Careless Rapture (29 page)

She took a bite, he nodded in approval, then
they sat quietly and finished their meal.

***

Later that day, Clay stormed into the office
and slammed the letter on Mack’s desk. “You’re either a meddling
old woman or a raving lunatic.”

Mack gripped the arms of his chair, his eyes
wide. He’d never seen Clay show such temper. “What did I do?”

“My mother appeared on Saturday. Do you know
anything about that?”

Mack scratched his nose. “I could lie, but it
seems you already know the answer to that.”

“Yes, I do know the answer.” Clay held up
three fingers. “And I tried to come up with three different
scenarios to explain your lack of judgment. One, that you’re
suffering from an untreated form of syphilis and you’re going mad;
two, that you naively thought I was a masochist in need of more
pain; or three, you really wanted to discover how much physical
torture you could endure.”

“How about number four? That I’m your
friend.”

Clay stared. “You’re my what?”

“Friend. I wanted to help you out.”

“You’re my friend?” He said the words as
though he’d never heard the term before.

“Hard to believe, I know.” Mack rested his
glasses on the desk. “Look, buddy, I was worried about you. After
Gabriella’s death you were burning out. I thought you needed a
catalyst, and that talk we had about mothers got me thinking. Megan
drafted the first letter—”

Clay’s eyes darkened. “You told your daughter
about me?”

“As I’ve said, I consider you a friend. I
know you don’t feel the same, that’s fine.” He sat back. “Aside
from a friend, I thought I was in danger of losing a good partner
and wanted to help. I shouldn’t have interfered, but when Megan
mentioned contacting your mom, it sounded like a good idea. And if
your mother hadn’t sounded so willing and eager, I would have
forgotten the whole thing. She does love you.”

Mack considered him a friend?
Clay sat
at his desk, amazed.
Not just a partner, but a friend.

“I’m sorry I stepped over the line.”

Clay stared at the black screen of his
computer. “Fine. I won’t kill you this time.”

“Thanks for the reprieve.”

“But if you—”

“It won’t happen again.” He smoothed out an
eyebrow. “How did things go?”

“As well as could be expected. You’ve never
met my mother.”

“No. Only in e-mails.”

“I’ll have to introduce you. Should prove
interesting.”

He swung back and forth in his chair. He’d
gained a friendship just when he’d lost one. But he didn’t want to
lose it. He picked up the phone and called Eric. When he answered,
Clay said, “Hey, Eric, I’d like a word with you and Drake. Are you
free to meet at Eugene’s Wednesday?”

“I’m free. I’m not sure I could get Drake to
come.”

“I’m not in the position to ask any favors,
but if you could try drinks are on me.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks.” He hung up, then stared at the
phone. He wasn’t certain what he would say, but he felt he had to
try something. He looked at Mack. “Are you free Wednesday?”

“If free drinks are included, sure.”

“They are.”

Mack grinned. “I’m already there.”

***

Wednesday night at Eugene’s was full of women
who’d come for free drinks and the men who’d come to see them. But
in the far corner of the bar, four men sat quietly with a bowl of
pretzels and their drinks: Mack, Clay, Eric, and Carter. Drake had
yet to show.

Finally Eric set down his drink and looked at
Clay. He looked pale, but grim. “He said he’d come.”

“Could be stuck in traffic,” Carter said.

Clay glanced at the door. “Hmm.”

Mack grinned, trying to ease the tense
atmosphere. “You’ve certainly got women trouble. Jackie
and
your mother.”

Clay nodded. “Thanks to you lot.”

“What’s your mother like?” Eric asked.

“I know I’m supposed to be kind.”

“Is she like Angela?” he asked, referring to
Cassie’s acid-tongued mother.

“I’d say worse.”

“I don’t think worse is possible.”

Clay took a long swallow, then set his glass
down. “It is.”

“She’s mellowed out, though,” Eric said,
trying to be fair.

“Let me say this. My mum could walk into a
bar and leave with a man within ten minutes.”

The men looked at him.

“Ten minutes?” Carter asked.

“You could set your watch. She’d love a place
like this.”

“Do you have a picture of her?”

