Fathers and Sons (Harlequin Super Romance) (27 page)

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Authors: Carolyn McSparren

“They certainly are. We have less than three weeks to get the charges against Jason dropped, convince the sheriff and the district attorney not to prosecute Dub on anything other than obstruction of justice for not reporting Waneath’s death, get him home to Long Pond to convalesce, affiliate me with a law firm in Jackson and arrange a marriage.” Her eyes widened. “Oh, Lord, and then there’s Christmas!”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
 
C
HRISTMAS EVE morning dawned clear, bright and twenty degrees colder than normal.
“Thanks for offering to pick up my mother and Arnold at the airport,” Kate said to Jason over breakfast at David’s kitchen counter. “But do not drive like a lunatic.”
“Yeah, right.” Jason grinned at her.
“My mother will go upside your head with her handbag. She has turned into a very forceful woman.”
“Gee, wonder where she gets that from?” Jason said innocently. “I’m sorry my gram and granddad couldn’t make it.”
Kate wasn’t certain she felt the same way. She knew David’s father was delighted, but Mrs. Canfield? She’d have an opportunity to find out for herself when they visited in the spring. At the moment she had to admit she had heaved a small sigh of relief when they didn’t want to leave home at Christmas. The town was still divided by the scandal of Dub’s admission. Not having to face the Canfields was a small blessing.
“Where’s my dad?” Jason asked. “And are you going to eat that last piece of toast?”
“Over at your grandfather’s, and no, I am not.”
“Great.” Jason reached for the toast and began to drizzle honey over it in precise patterns. “How come Dad’s over there?”
“Dub wanted to talk to him about something before the wedding.”
“Neva says we’ll have Christmas dinner about four tomorrow if that’s all right,” Jason said. “I mean, you going to be newlyweds and all.”
“Tell her that’s fine.” She propped her chin on her hand.
“You really okay with this marriage business?”
“Yeah. I mean, you saved all our butts. Kind of handy to have a lawyer in the family the next time I get arrested.”
“Don’t even think that. I didn’t actually save anybody’s butt. Your grandfather is going to have to do a hundred hours of community service, he’s had to eat a bunch of crow with the townspeople as well as apologize to the Talleys. And he’s had to pay a whopping fine.”
“But he didn’t have to go to jail.”
“The only thing he was actually guilty of was the improper disposal of a body and failure to report an accidental death.”
“He was guilty of a whole lot more than that,” Jason said.
“Not according to the law.” She laid her hand on Jason’s sleeve. “Hard to see your idols have feet of clay, isn’t it?”
“He’s still my granddaddy, and I still love him. I guess this is part of growing up. Frankly, Kate, I downright hate it.”
“Sure you do. It’s going to take some time for the town to get over this.”
“My dad didn’t do anything wrong. Neither did you. Besides, Neva says the next big scandal and the Canfields will be ancient history.” He sighed deeply. “Hope she’s right.”
“Me, too. But remember, it’s Christmas, and you can’t hurt Christmas. Is Coral Anne coming to the wedding tonight?”
“Yeah. Mrs. Talley hit the ceiling, but Coral Anne’s tough.”
“Good. Now scat. I’ve got the caterer and the florist to check, a bunch of presents to wrap and a hair appointment at Charlotte’s. See you at seven? And do not drive my mother into a ditch.”
 
