Family Merger - By Leigh Greenwood Page 0,89

so far as to say the bank couldn't have undertaken such an aggressive program without Ron. Her father had called to see if she still had any connection with Ron. She had told him she didn't.

But the announcement that affected Kathryn the most had come just a few minutes earlier. Ron had appeared on TV, Cynthia at his side, to announce he was beginning a program for unwed fathers. "All the attention is focused on the mother and the child," he had said, "but the father is just as important. We've virtually ignored him except to take him to court to get child support. No one helps with their education, their getting a job and building a career. This kind of help could make all the difference in the boy becoming a productive member of society or a dropout." When the commentator asked who he planned to get to run the program for him, Ron said he intended to be personally involved at every level. He'd then cited Kathryn's shelter as an example of the kind of program he hoped to build.

"We'll have reporters on the phone within ten minutes," Kathryn said.

Mrs. Collias laughed. "Looks like you turned him around really good."

"I can't take credit for it."

"I didn't see anybody else sitting with him, talking to him, making sure he and his daughter started talking to each other again."

"Anybody else would have done the same thing if they'd had the opportunity."

"Would he have fallen in love with anybody else?"

Startled, Kathryn looked up.

"You don't think you could live in a house with five other women and not have every one of us know the minute it happened. Or that you're in love with him."

Kathryn felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. "I don't think we're exactly in love. Besides, we have nothing in common."

"You have Cynthia in common. From the first you liked her more than the others."

"I try not to have favorites," Kathryn said, appalled.

"You didn't treat her different, but the girls could tell you two got along better."

"That's not enough to build a life on."

"Don't let your sister ruin the rest of your life. Don't look so surprised. I told you nothing goes on in this house we all don't know. We know she's been using you for years. I'm just glad Mr. Egan had the guts to show her up."

"Why didn't somebody tell me before now?"

"People tried, but you wouldn't believe anybody else."

Kathryn didn't remember anybody trying, but she'd always been so sensitive on that subject she wouldn't let anyone talk about it.

What was hard for her to understand, and even harder to accept, was how someone as smart, aware and perceptive about other people as she thought herself to be had failed to see through her sister's narcissism. She guessed not being narcissistic herself, she had no frame of reference. Elizabeth knew this and played on it. An even harder truth was that she had been playing rescuer-martyr, using the role to boost her own self-esteem and ego. It had taken confronting her own misperceptions, seeing her own contribution to the dysfunctional relationship, for her to be able to kick away the prop she'd been using.

Ron had taught her that everybody needs a bit of the narcissist to be able to cope with life. Her own lack of it was part of reason she had opened the shelter, had developed her questions so as not to allow a real man into her life. When Ron barged in and broke the barriers, she had started to see herself through his eyes, had started to see her whole life differently.

"I think you ought to take a piece of your own advice," Mrs. Collias said.

"What advice?"

"Don't let one mistake ruin the rest of your life. If these girls can straighten things out, you can, too."

Kathryn felt like a coward. She'd been doing exactly what she told her girls not to do, feeling sorry for herself.

"You're right. I'll begin by apologizing to my parents for being so blind."

"Then will you talk to Mr. Egan?"

"He may not call again."

Kathryn knew she probably should have waited for Ron to call her, but she was the one who was in the wrong. It was up to her to make the first move, but she wasn't sure going to his house was the right first move. But she couldn't shake the fear that after what she'd said and done he might never call again. She had to see him, no matter what the outcome.

She