Love Me Tonight (24 page)

Thank you, Dr. Epps, I'll be there before noon.” He marveled at his calmness, for he had proof more reliable than his birth certificate offered that he was the son of Fentriss Sparkman.

“I'll have the papers ready for you.”

He phoned Telford. “I'll pick up the test results before noon tomorrow, and I'd like to leave there and visit with you and your brothers around one. Heather will be with me if that's all right with you and Alexis.”

“We'll be delighted. Looking forward to seeing you.”

 

Heather didn't know how to respond when the real estate agent called to say that the house Heather wanted was for sale and could be broom clean for her within ten days. “I'll call you back Monday after I speak with my banker,” she told the agent. In truth, she didn't need to check with her bank, but she needed time to speak with Annie and Judson about it. She knew Annie would go along with anything she proposed, but her instincts told her that the weekend could be a crucial point in her life.

She sat down on the edge of the chair, rubbing the back of her neck as she'd so often seen her father do. “Why am I equivocating about this? I should take the house and let the chips fall where they may,” she said to herself.
Don't tempt fate,
her niggling conscience prodded.

She got up early Saturday morning, dressed in a red silk dress that had a matching jacket and spike-heel black suede boots. She put a pair of slippers in a small tote, in case they spent time with Telford and Alexis.

“Won't you be cold?” Judson asked when he arrived at nine o'clock. “It's freezing out there.”

An hour later, with the incontrovertible evidence of his paternity in a sealed envelope, he drove to Cissy's house. “Well, well. Now this is nice,” she said when she opened the door and saw them. “Don't tell me you two got married.”

“Not yet, Aunt Cissy,” he said. “I wanted you to know that I have my birth certificate, which says that Beverly Moten and Fentriss Sparkman are my parents, and results of DNA tests show a ninety-nine percent certainty that I'm from the same blood line as Drake Harrington and his brothers.”

“Hallelujah! I felt from the first that you were my blood kin. Y'all come on in. I'm just about to fix some lunch.”

“I'm sorry, Aunt Cissy. We can't stay. I'm on my way to share this with the Harrington brothers. You can't imagine how happy I am. I suppose it will sink in soon, and I'll be delirious. Heather and I will be back soon and spend some time with you.”

She'd thought they'd go next to Eagle Park, but he swung in the opposite direction. “We'd better make a quick stop and see Annie.” He handed her his cell phone. “Tell her we'll be buy for five minutes.”

She dialed the familiar number. “Annie, we're in
Hagerstown on a little business, and then we're going to Eagle Park on some more business. We're on our way to you, but we can only stay a minute.”

A few minutes later, it seemed strange walking into that house and not finding her father there. “I hope you came to get a marriage license,” Annie said after greeting them.

“Not quite,” Judson said. “I came to pick up the evidence that Fentriss Sparkman was my father. My adoptive mother was actually my birth mother.”

Annie sat down. “I figured that from all you told me, and when I saw Drake Harrington, I was sure. It must be wonderful to know your father was such a respected man.”

“I'm pleased with what I've learned about all this, Annie, and I thank you for caring. We'll be in touch next week.”

Heather could see in Judson an anxiousness to show Telford and his brothers the evidence that he was one of them. Judson drove into the circle in front of Harrington House, and before he could park, Telford came out to meet him. She looked up and saw Alexis standing in the front doorway, her face wreathed in smiles.

Telford brought Judson to him in a strong embrace. “No matter what it says, you're one of us. Don't forget this.”

Judson blinked rapidly and handed Telford the envelopes containing the birth certificate and the unopened results of the DNA tests.

Telford kissed Heather's cheek, took Judson's arm
and went inside with them. Heather had the strangest feeling when Alexis hugged her, almost as if she hugged her big sister. It was as if something or someone other than her was controlling her life.

“Russ and Drake will be here in a couple of minutes. Should I wait for them before I open this?” Telford asked Judson.

“I regard you as head of the family. It's up to you.”

