17

Lights were on in the Westerfield house when Max drove through the gate. He thought about going over, but it was just past 5:00 a.m. Leigh often slept with lights on. She didn’t like the dark.

He drove past the house and parked in front of his own. He sat there for a moment, fighting emotions. He hadn’t had to do that in a long time. He guarded his heart well. Emotions only brought pain.

Now he was buffeted by them, pulled in two different directions.

In those few hours at dinner a few days ago, he’d found himself attracted to Kira Douglas. In fact, he’d really liked her. He still did, despite her duplicity. He understood it now, and he wasn’t quite sure he wouldn’t have done the same. He’d done a hell of a lot worse in the name of love. He told himself he’d been right tonight, that his responsibility was to Leigh. But he couldn’t get Kira’s face out of his thoughts. Nor that of a dying woman.

He parked his car and went inside to his study. His study. His house. As a kid, he’d never thought to have anything quite so grand. He was damned lucky he’d even survived childhood.

Ed had made this all possible. He’d made him a part of the family, and his position in the family was solidified when Ed gave him the house built for Leigh’s parents. After they died, Leigh had moved into the big house, and this one had been empty for years.

Although Ed had explained to the family that he wanted his attorney close by, they all knew that it was more than that. As Ed got older, he mourned not having sons and had tried to mold Max into one.

And now Max owed him more than he could ever repay. He certainly owed his granddaughter loyalty. But which granddaughter, if tests proved Kira right?

He sat and toyed with a pen on the desk as he tried to reason out a puzzle. He had to believe Kira now. She really had no reason to press for a DNA test unless she already knew the results. That meant accepting the supposition that the babies had somehow been switched.

And if he accepted that, then did a switch happen by accident or on purpose?

One baby had been sick. Kira had told him that. How could an “accident” happen under those circumstances?

Ed? He’d desperately wanted an heir. He’d wanted a grandson, but grudgingly accepted a granddaughter. He’d loved her in his own crusty way. Unfortunately, Leigh never realized that.

He sighed. Kira might well have opened a snake’s nest. Leigh had a record as a juvenile. Mostly kid stuff. Shoplifting on a dare. Reckless driving. One DUI. The records had been buried by tons of money, but he suspected that Chris Burke could find his way to it.

When the clock struck seven thirty, he called his office and canceled all his morning appointments.

“What about Mr. Melton? You had scheduled a meeting with him.”

Damn. Jack had asked for it three days ago. He wanted a reconsideration of his proposal to buy the company Max had nixed days earlier. He claimed to have new information.

The answer was still going to be no. Max didn’t like the company stats and cared less for its CEO, who would be part of the deal.

“An emergency has developed,” he said. “Postpone the meeting until tomorrow.”

“He’s not going to be happy.”

“Apologize for me. It can’t be helped.”

“Okay, boss.”

He hung up and called Leigh. She usually woke about this time and went down to the barn.

“’Ello,” she said sleepily.

“Good morning.”

“Too early to be good.”

“I need breakfast. Is Mrs. Baker in the kitchen yet?”

“I’m sure she is.”

“You know what I like.”

“Do you ever change, Max?”

“Nope.”

“Okay,” she said. “Two eggs over light, dry toast, fruit, and coffee. Boring.”

“I like boring.”

A pause. “Is there something new?”

“Yes,” he replied.

“Good or bad?”

“We’ll talk when I get there. Fifteen minutes.”

“It takes me longer than that.”

“Not today.”

“You’re frightening me.”

“I don’t mean to. Now go get dressed.”

He hung up before she could ask more questions. He went to his bathroom, took a quick shower and shaved, then pulled on a pair of slacks and a sports shirt.

He walked across to the big house. He still thought of it that way despite the politically incorrect connotation. He remembered the first time he visited there. It seemed enormous then. It was large, though not nearly as big as many mansions he’d visited. Ed seldom wasted money. He’d wanted a place to entertain for business purposes as well as a home for himself and his family, but he didn’t admire waste.

Toward the end of Ed’s life, Max had found his mentor wandering throughout the place, obviously looking for a family that didn’t exist. His wife had died early and his one child had died in an accident. His granddaughter feared him. Ed had been disappointed time and time again by family. Max didn’t intend that to happen to him.

To his surprise, Leigh was in the kitchen, drinking a cup of tea as he entered. Mrs. Baker was at the stove and the minute she saw him, she dropped two eggs in a hot frying pan and started the toaster. He poured himself a cup of coffee, just as he used to do when Ed was alive.

“I hope you’re eating, too,” he said to Leigh. “You’re getting too thin.”

“You can never be too thin.”

“That’s a woman’s viewpoint, not a man’s.” His thoughts immediately switched to Kira. She looked like a woman, not a shadow of one.

He wondered how she was doing this morning. Whether she’d talked to the police again, or to an attorney. He had to prepare Leigh for both possibilities.

He took a sip of coffee. He didn’t want to talk to Leigh with the housekeeper present. She’d been with the family for years, but he had the attorney’s obsession with discretion.

Leigh didn’t press it, but her eyes were worried.

“Have anything planned today?”

Her face lit. “The new horse is arriving tomorrow, I think, and I want to get her stall ready. Fresh hay, a new blanket. Thank you for arranging it.”

“I’m anxious to meet this million-dollar baby.”

“You exaggerate.”

“Only a little.”

