Magnificent Folly (3 page)

“Cassie didn’t lie to you,” Andrew Ramsey said quietly. “But yes, she does know me. Perhaps it’s instinct. Haven’t you ever met someone and felt you’d known him before?”

“Déjà vu? It won’t wash, Mr. Ramsey. Why have you been watching Cassie? You won’t deny that’s what you’ve been doing for the last three evenings.”

He shook his head. “Actually, it’s been five days. You didn’t notice me for the first two nights.” His brown eyes were suddenly twinkling. “You’ve been a hell of a lot more patient than I thought you’d be. I expected to see you climbing up the path to my aerie after the second night.”

“That’s exactly what I was going to do this evening.”

“I had an idea you might, so I thought I’d save
you the trouble and come down to you. Tell me, do you really think I’m a threat to Cassie?”

“How do I know?” She met his gaze directly. “But I’m damn well going to find out. Just because you look like the clean-cut all-American boy is no sign that’s what you are. I hear there are several varieties of pretty wild flowers that will grow in a toxic-waste dump.”

He chuckled. “I’m glad you think I’m pretty, but I’ve never been compared to a toxic-waste dump before. That’s an original turn of phrase.” His smile faded. “What would you have done if you’d found me to be the weirdo Cassie said you suspected me of being?”

“Warned you off.”

“And if I wouldn’t be warned off? Would you have called the police?”

“The police aren’t always effective until after a crime is committed. I would have handled it myself.”

He looked surprised. “How?”

She smiled sweetly. “I have a .32 Smith and Wesson at the cottage. If I’d found you to be any
sort of danger to Cassie I would have blown away that part of your anatomy on which most men place an exceedingly high value.”

He chuckled. “I’d say that would have proved effective.”

“Very.” Her gaze searched his face. “But somehow I don’t think you’re a pervert.”

A smile tugged at his lips. “Thank you.”

“Still, you may be something almost as bad. What magazine do you write for?”

“Ah, now I’m a member of the unscrupulous paparazzi?”

“It computes, doesn’t it? You know who Cassie is and you’ve been stalking her for almost a week.”

“I haven’t been stalking her.”

“Then what do you call your stakeout on the cliff?”

“Pleasure.” His gaze shifted to Cassie’s small figure, climbing the steps of the cottage. “Enjoyment. She’s pretty wonderful, isn’t she?”

“Yes.”

His gaze moved back to Lily’s face. “You still
think I’m here to put her face on the cover of the
National Enquirer?”

“You know too much, Mr. Ramsey, and I don’t believe in coincidences.”

“Andrew.” He studied her face for a moment. “Poor Lily, I guess I can’t blame you for acting the fierce mother tigress. Life hasn’t been easy for you, has it?”

She stiffened. “And just what have you dug up in your morgue files about me?”

He shook his head, his gaze warmly sympathetic. “I’m no reporter, Lily. You’re never going to see your face on a scandal sheet again. I promise you.”

Again? He
did
know. She felt as if she had been punched in the stomach and had the breath knocked out of her. “Who are you?” she asked hoarsely.

“Andrew Ramsey. Would you like to see my identification?”

She gestured impatiently. “I’ll accept the fact that you’re telling me the truth about your name. Why are you here?”

“It was time for me to come. You’ve had to fight too long by yourself. I wanted to come before, but I didn’t think you’d be ready for me.” He shook his head. “But now it doesn’t matter. Something’s happened that’s tossed all those reasons out the window.”

Lily frowned. “You’re not making sense. Are you going to tell me why you’re here or not?”

He made a face. “I’m trying. I feel as awkward as hell about this. I think you’re intimidating me.”

She didn’t believe him. She had never met anyone who displayed such serene self-confidence. “Bull.”

He laughed. “I can be intimidated by people I care about.”

His gaze on her face was tender, almost caressing, and she suddenly felt breathless. She took an instinctive step back, her dark eyes blazing fiercely in her taut face. “That has no bearing. I’m a stranger to you.”

