CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Roper glanced around, studying the female members of his family, who gazed at him with curious eyes. Ben’s abrupt departure had left them stunned, Roper was sure.
“Obviously, Ben’s upset about something. What’s going on?” Sabrina asked. She sat beside Kevin, holding his hand. At least she seemed genuinely happy.
And that, Roper thought, was what this part of his day was all about. He needed to use his sister’s happiness as the springboard to give him the courage to lay down the law with his mother—and undoubtedly hurt her in the process.
Before he could speak, a noise sounded from outside the door and suddenly Harrison entered, key card in hand. Roper raised an eyebrow but didn’t say a word. He already knew there was more to this relationship than his mother wanted to admit to her children or to herself.
“You shouldn’t just barge in as if you own the place,” Cassandra chided him.
He raised an eyebrow. “Considering I gave up my own room, you can’t expect me to knock first. Hello, everyone,” Harrison said.
Roper shook the other man’s hand.
Sabrina managed a wave. From her pale face, she hadn’t known about their mother’s living arrangements, either. It seemed as if Cassandra was keeping up the pretense of not wanting to be with Harrison for no one’s benefit that Roper could figure, except maybe her own.
Cassandra scowled at him. “John was just about to say why he called us all together. It’s a family meeting so you might want to—”
“Stay,” Roper added before his mother could send the other man away. “And do not argue with me, Mom.”
Harrison grinned. “Thank you,” he said to Roper.
“No problem.”
Cassandra needed the older man more than she wanted to admit and Roper was glad she had him, especially since he, himself, intended to take back his own life. He was grateful and relieved he wouldn’t be leaving his mother alone to her own devices.
Cassandra folded her arms across her chest. “I wasn’t going to argue. If Harrison wants to pretend he’s part of this family, who am I to stop him?” She sniffed in her haughty way.
Harrison laughed and slung an arm around her shoulder. “Go on,” he said to Roper.
“Please,” Sabrina said.
Roper drew a deep breath. “Okay. Here goes. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been here when you all needed me. Twenty-four/seven, at your beck and call.”
“Well, I’m not sure I’d phrase it so callously,” his mother said, only to be silenced by Harrison squeezing her shoulder in warning.
“You’ve been a wonderful son,” she said, her voice sincere.
“Thank you.” He wasn’t fishing for compliments, just stating reality. “The thing is, that by doing everything you all wanted when you all wanted it, I’ve neglected my own life.”
“I can see that,” Sabrina said softly. “I have for a while. It’s just that old habits are hard to break.”
He smiled at his little sister. “Tell me about it.”
“So what are you trying to say?” Sabrina asked.
“That it’s time for you all to live your own lives.”
“As if we haven’t?” Cassandra asked.
The sad thing was that Roper knew she believed her words, which made what he had to say all the more difficult. “No, you haven’t. If I was in a meeting and one of you called, I dropped everything. If I was on a date and you needed me, I cut it short. Don’t get me wrong, I did it because I wanted to—”
“And you don’t anymore?” his mother asked, insulted.
He wanted to say no that, of course he wanted to, he just couldn’t do it anymore. But that would be a lie and he’d promised himself and Amy—even if she wasn’t aware of the promise—that he’d be completely honest. For everyone’s sake, including his mother.
“No, Mom, I don’t want to. I want to concentrate on my career. The time I spent at the lodge showed me the difference less stress could make on both my body and my mind.”
“This is all that woman’s fault.”
“That’s not fair, Mom,” Sabrina objected. “And it’s not true. Besides, I thought you liked Amy. You said she’s bright enough to hold her own with John, and she didn’t bore you like the other bimbos he’s dated.” Sabrina shot him an I’m sorry look. “No insult intended,” she said.
“None taken. And I’m glad you like Amy. Because if I have my way, she’s going to be around for a long, long time.”
Sabrina let out a whoop and ran to Roper, giving him a hug. “I hope you find the happiness we have,” she said, nodding toward Kevin.
His mother remained silent. Sulking.
And Roper wasn’t even finished yet.
“Thanks,” he said to his sister. “We’ll see. There’s a lot to work out between us.” An understatement if he ever heard one. “Still, I want to be clear on what this means to all of you.”
“Do tell,” Cassandra said, curled up in the corner of the couch, sulking like a petulant child.