Mrs. Baker put a plate in front of him and another with only fruit in front of Leigh.

“Thanks,” he told her. “You can clean up later,” he said, effectively dismissing her.

Mrs. Baker didn’t question it. She left the room and shut the door behind her.

“You do that just like Granddaddy.”

“He rubbed off on me.”

“Not entirely,” she said. It sounded like a compliment. Unusual since she’d often been at war with him since the will was read. She’d bitterly resented the restrictions her grandfather had placed on her.

“What happened?” she asked after a brief silence. “You said there was something new.”

“First, did you talk to anyone about Kira Douglas and her claim?”

“Only Seth and David. Neither believed it. David was particularly vehement. His father was at the delivery, and we all know how careful and deliberate my uncle is.”

“I didn’t know that,” he said, but then, there was no reason he should. He’d joined the family twelve years after her birth. He filed away another interesting fact in one of his mental compartments.

“Kira Douglas’s home was ransacked last night,” he said without preamble. He quickly related the events yesterday and last night.

Her face paled. “Surely you don’t think …”

“No. I don’t think you had anything to do with it. But the two incidents—the MARTA incident and burglary—are too close for a coincidence. At least that’s the way the police will see it.”

“She told the police about what she’s claiming.”

“No, not yet. She doesn’t want publicity any more than we do. At least, she hadn’t named anyone last night.” He paused, then dropped the bomb. “You have to do the DNA test, Leigh. If you don’t do it informally, she’ll go to a court, and it will be a circus.” He held up a hand. “I know you don’t think it’s true. A test would confirm that.” God only knew what Seth and David had said. They probably hadn’t been helpful. Particularly Seth.

“Seth says any suit would have to be filed in Fayette County. He says he can block it. That he has a number of friends on the bench.”

Goddamn Seth.

“He can’t bottle it up forever, Leigh.” He leaned forward. “Ms. Douglas’s mother won’t live much longer without a new kidney. Think for a moment how you would feel if she dies, then you find out she really is your birth mother. It’s something you’ll have to live with. And if she’s wrong, well, then a boulder will be off your shoulders.”

“I thought about it,” she said. “I just don’t believe it. I can’t believe it.”

“Will you take the test if I arrange it? Privately. No publicity.”

“That would be admitting it could be true. It isn’t.”

“Then we can prove it once and for all, and Kira Douglas will go away.”

“You swear?” she asked.

“Yes.”

She hesitated for a moment. Then she nodded slowly. “That doesn’t mean I accept the possibility. I just want to get rid of this woman.”

He sighed internally. “I’ll set up a DNA test immediately. It’s easy. Just a swab from your mouth.”

“I know. I went online and read everything I could.”

He smiled. “You did?”

“I’m really not as clueless as you think I am.”

“I never thought that. I just thought you were hiding from the world, and I wanted to jerk you back.” He took a sip of coffee. “There’s nothing I would like more than to hand over the inheritance to you, no strings attached.”

“And then what would you do?”

He shrugged. “Continue as attorney for Westerfield Industries if you want.”

“Not if Jack Melton has anything to do with it,” she said with a sudden slyness he didn’t like.

That stopped him. “What do you know?”

“Jack wants you out. He’s approached me about it. He wants me to fight the trust. He knows I’m angry about Grandfather’s conditions. He thinks I’m angry enough to put him in charge.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I won’t go behind your back. I’ve learned a little in the past year. I won’t forget what you did for me in college or in getting rid of Adam.”

But despite her words, her eyes were guarded.

“And Seth? Does he agree with Jack?”

“It really doesn’t matter. He doesn’t have enough stock to count.”

But Seth did have an influence on her, and Max didn’t need a lawsuit contesting the trust. Not now.

She abruptly changed the subject. “What if the tests prove a match? I won’t give a kidney. I can’t. I never want to see a hospital again.” She paused. “What are my rights?”

“No one can force you to donate. As far as the trust goes, I did more research. As I said, I think it could go either way. A judge would decide whom Ed meant to be his main beneficiary. Was it you specifically? Or was it the daughter of his daughter?”

She played with her teacup. “You’ve checked into her background. Find anything?”

“No. She’s what she seems. I really do believe her only interest is getting the kidney.”

“I wonder how long that will last,” she said, not bothering to hide her doubts about it.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, and really didn’t. Money did strange things to people, and a great deal of money did even stranger things. “But I can draw up an enforceable contract.”

“And she can come back and say she signed it under duress.”

Another surprise. Leigh had grown up, and he hadn’t noticed. “Yes,” he admitted. “That doesn’t mean a judge would agree.

“Leigh, I want you to think very seriously about it. The attack and burglary last night might well make Ms. Douglas go public, and I don’t think you want that.”

She nodded, then looked uncertain. “You’re sure I should do this?”

“If not, we would only be postponing the inevitable. Once we know what we’re facing, well, then there’re options.”

“All right, then,” she said reluctantly.

“I’ll call you about the time,” he said.

She nodded, but her gaze wouldn’t meet his, and he saw her hand trembling on the table. She saw his gaze and stood. “I have to get dressed.”

“It’ll be all right,” he said.

“Will it?” she replied dubiously, and left the room before he could answer. He sat there as Mrs. Baker returned and cleaned up the dishes. He was surprised by Leigh’s capitulation.

Had she really grown up that much? Or was something else at work?