Drawing Close: The Fourth Novel in the Rosemont Series (17 page)

Sarah nodded. “We each have our own style now,
Gramma. We’re too old to dress alike.”

“I still like to, sometimes,” Sophie cast her
sister a reproachful glance. “But I’m okay with not doing it at school.”

“I know,” Sarah said. “We talked about this. I
still like our matching jammies. That’s at home. We can do it there and not get
teased.”

They’re growing up,
Maggie thought.
How
much longer will they want to come visit their grandmother?
“Did you have
fun this visit?’

Both girls nodded vigorously.

“What was the best part?”

“I liked the pottery place,” Sophie replied.

“That was fun,” Sarah agreed, “but I liked
horseback riding the best. I’m going to ask Mom and Dad if I can take lessons
when we get home.”

“Did you have fun at Marissa’s?”

Sarah shrugged. “It was fine. We made pizza and
her mom taught us how to upside-down braid our hair. But her little sister is
really sick. So it was kinda sad.”

Maggie felt her chest tighten. “The last I heard,
her medication was working,” she said, a touch of chill in her voice.

Sophie shook her head sadly. “Not anymore. She had
to go to the hospital again to get her blood cleaned. Like when we went to the
hospital to see her last time we were here. Didn’t Aunt Susan tell you?”

“She didn’t mention it.”

“Marissa is really scared for her,” Sarah said.
“So are we. We’re praying for her, Gramma. Every night. Is there anything else
we can do?”

“Praying is exactly what you should be doing for
her,” Maggie replied.
But there might be something else I can do,
she
thought.

Chapter 36

Loretta Nash checked her watch. It
was almost time for them to board their flight home. It had been an exhausting
ten days at the transplant center. All the doctors agreed with the recommendation,
and Nicole was now on the national transplant list. Loretta took Nicole’s hand
and approached the boarding agent. “We’re here for early boarding of families
with children,” she said.

The agent took in Loretta’s weary countenance and
noted the hospital brochure protruding from her carry-on. “Let’s move you two
lovely ladies to the front of the line, shall we?” She reached for their
tickets “You can go right on through. Why don’t you sit up front, so we can
help you be the first to get off the plane?” She watched Loretta lead the
listless child down the Jetway to the plane.

Nicole, exhausted from her hospital evaluation,
snuggled into her mother as soon as they sat down, and fell asleep. Loretta’s
mind was swirling with all she’d learned during their visit and sleep eluded
her yet again.

One thing was certain: her deep, dark secret would
come out. Nicole was almost certainly Paul Martin’s daughter. In Scottsdale,
that truth would not have been a big deal. But in Westbury, where Paul’s wife
was the owner of Rosemont and mayor of the town, that truth would be another
matter. She would be the subject of gossip and the butt of crude jokes at every
turn. She might deserve that treatment, but her children did not. Her innocent
kids would be tarred and feathered with the same brush. Sean and Marissa were
old enough to understand any cruel rumors they heard. Loretta’s cheeks burned.
For the thousandth time, she wished she could undo her past.

She considered again the possibility of leaving
Westbury behind and returning to Scottsdale or moving somewhere new. As she
thought about it, she knew it wasn’t possible. She couldn’t switch insurance
plans now, and who would hire her and put up with her absenteeism? She was
stuck. And as she thought this, she knew there was another reason she wanted to
stay. Frank Haynes. Her feelings for him were complicated, and she didn’t have
the energy to think about them.

Loretta shifted carefully in her seat, taking care
not to wake her sleeping daughter. She needed to convince Susan or Mike to be
the donor if they proved to be a match for Nicole. But how was she going to do
that?

Should she approach Maggie Martin? Loretta
shuddered as she remembered their tense meeting last winter. She had tried to
give Maggie the jump drive, which she’d felt certain contained incriminating
evidence related to the fraud and embezzlement from the town.

Maggie hadn’t given her the time of day. She had
known that Loretta was Paul’s mistress. But how? Had Paul told his wife about
them, like he’d promised Loretta he would? Maggie was angry with her and didn’t
want anything to do with her, telling her to take whatever evidence she thought
she had to the police and escorting her to the door. Loretta doubted that
Maggie would be more receptive this time.