“No, but if you check the dictionary under
the word—”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Carter said “You might not
like her, but she’s still your mother. Have some respect.” He
ordered another beer.

Eric glanced at his watch; Clay glanced at
the door.

“Have you ever made love to an older woman?”
Mack asked.

Carter shook his head.

“Define ‘older,’” Clay said.

“At least ten years.”

He shook his head.

Eric absently rubbed his chest. “I have.” He
smiled in memory. “She was great.”

Mack nodded. “Me, too. Twenty years older and
she knew everything.”

“I’m impressed,” Eric said.

Clay lifted his drink. “So am I. By the way,
I’ve changed my mind.”

“About what?” Mack asked.

“You’re not meeting my mother.”

Mack laughed; it sounded forced.

“So why Jackie?” Carter asked.

When Clay didn’t readily reply, Mack spoke
up. “He’s liked her since—”

Clay shot him a glance. “Mind you don’t choke
on your beer.”

“I’m not drinking beer.”

He lifted his glass. “You will be.”

Mack grabbed some pretzels.

Clay tapped the side of his glass. “I just
like her, that’s all.” He looked at Eric. “I’m good to her.”

Eric rubbed his chest, the corner of his
mouth kicking up in a grin. “I know.”

Carter straightened. “Hey, I see Drake.”

Mack glanced at his watch. “About time.”

Clay sat back and took a deep breath as
though preparing for battle.,

Drake approached the table, his eyes briefly
meeting Clay’s before he signaled a waitress. He began to sit when
his eyes focused on Eric. “Are you okay?”

Eric nodded. “I just need some air.” He
stood, then grabbed his chest and collapsed.

The
hospital waiting room held a quiet that made minutes feel like
hours. Jackie shifted in her seat, wishing there was something she
could do. Drake was withdrawn, Clay unreadable, Mack checked out an
attractive female doctor, Carter tapped his foot, and Adriana
looked near collapse. Cassie had stayed home with the kids. Though
Drake had tried to reassure Adriana with what little he knew from
what Eric had shared, she still looked anxious. They all were.

Desperate to offer comfort, but having no
words to say, Jackie sat next to her and took her hand.

Adriana snatched it away. “Don’t touch me,”
she said with such anger Jackie winced.

“Why not?”

“You lied to me. You knew something was wrong
and pretended that everything was fine.” her eyes filled with
tears. “Even when I asked you, you lied.”

“He wanted me to keep it a secret.”

“And that makes it all right?” She turned
away. “I thought we were friends. I was wrong.”

“He’s my brother and—”

“And your loyalty may have cost him his
life.”

Drake spoke up. “Don’t blame her.”

Adriana moved her gaze to him. “Of course
not. The tribe leader will shoulder the blame. She won’t face
anything as long as you’re here.”

“Be fair,” Clay said.

Adriana rolled her eyes. “Yes, come to her
defense. I mustn’t blame Jackie. Poor little Jackie was only
protecting her big brother. She shouldn’t be accountable for her
actions. It doesn’t matter that she was supposed to be my friend.
That’s not important.” She stood, wrapping arms around herself as
though cold. “But you wouldn’t understand. She’s good with men.
With men she can use that smile, those eyes, that cute, petite
little figure and everything is forgiven.” She turned to Jackie.
“But I can’t forgive you. I thought we were friends. I thought we
had a bond like Cassie and I do. A bond where we make fun of each
other, give advice, get annoyed, but we
never lie
to each
other. Never about the important things.” She let her hands fall
and stared at Jackie in a new way. “Perhaps that’s why you have no
female friends. Maybe you don’t know how to be a friend.” She
looked at Drake. “And you don’t know how to let anyone into the
clan. You made those Sunday dinners a sham.” She threw up her
hands. “None of it was real. We’re not a family. It’s the Hensons
and the rest of us. Three against two.”

“Three against three,” Clay said.

“Three?” She sniffed. “I don’t think so, Mr.
Neutral. You don’t count because you don’t want to. Not really. You
haven’t invested in us. None of us know how long you will stay
around. It’d be nice, but we all know Clay will do what he wants. A
family? That’s funny. We’re—”

“Enough.” Clay’s tone was quiet but
effective. “Nobody in this room is perfect. However, we don’t get
together to pretend we are. We do so because we’re family and,
strangely enough, enjoy each other’s company.” He glanced at Drake.
“Nobody’s perfect. Yeah, I might leave. Drake’s protective of Eric
and Jackie, Cassie will try to make everything all right, Eric will
keep things to himself, and Jackie will get her way most times. But
you’re part of this family, too. You’re the one no one wants to
worry.”

