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“Very commendable. You must be very proud of him.”
Marcus smiled genially. “We are, indeed. He’s never been anything but a credit to us. Top in his class, well respected by teachers and fellow students alike.”
But did he have fun? Max wondered, then reproached himself for nitpicking. If any of his daughters achieved that kind of academic success he would be ecstatic.
He found himself looking for similarities between him and Randall. The boy had his build, tall and lean, and his long, tapered fingers. But Max’s love of sport and his easy athleticism seemed to be missing from his son. Hell, he thought, the ability to sink a basketball wasn’t exactly a genetic trait.
He turned to Marcus. “Do you have any other children?”
The older man shook his head. “Audrey and I weren’t able to have children of our own. We planned to adopt more after Randall, but when Audrey lost the use of her legs in a car accident we decided against it.”
“An accident,” Max repeated. “Was Randall—” He broke off. Randall was fine. Even if he’d been in the car, he’d clearly survived intact.
“Randall was strapped into his booster seat in the back when the other car crossed the white line and hit the front of my wife’s car. He had a few minor cuts, nothing serious.”
“I’m sorry—about Audrey, that is. Dealing with the physical and emotional aftermath of a serious injury plus taking care of a toddler must not have been easy.”
“We managed,” Marcus said simply. “That’s what you do when you’re a family.”
Max nodded. If there was an implied reproach he accepted it.
Marcus turned to Randall. “Son, could you help your mother with the tray, please?”
“Sure, Dad.” Randall immediately got up and left the room.
Son. Dad. Max was reminded again that he was an outsider. No rights and only limited privileges.
Now that the boy was out of hearing, Marcus became serious. “We adopted Randall because we wanted to give a home to a baby whose parents couldn’t care for him. Naturally, Audrey and I were concerned when after all these years he decided to contact his biological parents.”
Max had a sudden sympathy for Marcus and Audrey; watching their son discover his biological father couldn’t be easy for them.
“If my circumstances had been different when he was conceived…” Max spread his hands in the effort to explain. “I would have kept him. Maybe I should have tried harder to, but I couldn’t—” He broke off. Woulda, shoulda, coulda. Pretty lame.
Marcus waved away Max’s apologetic floundering. “All I meant was, Randall’s been our whole life. For Audrey, especially. And Randall has been looking forward to meeting you so very much. His expectations are high and I’d hate to see him hurt. He’s already been disappointed by his biological mother.”
“The last thing I want is for any of us to get hurt,” Max said quietly. After a pause, he asked, “What happened when he contacted Lanni?”
Marcus might have answered, but at that moment, Audrey wheeled into the room, followed by Randall bearing a tray laden with steaming cups and a plate of homemade banana bread. “Coffee’s ready.”
While Audrey served the cake, Randall handed around the coffee, impressing Max with his manners. Marcus and Audrey had done a good job with Randall on that score, at least.
“Would you like to see some of Randall’s baby pictures?” Audrey said to Max.
“I’d like that very much. Thank you.”
Flipping through early photos of Randall was an eerie experience. Aside from his hair coloring, he looked very much like Max had as a baby and he bore a family resemblance to all his daughters, especially Robyn. As he paged through Randall’s first smile, first step, first day of school, Max couldn’t help but be jealous of Marcus and Audrey for witnessing the milestones in his son’s young life.
“He’s obviously been raised in a loving home,” Max said, handing the photo album back. “I’m grateful…if that doesn’t sound presumptuous.”
“Thank you,” Audrey said. “It doesn’t sound presumptuous at all.” She glanced at her husband. “Well?”
Marcus nodded. “We’ll leave you two now so you can get better acquainted.”
Max watched them go, then turned to Randall. “They’re nice people. They love you very much. And despite all that care and attention, they’ve managed to raise you unspoiled. You’re lucky. I’m lucky.”
Randall frowned. “Why are you lucky?”
Max smiled wryly. “That you’ve turned out so well lessens my guilt.”
“I don’t blame you for having me adopted out,” Randall said earnestly. “I don’t know why you gave me up, but you must have had good reasons.”
“Your mother and I were too young to marry. Her parents wouldn’t allow it.” Not that he’d ever actually suggested it. To Max, that whole summer seemed like a bad dream. “Your father told me you contacted Lanni.”
Randall’s gaze dropped to the toes of his polished leather shoes. “She didn’t want to meet me. She just got married last year and she’s going to have a baby. She never told her husband about me and doesn’t want to. She said I would make her life too complicated.”
