Perfect Partners (5 page)

Letty could not imagine either her father or Stephanie changing diapers, but she knew she was going to have to accept reality.

In the meantime, she was going to be busy reshaping her own life.

A few minutes later, dressed in neatly pleated gray tweed trousers, a pale yellow button-down shirt, and her trusty penny loafers, Letty went down the hall. She stepped into the kitchen and blinked as the morning sunlight bounced off the gleaming stainless-steel and tile surfaces.

“'Morning,” Joel said from the corner. He sounded surly.

Letty frowned in concern as she took in his brooding, haggard expression. “Didn't you get any sleep last night after all?”

“I'll live.” He was halfway through a cup of coffee. He sat hunched over the mug as if preparing to do battle for it. His tawny eyes glittered with the restless intensity Letty was beginning to associate with him. He was watching her as if she were a bug in a jar.

Letty remembered the intimate things she had told him in the middle of the night, and she felt herself flushing. “You really should try to find out what's causing your insomnia.”

“I know what caused my insomnia last night.”

“Oh.”

She was saved from having to think of a more intelligent response when Stephanie breezed into the kitchen looking cool and poised in a black and white maternity dress. Her deftly applied makeup was flawless.

“Good morning, everyone.” Stephanie paused, frowning. “Oh, I see you found the coffee machine, Joel. I usually make the coffee. But since it's already done, you may as well help yourself, Letty.”

“Thank you.” Letty reached for a mug, aware that although Stephanie was putting on a polite front, she was a little irritated that Joel had dared to invade her kitchen. Letty wished she could think of something soothing to say, but she rarely knew quite what to say to Stephanie. It was like dealing with a woman from another planet. They had nothing in common. “Would you like me to pour you a cup, Stephanie?”

“Absolutely not,” Stephanie said. “I'm not taking any caffeine during my pregnancy. I'll have fruit juice.”

“Yes, of course. Fruit juice.” Letty felt like an idiot because she didn't know the latest rules. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Joel watching her with a sardonic expression. She ignored him as she tried a sip of the coffee.

“Something wrong?” Joel asked when she made a face.

“I think it's burned. Shall I make a fresh pot?”

“I'll make a fresh pot if it's necessary,” Stephanie said quickly.

“It's not burned,” Joel said. “It's a dark roast. Letty probably isn't used to the flavor. That's the way we like our coffee to taste out here, isn't it, Stephanie?”

“Yes, of course.” Stephanie smiled condescendingly. “You'll get accustomed to it, Letty.”

Morgan appeared in the doorway. “Good morning, everyone.”

Everyone murmured a response. Stephanie busied herself preparing breakfast with her usual awesome efficiency and skill. Letty was wondering if she would be allowed to at least set the table when the white wall phone buzzed.

Stephanie closed the refrigerator door and reached for the phone. “Hello?” Her eyes flew to Letty. “Yes, she's here. Just a moment, please.”

Letty glanced up, alarmed. “Who is it?” she mouthed.

“He's says he's Philip Dixon,” Stephanie murmured, holding the phone out to Letty.

Letty took a step back and frantically waved away the phone. “Tell him I'm not here,” she whispered. “Tell him I've gone for a walk or something. Please, I really don't want to talk to him.”

Joel stood up. “I'll handle this.” He took the phone from Stephanie's hand. “This is Joel Blackstone. I'm Ms. Thornquist's CEO. What can I do for you, Dixon?”

Letty stared at Joel in astonishment. Her father and Stephanie did the same. The kitchen was suddenly very quiet until Joel spoke again.

“No, I'm afraid that's not possible, Dixon. It's an image thing. I'm sure you understand. Ms. Thornquist is now the president of Thornquist Gear. In her position she can't take calls from some asshole who's dumb enough to get caught with his dick stuck in the mouth of a grad student who's trying to suck her way to an A.”

