Return of the Prodigal Son (7 page)

He gave her one last furious look before running out of the room and racing up the stairs. While the others watched and listened in silence, they could hear the slamming of his door as he closed himself in his bedroom.

Chapter 5

I
n the silence that followed, Taylor turned mournful eyes to her mother. “Why is Cory mad? Did I do something wrong?”

“Hush, darling.” Andi rounded the table to drop a kiss on her daughter’s cheek. “It wasn’t your fault. It was mine.”

She sighed, and Donovan could see the strained look return to her eyes. “I made coffee, Donovan. Would you like some?”

He was already on his feet, directing her back to her chair. “I’ll get it. You look like you could use some, too.”

When she nodded, he poured two cups of coffee. “Cream or sugar?”

“Just black.” She accepted the cup from him and lifted it to her lips, hoping it would restore her flagging spirits.

Taylor wiped milk from her upper lip. “Did you and Cory see any bears, Donovan?”

“No bears.” Donovan managed a smile. “If we had, you would have seen us home a lot sooner. But we did see deer.”

“Were they reindeer?”

He shook his head. “And not an elf in sight, either. Just a few ordinary deer. But we had a good hike. I think, after the miles we put in today, Cory will sleep tonight.”

At the mention of sleep the little girl yawned, and Andi said softly, “Would you like to go upstairs and get on your pajamas?”

Taylor nodded.

“Go ahead, then, honey.” Her mother managed a smile. “I’ll be up in a little while to tuck you in bed.”

“Okay, Mama. G’night, Donovan.”

He grinned. “Good night, Taylor.”

When they were alone, Andi’s smile faded. She looked across the table at Donovan. “He was so happy when he walked in. It’s been a year since I’ve seen that light in his eyes. And it was wiped out in an instant because of me.”

“Stop beating yourself up, Andi.”

She gave a hard shake of her head. “I let him down. Not once but twice. It’s bad enough that I didn’t trust him. But I made it worse by asking you to pretend your meeting was an accident. That’s the same as lying.”

“You’re a mother. Every mother worries about her children. But you’ve got an added burden, because you’re alone and in a strange place.”

“That’s no excuse for not trusting my son and then lying to him.” She pushed away from the table. “I’d better go upstairs and tuck Taylor in. I know she’ll be fretting about her big brother. I swear they’re connected at the hip. Every time he hurts, she bleeds for him.”

When she left the room, Donovan sat a moment, sipping his coffee, deep in thought. Then he got up and began to clear the table. By the time Andi returned, he had the dishes in the dishwasher and had wiped down the table and stove top.

She looked around in surprise. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“I wanted to.”

Despite her heavy heart she couldn’t help laughing. “After seeing your place this morning, I wasn’t sure you knew how to clean up.”

He gave her one of his rare, heart-stopping smiles. “I admit I’m a little rusty. But I guess it’s like riding a bike. You never forget.” He held up the coffeepot. “Want a fresh cup?”

“Thanks.” She leaned against the counter while he filled her cup and his own.

As he handed her the coffee he asked, “You feeling tired?”

She shook her head. “Just the opposite. That little scene with Cory has me wired. Why do you ask?”

“I’m sure Champ told you about our agreement.”

She nodded.

“I thought it was time to ask you a few questions about your husband’s business.”

She sighed. “I figured sooner or later you’d ask.”

“You can tell me to stop at any time. I don’t want to cause you any further grief, Andi. But there are things I need to know.”

She nodded. “All right, then. Would you like to sit in here or in the living room?”

“This is fine.” He carried his cup to the table and sat facing her as she settled herself across from him. He had to remind himself not to think about those soft, honey eyes or that perfect mouth, and concentrate on business. It wouldn’t be easy. She reminded him of a wounded bird. And he’d always had a soft spot in his heart for helpless creatures.

“How well did Adam know his partner, Neil Summerville?”

