Long Time Coming (2 page)

"You seem reasonably intelligent," he said.

"Should I take that as a compliment?"

"So why did you send anonymous letters to me, then put your return address on the envelope?"

She gave a soft, disbelieving laugh and shook her head. "I didn't. Or was that a trick question designed to trap me? Where are these letters? May I see them? Perhaps after I saw them I could offer an explanation."

"Do I look stupid? I wouldn't hand them over to you so you could destroy the evidence."

"Oh, for heaven's sake," she cried. Then, staring up into his stern face, she said, "You're really taking this seriously aren't you?"

"At first I didn't. You were just one crank in hundreds. But after the fifth letter, when you got really nasty about pinning a paternity rap on me, I thought it was time to confront you."

"I'm not the kind of woman who would pin a paternity rap on any man."

"Even one with as high a public profile as me?"

"No."

"One who stood to lose a lot if there was a scandal?"

"That's right! Besides, I've told you that I've never had a child."

They heard the front door open, then bang shut. There were running steps in the hall.

Then a tall, lanky teenage boy rushed through the door.

"Mom, you gotta come see the car parked in front of our house. It's totally
bad
!"

Chapter 2

«^
»

D
uring the ponderous silence, Marnie listened to the knocking of her own heart. She tried to keep her face composed for the boy's sake but it was difficult. After several seconds she hazarded a glance at Law Kincaid. He was staring at David. Disbelief was starkly evident on his handsome features.

It was David who finally spoke. "Jeez, you're Law Kincaid. Jeez!"

"David, I've asked you not to use that word."

"Sorry, Mom, but it's
Law Kincaid
. Law Kincaid in
my
house."

The astronaut replaced the incredulous expression on his face with his famous smile, his equanimity apparently regained. "David? Pleased to meet you." He stepped forward and shook the teenager's hand.

Across the room, Marnie gripped the edge of her drafting table for support. David was almost as tall as Law. His hair was the identical shade of blond, his eyes just as blue. He hadn't grown into his bones yet. They poked out like arrow tips at the shoulders, elbows, and ankles. Eventually, however, he would. The genetic blueprint had been drawn at conception. To know how he would look in twenty-two years, all David had to do was examine the man shaking hands with him.

Fortunately David was so starstruck to find the astronaut under his roof that he didn't notice the resemblance. Exuberantly he pumped Law's hand.

"I've got posters of the
Victory
in my room. Burger King was giving them away if you bought six Whoppers. I bought seven just in case. Would you autograph it for me? I can't believe this. What are you doing here? My birthday's still weeks away."

He looked at Marnie and laughed. "Is this the special present you've been hinting at?

Oh, wait, I know. Did you talk him into posing? That's it, right?"

Law turned his back to the boy and faced her. His stare was as hot and blue as a flame.

She quailed beneath it but kept her expression defiant. Law's expression was a mix of suspicion and puzzlement. "Posing?"

"I…I…"

"Uh-oh, did I let the cat out of the bag before she had a chance to ask you? Sorry, Mom." To Law, David said, "She's making a pitch to do the cover of the phone book. The other night she said she ought to get you to pose for the astronaut representing NASA."

"Hmm. Did she say why?"

"She thinks you're the best-looking, I guess," David said, grinning. "She knows you're the most famous."

"I see," Law said quietly. "I'm flattered."

"Will you do it?"

Law mercifully released Marnie from his stare and turned back to David. "Sure I'll pose.

Why not?"

"Gee, that's terrific."

"It really isn't necessary," Marnie interjected. "I've already done a preliminary sketch."

She gestured noncommittally toward the stack of sketches behind her.

"Let's see them."

"They're not ready for anybody to see."

"Don't you plan to show them to the adman?"

"Yes, but he's in the business. He knows the difference between a rough sketch and the finished product."

"So do I. And I'd like to see them." Law was issuing her a challenge. Aware of David's curious eyes and knowing how perceptive he was, Marnie had no choice but to go along.

"Okay, sure." In contrast to her congenial voice, her smile felt brittle and breakable as she passed some of the sketches to Law.

