Perfect Family (31 page)

Jessie glanced over at Ross. “I thought Marc had gone to Washington.”

“He apparently decided to come back,” he said shortly.

“And the others?”

“Ask Sarah.”

A ball of confusion knotted in her stomach. Sarah had said no one would be here this week. It was why she'd decided to stay at the house. It would give her some time to spend with her aunt.

Was she being manipulated again, as Ross had charged? Was she being ambushed? Or was Ross himself manipulating her?

She rode the horse to the barn. Dan'l was there waiting for them, but Ross quickly dismounted, then stepped over to her while she slid down. His hand went to her elbow in a steadying gesture. Unnecessary but welcome. His body warmth flowed through and burned right down to her core.

He held on a moment longer than necessary.

“Thank you for coming after me,” she said, “but it really wasn't necessary.”

“I meant what I said, Jessica. I don't want you riding alone.”

“Is that an order?” Her back stiffened again.

“A suggestion,” he said.

Dan'l took the reins of the two horses. He looked from Ross to her, and back again, before coughing. “Comp'ny,” he said laconically, glancing quickly at Ross as if they shared the same disdain.

“I noticed,” Ross said.

“Did you know anyone was coming?” she asked, trying to shake that attraction that always hovered between them.

“No, but I'm not usually consulted.”

“Sarah?”

“She would have known. I don't know if she planned it. I imagine it's a ‘welcome to the family' party.”

“Will you come?”

His gaze bored into her. “I doubt whether Marc will welcome my presence.”

“If it's my party, I can invite who I want.”

He hesitated, then nodded. “All right,” he said, then followed Dan'l into the barn.

Jessie watched him go, the confident walk, the innate pride. She bit her lip as she remembered the tight look on his face when he told her about the girl and her father's reaction. She wondered whether that was a reason he always held himself apart from the family, refusing in advance any rejection that might come his way.

When he disappeared into the barn, she looked at the porch, the door, the house. She wasn't sure she wanted to go inside now. She was beginning to feel it was a lion's den.

Ross swore silently to himself as he rubbed down the horse. He'd wanted her more than he ever wanted a woman, but neither the location nor the situation had made lovemaking palatable for longer than a few moments.

Her halting confidence about the rape made such a move that much more reprehensible. That the rape still haunted her was obvious. He cursed himself for being so determined to chase her out of his life, that he'd used such a weapon. He wondered if anyone else knew what had happened to her.

It accounted for a lot, however. It explained her reaction to his kisses, as if she were astounded that she enjoyed them. That had surprised him. Even pleased him. As so many things about her pleased him.

He liked the way she asked questions, listened, weighed. She hadn't accepted everything he'd said. He knew that.

The strange thing was that she seemed to trust him, even when he'd given her every reason to do the opposite. He'd been … humbled by that. Which was why he agreed to supper. She needed a friend and if nothing else he could do that for her. He owed it to her after his stupid confession.

Sarah, he knew, would be amazed, but happy. Marc, well, he would probably glower. April would probably flirt with him to show her father her independence. Halden would be oblivious to everything, and Cullen anxious.

Ross finished with the horse, then headed for his house. He needed a shower. And a good stiff drink.

Wonderful aromas filled the house when Jessie entered. Marc was in the main living area, sprawled over a chair, reading something in a spiral notebook and sipping a whiskey. He must have arrived in the past hour, but he looked as relaxed and at home as ever. He rose when he saw her, a smile creasing his face and filling it with that charismatic warmth she remembered. “Hello, cousin. I hear it's official now.”

“So they tell me,” she said.

“My daughter will be here soon,” he said. “Cullen is with our father. And Elizabeth is coming. You haven't met her yet. She was out of the country during the reunion. We all wanted to welcome you to the family.”

“Elizabeth?” she said. Jessie knew the name. She'd gone over the family tree with Sarah, but she'd concentrated on those at the family reunion. “She's the granddaughter of Hugh, the twin that died in the war.”

