The Negotiator (36 page)

She dragged in another breath. “As a parent, I just can’t understand it. There’s nothing,
nothing
Jack could do that would make me disown him.” Her voice hitched and Andy pulled her close, murmuring words of comfort and reassurance against her hair.

“I’m sorry, Cally. Fathers should be forbidden to treat their children so callously. It should be in the book of rules all fathers should be issued when they come to collect their children from the hospital.”

She lifted her head and smiled shakily back at him, grateful for his attempt to lighten the moment. For all the heartache she’d experienced in her childhood, it could never compare to what Andy had gone through. And yet, here he was, comforting
her
. She’d never loved him more.

They held each other in silence, each buried in their own thoughts. After a while, she pulled slightly away. “You’re a beautiful man, Andy Warwick, inside and out. I’m so glad I found you.”

His eyes darkened with emotion. A moment later, his lips found hers. Heat exploded inside her. She kissed him with barely checked passion, pressing herself even closer against him. He moaned against her mouth. His hardness pressed into the softness of her belly.

“I’ve missed you so much,” he rasped. His lips moved lower, biting gently along her neck before his tongue swirled in and around her sensitive earlobe.

Cally twined her arms around his neck and drew his head down.

His hands reached for her blouse and he fumbled with the buttons.

Pulling away, she stood panting before him and tried to regain her breath. Andy stared at her dazedly.

“Cally—”

“
Shh.
I have a surprise for you.” Turning away, she stumbled down the hall and into her bedroom. The room was filled with bright mid-morning light. The scent of flowers from the garden wafted through the open window and hung expectantly on the warm air.

The sheer nightdress lay across her bed where she’d set it out earlier. Quickly undoing the rest of her buttons, she tossed her blouse onto the carved wooden rocking chair which sat in the corner of the room. Her bra, shorts and panties followed in quick succession and then she eased the slinky, silky fabric over her head.

Shimmying into the nightdress, she smoothed it over her hips and adjusted the low neckline until her breasts were shown to their best advantage. The smooth, golden skin of her décolletage was in stark contrast to the whiteness of the nightdress and only served to enhance its appeal.

With a final quick glance in the mirror, she summoned a smile. Andy was waiting for her. He loved her. He wanted her. Life didn’t get any better.

* * *

It was a long while afterwards that Andy asked about Brady. Cally lay relaxed and sated beside him after a thoroughly enjoyable session of lovemaking. His index finger drew lazy circles on her naked thigh, the nightgown that had him rock-hard the instant he’d seen her in it had been long since discarded.

The air conditioner hummed quietly in the background, cooling the room from the oppressive summer heat that beat down relentlessly outside the window. He drew in a deep breath, knowing that the subject had to be broached.

“What are you going to do about Brady?”

She turned in his arms and looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you told me you’d already come to the decision you needed to see him and, you know, sort things out. That’s why you called Donaldson again, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, and my father’s made me realize how much I need to close the door on that chapter of my life. Stewart might be Jack’s father, but all he did was donate the genetic material necessary to give my son life. He never wanted Jack. He did all he could to make sure I got rid of him. If I had told him the truth, I’m sure he would have badgered me until I’d given in to his demands. I don’t need to see him again to give me closure or whatever it is psychiatrists talk about. It’s over. It’s been over for a long time. I know that now.”

Reaching out, she cupped his cheek with her hand. “My father told me a few things about Stewart I didn’t know.”

He raised his eyebrows and she continued. “Apparently, he was with another girl not long after we broke up and he got her pregnant, too. Dad said they got married after the baby was born.”

“Oh, sweetheart!” He pulled her back into his arms and held her close. “He sounds like a right selfish bastard. Be thankful you’re not saddled with him.”

She smiled softly. “You’re right.” Reaching up, she tugged his head down to hers and pressed her lips against his. She ended the kiss and pulled away gently. “Dad told me something else about Stewart. His wife and child were killed six months ago. Apparently he’s had trouble coming to terms with it.”