“They met in college, then lost contact until a few years ago, when they met at a dinner party in Washington. They talked for several hours, and when Adam admitted that he wasn’t crazy about his job at the bank, Neil invited him to join his investment firm. Adam and I talked about it, and when I had no objections, Adam negotiated a very favorable deal that made him a full partner.”

“What did Adam have to do in exchange for a partnership?”

“He agreed to use his connections to bring in wealthy clients. It’s done all the time in big business.”

Donovan nodded. “Besides the clients he would bring with him, there was the name. The reputation. Isn’t that right?”

Andi smiled. “The Brady family prides itself on its reputation. Until Adam—” she stopped, tried again “—until now, there’s never been even a hint of scandal surrounding their name.”

“I imagine they’re not too pleased with the notoriety.”

Andi stared into her coffee. “That’s putting it mildly. They’ve closed ranks. Refused all interviews. But they’ve also shut us out.” She sighed. “I don’t mind for myself. My brother has been great. Champ has been at my side from the first day. But my heart aches for my children. They haven’t seen their grandparents since the funeral a year ago.”

“Adam’s family is blaming you?”

She sighed again. “They need someone to blame. And since their son is dead, they prefer to think that I probably hounded him to leave the family business and make more money somewhere else.” She looked up and met Donovan’s eyes. “The truth is I knew Adam was unhappy in the family business. I just wanted his happiness. Money never entered into the equation.” She shook her head. “I guess my mother was right all those years ago.”

“Right about what?”

“She used to shake her head and call me her beautiful dreamer. I was the child who always believed in happy endings. And now look at my life.” She fell silent, looking as though she might break down and cry at any moment.

To give her time to compose herself, Donovan stood up and crossed to the stove, returning with the coffeepot. After topping off their cups he returned to his seat at the table.

“Did you ever notice any sudden change in your husband’s behavior? Something to indicate that he was unhappy with the way things were going at the new firm?”

She shook her head. “Oh, he and Neil had their differences. Neil was always at the office. He was the first one there in the morning, and the last one to leave at night. He would spend entire weekends working on his clients’ portfolios, while Adam wanted his weekends free to be with me and the children. But their discussions never seemed as heated as the ones Adam had with his father and uncles, before leaving the banking business.”

“So there was bad blood between Adam and his family when he left?”

“He was the heir apparent. When he left, they realized they would have to bring nonfamily members into positions that had once been held only by blood.”

Donovan paused a moment, considering the enormity of his next question. “Could Adam have been angry enough with his family to want to do something that would hurt them?”

“Are you asking if Adam would steal from his own clients, just to bring shame to his family? The answer is emphatically no. Donovan, my husband was a good, decent, honorable man.”

“And you believe in his innocence?”

She nodded and lowered her head, but not before he saw the shadow of doubt that flickered in her eyes.

He decided to change directions.

“Did he and Neil often fly together to client meetings?”

“Not often. Usually one of them would conduct the meeting, while the other would remain in town. But the meeting in Chicago was a luncheon for a group of potential clients who were bringing a great deal of money to the firm. Neil and Adam thought it best if they both attended.”

“Did they usually lease a private jet?”

“Most of the time they used commercial carriers. But Cory had a soccer playoff. Adam told Neil that he needed to be home for it. So Neil arranged for a private plane that could get them back in plenty of time for the game.”

“Neil made the arrangements?”

She nodded, before passing a hand over her eyes in a gesture of weariness.

At once Donovan was on his feet. “You need your rest. We can do this another time.”

“No.” As he started toward the back door she placed a hand on his sleeve. “It…it helps to talk. My family and friends avoided any mention of it, for fear of causing more pain. So many of my former friends turned away from me after the funeral….” She took in a long, deep breath. “I’ve gone over this so many times in my mind, looking for something, anything, that would restore Adam’s good name. Especially for the sake of my children. Taylor’s still too young to understand the implications. But Cory’s so hurt. And I don’t know how to reach him.”