He nodded. “Hugh's son, David, married a girl in Chicago, and went into insurance. He had two children—Elizabeth, who's a librarian, and Andy, an attorney. Elizabeth had already planned a trip with a friend when we learned about you, so she didn't make the reunion.”

A librarian
. That hadn't been mentioned before, or she would have taken notice. Someone else with a love of books. She suddenly looked forward to meeting another member of the family.

“Sarah didn't mention a party tonight.”

Marc beamed. “It was my idea when Alex called a few days ago. I didn't have anything essential for the next two days, and I did want to welcome you. I knew some of the others did, too. I swore Sarah to secrecy. We wanted to surprise you.”

In advance of Alex's meeting
. The thought came immediately to mind, and she scolded herself. She was becoming paranoid.

“You flew here from Washington?”

“It's a regular commute for me, Jessica and it's not often I gain a new cousin.”

She met his gaze. It was warm and sincere. But she didn't want to be disarmed. “How is your arm?” she asked.

“Almost healed.”

“I heard the police decided it was an errant hunter.” She heard the challenge in her own voice.

“That's the common consensus,” he replied cheerfully.

“And Ross?”

Marc shrugged. “A coincidence. I shouldn't have said anything. It's just … well, we haven't seen eye to eye about a lot of things recently.”

“He's coming to supper tonight.”

Surprise flickered across his face before he schooled it. “Good,” he said jovially.

“We were out riding just now,” she said, testing him further. “He was telling me a little more about the history of the ranch. And the family. There seem to be some mysteries.”

He shrugged. “I imagine every family has them.”

“Some more than most, I suppose,” she said. “I had better go and see how Sarah is. I don't think she was feeling well earlier.”

“She seemed fine when I saw her.”

She remembered what Alex had told her.
Sarah's ill
…
I don't think anyone knows but me. I didn't know myself until the DNA test proved you were a blood relative
. Did her aunt feel a new urgency now? Was that why she told Alex?

“I'm going to find Sarah,” she said.

“Don't be hard on her. We just descended on her.”

“I won't,” she said.

She turned and went down to Sarah's room, rapping lightly on the door.

There was no response for a moment. She rapped again.

“Come in.”

Jessie opened the door. Sarah was seated on a sofa and had turned toward her. Her face was pale, but it broke into a smile. “Jessie, come sit next to me.”

Jessie did so. “I didn't know Marc was coming.”

“Alex told him you were coming,” she said. “He called me this morning from the airport and said Elizabeth was coming too. I should have told you but he asked me not to, and I didn't know what to do.” She brightened. “You'll like Elizabeth.”

“How does she feel about selling the ranch?”

Sarah looked away. “If it were only her, I think she would probably vote to keep the ranch, but her brother wants to sell, and they're very close. He's an attorney in Chicago and has never much cared for the ranch. Elizabeth, though, has been visiting here since she was a youngster.”

Jessie absorbed that particular piece of information.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Better. I'll be ready to go riding tomorrow.”

Jessie wasn't so sure, but she merely nodded. “I'd best take a shower. I smell like horse.”

“Everyone is leaving tomorrow. We'll have time to talk about your father then.”

“I would very much like that,” Jessie said. “Oh, and Ross said he was coming tonight.”

Sarah's eyes opened wide. “Ross?” A smile came to her lips and speculation to her eyes.

“I think it's probably to irritate Marc.”

“I doubt he cares that much about Marc to bother,” Sarah said. “But for whatever reason, I'm glad.”

Jessie reached over and touched her hand. Sarah patted it. “I'm so glad we found you. I think Harding would be pleased.”

Jessie hoped so. She excused herself once more and headed out the door, down the hall. Before she reached the opening into the large area, she heard her name mentioned, and stopped.

“She doesn't know anything.” Alex's voice.

“Have you asked her?” Marc's voice.

“Yes. I've asked whether her father left her anything. She said no.”

“There
has
to be something. Something she's not aware of. Heath said he left that note in a book.”

“It probably burned with the cabin.”

