~ 20 ~
Sloan sat quietly on the back porch swing, enjoying the evening breeze. Now that she’d finally made the commitment to see Tory and her step-father, she was surprised at the sense of relief she felt. She smiled to herself as she remembered telling Tom and Ed about her decision.
Ed had been relieved and patted her shoulder, self-consciously telling her how proud he was of her for taking such a big step toward mending the rift with her father. Tom had been Tom, gently taking her hand and nodding his head as Ed spoke. He didn’t say a word, but the warmth and support she felt him release to her and the pride shining in his eyes had caught at her heart. They had both offered to go with her and she had accepted, knowing that it meant as much to them to be with her as it did to her to have their moral support.
Walter was right, she thought, taking a deep breath and letting it out. She’d carried her burden long enough. There were much more important things in her life now, than holding on to past hurts.
The sound of Matt’s voice broke into her thoughts and she looked up to see Matt and Tom cutting across the backyard. She smiled fondly as she watched the two of them -- Matt, chattering away and Tom, looking down at his upturned face and listening patiently.
“Dr. Parker, look what I found!” he exclaimed as he bounded up the porch steps. He plopped down next to her on the swing and dropped an assortment of smooth river rocks into her lap. Some, unfortunately, still wet.
“These are beautiful, Matt,” she said smiling at his obvious delight. “Where did you get them?”
“We found this really great stream over by that old tree and...” he stopped as he realized that Sloan was looking down at his dripping wet sneakers. At the worried look on his face, she squeezed his shoulder and suggested that he leave his shoes on the porch to dry overnight. Hearing his father call him, he quickly kicked off his wet shoes and gathering up his new-found treasures jumped off the swing.
“Gotta go. G’night Dr. Parker. Thanks Mr. Daniels” And with the slam of the kitchen door, it was suddenly quiet again.
“I’d like to harness some of that energy,” Sloan sighed enviously, as Tom walked over to take the seat Matt had vacated.
As he settled down next to her and automatically slipped an arm around her shoulders, Sloan sighed and leaned up against him.
Glancing down at his shoes, she smiled and asked how he managed to stay dry.
“My shoes are fine, though I can’t say the same for my pockets,” he said fishing out a damp river rock. He gently rubbed the smooth dark stone against her cheek then dropped it into her hand.
Sloan rubbed her thumb over the still warm surface and closed her hand around it.
“It’s kind of like you,” she said looking up into his face.
“Smooth and mysterious, hard but warm.”
Tom reached over and curled his hand around hers. “And like me, it’s warm because of your touch.” he said softly.
Sloan looked into his beautiful blue grey eyes and wondered if he knew how seductive his words could be. Then she suddenly realized it wasn’t his words so much as how she felt about him.
Reaching up to lightly stroke his cheek, she caught her breath as she thought of how close she’d come to losing him recently.
“Tom, I don’t know what I’d do without you. Sometimes the thought of not having you in my life...”
“Why do you worry, Sloan?” he said softly, returning her caress.
“Don’t you know how I feel about you?”
“I know,” she said smiling warmly. “I’ve felt it.”
“Do you understand that I’ve pledged myself to you and have accepted your offer of being partner-coupled?”
“I do,” she said seriously. “But I’m not certain what that means.”
Tom nodded. “It’s a permanent commitment. Not like an engagement that can be broken or a marriage that can be dissolved.”
Sloan looked down, his words a painful reminder of her past relationships. Hooking his finger under her chin, Tom tilted her face toward his and looked into her troubled eyes as he released *love*caring*.
“Perhaps you should talk to Amanda,” he suggested, pulling her gently into his embrace.
Sloan nodded her head as she nestled against his chest, the smooth dark river stone warm in her hand.
~ 21 ~
As they crossed the street to the park, Amanda slipped her hand into Mark’s. She smiled to herself as he made his usual gruff comment that it was unnecessary to do so, because as usual, he continued to hold her hand.
Amanda enjoyed these walks after dinner with Mark. They afforded her the freedom to be more affectionate with him under the guise of “acting human” in public. And she suspected, he enjoyed the walks for the same reason.
Passing a group of children playing, Amanda paused watch them.
They were racing around laughing breathlessly playing a game she knew they called Tag. Glancing at the mothers who were seated nearby, her eyes were drawn to the tiny infants they were cuddling.
Standing as close as he was, Mark could sense her thread of *sadness*envy* as she looked at the children. He reached over and brushed her soft pale hair away from her cheek.
“We’ll try again soon,” he promised gently. As she turned toward him, he was struck by the pain in her startling aquamarine eyes. He didn’t understand why having children was so important to her, he just knew it was. And as in all things concerned with her, he also knew he could deny her nothing. Smoothing her silky hair back behind her ear, he let his hand lightly brush her cheek and trail down her neck.
Amanda closed her eyes and let his comforting presence warm her as she stepped closer and gave him a hug. She could feel his body tense at this public display but she patiently held her arms gently around him until she felt him relax and lean into her. Although he didn’t return her hug, she was pleased that he had allowed it and as she stepped back to reclaim his hand, she turned to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Amanda,” he said warningly. “You know I don’t like that.
