Passionate Bid (7 page)

Sam yawned. “Mama, I”m sleepy.”

“She”ll be miserable if her allergies act up. We walked in the woods today.

You never know what she got stuck on her clothes. I should have given her a bath right away. Bug, sit up.”

“Here, I”ll hold her up.”

“Thanks.” Julian kept Sam sitting up until Joanie finished changing her clothes. “Sam, say goodnight to Doctor Ravenwood. He”s leaving now.”

“Night-night, Doctor Julian.”

“Night, Sam. Thanks for sharing your pictures with me.”

“Uh-huh. Come to my party. Come, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Mama, sing me my Sunshine.” Sam rolled on her side and hugged her doll.

“I”ll wait downstairs, Joanie.”

Joanie waited until Julian was gone before she started singing You Are My Sunshine. It was their nightly anthem. When she finished singing, she kissed Sam goodnight and turned off the lights, leaving only her firefly nightlight on. “I love you, bug.”

Stomach cramping at having to face Julian alone, she went downstairs.

The furniture had seen better days and the rugs were threadbare. But the spectacular paintings, mostly landscapes, hung on the wall made up for what the house lacked in furnishing. Julian also noticed there were paintings stacked up in every corner of the room as if Joanie just moved in. Or was she in the process of moving out? All paintings were initialed J.S.C. Joanie Saint Claire. He wondered if she used Ravenwood at all.

Pictures of Sam in various stages lined up on the mantel above the fireplace.

In all of Sam”s pictures, she wore a silver necklace with a ring for a pendant. He briefly saw the necklace when Joanie changed Sam”s clothes, but didn”t get a chance to get a better look. His gaze went back to the picture of Saint Claire and Sam sitting on the edge of the low short bridge laughing, the bridge he had seen when he first approached Sam. The two were holding fishing poles. Damn, he couldn”t believe the man was gone. It seemed all men in Joanie”s life were gone.

First him, then Sam”s papa, and now, even her father was gone.

Other than Joanie and old Saint Claire, he didn”t see anyone in the picture that could be Sam”s papa. Where is Mr. Wrong?

Julian was admiring a painting of a little girl walking barefoot on a well-worn path surrounded by tall green grasses when he heard the floorboard creak.

He looked toward the stairs. Joanie was coming down the steps. She must have tied her hair in a hurry because she missed a few locks that hung from behind her nape and ears. On that area, she hadn”t change. Her hair still looked as wild as ever.

This time, though, he didn”t see her as an untidy woman, but a very seductive one.

Yeah, very seductive. Why he noticed? Well, who wouldn”t? Those jeans of hers molded onto her hips and thighs like a second skin, showing her nice curves. And her tight shirt, well, only a blind man wouldn”t see her beautiful body.

The day they got married, she had worn her hair up with a silk ribbon to hold it, but the darn ribbon kept slipping off her hair. When the wedding was over, he remembered pulling the thin material and tucking it in his pocket. Only a few days ago, when he was getting ready to come here, he found the ribbon and a flower clip she had adorned her hair in his desk drawer. Why he had kept them, he had no clue.

“Thanks for entertaining Sam. She”s been moody since Dad passed away.”

“That”s understandable.”

“Don”t worry about her invitation. Tomorrow she won”t remember that she asked you. She probably won”t even remember you on her birthday.”

“You think so?”

“She”s too young to remember things.”

“Sam told me her papa sailed away.”

“Yes. In a matter of speaking.”

“Is he in the Navy, a seaman or a fisherman?”

“Please sit down. Would you like a cup of coffee or tea or another Coors?”

The change of subject was quick, but not subtle enough. If she didn”t want to talk about her man, so be it. Her love life wasn”t his concern. “Coffee sounds good.”

“I”ll be right back.”

Joanie disappeared into the kitchen in a hurry. He made her nervous, and it seemed she didn”t want to be around him. For an abandoned wife, Joanie was acting cool. Was it because she didn”t care about what happened and in fact, happy he”d left her? If that were the case, then maybe he”d be able to leave this home with her signature. She had a lovely daughter now. She obviously moved on.

So she should end their marriage.

A few days after he left her, guilt nagged at him. It had lasted for months until he finally convinced himself that his decision to leave Joanie was the best move for both of them. What he didn”t know was Joanie moved on before him. She even got herself a child.

