One Hour to Midnight (29 page)

Her security detail stepped away from the storefront and took a step towards her. Veronica looked at him and shook her head. At the subtle signal he went back to his indolent pose. She did not want him overhearing this conversation and reporting it back to Leon.
 

She was quite capable of dealing with this angry teen and if things got out of hand she knew her bodyguard would swiftly intervene.

Andreas scowled at her, his eyes a chilling silver-grey.
 

Veronica's heart raced. The hand holding the latté trembled. There was something overtly menacing about this teenager she found unnerving. She glanced at her security and the man gave a subtle nod and moved closer. She eased out a relieved sigh as she met Andreas's insolent stare head on.
   

"I wasn't expecting to meet anyone I knew." She tried to inject a little normality into this meeting. "Shouldn't you be at school?"

Andreas made a rude finger gesture, lip curled in derision as he demanded, his young voice as deep as his uncle's, "Why have you come back into our lives?"
   

Playing for time, Veronica sipped her coffee looking at the angry teen over the top of her cup. With a nonchalance she was far from feeling, she set the cup on its saucer. "I returned to help your brother, Andreas. Would you prefer that Jordan had died?"

The teen flushed crimson. Her acid words hit a sore spot.
 

"Jordan's my cousin," he corrected truculently.

Veronica smiled at him. "Jordan's your cousin by adoption only, your half-brother by blood. He's also your father's son, Andreas."

For one startled moment Veronica half expected smoke to pour out his ears. This youth obviously had some serious issues with the past. Her skin crawled at his enmity.
 

"Whatever! I'm glad for Jordan," he said and leaned across the small table, his eyes turning pewter with such hatred she was suddenly afraid. "But we don't need you here on a permanent basis."

Veronica weighed her words, not about to let him intimidate her. "And what precisely does that have to with you?
 
Besides is that your call to make?"

He flushed, eyes sparkling with anger. "I care about our family even if no one else does?"

Is that what this was about?
 

"I care about my family, Andreas," she said with biting softness. "Whether you like it or not, your uncle Leon is my husband, your half-brother is my son. Those are the facts. Deal with them."

"I don't know how Uncle Leon could marry my father's whore?"

Heat suffused Veronica's neck and face at the studied insult. She leaned across the table staring into the teen's angry eyes.
 

"You are way out of line, Andreas.
 
My past has nothing whatsoever to do with you. But let's get this straight right now, boy," she said emphasising the last word. "I have never been any man's whore. Your father deceived me, when I was a girl little older than you are now. Not the other way around."

"That's your story," he said standing up scraping his chair on the pavement. "My father died because of you. I will never forgive you for that, bitch!"
       

 
On the hissed insult he stalked off.
 

After he left, Veronica slumped and her hands began to shake. The cup clinked loudly as she put it back in the saucer. The encounter destroyed her appetite and she left the remainder of her afternoon tea untouched.

Did Leon know how much his nephew hated and resented her?

Walking along the street window-shopping, Veronica struggled to control rioting emotions. If this was the sort of vitriol Sonia had poured in her son's ears, small wonder, Leon wanted both children to step away a little from
 
their mother's orbit.

Should she tell Leon of that encounter?

After thinking it over, she decided to it best to let the unpleasant incident slide. Andreas was only a boy, surely he would grow out of his anger.

Veronica paused outside a pet shop and then walked inside. She needed to get Mutley a collar. She hated him catching birds. Cassie suggested a collar with a bell to warn the birds.
 

Approaching the counter, she passed a large straw covered boxed-in compartment with several kittens.
 

"Aren't you sweet," she murmured, as a jet-black kitten with a snowy white tuxedo and a white patch over one eye scampered towards her. He climbed up the glass yowling to catch her attention. Veronica leaned a hand over the top and the kitten jumped up at her hand. He was enchanting.

The idea leaped out at her full-blown.
We've never had any pets
.

Every child needed a pet. Jordan loved Mutley, but the big cat was hers. A boy needed a kitten, a young thing like himself.

"Can I have a look at that kitten?" she asked the assistant. "The black and white one."

Holding her breath she watched as the other woman lifted the kitten out of the enclosure and handed it to Veronica.

"It's a male, and is now thirteen weeks old," the assistant began her sales pitch. "He's been wormed and had his shots."

"Has the vet checked him over for any hidden nasties?" Veronica knew she couldn't be too careful.

"What sort of nasties?" The assistant raised her eyebrows in incredulous disbelief, cheeks flushed with anger. "We don't sell animals with diseases."

"Look, I'm not casting aspersions on your quality control here," Veronica said quickly trying to diffuse the woman's outrage. "My son has recently undergone a bone marrow transplant and I want the kitten for him. We can't afford to risk infection in any shape or form. Can we get it vet checked?"

"Oh I see," the woman calmed down. "I'll ask my manager."

Veronica stroked the kitten while the woman went off to find out. A woman tapped Veronica's arm and she looked up.
 

"Hello I'm Jill Cochrane. I overheard you talking." She smiled at Veronica, eyes filled with an avid curiosity that made her uncomfortable. "Are you Jordan's mother? My son, Elliot, is in his class at school. How is he?"

"Cranky and fed up with himself," Veronica said humorously. "I'm not sure this is a good idea." She stroked the kitten debating whether she should ring Leon and ask his opinion.
 

"I'm sure Jordan will love it." The other woman stroked the kitten's head. "Is he allowed visitors yet?"