Max knew he shouldn’t judge, but he could imagine Lanni saying something like that. His heart ached for the boy. “I’m sorry.”
Randall shrugged. “Do you have other children?”
“My wife, Kelly, and I have four daughters.”
“Four kids! Wow. I’ve always wished I had brothers and sisters. I mean, I wished I had a brother, but sisters would be okay—” He broke off, abashed. “Not that I expect you’d want me to meet them or anything.”
Max shifted uncomfortably. “I would, but…to tell you the truth, Kelly wasn’t too happy about me coming here.”
“I’m sorry if I caused you trouble.”
“Don’t be.” Max leaned over and squeezed Randall’s forearm. “I wouldn’t have missed this meeting for the world. I’m only sorry it didn’t take place years ago.”
“Did you…did you ever think of looking for me?”
The naked yearning in his voice dredged up a barge-load of guilt and regret in Max. The reasons he’d never gone looking for Randall had more to do with Kelly and Lanni than with the boy, but if he said that, wouldn’t he be giving Randall the impression he wasn’t important?
“I…I didn’t want to disrupt your life.”
“Oh. Okay.” His dispassionate acceptance of the explanation made Max feel even worse. “How old are your kids?”
“Robyn’s twelve, Beth’s ten and the twins, Tammy and Tina, are four years old.” Max pulled out his wallet and extracted a photo. “This was taken a year ago, but you get the idea.”
Randall studied the picture. “You must have gotten married quite soon after…after you knew my biological mother.”
“Yes.”
“Were you in love with my mother?”
“I was very young. We were both very young. I don’t think I knew what love was.” Liar. He’d known then that he loved Kelly. But he had to give this kid something. “Lanni was fun loving and adventurous. I liked her a lot.”
Randall handed back the photo. “What do you do? I mean, for work?”
“I’m an architect. I design houses.”
“Wow. That’s interesting. I like to draw. Sometimes I think I’d like to be an artist when I grow up. Would you like to see my sketchbook?”
Randall ran off to get his sketchbook and Max leaned against the couch and shut his eyes. He’d been naive to think Randall wouldn’t want answers to difficult questions. Naive to think he could visit and go away again untouched. Randall was no longer just a face in a photograph or a product of his imagination. He was a boy with hopes and dreams, and Max himself was one of Randall’s hopes and dreams. Marcus was right; Randall had expectations. The question was, could Max fulfill them?
And what were Max’s expectations? He’d been so fired up to meet Randall, he hadn’t thought through the consequences of an ongoing relationship, if there was to be one. He’d been focused on Kelly and overcoming her objections, instead of thinking about how he would incorporate a son into his life.
Randall returned and placed a well-used sketchbook in Max’s lap. Max thumbed through meticulously executed pen-and-ink drawings of old barns, a mare and foal, a jackdaw on a pine branch. The boy had an eye for detail and a facility with his pen, although in Max’s opinion the pictures were too careful to be really good. Like the drawings of a child afraid to color outside the lines, they lacked individuality.
“You show a great deal of promise,” Max said, and Randall flushed beneath his freckles. “You’re fortunate Audrey is interested in art. I’m sure she’s very encouraging.”
“She signed me up for art lessons when I was ten,” Randall said. “And she buys me any materials I want.”
“That’s wonderful. What else do you like to do?”
“As Dad said, I play piano and chess and belong to the debating society. Oh, and I’ve recently built my own Web site so I can attract chess players from other countries.”
“What about friends? Do you hang out with a gang of kids from your school?”
“Not really,” Randall admitted, pinching the crease in his pants. “I have a couple of friends in the chess club. But Mom gets migraines and can’t handle having a bunch of noisy boys around. Not that I blame her,” he said hastily. “Teenage boys can be very rowdy.”
Randall Tipton wouldn’t know “rowdy” if he stepped in it, Max mused, then chastised himself for the uncharitable thoughts he was having toward Marcus and Audrey Tipton. They’d raised a well-behaved, polite young man who was a credit to his parents. And Randall seemed to be happy enough.
“Do you have a dog or a cat?” Max asked.
“No, sir. Dad’s allergic to pet fur. Actually, it’s not the fur but the mites that live in the fur. I’m allowed to keep tropical fish, but they don’t interact much with people. Do you have pets?”
Max almost didn’t like to say. “Two dogs and some chickens.”
