A Man Like Morgan Kane (12 page)

He reached for her; she eased away from him, until her back pressed against the car door. "What we shared did mean something to me. I did care, Beth. I swear I did."

"Maybe you did, but not enough to stay. Not enough to marry me and build a life with me."

"Hell!" He forked his fingers through his thick hair. "I tried to explain to you then that I had to get away, that I couldn't stay here inBirminghamand live the life my parents had planned for me.

"When I first left town, I thought that you belonged to that life. A life I wanted no part of. You'd been bred to be the kind of woman my mother was, and no matter how much I cared for you, how much I wanted you, I couldn't see myself married to a woman who would one day become a replica of Claudia Morgan Kane."

"Is that what you think I am now? A replica of your mother?"

"There are similarities," he said. "But no, you are not a replica of my mother."

"Claudia might not have been the perfect mother, but she did love you, you know. She's been a wonderful grandmother to Anne Marie. The two of them are very close."

"Yeah, well, sometimes people make better grandparents than they do parents," Morgan said.

"After you left, your mother and father were as devastated as I was. They'd had so many hopes and
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

dreams for you. For us."

"How convenient that Amery was able to step into my shoes and fulfill those hopes and dreams."

Bethanyheard the anger behind Morgan's words. She wondered why he seemed hurt and resentful that Amery had wanted what he hadn't. That Amery had gladly taken what Morgan had thrown away.

"Once we realized that you weren't coming back and that you had no intention of letting any of us know where you were, your parents and my mother encouraged me to marry Amery. And to be honest, at the time, I wasn't thinking rationally. I wasn't feeling anything at all. I was numb and in shock and—"

"And so you let Eileen and my parents persuade you to marry Amery. They didn't waste any time, did they? How long had I been gone when you walked down the aisle with my cousin? Two months? Three months?"

"Amery tried to be a good husband. He did everything possible to make our marriage work. He wanted me to love him, even though he didn't really love me. I believe he thought that if he tried hard enough, he could make me forget you. He hated you. Did you know that?"Bethanyasked Morgan. "It gave him great pleasure to know that he possessed everything that had once been yours. But after Anne Marie was born and … and he realized that I would never love him, he started drinking. Drinking heavily. And he started seeing other women."

"Then why did you stay with him, if you didn't love him?" And why did you allow my parents to persuade you to marry him in the first place? Why, dammit, why?

For the same reason I married him, she wanted to say. I did it all for Anne Marie. For
your
daughter! "I stayed with him for several years, because your parents convinced me that it was what was best for Anne Marie. But eventually, I couldn't bear it any longer. I told Amery that I was going to leave him, that I wanted a divorce."

"What happened to change your mind?" Morgan asked. "I know you were still married to Amery when he died."

"I asked Amery for a divorce the night he was killed."Bethany's eyes filled with tears. "He pleaded with me not to leave him. He said that he didn't want a divorce. He promised to stop drinking, to stop seeing other women. But I refused to listen to his promises. He—he kept pouring himself drink after drink, until he was so drunk he could barely stand up." She swallowed her tears. "I begged him not to leave the house in his condition, but when I tried to stop him, he threw me on the floor and left. Less than two hours later, the police were at my door, telling me that Amery was dead. He'd run his car offAltamont Roadand hit a tree, head-on."

"I never knew the details of how he died."

"I killed him." Covering her face with her hands,Bethanywept. Her shoulders trembled from the force of her sobs. "It was all my fault. I never should have married him. I drove him to drink. My rejection forced him into the arms of other women. And then—" she sucked in air as she tried to stop crying "—I destroyed him when I asked him for a divorce."

"My God! You've been blaming yourself all these years for what happened to Amery. Even knowing that he didn't love you, that he wanted you only because you'd been mine, and married you to please my parents, you still think it's your fault that he drank too much and smashed his car into a tree?"

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

"I shouldn't have asked him for a divorce."Bethanydrew in quick, gasping little breaths in an effort to gain control of her emotions. "We'd made a deal, Amery and I. And I didn't keep my part of the bargain. If I had, he would still be alive."

