If You Only Knew (Harper Falls Book 3) (27 page)

“I don’t want to be late. Last week. I would hate to
miss anything.” Another thing she never understood — sarcasm.

“I know your schedule, Andrew. Your first class isn’t
for another hour. Have a seat.”

Of all the rooms in Harper House, Drew hated this one the
most. The heavy smell of French perfume. The dark furniture. The dark carpet,
the dark walls. No light, no air. Someday, when he was head of his own company,
his office would be nothing but windows. No shadowy corners or walls of books
that nobody was allowed to read.

In
his
office, he would be able to breathe.

“Stop fidgeting, Andrew. You are eighteen. Mature young
men sit politely and pay attention.”

“I guess I’m not that mature.”

Oh, boy. He knew that look. The tightening around her mouth,
the narrowing of her eyes.

She was only a few years past forty. Attractive, trim.
Regina Harper was as rigid with herself as she was with others. Regular
exercise, sensible meals. She had the body of a woman half her age. It was her
discontent with life that would be her downfall. Plastic surgery and chemicals
could smooth the wrinkles; nothing could wipe the icy disdain permanently
etched between her brows.

Had she ever been happy
, Drew wondered.
Had there
ever been a twinkle of joy in those dark brown eyes?
He had inherited her
eyes. The same color, same shape. That was where the similarities ended. Drew
looked at the world with wonder. Saw the endless possibilities right there for
the taking.

Regina’s world was Harper Falls. She had power, influence.
People looked to her to make decisions. She ruled. The rest of the world held
no interest beyond the occasional shopping expedition to New York or Paris.

That lack of curiosity for the outside world was not
something Drew could understand. He would have been sympathetic if Regina
showed any signs of being happy. In a world of her own making and not a content
bone in her body. What a miserable way to live your life.

“Who are you escorting to the Lilac Ball?”

Regina’s annual charity function to raise money for the
town’s hospital. Drew knew it was a worthy cause. No one was turned away who
needed medical attention. Lack of insurance, no money. It didn’t matter. He was
proud that his family founded and supported Harper Memorial.

The ball was another matter. It was a vanity project, pure
and simple. He hated being forced to attend. Every year, he was expected to
escort the vapid daughter of a socially acceptable family. Money and
connections were the only qualifications. Wit and intelligence seemed to have
been bred out, not a desirable trait in the Harper Falls elite.

“I’m not.”

“Full sentences, Andrew.” Regina sat up even
straighter. Drew wondered how she managed to function with a stick constantly
shoved up her ass.

“I will not be attending the Lilac Ball. With or
without a date.”

“I see.”

Drew wasn’t expecting an explosion. Regina never raised her
voice. However, her lack of surprise at his announcement did throw him a bit.

“Am I to assume you will be spending the evening with
Tyler Jones?”

If this were a movie, Drew would have admired the way Regina
played him. The slow build, never giving a hint to her end game. As an
observer, he would have applauded her tactics. As a participant, he felt her
cold stare chill him to the bone. His mind scrambled. With no warning, he
wasn’t sure how to proceed.

“What do you think you know?” Answer a question
with a question. It bought him time to think.

“I know everything. I know about your little meeting
place down by the river. I know this has been going on for almost a year.
Please tell me you’ve been using protection. The last thing we need is a
mongrel Harper in the family tree.”

“You go too far, Regina.”

Drew was too angry to notice Regina’s reaction to his use of
her name.

“It is Mother, do you understand? What would people say
if they heard you call me by my given name?”

“I don’t give a damn what people think,
Regina.
I stopped thinking of you as my mother long ago. I’m not going to play the
hypocrite just so you can save face.”

If anything, her eyes became colder, her back straighter.

“You will stop seeing that Jones girl.
Immediately.”

“Are you out of your ever-loving mind?” Drew was
flabbergasted. “I love Tyler. I plan on spending the rest of my life with
her.”

“That is impossible.”

“Don’t worry. We won’t be here in Harper Falls. No
uncomfortable holidays to get through. Dad can come and visit his
grandchildren. You won’t be a part of our lives.”

