Breath of Scandal (41 page)

"I'm not responsible for any of their misfortunes. And no matter what you think, Donna Dee, I don't wish Hutch were dead - "

"You're not going to cry at his funeral, though, are you?" "No. I cried all my tears at Gary's funeral."

Donna Dee took a swift breath and said defensively, 'Hutch didn't have anything to do with that. Neal told Gary, not Hutch."

"Told Gary what?"

"That you were pregnant and went to Georgie for help." The bit of information, so offhandedly revealed, paralyzed Jade. Though she remained motionless, her mind spun crazily. Her blood rushed through her veins at an alarming rate.

"Neal told Gary that I went to get an abortion?" Her voice was nothing more than a dry rasp. The question that had haunted her for years had finally been answered. Donna Dee didn't realize that she had put the missing puzzle piece in place, but she had.

Jade had craved to know what had prompted Gary to suicide. Now she knew. He had been told she was pregnant, thereby making her not only unfaithful to him but a liar.

It was inconsequential how Neal had found out she was pregnant-Patrice Watley had probably told him. He had wasted no time in telling Gary. Then, having had his faith in her completely destroyed, Gary had killed himself. There seemed no limit to Neal's treachery.

Jade clasped her hands together at her waist. "You'd better go, Donna Dee - "

"You didn't get an abortion that day, did you?" "I'm asking you to go."

Your son is that   same baby, isn't he? Listen to me, Jade." She inhaled     deeply, as though bracing herself. "About a year ago, Hutch got to feeling bad all the time. For as long as he could, he disregarded the symptoms. You know how stubborn men can be about things like that. They never want to admit that they're anything less than Superman.                        11

"So," she continued, we didn't find out what was wrong until he had renal failure. He was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease. Since then, he's been on dialysis. Nobody in town knows. We've kept it a secret so he wouldn't lose his job. But even that isn't important now."

She took a tissue from her purse and blotted her eyes. "Anyway, his kidneys are shot. 'Me dialysis isn't working anymore. He's got to have a transplant to survive."

"I'm sorry for you both."

"Jade," Donna Dee said beseechingly, "the best hope Hutch has of a transplant is your son."

"What?" she gasped with disbelief.

Donna Dee left her chair and moved to within inches of Jade. "Hutch and I never had any children. We tried everything, but I never got pregnant. Dora died two years ago, so Hutch doesn't have any family left.

"Before we find a random donor, he could run out of time. Jade," she cried, reaching out to clutch Jade's arm, "if Hutch is Graham's father, Graham could be the donor Hutch needs."

Jade pulled her arm free and backed away from her as though she had a contagious disease. "Have you lost your mind? Never, Donna Dee."

"For God's sake, we're talking about a human life!" "Yes, exactly-Gary's life. He died as a consequence of what Hutch did to me, no matter how you whitewash it for your conscience. You knew damn well I was telling the truth that day in the sheriff s office. You knew, Donna Dee! Afterward, you perpetuated the lies being told about me."

"I was eighteen fucking years old," she shouted. "I was pissed off because the guy I was crazy about lusted after my best friend and not me.

A

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"That's hardly justification. Your petty jealousy is partially responsible for driving Gary to commit suicide."

Donna Dee covered her ears with her hands, but Jade pulled them down.

"I wouldn't sacrifice one drop of my son's blood on the outside chance that it would save Hutch's life."

"You're a self-righteous, self-important bitch," Donna Dee said scathingly. "You always were."

"The most important thing in the world to me now is my son. My son, Donna Dee. He belongs to no one but me. And no one is going to touch him."

Donna Dee's glare was so blatantly full of hatred that, had Jade's resolve not been so strong, it might have quelled her. Donna Dee turned her back, opened the door, and stalked out. Jade hastily locked the door behind her, then lunged for the telephone.

Cathy answered on the second ring. "Cathy, is Graham there?"

"Of course. He's sitting right here eating his supper. You told us to go ahead without you."