“Exactly” she said, a smug smile on her face.
As Mark raised an eyebrow in exasperation, he opened his mouth to say something, and just as quickly shut it, seeing the laughter in her eyes. A corner of his mouth quirked up in return and sighing he turned back to the walking path.
“How was your day with Tate?” he asked. “Has he driven you to distraction yet?
“Not at all. As a matter of fact, I like working with him,” Amanda said, a slight defensive tone to her voice. She knew that Mark’s contact with humans had been less than positive and he tended to distrust them on principle alone.
“He’s a good person, Mark. He really is concerned about our rising birth mortality and ...”
“You know he’s the one who came up with that disgusting gene therapy solution to ...”
Amanda stopped and glared directly into his eyes. “And he’s dropped that project for the same reasons you feel it’s wrong. Now if he can admit that he made a mistake, why can’t you?”
Seeing the familiar stubborn set of his chin, she added, “We’re also looking at alternatives to our current birth control. Maybe we can develop something without the negative side effects.”
As she looked away, Mark knew she was thinking of herself. All the years she had put off her first conceptions because of the important work she had been doing, were now culminating in difficulties. And although she didn’t speak of it, he knew she still grieved deeply for the unborn children she had recently lost.
Mark was surprised how much the loss had affected him as well. He had fathered children in the past but this was the first time he had considered being a father. He wondered if the difference was Amanda or the partner-coupling they had established. Maybe both, he decided, looking at her and feeling a familiar odd rush of feelings.
“Let’s go home, Amanda,” he said gently.
~ 22 ~
Walking around the lab, Sloan stared in open-mouthed amazement.
“They’ve got even better toys than Copeland,” she said in awe.
Ed stared at his monitor, a preoccupied look on his face. “Sloan, could you give me another 30 minutes or so? I just thought of another variable I’d like to throw into this test series before we go home.” Hearing her agreement, he bent over his keyboard, immediately engrossed in his work.
Stopping at a small office in the corner, Sloan glanced in and saw a beautiful blonde haired woman who seemed to fit Ed’s “fabulous” description. As she looked up and caught Sloan’s interested eye, she smiled and invited her in.
As they exchanged introductions, Sloan noticed that Amanda’s unblinking gaze was warm as well as intensely curious.
“I’m glad we have this opportunity to talk, Sloan. I’ve heard intriguing things about you from both Ed and Mark.”
“Mark?” asked Sloan incredulously. “He talked about me to you?”
“Well, not exactly,” Amanda said, an amused edge to her voice. “Dominant men are not exactly chatty -- especially when it concerns personal matters.”
Sloan grimaced and rolled her eyes in agreement.
“Ed piqued my curiosity when he said he’d noticed you and Tom exchanging the type of personal touching only Dominants do. So I asked Mark, what he’d observed when he and his men rescued Tom.
“He said when he first saw the violent drug-induced state Tom was in, he had been doubtful that Walter would be able to get close enough to sedate him. But you stepped forward without hesitation and were able to calm Tom with just your voice and touch.
“And considering Tom’s chameleon training,” Amanda commented, looking appraisingly at Sloan. “to even approach him while he was in ‘battle rage’ was an act of great foolhardiness -- or complete trust.”
“I know Tom would never hurt me,” Sloan stated with quiet confidence. And looking into her eyes, Amanda didn’t even have to touch on Sloan’s feelings to know she spoke the truth.
“Mark also said that he was surprised to sense feelings of affection and intimacy between the both of you. He discounted it because he doesn’t believe humans are capable of emotionally connecting with Dominants. “But after meeting you today, I suspect he is wrong.”
Sloan smiled and Amanda was startled by the intensity and depth of the emotions that suddenly surged from her. As prepared as she had been for the possibility, the thought of a human and Dominant emotionally connecting was so unique that it bordered on unthinkable. Especially since Tom was Chosen.
“...Amanda,” Sloan began hesitantly. “ I hope I’m not being too personal, but I have no one else to ask, and I was wondering...”
Tilting her head toward her, Amanda sensed Sloan’s anxiety and discomfort. “Ask me whatever you wish,” she said kindly.
Sloan smiled and sighed with relief. “Tom said he has pledged himself to me and has accepted my offer of establishing a partner-coupling, but I’m not sure I know what it means,” Sloan said earnestly, her eyes searching Amanda’s suddenly solemn face.
Amanda leaned forward, frowning slightly. “His pledge means he has sworn to protect you at all costs. It is not contingent on your relationship.” Seeing Sloan’s surprise, she continued. “Whether you decide to stay with him or not, he will protect you as long as he lives.”
At Sloan’s protest, Amanda held up her hand. “I know you believe you love him. But my understanding is that humans love often. Their relationships are seldom permanent...”
“But this is different,” Sloan said urgently, a plea for understanding in her expressive eyes. “Tom has given me a purpose to my life that I’ve never had before. And as unbelievable as it may seem, he’s shown me what it means to love and be loved. It’s as if my life started when I met him.