"See, there you are!" David exclaimed, pointing down at the man's face in the montage of scenes depicting Houston. "Looks just like you, doesn't it?"

"It certainly does," Law said, giving Marnie another of those penetrating, inquiring stares. "Almost as though she knew my face intimately."

"She's good. The best," David boasted. "She even got the space suit right."

Marnie snatched the drawings back. "Since my drawings meet with your approval, there's really no reason for me to detain you, Colonel Kincaid. Thank you so much for stopping—"

The doorbell cut her off.

"I'll get it," David shouted, tearing off in that direction. Before he'd taken two steps, however, he braked and spun around. "You won't leave before I get back, will you?"

"No," Law told him. "I'll be here for a while."

"Great!"

They boy bounded down the hallway toward the front of the house, where the doorbell was being rung a second time.

Law closed in on Marnie and took her by both arms. In hushed but angry tones he hissed, "I thought you said you'd never had a son."

"I haven't."

"What do you call that?"

"I'm not his mother."

"He calls you mom."

"Yes, but—"

"And he resembles me."

"He—"

"But, dammit, I don't remembering sleeping with you."

"You didn't! You didn't remember me on sight, did you?"

"Not on sight. But some things I never forget."

He yanked her hard against him. Before she could react, his lips were working hers open. His tongue breached them and dipped into her mouth. Opening his hand wide across her bottom, he tilted her hips forward and up against his.

A geyser of desire shot through Marnie.

Apparently Law was likewise struck.

His head snapped up and he looked at her with frank astonishment before pushing her away.

It all transpired within a matter of seconds, which was good since David was leading her most potentially important client to date down the hallway toward the studio.

By the time they reached it, Law was lounging against the edge of her desk, looking as innocent as a choirboy. She was standing in the middle of the room, feeling as adrift as if she were in the middle of the Pacific without a life raft.

"Mr. Howard," she said breathlessly her fingertips on her throbbing lips, "please forgive my appearance. I was working in the yard when…" She gestured toward Law. "When Colonel Kincaid surprised us by stopping by."

She needn't have worried about him being put off by her disheveled appearance. He didn't even notice her. "Well, this is certainly an unexpected pleasure," he said expansively. The advertising agency executive stepped forward to shake the astronaut's hand. "It's an honor, sir."

"Thank you."

Only then did he acknowledge Marnie. "Ms. Hibbs, you didn't tell me you knew our latest national hero." Law's brows drew together into a frown. Clearing his throat uncomfortably the man added, "No reason you should, of course."

"Colonel Kincaid's the model for her sketch for the phone book."

"If I get the job, David," she said, self-consciously wetting her lips. She tasted Law's kiss on them and experienced the outlandish but not unfounded fear that it might be visible.

"Would you like to see the drawings I've made so far, Mr. Howard?"

"While you're doing that," Law said, "I'm going to take David for a drive."

"You mean in the Porsche?" the boy asked ecstatically. He let out an Indian war cry leapt in the air, slapped the ceiling, and then raced from the room. "I've got my learner's permit, you know," he called back. "I'll get my license in just a few more weeks."

"David, don't you dare touch Colonel Kincaid's car," Marnie cried in alarm.

"He'll be all right."

"But where are you going?"

"Around the block," he said, giving a casual shrug with one shoulder. "No place special."

"How long will you be gone?"

"Awhile."

She wanted to scream at him for giving her vague answers. She wanted to put her foot down and say no, definitely not, David wasn't going anywhere with him. She wanted to run after David and grab hold tightly.

But with Mr. Howard standing there, she had no alternative but to be gracious. Knowing that Law took full advantage of the situation. She watched him swagger down the hallway and out the front door to meet David, who was already sitting in the passenger seat of the car.

"Have you, uh, known Colonel Kincaid long? Mr. Howard asked tentatively.

Marnie turned and saw the man was dying of curiosity. He didn't have the nerve to come right out and ask about the relationship between the astronaut and the teenager who called her mom. Coolly she replied, "I've known him awhile."