Drew wasn’t certain, but he thought Regina actually choked
at the mention of grandchildren.

“Is she pregnant?”

“No.”

“Good. That would have been…unfortunate.”

“Because she isn’t worthy?” Drew scoffed.

“Because she’s your sister.”

“What?”

“WHAT?”

Tyler shot straight up in bed, her eyes a stormy gray.

“Calm down, Ty.”

“Are you kidding? Was she kidding? Please, tell me she
was kidding.”

Drew took her shoulders, easing her back down onto the bed.
He leaned over her, smoothing back her hair.

“She wasn’t kidding. She doesn’t know how.”

“Drew—”

“We wouldn’t be here, like this, if we were brother and
sister, Ty.”

“Then what was she up to?”

“Let me finish.”

TEN YEARS AGO

“YOU HEARD ME, Andrew.”

Drew was reeling.
Tyler was his sister
? Impossible.
Please, let it be impossible. He started running scenarios through his head.
None of them made sense.

“Is Martin Jones my father? Or are you telling me Dad
is Tyler’s? Unless there is some other twisted combination that hasn’t occurred
to me yet.”

“The specifics don’t matter, Andrew.”

“They are all that matters. You want me to believe that
I’ve been—” God, he couldn’t even say it. “If I’m to accept this, you
need to give me some facts.”

“If you insist.”

Regina tapped her manicured nails on the surface of her
desk.
Nerves
, Drew thought. She didn’t show them often. That she did so
now gave him a spark of hope.

“Well? Spill it, Regina.”

“Watch yourself, Andrew. You will show me respect while
in my home.”

“If I’m to believe you, that moral high ground you’re
so fond of standing on is about to crumble into a million little pieces. You
can’t have it both ways. Are you a cheat who gave birth to another man’s child
or not?”

“Nineteen years ago, I was briefly… involved with
Martin Jones.”

“Am I his son? Yes or no?”

Again, Regina hesitated.

“You can’t even say it. Why start a lie then refuse to
follow through?”

“I don’t want to embarrass your father.”

“Which one?”

Regina raised her eyebrows, the look she gave him saying
what she wouldn’t. It was a lie. Drew was certain.

“He loves you. This would devastate him.”

Drew doubted it. Any illusions Russell Harper might have
harbored about his wife were lost long ago. This sham would only add to the
knowledge that she was beyond contempt.

“And then there’s his heart. You know what the doctor
said about avoiding stress. Leave Russell out of this, Andrew. It will be best
for all of us.”

Drew swallowed. His father’s condition wasn’t life
threatening. Not yet. Adding any worry wouldn’t help though. He would try not
to involve him, unfortunately at this point, Drew wasn’t sure that was
possible.

“Two days, Regina.” Drew stood indicating he was
done. “Show me some proof or back down. If you still want to play the
cryptic messenger of doom, I’ll be forced to go to my father.”

“And say what?”

“Simple. I’ll tell him your story. Then I’ll ask him to
join me for a little test. You can lie. DNA won’t.”

He thought she would stop him before he got to the door. Her
bluff had been called. Game over. Turning back wasn’t a good idea. Lot’s wife
came to mind. For the first time, Drew understood the temptation. Sometimes it
was impossible not to take one more peek at the disaster.

“Two days, Regina.”

No pillar of salt. She wasn’t that powerful. Her cold eyes,
though. The eerie emotional calm. He knew that image would stay with him the
rest of his life.

TO SAY IT was the longest forty-eight hours of his life would
have been a gross understatement.

Drew was in a hell of his and Regina’s making. After little
sleep and a stomach that considered food the enemy, by the time the deadline
finally arrived, he kicked himself for not sticking to his gun and forcing her
hand right away. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to watch all those old
movies so he could keep up with Tyler’s many references. Now he kept asking
himself
what
would Humphrey Bogart do
?

Relying on the advice of a dead actor’s fictional exploits
probably wasn’t the smartest way to go.