He shook his head wearily. “Lord, you’re wary. I may be a stranger to you, but you’re no stranger
to me.” He paused. “And neither is Cassie. I could never be a danger to Cassie, Lily.”

“Fine words. How can I know that?”

He hesitated, and then answered simply, “Because I’m Cassie’s father.”

“Y
OU’RE CRAZY
,” L
ILY
said blankly.

He shook his head. “Cassie is my child. Shall I prove it? You were artificially inseminated nine years ago, in October, in the offices of Dr. Henry Slodak at Franklin University. Cassie was born May twenty-eighth of the next year. The doctor helped steer you to someone who supplied false documents showing you had been married to one Joel Deslin and that he had died.”

She gazed at him in shock. “How did you find that out?” She broke off and ran her hand distractedly through her chestnut hair. “Henry
Slodak is ethical. He never would have told you. I
trusted
him.”

“You were right to trust him, Lily. After the insemination was successful, he told no one.”

“He told you. How did you get him to do so? Money?”

“You know better than that. I realize it’s not easy for you to trust anyone, but Henry is an honorable man and a true friend to you.” His tone was gentle. “He told no one after he gave you his word. As the donor I was required to give my consent. It was the arrangement we made with Henry before we set up the grant at the university.”

“We?”

“The Clanad.” He hesitated. “It’s a sort of corporation that maintains a research foundation.”

“A foundation that hires college boys to impregnate women? Lord, you must have been only seventeen or eighteen.”

He chuckled. “Four years younger than you, but don’t feel as if you were robbing the cradle. I was very mature for my age.” He grimaced. “If it hadn’t been necessary, I wouldn’t have made the
sperm donation. I have no liking for the clinical approach to sex.”

“Henry said his donors were usually students who needed the money for tuition.” She felt dazed as she tried to sift clarity from the wild jumble of thoughts whirling through her mind. “But I somehow thought you’d be … older.”

“I’m older now. I had to play catch-up.”

“That’s absurd. I’m almost thirty, and that makes you only twenty-five or twenty-six. You can never catch up.”

“I was afraid you’d feel that way nine years ago.” He added gently, “But I think you’ll find I’m very mature for my age now, Lily.”

“I won’t find you any way at all.” Her voice was shaking. “I want you to go away and leave us alone. Cassie is mine.”

“And I gave her to you.”

“No.” She drew a deep breath and tried to steady her voice. “There was nothing personal about it. You have no right to Cassie. Henry said there was no danger of the donor’s ever trying to claim her.”

“I’m laying no claim to Cassie. She’s yours, Lily.”

“Thank you. How very kind.” Irony layered Lily’s voice.

“I want to be kind to both of you. Let me help, Lily. I’m not trying to take Cassie away. I understand that I have no rights you don’t give me.”

“Good. So go away.”

“I can’t go away.”

“Why not?”

“Because Cassie has rights too.” He paused. “Cassie has a right to anything I have to give her, if she decides she wants it.”

“She doesn’t need you.
I
don’t need you.”

He didn’t answer.

“Have you been meeting Cassie behind my back and trying to influence her?”

Hurt flickered across his face. “I said I hadn’t spoken to her. Perhaps when you get to know me better, you’ll find I don’t lie.”

“I have no intention of getting to know you better.” Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “I’ve gotten along without help from anyone for the last nine years, and I certainly don’t need any
help now. Henry never should have told you where to find us.”

“Henry had no choice. Besides, he likes you. He hated to see you struggling all these years.” Andrew lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “But he knew you wouldn’t accept any help. Your wounds had to heal first, and you had to be sure you didn’t need help before you could allow yourself to accept it.”

“Be
quiet
. I don’t know what you think you’re doing here, but I wish you’d go away. Neither Cassie nor I need or want you.” She turned and started down the beach.

“I hope you’re wrong.” Andrew’s voice held a note of wistfulness as it followed her. “Dear Lord, I hope you’re wrong.”

Her steps quickened until she was almost running as she fled up the path toward the beach house.

“She wouldn’t listen?”

