“Yes. Married to a woman who couldn’ t care less about him or his business, his dreams, or about anything else to do with him.” There was a hint of bitterness in her voice. “So that makes it all right to jump into bed with him?” Kim asked. She was on Lucy’ s side. “When you get older you’re going to learn that there are always two sides to everything. Lucy married Randall Maxwell because her family pressured her into it. They were an old family , great lineage, but not a cent to their names. Randall supported her parents until their deaths, and he still pays the bills of Lucy’ s two lazy brothers.” Kim looked down at the table for a moment. “Why did he ke ep T ravis so isolated?” “Randall had a hard childhood. He was very poor and he’ s a bit dyslexic. He was bullied in school.” “So he gave his son tutors and privacy?” “That’s it,” Penny said. Kim was silent as she waited for Penny to continue. It was obvious that the older woman didn’ t want to go on—or maybe she did. Penny had been the one who set up the meeting, so maybe she was hoping Kim would help smooth the way between T ravis and Russell. “Randall thought he was doing well by his son when he had him homeschooled,” Penny began. She looked down at her hands. “I know you’re friends with Lucy , but . . .” “I can take the truth, whatever it is.” “I think that at the beginning Randall believed he was in love with Lucy , but the truth was, he was in love with the idea of a family . He had visions of the two of them conquering the world together . He’d make the money , buy her a magnificent house, and she’d be the hostess who was renowned for her dinner parties. It would be like something out of a magazine.” “From what I’ve seen of Lucy’ s life now , that wouldn’ t be for her . She likes to sew and stay with a few close friends.” “Exactly ,” Penny said. “And Randall likes to work . And besides, he hates dinner parties. He loved the thought of them, but couldn’ t bear the boredom when he was there.” Kim was beginning to see the whole picture. T wo extremely mismatched people married to each other . Lucy bullied by her relatives, almost sold by
them, to a man who had a chip on his shoulder and something to prove to the world. It looked like T ravis had been caught in the middle. “What about you? Where do you come in?” Kim asked. “I . . .” Penny hesitated. “I’m more like Randall than Lucy . I also grew up poor and was desperate to get out of it. I met Randall at a party . I liked him because he was talking business instead of hitting on the girls. I stood to one side and unabashedly eavesdropped. He was so intent on the deal he was trying to make that I didn’ t think he even saw me. But when the other young men got bored and left, Randall turned to me and said, ‘Did you get all that?’ I said, ‘Most of it,’ and told him the numbers. He looked at me for a moment, then asked for my phone number and I gave it to him.” “I guess he called you.” “Yes,” Penny said, smiling, “and it was all business. It’ s always been business between us.” “Exc ept once.” Penny smiled broadly . “And that gave me Russell.” “Was Mr. Maxwell married when you met him?” “No,” Penny said. “He hadn’ t even met Lucy back then, but he knew what he wanted and he went after it.” “If you two were so alike, why didn’ t he . . . ?” “Look at me as a prospective mate?” Penny laughed. “You’d have to know Randall back then. Ambition ate at him. Consumed him. He had to get ahead of everyone else or he’d die.” “And Lucy was part of that,” Kim said. “She was indeed.” “But there came a night . . .” Kim said. Penny shrugged. “When I look back on it, I see that it was inevitable. Randall and I were always together . Travis was just a year old, and I have to say that I was quite jealous of Lucy . I never had time for an outside life and never did find a man who’d put up with my constant working. Anyway , Randall and I stayed late at the of fice, we had sex, and I was pregnant.” “What did Mr . Maxwell say when you told him?” Penny shook her head in memory . “He was thrilled. Lucy’ s pregnancy had been complicated and she couldn’ t have more children, so Randall was happy to have another child. He wanted to put the two kids together .” “You are kidding, aren’ t you?”