Joel hung up the phone without waiting for a reply and returned to the table. He seemed oblivious to the stunned silence in the room. He sat down and picked up his mug of coffee.

Letty finally managed to find her voice. She cleared her throat weakly. “‘Asshole’? ‘Dick’? What happened to a ‘compromising situation’ in which a certain ‘male member’ was inserted between ‘scarlet-tinted lips’?”

“You said you wanted me to be your mentor,” Joel muttered. “That makes me the teacher and you the student, right?”

“Well, yes. Right.”

“So listen up and pay attention as we go along, because I won't repeat this stuff and there will definitely be a quiz. That was lesson number one. It was called How to Avoid Unwanted Phone Calls.”

“I think,” said Letty, “that I had better take notes.”

E
xcuse me,” Letty said, as she came into the living room. “I didn't mean to interrupt you.”

Stephanie looked up. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, hands resting gracefully on her knees, obviously meditating. The afternoon sun was streaming in through the windows. “It's all right. I'm through. I meditate for half an hour every afternoon. It's very soothing for Matthew Christopher.”

“I see.” Letty was at a loss. She struggled for a way to keep the conversation going. Joel had left for Seattle early that morning, and Letty was restless. “How are you feeling?”

“Very well, thank you.” Stephanie was obviously going to take the question literally. “I saw the doctor last week for my regular monthly checkup. She said all indicators were completely normal.”

“That must be reassuring to hear.”

Stephanie nodded seriously. “She's an excellent doctor. One of the best obstetricians in the state. Board certified in two specialties, of course.”

“Of course.”

“She's administered all the latest tests. Ultrasound, alpha-fetoprotein screening, and amniocentesis. They revealed no problems or abnormalities.”

“I see,” Letty said.

“Morgan and I have toured the neonatal facilities at the hospital we chose. All the equipment is first class and state-of-the-art. They are fully prepared to deal with any complication that might arise.”

“I take it you're not going to have Matthew Christopher delivered by a midwife at home?” Letty regretted the small joke instantly.

Stephanie looked horrified. “Good Lord, no. This baby will have the best and most advanced care available.”

That did not surprise Letty. She wondered if Matthew Christopher realized how much money, time, and attention were being spent to ensure that he arrived first class.

Morgan came into the room, a mug of coffee in his hand. “Finished with your meditation, my dear?”

“Yes, I am.” Stephanie allowed Morgan to assist her to her feet. “It's three o'clock, time for my afternoon protein allotment.”

Morgan glanced at Letty. “Why don't we take a walk while Stephanie is having her snack?”

Letty smiled, relieved at the excuse to get out of the house. Stephanie's emphasis on control and order was getting to her. “Great.”

It was the first time Letty had had an opportunity to be alone with her father since she arrived for Great-Uncle Charlie's funeral service. It felt good to have him to herself for a while. It brought back memories of how things had been before Morgan made that fateful trip to Seattle two years ago.

He had flown out to attend an academic conference dealing with the uses of logic in the study of linguistics. Letty had been delighted to see him go. She'd been worrying about the fact that, since the death of her mother, her father was turning into an old man much too quickly. The spark had gone out of him.

The spark had definitely been reignited in Seattle. Letty had been pleased at his renewed enthusiasm and animation. But she had been stunned when he announced he was accepting a position at Ridgemore College.

Three months later she had been even more astonished to get a phone call from Morgan in which he told her he planned to be married.

And now there was a baby on the way.

It would have been a lot easier to handle, Letty decided, if she had been able to find some common ground with Stephanie. But Stephanie was as remote as an Amazon queen. She certainly bore no resemblance to Letty's mother, who had been the perfect faculty wife.

Mary Thornquist had been warm, open, and charming. She had not held a doctorate, and she had not written any impressive papers, but she'd had a knack for creating a home. She'd also known how to deal with Morgan when he grew too stuffy or pompous. There had been a lot of laughter in the Thornquist household.