Morgan hated Amery more at that precise moment than he'd ever hated the man. Somehow, even in death, he had managed to wreak havoc on other people's lives. His selfishness reached out from the grave and kept a stranglehold onBethany.

Beth. His sweet, loving Beth had made two major errors in judgment. She'd trusted him. And she'd trusted Amery. They had both used her for their own purposes, and in the end they'd both nearly destroyed her. The hatred he felt for his cousin burned deep into his soul, consuming him almost as completely as the self-hatred he felt. If he hadn't desertedBethany, left her alone to stand against their families, she never would have married Amery.

"Amery's death was an accident," Morgan said. "But if anyone was at fault, Amery was. Nobody drives someone else to drink, honey. There was a weakness in Amery that made him an alcoholic."

"I know," she said. "Rationally, I know that what you're saying is true, but—"

"No buts!"

Morgan reached out and tenderly caressedBethany's cheek. Closing her eyes, she pressed her face against his hand and sighed. Cradling her jaw, he traced the outline of her upper lip. When she kissed his thumb, the sensation of her moist, warm lips against his flesh sent shock waves of sexual awareness through his body.

"Beth … honey?" He inserted his thumb between her parted teeth and thought he'd die when she closed her lips around him. Leaning over, their bodies not touching, he cupped her chin, lifted her face and kissed her. A kiss edged with passion, but passion held in check by the instinctive knowledge that Bethanyneeded to be cherished, not ravished.

Sweetly, gently, he possessed her mouth, and she returned the kiss, seeking, pleading and then accepting the tender passion he offered.

Lifting his lips from hers and gazing into her moist eyes, Morgan ended the kiss. As he held her chin in the cradle between his thumb and forefinger, she looked at him and smiled.

"You were my only lover," she whispered. "Amery and I had sex, but we never made love. When I was with you, it was always lovemaking. Even if you didn't love me, you made me feel loved."

"For us, it was always more than sex. With other girls, that's all it had ever been. Scratching an itch. But the first time we had sex, it was different. You loved me so much, you never held anything back."

Releasing her chin, he eased his body away from hers. He shook his head. He'd been such an arrogant young fool, so sure of himself and so sure, when he had come back toBirminghamsixteen years ago, that Bethanywould be waiting for him.

"No, I never held anything back with you. I gave you everything. But it didn't matter. I wasn't enough for you, was I? You went away and left me all alone."

"You'll never know how sorry I am that I hurt you and that I allowed Amery to hurt you."

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

"I'm sorry, too," she said. "But perhaps you understand why, after Amery died, I didn't want another man in my life. I was twenty-three years old and had already had two disastrous relationships. I let you almost destroy me, and then I turned around and destroyed Amery.

"But I had Anne Marie. She has always been the most important thing in my life. I've devoted myself to her, to loving her, protecting her, preparing her for life. And I've built my business from nothing. I worked long and hard to make the boutiques a success. I wanted my daughter to be proud of me, to know that I'd made it on my own and she could, too."

"You've done a wonderful job raising Anne Marie all alone. She's a great kid," he said. "At least one good thing came out of your marriage to Amery."

She wanted to beat Morgan's chest and scream at him.
She isn't Amery's child. She's yours. Dear
God, can't you look at her and see that she's yours?

Bethanynudged the monogram-engraved gold case of her Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso watch, revealing the face of the Art Deco-style timepiece. "It's late. We need to go on in and see Lisa, then hurry over to Mother's and pick up Anne Marie. I'm sure she's counting the minutes until we get there. She probably can't wait for our cookout tonight."

Morgan got out of the Mercedes and rounded the hood.Bethanywaited for him beside the car. When he paused in front of her, she looked up at him as if she were silently pleading with him for something. What did she want from him? he wondered. But even more important, what did he have to give her? He could and would protect her, and he'd do everything possible to discover Jimmy Farraday's real murderer. But she already knew that, didn't she? No, she was asking for something more personal, something that only he could give her.

