Accidental Family (7 page)

Maureen sat down, draping the vinyl cape over her clothes. “You mean Alan Rand?”

“He’s incredibly stubborn,” Rowena said as she began clipping the ends of Maureen’s long hair.

“Handsome, too.”

“I noticed,” Rowena said wryly.

“So what’s your next move?”

“I wish I knew.”

Maureen didn’t say anything for several minutes, the steady clip of the scissors the only sound filling the air.

“Why not try to make Alan your ally instead of your enemy?” Maureen suggested. “You’re a beautiful, intelligent woman, Rowena. Few men can resist that combination. Perhaps now is the right time to use it to your advantage.”

Rowena laughed, realizing it was the first time she’d done so in several days. “I think you overestimate my powers of persuasion.”

“What can it hurt?” Maureen ventured. “The way I see it, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

“I hate to admit it, but that does make sense.” She brushed some stray clippings off the back of Maureen’s neck. “Do you have any idea when Alan plans to check out of Twin Oaks?”

“I’m afraid not. He made an open-ended reservation.”

“If he can afford such a long vacation, money must not be a factor for him. So I guess I won’t be able to bribe Mr. Rand out of my life.”

Maureen smiled. “Now tell the truth. Would you really try to do that?”

Rowena laughed again. “Only if my plot to kidnap him and dump him on a deserted island fails. An island with lots of hungry ants.”

“There’s nothing like a little revenge fantasy to make a girl feel better.”

“My thoughts exactly.” She pulled the nylon cape off Maureen and brushed a few stray hairs from her collar. “There you go. No charge today. In fact, I should be the one paying you for letting me cry on your shoulder.”

“Forget it,” Maureen replied, pulling her checkbook out of her purse. “The shoulder is free. So is the advice. I’ve noticed Alan likes honey for breakfast. You might consider using some on him.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

T
HE
NEXT
DAY
, Maureen couldn’t get her mind off that strange letter Rowena had received. Was it really from a disgruntled ex-boyfriend? A man who sounded as if he could turn violent if provoked. Or worse, one of those delusional people who thought the characters on a soap opera were real. Had one of Rowena’s fans taken offense when a new actress reprised the role?

Maureen pondered these unsettling questions as she swept the kitchen floor, played with the twins and made pleasant small talk during the afternoon tea. But she grew more and more uneasy as the day went on. She’d lived with her fear of Owen Nevil for over a year now. It had affected her daily life—even the way she viewed strangers.

Last fall an anonymous letter had been sent to Maureen at the New York Police Department. A letter marked personal. The cryptic message still sent a chill down her spine.
You can’t hide from me. I will find you.

Knowing that Rowena had to endure that same kind of psychological fear made her want to do something about it. Maybe Rowena’s letter was from a relatively harmless ex-boyfriend with too much time on his hands. Or a disgruntled fan.

But maybe it was something more.

As a former police officer, she was well aware of the danger a stalker could pose. A danger not only to Rowena, but to the baby she carried inside her. While Maureen understood Rowena’s reluctance to involve the police, she didn’t agree with it.

Still, there might be a way she could help her friend without causing more disruption in her life. Since moving to Cooper’s Corner, Maureen seldom had contact with her old colleagues from the New York Police Department. The fewer connections she kept with her old life, the less chance one of them could inadvertently lead Nevil to her. But she did maintain frequent contact with Frank Quigg, the captain of the NYPD detective unit.

A simple phone call to Frank about Rowena’s letter would give her peace of mind. He could check into it, see if Max Heller was up to his old tricks or if the threat was coming from another source. She nodded as she cleared the last of the teacups off the dining room table, her mind made up. She’d call Frank right away.

Maureen checked on Randi and Robin, who were playing with dolls in their room, then made her way to the office to place the call.

Her old captain answered on the first ring. “Quigg here.”

“Hi, Frank. It’s Maureen.”

“Hello, stranger. Good to hear from you.” His gravelly voice was set against a backdrop of ringing telephones and general commotion. For one fleeting moment, the chaotic sounds made her miss her old job.

“Is this a bad time?” she asked, after the wave of nostalgia had passed. Her old life was behind her. Cooper’s Corner was the best place for Maureen. The perfect place to raise her girls.

“Not at all. I was just about to take my afternoon coffee break.”

She smiled. Frank hadn’t taken a break for the last thirty years. The department kept him too busy. He was a seasoned pro who went strictly by the book. She trusted him with her life.

“So what’s up?” Frank asked, never one to mince words. “Any sign of Owen Nevil?”

“No,” she replied. “Nothing out of the ordinary. We’re busier than ever around here. Full up the entire month of February.”