“How do you like Ridgemore?” Letty asked as she and Morgan strolled along the blacktop where Joel had taken his late night run.

“Very much. My lecture load is light. Got an office with a window. Plenty of time to write my papers. And no Friday afternoon faculty sherry hours, thank God.”

Letty winced. “I know you never enjoyed attending those.”

Morgan smiled at her. “I've had enough of ivy-covered halls and moribund traditions. And so have you, I think. I'm sorry Dixon proved to be a bastard. But I'm glad you found out before the marriage.”

“So am I.”

Morgan paused. “Did you really walk into his office and find him with his—”

“Don't say it, please,” Letty muttered.

“His you-know-what in some grad student's mouth?” Morgan amended.

Letty felt herself turning a bright red. “Yes, and I wish to heaven I had not confided that little snippet of information to Joel Blackstone. I don't know what got into me last night.”

“Maybe you just needed to talk. Knowing you, you probably didn't confide the details to anyone at Vellacott.”

“No, it's not something one wants to discuss with one's co-workers. Lord knows why I chose Joel Blackstone as my confidant. I guess I was just tired because it was the middle of the night and my common sense was half asleep. At any rate, I certainly learned my lesson.”

“What lesson?”

Letty glared at her father. “You know what I'm talking about. I could not believe what Joel said to Philip on the phone this morning. Last night when I made the mistake of pouring out my heart and soul to him, Mr. Blackstone seemed quite gentlemanly. Very understanding. I had no idea he could be so crude.”

Morgan chuckled. “His tactics may strike you as crude, but something tells me he's effective. Charlie said everything Thornquist Gear is today was the direct result of his putting Blackstone in charge ten years ago.”

“I'm not questioning Joel's executive ability. It's obvious he's got plenty of it.” Letty straightened her shoulders. “And I intend to learn everything I can from him.”

“Everything?”

Letty nodded enthusiastically. “Everything. He's going to be my mentor while I learn how to run Thornquist Gear.”

“This should be interesting.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Just what I said.” Morgan's bushy brows came together in a thoughtful frown. “Interesting. Blackstone isn't like any other man you've ever known, Letty. He's no ivory tower type. He doesn't deal in theory; he deals in hard facts.”

“I realize that.”

“I seriously doubt he's had any sensitivity training,” Morgan said dryly.”

Letty smiled ruefully. “I'm sure you're right.”

“He doesn't play the game by the book. He's the kind of man who makes up his own rules.”

Letty was alarmed. “Are you saying he's probably unethical in his business dealings?”

“No. I'm just warning you that his idea of fair play will probably be considerably different from your own.”

“If I find out that he's dishonest or underhanded, I'll fire him immediately.”

“That,” Morgan said slowly, “might be quite a trick.”

“Dad, he works for me, remember? I can get rid of him at any time.”

“Don't bet on it, my dear.”

“I own Thornquist Gear, darn it,” Letty retorted. “I can do as I wish.”

Morgan grinned. “Spoken like a born corporate leader.”

Letty was starting to feel insulted. “What's the matter, Dad? Don't you think I can learn to handle the company? As head of the reference department I've been managing people for several years.”

“Running Thornquist Gear will not bear much of a resemblance to running the reference desk at Vellacott Library. Letty, you're as smart as they come. You can do anything you want. I always told you that and I meant it. All I'm trying to do is warn you that you've never come up against anyone quite like Blackstone before. Tread carefully around him until you know what you're doing.”

Letty relaxed. “Okay.”

“On the whole,” Morgan said, “I'm glad you've decided to give it a whirl. You need a major change in your life even more than I did, my dear. If nothing else, the move to Seattle will shake you out of your routine, expose you to new influences, and open up your world. If running Thornquist Gear doesn't suit you, you can always sell it to Blackstone in a year or so. In the meantime, the experience will be good for you. Just be careful.”

“You're a fine one to talk. The changes I'm making are petty compared to the ones you've made, Dad.” Letty bit her lip. “I still can't quite believe I'm going to have a little brother.”

