The Wedding Secret (18 page)

“Dear Jesus,” Diane said. “Hill’s here.”

Meg picked up the phone to dial security. “Why would he come here?”

“I told you. He blames Emmy for all his problems,” Diane said. “Oh, my girl . . .”

Kevin shot to his feet, thinking only of what this meant for Harper, especially after what he just found out. He wasn’t going to let her face the bastard alone, so he made his way to the door with Josh and Jason, shouting to the women in the family to stay put.

Like that was going to happen. If he’d learned anything about the women in his family it was that they had their own minds, the same as the woman he loved.

Yeah, that thought just kicked his ass. But it was the truth and when he finally got to talk to Harper, he was going to tell her exactly what she meant to him.

***

Harper dashed to the lobby from her office when she heard the commotion and stopped short when she gazed on the face she’d been trying to forget since she was eighteen years old. Hilliard, Hill for short, Snow, was a lanky, muscled good ol’ boy with a bad attitude. He didn’t care much for working and looked for ways to suck the life out of anyone in his orbit. And there he was, in all his nasty glory, back in hers.

Harper had left Hill, the bad memories, the nightmares, and all he represented back where she’d grown up. He was grotesque, a caricature of the worst part of human nature, and he was a constant reminder of who she used to be. She hated him; he was staring and grinning at her with crooked teeth and cracked, chapped lips that were stained yellow from nicotine.

“Well, there’s my baby sister. How are you, Emmy-lynn?”

He didn’t even say her name right, the shithead.

“Look at you, all fancy and citified. You look mighty hot, baby girl.”

“You shouldn’t be here, Hill. What do you want?”

“Your mama ran off. I was concerned. She’s not in her right mind.”

“She seems fine. She came to spend Thanksgiving with me and we had some business to take care of.”

“Business?”

“Yeah. It seems someone has been opening credit cards in Mama’s name and siphoning money out of her accounts. You know anything about that?”

He huffed and snarled, looking nastier than she remembered.

Moving toward the receptionist’s desk, Harper grabbed for a phone, hoping someone had already called the police.

As she suspected, Hill was faster. He slammed her hand down with the receiver and held it there. “Now, what do you think you’re doing?”

“I was going to call the police to drag your sorry ass out of here.” God, his breath was foul, and his face bore all the wear and tear of years spent living a hard, dirty life.

“Too bad it’s gone out of fashion to beat a woman. You could sure use it.”

“You could try, but I’m a whole lot meaner than I used to be.” Hill’s eyes locked on hers and there was something in the pasty gray she saw staring back at her. What was that? Hesitation? Fear?

“Let. Go. Of. My. Hand.”

She felt his grip loosen ever so slightly and without a moment’s hesitation she flung her hand up, phone receiver and all, and hit him with it. Blood gushed from his nose, and he howled.

“What the FUCK!” He looked at the blood in his hand, and Harper who was so angry she couldn’t see anything clearly, advanced on him.

“You will leave here, you mangy parasite. You will crawl back into your hole and never contact me or Mama again. Understand?”

“I’ll do whatever I fucking want.” He grabbed at her and caught her wrist. “You think a little blood is going to scare me?” He spun her around and got her in a chokehold, his nasty breath brushing her ear, grinding his hips against her. “How’s this, Miss Fancy? You like this?”

Hill was such a dolt. Never underestimate a woman who could spend an entire day in five-inch heels and never miss a beat. She lifted one foot and drove her stiletto into his instep. The scream left a ringing in her ears, but she didn’t care. Once he released her she turned and went right for his groin, driving her knee up so hard, he collapsed on the marble floor in a bleeding, gasping heap. She knelt down next to him and enjoyed watching his eyes wash with dread. He didn’t say anything because he couldn’t breathe yet. “Goddamn, Hill.” She heard herself twang, proof that the girl who grew up near the West Virginia border was still alive and kicking inside her. “You are ugly as a mud fence.” He was in pain, he was afraid, and now he was mad. Life was good.

“Darlin’,” she cooed, making sure her voice was smooth, cool, and a little bit lethal. “One of the other things I have, along with my fancy degree, is a black belt in jiujitsu. So remember this. If you come near me, Mama, or anyone I care about ever again, I will be very angry. And y’all don’t want me angry. Is that clear?”

He nodded as the police charged through the door, ending this very ugly chapter of her life. Harper rose and realized she had to change because there was a bloody handprint on her shoulder. When she turned, she saw Kevin. He was standing with his sisters, as well as Jason and Josh, and he looked stunned. She didn’t know if it was good or bad, but it was something.

