One evening he was escorting a lovely blonde, the daughter of a shipping magnate, to a charity function when he bumped into his parents. “Heron, I didn’t expect to see you here, tonight,” Alana said. Her eyes glanced briefly at the woman who was at his side. “Riley’s not with you, tonight? Where is she?” Heron gave her a bland look. “She’s not with me, tonight.” “Who’s Riley?” the blond said a bit peevishly. “I left a message last week at your home and at your office to bring Riley over for dinner last Sunday. But I never heard from you,” Alana said. “I hope everything is okay.” “Who’s this Riley?” the blonde asked again. “Everything is fine, Mother,” Heron said smoothly. “I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you. I’m afraid work has been quite hectic. If you wish, I can come over this Sunday.” “And Riley?” Alana prompted with a raised eyebrow. “Who’s Riley?” The heiress was getting a little impatient at being ignored, as if she was were a small bothersome house pet. “I’m afraid it will be just me, Mother, if that is okay with you.” Alana gave him a knowing look that edged with disapproval. “Oh, I see. So, Riley is no longer in the picture, is that it?” Roy tugged at his wife’s arm. “Alana, leave the poor boy alone. Stop interfering with his life.” The blonde stamped her foot. “Who is Riley?” “No one for you to be concerned about, my dear,” Alana said to her imperiously. Then to Heron, she gave a cool smile. “Of course come by Sunday, if you want. But, please, call before you do. We might be out.” She sailed past her son, her head held high. Roy gave Heron a look of apology before following in his wife’s footsteps. Heron watched them with a grim look. “Should I be worrying about this, Riley, is it?” the blonde pouted beside him. Heron slowly turned his head and studied her for a moment. Normally, he would have either ignored a woman’s jealous prompting, whether or not she was in any reason to, or would have a given a smooth answer of denial and quickly divert the lady’s attention. As it was, fatigued from having just coming down from a full work week of more than sixty hours, irritated at having to unexpectedly confront his parents tonight, and incensed at his mother’s blatant display of her disapproval of his decision to stop seeing Riley, Heron was t the end of his ropes and had no energy for diplomacy. He said carefully, as if instructing a particularly dimwitted child, “Have I given you at any time during our short acquaintance any indication that you would be in a position to consider your situation in relation to what other women there might be in my life?” The heiress flushed painfully and cast him a look of resentment. She had been told by others that Heron Wait was known to be a one cool customer, could be a cold bastard at times. But he had been too rich, too attractive, both in looks and in his forceful personality, to pass up. Now, she understood why so many women were leery about seeing the rich lawyer. “He may be easy on the eye, but, honey, he can be murder on your ego,” one acquaintance had informed her. The following week, Roy Wait visited his son at his office. “So sorry for the other night,” Roy said as he sat in a chair in front of his son’s desk. “That was quite unpardonable of your mother. Of course, it is your private matter as to whoever you choose to see in your personal life.” “Thank you, Father. I appreciate that.” Heron watched Roy, noticing that for all of his usual bonhomie, his father looked a little pre-occupied, even agitated. But Roy proceeded to discuss business for the next half hour. When he asked his son if he would accompany him to the Russian Tearoom at St. Francis Hotel for lunch, Heron looked at him curiously but agreed. At the sumptuous dining room, the two men dined on spinach and walnut salad and chicken piccata. After which, the table was cleared of the lunch dishes, and coffee was served. Roy sat back and gave a sigh. “I guess I better come out with it, then. I’ve pandered about long enough, wouldn’t you say, Heron?” Heron didn’t say anything but sipped his coffee. Roy suddenly looked tired, losing his usual robust, youthful mien, his eyes looking dull and weary. “It’s your mother, I’m afraid.” “Mother? What she up to now?” “I wish to god it were her usual annoying tendency to be into everyone’s business. But last week, she felt a lump in her breast.” Heron’s face turned white, the cup he had been lifting to his lips halting in midair. “Is it…” “They don’t know yet. Last Friday, we went to the doctor, and the mammogram did show a large lump at the underside of her right breast. She’s having a biopsy tomorrow.” Heron reached for his Palm Pilot. “What time, and where?” Roy put his hands on his son’s that was poised over the PDA. “No, no. That won’t do. Your mother didn’t want to tell any of you kids until the results of the biopsy.” “How could she think to keep something like this