Morgan raised his brows. “I knew we were going to get around to that sooner or later. You still haven't gotten over the shock of my marriage to Stephanie, either, have you?”

“That's not true. I've adjusted to the idea,” Letty said, picking her words carefully. “But I'll admit that at times it still seems strange. Everything has happened so fast.”

“At my age I can't afford to waste a lot of time,” Morgan said gently.

“You're only fifty-three, Dad.”

“Stephanie makes me feel thirty again.”

Letty sighed. “I guess that says it all, doesn't it?”

“Yes, my dear, it does.”

“She's so unlike mother.”

“Letty, your mother was a wonderful woman, and I loved her for nearly thirty good years. But she's gone, and I know she would have wanted me to be happy again.”

“Yes, but with someone like
Stephanie
?” Letty broke off, horrified that she had gone too far.

Morgan's brows drew together, forming a solid line above his sea green eyes. “Stephanie is my wife now, Letty. She is about to become the mother of my son. I can't force you to develop any real affection for her, but I can and will make certain you treat her with respect.”

Guilt swamped Letty. “I'm sorry, Dad. You know I would never be rude to her. For your sake, I'm trying to think of her as a member of the family.”

“Do that. Because she
is
a member of the family.”

Letty lifted her chin. “You know what the real problem between Stephanie and me is?”

“You think she's trying to take your mother's place.”

“No, not at all. The truth is, she intimidates me.”

Morgan narrowed his eyes in astonishment. “Intimidates you? What do you mean by that?”

“It's hard to explain,” Letty admitted, wishing she had not even tried. “She's only eleven years older than me.”

“You're not going to lecture me for having married a woman you think is too young for me, are you?”

Letty shook her head. Stephanie
was
too young for her father, of course, but there was no sense pointing that out now. The deed was done. “No. What I'm trying to say is that although she's only a few years older than I am, she makes me feel unsophisticated.”

“Unsophisticated?”

Letty scowled. “Maybe that's not quite the right word. Unworldly. Gauche. Dad, she makes me feel like a small-town hick. Now do you understand?”

Morgan's face softened. “I think so. If it's any consolation, she made me feel the same way at first. But underneath that glossy exterior is a charming, very genuine person. I want you to get to know the real Stephanie. I want you to be friends with her.”

“I'm trying, Dad.”

“I want you to try a little harder.”

Letty eyed him. “How am I supposed to do that?”

“I want to ask a favor of you, Letty. Stephanie has signed up for a series of seminars dealing with pregnancy and infancy. I'd appreciate it if you'd accompany her to some of the classes. I think it would help if the two of you spent some time together.”

Letty stared at him. “You want me to take a bunch of baby classes?”

“For my sake, Letty. And for the sake of Matthew Christopher.”

Two days later Letty found herself back in Seattle sitting next to Stephanie in a roomful of pregnant ladies. The speaker, Professor Harold Blanchford, was an expert on fetal development, and his subject was not without some interest. Letty noticed that Stephanie was sitting very erect in her chair, her attention focused completely on the talk. She was taking notes with military precision.

“There is ample evidence,” Professor Blanchford said, “that the third trimester fetus hears and responds to auditory stimuli. There is also a great deal of data supporting the fact that newborns have a strong preference for their mothers' voices. This raises the interesting possibility that newborns respond to their mothers' voices for the simple reason that they have been listening to them for several weeks in the womb. Listening and remembering.”

Being surrounded by pregnant ladies was making Letty feel strange. It was forcing her to deal with an issue she had spent a lot of time pushing aside lately. But the truth was, it was difficult to go on pretending that she would someday have a home and family of her own when confronted with this kind of reality.

Letty knew that sooner or later she would have to face a few disturbing facts about her own prospects for marriage and children. The recent fiasco with Philip had brought home the realization that she might not ever be able to respond properly to a man.