He realized now what a complete disservice he’d done his mother by being at her beck and call. He’d never allowed her the chance to stand on her own. He hoped she did so now and didn’t just transfer her needs from Roper to Harrison.
“I love you, Mom, and I will always be here for you if you need me. I want to see you. I want to have lunch or dinner with you and I want you to call me when you want to talk.”
“But?” she asked.
“But you can no longer expect me to drop everything I’m doing to fix things for you. You’re a grown woman with a new career and you’re going to love it.”
Harrison applauded.
Roper rolled his eyes. “You’re also able to support yourself now, and I’m hoping you’ll love the freedom it gives you. Don’t close your eyes to new opportunities. Accept and embrace who you are and what you can do today, not twenty years ago,” he said, hoping she heard the love and respect in his tone. “America is going to adore you on this series. It’s going to open up all sorts of new doors for you. So don’t be stubborn like you were with Harrison. I’m betting you’re going to love what happens to you next and I want to be there to share it.”
“On your terms.”
Okay, so she didn’t get it yet. He had faith that she would.
“On our terms, over time,” he said.
“I need to lie down.”
Harrison shook his head, but Roper met the other man’s gaze and silently told him he’d expected this reaction. There would be more discussion, and hopefully, understanding, in the future.
Harrison escorted Cassandra out of the room.
Roper turned to his sister and her fiancé. “As for you, Sabrina, you’re marrying a good man.”
Kevin cleared his throat. “Thank you,” he said, clearly embarrassed.
Roper inclined his head. “Sabrina, you have the world ahead of you. If you continue to work as a paralegal, good for you. If you decide not to work, that’s between you and your husband. Whatever you two decide, I stand behind you. I’ll be there for you, but I won’t undermine Kevin by sneaking money to you or providing things he can’t. Unless he agrees,” Roper said, grinning because Kevin was nodding at everything he said.
Sabrina seemed surprised but okay with his words. Relieved, even.
“One last thing. About the wedding.” This was the best part of his day, Roper thought, reaching into his pocket.
And damned if he didn’t deserve some fun after the nightmare he’d been through.
“Your wedding should be everything you both want. I want to give you the wedding of your dreams.” And he already knew that Sabrina’s dreams weren’t his mother’s. “So here,” he said, walking over and handing them the check. “Plan your wedding the way you want. Or don’t plan the wedding and use this toward your future. The choice is yours.”
Sabrina glanced down at the paper in her hand and her eyes widened. She squealed and threw her arms around Roper’s neck. “You are the best, John. The very best.”
“Do it your way, Baby Sister,” he whispered in her ear. “And be happy.”
Kevin shook Roper’s hand. “I can’t thank you enough.”
Roper shrugged. “If Mom had the money, she’d do it herself and you’d be ducking dove shit. So this is my pleasure,” he said, laughing.
Kevin smiled. “She’s going to have a fit when she realizes you’ve effectively taken away her power.”
“I’m hoping that by giving it to Sabrina, she’ll include Mom on the right things, shut her down when she doesn’t belong, and eventually we’ll all be one big happy dysfunctional family,” Roper said.
“We can hope,” Kevin said.
“Will that family include Amy?” Sabrina asked.
Roper groaned. “I honestly don’t know.”
But he couldn’t wait to find out.
* * *
Amy kept busy at work. She’d been given new clients and she’d also shadowed both Annabelle and Sophie through various events and meetings, learning by example. Her Uncle Spencer was pleased with her progress at the Hot Zone and he took her to dinner to tell her so. She joined a gym and went there at night so she didn’t have to spend so much time in an empty apartment. There she met other single women in a yoga class, one of whom she’d become friendly with. All and all, her life was exactly what she’d wanted when she’d planned to come to New York.
Unfortunately, the life she’d imagined hadn’t included John Roper. Having been with him, she was afraid she’d never be the same without him. And working at the Hot Zone, where she read the papers and blogs to keep up with damage control, guaranteed she was reminded of him daily. Buckley hadn’t let up on him, but the rest of the papers had, due in the most part to the fact that he’d been at the gym every day.
But Amy was reminded of him nightly when she lay in her bed, tossing and turning. How could she not when their last encounter had included his declaration of love?
