Love Beyond Reason(22)

"Katherine, my parents are going to claim that you kidnapped their grandchild. They'll probably have you arrested if they can find you."

He allowed time for his words to sink in. Katherine's face drained of color. Allison squirmed as her aunt's arms suddenly clenched her tighter. She shook her head from side to side, denying what he said as truth.

"No, no, they can't! I have guardianship of her. My sister—"

He interrupted her. "They can and they will. Believe me. Let me start at the beginning, okay?" She nodded, unable to speak, and he told her what he knew of the situation in Denver.

"A friend of mine, a lawyer, has been keeping tabs on things. When I got back from Africa, I found my parents to be upset with you to say the least. They were making all kinds of threats even then. They want Allison."

When he saw that she was about to comment, he held up his hand. "Hear me out, okay?" Reluctantly, she nodded and he continued. "Just about the time I left to come here, they were talking about kidnapping, the FBI, the whole ball of wax. I told Mark – my friend – to let me know when he heard something definitive. I've been checking with him every few days and gave him your number in case he couldn't reach me through Sunglow or at the motel."

"But I didn't kidnap her, Jace," Katherine exclaimed when he paused to draw a breath and sip his coffee. "Mary gave her to me before she died. I have a paper to prove it."

"Where is it?" he asked.

She hesitated then indicated a desk in the living room. "Third drawer on the left." If he should destroy the document, she still had the original in the safety deposit box in Denver.

He got the copy out of the desk and returned to his chair in the kitchen. He scanned the paper, then raised sad eyes to Katherine.

"She wrote this just before she died?"

"Yes," Katherine confirmed hoarsely.

"It's eloquent and puissant, but I doubt if it would hold up in a court of law, Katherine."

"I have the original safe in Denver," she added hopefully.

"Even so," he shook his head and sighed. "Did anyone witness her writing this? No one else signed it."

Katherine shook her head dispiritedly. "No," she said.

"Each state has its own criteria for the legality of handwritten wills. We could check into the Colorado stipulations but..." He shrugged as his voice trailed off. He made a tent with his fingers and rubbed them over the tip of his nose as he studied her. "Katherine, let me tell you what I've arranged." He stood up and walked to the sink, staring out at the morning landscape from the square window.

"From past experience, it was reasonable for me to assume that my parents would take drastic measures to get custody of Peter's baby."

It was the first time that name had actually been spoken between them. Reminders of Peter could still cause Katherine to shiver in revulsion. Would the image of Mary's pale, haggard, unhappy face ever be erased from her mind? Jace brought her out of her reverie instantly.

"I meant to get custody of Allison myself. That's why I came looking for you." He glanced at her briefly over his shoulder. "You were right to be wary of me when I first arrived, I had every intention of taking you to court if necessary to get Allison. But then ... you ... well, anyway, I saw how good you were with her, and I know that an infant needs a mother. So" – he shrugged – "I started thinking that we should combine our efforts and share her. I had Mark make the necessary arrangements for us to obtain a Texas marriage license. He has a buddy in the Dallas County Court House. And now, since Mother and Dad are making real their threats, I think we should get married as soon as possible. Today."

She couldn't believe he was taking charge of her life so blithely, not even considering that she might object.

"Well, Mr. Manning," she said, "I'm not ready to marry you or anyone else. And if you think I'd ever marry a Manning, you're crazy. I haven't forgotten Peter's cruelty to Mary. There's no question of my forgiving it."

He spun around and faced her. "Look, I know how you feel about my family and I know why. I can't say that I blame you for that."

"Thank you," she retorted sarcastically. "How do I know that this isn't all some set-up? You could still take Allison away from me and give her to your parents. I find it hard to believe that some roughneck, no matter how nobly he pleads his case, really wants responsibility for a four-month-old baby."

Her words were mean and ugly, but so were the circumstances. She was breathing hard in her consternation. If it weren't for Allison, she would have stood and faced him head-on. "Do you know what Allison will grow up to be under the influence of your mo- ther? She—"

"Yes," he said calmly amid her tirade. "I know."

She was momentarily taken aback. "Yes?"

"She'll be silly and stupid and care nothing for anyone or anything except herself. Just like her father."

Katherine opened and shut her mouth several times before she could say anything. "I'm sorry. I didn't—"

"Please don't apologize. It clears up the matter for me. You obviously have a very low opinion of me. You see me as no different from them. No wonder you think our marriage is already on rocky ground."