"Yes, yes, I'm glad you did. " Her knees were trembling. She sank into the chair behind her desk. "Listen, Cathy, I'd rather Graham not go outside again this evening. Not even to ride his bike on the street, or to skateboard or shoot baskets. "

"We planned to watch a movie on HBO after supper." "Good. That's fine."

"What's wrong?" "Nothing. "

"Does this have anything to do with Mrs. Jolly stopping by earlier?"

"Yes, but I'd rather you not say anything about it to Graham. "

She sensed Cathy's disapproval through the ensuing silence. "He wants to say hi.

"Put him on."

"Hey, Mom, when're you coming home?" "Soon. Wait up for me."

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"What the-"

Dillon swerved to avoid hitting the dog. Loner had darted out from the ditch along the highway and ran across the road directly in the pickup's path. Dillon slammed on his brakes, laying rubber for several yards.

"You stupid mutt!" he shouted through the window. Hearing the familiar voice, Loner skidded to a halt on the pavement. He cocked his head and looked at the pickup, then charged toward it in a frenzy of glee. Dillon opened the drivers-side door. Loner leaped into his lap, licking his face and thumping the steering wheel with his wagging tail.

"Dumb dog, get off me. Jesus, you stink. When's the last time you had a bath?" He shoved Loner off his lap and dropped the car into gear again. Once they were under way, he cast the animal a sidelong glance. Loner was giving him a lovesick look. His tongue was lolling from one side of his mouth. He was panting hard.

"I've told you a thousand times not to love me, but you just don't listen, do you?"

Dillon admitted that it was nice to be welcomed home after a twelve-day absence, even if the only one to have missed him was a mongrel with no more brains than to run across the road in front of a two-ton pickup. In spite of himself, he'd grown attached to the dog. He watched for him when he wasn't lurking around the trailer and worried about him until he showed up agairr.

He scratched the animal behind his left ear. "Where were you off to? Or were you on your way home? Were you out to see a lady?" Loner stopped panting and raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah? Did you get any?" Loner whined. Ruefully, Dillon said, "I know the feeling."

He draped is left wrist over the steering wheel and continued patting Loner with his fight hand. At this time of night there was little traffic. It was mindless driving, which was good, because Dillon's mind wasn't on driving.

He had missed her.

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He had cut his trip two days short - Unnecessarily, he had driven for six hours to get home tonight when tomorrow by noon would have done just as well. And since when had he started thinking of this place-or any place-as home?

Since there was someone here he was eager to see. That had scared the hell out of him-scared him so badly that he had almost talked himself into abandoning the TexTile pickup in Knoxville and simply disappearing again. He hadn't wrestled with the notion for long, however.

"For one thing," he said to the attentive Loner, "walking away from problems Re that is a cowardly way to deal with them."

What purpose had it served for him to drop out of society when Debra died? It had temporarily anesthetized him, enabling him to continue living when he had been absolutely indifferent to life. Following his discovery of the bodies, his only reason for living was to give Haskell Scanlan pain. Having done that, he hadn't cared if he ever drew another breath.

But some motivating factor had kept him alive. Like a computer chip, something minute but active, buried deep inside his consciousness, had seen to it that he went on living. Now, he knew why. TexTile. He was meant to build this plant. He believed that with every fiber of his being.

"So, I've got to complete it. I've got to prove to myself that I can stick it out to the bitter end. Understand?" Loner whined and dropped his head onto Dillon's thigh. "Yeah, I know. Life's a bitch."

He hadn't wanted to grow attached to the dog, yet here he was with a lump in his throat because the stupid mutt was glad to have him home. He hadn't wanted to like the boy, either, but Graham was exactly the kind of kid he would have wanted Charlie to be. He was inquisitive, bright, friendly, and was just mischievous enough to keep him from being a nerd.

"How's Graham been doing?" he asked Loner. "Seen him around much? Maybe next time I go out of town for any length of time, I'll ask him to give you your weekly bath." Loner flopped his tail from one side of his rump to

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the other in half-hearted approval of the idea. He wasn't crazy about baths. "I could offer to give him a few bucks. Boys his age always need spending money."

