Jamie Denton - The Secret Child

“I‘ve thought about it.” Who was he kidding? She was all he‘d thought about for the past twenty-four hours.

“That‘s not a good idea.”

“Oh?” Cole ignored the warning note in Carson‘s voice.

“She has no background, son. Her mother was a waitress, for goodness’ sake. She‘s all wrong for you.”

“And Elizabeth was right for me?” Cole thought again about his father‘s reaction when Cole had told him Elizabeth was pregnant. He‘d expected a tirade, a stern lecture on how he‘d disappointed the family, but his father had been strangely elated. Not for the first time, Cole wondered why.

“At least Elizabeth had breeding,” Carson shot at him.

“Breeding? What about a heart? Compassion? Sincerity? Those are the qualities I look for in a person.”

“I only want what‘s best for you, son. I don‘t want you to get hurt. Marni turned her back on you once before. Thank goodness you had Elizabeth.”

“I have to go,” Cole said, not wanting to argue with his father–at least not over the telephone. He‘d known for a while now it was time for him to step away from Ballinger Electronics. After successfully turning two faltering divisions into profit-making entities, Cole knew he was ready. More than ready. If anything, the move might improve his relationship with his father.

“All right, son. I‘ll see you next week.”

Cole replaced the receiver and glanced at the clock again, putting the conversation with his father behind him. He‘d deal with Carson next week.

* * *

MARNI PULLED INTO the driveway of the white beach house twenty minutes after seven. Fortunately the transcript of the Kendell trial had arrived early, and Marni managed to escape the office sooner than she‘d expected, leaving Peg to field any last-minute telephone calls. With the Kendell appeal and Cole‘s appearance in her life, she needed time to catch her breath. Somehow she had to handle both calamities, but she didn‘t have the faintest idea how.

Jenna came bounding out of the house, the screen door banging behind her. The light from the porch cast a hazy yellow glow over the small veranda and spilled onto a fraction of the manicured lawn. A large German shepherd rounded the house, trampling through the dormant rose garden, and barked, wagging his tail at Jenna.

“Arlo, shush. It‘s only Mom,” Jenna scolded the dog. The point was lost on the large animal, who barked again in reply.

“Sorry I‘m late,” Marni said, stepping from the car. “It was one of those days.”

“Denise called. She wants to know if I can go skiing with her tomorrow.”

Marni stepped through the gate and put her arm around her daughter. A flood of protectiveness and love rushed through her. She was reluctant to let Jenna out of her sight but quickly quashed her foolishness. “I don‘t see why not. I‘ve got a lot of work to do this weekend, anyway. Have you eaten?”

“Yeah. I was hungry so I warmed up the leftover pizza. I saved you some.” Jenna opened the front door and Arlo trotted into the house.

Marni didn‘t think she could eat a bite. Not after her conversation with Rebecca. She couldn‘t get over the fact that her friend had insisted she tell Cole about Jenna. The notion bordered on insanity.

“Oh, there‘s an old movie on cable tonight,” Jenna said, dropping onto the sofa.

Arlo wandered into the kitchen. Probably to search the floor for crumbs. Marni couldn‘t seem to keep the junk food out of her daughter or her dog.

“Which one?”

“Oklahoma.” Jenna shared Marni‘s love for old movies, particularly old musicals. Marni had taken her to a Rodgers and Hammerstein film festival in Venice, and Jenna had become as hooked as Marni.

Marni smiled at her daughter. “Let me get out of this monkey suit.” She crossed the beige carpeting and headed toward the master bedroom. The phone rang, and Marni said, “Will you get that, sweetie. I don‘t want to talk to anyone tonight, unless it‘s urgent.”

Jenna darted past Marni into the bedroom and picked up the cordless phone. “Hello?

“Uh, she‘s not here right now. Can I take a message?” Jenna mouthed the words “It‘s a man” to Marni and grinned broadly.

Marni rolled her eyes at her daughter and kicked off her pumps. Probably one of the policemen who‘d taken the witness‘s statement. Well, Marni could call him back tomorrow after she had reviewed the transcript. Tonight more than anything, she wanted to spend time with her daughter.

“What‘s the number?” Jenna jotted down the number while Marni stepped into the walk-in closet to change her clothes, pulling off her jacket along the way.

“Okay, and what‘s your name?” Jenna asked.

She smiled at her daughter‘s attempt at professionalism and hung the suit on a hanger and unbuttoned her silk blouse, tossing it in the basket of clothes destined for the dry cleaners.

“Say that again?” Jenna asked cautiously.

Marni discarded her slip, camisole and stockings, then slipped into the navy blue sweats she pulled from a drawer and tugged a matching hooded sweatshirt over her head. She quickly loosened the tight French braid and shook her hair before scrubbing her fingers over her scalp.

“Cole Ballinger?”

Marni‘s heart stopped beating as she gripped the built-in dresser for support. She began to shake. She gasped, trying to suck air into her lungs as the small room swam before her eyes. A cold knot formed in the pit of her stomach.

Jenna‘s voice sounded miles away. “Cole Ballinger? My father?”

“T HIS IS SO COOL,” Jenna said.

Move, dammit! Marni couldn‘t get her body to cooperate with the commands issued by her brain. Too late to sever the connection between father and daughter. Her secret could no longer be hidden from Cole. He knew the truth.

“Me? I‘m Jenna. Marni‘s daughter.”

Marni got moving, but not fast enough.

“I‘ll be thirteen in May.”

Jenna responded to her father‘s questions openly. Through the years Marni had tried to teach her daughter honesty was all-important, telling her that the omission of facts was the same as deceit. She‘d never imagined herself a hypocrite until now.

She bolted out of the walk-in closet and practically tore the phone out of Jenna‘s hands, ignoring the startled look on her daughter‘s face. Pushing the button to disconnect the phone nearly proved impossible, her hands were shaking so badly.

“Mom!” Jenna wailed, a fierce frown creasing her brow. “What are you doing? You hung up on him!”

Marni ignored Jenna‘s indignation and began to pace. “I know.” She had to think of a plan. There had to be a way out of this rapidly growing nightmare.

“Why did you do that?” Jenna repeated.

Marni knew she was behaving like a first-class idiot, but she couldn‘t help herself. Panic did that to a person.

The phone rang again, she turned to look at her daughter. She pressed the button with her thumb and lifted the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

“Marni? What the hell is going on?” Cole sounded angry. More than angry.

Marni pushed the Disconnect button again. My world is falling apart!

“Mom!” Jenna cried.

Marni sat down on the bed and stared at the phone. The darn thing rang again. She pushed the button to answer, then promptly disconnected the caller, unable to face the dreadful fact that Cole had finally learned the truth. She wondered if she should feel guilty, yet the only emotion she felt was cold, stark fear. Fear of what Cole would do next.

“Mom? What are you doing?” Jenna asked again. She stood in front of Marni, hands placed on her slightly rounded hips. “Mom?” Her voice was soft, questioning, and Marni didn‘t know how to begin to explain her fears to Jenna. How could she tell her daughter she could lose her? That the father of a man she didn‘t even know had the power to take her away? That the cozy life they shared might never be the same again?