It didn’t matter. She decided to go to her office to wait for the police so she could tell them everything they needed to know about the bucket of filth laying on the floor. Then she was going to go home, hug her baby, and melt down in private.

***

Harper’s form retreating down the long hallway on the opposite side of the reception area was all Kevin could focus on. He felt like he should go after her, offer some comfort, but the look she shot in his direction told him to stay away. The woman was intimidating, fierce, ruthless. How had he let her go?

“Damn,” he said hoarsely.

“Yeah,” Jason responded. “That was . . . something.”

If he ever questioned any decision he’d ever made, walking out of Harper’s life was the big one. It had only been four days, and he didn’t know if he could fix it between them, but he had to try.

“Shit. I’m an idiot,” he said quietly.

Josh clapped him on the shoulder. “Yes,” he said. “Yes, you are.”

The thermometer beeped and Harper gazed at the number in the display. 101 degrees. Anna’s disposition had been souring continuously all afternoon until finally, she realized she had a sick baby on her hands. A quick trip to the pediatrician confirmed it. Anna had an ear infection. Harper stroked her forehead.

“Poor little girl.” The baby fussed, refusing to nurse and not feeling well enough to sleep. This was Harper’s first experience caring for a sick baby, and with Kim out for the night with her new boyfriend, there was no way she was getting to the Reliance client holiday party at Jason and Meg’s apartment across town.

It was probably best. Kevin would be there, and since she hadn’t heard from him in a week, she didn’t know if she even wanted to see him. Also on the guest list: Kari Martin. She’d almost killed Jason when he’d added her, but the clients liked her.

Looking down she saw Anna rubbing her face and sucking on her little fist. “I’m here, baby. No worries.”

Her hand continued to glide over Anna’s soft hair. “The party doesn’t matter. I just want you better.”

The thing was, the party did matter, and she was stressing because she wasn’t there to make sure everything went as planned. If she was going to be a working mother, she wasn’t going to do it half-assed. The doctor said Anna wasn’t contagious and other than being fussy, she’d be fine, but it was cold and an icy rain was falling and there was no way she was taking a sick baby out in weather like this, job or not.

She was about to call Jason when her cell phone rang. The caller ID told her he’d been quicker.

“Hey, where are you? The caterers are here.”

Looking down at her red silk swing dress, Harper sighed. “I’m still home.”

“What? Why?”

“Anna is sick. She has an ear infection.”

“Shit. You can’t bring her?”

“No, and I know she was a guest of honor for your mom, but I can’t take her out in this.”

“No, of course not. Will someone be here who can coordinate?”

“Lara should be there already. Is she?”

He took a breath. “Shit. I wouldn’t know.”

“Dammit, Jason. I told you to get your head out from up your microprocessing ass and get to know people who work for you!”

“I know. I know. What does she look like?”

“Tall. Red hair.”

“Ahhh. Okay. I see her. She’s talking to some guy in a tuxedo.”

“Probably the head waiter. I’m going to call her. Hang up with me and go have a scotch. Only one, though, you start reciting algorithms when you’re toasted. It sounds like you’re speaking in tongues.”

He laughed. “We’ll miss you tonight. I think Kevin was planning on talking to you.”

“Kevin has had lots of chances to talk to me. He hasn’t even tried.”

“Kari is going to be here. I think he’s nervous.”

“They deserve each other.”

“Harper . . .”

“Jason, stop trying to help your boy there. He needs to talk to me himself.”

“You’re right. I’ll stop. Want to talk to Meg?”

“No, I—”

“Here she is.”

Then Jason was gone and Meg had the phone. “Where are you? My brother is chomping at the bit to talk to you.”

“Anna has an ear infection. I’m not coming.”

“Oh, poor baby. Is she miserable? I remember Ian’s first ear infection. He was cranky.”

“She’s asleep in my arms right now. I feel so bad about missing the party, but I’m not taking her out.”

“I understand. We’ll miss you. Kevin . . .”

“I don’t want to hear about Kevin, Meg.” Because every time someone mentioned him her heart broke a little bit more. It was killing her. He obviously didn’t want to talk to her.

“All right. I’ll come by tomorrow with some leftovers, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks.”

She hung up and walked with Anna around the living room, letting the tears come. She’d cried more in the past week than she had in the previous fifteen years. God, what a man could do to you. It just didn’t seem fair.

