Luke suddenly knew he couldn’t risk that happening. He had to call Peg at once and warn her to keep Tommy away from Robby. She would want to know why. There was no getting around that. If he expected her cooperation, he would have to tell her the truth, all of it.
At the prospect of revealing everything to Katie’s aunt, he shuddered. Peg would have his hide for this, especially if she found out he had told Katie none of it.
“Damn,” he muttered. It was all unraveling. He’d wanted time. Time to prepare Katie. Time for her to start thinking of Robby as her own. Time for her to become committed to being both wife and mother.
Now it seemed that his time had run out. He had to tell Katie everything. He had to let her know the fight they were in for. She had to be prepared for the bitterness and ugly accusations that were likely to come with the custody dispute.
But now? On their honeymoon? Surely it would be wrong to spoil these few days. He resolved to tell her the moment they returned to Clover. In the meantime, he knew he could count on Peg’s discretion. More, he knew he could count on her to protect Robby.
The decision made, he stopped by a pay phone in the hotel lobby and called Peg’s Diner. When Peg picked up, he didn’t mince words. His voice tight, he just outlined the situation, then extracted her promise to keep Tommy away from his son.
“Of course, I’ll see to it that he’s not alone with Robby for a minute,” she said readily. “I haven’t seen any sign of him around town. Maybe he won’t show up at all.”
“He’ll show up,” Luke said with certainty. Knowing that, he realized what he had to do. “I think maybe Katie and I ought to get back there. We can be home by this afternoon.”
Peg fell silent at that. He could practically feel her disapproval crackling over the phone line.
“Peg, it’s the only way,” he insisted. “I can’t leave you to stand up to Tommy. This mess isn’t your responsibility.”
“Luke, that brother of yours doesn’t scare me. He never did. It does worry me, though, that you and Katie are starting off your marriage by facing such a big problem. You need a few days by yourselves to build up the strength this fight is going to take. Stop fussing about the burden you’re placing on me and think about your marriage. Let these few days alone be my wedding gift to the two of you.”
Luke sighed. “Peg, I know you mean well and there’s no one I’d trust more with my son, but—”
“No `buts.’ You two stay and enjoy yourselves. I’ll see you on Wednesday, just the way we planned. If anything comes up I can’t handle, I’ll call you immediately. If I have to, I’ll get Ford Maguire to set Tommy straight.”
As much as he liked Ford, Luke wasn’t sure he wanted the sheriff mixed up in this. “I’ll think about it,” he said eventually. “Is Robby there? I’d like to speak to him.”
“He’s sitting in one of the booths with his coloring books. I’ve got an order in for his breakfast now. Hang on, I’ll get him for you.”
Luke could hear Robby’s whoop of excitement when Peg told him who was on the phone. For the first time since Tommy’s call, he smiled.
“Daddy, is it really you?”
“It’s me, my man. How are you doing? Are you and Peg having fun?”
“She rented a movie for me last night and she made pizza. Did you know you could make it at home?”
“So I’ve heard,” Luke said, thinking of the times they’d ordered it in Atlanta. They’d had most of their dinners delivered the same way. No wonder Robby sounded so stunned by the concept of homemade pizza. He’d probably never guessed what the oven was for before. “How was it?”
“The best. She put pepperoni on it and everything.”
“That’s great, pal. What movie did you see?”
“Flintstones. Remember when we saw that? Mommy hated it.”
Actually, Betty Sue had hated most anything with a G rating, as Luke recalled. Her whole blasted life-style would have been X-rated by the movie industry. It really was too bad Tommy hadn’t stuck around. They were a perfect pair.
But then he wouldn’t have had Robby, Luke reminded himself. “I miss you, pal,” he said softly, an unexpected catch in his voice.
“Miss you,” Robby echoed. “I gotta go. Aunt Peg just brought me pancakes. And Mrs. Jeffers said she’d take me to ride my bike as soon as I eat. And tomorrow Aunt Peg and me are going to the beach. It’s her day off.”
“Sounds like you have a busy time planned.”
“Hey, Daddy?”
“Yes.”
“I really, really like it here.”
Luke closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath. It was turning out just the way he’d envisioned. He was finally giving Robby the real home he deserved, complete with a loving extended family. “I’m glad, pal. Really, really glad.”
When he’d hung up, Luke vowed silently that he would destroy Tommy if he did anything, anything at all to ruin Robby’s new-found happiness.
* * *
Katie took one look at Luke’s face when he finally came back to the suite, and all of her pent-up anger died at once. His face looked haggard and his shoulders were slumped, as if he carried the weight of the world on them.
Instead of verbally hurling the accusations and prying questions she’d formulated in her head, she poured him a cup of coffee and said mildly, “I saved some pancakes and fruit for you. You look like you