One she hadn’t been able to verbally reciprocate even though she knew without a doubt, she felt it deep in her heart. How could she not love a man who was so kind and generous, thoughtful and caring? Not just to his family but to her, as well. He’d made her wish for a day in the snow come true in a way that went beyond special. He could have just taken her outside. Instead he’d planned a fantasy afternoon.
But that was the problem. No matter what they both felt in here, she thought, her hand rising to her chest, it had been a moment out of time. Real life meant obligations he couldn’t extricate himself from and cameras that followed him everywhere he went.
That was a life of his choosing. Not hers.
Frustrated with her train of thought, she tossed her pen down onto her desk. Obviously, she couldn’t concentrate on work. A glance at her watch told her it was late in the afternoon. She’d had it for today. With nothing pressing keeping her at the office, she decided to head home.
She began packing her bag, taking select things to review with her, when she heard a knock at her door. “Come in,” she called, hoping nobody had an assignment that would keep her in the office later. She was more exhausted than she’d realized.
She glanced up at the same time her visitor strode inside. “Roper,” she said, surprised to see him. Her stomach flipped, nerves fluttering inside her.
“Hey, there,” he said casually. As if nothing important had happened the last time they’d met.
I love you. She considered that important.
He looked healthy and well. She knew from Micki and Yank that, despite his family obligations, he had been focusing on his recovery. Though he’d miss the beginning of spring training, the doctors were hopeful for a full recovery. But also according to Yank and Micki, his family still pulled his strings.
And he still let them.
“Let me guess. You just happened to be in the neighborhood. Visiting Yank or Micki?” She gripped the handle of her tote bag hard, yet strove for normalcy in her voice. Like in the deodorant commercial, she wouldn’t let him see her sweat.
“Nope.” He shut the door behind him. “I’m here to see you.”
“Oh.” Her mouth grew dry. “I was just leaving for the day.”
“Then I can walk you out.”
She shrugged. “That’s fine.”
He helped her on with her coat and they started for the door. “You look good,” he said.
Such a simple compliment and yet she grew warm all over. “Same for you. I hear your therapy is going well,” she said.
“I’m trying. The shoulder’s getting stronger. It helps that I’ve lowered my expectations of trying to be back in time for spring training. I find I’m more focused.”
They rode down the elevator and walked onto the street. “I was going to take a cab, but it’s a little warmer today so I think I’ll walk a bit,” she said.
“Sounds good. I’ll join you.”
They walked in silence, but the comfortable feeling they’d found at the lodge was gone. “How’s your family?” she finally asked when she couldn’t stand the stiff silence between them any longer.
“Good, actually.” He perked up at the question. “I’m glad you asked. It ties into the reason I wanted to talk to you. My mother has her hands full with Harrison and—”
The sudden singing noise from her phone interrupted him. She dug into her jacket pocket and pulled out her phone. “Sorry,” she said, glancing down and seeing a phone number with a 718 area code she didn’t recognize.
“Hello?”
“Amy, it’s Uncle Spencer,” his warm voice said.
“Hi, Uncle Spencer,” she said, more for Roper’s benefit so he’d know who was on the phone. “What’s up?” she asked.
Roper shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and waited patiently.
Her uncle went on to explain the reason for his call and a familiar panic settled deep in her bones. “Mom is where?” Amy yelled.
A young couple passing by her on the street turned and stared.
Roper immediately huddled near her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. She appreciated the support.
God, this couldn’t be happening. Not when she’d just carved out a perfectly sane, normal life for herself. She shut her eyes for a brief moment before she pulled herself together.
“I’ll be right there,” she told her uncle, ending the call. Then she turned to Roper. “My mom and my aunt are being held by security at JFK Airport.”
She stepped off the sidewalk and into the street, glancing around for a free taxi cab to take her to meet them.
Roper grasped her hand. “I have my car in the lot downstairs. I’ll drive you. It’ll be cheaper and quicker. Come.”
She drew a deep breath and met his gaze. “Thank you,” she said, grateful for his unquestioning support.
He steered her back toward the Hot Zone offices and to the elevator leading to the underground parking garage.
“I didn’t even know my mother was coming to town. Apparently, they wanted to surprise me.” And she hadn’t seen it coming, Amy thought. “Uncle Spencer has a meeting he can’t miss, so it’s up to me to get them out.”