“No suspicious guests?”

His question didn’t surprise her. About a month after the letter with that cryptic message arrived at her old office, she and Clint discovered a guest had registered using a phony name and occupation. Quigg learned the man was a private investigator from New York. Hired by Owen Nevil? She still didn’t know the answer to that question.

“I’ve verified everyone,” she replied. “In fact, I’m calling for a favor.”

“Name it,” he said without a moment’s hesitation.

“I have a friend who might be in danger....”

* * *

A
LAN
STARED
AT
the television set, his potato chip poised in midair.

“Don’t leave me, Savannah. You’re the only good thing in my life. The only thing that matters.”

“I’m sorry, Sloane. I have to go back to Derrick. He needs me.”

Alan brought the chip slowly to his mouth, his eyes never leaving the screen.

“What about us, Savannah?” Sloane pulled her into his arms. “Can you really leave me? Leave... this?” He bent his head to kiss her.

Alan picked up the remote control and hit the fast-forward button. After watching four episodes of
Another Dawn,
he’d developed a deep hatred for Sloane. But he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Rowena. She was incredible in the role of spitfire Savannah Corrington. Poised, clever and coolly manipulative.

What mesmerized him most were the glimpses he saw of the real Rowena. Her contagious smile. That tiny wrinkle in her brow when she was perplexed. The flash of fire in her beautiful amethyst eyes. Fire sparked by anger—or passion.

There was only one part of the show he didn’t enjoy—Savannah’s hot affair with the lead male character. Who could miss the proprietary way Sloane held Rowena when he kissed her? Or those uncomfortable scenes where they shared a bed, their naked shoulders above the silk sheets giving the illusion of complete nudity. Alan knew it was all staged, but he’d reached a point where he had to fast-forward through all the love scenes or go crazy.

Crazy
seemed to be the best word to describe him whenever he was around Rowena. Like their confrontation in the general store. He handled sensitive negotiations with tempestuous writers in his business all the time. So why should his dealings with Rowena be any different?

There was something about the woman that made him lose all rational thought. Something about the shape of her full pink mouth that made him crave kissing her. A craving he’d tried unsuccessfully to satisfy with the greasy potato chips he’d bought on impulse this afternoon. Alan stared in distaste at the empty bag on the bed beside him.

As the credits rolled at the end of another episode, Alan hit the stop button on the remote control. It had been a long day. Ed had given him an expansive tour of the village of Cooper’s Corner and the surrounding area. Alan had met several people happy to discuss the gorgeous barber, and what they had to say didn’t surprise him.

Everyone loved Rowena Dahl. From the postmistress to the librarian to the Episcopalian minister. They used words like
sweet, kind
and
thoughtful
to describe her, which didn’t exactly fit the hellcat she played with him. Her claws came out whenever he tried to assert his rights to his baby.

Alan sighed, then reluctantly reached for his briefcase. He knew it was past time to get started on the work he’d brought with him. He couldn’t generate any enthusiasm for it—a problem that had plagued him for the last several months. He looked over the list of standard contract clauses his company reassessed every few years. Normally, he’d go over them with a fine-tooth comb, but now he quickly scanned them, making a few minor changes, then calling it good. Once he faxed his response to the office, he could give Rowena his full concentration.

Grabbing the file, he left the room and bounded down the stairs. A young couple snuggled together on the love seat near the hearth, oblivious to his presence. He could hear the sound of pans clanging in the kitchen as he walked toward the office shared by Clint and Maureen Cooper. The door was closed but not latched. As he pushed it open, his footsteps muted by a thick carpet, he heard Maureen’s voice.

“Yes, Frank, her name is Rowena Dahl. That’s spelled D-A-H-L. And I really do believe she may be in some danger. I was hoping you could assign one of your officers to look into the matter.”

Alan stepped back, pulling the door with him. But he left it cracked open far enough to hear the telephone conversation.

At first, Alan thought Maureen was referring to him as the danger in Rowena’s life. But why would she be contacting a cop? He hadn’t done anything illegal.

“Yes, the letter arrived today,” Maureen continued. Alan knew she was unaware of his presence outside the door. “Powder blue stationery with a postmark from New York, but no return address on the envelope. The letter itself was signed with the name Sloane, but I don’t think that will help us at all. Sloane was Rowena’s love interest on the soap opera
Another Dawn.
”

Alan’s ethical standards were falling fast. First pumping the townspeople for information about Rowena and now eavesdropping. But if Rowena was in danger, so was his baby. He needed to know for sure. Damn it, he had a
right
to know.