Andy stared at her. “So, he’s single again.” He fought to keep his voice even. “How does that make you feel?”

She sighed and settled against him. “I feel for his loss, as I would for anyone who’s experienced something like that. But it doesn’t change the way I feel about him, or the way I feel about
you
.”

Her hand caressed Andy’s bare chest with feather-light strokes. “Stewart lost his place in my heart many years ago.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “For a long time, I didn’t think anyone would fill the void he’d left. But as the years went by, I found a sort of peace in being independent and raising my son alone. When I met you… Well for the first time in more than ten years, my heart started really smiling again.” She looked up at him, her eyes shining with emotion. “You did that to me, Andy. You made my heart smile.”

She kissed him again, softly, lovingly and he hugged her hard against him, never wanting to let her go.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Cally glanced at her watch. The week was speeding by. It was already Thursday and was now nearly two. She’d spent most of the day cleaning the cottage and doing laundry. The sound of sheets snapping in the wind on the line outside the kitchen window reminded her they needed to be brought in. Although Andy had never asked her to, she’d started throwing his dirty laundry in with theirs and had made up his bed with fresh sheets.

At the thought of Andy, she sighed. Despite the fact he was on a scheduled day off, two colleagues had called in sick and he’d been forced to go into work. The house seemed quiet and empty without him. Soon it would be time to collect Jack from school and she looked forward to spending another evening with her boys.

Her boys.
The thought sent a warm glow coursing through her. She headed toward the laundry to collect the clothes basket. Halfway there, the phone rang. Hurrying back to the living room, she picked up the receiver on the third ring and answered with her customary greeting.

“Cally Savage.”

Silence greeted her. She was about to hang up, convinced the caller was a telemarketer, when she heard his voice.

“Cally, it’s Stewart…Stewart Brady.”

Her heart leaped into her throat and her mouth went dry.
Oh, God.
Did he know about Jack?
She tried to breathe over the pounding of her pulse.

“Stewart, what…? Where…? How did you get my number?”

“Your father.” He paused. “He-he said you were asking about me.”

She almost choked in disbelief. “I-I’m sorry, Stewart. My father’s given you the wrong impression. He told me about the death of your wife and child. I expressed my sadness at hearing about it and asked him to pass on my regards. That’s all.”

“But, I thought… Your father said—”

“Stewart,” she interrupted, “I’m not sure what he told you, but I got over you a long time ago.” She sighed softly. “It’s true, I was in love with you for years after you dumped me, but I worked hard and found a new life and I’m finally happy.”

“What about our baby? The baby you told me you aborted.”

The sudden ignition of her anger nearly stole her breath. “Our
baby
? You have the hide to question me about our baby? If you’d had your way, there would never have been a baby. I never lied to you. You never asked and you moved on. He’s
my
son.
I’m
the one who wanted him—the
only
one who wanted him. Don’t go pretending you care, especially now, a decade down the track. Don’t you
dare.
”

“Cally, I understand you’re upset, but surely we can let bygones be bygones?”

Anger pulsed through her veins. All the days and the even longer nights she’d spent crying her heart out over him as a young teen mother flashed through her mind, almost overwhelming her.

“So that’s all I was to you? A
bygone
? An unfortunate incident that was best forgotten?
That’s
how you remember me?”

Stewart
tut tutted
on the other end of the phone. “Cally, you’re getting all emotional about this and there’s no need. We had some fun times for a while, then you got pregnant. I was young and stupid. I didn’t know anything about being a father. It was the last thing I wanted. But, over the years I’ve matured. I’ve learned.”

He cleared his throat. “When I discovered I had a son, I was furious that you hadn’t told me, but gradually, I came to accept you had valid reasons for keeping it from me. You were only a kid, too. You were probably as scared as I was. I’m beyond embarrassed about my actions back then. I’m sorry I was such an asshole. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you—and for our baby.”

Cally shook her head in silent disbelief, her anger dissipating. She bit her lip, wanting to believe he could change, scared that he hadn’t.