What if Susan and Mike wanted proof of Nicole’s
relationship to Paul? She didn’t know if she could get Paul’s body exhumed for
DNA testing. Could she turn to Frank Haynes for help? Whatever good opinion of
her he might have would surely be ruined by revelation of her affair with Paul
Martin. Aside from her growing feelings for Frank, it was imperative that she
retain her job at Haynes Enterprises. She had to tell Frank the truth and deal
with the consequences.

She closed her eyes and smiled at the memory of
Nicole’s brief meeting with Susan in the hospital right before Maggie’s wedding.
Loretta had been astonished that Nicole had insisted Susan hold her doll while
Nicole got dressed. She guarded her doll with the ferocity of a mama bear. And
she’d renamed her doll Susan. There was an undeniable connection between those
two. She’d seen it in that moment.

Loretta relaxed back into her seat. If she could
just get to Susan, she felt certain that this kind and generous woman would
agree to be a kidney donor for her half-sister. Loretta sent up a silent
prayer.
Let her be a match.

***

Frank Haynes hovered in front of
Loretta Nash’s desk shortly before two o’clock. “Let me know when you have the
deposit ready. I’ll run it to the bank, and you can go home. You’ve worked hard
to get your desk caught up. I’m sure you want to spend time with Marissa and
Sean after being away with Nicole.”

Loretta Nash studied her mercurial boss carefully.
Today was definitely one of his good days. He’d had a lot of those lately.
Maybe now was the time. She knew she had to have this conversation with him and
the sooner, the better. For Nicole’s sake. “The deposit is ready now,” she
said, pointing to the bag on the corner of her desk.

“Then you’re free to go—” he began before
she cut him off.

“Actually, I’d like to talk to you about
something,” she said, twisting a strand of hair around her fingertip.

He nodded and waited.

“Can we go into your office?” she asked.

“Of course.” He led the way and sat in the client
chair next to her rather than on the other side of his massive desk. “What’s
troubling you? It isn’t the cost of the transplant, is it? You know I’ve
guaranteed anything that insurance won’t cover.”

“Yes, Frank, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.
I can’t tell you how much,” she said, her voice cracking.

Frank Haynes waited patiently.

“I have something to tell you that you’re not
going to like. Something I’m not proud of, either.” Loretta drew a deep breath
and said in a rush. “I think Paul Martin is Nicole’s father.”

She paused, waiting for his reaction. Frank Haynes
remained motionless in his chair.

Loretta continued. “I met Paul when I was in college,
and we had an affair. I was so naive and stupid. He used every cliché in the
book—how bad his marriage was and that he was waiting for the right time
to leave his wife and marry me. I bought it all, hook, line, and sinker.”
Loretta dropped her gaze. “I know now that they were all lies.”

Frank Haynes absorbed this information. “You say
you
think
he’s Nicole’s father. You aren’t sure?”

Loretta glanced at him quickly, then looked away.
“I got mad at him toward the end—right before he died—because he
hadn’t filed for divorce. I had a fling—out of revenge—to hurt Paul
and bring him around. Instead, Paul died and I ended up pregnant. And now my
daughter desperately needs a kidney transplant. A donation from a close
relative would be the best solution. It could mean the difference between life
and death.” With this, Loretta began to cry. “I’ve made a mess of my life, and now
my child has to pay for it.”

Frank Haynes leaned forward and took both of her
hands into his.

“I knew about your relationship with Paul and
wondered if he was Nicole’s father,” he said softly.

Loretta raised her eyes to meet his. “How did you
know about us?”

“I had a background check done when I hired you.”

“So you’re not shocked? You’re not disappointed in
me?”

Frank Haynes shook his head.

Loretta hung her head. Frank Haynes held her hands
and let her cry. When her sobs began to subside, he handed her his
handkerchief. “What can I do to help?” he asked.

“I have to talk to Susan and Mike. Except I’m not
sure how I’m going to do it. I feel it would be best if I talked to Maggie first.
She should be the first to know. This news will be devastating to their family.
I feel terrible about it. That’s why I kept the secret for so long. I didn’t
see any point in creating so much pain, especially since I wasn’t sure.” She
began to cry again.

“So go tell Maggie,” he said gently.

“She hates me,” Loretta replied.

“She doesn’t even know you.”

“I was her late husband’s mistress.” Loretta
wouldn’t tell him about the night when she’d gone to Rosemont to give Maggie
the copy of the jump drive.