Veronica hesitated, and then followed her instincts. Something about this woman bothered her. In that instant she decided she'd consult Leon before issuing any invitation to visit Claremont. He would know which people were bona fide friends, and who were merely gossip mongers on the lookout for insider gossip.
 

"Not for a few more weeks. The risk of infection is too great. I'll be sure to tell Jordan you're asking after him."

The shop assistant returned. "I've talked to my manger and she's arranged for the kitten to have a complete vet check including blood work."

"Thank you. How soon can we get it done?"

"If you want to take him to the vet, he will do it now." Veronica paid for the kitten and the assistant gave directions to the vet clinic as she put the kitten in a cardboard box. The vet checked the kitten over and declared it healthy.
 

By the time she left Veronica had food and other supplies.

Jordan, sprawled on the Blue Room floor building a Lego city, looked up when Veronica came in, a huge grin split his face. "Where've you been?"

"I needed a haircut." She grinned, her excitement contagious. "But that's not all I've got."

"Did you bring me home something?"

"You are such a boy," she teased suddenly light hearted. Would she ever get enough of this? "I'm not sure you've been good enough for a prezzie?"
 

"Aw Veronica, lighten up." He grinned at her.
 

"Lighten up is it?" She couldn't resist leaning over and ruffling his hair. "If you want to go wash your hands I'll decide if you've been good enough for a surprise."

Jordan was off like a shot and Veronica quickly put the kitty carton in the middle of his Lego city and then sat back in the chair to wait. He raced back, cheeks flushed and eyes shining. She had a vivid flashback to that pale listless boy she'd found when she arrived in Melbourne and her heart filled with warm gratitude that she'd been able to help restore this child to health.

"Wow what's that?" Jordan picked up the box.

"Careful, sweetie," Veronica warned. "Don't hurt it."

Jordan opened the box and Veronica pulled the camera out of her pocket. This was one snapshot she didn't want to miss.

"Wow." He looked up eyes wide, a delighted smile on his face. "Is this for me?"

"He's for you." Veronica said around a lump in her throat.
 

Jordan scooped the kitten out of the box and held him against his chest. "He's way cool Veronica. What's his name?"

"He doesn't have one yet, I thought you could name him."

"Franklin." Jordan rubbed a finger under the kitten's chin. "Does he look like a Franklin to you?"

"I don't know. What does a Franklin look like?"

"It looks like a trouble to me?" Leon murmured near her ear.

Veronica started, so busy watching Jordan she hadn't heard him come in. His smile dispelled her nervousness. He sat beside Jordan and ran a hand over the kitten's tiny head. The little creature arched into his hand.

"Yup, I thought so," Leon grinned, "Pure, feline trouble."

"Aw Dad." Jordan shrieked with laughter as the kitten followed their teasing hands, batting at them. She lifted the camera and snapped several photos.

Leon looked up and rolled to his feet and held out a hand for the camera. "Give me that. You play with Jordan and let me take photos."

The kitten was on her lap when Mutley sauntered in to see what the commotion was about. Veronica held out a hand to the big cat. "Come on fella, want to meet Franklin?"

Mutley stalked over. Franklin arched his spine, his fur and tail sticking out as he hissed and spat with every scrap of energy in his tiny body. Jordan and Veronica convulsed with laughter. The big cat could fix the kitten with one swipe of its paw. Veronica stroked the kitten as Mutley sniffed it all over, and then licked its nose.
 

"Hey Mutley likes him, Vic." Jordan was so excited. "Look at that. He's welcoming Franklin to our family."

Our family.

The words settled around Veronica's heart, a warm benediction. She looked from Leon to Jordan, then at the two cats and joy settled in her heart.
 

They were indeed her family.

Chapter Seventeen.

"Y
ou're not my mother! I don't have to listen to you," Jordan hurled the words at Veronica then with a defiant glance at her, shoved the tea tray off the table.
 

Cups, saucers and an antique china teapot smashed on the flagstones of the loggia. Veronica sucked in a sharp breath.
 

In that moment Jordan looked so much like his father, her breath caught in her throat.
 

McKenna's words echoed through her shock.
Yannis made messes. Leon cleaned up.
 

Jordan would not follow in Yannis's footsteps on her watch.

"You little vandal!" She leapt to her feet and caught his shoulders in a harsh grip. "That's quite enough! Pick up that tray and the broken china. Now!"

Jordan jumped. He'd never heard her teacher's voice. Cassie heard the smashing china and rushed out to investigate. Veronica waved her away. "Jordan smashed it in a temper, Cassie. He cleans up his own mess."

Jordan lower lip jutted ominously. She could see him mentally debating if he dared defy her. She stood there, hands akimbo on her hips, tapping her foot on the tiles.
 

"Get to it, lad."
     

His expression sulky, Jordan bent down and began picking up shards and putting them on the tray.
 
When he'd picked up the big pieces she said in the same tone, "Now go and ask Cassie for a broom, dustpan and brush and sweep up all the splinters."

Jordan looked at her, his expression one of such horrified disbelief Veronica struggled to hide her amusement.
 

"I don't sweep," he informed her in a lofty tone.

"When you throw a tantrum and make a mess, Jordan Karvasis." Veronica's foot tapped louder. "You clean up. And that includes sweeping."

"I'll tell Dad," his bottom lip jutted even further.

"By all means," Veronica said evenly, determined not to allow this child to play her off against Leon. "Make no mistake, Jordan, you will tell your father. And he won't be pleased. That teapot belonged to his grandmother."