Telford looked at the birth certificate, and his face brightened in a big smile. He glanced at Judson, gave a thumbs-up sign and opened the other envelope. The doorbell rang and Alexis ran to get it. Drake and Russ walked into the room and stopped.

“What does it say?” Russ asked. Telford passed them the two envelopes.

“We had already decided,” Russ said, “but you needed the proof, so we gave it to you. Congratulations.”

Telford called to Alexis. “Sweetheart, bring everybody in here, please, including Henry.” She returned with Pamela and Velma. “Last week, Russ, Drake and I decided that since we knew Judson was our first cousin, we should do the right thing. Uncle Fentriss thought he had no heirs and left what he owned to us, with Russ as executor of his estate. We divided the estate between us, except one apartment house, the largest and most valuable property in the estate. We decided to leave it as it is and to divide between us the receipts and expenses. We're giving that building to Judson, because he deserves it. I'm talking about the Beverly Apartments in downtown Frederick, which Uncle
Fentriss obviously named for Judson's mother. What is the situation, Russ?”

When Judson gasped, Heather eased her arm around his shoulder and whispered. “They love you, darling. It's all right.”

Russ stood, walked to the fireplace and leaned against the marble facing. “I have here the transfer of ownership to Judson and the deed supporting it. I had the building appraised. It's fifteen stories high with forty-three apartments, swimming pool and recreation facilities are on the top floor. It sits on prime land. It's structurally as sound as when it was built six years ago and is what he considered his crowning achievement. Its current market value is twenty-five to twenty-seven million dollars and is approximately one-quarter of the value of Uncle Fentriss's estate.” He walked over to Judson and handed him the papers.

“We are extremely happy to be able to share this with you, Judson. We were all very well-fixed financially before receiving the inheritance, and we've used some of it to build attractive and affordable housing for poor people, among other things.” He put his hand into his pocket. “I forgot. Here's the master key to the Beverly Apartments.”

She wondered that Judson would be able to stand. He patted her knee and managed to get to his feet. “I wouldn't be surprised if I had a heart attack,” Judson said. “He named that building after my mother. Six years ago. That's a long time to love someone and not know where she is or even if she's alive. He really loved
her,” he said, seemingly in awe. “I'm not going to try and thank you, because it's not possible. I've never known people like you. From the beginning, you received me as if I were one of you. I… Thank you.

“If anyone in this room ever needs me, you only have to get a message to me. I regard you as my brothers and sisters.” His voice broke. “And I love every one of you.”

“This calls for a party,” Alexis said.

 

By five o'clock that afternoon, the party was going full sway and, happy though he was, Judson had to get away from it. His father had been a rich man, and though he was wealthy, the largesse of the Harrington brothers made him richer. But he was shaken equally by the love that they and their families showered on Heather and him. He remembered the basement, opened the door to it and went down there.

Almost immediately, he heard the sound of shoe heels on the steps and waited, hoping that it was Heather and not one of the other women. “I guess it's overwhelming,” Heather said, when she reached the bottom of the stairs. “Judson, where did you go?”

“Over here.” He stood as she approached, opened his arms and brought her to him, restoring some of his sanity. “It's almost too much in one day.”

“Do you want to leave?”

“That wouldn't be nice, especially considering how much I appreciate it and how I feel about them. Can you imagine they gave me that building? My name is
on the deed as the owner, and they did that before they had proof.”

“Now you have three wonderful cousins.”

“Yes. Wouldn't you like to be part of this large and loving family?”

He felt her tense, but he was tired of being half a person. He dropped to his knees and looked up at her. “You know that I love you, and you love me. I'm tired of being without you. Will you marry me? I promise to be a good husband to you, loyal and faithful and a loving and caring father to our children.” She wasn't looking at him. “In my whole life, I've loved no woman but you. Will you marry me?” he repeated.