Donovan placed a hand over hers and struggled to ignore the rush of heat. But there was no denying what he felt each time they touched. “I can understand some of what he’s going through. There’s so much anger when the person you love is snatched away without warning. But Cory has the added burden of being forced to hear and read some pretty lousy things being said about his father. It isn’t bad enough he has a hole in his heart that will never be filled, but now it’s being rubbed raw with all that pain and anguish.”

She took a step back. “Champ said you lost your father at about the same age.”

He nodded.

Andi looked up hopefully. “When did you stop missing him?”

“I’ll let you know when that happens.”

At his words she understood the shadow of pain that was always there whenever she looked into his eyes.

“Oh, Donovan.” She instinctively reached a hand to his cheek. “I’m sorry. Here I am telling you about our troubles, when you’re still dealing with your own.”

At her tenderness he absorbed a blow to the heart and had to take in a quick breath. “It happened a long time ago, Andi.”

“And it still hurts.”

“Yeah.” He looked down into her eyes and knew he had to kiss her. Walking away, right this minute, would have been the smart thing to do. But for Donovan, it wasn’t even an option.

He reached out instinctively, drawing her close as he lowered his head, capturing her mouth with his. There was nothing soft or inviting about his kiss. In the space of a single heartbeat he drew her fully into it.

She thought about pulling back, but she was frozen to the spot. It was impossible to move.

Heat poured between them as they slipped deeper into the kiss.

He thought he’d been prepared for this. But as his mouth moved over hers, the sensations that ripped through him had him dragging her closer, until her body was imprinting itself on his. He longed to touch her everywhere. But all he permitted himself was the brush of his hand along her back. Even that simple movement had him aching for more.

Andi absorbed the shock as his touch sent sparks dancing along her spine. She’d known, of course, that he was attracted to her. A woman could tell those things. And the attraction was returned. What woman wouldn’t be attracted to a sexy, dangerous man like Donovan Lassiter? But she hadn’t thought beyond the attraction. It had been too many years since she’d flirted. As for kissing a man, there had been no one except Adam from the day they’d become engaged. Now here she was, letting this man kiss her. What shamed her even more was that she was returning his kiss.

And what a kiss. It took all her willpower to keep from wrapping her arms around his neck and begging for more. Still, she kept her arms firmly at her sides, her hands clenched into tight fists to keep from touching him.

What had she gotten herself into? She’d wanted this. Wanted desperately to feel his mouth on hers. And yet she was afraid. Afraid of where it might lead. She wasn’t ready for this. Especially with a man like Donovan Lassiter.

He lingered over her mouth as long as he dared, wishing he could take more. The thought of lying with her, loving her, had his head spinning and his world tilting at a crazy angle.

He was playing with fire here. This wasn’t a woman he could simply love and leave. Andi Brady was the kind of woman a man loved for a lifetime. She had responsibilities. Commitments. None of those things were even considerations in his life.

He gathered her so close against him she cried out. That had him lifting his head and staring down at her in stunned surprise.

His eyes narrowed as he rubbed his hands along the tops of her arms in a motion meant to soothe. “Sorry.”

She wondered if he had any idea just what his touch was doing to her. It took her a moment to find her voice. “Apology accepted.”

His smile was quick and dangerous. “I wasn’t apologizing for the kiss. If I have the opportunity, I’ll do it again.”

“Is that—” she marveled that she could get any words out over a throat so constricted “—a promise or a threat?”

“Take it any way you want. I’m just giving you fair warning. But I didn’t mean to be so rough.” He ran his fingers lightly up and down her arms.

Andi couldn’t control the shiver that raced up her spine. If he kissed her again, she’d be completely lost.

She was relieved when he took a step back, breaking contact.

“I’d better go.”

As he walked away she crossed her arms over her chest, struggling to hold herself together.

He put a hand on the door and turned. “Most folks up here don’t lock their doors.” He gave her a smoldering look that said more than words. “In your case, it might be wise to use the locks.”

Andi stood where she was, listening to the sound of his footsteps on the gravel path.

When she was certain her legs would carry her, she walked to the back door and turned the lock. Not that it mattered, she thought. He looked like a man who wouldn’t be stopped by a locked door.