from us?” “It is her choice, Heron. Besides, she was going to tell all of you only when the lab results come in, which should be the day after tomorrow. She said she didn’t want to cause any undue stress and worry if there was no need.” “So, why did she agree that you tell me, Father?” “She didn’t. Your mother doesn’t know that I’m here.” Roy rubbed his hands over his face. “I just had to tell someone. And you’re the oldest, Heron.” He stared at his coffee, his face looking haggard and aged. “We’ve been married for over forty years, your mother and I. The first time I saw her, I knew I loved her. Since then, that certainty has never wavered. I just can’t imagine life without her…” He stopped because the words were caught in his throat as emotions threatened to seep through his usual male control. Heron put his hand over his father’s and squeezed it. “I know, father. I can’t imagine that either.” Roy visibly regained his composure. “You know, son, we’ve all led a very privileged life, being as rich as we are. We’ve taken it for granted for so long that money can solve most any problem we come across, at least smooth the way. But, then, when we’re faced with something like this, I realize how very little power money really has in life.” “Treatment for cancer has come a long way, Dad. Nowadays, a woman doesn’t automatically have to accept the more threatening outcome when she finds out that she has it, even those who are in advanced stages.” “I know, I know, Heron.” Roy struggled to smile. “You know, we’ve been such a fortunate family, Heron. We’ve been blessed so very much in everything that there is in life, wealth, privilege, marriage, family, success, health, not the least of which, love and passion. I’m afraid it has quite left me unprepared for these types of circumstances.” Heron nodded, his grim. He couldn’t bear to think about a life without either of his parents, or his brother or sister and their families. Heron left his father and headed back to his office. But once he was shut up in his office, he was at a complete loss as to what to do. When he sat in his chair, he would immediately get up and pace back and forth. When he’d realize what he was doing, he’d throw himself back in his chair, but in less than a minute, he was back on his feet walking the floor. He tried to concentrate on his work, but his mind could not get around the possible danger to his mother’s health. He was in desperate want of calling his brother or sister, but he knew had no right to do so. He looked back on his idyllic life. For all of his exasperation that he felt about his family and his sense of detachment from them and the rest of the world, he had always been secure in the love and devotion of his parents and his siblings. Riley had been right all along when she had told him that love, the right love, was there in front of his eyes. Suddenly, he was assailed with the most urgent longing to see Riley, to here her voice, to be beside her. He wanted to be able to look into her pale-gray-hazel eyes as he told her of his mother. He knew that Riley was one woman in whom he felt he could confide, especially on something as critical as the threat to the health of his family. Heron rushed over to his desk and picked up his phone. He froze in mid-dial, his hand suspended over the buttons, when he realized who he was about to call. He quickly replaced the receiver to its cradle and fell into his chair again in a fierce brood. Riley was the last person he could call, he realized. What possessed him to even think that it was suitable for him to call her at all. He was the one who had ended things between them. And why would he want to see her again. He had ended their affair because of the very reason that he no longer wanted to see Riley. And he no longer wanted to see Riley because he hadn’t wanted to begin thinking that her love was important to him. Suddenly, Heron realized that more than anything, at that moment, desperately worried over his mother’s impending biopsy, he wanted to be able to ensconce himself in whatever love Riley might have had to offer him. The next day, Heron tried to work in his office, trying not to pick up the phone to dial his father. When he could stand it no longer, he drove to the hospital where his mother was to have the biopsy. When he stepped out of the elevator, he saw that all of his family, his father, Tanner and Roberta, Beth Anne and her husband were all there. Beth Anne was wiping her eyes with a Kleenex, and Tanner was holding Roberta in his arms who was also weeping. Heron thought the worst and felt his heart stop. “Oh, God, no!” He rushed over to them. “The lab results have already come back, then?” Beth turned her red eyes to him. “Well, where have you been, Heron? A fine time to be showing up, now, is it, when all the fussing and worrying is over.” “What do you mean? Have you heard from the lab, then? What’s the news? Tell