“HERE,” Dub said, and handed David a blue-covered legal document. “That Selig did this for me.”
“What is it?”
“Power of attorney for my shares of Long Pond. From here on in, David, it’s your show.”
“Now, listen, Dub—”
“I won’t be available to answer questions or get in your way.”
“Just because you’re working with the parks commission...”
“Nope. I’ll have that done in a month. I’m feeling a little guilty about this, David. I went behind your back and did something you may not approve of.”
“What now?” David asked.
“Well, since you have decided not to move to China, I stole a march on you and talked to those guys myself.” He sounded proud, but a little defensive. “They want me to go to China for three months this spring—just to see if it works out. Nothing definite.”
“Dub, that’s wonderful!” David said, and meant it. “Maybe you’ll get your chance to see the world after all.”
“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. You’re not mad?”
“I’m delighted. We’ll miss you. Maybe I can persuade Kate to come see you.”
“Whew! That’s a load off my mind.”
“But what’ll happen to Long Pond?”
“You’ll run it.”
“No,” David said, waving a hand above his head. “All this—the house, I mean.”
“Neva’ll look after it. Unless you and Kate want to move in.”
“Not on your life.”
“Didn’t think so. I won’t be gone forever. Long Pond’ll be here for Jason, if he ever decides he wants to come home. If not, he can use it as a vacation house when he’s not off making movies.”
“It’s a big responsibility,” David said.
“Shoot. You been doing most of it for the past ten years anyway. And I’ll expect my share of the profits. I’m not a total fool.”
“No, but you’re a remarkable one.”
“Call this my penance. I’m also endowing a college scholarship fund in Waneath’s name for a deserving graduate from Athena High. That way, if for some reason Big Bill and Mrs. Talley won’t cough up to send Coral Anne to an Ivy League school the way she wants them to, I can make sure she goes. If they pay for her, then I send somebody else. Good plan?”
“Great plan, Dub.”
“Had to do something to make up for what happened.”
“The doctors say there’s no telling how much your good sense was affected by the garbage in the arteries in your neck. According to them, you’ve been experiencing spells for some time, judging from the state you were in. I should have seen the signs and made you do something about it.”
“I didn’t want to know what was wrong with me,” Dub said. “Sure didn’t want to see any damn doctors. I can’t joke my way out of this one. I wasn’t crazy. I was responsible. And a blithering idiot. I got some things to work out, and I’d be better off getting away from Athena to do the working. Plus, there are some folks who’d rather not run into me on the street right now. Now, how’s about we have us a little bourbon and branch to seal the deal?”
 
“SCARED?” Arnold asked. He was sprawled across the bed in his motel room, which Kate was using to dress for her wedding.
“Terrified. How’s my hair?”
“What do I know? You sure you want all that green stuff in it?”
“The holly? It’s tradition. I wear it in my hair at all my weddings to David Canfield.”
“If you say so.”
“Arnold, are you certain you want to move to Whitman, Tarber and McDonough with me? I still think I can get you that senior partnership in Atlanta as my last official act before I move to Jackson.”
“Wouldn’t know what to do with myself without you to boss me around.” He locked his hands behind his head. “I was never that attached to Atlanta. Besides, Pink Tarber is paying me more than you cheapskates ever did in Atlanta.”
“And all we have to do is make enough rain to pay our respective salaries. Think we can pull it off?”
“Indeed I do,” Arnold said. “I’ve already got us lined up to do a malpractice suit in Birmingham the minute you come back from your honeymoon.”
“Honeymoon? David intends to teach me to drive a combine on my honeymoon.”
“I warned you. Have you pulling the plow in no time.” He glanced at his watch. “Come on, the hour of thy doom approacheth. We’re due at the church in fifteen minutes.”
“Oh, Lord, Arnold, I am so happy I may cry!”
 
THE SMALL EPISCOPAL church was already festooned with greenery for the Christmas midnight service. Dub, much taken with Mrs. Hillman, was playing the southern gentleman on the front pew. Behind them sat Myrlene and Jimmie Viccolla with Myrlene’s mother. David and Kate had discussed the guest list and decided to keep the ceremony small and private, so the only other person invited was Coral Anne Talley.
Coral Anne looked downright pretty. She’d dropped a few pounds, and had taken Juanita’s words about her hair to heart.
Jason stood beside his father. From the back of the church Kate thought again how remarkably alike they were. Two men. Jason was no longer the boy he’d been only a few weeks earlier. Like his father he had become wiser and sadder. Kate prayed the rest of life’s lessons for him would be kinder.
As the music started, David looked up and caught Kate’s eye. She walked down the aisle to meet him, handed her prayerbook to her mother as she passed and took her place beside him at the altar. As the priest began the age-old ceremony, David leaned over and whispered, “This time forever. Merry Christmas, my love.”
ISBN : 978-1-4592-5336-0
 
FATHERS AND SONS
 
Copyright © 1999 by Carolyn McSparren.
 
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work In whole or In part in any form by any electronic. mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or In any information storage or retrieval system, Is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited. 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
 
All characters In this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly Inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
 
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
 
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