Mr. Howard left twenty minutes later. She felt confident that he liked her preliminary sketches. He warned her, however, as he was zipping them into a large portfolio, that there were two other artists being considered and that the final decision would be left up to a committee of agency and telephone company executives.

"Your work is more avantgarde than the other two."

"Is that bad?"

"No," he replied with a smile. "Maybe it's time we broke with the traditional." Beyond that all he would say was "You'll be hearing from us one way or the other in a week or so."

She walked him to the front door. Through the screen she watched him leave, at the same time scanning the street for a sign of the Porsche. It was nowhere in sight.

Worriedly she wrung her hands. Where had they gone? What were they talking about?

Was Law barraging David with questions he wouldn't know the answers to?

Before she worked herself into a tizzy she decided to take a long overdue shower.

Shortly she emerged from her second story bedroom dressed, wearing makeup, and feeling more self-assured than she had in cutoffs and T-shirt.

She was relieved to hear voices coming from David's bedroom. Stepping through the open doorway, she saw him listening, enthralled to Law's description of the walk he'd taken in space.

"Weren't you scared?" David asked.

"No. By the time we got up there, we'd rehearsed everything so many times, I knew exactly what to expect."

"But something could have gone wrong."

"It could have. But I knew that I had a crew in the ship and another on the ground making sure that nothing did."

"What's it like when you blast off?"

Law squeezed his eyes shut. "Thrilling. Like nothing else. It's the culmination of tedious hard work, study, practice, delays, decision-making. But it's worth every second of the anticipation and frustration. More."

David inched closer. "What were you thinking?"

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"I was praying I wouldn't overflow my tee-tee bag."

David laughed. "No. Really?"

"Well, besides that, I was thinking, This is it. This is what I've always wanted to do. This is what I was born for. It's here. I'm living it!"

"Gee."

The worshipful look on his face alarmed Marnie. "I hate to break this up," she said from the doorway "but I've got to go to the rest home now. And, David, if you don't leave soon, you'll be late for soccer practice."

David rolled off his bed and landed on his feet. "Mom, you'll never believe this! He let me drive! That car is something else, almost like being in a cockpit, isn't it, Colonel Kincaid?"

"Almost. That's why I bought it. If I can't be flying, I want to pretend I am."

"It was terrific, Mom. You should have been with us." Then, looking guilty for being so caught up in his own excitement, he asked, "How'd your meeting with Mr. Howard go?"

"He liked my rough sketches but made no promises." Needlessly she consulted her wristwatch. "You'd better go, David."

"You play soccer?" Law had been sitting on the edge of David's bed. He came to his feet.

"I'm a halfback for the Tornadoes, my school team. We're going to be city champs."

"I like that tone of confidence," Law said with a broad smile.

"To make sure we win, the coach is working us double time."

"Then you'd better not be late for practice."

They moved toward the door where Marnie was waiting.

"Will you be here when I get back?"

"No, he won't." When Marnie curtly answered the question that had been intended for Law, four identical eyes were turned on her. She gave a weak smile. "I'm sure Colonel Kincaid has other things to do, David. Run along now. But be careful on your bike. Got your house key?"

"Yes Mom. Well, 'bye, Colonel Kincaid. I can't believe I got to meet you. Thanks for autographing my poster."

"It was my pleasure, David." They shook hands. For the first time that Marnie could ever remember, David seemed reluctant to go to soccer practice.

He trudged down the stairs, frequently turning his head to gaze back at Law. As soon as he was out the front door, Marnie looked up at her visitor.

"I really do need to leave for the rest home now. My mother's not doing well, and if I'm not there when she expects me, she—"

He blocked her path and checked the flow of superfluous words. The charm he had turned on for David had disappeared with the boy. "I want the truth from you. I want it now." He took a quick breath. "Is he my son?"

Her gray eyes filled with tears. Her tongue made a swipe at the lips now shiny with peach-colored gloss. She bowed her dark head so that the crown of soft curls almost touched the center of his chest.

"He's
my
son," she whispered. "
Mine.
"

"Somebody fathered him." Crooking a finger beneath her chin, he tilted her head up. "Is he my son?"

Marnie looked directly into his eyes and answered, "Yes."