“Not Rowena’s love interest,” Maureen clarified. “Her character’s love interest.” Another pause. “Yes, I know it’s confusing. But Rowena believes the man who sent the letter is a man named Max Heller. He was a director on the show when she worked there.”

Alan hated hearing a one-sided conversation. Why would Rowena be in danger from a director? The cop on the other end must have asked the same question.

“Yes, they were involved several years ago. Apparently, Heller is a control freak who wasn’t happy when she broke up with him.”

Alan waited, the long silence making him grow even more tense.
Control freak.
Hadn’t Rowena accused him of the same thing?

“No, there wasn’t an outright threat in the letter,” Maureen said. “But it was definitely implied. This isn’t the first time she’s received this type of letter. But since she has no real evidence it’s from Heller, we don’t know for sure if he’s the one responsible or someone else. Although Heller assaulted her in a parking lot once several years ago.”

Something cold wrapped itself around Alan’s gut and wouldn’t let go.
Assaulted?

“Thank you, Frank,” Maureen said, “I really appreciate your help.” A long pause. “Yes, I’m sure everything is fine. I’ll definitely keep my eyes open. Be sure and let me know if you hear anything on your end.”

Sensing the phone conversation was coming to a close, Alan slowly backed away from the door. He didn’t want to believe what he’d just heard.

“Alan?”

He spun around, surprised to see Rowena standing in front of him. Her butter blond hair floated around her shoulders. She looked so beautiful. So... vulnerable.

He swallowed hard, resisting the urge to sweep her into his arms and keep her safe. “Hello.”

She shifted from one foot to the other. “I was wondering if we could talk.”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

She looked around the room, her gaze falling on the couple cuddling by the fire. “I’d rather go somewhere private, if you don’t mind. What I have to say may surprise you.”

* * *

R
OWENA
FOLLOWED
ALAN
into his room on the upper floor of Twin Oaks. She looked around, realizing she’d never been in one of the cozy guest rooms before. The decor was charming and quaint. The overall effect, especially with a fire blazing in the hearth, was definitely romantic.

“Please sit down,” Alan said, holding out a chair.

She walked over to him, realizing that for all his threats to take her to court, he wasn’t nearly as frightening as the man who had sent her that creepy fan letter.

Alan sat on the bed across from her and waited for her to speak first.

It wasn’t going to be easy. But Alan Rand was the father of her baby and he wasn’t going away. It was time for her to deal with that fact. And if possible, find a way to make the best of it.

“I want to call a truce,” she began. “Maybe we can start over. Get to know each other better before we decide what’s best for the baby.”

He arched a brow. “A truce?”

She gave a jerky nod. “I know it will be... complicated.”

Surely she could find some way to convince him that the worst thing for their baby would be shuttling it back and forth between two countries. If nothing else, she could make him aware of how much care a child needed. The heavy responsibilities. How completely Alan’s life would change.

“Believe it or not, I don’t want to cause complications for you or the baby,” Alan said. “No matter how it might seem to you, I think having two parents is a good thing.”

“Except one of us will be in Canada,” she said with a sigh. “And one in Massachusetts.”

“I believe we can find a way to make it work.”

She licked her dry lips, trying not to notice how his gaze dropped to her mouth. “So you agree that we can start over?”

“Absolutely. And the first thing I want to do is apologize.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I dropped into your life without any warning. It wasn’t fair to you, and I don’t blame you for being upset.”

She’d only met Alan Rand a few days ago, but she sensed how difficult it was for him to say that. He didn’t strike her as a man who apologized often.

“I think we’ve both said things we regret.” She drew up her shoulders. “I’m sure neither one of us wanted to bring a baby into the world this way. But thanks to the clinic’s mistake, our lives will never be the same.”

“But forever entwined,” he replied softly.

He might be right. If he insisted on being part of the baby’s life, they’d probably celebrate all the momentous events together. Birthdays. Graduations. Maybe someday a wedding. Even the birth of grandchildren. He’d talked about fairness before. Was it fair for her to try to leave him completely out in the cold?

She mentally shook herself, wondering why she was worried about this man who had invaded her life and demanded to become a part of it. He seemed perfectly capable of taking care of himself.

But was he capable of taking care of a baby? Was he really ready to be a father? It was time for her to find out. “I’d like to invite you to dinner at my house tomorrow night. It will be a chance for us to get to know each other better.”

“I accept,” he said, one corner of his mouth kicking up in a smile.

Her heart flip-flopped in her chest. How could she spend time with this man and not reveal her attraction to him? What if he used it against her?

She had no choice. The baby was all that mattered.