Straight from the Heart. Linda Warren

frown deepened. “If that’s the way you want it.”

      “It is,” she told him, hoping he’d leave it at that. He did, and Blair was grateful. If she never had to see Lucas Culver again, it would be too soon.

      CHAPTER THREE

      WITHIN MINUTES she was in a rental car and on the way to her apartment. She’d told Roger she wasn’t afraid; now all she had to do was to convince herself of that. She purposely kept the horrid message out of her mind as she showered, dressed and headed to River Oaks. She had learned that trick years ago and it had saved her so many times.

      She drove up to the big gates and saw that Horace was on duty. Horace was the groundskeeper and handyman who had worked for her father for years. Tonight he was manning the gate, which meant there were other guests besides family. She waved and drove through. Usually a code had to be punched in for the gate to open. Her family had moved here after the attack, and an up-to-date security system had been installed for their safety. The large two-story chateau-style house had been a haven during the healing years, and it was always a pleasure to come home—even though she knew there was still tension between her father and brother. How long could her father keep blaming Blake for not becoming a lawyer?

      She drove to the garages and used her remote control to open the door for her parking spot. Since she was more than fashionably late, she planned to sneak in through the kitchen so her mother wouldn’t see her. She felt as though she was fourteen again and trying to put something over on her mom. Greta, the housekeeper, met her at the kitchen door. Greta wore her black uniform with the white frilly apron, which confirmed that tonight was a formal occasion.

      “Miss Blair, what are you doing coming in through the back door?” Greta chided.

      Blair held a finger to her lips to silence her.

      “I see you, Blair,” Ava Logan called from the kitchen. “So you can stop trying to sneak past me.”

      Blair smiled at her mother, knowing it was useless even to try to fool her. She hadn’t been able to do it in thirty-two years and she wasn’t going to do it now. She gave her mother a hug and a kiss as Ava meticulously placed hors d’oeuvres on a silver tray. Hors d’oeuvres she had made herself, Blair knew. Her mother was a gourmet cook and either supervised or did most of the cooking.

      At sixty-two, Ava Logan possessed a timeless beauty. Her hair, a golden blond that now came out of a bottle, hung in a pageboy around her dainty features and emphasized her light-brown eyes. She wore a peach silk dress, presently covered by a white apron. Blair was always amazed at her mother’s ability to remain cool and collected in times of stress. Her mother’s calm had been invaluable to her after the attack. Her father thought he was the backbone of the family, but it was her mother with her gentle ways and dedication to family that held them together.

      “I had a busy day at the courthouse,” Blair said in her own defense. She didn’t plan to tell her parents about the message on her windshield. It would only worry them and they’d worried enough about her. Besides, tonight was a night for fun.

      “Yes, I heard.” Her mother glanced at her. “Congratulations, darling.”

      Before Ava turned away, Blair caught a glimmer of something unexpected in her eyes. Apprehension? But why?

      “Mom, is everything okay?” Blair asked tentatively.

      Ava slowly removed her apron and placed it carefully on the counter. “We have a houseful of guests, good food and wine, so what could be wrong?”

      Her mother’s words sounded forced.

      “I don’t know. You tell me, because you’re acting strangely.”

      “It’s nothing.” Ava dismissed her daughter’s concern with a shake of her head. “It’s just that your father has to turn every party into a business meeting. I was hoping we could have only family tonight.”

      That didn’t ring true, because she knew her mother enjoyed parties and cooking and everything connected to them. And she was used to her father springing extra guests on her. So what was going on? It was increasingly clear that her mother was nervous about something.

      “Who’s here?” Blair asked as a way to get some answers.

      “The Johnsons, the Manns, the Barkers and Calvin, Natalie and Tiffany,” her mother answered.

      That didn’t give Blair any clues. Her dad’s business associates were frequent guests. Natalie was her father’s sister, and Calvin her husband. Tiffany was their daughter. Calvin was also the firm’s accountant, so their presence wasn’t out of the ordinary. Besides, they were family.

      “How’s Tiffany doing?” Blair asked. Her cousin, a year younger than her, was going through a bad divorce.

      “Still bitter.”

      “I’m sorry.”

      “So is Tiffany, but Nat felt that company might cheer her up.”

      Poor Tiff, Blair thought. After five years of marriage, she’d come home one day to find her husband in bed with another woman. Joel, Tiffany’s husband, had seemed like a nice guy, but apparently he wasn’t satisfied with just one woman. He had hurt Tiffany very badly.

      Blair was thankful she’d never have to deal with a situation like that. Years ago, she’d decided she didn’t care for men all that much, so the odds of her getting married were very slim. She knew she had a problem in that area, but it was her problem and her business.

      Oh, God. She closed her eyes for a second. She didn’t want to be a frigid old maid. She needed to get out more, resolve those emotions that were tied to the past. Suddenly she remembered Lucas and his charming smile and— She quickly opened her eyes. Why couldn’t she stop thinking about him?

      “You look beautiful,” her mother was saying. “I’m glad you didn’t wear one of those dreary suits.”

      Shaking Lucas from her mind, Blair glanced down at her dress. It was deep blue with a square neck and cap sleeves that showed off her neck and long slender arms. The hem came two inches above her knees and showed more leg than she liked, but in her rush, she’d grabbed the dress at random. She didn’t want to be later than she absolutely had to.

      “Darling, promise me something.” Ava’s concerned voice caught her attention.

      “Sure,” Blair answered immediately.

      “Don’t let your personal feelings get involved tonight. Be an adult and—”

      “Hey, sis,” her brother interrupted as he came into the kitchen. “You’re finally home.”

      She hugged Blake, still thinking about Ava’s odd request. She had no idea what her mother was talking about and she didn’t have time to figure it out.

      Ava wrapped an arm around each of them. “My two children both at home. I can’t tell you how good that makes me feel.”

      “Me, too,” Blair and Blake chorused, then laughed.

      “I wish you’d stay home for good, Blake. London’s so far away,” Ava said plaintively.

      “Now, Mom, don’t start.” Blake sighed. “You know that’s not possible.”

      “But Blake,” Blair started, then stopped as Blake raised a hand.

      “No pressure, ladies. Besides, we have a family member who’s desperately in need of our attention. Tiff can’t stop talking about Joel and the divorce, and it’s really more than I want to hear. She only drops that subject long enough to talk about—” Blake looked hesitantly at his mother, then at Blair.

      “What?” Blair asked. He was hiding something from her; she’d sensed it earlier and now she was sure of it.

      “Nothing.” Blake shrugged and took her hand. “Let’s join the guests.”

      Blair