Page 33 of A Man for Amanda
She’d gone a translucent shade of white. Under his hand, her arm seemed to turn to water. “Son,” she whispered.
“She was just a kid, a terrified kid who’d believed every lie he’d told her. I wanted to kill him, but it would only have made it worse for Meg. But you, you couldn’t even find it in your heart to give her the scraps from the table. You went right ahead with your fancy life as if she and the boy didn’t exist. And when she called and begged you just to let him see the boy once or twice a year, you called her a whore and threatened to have her son taken away if she ever contacted your precious husband again.”
She couldn’t get her breath. Not since her last hideous argument with Bax had she found it so difficult to breathe. Weakly she batted at the hand that held her arm. “Please. Please, I need to sit down.”
But he was staring at her. As the impetus of his own rage ebbed he could see that it wasn’t shame in her eyes, it wasn’t derision or even anger. It was pure shock. “My God,” he said quietly, “you didn’t know.”
All she could do was shake her head. When his grip loosened, she turned and bolted into the house. Sloan stood for a moment, pressing his fingers against his eyes. All the disgust he had felt for Suzanna turned sharply on himself. He started after her and ran into a furious Amanda in the doorway.
“What did you do to her?” With both hands she shoved him back. “What the hell did you say to her to make her cry like that?”
The fist in his stomach squeezed tighter. “Where did she go?”
“You’re not getting near her again. When I think that I’d begun to believe I could—damn you, O’Riley.”
“There’s nothing you can say to me that’s worse than what I’m already thinking about myself. Now where is she?”
“You go to hell.” She slammed the terrace door and flipped the lock.
Sloan gave brief thought to kicking it in, then, swearing, went around to the stone steps on the side of the house. He found Suzanna standing on the second-floor balcony, looking out at the cliffs. He’d taken his first step toward her when Amanda burst out of the doors.
“You keep away from her.” She already had a protective arm around her sister. “Just turn around and start walking. Don’t stop until you get back to Oklahoma.”
“This isn’t any of your concern,” Sloan told her, and Suzanna had to grab hold before Amanda sprang at him.
“It’s all right.” Suzanna squeezed Amanda’s hand. “I need to talk to him, Mandy. Alone.”
“But—”
“Please. It’s important. Go down and finish setting up, will you?”
Reluctant, Amanda stepped back. “If it’s what you want.” She aimed a killing look at Sloan. “Watch your step.”
When they were alone, Sloan struggled for the right words. “Mrs. Dumont. Suzanna—”
“What’s his name?” she asked.
“What?”
“The boy. What’s his name?”
“I don’t—”
“Damn it, what’s his name?” She whirled away from the wall. Shock had been replaced by angry tears. “He’s half brother to my children. I want to know his name.”
“Kevin. Kevin O’Riley.”
“How old is he?”
“Seven.”
Turning back to the sea, she shut her eyes. Seven years before, she had been a new bride, full of hope and dreams and blind love. “And Baxter knew? He knew that she’d had his child?”
“Yes, he knew. Megan wouldn’t tell anyone at first who the father was. But after she’d called and spoken to you... but she didn’t speak to you, did she?”
“No.” Suzanna continued to stare straight ahead. “Baxter’s mother perhaps.”
“I want to apologize.”