“Dammit, I'm not ready to give up.”

There was a pause. “Maybe we should look at Heath's note again.” Alex's voice. “Is it still in the files in the attic?”

There was a silence, and she could only guess that one of them had nodded.

She continued, her shoes making clicks on the hardwood floor. Alex turned, saw her and came forward. “Jessica, I'm glad to see you again.”

She regarded him carefully. A few moments ago, she would have greeted him with pleasure. Now she wasn't so sure. What note? What was she supposed to have? The book? Could he mean the old primer?

But she had no time to pursue that line of thinking because a tall, attractive, dark-haired woman came in the door. Jessie surmised that it was Elizabeth.

The newcomer immediately came over to them. She grinned. “You must be the famous Jessica. Have you felt overpowered yet?”

“How did you know?”

“This family can do it to you. But they really aren't so bad.” She gave Marc a big hug. “Are you, Marc?”

The affection between the two cousins was obvious. It stirred the longing in her to have similar relationships. That was what she'd dreamed about. Not suspicion, nor manipulation, nor accusations. Could she have been wrong? Was she really just plain paranoid?

In a matter of minutes, the room was full: Halden limped painfully from the hall on the other side of the room. Cullen appeared with his wife, Sondra. His twins were there with their wives. Samantha arrived several moments later with April.

Marc served as bartender. Every time the door opened, she turned her head to see whether it was Ross strolling through the room as if he owned it.

She accepted a glass of champagne as Sarah entered. No trace of fatigue was obvious in her face. She walked with a spring to her step and took a glass of champagne.

“Now that we're all here,” Marc said, “I would like to offer a toast.”

Ross walked in then. All the eyes turned toward him, surprise in most of them. Jessie saw deep pleasure in Sarah's eyes, then she turned back to Ross.

He looked magnificent. He was wearing charcoal slacks, a light-blue dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar, and a gray sports jacket. He looked casual yet unexpectedly elegant. His hair was still damp and curled slightly.

Elizabeth went over and hugged him. “I'm so glad to see you. Take me riding tomorrow?”

Ross turned to Jessie. “Ah, a woman with rare intelligence. She knows not to go riding alone.”

She wanted to kick him. But she could tell he liked Elizabeth and she felt a lurch in her heart. Elizabeth was about his age, and totally at ease with him.

“I always used to read books in the barn, and he could never understand it, until I picked out a few I thought he might like. I created a monster.”

Ross didn't say anything, but she wondered at the one person who apparently had the affection of both Ross and Marc.

Supper was surprisingly cordial, although she noticed that Marc and Ross said little to one another. Sarah beamed at Ross, Elizabeth looked at him fondly, and Jessie wondered how she looked at him. Not as hungrily, she hoped, as she felt or as openly as April seemed to ogle him. But though he was polite to Marc's daughter, he made little attempt to engage her in conversation. Mostly, he talked to Elizabeth.

Jessie tried to relax, but she kept hearing those words earlier.
She doesn't know anything. There has to be something
. And a letter in the attic. It all sounded like some gothic novel. But she decided then and there she was going to see that letter.

The meal was very good—Chateaubriand and more champagne. Lots and lots of champagne. Ross, she noticed, was the only one who was scarcely drinking.

It was ten before dessert was finished, and the crowd started to disperse. Ross was the first to leave, saying he had work to do. Elizabeth was staying at the resort, and she decided to leave with Alex and April. Tweedledee and Tweedledum left with their wives, followed by Cullen and his wife.

Sarah retired with apologies.

Jessie had mellowed with the champagne. The normalcy of the dinner, the efforts of everyone to be pleasant, disarmed her. But she needed air. And time to think. She excused herself, went up and fetched Ben, then walked him around the paddock.

The quarter moon looked fragile, almost transparent. The night was warm and a small, tender breeze made it sensuous. Or perhaps anything would seem sensuous after this afternoon. She couldn't stop remembering the feel of Ross's lips on hers, and the lightning that streaked through her at his very touch.