Before he left, Jade had apologized for Graham's hanging around the site. She thought the boy had made a nuisance of himself by getting in Dillon's way and asking questions. Actually, he was flattered whenever Graham tagged along beside him. His questions and observations were sometimes humorous, other times astute. In spite of himself, he looked forward to seeing Graham again.

He had avoided thinking about it during the six-hour drive, but now, when he was only a few minutes away from his destination, he felt compelled to acknowledge the real reason for his rush to get back: he was eager to see Jade.

He had a lot to report, of course. And he was sure there was a lot she would need to fill him in on. Things that had happened while he was away would have to be discussed.

But was business the only reason he wanted to see her? He hoped to God it was, because any other reason was disloyal to Debra and just plain stupid. He should have picked up a woman while he was out of town. If he had taken a warm, willing woman to bed, maybe he wouldn't be so edgy. Maybe he wouldn't be looking so forward to seeing Jade. Maybe his cock wouldn't be hard with just the memory of how she had looked standing against a rising thunderstorm.

He wheeled the pickup into the gravel track leading to his trailer. Loner, sensing that he was home, stood up in the seat and shook himself from nose to tail. Dillon chuckled, but his laughter broke off when he saw the light on inside the portable building and Jade's Cherokee parked out front.

"What the hell is she doing out here at this time of night?" He parked the pickup and got out. Loner slipped past him and headed for his water dish. Dillon tried the door of the office. It was locked. .

"Jade?" He removed his key from his jeans pocket and inserted it into the lock. The door swung open silently

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Her head lay on top of her desk; she was asleep. Dillon tiptoed forward. "Jade?"

She didn't stir. Her head was pillowed on her extended arm. His eyes were drawn down to her hand. She had very slender fingers. Her hand was delicate and, in repose, fragile-looking. Her hair was a riot of wavy disarray, spilling across her arm and the paperwork she had fallen asleep over. It was inky black, the perfect complement to her fair complexion.

There was a faint blush on the cheek that was turned up. Her eyebrow was as smooth and glossy as one painted onto a china doll. She was deeply asleep. She breathed through slightly parted lips.

Dillon's desire to touch her was a visceral ache.

He debated with himself on what he should do. She wouldn't welcome being found in such a vulnerable position. It would be awkward for them both and might affect their working relationship, which he didn't want to jeopardize under any circumstances. She obviously wasn't in any discomfort.

All things considered, it would be best to leave her as she was. If she woke up and noticed that he was back, she could come to his trailer and initiate a conversation if she wanted to. Otherwise, they would see each other first thing in the morning. He saw no reason for the lamp to be shining full on her face, however, and leaned across the desk to switch it off.

The instant the office went dark, she woke up.

"No!" She shot out of her chair, nearly knocking heads with him.

"Jade, it's me."

"Don't touch me." She fumbled with the items strewn across her desk.

"What are you doing?"

"If you touch me, I'll kill you."

Dillon, bewildered by her violent reaction, looked down at her outstretched hands and saw the cold glint of metal. "Jade," he said calmly, "it's me, Dillon." He reached for the lamp switch.

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"No!" She made a jabbing motion toward his belly with the letter opener.

"Christ. "

She was obviously still asleep, or so disoriented that she didn't realize what she was doing. Before one or both of them got hurt, he lunged across the desk and grabbed her hands. The telephone crashed to the floor. Paperwork scattered like autumn leaves in a high wind. Jade screamed. They fought for control of the letter opener. She fell against the wall behind her, knocking a calendar off its hook.

He twisted her hands, but she wouldn't release her grip on the letter opener. Even though she seemed to be imbued with superhuman strength, he knew he must be hurting her. He would apologize later. First, he had to keep her ftom ripping a hole in his gut.

He finally got a firm grip on both her wrists and swung them up above her head. He slammed his body into hers, pinning her between himself and the wall. She slung her head wildly from side to side.

"You'll have to kill me first." "Jade. 11

"I won't let you. You'll have to kill me." "Jade!"

It was as though he had entered her nightmare and slapped her awake. She ceased struggling instantly. Her head became still. Her breasts rose and fell drastically against his chest.