“And we will,” Roper assured her.
Amy was sure they would. As good as her mother and aunt were at getting into trouble, they were equally adept at talking themselves out of it. Or letting Amy do it for them. And to think, she’d been so anxious to start her new life, she’d let her mother remain in Florida unsupervised. She’d underestimated the older woman yet again.
Roper handed his ticket to the attendant and within minutes they were in his car and on their way. Amy finally started breathing again.
“I almost took the Porsche but I knew with all the stop and go traffic, there’d be no point. It was a good thing, too. At least I can fit them in the backseat.”
She nodded, grateful. Even in the midst of her panic, she could see how quickly, calmly and efficiently he’d taken charge. What a guy.
“Why are they being held by security?” he asked.
“Uncle Spencer didn’t give me a straight answer, which isn’t surprising given my mother and aunt. I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.”
There was some traffic, but it moved at a decent pace and soon they’d pulled into the airport.
“I’ll drop you off, park and meet you in there,” he said, easing the car to the curb in front of the terminal.
She bit down on her lip. “You can drop me off and leave. I’m sure you have somewhere more important to be and—”
He placed his hand on hers, his touch doing more to calm her than anything could. “Nothing is more important than helping you through this,” he assured her.
Strong and capable. Roper had to be the perfect man.
For the first time, she could understand firsthand how and why his family had come to rely on him for everything. She couldn’t allow herself to do the same, especially since she’d faulted him for responding to them on cue.
“Really, I’ll be fine. I can take them home with me in a cab and—”
“I will be inside in five minutes. You’ll get to them sooner if you stop arguing and go,” he said, giving her a gentle yet firm push.
She inclined her head. Then, knowing she should just turn and head inside, she acted on impulse and placed a thank-you kiss on his cheek.
At least she meant for it to be on his cheek. But the scoundrel anticipated her move and with a quick shift of his head, he caused her lips to land squarely on his.
She didn’t pull away. Instead she leaned in closer. Her eyes closed, and for a sweet short time, she was back at the lodge, where real life couldn’t intrude. His lips parted, and his tongue swept over her lips, her teeth and then tangled with hers. Warmth eased from the pit of her stomach, shooting outward, overwhelming her senses…until a car honked, startling them and breaking the intimacy of the moment.
Flustered, she gathered her bag and darted out of the car.
* * *
Roper managed to park and catch up with Amy before she was allowed in to see her relatives. A stiff man in a suit, who turned out to be the federal marshal on the plane, escorted Amy and Roper to the area where Darla and Rose were being held. The marshal explained that he worked with TSA, a component of the Department of Homeland Security, and they were trying to assess whether Darla and Rose were terrorist risks.
More like attention seekers, Roper knew.
First, Amy introduced Roper to her family and they shook his hand, but they were too impatient to tell their story to spend time on pleasantries.
“So we were talking about how what happened with my luggage reminded us of the movie Meet the Parents,” Amy’s mother, Rose, said.
“And I said it wasn’t Meet the Parents, it was the second one, Meet the Fockers,” Darla said.
“It was Meet the Parents and the stewardess—”
“They’re called flight attendants now,” Darla interrupted her sister.
Rose rolled her eyes. “The flight attendant had taken my carry-on and gave it to the handlers to put it in the cargo area. I forgot, and when the plane landed in New York, I opened the top compartment to take out my luggage and Darla reminded me that my bag wasn’t there. So I said, I thought it was stupid. I could so have fit it on top.”
“But the flight attendant wouldn’t even let her try,” Darla said. “So we were reminded of Meet the Fockers.”
“Meet the Parents,” Rose interrupted. “And I said, in a complete and perfect impersonation of Ben Stiller, It’s not like there’s a bomb in it.”
Darla and Rose both spoke with animation, hands waving in the air. “Then some woman obviously misunderstood us and yelled, ‘that old lady said she has a bomb.’ Do I look old to you?” Rose asked Amy.
“No, Mom,” Amy said through gritted teeth. “Go on with the story.”
Roper held back his laughter because he could see how obviously stressed Amy was. But the women, with their bright red lipstick, overdyed hair and deep circles of rouge on their cheeks, looked more like Kewpie dolls than terrorists. And Roper thought the way they each argued their point was hilarious.
