Part 13 (1/2)
”I missed you, boy.”
Zach's laugh was filled with cynicism. ”I'm your s.h.i.+ll, not your mark, remember? You don't have to pretend with me.”
”You're my son.”
”When it's convenient.”
”Well, it's convenient now. Invite me in, Zach. I have some news for you.”
”There's nothing you can tell me that I want to hear.”
Jackson's eyes twinkled with amus.e.m.e.nt. ”Really? How about I tell you about your sister?”
”I don't have a sister,” Zach said firmly, but his nerve endings began to tingle the way they always did when his father was about to cause trouble.
”Now, sometimes life throws a few surprises our way, son. I don't suppose you've met Katherine Whitfield.”
Zach's heart dropped to his feet. ”You're crazy. There is no way in h.e.l.l Katherine is my sister.”
Jackson simply smiled. ”I think it's time we had a little chat. Invite me in.”
Zach stared at his father in disbelief. ”You're not coming in until you answer my question.”
”Oh, you mean about your sister? You didn't notice a resemblance between Miss Whitfield and myself?”
”No, I didn't.” Although he had to admit Katherine's eyes were the same blue as his father's. He shook the thought away. A lot of people had blue eyes, it didn't mean a thing. ”And how do you know about Katherine Whitfield?”
”A little bird whispered in my ear.”
”And where did that little bird find you? You've been gone so long I thought you were dead.”
”Hoping, weren't you?”
”I don't waste time hoping for anything where you're concerned.”
”Such harsh words from my son. I'm appalled. Perhaps I've found my daughter just in time. Katherine Whitfield is looking for her father, isn't she?”
”So she says.”
”Perhaps it's time we met.” Jackson took advantage of Zach's confusion to push past him into the house. ”Is this all you've got, boy?” He waved his hand at the small room. ”I thought you'd be in the main house by now.”
Zach followed his father into the room, but deliberately left the door open. He didn't want Jackson getting too comfortable. ”This suits me fine.”
”You're a lot more like your mother than me. She never had much vision. Satisfied with far too little.”
Zach's heart hardened to rock. ”I'm not like either one of you.”
Jackson gave him a half smile. ”You know, you should spend more time having fun, instead of trying to make sure no one mistakes you for me. I've had a good life. You could do worse. In fact, you are doing worse.”
”And you hurt a lot of people in the process of having fun.”
”I teach valuable life lessons, son. People are smarter after they've met me.”
”I'm sure they're not thanking you for the lesson. Especially Cora Daniels. She spends most of her days at the cemetery since her husband killed himself after losing all his money to you.”
”Now, now, let's not talk about that ugly business. It was years ago.” Jackson settled himself on Zach's sofa. Dressed in a beige suit, crisp white s.h.i.+rt, and conservative tie, Jackson almost looked respectable, but Zach had known his father too long to be taken in by clean fingernails and a fresh haircut.
”I can't believe you even want to show your face around this town. People have long memories.”
”No one could prove a thing, Zachary. They never can.”
Zach sat down on the edge of the hard-back chair across from the couch. ”What do you want?”
”Now, what kind of question is that to be asking your father?”
”A valid one. What do you want? Money? I told you that well had run dry the last time you came through.”
”I don't need your money. I've got plenty of my own. In fact, I've got myself a business.”
”Selling snake oil.”
”Selling dreams.”
Zach shook his head. ”I don't want to know what you're up to. Just leave me out of it.”
”It's not a crime to give people what they want.”
”It is if it's a lie.” Zach looked deep into his father's eyes, but it was impossible to find the truth. ”Leave Katherine alone.”
”I'm afraid I can't do that.”
”She's not your daughter.”
”According to my sources, she's twenty-seven years old. Let's see...” Jackson put a finger to the side of his face. ”I think that was 1972, and as I recall, we were living in Louisville; you were about seven. I understand Miss Whitfield is under the impression her father lived in these parts back then.”
”I don't believe you're her father.”
”It's not you who has to believe.”
Zach stood up and paced restlessly around the small room, knowing he would have to pick his words carefully or he'd only feed his father's latest obsession. ”Why would you want to be Katherine's father?”
Jackson stood up and brushed the wrinkles out of his pants as if he were a fine gentleman, when in reality he'd slept in his clothes more often than Zach could count.
”Katherine's stepfather, Mitch.e.l.l Whitfield, is a wealthy man, an investment banker. He's worth millions.”
”How do you know that?”