"I still want you, Beth," he said. "But if you're afraid I'll hurt you again, that I'll use you and then leave, I promise that—"

She laid her index finger across his lips, silencing him. "Don't make me any promises." Not now. Not yet.

Wait. Someday soon I may have to ask you for the most important promise of your life. I may have to ask you to take care of our daughter. "And I'm not worried about your hurting me again. I won't let you or anyone else break my heart. No one uses me. Not anymore."

She turned and walked away, her heels clattering loudly on the concrete floor. Quickly catching up with her, Morgan stayed at her side as they made their way out of the parking deck. When they reached the stairs, they met two loudly grumbling women and a sullen man walking up the steps.Bethanypaused, waiting for the strangers to pass. As the threesome drew nearer,the air reeked with the stench of strong body odor and stalecigarette smoke. Covering her mouth and nose with her hand,Bethanyturned her head.

The older woman, a flat-chested, barrel-shaped bleached-blonde, pointed her finger atBethany. "Hey, ain't you the woman who killed Jimmy Farraday?"

Bethanytensed immediately, her whole body going stiff. With her hand still covering her mouth and nose, she turned her head slightly and stared at the woman. Morgan slipped his arm aroundBethany's waist.

"Yeah, Mama, that's her." The younger woman, who had a tattooed snake crawling up her bare arm, took a draw on her cigarette, then stepped up right inBethany's face and blew smoke in her eyes. "How
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

could you have killed a man like Jimmy? He was one of us. A real human being. A man who knew what it was like to be poor and have all the rich folks looking down their noses at him."

EasingBethanybehind him, Morgan glared at the pimple-faced teenager. "I suggest y'all go on to your car and leave Ms. Wyndham alone."

The bearded man pulled the girl aside and stood up to Morgan. His beer belly hung over his belt, a strip of hairy flesh exposed by his too-short T-shirt. "Last time I heard, this here was a free country. So that means you can't tell us what to do and what to say. If we want to tell Jimmy's murderer what we think of her, then we will."

Morgan narrowed his gaze, glowering at the sour-breathed bozo, then turned around, graspedBethany's elbow and led her down the first step.

"Murderer. Snobby rich bitch," the woman hollered.

Bethanyshivered. She took another step downward, her knees trembling.

"Look at 'em run, Joe Bob." The teenage girl laughed.

The man followed Morgan, reached out and grabbed his arm. "Hey, buddy, if I was you, I'd be scared to go to sleep next to that 'un. I'd be afraid she'd kill me if I hadn't pleasured her enough."

Like a flash of lightning, Morgan shoved the man up the steps and straight into the concrete wall.

Gripping Joe Bob's neck, Morgan pressed against his windpipe.Bethanystood frozen to the spot on the second step. The cigarette slipped through the girl's fingers as she stared wide-eyed at her chalk-faced mother.

"Get the hell out of here." Morgan issued the warning in a calm, deadly voice. "And keep your opinions to yourself. Do you understand?"

Joe Bob's eyes bulged from their sockets like blue orbs sprouting from his round, red face. He nodded his head affirmatively. Morgan lessened the pressure on his windpipe. Grabbing the man by the back of the neck, Morgan jerked him away from the wall.

"We ought to call the police," the teenaged girl said. "You can't go around beating up on—"

"Shut your trap, sister," Joe Bob warned. "You want to get me killed?" He inclined his head toward the man who hadn't released him.

Morgan shoved Joe Bob toward his sister and mother, then waited while the three scurried away. He glanced toward Bethany, who hadn't moved from her frozen stance on the second step. She stood there, her face pale, her shoulders slumped. When she realized the Jimmy Farraday fan club had disappeared, she let out a long, gasping sigh.

"It's all right, honey. They're gone." Morgan glanced around in time to see the threesome crawling into a rusty, dented, older model car.

Bethanytried to take a step up, toward Morgan, but her knees weakened. Grabbing the handrail along the side of the stairs, she swayed slightly, but didn't crumple. She would not allow those vile people to get the best of her. They were poor, ignorant sheep who'd been led by a master shepherd. The city and
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html