A wistful gleam appeared in Randall’s eyes. “My chess friend in Alaska has a husky. He scanned the dog’s photo and e-mailed it to me.”
“Well, Randall—” Max glanced at his watch “—I have to catch a plane back to Seattle in an hour. I’d better go.” He’d deliberately ensured that his time here would be limited, just in case the meeting didn’t work out. Now he wished he’d planned to stay the weekend. Maybe he and the boy could have gone horseback riding or fishing.
“I’ve enjoyed meeting you very much, sir,” Randall said, rising.
“You don’t have to call me sir.”
“What should I call you, then?”
Max hesitated. He could hardly ask the boy to call him Dad; he already had a dad. “Max. Max will do just fine.”
Randall walked him to the door. “Say goodbye to your folks for me,” Max said, unwilling to share the final moments with his son with the Tiptons.
Randall stuck out his hand. Max took it, hesitated a second, then pulled the boy into a hug. The tightness in his chest seemed to expand until he found breathing difficult. “Take care.”
They separated awkwardly, and Randall stared fixedly at his polished shoes. “W-will I see you again?”
Max had told himself this would be a one-off deal. More to the point, that was what he’d told Kelly. But how could he say no to his kid? Randall needed…something from him, some spark in his existence. And Max…well, Max needed to know that his son was okay. On the surface it certainly appeared that way. The boy had no material wants, he had parents who loved him and encouraged his interests, but Max sensed an underlying loneliness. He knew what it was to be an only child. “Lonely” was the one thing Max had never wanted for his children. It was the reason he’d had so many, and the reason he wanted still more.
Randall needed siblings. Max could give them to him.
“Would you like to visit my home and meet Kelly and your half sisters?” The words were out almost before he knew he was speaking, but he didn’t regret them, not when he saw Randall’s eyes light up.
“Oh, boy! Could I? When? I’ll go ask Mom and Dad right now.”
His heart telling him he’d done the right thing, Max followed his son back inside the house.
“YOU WHAT!” Kelly stared at Max. She was still coming to grips with the fact that he’d gone to Wyoming against her wishes.
Max sighed through gritted teeth and took the position that offense was the best form of defense. “I invited Randall to spend his summer vacation with us. Is that so hard to understand?”
“What’s hard to understand is why you think I would agree,” Kelly said, pacing the bedroom. “I told you I don’t want anything to do with this kid.”
Seated on the edge of the bed, Max followed her with his gaze. “I know I should have asked you first, but if you’d seen that boy you would have done the same thing. He lives with an elderly father and a wheelchair-bound mother. They’re nice people and they’re doing their best, but Randall has few friends. He’s lonely. If he doesn’t come to us he’ll spend the summer in his room in front of the computer.”
“My heart is breaking.”
“Kelly, this sarcastic attitude isn’t like you. If you only met him—”
“I don’t want to meet him. What about me and the girls? Or don’t you care about us anymore?” She stopped in front of the closet and took out her jacket.
“Of course I care. What are you doing?”
She ignored his question. “Having secret children and illicit love affairs isn’t like the man I thought I married.” Shrugging into her jacket, she stopped in front of him. “I thought I knew you. Now I realize I don’t know you at all.”
“Don’t get sidetracked. We’re talking about Randall. Please, Kel, give yourself time to get used to the idea.”
“Are you serious? School gets out in a month. I’d need a lifetime to get used to this. Summer has always been family time.”
“Randall is family, Kelly, whether you like it or not.” He paused. “Where are you going?”
Kelly slipped her feet into a pair of loafers. “Gran’s house.”
“Can’t we talk about this?”
“I’m too angry and upset to talk. I’ll see you later. Maybe.”
CHAPTER FOUR
WHEN KELLY GOT TO GRAN’S house she was surprised to see both her sisters’ cars parked out front. She knocked once and let herself in the front door.
“Hello? Anybody home?” Lights burned in the living room to her left and she heard her sisters’ voices.
“Is that you, Kel?” Erin, her eldest sister, called. “We’re in here.”
Kelly dropped her purse on the hall table and went through to the living room of the big Victorian house where Kelly and her sisters had grown up after her parents were killed in a car crash. Her younger sister, Geena, held her sleeping baby across her lap, and Erin’s toddler was curled up in a portable cot Gran kept around for her great-grandchildren’s frequent visits.
“You guys having a party without me…?” Kelly began, then stopped short at the sight of Gran, seated in her rocker with one leg propped up on a stool and an ice pack over her ankle.