Noticing her baby was out cold, Harper put her in her crib, grateful to note that she was a little cooler than before. The fever at one point had been 103. Anna had been limp and Harper had jumped in a cab with her and taken her to the pediatrician. She’d never been such a wreck. The doctor wasn’t concerned. She said babies sometimes run high fevers and to give her a children’s fever reducer next time right away.

Well, how would Harper know that? Babies didn’t come with instructions, and even with ten baby books in close range, who was going to look when the thermometer was telling you your child was really sick?

It was okay, though. It would all be okay. Deciding she wasn’t going to stay home that night in cocktail attire, Harper made her way to her room and changed into some clean pajamas and socks. She could wrap Christmas presents and watch
It’s a Wonderful Life
on DVD.

Yup. She could use a little George Bailey. Scratch that. George was a pill. Harper needed Clarence the angel. She needed someone to tell her everything was going to be all right.

***

Kevin found Meg in the kitchen eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. “What are you doing?”

“Eating. I don’t like canapes.”

Kevin stepped in and looked at her closely. She was licking a dollop of strawberry jam off her finger and made a face when he scrunched his nose like he smelled something bad. “You’re pregnant,” he said.

“Sshhhhhh,” she hushed him. “How did you know?”

“The PB and J, the glass of chocolate milk behind you . . .”

“Shit. Only Caroline and Mom know so far. I was going to tell Jason later, after everyone left.”

“Tell me what?” Jason walked into the kitchen with a glass of wine and something clear and bubbly, which he offered to Meg.

“Nothing,” Meg responded quickly. “Oh, and no thanks on the drink.”

“It’s just Pellegrino. You can’t have alcohol when you’re pregnant.”

“Dammit!” Meg stomped a high-heeled shoe and wobbled right into her husband’s arms. “How did you know?” she purred into his neck.

“I just knew.” He held her and kissed her gently and Kevin felt like he should leave them alone, but he heard the high-pitched drawl of Kari Martin. He wondered if he could escape over the balcony.

“I really don’t want you to invite her anymore. Or if you do, don’t ask me.”

“We have to ask you,” Meg said. “You’re family.”

“Thanks, then don’t ask Kari. When are Harper and Anna getting here?”

“Oh, crap! I forgot to tell you. Anna has an ear infection. They aren’t coming.” Not coming? He had his whole groveling routine ready to go. And Anna was sick. Now he was worried on top of everything else.

“Did you get any details?”

“Nope. Ear infection. High fever. Saw the pediatrician.”

“She should have called me.”

“Why?” Meg downed her chocolate milk. “She’s covered.”

“I should have been told.”

“You know, you could have settled all this between the two of you a week ago. What do you expect? She’s not calling until you man up and talk to her.”

“I was going to man up tonight, and she’s not here.”

“Cry me a river,” said Meg.

Kevin looked to Jason for support and got nothin’. “Dude, you’re on your own.”

He left the kitchen and came right back in when he realized Kari was out there and he hadn’t had a drink yet.

“Jesus. I feel like I’m hiding out.”

Meg shook her head and went to her brother. “You need to go to her. Take a bottle of champagne. You might, finally, be able to sort this all out.”

“Will she talk to me?”

“I think so. Just try really hard not to be a Neanderthal asshole and you should be fine.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Kevin, you know she loves you. I think she has all along.”

“I don’t know. I’m still grappling with her not telling me about everything.”

“You’re a spoiled brat and a hypocrite. You’re holding back on her, too. You know it. You should have said things to her that haven’t been said. Tell her, Kevin. Just tell her.”

“Let me call her. If she wants me to go, I will.”

Meg threw up her hands like she was surrendering. The thing was, Kevin knew Harper and her hair-trigger reactions. It was a scary place to be on a good day. So he didn’t want to surprise her, not completely.

Taking his cell from his pocket, he hit her name on the contact list. In two rings she answered.

“Hey, it’s Kevin. How’s Anna?”

“Sleeping. I think her fever is breaking.”

“That’s good. Uh, I know you were supposed to be here, and—”

“I wasn’t bringing a sick baby,” she snapped.

Damn, she was defensive. “No, I know. Do you want me to come over?”

There was a long silence. Way too long. “Why?”

“To keep you company?”

“I don’t need company. I’m fine. I have a book, a movie if I want it. I made dinner . . .”

“I thought we could talk.”

“You want to talk? Just stay at Jason and Meg’s and enjoy the party. I hear Kari is there. You and she get along, right?”

“Harper, I don’t want to get along with Kari.”