me!” Tanner threw his arms around his brother. “Yes, the doctor just told us. It’s benign. There’s no cancer. It’s just a benign tumor.” “Are you sure? The doctor’s are sure that there’s no danger to Mother?” Roy, looking immensely relieved, the weight completely off his shoulder from yesterday, took Heron’s hands. “Yes, Heron. The doctor has cleared her. He said he had the lab do a second test to make sure that there was no mistake. And there was no mistake. Thank God, Heron!” Now that his mind was relieved of any impending doom to his family, Heron realized the presence of his siblings and their spouses. “What are you doing here? I thought mother didn’t want anyone to know about this until the results of the biopsy.” Beth Anne narrowed her eyes at him. “Yes, I see you were kept in the dark as we were.” She cast a pointed look at her father. “And why does he rate for such important information as this and not me and Tanner? Just because he’s the eldest?” “Well, then, he told you, too,” Heron asked. “No, not at all,” Beth Anne sniffed. “We clearly did not rate, like we weren’t old enough to handle as something as a possible cancer in our mother. I got it out of Mother, last night, when I called. She didn’t sound right, and I kept on her until I got it out of her. And after I hung up…” “She called me straight away,” Tanner said, his arms still around a teary Roberta. “We were furious at Mother and Father for trying to keep this from us. At least from me and Beth.” “Well, that’s in the past,” Roy said hastily. “Come, let’s see your mother.” As Heron drove back to his office, he found himself less than assured. Now that his mind was relieved of any danger to his mother’s health, he should have felt that his world was right again, and that he could continue to go about his life as he had been, more or less untroubled. However, such easement of his mind was proving hard to come by. Instead, he was left troubled by his awareness that the whole scare of his mother’s health had brought to light the quite unexpected and much hidden emotional need for Riley Calderon. When he broke things off between he and Riley he had thought it was only sexual obsession on his part, an obsession that he wanted to put a stop to, because he felt it was getting out of hand. At the time, he had had no reason to suspect that the matter was not settled then. All other affairs had remained settled, whether sexual or not, at least as far as he was concerned, once he had ended them. Not liking the direction of his thoughts, Heron emphatically denied to himself that there was any remote chance that he could have any feelings for Riley. How could he have them for a woman he didn’t even like? Hadn’t he disliked her intensely from the very the beginning? Anyway, it would never do for him to consider seriously woman like Riley. She was too opinionated, too critical of societal mores and values, too open sexually. Plus, she ran a private sex club. It might be true that she had proven to be one of the more enjoyable female company, that he had actually enjoyed being with her, liked begin engaged in talks with her, when they weren’t sniping at one another. And when they weren’t so overwhelmed with the need to devour one another. She was highly intelligent, well informed, cultured, sophisticated, humorous. She had made him laugh, even, which was something Heron could not remember ever knowing a woman was capable of doing to him, other than his mother and sister. But she had been completely unsuitable to consider anymore than a temporary bed partner. It wasn’t that he thought himself above her station for all of his wealth status and her lack of it. Hadn’t he been more than willing to marry her sister? It was just that she was inclined to court her baser instincts than was socially acceptable. True that this made her an exciting lover. But that was all. But Heron wanted to be with Riley, right then and there. Very badly. He wanted to feel the comfort of her small body pressed against his, feel the soft warmth of her, and look into those strange hazel eyes of hers. That didn’t make sense. Why would he suddenly need the comfort of this particular mistress, just because there had been a family crises. He had never felt the need of any woman’s comfort. If he did, he could always turn to his mother. Even his sister in her dry, absent-minded kind of way. Heron shook his head as he drove back to his office. No, he thought, it wasn’t because he suddenly longed for Riley in any emotional way. It was just a reaction to the family crises, the unfamiliar experience of having his emotions heightened when he heard about his mother. He hadn’t longed for her before this. In fact, after he had ended the affair, he had rarely thought of Riley. So it didn’t really make sense that he should suddenly want her now. If he did, then surely it will pass with the calming of his fears and emotions over the crises.