at her assistant. “Well, of course I’m going to fight him. Get on the phone and make arrangements for me to get to Texas first thing in the morning. Harlan Patrick isn’t going to get away with this. He might be rich and powerful, but I’m Amy Lynn’s mother and I’ve got rights. I’ve got a little money and influence of my own, by God. I’m a match for any Adams.”
“Of course you are,” Val soothed.
She turned away, but not before Laurie detected the beginnings of a smile. “What are you grinning about?”
“Nothing.”
“Val?”
“Nothing.”
“Do you know something about this?”
“Of course not. Harlan Patrick doesn’t confide in me.”
“Oh, really,” Laurie said wryly. “You two certainly had your heads together often enough.”
“Not about this,” Val insisted.
“Well, I hope you’re telling me the truth, because if you’re not, you can kiss this job goodbye.”
Val did grin at that. “In the meantime I’ll make the reservations.”
“Forget reservations. Charter a damned plane.”
Laurie listened as Val called and booked a charter flight for three. “I gather you’re coming along,” she said when Val had hung up.
“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
* * *
Laurie was so furious, so terrified, she had Amy Lynn and Val up at dawn and at the airport by seven. A few hours later they were in Los Piños with a rental car waiting at the local airstrip.
“Are we going by your mom’s?” Val asked.
“No,” Laurie said, aiming straight for White Pines. “You wanted to be in the thick of things, didn’t you? Well, strap on your seat belt, honey, ’cause it’s gonna get downright bumpy.”
As if to emphasize the point, she hit a bump in the road that just about bounced them through the roof. She still hadn’t calmed down by the time they reached the ranch.
Still, her manners hadn’t completely deserted her. She managed to make small talk with Melissa and Cody Adams as she deposited Amy Lynn with them and finally shuttled Val off in search of Slade Sutton. She noted that it didn’t take much urging to get her assistant to go, despite her protestations that she was here to watch the fireworks.
“Where is he?” she demanded, her gaze fixed on Cody.
“Harlan Patrick?” he inquired innocently.
“No, the blasted tooth fairy. Where is he?”
“I believe he’s working on his house.”
“Building a new addition,” Melissa chimed in.
It wasn’t until she was climbing the hill to Harlan Patrick’s house that the significance of Melissa’s words began to sink in. He was building a room for his daughter, in anticipation of gaining custody of her. The sneaky, conniving devil. She wondered if she could bring the whole thing tumbling down and prayed for the chance to try.
She heard the hammering first, then spotted a bare-chested Harlan Patrick on the roof. Good, it would be a nice long drop from up there when she clobbered him. She found the ladder around back and climbed up, nimbly scrambling over the roof until she could stare him in the face. The bare expanse of gleaming chest made it difficult to concentrate, but she forced herself.
“How could you do this?” she demanded.
He glanced up as if he’d just noticed her arrival, which had to be a crock since he had a 360-degree view of the surrounding area from up here.
“Hey, Laurie. What brings you by?”
“Don’t you put on that innocent act for me, Harlan Patrick Adams. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Building an addition to my house.”
She grabbed the hammer out of his hand, only barely resisting the urge to use it to pound some sense into his thick skull.
“I am not talking about right this second, you idiot. I am talking about those papers you had served last night.”
He feigned sudden understanding. “Ah, those.”
“Yes, those. What were you thinking?”
He shrugged. “I couldn’t see any other way to get your attention.”
“Oh, you have my attention, all right. I’m so mad I could tear you limb from limb right now.”
He grinned. “I can see that.”
“Don’t you dare laugh at me. This is important, Harlan Patrick. Amy Lynn’s future is not some game.”
His expression sobered at once. “No, it’s not a game,” he agreed.
“Then why did you do it? Why did you file for custody?”
“Because I want her here with me. I don’t want her to ever have the same doubts about her daddy’s love that you’ve had about yours.” He reached over and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “I want you here, too, Laurie. Always have.”