“Not at all. Randall doesn’ t live by other people’ s rules. But in the end I persuaded him to ke ep his mouth shut, but still Lucy always knew there was something going on between us. She always sneered at me and I never retaliated because I deserved it.” “And you and Mr . Maxwell?” “We never sl ept together again, if that’ s what you mean. And he rarely sl ept with Lucy . He did what he was so good at and provided lavishly for all of us. I lived modestly but gave my son the best education there was.” “And Russell knows who his father is,” Kim said. “Always has. I never hid it from him.” “Did they spend time together?” “Randall spent as much time with my son as he did with Lucy’ s. He’s not a TV father who tucks the kids in at night.” “And you continued to work for Mr . Maxwell. Does he have any more children anywhere?” “No. None. Randall’ s always had af fairs, but he’ s never been serious about any of the women, and he was discreet.” Kim thought for a moment. “He had Lucy at home and you at work and two beautiful sons. I can see why he didn’ t want to mess that up.” Penny smiled. “I think you’re beginning to understand Randall Maxwell.” “Why did he blackmail T ravis into working for him?” Penny’s face became serious. “Now that is the clog in Randall’ s overall life plan. He assumed that when they grew up, both his sons would come to work for him, but neither one wanted anything to do with him. T ravis was very angry at his father and Randall couldn’ t understand why . In his mind, he’d protected T ravis all his life.” “And T ravis saw himself as being held captive in a beautiful prison.” “That’s right. Randall’ s much better at business than he is at life. I told him not to do it, but he threatened T ravis to make him work with him. Randall thought that if T ravis was in the of fice with him every day , he’d catch his ambition bug and that eventually his son would understand.” “But he didn’ t,” Kim said. “No. Travis had been sidetracked by a little girl who showed him how to have fun.” Kim smiled. “That was a turning point in both our lives.” Her head came up. “So what happens now? How do we tell T ravis that Russell is his
brother?” “I’m not sure he doesn’ t know.” “I’ve not seen any sign that he does.” “Both of them are half Maxwell and they don’ t let people see what they’re thinking.” “Not even me,” Kim said softly . “You didn’ t exactly blurt out the facts when you realized the truth, did you? From what I’ve seen, you and T ravis are well matched.” Kim thought about that for a moment. “So what now? W ill it take T ravis years of fighting his father to help Lucy get a divorce?” “I don’t know what Randall is up to right now . He’s been very secretive lately. In fact, for the first time in nearly thirty years I don’ t even know where he is.” There was something about the way she said that last statement that made Kim’s hair stand on end. “Y ou wouldn’ t have a photo of Mr . Maxwell, would you?” “I can bring one up on my phone,” she said as she removed her cell from her bag. “Randall likes to stay out of the spotlight.” “Unlike T ravis,” Kim said, remembering the photos Reede had sent her . “So how’ s Leslie?” “Paid of f,” Penny said as she handed the phone to Kim. She wasn’ t surprised to see a picture of the man she knew as Red, but she wasn’t about to say that Mr . Maxwell was here in Janes Creek. “He doesn’ t look much like T ravis or Russell,” she said as she returned the phone. “The boys look like Randall’ s grandfather , and he was a handsome devil. Have you—?” Kim stood up so abruptly Penny didn’ t finish her question. “T ravis is going to think I’ve left him. I was supposed to meet him at the diner fifteen minutes ago. This has been . . . informative, and thanks for helping me understand T ravis better .” She gathered up her things and hurried into the antiques store. She hadn’ t wanted to answer Mrs. Pender gast’s questions about whether she’d met Randall Maxwell or not. Y es, she had. T wice. Outside the shop, she paused for a moment, trying to remember everything “Red” had said to her . Fishing in Edilean came to mind first. It looked like he’d known all along where Lucy was. And if he knew where she was, then he knew about Joe Layton. And if he did, and if he hadn’ t
raised a stink, maybe that meant T ravis wouldn’ t have to spend years helping his mother get a divorce. “Maybe we can have a life, ” she whispered. Now . Not years in the future, but now . She went across the street to the diner , but she didn’ t walk fast. She had a lot of information running through her mind and the truth was that she didn’ t know what to do with it all. How much should she tell Travis? How much to ke ep to herself? And what would be his reaction to what she did tell him? Anger? He was from a rich and powerful family , so would he jump on a private jet and go . . . Go do whatever fabulously rich people did when faced with stress? The picture of T ravis in a tuxedo with a blonde model haunted her . Was that his real life? Had T ravis adapted to the glamorous New Y ork life better than his father thought he had? Kim knew that whatever happened she needed to ke ep her cool. She couldn’ t go running to the two sons of Randall Maxwell and gush about what she’d just been told. W ould they smile at her in an indulgent way and say they knew all that? That they’d figured it out long ago? Kim didn’ t think she could bear that humiliation. She stopped outside the door to the diner and took a de ep breath. She needed to ke ep a straight face and do what the Maxwell boys did and ke ep secrets to herself. There were few people in the diner , and Travis and Russell stood out. They were at a little round wooden table close to a wall, with their backs to her. There was a big bowl of popcorn between them and they were eating and drinking beer as they looked up at a TV screen. A soccer match was playing and both men seemed totally absorbed in it. Yet again, Kim marveled at how alike the two men were. If they changed clothes, and she saw them from the back, she wondered if she could tell them apart. Travis turned and saw her . For a moment he looked at her so hard she thought he knew where she’d been. But then his face relaxed, he smiled, and moved a chair out for her . “You didn’ t buy anything?” he asked. “Buy . . . ?” She had to remember that she did go to a store. “I didn’ t see anything I liked.” Russell was staring at her . “You look like something happened.”