Andrew turned his gaze from Lily, to see
Gunner Nilsen coming down the cliff path. Andrew smiled ruefully at his friend. “I knew she wouldn’t, but I had to try. She was getting frightened, and I couldn’t stand it. She’s had enough fear and hurt in her life.”

“And you haven’t?” Gunner asked. “The pain is so great that just one of those sessions you go through would traumatize any member of the Clanad.”

Andrew shook his head. “That’s different. I’m not the victim. It’s my choice.”

Gunner was silent a moment. “You could go underneath.”

“No!” Andrew said violently. “It has to be on her terms. She deserves fair treatment. Honesty.”

“I suppose she does.” Gunner clapped a hand on Andrew’s shoulder. “Come on, Quenby will be waiting, and you promised to call Jon this evening. You can’t do anything more tonight. Lily’s been among the walking wounded for the last ten years, so you can’t expect her to trust you right away. Give her a chance to absorb what you’ve told her. You can see her in the morning.”

“If she’s still here in the morning.” Andrew’s gaze went back to the beach house. “She’s frightened. Why is she so damned scared of me?”

“You know why,” Gunner said. “Cassie. You should have let someone else be the donor.”

“I couldn’t. Not from the first time I saw Lily.” Andrew turned away and fell into step with Gunner. “She’s different now.”

Gunner nodded. “She’s a damn beautiful woman.”

Lily was more than beautiful, Andrew thought. The first time he’d seen her she had been nineteen years old, a girl with long, gleaming chestnut hair, huge dark eyes, and an appealing, dewy-eyed freshness. Her hair was shorter now, barely reaching her shoulders before turning under in a shining bell. She had ripened and matured and, though she had lost that youthful sheen, she had gained character, humor, understanding. Her tall, slim body seemed more lithe and womanly, and she moved with decision and purpose. Her breasts were more voluptuous, her long, slim legs tanned and shapely.

Andrew felt a familiar stirring in his groin and tried to stop it. Not now. He mustn’t let sex interfere with what he had to do. His lips twisted. Easy to say when Lily was out of sight, but it hadn’t been so simple when he had been standing in front of her and imagining what it would be like to have her beneath him in the sand. To watch her face as he moved between her thighs, to have those long legs clasp him lovingly, desperately, in a fever of—

“Andrew.”

Andrew glanced at Gunner and then grimaced as he saw his friend’s amused smile. “Dammit, stop grinning like a gargoyle.”

“Then stop being so blasted transparent.” Gunner chuckled. “You’re so hot for her, it’s obvious you have no guard at all.” His gaze shifted pointedly to the lower part of Andrew’s body. “Very obvious.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have brought you with me. I’m not that transparent to everyone.”

“A blind man could read you, at the moment.”
Gunner sobered. “If you hadn’t asked me to come, Jon still would have sent me. This isn’t your personal business only, Andrew. Cassie belongs to the Clanad, and the Clanad protects its own.”

“I can protect Cassie.”

“Maybe. But it’s not your job. I’m the troubleshooter. Your value extends in other directions.”

“You can’t believe the possibility of danger is very strong if you brought Quenby along.”

“Quenby can be stubborn. She cares about you.” Gunner added, “And, since she’s very good with children, I thought it might be just as well to have her nearby if we have to take Cassie away from Lily for a while.”

“We can’t do that.”

“We will, if it means keeping Cassie safe.” Gunner’s tone was implacable. “And you know damn well that you’ll sanction it if it comes down to the wire.”

“Maybe it won’t,” Andrew said as he started up the cliff path. “If I have enough time.”

Gunner didn’t answer as he followed Andrew
up the trail. He didn’t have to state what they both knew as fact.

Time was running out.

“Cassie, I’m not going to discuss it. Mr. Ramsey’s not going to be invited here and, if he comes to the beach again, you’re not to speak to him.” Lily tried to keep her voice from trembling. Lord, this was hard. Why wouldn’t Cassie give up? Ever since Lily had walked through the door, Cassie had been like a terrier clinging to a slipper, on the subject of Andrew. Now, after a long argument with many tears, Cassie’s disappointment had turned to anger. “You don’t even know this man. There’s no reason for this temper tantrum.”