He sat beside Adriana. “Tonight we need you
to be strong. If you want us to share things with you, we need to
know you’ll be able to handle it. Yes, we made a mistake by not
saying anything. And if anything seriously happens in that
operating room, I won’t forgive myself. But for all the mistakes
we’ve made, it doesn’t measure up to the one Eric made by not going
to the doctor when he should have.” His eyes pierced hers. “By not
telling you.”

***

When they were finally allowed to see Eric,
Adriana went alone. He looked worn, but he was alive and that was
all that mattered. His chest was bandaged from where they had
inserted and removed a tube that drained water from his lungs. His
glasses were gone and that made him look much more vulnerable
somehow.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi.”

“I’m mad at you.”

He smiled weakly. “Still? Haven’t I been
punished enough?”

She leaned against the bed rail and shook her
head. “I’m serious, Eric.”

His smile faded. “I know.”

“I just told everyone off in the waiting
room.”

“I thought I married a woman with better
manners.”

“You didn’t.” She gently touched his
forehead. His skin felt cool from the air-conditioning. “What am I
going to do with you?”

“You can get me a new pair of lungs. If you
can’t manage that, just get me out of here.”

She gripped the railing, unashamed of her
tears. “I’d give you my heart if it made you well.” Her voice fell.
“You scared me.”

“Love, I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to worry
about me.”

“I’m worried now.”

He reached for her hand. “I’m sorry.”

“Are you sorry that you’re sick or sorry you
lied?”

He shook his head, his voice firm. “I didn’t
lie.”

“Silence can be a lie. Do you know why I
married you?”

“I suspect you’re going to tell me.”

“I married you because I wanted you in my
life. I wanted you in my daughter’s life.”

His eyes pleaded. “I don’t want Nina to see
me.”

“Too bad.”

His tone hardened. “I don’t want her to see
me like this.”

“So far you’ve done exactly what you’ve
wanted and it hasn’t done this family any good. As a husband and
father it can’t only be about what you want, but about what your
family needs. And that means your wife needs to know when you’re
sick, as does your daughter, because we love you.” She stopped and
lifted a mischievous brow. “By the way, have you considered how
much this emergency room visit will cost us?”

He looked startled, then fiercely swore. “I
should have thought about that.”

“Think about it the next time you decide to
forgo a visit to the doctor. You don’t need to pretend or protect
me from the truth. I might be flighty sometimes, but I’m far from
weak.”

“I’d never call you weak.” He smiled. “You
look beautiful.”

“You can’t see anything, can you?”

“Hardly.”

“Where are your glasses?”

He nodded to the side table. “So considerate,
how they put things out of reach.”

“They’re busy.” She put the glasses on his
face. “There, that’s better.”

“Yes.” He searched her face. “So you’d give
me your heart, huh?”

“Yes.”

“Well, you already have mine.”

***

Adriana walked past the waiting room, then
stopped, turned around and entered. She stared at the small group.
She sat down and crossed her legs. “I apologize for my display
earlier,” she said primly. “However, to ensure that this never
happens again, I want to offer you a warning.” She turned to
Jackie. “To the one woman in this group, I promise if you lie to me
again, your access to Eric will become greatly reduced and you
won’t go out with Cassie or me again.” She looked at Mack and Clay.
“To the two single men, Eric will no longer visit Eugene’s bar, and
as the owner of a lingerie store where my clientele happen to be
attractive eligible women, I will make sure when they hear your
names they will shriek in terror.”

“You don’t even know me,” Mack protested.

“I know your name and your face. That’s
enough.” She turned her attention to Drake and Carter. “To the two
married men in the room, since I know your wives, I will conspire
to make your lives miserable.” She stood and smoothed out her
skirt. “That’s about it. Eric is waiting to see you now.” She left
the room. They heard her high heels click down the hallway.