Secrets of Paternity(10)

She nodded. He appreciated that she didn't discount the attraction,  especially since it sat there between them like a curious creature out  of a vivid dream.

"Why'd you do it?" she asked.

"Do what?"

"Agree to the artificial insemination."

The reason flashed like lightning in James's mind, but he doused it.  "That's a story for another day, I think. Kevin is waiting for you."

"Now you have me curious, James."

"My friends call me Jamey. You're welcome to, if you want."

"You're ducking the issue."

"I'd rather tell you when we have more time." He opened the front door  for her. "How much busywork are you giving Kevin by having him go  through Paul's papers?"

"Depends how fast he works. There's actually quite a bit. Maybe I can  get him to organize and file it, which is something I haven't gotten  around to doing."

"Are you sure he won't find anything that would link Paul to the  gambling? Something Kevin might go off on his own about, thinking he was  taking care of business?"

She frowned. "No, I'm not sure. But I will emphasize to him that he needs to share whatever he finds."

"Even though we won't be?"

"I know it's not fair, but his safety is more important."

"I agree. But I also think we can tell him the truth and still keep him safe."

"Maybe. We'll talk about it." She put out her hand. "Thank you."

He clasped her hand with both of his. "My pleasure."

"You took my deceit better than I would've expected."

"I understand your motivation." He liked the feel of her hand in his,  the delicate bones and not-too-soft skin. Her nails, he'd noted before,  were short and clean, unpolished.

Neither of them let go. She met his gaze.

"You can trust me, Caryn."

"I do. You can trust me, as well."

"I know that."

She seemed about to say something else, then pulled her hand free. "We'll be in touch?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Bye."

He didn't watch her walk down the stairs, thinking it might make her  uncomfortable. Instead he shut the door and went to the living room  window, staying far enough back that she couldn't see him. When she got  to her car she looked up and stared at the house for several long  seconds. Something hot and vital detonated inside him. Dangerous. She  was dangerous. No one had upset his equilibrium as she had, not with a  look, a small touch … and a huge connection, he added, acknowledging the  most important issue-Kevin.

James should keep his distance from Caryn, deal mostly with Kevin, if he  could, and build that relationship without his mother being a part of  the day-to-day contact. It would be too strange for them to take this  relationship to a place of impossibility. How could they have more than  the sharing of a child?

They couldn't. James wanted marriage and children. How could that include Caryn? And what about Kevin?

Overnight, James's life had changed irrevocably. There was no vague  wife-and-children dream now, but a reality far different. Real people.  Real dilemmas. The potential for hurt.

He would make no quick decisions.





Six





The next morning at the GGC, the breakfast crowd had dwindled to a few  lingerers. In an hour the lunch patrons would start trickling in. Caryn  came up beside Venus in the dining room and said quietly, "Table six is  wondering where their juice is."

"Oh, shoot. Mind like a sieve," she said, rolling her eyes, grinning, then strolling toward the juice station.

Caryn bit off a sigh. Even after a month of training, Venus made  beginner mistakes. Problem was, the mostly male customers couldn't care  less. She would rectify the situation, bat her long-lashed hazel eyes,  apologize sweetly and walk away, her hips swaying hypnotically,  guaranteeing herself a full tip, if not higher than average-helped along  perhaps, by the low-cut blouse that showed off the assets Kevin usually  focused on when she was around. She packed a punch, Venus Johnson.                       
       
           



       

But it was impossible to dislike or resent her. Genuine, sweet, and  sincerely intent on learning her job, she was unfortunately also without  the skill to do it well. Yet no one on staff breathed a word about her  being let go for incompetence, not even the manager, Rafael, who groused  about everyone's work, even when they were doing a good job.

Caryn wondered if Venus would go through life forever having allowances  made for her. At least she followed the rules of no fraternizing with  the club members. Too bad those rules didn't apply to children of  employees, Caryn thought. She was afraid Kevin would get his heart  broken if Venus didn't stop being so attentive to him. He'd been in  college for two months without showing an interest in a particular girl,  even though he'd never had trouble finding dates. She'd fielded calls  from giggling girls since he was in fifth grade.

"Mom."

Startled, Caryn turned around to find Kevin behind her. She looked  around for the manager. "What are you doing here? You know I can't have  visitors."

"Chill. Rafael said it was okay."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. He said you could take fifteen minutes." Kevin wasn't looking at  her as he spoke but at Venus, who spotted him from across the dining  room and waved. She headed to the beverage station, smiling, her blond  curls bouncing.

Caryn noted the faint flush on Kevin's cheeks as Venus gave him a quick  hug. Since Caryn was dealing with an infatuation of her own, she  sympathized with Kevin as he struggled to find words.

"Did you come to see me?" Venus asked.

"No, well, I, um, came for … "

"Me," Caryn said. "And I've only got fifteen minutes. Can you watch  table eleven for me, please? I think they're good for a little while,  but if they want their check, let me know. We'll be in the break room."

"Sure. I was hoping I could stop by after work," Venus said, a hopeful lilt to her voice. "Maybe I'll see you then, Kevin?"

"I'm not sure. Got some stuff goin' on."

Kevin usually changed plans to be around whenever he knew Venus planned  to stop by. Maybe his interest in her was waning? A silver lining to  this investigation?

"Let's go," she said to her son, guiding him away. They reached the  break room, a meager space not designed for comfort but for grabbing a  quick bite to eat, putting your dog-tired feet up for a couple of  minutes then returning to the floor refreshed, if such a thing were  possible. "What's up?" she asked as they sat on the vinyl sofa. "Why  aren't you in class?"

Kevin frowned. "It's Wednesday."

Oh. Right. He didn't go to school until 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday.  Considering he'd been up most of the night going through the boxes of  Paul's paperwork, she would've expected him to still be sleeping.

"Mr. …  He called," he said.

Caryn didn't know whether the twinge in her midsection came from  thoughts of James and how he'd touched her a couple of times  yesterday-or if she was jealous that James had contacted Kevin and not  her.

"What'd he say?"

"He wants me to meet his mother today."

"Today?"

"Fast, huh? Mom, what do I say to her?"

"I think you can count on James to guide the conversation. He will have  told his mother everything in advance, I'm sure, not just drop in on her  with you as a surprise."

"I know, but it's … weird. This whole thing is weird."

Tell me about it. Caryn wasn't sure how she felt about Kevin meeting the  woman. What if their extraordinary relationship withered after they'd  taken the investigation into Paul's death as far as they could? Was it  fair to any of them to foster a connection with a grandparent, a loose  term in this instance, when they didn't know how everything would turn  out?

On the other hand, Caryn understood the woman's loneliness and  depression after her husband's death. If Caryn hadn't had Kevin, she  might have stayed in bed many, many days.

"James is doing us a favor," she said to her son. "It seemed really  important to him. You, of all people, understand how hard her life  must've been this past year."

"I know, Mom. I do. But, like, what do I say?"

"You make small talk. You answer questions. You ask her some questions,  too. No one expects you to like each other instantly. It's going to seem  awkward to her, too."

"Would you come? Please?"

She wanted to say yes, especially since he asked, and she was, in fact, a  little miffed that James hadn't asked her. But the fact was she hadn't  been invited, period. "If he'd wanted me there, he would've asked me.  When are you meeting him?"