“Judson, I—”

He was on his feet in a second. “Do you think the Harrington men and their wives are anomalies, the only happy couples on this planet? Do you believe that all other couples are miserable? Look at me. If you can't trust me to be a faithful, loving and caring husband for the rest of our lives, baby, it's over between us as of this minute.”

 

Horrified that he would leave her, she reached out, detaining him as he headed for the stairs. “What about my career and all that? Everything's set for you, but not for me.”

He stared down at her until she felt goose bumps on her arms. “What do you take me to be? Haven't I showed you that I have compassion for you and that I care about your goals and your wishes? Last week
I asked you what you thought of a legal partnership between Philips and Tatum—in alphabetical order. You seemed surprised, and you haven't answered me.”

“You mean, you and I practice law together?”

“Yeah. Think about it.”

“What will I do about Annie?”

“You sell your house, I'll sell my house, and we'll build our house. Annie can live with us. If she doesn't like that idea, she can have an apartment rent-free in Beverly Apartments, or whatever she wants. Any more excuses?”

“Oh, honey, they're not excuses, just concerns. I don't know what I'd do if you walked out of my life. You asked me to marry you, and by damn, I'm holding you to it.”

He stared at her. “What?”

“You heard me.”

He picked her up, twirled her around and around, raced up the stairs and into the living room with her in his arms. Spontaneous applause greeted their ears.

“Did you hurt your foot, Miss Heather?” Tara asked her.

Judson put her down, but she had a sense of loss for his having done it. “I got carried away,” he said. “She just promised to marry me.”

“It's about time,” Henry said. “I was about to ask ya about yer intentions.”

A round of laughter and applause, hugs and kisses followed. “Stay right where you are,” Drake said. “I'll be back in fifteen minutes.”

Drake returned with half a dozen bottles of champagne, and the merriment began. “Spend the night,” Telford said, “and we'll all go to church tomorrow morning as a family and give thanks that Judson's dream came true. What do you say?”

When Judson looked at Heather, she smiled. “I'd like that.”

Alexis took Heather's hand. “Come with me. Your room is waiting for you.”

“Where're you going?” Judson called after Heather as the two women headed down the hall.

“She'll see you at dinner,” Alexis said, somewhat airily.

After a dinner that featured roasted Cornish hens, they sat in the family room sipping espresso, and she marveled that both she and Judson as well as Alexis, Telford and Henry exuded a peacefulness and contentment that seemed to bind them together.

“Where will you marry?” Alexis asked Heather.

“I'm still in shock, Alexis, so I haven't thought much about that, but probably somewhere near here. We'd like the family to be with us.”

“I've had an exciting day,” Judson said, getting to his feet, “and I don't want it to end. But I'd better turn in if we're going to church in the morning.” He looked at Heather. “I'll walk you to your room.”

She hugged Henry, Telford and Alexis and walked down the corridor beside Judson with heavy steps.
Was he really planning to tell her good-night at that door and leave her?

“Aren't you going to ask me to come in?” he said, standing at the door, his tone wistful.

“I thought you wanted to go to bed.”

“You're joking.” He walked past her. “Sweetheart, you amaze me. I've been dying to get you alone. Come here to me.”

She pushed the door shut, dashed into his arms and let herself feel his strength and the love that flowed from him to her. “Kiss me, baby.” The words seemed to seep out of him between pants for breath. “Ah, sweetheart, we'll have a wonderful life together.” He locked her to him, hungrily, as if he couldn't get her close enough.

As soon as she parted her lips and pulled his tongue into her mouth, he bulged against her, hard and heavy. She spread her legs and moved onto him, already eager to have him inside of her.

His hands roamed over her body, heating her, possessively claiming her, branding her. The blood raced to her vagina, and that familiar ache took hold of her until, increasingly frantic for relief, she undulated against him. Her unzipped dress fell to the floor. He pulled off her bra, sucked her nipple into his mouth and feasted like a baby while her moans escalated.

“Stop torturing me,” she told him, “and put me in that bed.”