Leah Vale - The Marine

Ms. Branigan had refused to give Lynn any insight into her son until they had a chance to meet face-to-face. Apparently holding on to a million-dollar secret for thirty-three years made her play things dang close to the vest.

But the major’s mom had promised in exchange not to see Rick or talk to him until after that meeting.

She’d better not. Lynn needed her firmly in the get-this-over-quick-and-quiet camp before Ms. Branigan spoke with her son.

And then Lynn could put the specter of past wrongs and the moral consciousness he’d stirred in her to rest for good and go back to never thinking about what was over and done with. She wanted to think only about her future.

A bright one without shadows or fear.

The sound of wooden chair legs scraping on tile brought her out of her thoughts and her head up. An attractive, petite older woman with close-cropped brown hair was pulling out the chair across from Lynn. She wore a tailored leather jacket that matched her hair, over a tan blouse and slacks. A bright red scarf tied jauntily around her neck gave her a splash of color and style.

“Miss Hayes?” she asked, even though she’d clearly assumed she had the right table. Her smile was striking, but tight—so similar to her son’s.

Lynn extended a hand. “Yes. And you must be Ann Branigan.”

“I am.” She slid into the seat with the ease of a woman used to breakfast meetings. The deep grooves on either side of her full mouth and her worry-clouded blue eyes made it obvious this was no regular business meeting to her. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”

“Thank you for flying down here.” Assuming you prove to be a help, not a hindrance.

“How could I not?” She settled in and waved away the waitress and her coffeepot. “While he might not believe it, Rick is the most important part of my world.”

Before Lynn could process the implications of Ms. Branigan’s statement, she asked, “So tell me, how could this have happened? Who has Rick been mistaken for?”

Lynn blinked. His mother had automatically assumed him innocent, despite all the facts Lynn had relayed to her during their telephone conversation the night before.

Lynn’s instincts reared up and shouted, Ha, I told you so! She stubbornly ignored them. “Ms. Branigan, your son confessed. Why would you think it’s a mistake?”

“Please, call me Ann. And I’m positive there’s been a mistake because I know my son, Miss Hayes.”

“Lynn,” she said, leveling the playing field. This woman was obviously the type who would cooperate only if she considered Lynn her equal.

Ann acknowledged her with a nod, then leaned forward, her round face radiating the strength of will her peppy attractiveness would normally belie. “Rick would never drive drunk, and he would never, ever, leave the scene of an accident, whether he caused it or not.” She settled back again. “You see, Lynn, my son is all about duty and honor.”

Lynn’s spirits plummeted. So much for losing moral consciousness.

Through tight lips, she admitted, “I noticed.”

“Hard not to. He lives and breathes the Marine code of honor, courage and commitment. Pretty much always has. When he was a teenager and found out that Semper Fi meant ‘Always Faithful’ he enlisted in the Marines’ college-bound program the next day.”

“Why?”

Ann inhaled deeply as she straightened the silverware in front of her. “When I asked him that very thing, he said he felt he had something to prove—whether to the world or himself, I’m not sure. What he didn’t say—would never say, but it’s something I’ve always known—is that he resents the choices his father and I made when I accidentally became pregnant.”

“You and Marcus McCoy,” Lynn clarified in a low voice.

“Yes. Neither of us wanted a long-term commitment. Marcus, understandably, didn’t want his identity revealed. I agreed to his terms because I’d be able to secure my child’s future by investing the money he was offering in my business. My hope had been that Rick would grow up and take over the company. He had different ideas. And I respect that.”

Different ideas that would cost Lynn her chance for guaranteed security. “But now that his ideas about his future have been effectively demolished, will you help me convince him to take the easiest way out of the trouble he’s in?”

“No.”

Shock loosened Lynn’s jaw, and she fought not to gape.

It must have shown, because Ann’s expression softened and she leaned near. “Not because I don’t want to, Lynn. But Rick—who I know loves me dearly—nevertheless deep down doesn’t respect me. He doesn’t realize that I’m aware of his feelings. And I believe that he struggles with them. But the truth is there in the choices he makes.”

Ann’s sigh held a mother’s regret. “I’ve never been able to influence him. Fortunately, his choices are always ones that I can be proud of. Though they’re not always in his best interest, as far as I’m concerned.” She shook her head. “If he’d chosen to work for me he’d be very rich by now.”

A gloominess stealing over Lynn, she muttered, “He already is very rich, thanks to the inheritance from his father. Very, very rich.”

Ann slumped back. “I suppose he is.” She shook her head again and tsked. “Poor Marcus. A grizzly bear. How awful.”

Feeling as though there was a grizzly bear of her own slobbering down her neck, Lynn clarified. “So you don’t believe you can convince Rick to accept my help or change his mind about this silent acceptance of whatever the punishment might be?”

“I wish I could. And I wish there was some hope that you could convince him yourself.”

Lynn sat up straighter. “What makes you think I can’t?”

“Because I can already tell that he’s going to react to you the same way he reacts to me.”

“Which is?”

“By doing the exact opposite of what you suggest.”

Dread churned in Lynn’s stomach like acid from the coffee she hadn’t drunk. “Why?”

Ann’s blue eyes glowed with certainty. “We’re too much alike, you and I.”

Lynn clenched her jaw. So she was on her own. Nothing new there. It appeared she’d have no choice but to discover the truth about Rick’s accident.

Then she could decide what to do.

RICK DREW STRENGTH from his frustration and lifted the heavier-than-normal weights away from his sides, his hissing breath loud in the deserted fitness room across the parking lot from his condo. While he’d never really thought much about the convenience of having a place to exercise at his condominium complex because he normally worked out on base, he’d found it a godsend in the days since he’d been released on bail. He probably would have exploded with frustration had he not been able to release some of the steam as sweat that drenched his white sleeveless T-shirt and black shorts.

Today he could have given Hercules a good go. It was already midmorning, and he was still going strong.

He couldn’t believe Lawyer Lady’s gall—

The door leading out to the parking lot opened. “Ah, it is you.”

Rick faltered and nearly dropped the dumbbells. Man, now she’s showing up when I think about her. Talk about a reason to stop thinking about her.

He turned to find Lynn striding toward him. Though how she practically marched in those heels was beyond him. The pale blue color and feminine cut of her suit coat and matching pants screamed girly-girl, but her in-charge walk, tightly pulled back hair and set jaw belied the packaging.

She was an interesting contradiction. And so not for him.

He turned away and readjusted his hold on the weights. “Butt out of my life, Miss Hayes.”

She came as close as she could without risking his hitting her as he went back to lifting the weights out to his sides. Not close, considering his arm-span, but close enough to make him unable to count as he raised and lowered the weights. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her cross her arms over her attention-grabbing breasts.