“Just looking forward to the company of two gor geous men,” Kim said quickly . So much for ke eping secrets, she thought. “So what’ s good to eat here?” she asked. “We waited for you,” T ravis said. He was still looking at her as though he was trying to read her mind. “Ol’ Russell here has something to show us, but he wanted to wait until you were here.” Kim refused to meet T ravis’s eyes. She didn’ t want him seeing more than she wanted him to know . “That sounds interesting. What is it?” Russell got up from the table and went to the side wall where there was a package, about two feet by three feet, wrapped in brown paper . As he picked it up and began to open it, he put his back to them so they couldn’ t see what he had. When he turned around, he was holding what was obviously a picture and from the look of the back of the canvas, it was quite old. He held it facing him, concealing it from them. “Ever the showman,” T ravis said. “You should talk, Maxwell,” Russell said as he looked at Kim. “I was curious about these Dr . Tristans so I did a search and some photos came up. Distinctive-looking man is your cousin.” Kim couldn’ t help smiling. That was one way of putting it about her cousin’s extraordinary beauty . Still looking at Kim, Russell turned the picture around, and she gasped. The man in the portrait looked very much like her cousin Dr . Tristan Aldredge. “Is that him? The doctor who was killed in the mine?” she asked. Russell leaned the portrait against the wall and took his seat at the table. They were all three facing it. “That’ s James Hanleigh, born 1880, died 1982.” “But . . .” Kim began. “He really does look like my cousin T ristan.” Travis looked back at the two of them. “W rong side of the blanket?” “That’s my guess,” Russell said. He started to say more but the waitress came to take their orders. Kim ordered a club sandwich and T ravis got crab cakes with a triple order of coleslaw and a beer . She wasn’ t the least surprised when Russell said he’d have the same. She tried not to glance at him but she couldn’ t help herself. As she knew he would be, Russell’ s eyes were dancing with merriment. She wanted to kick him under the table. Their lunch conversation was about how the portrait had been found. It seemed that Russell’ s uncle Bernie had discovered it.
“I needed to give him something to do to work of f all that food,” Russell said. “He told me that last night he’d run of f some photos of the present Dr . Tristan Aldredge that he’d found online, passed them around to his mother’s relatives, and told them to see if anyone in town recognized him. Sometimes blood relatives look like each other ,” Russell said—and again he looked at Kim with a smile. “And he found this portrait in one of the stores?” T ravis asked. “No. That would be too easy . He found some old man who said he thought maybe he’d seen a picture of Dr . Aldredge but he couldn’ t remember where. Uncle Bernie sent relatives out looking and asking and —” “This all happened while we were at the Old Mill?” T ravis asked. “Every bit of it. I think my relatives were like a locust invasion on little Janes Creek.” “And where did they find it?” Kim asked. “In the home of a little old lady who bought it at a yard sale thirty years ago for fifty bucks.” “How much?” T ravis asked. “Fifty—” “No, how much did I have to pay for it?” “Twelve grand.” “What?!” Kim said. “She drove a hard bar gain,” Russell said, obviously enjoying himself, “and besides, she needed a new roof.” “I’ll reimburse—” Kim began but stopped at the look T ravis gave her . “So how is he related and how does he fit in the family tree?” T ravis asked. “I haven’ t found that out yet. Give me the afternoon and at dinner I’ll tell you everything.” “So you don’ t know if there are any Hanleighs still in town?” T ravis’s tone was that of a challenge. “Not yet.” Russell was calm, amused even. Kim k ept her attention on her food. Her mind was so full of all that Mrs. Pendergast had told her that she couldn’ t think about finding the descendant of some young man who may or may not be her relative. When they finished eating, T ravis asked if she was ready to go to the jewelry store.