When Joanie saw him today, myriad of emotions played on her face. After her initial shock had passed, she looked about ready to cry, and then her eyes turned furious. He supposed it was only natural. He surprised her with his unannounced visit. But she surprised him, too. She”d changed. Without her thick magnifying glasses, he could see the real shape of her eyes. They were still big, but beautiful like the deep green forest. She had full lips like Sam”s and a nose that was perfect for her oval shaped face. She was twenty-one now and a mother. But her body didn”t bear any sign that she”d had a child. Slim, with flat stomach and nice rounded butt. He noticed her shapely legs, too. With her package, he wasn”t surprised she”d found a man.

A bright flash lit the room followed by loud thunder. Damn, he hoped it wouldn”t rain too much. He planned to drive back to Portland tomorrow to catch his plane—if Joanie signed the papers tonight.

Soft pattering of footsteps sounded from upstairs. Sam. Thunder must have woken her up. Without waiting for Joanie, he met Sam half way down the steps and scooped her up by the armpits. “Hey there. You okay?” Sam wrapped her chubby arms around his neck.

“I”m scared.” She sniffed and rubbed her cold nose against his shoulder.

“Don”t worry, love. I won”t let the thunder get you.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.” Julian sat down on the couch, holding Sam on his lap. The little girl felt soft and good against him. She smelled of soap like her mother. He adjusted Sam”s position so she was lying across his lap. The crook of his arm pillowed her head.

Sam sighed and buried her face against his chest. Seconds later, she was fast asleep. He noticed she was still wearing her silver necklace. Jesus, didn”t Joanie know it wasn”t safe for Sam to wear her necklace when she went to bed. It could choke her to death in her sleep.

He lifted the chain and pulled it out of her pajama top. The ring pendant shone from the reflected light from the lamp. The simple silver band was too familiar. His chest thudded. If the ring was what he thought it was, then there should be an inscription…

“What are you doing?” Joanie asked. She was holding two steamy mugs.

“Why is Sam down here?”

“The thunder scared her and she came down here. Did you know she”s scared of thunder?”

“Yes. But her papa always tucked…. Shit. I”m sorry. I heard the thunder but—”

“You forgot her papa is gone.”

“I was—my mind was off somewhere…yeah, I forgot. Why don”t I take Sam back to her bedroom?” Another loud crack of thunder made Joanie jump.

“She”ll just wake up again. It”s better if she stays here. Joanie, she can”t go to sleep wearing her necklace. It”s not safe. Do you know how many kids die every year because of a simple string?”

“She”s been wearing her necklace since the first day she was born. She”s attached to it.”

“Well, it”s time she should take it off. She”s too young to be wearing a necklace like this. If it gets snag, it”ll hurt her.” Joanie became quiet. She just stood looking down at Sam still holding the two coffee mugs. “I gave her the necklace because it was the right thing to do. Hurting her was the last thing in my mind.”

“Give it to her when she”s older.”

She sat down the mugs on the coffee table. “You”re right. It”s time to take it off. There is no use hanging on to it.” She splayed a hand on her chest and nodded.

Somehow, Julian had a feeling he struck as sensitive spot. “It is for her own safety, Joanie.”

Joanie looked into the mugs. Across her pale and beautiful face, a melancholy frown flitted. “I know. You show great care for a child you just met.”

“I”d do and say the same thing to any mother who has no sense about what”s dangerous to her child.”

Sadness gone, her face flushed from anger. “Are you saying I am stupid and senseless?”

“I found Sam alone on the path and you let her wear a necklace to bed. What am I supposed to think?”

“You don”t know shit about me. Now, are those the papers you were talking about?”

Julian took a brief look at the manila envelope he placed on the table. “Yes.” Joanie nodded. As if someone blew the light from within her, her face turned utterly sad and her eyes shone from unshed tears. “The divorce papers.”

“Yeah.” Damn, why was she crying? She already found another man. Their divorce shouldn”t make her sad. They”d been separated for years. He was just here to legalize their separation and so he could be with another and start his own family. This meeting was just a formality. The thought, for the first time, made him feel, guilty. I’ll be damned.

After tonight, he most likely would never see her again. Tonight would be the best time to make amends. “I owe you and your father an apology.” Joanie turned her head away to wipe her eyes. “For what?”