Haynes lifted her chin so that he could look into
her eyes. “I have my differences with Maggie Martin. Everyone knows that.
There’s not much we see eye to eye on. But she’s a kind and fair person. She’s
not going to penalize Nicole for any grudge she may hold against you.”

“I was hoping you might talk to her for me,”
Loretta pleaded. “Broach the subject?”

He shook his head. “You should be the one to ask
her, Loretta. If she says no, I may have a trick or two up my sleeve.” Would he
really be willing to abandon his claim to Rosemont if it were necessary to help
Loretta and Nicole? The thought set his stomach acids churning. He didn’t even
want to consider the idea. “Let me know how it goes. We’ll take it from there.”

Chapter 37

Susan Martin shoved her cell phone
into her purse and made one final pass through her kitchen, making sure she’d
turned off the oven and put all the food into the refrigerator. She’d taken the
afternoon off to prepare a celebratory meal to congratulate Aaron on passing
his medical boards. When he’d called two hours ago to tell her he couldn’t make
it, she’d been up to her elbows in preparations. This would be their first
opportunity to spend a long evening together since she’d returned from her trip
to Westbury—the trip that he had planned to take with her.

Aaron had met her return flight with flowers and a
heartfelt apology. She knew he was terribly sorry for missing his brother’s
surprise party, but now this? She had to wonder if he really wanted to be with
her. He was breaking another promise. All for his blasted career. She’d been
longing to have him all to herself.

She’d bitten her tongue and agreed to meet him for
a quick cup of coffee instead. It was time for a serious talk. She didn’t want
to spoil his special day, but she needed to find out where she stood and where
they were headed. She couldn’t allow things to continue as they were. She’d
been second fiddle before, and she didn’t want another relationship like that. If
she had to break it off with him and start over in her search for Mr. Right, so
be it. Susan checked her reflection in the mirror that hung by her back door
before setting the alarm and heading out. She hoped she wouldn’t lose her
nerve.

They made plans to meet at a little dive around
the corner from the hospital. He’d told her he could take a break and meet her
there to celebrate.

Susan drove past the diner twice, looking for a
parking spot. A stretch limousine idled in front, taking up the space of at
least three parking meters. Annoyed, she finally pulled to the curb two blocks
down the street. As she hurried to the diner, the chauffer got out and called
her by name. She turned as he opened the rear passenger door. Aaron was waiting
for her inside the limousine.

“What in the world?” she asked.

“I wanted to celebrate tonight, too. But I didn’t
want you to have to cook. I’ve been looking forward to taking you out.”

“Wow,” she said as she got in beside him. The
chauffer pulled away from the curb, and Aaron opened a bottle of champagne and
poured them each a glass. “To us.”

Susan smiled. “To you, Dr. Scanlon.”

As they sipped their champagne, all of her earlier
arguments dissolved. She relaxed into Aaron’s outstretched arm. “I’ve never
been in a limo before. Pretty fancy. Look at all these cool lights. What do
these buttons do?” she asked, pointing.

“Open the moonroof, I think. Want to try it?”

Susan nodded and Aaron opened the roof.

“So where are you taking me?”

“You’ll see in about ten minutes,” Aaron said.
“I’m told it’s one of the best restaurants in California. It sits on a cliff,
overlooking the Pacific. The sunset should be spectacular.”

“Did you rob a bank?” Susan asked.

“This is a special night, and I’m splurging on the
most beautiful woman I know.”

***

The restaurant was housed in a
Spanish-style bungalow, retrofitted with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the
Pacific. The interior was done in quiet taupe Venetian plaster and the tables
were dressed in thickly starched linen. Low arrangements of burgundy roses
graced every table. The maître d’ whisked them to a secluded table in the
corner by the windows.

They watched the clouds over the ocean turn from
crimson to magenta as the sun sank below the horizon. They made their way
through appetizers and entrees, relying on suggestions from their waiter and
sampling everything brought to their table. They both remembered that the food
was fabulous, but neither of them could later recall what they ate.

“I hope you’ve saved room for dessert,” Aaron
said.

“Honestly? I’m stuffed,” Susan said.

“They have your favorite—bananas Foster.”

“That takes forever to prepare. You won’t want to
wait.”

“Actually, I ordered it when I made the
reservation.”

“Really? Aren’t you wonderful? You’ve thought of
everything.”