For a moment she had no idea what he was talking about and stared at him blankly . He smiled at her , his eyes alight. “I agree,” he said in a voice that could only be described as seductive. T ravis looked at Russell. “Kim and I are going to . . .” “Take a nap,” Russell said. “Well put,” T ravis said as he backed his chair out, and held out his arm to Kim. “Thanks for lunch and we’ll see you at dinner .” Travis led her out of the diner and to the car . The ride back to the B&B was silent. Kim knew that T ravis was hinting at sex. And why shouldn’ t he? It was a romantic little town, a charming B&B. They were young and by all accounts in love, so they should be spending every waking moment together in bed. Isn’ t that what she’d told her brother that she wanted? What had she said? “I’ll take all the passionate sex I can get. Days of it. W eeks if I can get it. Months would be divine.” So now she had it and what she really wanted was to call her friend Jecca and spend about four hours on the tel ephone. Right now what Kim needed more than anything else was the release that discussion would bring. So maybe I should find Red and ask him for advice, she thought. Ask the man who caused all the problems how to fix them? She gave a snort of laughter . “What was that about?” T ravis asked as he parked the car . “Nothing,” she said as she got out. He held her hand as they went up the stairs to their connecting rooms. Once they were inside, he bent to kiss her , but Kim pushed back. “Sorry,” she said. “I have a . . . a headache and I think I should lie down for a while.” Travis st epped away from her . “Can I get you anything?” “No, nothing,” Kim said. “I just need some time . . . alone.” “Sure, of course,” he said. He walked to the door to his room, opened it, went through and shut it behind him. Kim looked at the bed. Maybe if she took a nap she’d feel better , but she knew she couldn’ t sle ep. Mrs. Pender gast’s words ran through her head. How much to tell? How much to hide? How much to—? “No!” T ravis said from the open door . “This isn’ t all right. None of it is. Something happened to you today and I want to know what it is.”
“I can’t—” “So help me, if you say you can’ t tell me, I’ll—” “You’ll what ?” she shot at him, her voice rising with every word. “Leave? W alk away when things get too much for you? Disappear like you did before? Leave me alone, without a word? Let me search for you for years and all the time you were sneaking around at my art shows? Is that what you’ll do?” “No,” he said softly . “I won’ t do that ever again. But right now , what I am going to do is stay in this room with you until you tell me what’ s tearing you up inside.” “I . . .” Her anger left her and she sat down on the side of the bed, her hands over her face. Travis sat down beside her and put his arm around her, drawing her head to his shoulder . “Does this have to do with Russell being my half brother?” Kim hesitated for only a second. “How did . . . ?” “I’ve not had a lot of experience with relatives, but I’m a good observer . Who else can look at you with the hatred Russ had for me that first day? It was like looking in a mirror , exc ept that one reflection wanted to murder the other one.” Kim let out a de ep sigh of relief that he knew . When her body relaxed, Travis turned her around on the bed so they stretched out together . “So what happened while I was on the phone to Penny? Y ou were fine while we were shopping, but when you came into the diner you were so white you looked like a vampire had drained you of blood.” “That’s a more appropriate description than you know ,” Kim said with a grimace. Travis kissed her forehead. “I want to hear every word of it. Don’ t leave anything out.” “But—” He leaned over her and looked into her eyes. “No buts. No excuses. And most of all, no fear . Especially not of me. Did you murder anyone I love?” She knew he was trying to lighten the mood, but to Kim all this was very serious. “No,” she said, “but I’m considering running your father down with a lawn mower .” Travis’s face lost its look of amusement and she saw the man who appeared in courtrooms. He fell back on the bed and pulled her to him so
