat, he tried again. “She’s been fired. Eric and I have been doing everything we can to establish that the news is unverified and your remedy isn’t a major discovery. I think we’ve succeeded. Have you read the recent articles?”

“Are you crazy? I haven’t looked at a paper or the Internet since all this blew up. Why would I want to read more dirt about myself?”

“The publicity isn’t good for me either. This sort of thing makes me look like a quack. The clinic’s important, Piper. So is the research.”

She crossed her legs and leaned back in the chair. “Time’s running out,” she reminded him, checking her watch.

“I realize there’s no possible way to make up for the pain we’ve inadvertently caused you, but—”

“Do you have any idea what it was like to have my past dragged out and splashed all over the news again? As if it wasn’t bad enough the first time it happened.”

“Well, no, I—”

“Cut to the chase. Why are you here?”

“First to apologize. You wouldn’t let me over the phone, and besides, I felt like it should come in person.”

“Fine, you’ve apologized.” She started to rise.

“Wait! The formula is much more important than we’ve led the press to believe. Research is progressing on its effect as an additive to my new medication. Preliminary findings indicate that it might be of use.”

She stood, gazing at him ironically. “Whoopee. That should make you happy. Now that you’ve told me, you can go.”

“This is going to help a lot of people. It’s important. More important than your discomfort over the publicity.”

“Discomfort?” She laughed bitterly. “Tell that to my son when the other kids call him a bastard. This wasn’t exactly the way I wanted him to learn about his paternity.”

Dave winced and stood too. “Look, I can’t undo it, and I can’t blame you for taking your anger out on me. Even though I didn’t leak it myself, it’s my responsibility. But why are you taking it out on Eric? You won’t even see him, will you?”

She strode over to him and jammed her finger into his chest. “Don’t you dare come in here and talk to me about Eric Chambers. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“You gave him permission to send the formula to me,” he reminded her. “Somehow I doubt he beat it out of you.”

Piper turned her back on him. “Go away, Dave. You make me tired.”

“You’re angry because you did the right thing and it came back to haunt you. The old saw—no good deed goes unpunished—is applicable in this case. But it was still the right thing to do. You can’t blame Eric for that. Ask yourself this, Piper. Who are you hurting by this behavior?” He regarded her critically. “Eric? Sure. But you’re hurting yourself just as much.” Dave walked to the door. “Give him a chance, Piper.”

“Tell Eric it didn’t work.”

“He didn’t ask me to talk to you. But maybe he’s better off without you. That’s a pretty hard-line unforgiving attitude you’ve got. Eric sure doesn’t need that.”

“You’d be unforgiving, too, if your life had been ruined.”

“It will pass. Publicity like this always does. You’ll be a nineday wonder and then the press will move on. And you’ll be alone because you were too damn stubborn to admit that you were wrong to blame Eric.” He put his hand on the doorknob.

“Of course you’d think that. You’re his friend.”

Dave released the knob and turned around to stare at her. She could see that he was angry, but that only made her own anger more potent. Who was he to be angry with her?

“Yes, I am, and you need a friend too. I’ll just give you the benefit of my advice, even though I know you won’t listen. That train’s gone by, Piper. Get on with your life and forget about your past. You’re the only one who can’t let it go.” On those words he stalked out the door.

For an instant she wished she had something to throw at his head, but she had to acknowledge that Dave had made several good points. Eric hadn’t leaked the news and although he’d encouraged her, he hadn’t forced her to give Dave the remedy. He had let her make that decision on her own, and when it backfired, Piper had blamed him. Because it was easier to blame him, to be angry with him than to admit that this disaster had made her unworthiness all the clearer. She had deliberately fed her anger, hoping it would help her forget Eric. It hadn’t worked.