“I’m fine, Kevin. Really.” There was hesitation.“We’ll talk another time.” She’d blown him off. Unreal.

“Right,” he growled. “Another time.”

“Night.” Her voice was ridiculously cheerful.

“Night,” he said.

He picked up his beer on his way through the living room and went to the kitchen to fill in his sister on the latest. Kevin didn’t care what Harper said, the urge to be with her was strong and in some ways disturbing. But how was he going to do this?

His anger with her was waning for the most part, but right then it flared up. Why didn’t she want his help? He knew her life hadn’t been easy for her, but she didn’t have to be alone—then or now. He glanced at the phone in his hand and thought about her voice. Normally steady, it had cracked and wavered throughout their conversation, making Kevin want leave the party immediately and march over to her apartment. So much for being pissed off. This was the part of the equation that was far more confusing. She still affected him on the most basic level, and it made him crazy. When he kissed her, made love to her, a charge went through him that could have powered Manhattan. One part of him wanted to shut her out, the other part wanted to kiss her breathless.

When he saw her take down her stepbrother the other day at Reliance, he didn’t know if he would ever be able to keep up with her.

Josh and Caroline were in the kitchen talking about some gallery opening that her firm was involved in. Kevin half listened to the conversation, which was full of details about the construction and preparations. Normally, a project like this would have fascinated him—he loved hearing about his sister’s next big build—but tonight his mind was a few blocks away.

“Anna’s sick?” Josh asked.

“Yeah.”

Caroline frowned. “Aww. She has so much personality for a tiny baby. I wonder where it all comes from. I think I need to go visit her again.”

“She’s the most beautiful girl in the world,” Kevin bragged, but then his thoughts turned back to Anna’s infection and Harper handling it alone.

“Kevin? Are you okay?” Caroline asked.

Kevin shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”

“You’re worried about them?” Josh grabbed a big fat shrimp from a passing tray and took a bite. “Is this the first time she’s been sick?”

“Yeah.” He twirled the neck of the beer bottle in his fingers.

“So go hang out with them,” Josh said. “Harper would probably appreciate the company.”

“I offered. She told me not to come.” Kevin peered out the small kitchen window. His back stiffened as the resentment crept to the surface. He wanted to be with his daughter. But once again Harper had pushed him away. “She doesn’t need me there. She doesn’t need anyone.”

“You’re still an idiot,” Josh observed. “I thought you were going to work on that?”

“Thanks, nothing like getting the support of friends and family.”

“That was a shitty thing to say, Kevin.” Caroline pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “We’ve been very supportive and you know it.”

He grunted and held up his hand to stop the lecture he knew was coming. “Caroline, don’t start.”

“She’s home alone with a sick child when everyone else she cares about is here. She’s been putting up with your attitude for the past month, you bet your ass I’m gonna start with you.”

He sank into one of the kitchen chairs. “Oh, for Christ’s sake . . .”

“Kevin Rossi, you have no idea what that girl is going through, do you?”

Kevin took a long draw on his beer, having a pretty good idea about the situation. He wasn’t as clueless as everyone thought.

“Do you?” She walked toward him and slapped his arm. Kevin coiled away, but there was nowhere to go. Josh was blocking the door. Trapped. “Did you know her asshole stepbrother has hired an attorney? That he’s threatening a major lawsuit if she doesn’t settle with a nice fat chunk of cash? That he’ll wreck her reputation and say she ‘inflicted permanent injury on him’? Did you know that, Mr. High and Mighty?” The way Hill had looked sprawled on the floor of the reception area, bleeding, there was no doubt Harper had injured him.

Kevin went cold. One more thing he didn’t know. By the time Caroline got through the first tongue lashing, Meg and Jason were in the kitchen as well.

“Kevin,” Meg began, “Harper needs you. She needs you more than ever.”

“She’s fighting me,” he said. “And I know so much of this is my fault, but how am I supposed to deal with the pushback? She’s not exactly easy.”

Josh folded his arms across his chest. “You want a woman to be easy? No such animal. The ones who are worth it, are always going to push you to your limit.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. What if I can’t handle her?”

Meg came forward as she spoke. “You won’t know until you jump in. You have to stop running scared, Kev. You have to face Harper and what you’re feeling.”

In a sudden rush, he had a memory of his dad. It was like he’d just seen him yesterday, which made the feelings so hard to handle. He knew the holidays dredged up a lot of emotion, and there’d been so much going on with all the people in his life. But Dad’s presence made him feel calmer. “So what am I supposed to do?”