close she could hardly breathe. If she’d had her way , she would have moved even closer . Where to begin? “Remember last night before dinner when I waited for you while you talked on the phone?” “To that idiot Forester? Sure. What happened?” “I met your father .” Travis’s hand tightened on Kim’ s shoulder , but otherwise he said nothing. Once Kim started her story , Travis said little, and listened hard. She told him of her two encounters with the man who called himself Red, and she went over every word she could remember of their conversations. She told Travis of Red’ s little homily about children eating lead paint but only remembering being forbidden from doing what they wanted to do. “That sounds like Dad. He thinks he can explain away every rotten thing he does.” She could tell that he wasn’ t shocked that his father had shown up in Janes Creek. But T ravis drew in his breath when she told of Mr . Maxwell fishing in Edilean. “I never asked Mom where she heard of Edilean in the first place. I never even thought about it, but Dad could have told her . It makes sense. Go on, please.” She told him of when she realized Russell was his brother . “They were giving me looks of pleading not to tell you.” “Penny was. Russ was enjoying every second of it.” “You knew?!” “One of the things I’ve learned in being a lawyer is to watch as well as listen. None of you were subtle.” “Do you think Russ knows you know?” “Of course. The kid is loving every minute of this.” “He’s not even two years younger than you are, so he’ s not really a kid.” “Does your brother see you as an adult?” “Not at all,” Kim said. “So what happened today while I was in the diner?” “I met with your Mrs. Pender gast.” Travis was silent for a moment. “Now you’re shocking me. What did Penny have to say?” “She doesn’ t know your father is here. She—”
“No, wait. T ell me from the beginning. How she contacted you, what she said, you did, every word of it and don’ t leave anything out.” Slowly, Kim began to go over what happened. She started with the chairs and how she moved hers. Chuckling, T ravis hugged her and gave her a hard kiss on the mouth. “Good girl! I’m proud of you.” Kim liked his kiss so much that she returned it, but both of them wanted —needed—to talk about what she’d been told. She started on the easier things, what she thought was least likely to upset T ravis. She told him of how Russell was conceived. When T ravis didn’t r eply, she said, “Y ou don’ t seem surprised.” “I am, actually , but in an opposite way from what you mean. The scuttlebutt around the of fice is that Dad and Penny were lovers for years. The surprise is that it was just once.” “A one time that produced a child.” “Big, ugly kid at that,” T ravis said, and Kim heard af fection in his voice. “What else? And what are you holding back?” “Will you let me tell the story in my own time?” “I think I have, haven’ t I?” he said softly . Turning, she looked at him, her eyes asking what he meant. “I didn’ t take over .” “You mean like you did with Dave?” she asked. “I . . .” He hesitated, as what he had to say was dif ficult for him. “I’m afraid I have more of my father in me than I want. When I took over Borman Catering, I was high-handed, and as you told me, I didn’ t believe that you could handle something like that on your own. I apologize. I’m not going to do that again. I’m not going to st ep in and take over your life, but I do think that if we’re going to make this work that we need to do things together . As a pair , a team. I’m here and I can listen. Maybe if you tell me what is bothering you, together the two of us, can find a solution.” He grinned. “That said . . . I admit that I have never been told of f by anyone as you did. I had to check my eyebrows to make sure you hadn’ t singed them off.” “I wasn’ t that bad.” “Yes you were and I deserved it.” She snuggled back into his arms. “So this time . . .”