“For everything. For leaving you the day after our wedding, for the grief, and I am sure humiliation.”

“I understand why you left. Any man would probably have done the same thing. You loathed me and the idea of us getting married.”

“Joanie, I don”t loathe you, but you are right. I didn”t want to get married.”

“But Dad forced and threatened you. It was wrong of him to point his gun at you. But at the time, he was just trying to save me.”

“You were underage.” He cleared his throat. “Your dad acted the way a father would to protect his daughter. I”d most likely do the same thing if it happened to my own daughter. ” It was her damn first time, too. He saw the proof of her virginity on the bed sheet. “I”m sure your dad was as mad as a bull when I left.”

“Dad”s anger about you leaving me lasted over a month. After that, he was happy that you didn”t stick around. We stopped talking about you as if the wedding never happened. Then we talked about you again when…I…well, everything happened a long time ago. Can we talk about your papers now? You said you wanted to leave right away, right? Do you have a pen?”

“Eager to be free of me, huh?” Why did she return the papers if she was as eager as him to get a divorce? He couldn”t understand why, but her coolness somehow irritated him. She should be screaming at him, throwing things, swearing, or demanding support. He”d feel a lot better if she slapped him. He deserved it. Not this.

Joanie was slighted. A woman he treated with scorn, she deserved to be mad. So why was Joanie acting so calm? Okay, she didn”t care about him and probably would be ecstatic as soon as he was out the door, which raised the question over and over about why she returned the papers unsigned.

“This is what you wanted from the start,” Joanie said, her eyes focused on Sam.

“Then why didn”t you sign the papers, Joanie?”

“The divorce papers right? These,” she pointed at the manila envelope.

“Yes, these. The same ones that I sent you two times.”

“I didn”t sign the papers because I never got them.”

“You never got them?”

“No. Did you send this to our old address? Because we left a month after our wedding.”

“No. I mailed it here. And I know you received the envelope. Come on, Joanie. There is nothing wrong with admitting the truth.”

“Are you accusing me of lying and pretending? I”m not stupid, you know.

Maybe I acted stupid when I had,” she glanced at sleeping Sam, “S-E-X with you, but that doesn”t mean I remained stupid.”

“Look at the address on the envelope. Isn”t that your address here?”

“Yes.”

“Then you received these. You even wrote the—didn”t you write a note when you returned these to me.”

“A note? You”re saying you sent these papers to me, but I sent them back unsigned and with a note attached to them?”

“Yes, twice in fact.”

Joanie stared at him. Lines of concentration deepened along her brows. She looked to be in deep thoughts. Or maybe she was good at pretending. But if she were telling the truth, then who returned the mail? Saint Claire? Impossible. The man hated him so much he would probably be the first to suggest a divorce, demand support for Joanie, and testify in court that he, Julian Ravenwood, was a rotten husband. In fact, during his first months in Manhattan, he expected the man to show up on his doorstep with his gun cocked and ready to fire. After what he”d done to Joanie, Saint Claire would be glad to see him gone from Joanie”s life forever. And didn”t she say that a month after he left, Saint Claire was happy that he was out of Joanie”s life? So who returned the papers? Sam”s papa?

“What was on the note?”

He leaned forward, careful not to disturb Sam, then opened the Manila envelope to retrieve the small sticky notes.

Joanie flashed him a look of confusion. Her eyes blinking as if she were trying to rid of something stuck in her eyes.

“Who wrote these notes if you didn”t, Joanie?”

“I don”t know. Let me see.”

“You don”t know?”

“No I don”t. Let me see the notes.” Joanie looked at Sam and her eyes turned even sadder. Her green eyes lost their sparkle.

He didn”t give them to her. “Well, I have an idea. Maybe Sam”s papa opened the envelope and wrote the note inside without telling you. Maybe he saw an opportunity for extortion, blackmail, to make money.”

“What? He would never do such a thing!” Joanie grabbed the notes from him and the envelope. She pulled the papers out so fast he was surprised she didn”t rip them apart. He watched her, saw her eyes grow even bigger as she read the notes.

“Well?”

Her lips moved, but no sound came out. Shaking her head, she looked at him. “Well, maybe you”re right.”