Family Merger - By Leigh Greenwood Page 0,74

by others, had driven him so relentlessly there hadn't been a question of doing anything else. Until a few weeks ago the need had been to find more ways to achieve even more spectacular successes.

While he was learning other things were more important to him, he also learned he didn't need the recognition of other people to know he was a success, to feel successful. And once he felt successful, the need to be successful began to ease. So many things had changed in these last few weeks, he hardly knew where to begin sorting out his feelings.

But he knew Kathryn was central to the changes. He also knew he couldn't imagine never seeing her again. He hadn't expected what he felt for her, but now he couldn't imagine going back to his life the way it used to be. In retrospect it seemed empty. He couldn't imagine how he could have felt it was full and satisfying. Maybe one of the reasons he'd worked so hard was to keep from facing the truth, from admitting he wasn't happy.

But he was happy now. He wanted to figure out how the courses of their far separated lives might be brought closer together. He still wanted to find out why Kathryn was unhappy, what she was hiding from, refusing to face. He was certain that would be important to his future happiness.

For the first time she could remember, Kathryn was reluctant to go home. She didn't want the plane to land, to have to walk out of the airport and back into her life in Charlotte. She was afraid that once she did that, the magic of the time she'd shared with Ron would slip away.

It wasn't that she had lost her interest in the girls. She was as determined as ever to help them. It wasn't that she'd lost her interest in the shelter. She couldn't imagine not being there when the next young girl found herself pregnant with nowhere to go. But it was no longer enough. She'd been telling herself for the last few years it didn't matter all that much that she couldn't seem to find a man she could love. She didn't need a husband to feel complete and happy. She had her work which was very important, and she had her girls. That was enough.

And it had been until Ron Egan came barging into her life. Nothing had been the same since. In the beginning she'd felt safe because she couldn't compromise with his interest in his career. But now that he was starting to consider change, she kept telling herself there had to be a way to compromise, that she could find it if she looked hard enough.

Now she was too impatient to wait. She knew what she wanted, and she wanted it now. She didn't, however, know if she could live with the price she would have to pay.

Ron had always looked forward to seeing Cynthia, but this time was special. For the first time in years, he felt he was really coming home. They had made a lot of progress that weekend in the mountains. Whatever they needed to figure out, they would be able to do it now.

"I bet you're anxious to get back," Ron said to Kathryn as the limousine pulled into the driveway. "Have you ever been away from your girls this long?"

"Only once."

She had been so quiet ever since the plane landed he was worried she was upset. She had assured him she wasn't, but something was wrong. He didn't need to be halfway in love with her to figure that out.

"I'm sure they're fine," she said. "Ruby can take just as good care of them as I can."

"It's not the same. I'm sure they're all anxious for you to come back."

The car came to a stop. He opened the door and got out. He'd half expected the girls to come rushing out the door to meet her, but it was late and the house seemed unnaturally quiet. In fact, the entire neighborhood was quiet. The chauffeur got the luggage while Ron walked with Kathryn up to the house.

"It feels hot and muggy," she said.

The smell of wet, moist earth invaded his nostrils. "It must have rained," he said, opening the door and they stepped inside.

A young man across the room sprang to his feet. It was a boy Ron had never seen before, a tall, well-built kid, probably handsome if he hadn't looked so startled. Ron didn't understand