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about it, Cally,” Stewart continued, his voice low and sincere. “My son needs a father. Every kid needs a father. I-I want to be there for him.”

Cally’s heart pounded. She pressed her fist against her mouth to hold back a sob—of pain or joy? She didn’t know. Where had Stewart been during the long, lonely nights when she’d ached for someone to hold her, someone to help her, someone to love her? As an inexperienced teen, she’d given him her heart, her body and her soul and he’d trampled them into the ground.

“I’ll regret for the rest of my life that I wasn’t there for you and our son. But I want to be there for both of you
now
. Give me a chance, Cally. Please.” His voice was now tinged with desperation. “I need to see him, Cally. I really
need
to.”

She weakened. He
had
lost his wife and child. She could understand him wanting to make contact with the child who was still alive.

Besides, when she’d thought it was Stewart who’d contacted the PI, she’d already resolved to meet with him. If it hadn’t been for her father’s untimely appearance, she would still feel that way.

What she’d told Andy was true. She no longer felt the need to find closure with Stewart. She’d closed that chapter on her life. But Jack deserved to know his father. He had a right to know what he looked like, what he sounded like, to ask him questions. She owed it to her son to make it happen.

Sighing heavily, she heard herself agreeing to meet with him. “Where are you staying?” she asked after Stewart had babbled his gratitude.

“Um, I’m in a hotel on the Pacific Highway, not far from Chatswood. Your dad told me where you lived.”

A spurt of irritation shot through her.
Good old Dad
.

“I’m sorry, Cally. I really thought…” He sounded so contrite.

She sighed again. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault. That would rest solely with my father.” Her voice was as dry as sandpaper.

“When can I see him, Cally? When can I see my son?”

The urgency in his voice momentarily startled her, but she couldn’t begin to understand how it felt to lose a spouse and child. All she knew was that she’d be beyond devastated if anything ever happened to Jack and Andy.

“I usually collect him from school at three. There’s a park only a few blocks away, at the top of the hill. We could meet you there, if you like.”

He sighed with relief. “Thank you, Cally. You don’t know how much seeing him means to me.”

She gave him directions. “We’ll meet you there after school, about three-fifteen.”

“Thanks again. I really mean it.” His voice broke with emotion and she was reminded once again of all that he’d been through.

“No problem. I’ll see you soon.”

She returned the phone to its cradle and contemplated their conversation. For years, she hadn’t heard a word from her father. Out of the blue, he appeared on her doorstep. For years, she’d worked hard to thrust Stewart from her mind. Now he was apologizing and asking to be part of his son’s life. She’d finally gotten her life on track and found love with Andy and now the men who’d been such an integral, albeit negative, part of her past were suddenly back in her life.

It felt a little weird, even a little surreal. She could barely believe that in less than an hour, she’d see Stewart again, face-to-face. Nerves suddenly crowded her stomach. She had to talk to Andy.

The laundry forgotten, she riffled through her handbag and tugged out her cell phone. Absently, she noticed the battery was nearly flat and she made a mental note to put it on the charger as soon as she finished speaking with him.

The phone dialed out. She braced herself for it to go to voicemail. Then, he answered.

“Hey, beautiful, I was just thinking about you.”

She heard the smile in his voice and her lips tugged upward in response. Just the sound of his voice made her feel so much better, as if she could handle any of life’s hurdles.

“I hope they were nice thoughts.”

“I’m not sure I can tell you. Tom’s sitting a few feet away from me and boy, does he have good ears.”

She blushed and was glad Andy couldn’t see. Still, she liked the way his constant teasing made her feel special, as if she was the most desirable woman in the world.

“So, are you calling just to hear the sound of my voice or is there something in particular you wanted to tell me?”

Now the moment was upon her, she was lost for words. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know he’d be okay about it, but it still felt a little strange telling her fiancé she was shortly going to a park to meet the father of her son.

Her silence must have triggered some concern because his voice turned serious. “Cally? Is everything all right?”