He wished he could share that bit of lunatic thinking with
Tyler. No one would appreciate it more. Except he couldn’t tell her — not any
of it. Until he knew the truth, he had to avoid her at all costs. He couldn’t
trust himself not to blurt out everything. Well, he wasn’t going to burden her
with information that he hoped was false.

Leaving a note seemed the safest thing to do.
School was
catching up with
him. He needed to study
. Lame, maybe. Tyler would
understand when he was able to explain.

It was relief, not dread, that Drew felt when he went to
confront Regina. Time was up. The end of her crazy scheme was finally here.

“Andrew.”

“Regina.”

“Have a seat. There’s no reason not to be civilized
about this.”

Drew remained standing. It wasn’t a power play. He just
wanted to be as near to the door as possible. When he had the truth, he wanted
a quick and easy exit.

“I’m here for a simple yes or no. Dragging it out won’t
help.”

“You’re right.” Regina nodded. “Russell is
your father. There is no doubt.”

Evil bitch
. Drew wanted to spit the words at her. He
also wanted to jump across the desk and strangle the life out of her. To avoid
the later, he refrained from speaking at all.

“Before you run off to see your little girlfriend,
there is one more thing.”

Of course there is. With Regina, the crap was neverending.

Leaving would have been useless. Eventually, she would track
him down. Instead, he decided to face the worst now. He would rip off the
bandage in one fast pull and hope the wound underneath wouldn’t start bleeding
again.

“I’ll admit my ploy about your paternity was not well
thought out.”

“No kidding.”

“In my defense, I had only just found out about you and
that Jones girl. It was a bit of a shock, to say the least.”

“Suggesting incest was the first place your mind went?
How sick is that?”

“The
point
is,” Regina went on, “I’ve
had more time to think.”

Drew felt dread replace anger. Too much time. He gave it to
her and now he had the feeling he was going to pay the price.

“Spit it out. Do your worst.”

For the first time, Regina smiled. The curve of her mouth
was slight. Not happy, certainly not joyous. Satisfied, Drew thought. She knew
she was going to win.

“I will destroy every member of the Jones family. Top
to bottom. Financially, socially. The hole will be deep, Andrew. It will take
generations to crawl out; even then the taint will never completely go
away.”

“Tyler doesn’t care about money or social
standing.”

“Why am I not surprised.” Regina’s contempt was
palpable. “I understand your little friend is quite fond of her mother.
Anita Jones is a timid, inconsequential woman who will never survive my wrath.
Will Tyler be able to look at you every day knowing the Harpers destroyed her
family?”

“
One
Harper.”

“The name will be bitter on her lips, Andrew. How long
before she hates you? Can’t stand to look at you, to have you touch her? A
year? Two? By then, it will be too late. You’ll be married, maybe a child, or
two. Picture it. It isn’t pretty, is it?”

Drew felt cold and hot all at once. He couldn’t deny any of
Regina’s words. She wasn’t bluffing. In fact, he thought part of her hoped he
would defy her so she could have the pleasure of devastating the lives of an
entire family. It made him crazy to know he shared the blood of such a sick,
ruthless individual.

He knew he was stuck. His father would be unable to stop
her. No one had that power.
No
, Drew thought. That wasn’t true. She gave
him a choice. She gave him the power.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Break it off. Immediately. You will have nothing to do
with her ever again, Andrew. Not in a month, not in a year. If word gets to me
that you’re sneaking around, meeting in secret, I will follow through on my
threat. There is no statute of limitations.”

“Fine.”

Drew turned to leave. There was nothing else to say. Game,
set, match. The evil bitch had won.

“Andrew?”

“What.”

He rounded on her, teeth bared, murder in his eyes. There
was little satisfaction in seeing a brief hint of fear in her eyes.
Unfortunately, it was too little, too late.

Regina recovered her composure quickly, her gaze as cool as
ever.

“You will be the villain. Tyler is to believe this breakup
is entirely your doing, your own idea. My part in it can never come out. Is
that clear?”

“Crystal.”

Drew didn’t slam the office door. He didn’t scream to the
heavens about injustice. Instead, he got in his car and drove. He had one thing
on his mind and one thing only. What to say when he broke the heart of the
woman he loved.