Aaron signaled their waiter. The man brought the
cart to their table and prepared the dessert with great showmanship. As he
finished, the sommelier arrived and uncorked a bottle of champagne. Both men
left the table together and Susan swore one of them nodded at Aaron in
encouragement. She felt herself flush and raised her eyes to his. Could this be
the moment she’d longed for since she was a teenager?

He smiled fleetingly and made a show of pouring
them each a glass of champagne. Susan steadied her hand as she picked up her
fork and quickly put it back down as Aaron pushed back his chair and dropped to
one knee. He took her hands in his and spoke from his heart. “I adore you,
Susan Martin. You’re the woman I want to share all of life’s joys and traverse
all of life’s hardships with. You are the kindest, most loving person I’ve ever
known. Will you do me the great honor of marrying me?”

Susan cupped his face with her hands and kissed
him. “Of course I will. You’ve been the one for me since the day we met. I love
you completely.” She broke off, crying.

Aaron handed her his handkerchief. He glanced into
the restaurant and noted that all eyes were on their table. He smiled and made
a thumbs up gesture, and the restaurant burst into applause.

“When I called you earlier to tell you I couldn’t
make it for dinner, I was afraid that you’d be really mad at me for
interrupting your plans at the last minute. You hadn’t started dinner yet or
anything, had you?”

Susan snorted. “I most certainly had started
dinner. I made your favorite cheesecake after work last night, and I’d taken the
afternoon off to cook. Everything was well underway.”

“I had no idea. I’m so sorry.” He squeezed her
hand. “I’ve got a lot to learn about domestic life. No wonder you paused for so
long before responding. You were probably getting ready to let me have it.”

“You have no idea,” Susan replied. “If we’d met
for a cup of coffee, like you led me to believe, we’d be having a much
different conversation.”

Aaron raised his eyebrows at her quizzically.
“Tell me.”

Susan leaned over and kissed him. “It doesn’t matter
now. Let’s just concentrate on our future.”

***

Maggie’s phone rang as she was
about to step into the shower. She glanced at the screen to see who was calling
at this early hour and was alarmed to see that it was Susan. It would be three
in the morning in California. Maggie answered the call on the second ring.

“What’s wrong, honey?” she said, pulling her robe
around her.

“Nothing’s wrong, Mom. Everything’s right.” Susan
paused and continued excitedly. “Aaron proposed!”

“That’s wonderful! When?”

“Last night. I’m too excited to fall asleep. I’ve
been waiting for it to be late enough to call you.”

Maggie smiled. “You could have woken us up for
this news.” She was about to tell her daughter to give her all the details, but
Susan launched into her tale without further invitation.

“Ohhhh … so romantic. Did you suspect this was
coming?”

“No. Not even during dinner. But my hopes got
really high when our sommelier opened the champagne. He knew what Aaron was
planning, and both he and Aaron looked like kids who got their hands caught in
the candy jar. We were at a table in the corner and when the sommelier left us
alone, Aaron dropped to one knee and proposed.”

“Did you cry?”

“Of course I did. You know I did. I also got
bananas Foster all over my dress.”

Maggie laughed. “Congratulations to both of you.
John’s already left for morning surgery. I can’t wait to tell him. He’ll be so
pleased. Do you have a ring?”

“Not yet. He decided to take a leaf out of John’s
book and let me pick it out. But he warned me that I shouldn’t expect a four-carat
diamond like yours. He can’t afford that yet.”

“Do you have any idea what you’d like?”

“An oval solitaire in platinum. Simple and
elegant.”

“That’ll suit you to a tee,” Maggie agreed. “Did
you set the date?”

“Next summer. At Rosemont, of course,” Susan said.
“But way smaller than your wedding. I want to walk down those stairs and get
married in front of the fireplace in the living room.”

“That’ll be the perfect setting. We can garland
the banister and bank the mantel with flowers.”

“And have a DJ on the terrace. I want to dance
until the wee hours.”

“Have you told your brother?”

“Not yet. It’s too early to call him. I wanted to
tell you first, anyway.”

“I haven’t talked to Mike since the miscarriage,”
Maggie said. “Is everything okay with them? Every time I call, I get their
voice mail.”

“Amy’s doing better now; she’s just gone back to
work. And they’ve been busy with the beginning of the school year. I can’t wait
to tell the twins. They’ll be so excited to be in another wedding. They had the
time of their lives in yours.” Susan yawned. “I’ve got to go to work today, so
I suppose I should try to get some sleep. We’ll talk more this weekend.”