Best Kept Secrets(93)
be with Celina."
"I have not led Junior on, Mrs. Minton. There could never
be a romantic entanglement between us. We could be friends,
maybe, once this investigation is resolved."
"Don't you see," Sarah Jo cried, "that's exactly how it
was with her? She abused his friendship because he was
clinging to the vain hope that it would develop into something
deeper. All he is to you is a suspect in a murder case. You'll
use him, just like your mother did."
"That simply isn't true."
Sarah Jo swayed, as though about to swoon. "Why did
you have to come here?"
"I want to know why my mother was murdered."
"You're the reason!" she said, pointing a finger straight
at Alex's heart. "Celina's illegitimate baby."
Alex fell back a step, sucking in a sharp, painful breath.
"What did you say?" she gasped.
Sarah Jo composed herself. The suffusion of color in her
face receded and it returned to its normal porcelain hue.' 'You
were illegitimate."
"That's a lie," Alex denied breathlessly. "My mother was
married to Al Gaither. I've seen the marriage license.
Grandma Graham saved it."
"They were married, but not until after she came back
from El Paso and discovered she was pregnant."
"You're a liar!" Alex gripped the back of the chair. "Why
are you lying to me?"
"It's not a lie. The reason I'm telling you should be clear.
I'm trying to protect my family from your vengeful destruction.
Being the richest woman in this horrid, ugly little town
is the only thing that makes it tolerable. I like being married
to the most influential man in the county. I won't let you
destroy everything Angus has created for me. I won't let you
cause dissent in my family. Celina did. This time, I won't
allow it."
"Ladies, ladies." Junior came into the room, laughing
indulgently. "What is all the shouting about? See a
spider?"
His manner changed drastically when he sensed the seething
animosity between them. It was sulfuric, as real as the
ozone in the air after lightning has struck nearby. "Mother?
Alex? What's wrong?"
Alex stared at Sarah Jo, whose face was as serene and
complacent as a cameo. Alex spun toward the door, sending
the small chair toppling over. She rushed from the room and
clambered down the stairs.
Junior gave his mother a searching look. She turned her
back on him and returned to the divan, picked up her teacup,
and took a sip.
Junior raced down the stairs after Alex and caught up with
her at the front door, where she was unsuccessfully trying to
work her arms into the sleeves of her coat.
He grabbed her upper arms. "What the hell is going on?"
Alex averted her head so he wouldn't see her tears. She
tried to disengage his hands. "Nothing."
"You hardly look like you've been to a tea party."
"Tea? Ha!" Alex said, tossing back her head. "She didn't
invite me out here to drink tea." She sniffed and batted her
eyes in an effort to keep the tears from falling. "I guess I
should thank her for telling me."
"Telling you what?"
"That I was a biological accident." Junior's face went
blank with shock. "It's true, then, isn't it?" Junior's hands
fell away from her arms and he tried to turn away. Reversing
their positions, Alex gripped his arm and forced him back
around. "Isn't it?" Her tears finally overflowed her eyelids.
"Say something, Junior!"
He looked uncomfortable with admitting the truth. It was
Alex who verbally pieced together the scenario.
"Celina came back from El Paso. She'd had her fling with
a soldier and was ready to reconcile with Reede. They probably
would have, too, if it hadn't been for me, right?" She
covered her face with her hands. "Oh, God, no wonder he
hates me so much."
Junior pulled her hands away from her face and looked at
her with sincere blue eyes. "Reede doesn't hate you, Alex.
None of us did then, or do now."
She laughed shortly, bitterly. "I'll bet Albert Gaither hated
the very thought of me. He was forced to get married." Her
eyes went round, and she spoke in a rapid, short-winded,
staccato voice. "This explains so much. So much. Why
Grandma Graham was strict about my dating--who I went
with, what time I got home, where I'd been.
"I resented her for being so inflexible because I'd never
given her any reason to mistrust me. I guess her overprotectiveness
was justified, wasn't it?" Her voice rose to a near-hysterical
pitch. "Her daughter got knocked up, and twenty-five