“Of course we don’t look old to you,” Rose said, ignoring Amy’s request. “You see us all the time.” Rose then took Roper off guard by walking up to him. “You’re a young, handsome man. Do I look old to you?” She nudged him with her elbow and batted her thick eyelashes.
“No, ma’am,” he said, holding back a chuckle. “You’re beautiful.”
Amy shot him a warning look that clearly said don’t humor them. He couldn’t help it, they were so cute.
“Why, thank you,” Rose said. “You see, Darla?”
“What about me? Do I look old?” Darla asked him, pushing her sister out of the way.
Roper grinned. “You’re absolutely breathtaking, too,” he told her.
Pleased, both women relaxed and smiled. “So anyway,” Rose continued, “someone yells, ‘The old lady has a bomb!’ And all hell broke loose. That man who brought you in here had been sitting in front of us and he turned around and practically dove over the seat. The rest of the passengers went into utter panic.”
“There was nearly a stampede thanks to that crazy woman,” Darla said, nodding.
Amy raised an eyebrow. “You think she was the crazy woman?” she asked.
Both relatives ignored her. “Next thing you know, they evacuate the plane and corral everyone into one area, except for us. They brought us in here. Apparently, they had to check all the carry-on bags underneath the plane to make sure they didn’t miss something in security the first time around. They thought we were planning to blow up the airport!”
“They can’t be too careful these days,” Roper said seriously.
Rose and Darla nodded. “We understand. If only that woman hadn’t made a scene, nobody would have been detained.”
“And you don’t think you had anything to do with that little scene?” Amy perched her hands on her hips and confronted her family.
Roper thought they blushed, though it was hard to tell beneath the heavy rouge.
“It was a misunderstanding,” Darla said. “Not that your Uncle Spencer thought so. He was furious, but he promised us you’d be here to handle things.”
“Of course, she’s here. My beautiful, smart girl always rescues us,” Rose said, pulling Amy into a hug. “I’ve missed you.”
Amy hugged her mother back. “I missed you, too.” She turned to her aunt. “You, too,” she said, wrapping her arms around the other woman as well.
For all her frustration, Amy obviously genuinely adored the women in her family.
Roper watched the byplay with interest. This was the only real firsthand glimpse he’d gotten into Amy’s family and background, and a few things jumped out at him immediately. Her home situation wasn’t much different from his. Her mother and aunt created situations and she rescued them on command.
It didn’t take a psychologist to figure out that Amy dove into handling his family so methodically not because she was used to handling her own, but because she couldn’t control them. In managing Roper’s family issues, she’d been able to take charge in a way she hadn’t been able to with her own family. She saw herself in Roper, and when Roper fell back into old habits, she’d backed away.
He’d gotten some insight into Amy’s emotions. But he hadn’t gotten enough. With her mother here, he hoped to gain even more.
“Mom, you really should have told me you were coming for a visit,” Amy said.
“And ruin the surprise? What fun would that be?”
“None at all,” Amy muttered. “So how do we get you two out of here?”
Rose seated herself in a metal chair. “The grumpy air marshal said he’d be back. He had to confer with his colleagues.”
“Do you think they’ll do a background check like they do on the TV show COPS?” Aunt Darla asked, walking to the small window and glancing out.
“Oh, Lord.” Amy chose the nearest chair and lowered herself into it.
Roper gave Amy’s shoulder a squeeze. “Why don’t I go outside and see what I can find out.”
Amy glanced up. “I’d appreciate it.”
“Not so fast,” Rose said. “Amy introduced you and we know you’re a professional ballplayer, but she didn’t say what your relationship is. What are your intentions? Because when you come to help rescue a woman’s relatives from the hoosegow, then you must have some personal interest, yes?”
“Remember, my sister is like a professional lie detector,” Darla said. “If you’re not telling the truth, she’ll sniff it out.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, leave him alone,” Amy said. “Roper, please go find out when I can take them home,” she said, pleading with him.
Because her mother and aunt were wackier than his family, he took pity on her and agreed. “Okay. When I get back, we can discuss your questions,” he promised the women.
They reluctantly agreed.
So Roper headed out of the room to get Amy’s mother and aunt sprung. Afterward, he thought, the real fun could begin.