“A boy should know his real daddy, don’t you think so, big brother?”
“In most instances I’d agree with you. In this case I think your motives are highly suspect. You want me to pay you off to stay out of his life, don’t you? That’s what this is really about.”
“Is that what you think, big brother? That money can make up for losing a kid?”
“Tommy, I believe that you’re the kind of man who’d sell his own mother for the right price. This interest in Robby was awfully sudden. You didn’t seem to give a damn until you happened to catch that news report on my net worth.”
“Since we’re into motives and honesty here,” Tommy retorted, “how does old Katie feel about being used? Does she know she’s supposed to do the mom-and-apple-pie thing when you walk into court?”
Luke winced at that. He’d told Katie nothing at all about the circumstances of Robby’s birth. Nor had he told her that Tommy was trying to take the boy away from him in what promised to be an ugly court case. And because of his international reputation, that case was likely to make news around the world.
Okay, so it was a lousy secret to be keeping. He hadn’t told her up front because he’d been afraid she’d turn him down if she knew exactly what she was getting into. He’d almost told her last night, but he’d been all too willing to drop the issue when she’d asked him not to get into anything too heavy on the eve of their wedding.
Afterward once she’d had time to fall in love with Robby, once she thought of his son as her own, he prayed that she would be every bit as furious and indignant about Tommy’s out-of-the-blue plans as he was.
Apparently his silence told Tommy all he needed to know. “You haven’t told her, have you? Poor old Katie. You’re still taking her for granted, big brother. One of these days that arrogance of yours is going to cost you big-time.”
It was the only thing Tommy had said that had the ring of gospel truth. Luke did take Katie for granted. He counted on her compassion, her generosity and the deep and abiding love she’d once given him so freely. One of these days, though, he would likely pay a terrible price for taking all that she had to offer and giving her nothing but lies in return. He was likely to lose the only woman he’d ever really given a damn about.
“Goodbye, Tommy.”
“See you in court, bro.”
* * *
Tommy’s words were still ringing in his ears as Luke dressed for the wedding an hour later. He’d chosen his most formal suit, a black pin-stripe that had served him well in the business world. Maybe it would bring him luck today as well, more luck than he had any right to expect.
He thought back over the life he’d managed to put together despite his unfortunate marriage to Betty Sue Wilder. He’d mastered finance while living in Atlanta, turning an understanding of basic accounting into an intuitive grasp of the corporate bottom line.
Between his careful personal financial management and his genius for investments, he’d parlayed a generous salary into the kind of wealth he’d never even imagined growing up back in Clover. His tight-fisted control of the bankbook had irritated the daylights out of his wife and had, no doubt, contributed to her decision to take off. Betty Sue hadn’t liked being hemmed in by anything as mundane as a budget.
Luke, however, had held the opinion that having money one day didn’t guarantee he’d have it the next. He spent it as if each dollar might be his last. He would never, ever be left in the sorry financial mess that had faced his mother after his father took off.
He’d been horrified upon returning to Clover to see the kind of risks Katie had taken with her own financial stability. It was too late for him to do anything for his mother, but Katie’s situation at least was about to change. He’d have her on a sound financial footing in no time...if she would listen to him. She probably wouldn’t, he admitted with a sigh. For the hundredth time he wondered why he had been so hell-bent on making this particular bargain. He knew he could have fought off his brother’s claim to Robby on his own. He could have hired a nanny to look after the boy.
But from the moment he’d realized that Tommy intended to fight him for Robby’s custody, Luke’s head had been filled with thoughts of Caitlyn. Six years ago he’d chosen duty over his heart. The decision to marry Betty Sue had been forced on him by a deeply ingrained sense of honor. Afterward, he had grimly set out to erase all of his most precious memories of Katie.
A few months ago, with Betty Sue gone and Tommy raising cain about the son Luke had stolen from him, Luke had just as systematically set out to learn all he could about Katie’s life since he’d left Clover.
And then he’d formed his plan for getting her to marry him. He’d gone about it with the kind of dogged determination and attention to detail that had made him a success in business. Major corporate mergers had been achieved with less rigorous planning.
Not once had it occurred to him to simply court her. For one thing, there wasn’t enough time. For another, he’d always figured the sensible, straightforward approach was best. Most people understood dollars and cents in ways they couldn’t comprehend emotions.
Caitlyn had readily confirmed his beliefs on that score. She’d seen right away that what he was suggesting would work out best all around. Hell, she’d even laid out a damned payment plan for her commitment. Ten thousand a year for five years! He’d been stunned by her audacity. He’d also admired it in a grudging sort of way.
The one