“This time I sat back and let you handle it on your own, and that wasn’ t easy for me. I can’ t tell you how much I wanted to let Russell know what I thought of the way he was smirking at you.” “Your brother .” “Yeah,” T ravis said with a little catch in his voice. “Odd thought, that one. Okay , so tell me more.” Kim took a breath. “Y ou’re not going to like this part.” “That means it’ s about Dad.” “Yes, it is,” Kim said and began telling him Randall Maxwell’ s point of view of T ravis’s childhood. He didn’ t speak during the whole time and when she finished, Kim looked at him. “I’d guessed some of it,” he said. “Not that Dad would ever admit to me that he was bullied by anyone. My guess is that his mouth got him in trouble. He tends to order everyone around, and he was probably the same as a kid.” “You’re not upset by this?” “I . . .” T ravis began, and smiled. “No, I’m not. This is hard to admit, but maybe I went to work for him because I wanted to know if I could cut it with my old man. It’ s not easy being the son of Randall Maxwell. Sometimes when I was doing stunt work the guys would ask me why I was risking my neck every day . They liked to tell me that if they were me, they’d be on a private jet sipping champagne.” “But not you,” Kim said. “At least not then. I think you did come to like those things.” “I did. I had lots of champagne. Lots of—well, other things.” “Must have been nice,” Kim said quietly . “Not really . You know something? I received more actual caring from Joe Layton than I did from . . . well, from most anyone I ever met. Can I tell you a secret?” “Please do,” she said. She was smiling at his words about Joe, the man who was going to be his st epfather . Joe lived in Edilean, so maybe T ravis would too. “I want to open a camp.” “What kind of camp?” “A free one,” T ravis said. “It’ s been in my mind for years and I thought I’d try it in California, but ever since I saw the preserve around Edilean, it’ s stayed with me. Joe could build it, Penny could manage it, and—”
“She wants to retire.” “After years with my father this would be a retirement.” “Your mom could decorate the place.” He pulled her up to face him. “How do you think you’d be at teaching kids how to make macaroni necklaces?” “I taught you how to make a house for a doll, so I can teach anyone anything.” “Taught me? Ha! Y ou ordered me around.” He was unbuttoning her shirt. “Please tell me you aren’ t going to ask me to shut down my business and work for you.” “I’d never dream of it,” he said as his lips touched her neck. “But I can tell you that my secret plan is to take over managing your finances.” “Would you please?” she whispered as his mouth took her breast. “Think I can get you to give me a recommendation to your local law firm?” She drew back from her mouth on his ear . “Our very own Mc Dowell, Aldredge, and W elsch? Y ou have to be born into that law firm.” “Marriage not good enough?” he asked, but then his mouth was on hers. An hour before, the last thing Kim wanted was sex, but now all she wanted was release. “I think we have a future,” she whispered. Travis drew back from her . “What?” “I think we have a future,” she r epeated. “You . . .” He began, but stopped. “Y ou really did think I was going to leave you?” “Yes. I mean no. I just couldn’ t figure out where we were going to live .” “Your house, if I can get you to move your stuf f out of the garage. Joe said—” She kissed him to silence. “What about the divorce?” “Joe can handle that. In fact I’m a bit afraid for my father when he goes up against Joe. Do you want to talk mor e ?” His voice was full of exasperation. “Yes!” she said. “Y es and yes and yes! I want to talk endlessly about us, about our future, about—Oh!” T ravis’s mouth was on her stomach. “Go on, ke ep talking,” he said as he moved his lips lower on her body . “Maybe later ,” she said as she closed her eyes and for got all about whatever she’d been worried about.
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When Kim woke up, she could see that it was dark outside. The first thing she noticed was that T ravis wasn’ t in bed with her . They’d made love all afternoon and she knew she’d never enjoyed anything so much in her life. She hadn’ t realized it, but from the beginning she’d had so many questions that she’d never fully relaxed. All the years of searching for him, of not knowing what had happened to him, were between them. It wasn’ t that she’d completely for given him, nor did she fully understand his male reasoning, but for the first time since she’d seen him, a stranger standing in the moonlight, she saw the possibility that she would get over it. There was a knock on the door into the hallway , and Kim looked about for her clothes. They were folded neatly on a chair , certainly not where she’d tossed them a few hours ago. “Just a minute,” she called, but then T ravis came out of the connecting room. He was showered, shaved, and wearing jeans and a T -shirt. She thought about not getting out of bed. “Hungry?” he asked as he opened the door and spoke to someone. He closed the door and turned to Kim. “They’re going to set up dinner in my room. Or would you rather go downstairs and hear what the Pender gasts have found out about your relatives?” He made the second choice sound so awful that she laughed. “Russell will miss you.” “He’ll miss you, ” Travis said. “Do you think that kid has a girlfriend somewhere?” “I’m beginning to wonder that too. I guess if he were a New Y ork lawyer that you’d know it.” “Probably .” Travis sat down on the bed beside her , and his face was serious. “I didn’ t realize that I hadn’ t made myself clear about my hopes for