“And now, I know I couldn’t go on without him” she said simply.
Amanda knew it was true. Felt Sloan’s conviction and love and passion and knew it rivaled her own for Mark. And in that revelation came the sharp pain of knowing too, that there was something else about partner-coupling that neither Tom or Sloan knew.
Seeing Amanda’s stillness made Sloan pause. As she looked into her incredibly blue eyes, her heart caught in her throat. What she saw there was worse than hardness or indifference. It took her breath away and knotted her stomach.
It was pity.
Sloan saw Amanda speaking and heard her words, but her heart refused to comprehend them. She lurched to her feet and blindly rushed out of the office, past a startled Ed and out the back door into the parking garage.
“What the hell happened here?” Ed demanded looking sharply at Amanda who stood at the office door, concern showing plainly on her face.
Stepping into the quiet calm of the garage, Sloan leaned back against the cool concrete wall. She pressed the heels of her hands against her temples as if she could stop the echo of Amanda’s words.
“Your love and passion for Tom may not be enough, Sloan.”
“Chosen have always partner-coupled with Chosen.”
“Besides, Chosen can only conceive with Chosen.”
~ 23 ~
Sloan sat on the back porch swing, staring sightlessly at the sun setting on the rustling trees. She didn’t turn as she heard the back door open or felt someone sit down next to her.
“Ed called me,” Tom said softly, reaching over to brush her hair away from her face. “He said you were very upset over something you and Amanda talked about.”
Sloan nodded but still avoided meeting his worried gaze. “She said...” she whispered, a catch in her voice. “she said it was impossible for us to partner-couple ... that you need a Chosen female ... not me...”
“She’s wrong,” he said, his voice strong with conviction. He turned her face toward his and lightly laid his hand against her neck. “You are all I will ever need.”
As he released *love*caring*, he could feel her pulse slow and sense the hard edge of her despair soften. Taking her hand in both of his, Tom asked her to repeat exactly what Amanda had said.
He listened silently, then lifted her hand to his lips and then to his cheek. “I didn’t know,” he said regretfully. “I’m sorry, Sloan. I know how much you want a family ...”
“We can still have a family, Tom.” Laying her hand along the side of his neck, she smiled reassuringly. “There’s always adoption ... and who knows what Ed and Amanda will develop.”
“My main concern now,” she added with mock severity. “will be making sure you don’t leave me for the first Chosen female who happens to walk by.”
Tom flashed an amused smile and slipped an arm around her shoulders. Pulling her close, he rested his cheek against her hair as the evening enveloped them.
“Don’t worry Sloan ... I’ll never leave you.” came the quiet promise in the dark.
~ 24 ~
“This vendetta you have against the Parker woman is foolish...”
Before she could finish the sentence, she was flat on her back, Lewis’ foot on her throat.
“Perhaps you’d like to reword that, Felicity” he said quietly.
As she looked up into his deadly ice blue stare, she suddenly realized how badly she had misjudged the situation. Her powerful connections and clever manipulations had lulled her into thinking that she could use Lewis as she had the others.
Lewis smiled sardonically, sensing the subtle shift in her attitude as she grudgingly lowered her gaze. He leaned forward to pull her up and as she stood facing him, he stepped toward her. He didn’t touch her, but he stood so close that she could feel his breath on her cheek. By sheer will, he forced the strength of his presence into her personal space. When he finally sensed her deference, he stepped back and continued as if nothing had happened.
“I want Dr. Parker.”
He walked over to the large desk, centered in the otherwise unfurnished room.
“She’s too well guarded,” Felicity stated. Her eyes followed Lewis but she wisely stood still. “And I just found out that Attwood is now using Mark’s men as the security team for the safehouse as well as their drivers.”
Lewis looked up from the screen of his laptop computer and leaned back in his chair. “You and I both want the Peace Negotiations to fail, right?”
Felicity nodded, her lips pursed tightly at his condescending tone.
“Getting rid of Attwood is useless. He isn’t the keystone to the Peace Talks. Tom Daniels is."
“He’s the only one both sides trust,” Lewis said contemptuously. “Without his participation, the negotiations will cease.”
“And how does kidnapping Parker ensure that?” she challenged.
“If I have Dr. Parker, Tom will come to me."
“If I control her, I control him.”
~ 25 ~
Felicity sat behind her desk, her cold beauty a fitting complement to the austerely appointed office. She still seethed with anger over Lewis’ demeaning treatment and dismissive attitude. The gratitude and cooperation she had expected from him, never materialized and she was beginning to regret her decision to arrange his escape. Perhaps, she thought to herself, there could still be a way to take control of this situation.
Glancing at the young man sitting across from her, waiting to make his report, she smiled to herself at his obvious discomfort. He was aware of her importance, her power. And soon, she swore, so would Lewis.
Nodding curtly at him, she sat back and listened to his surveillance report. Her eyes narrowed and she abruptly stopped his flow of dates, places and people.
“I can read that much for myself,” she snapped, leaning forward. “Where’s the weak link?”
The man nervously adjusted his tie and wondered how she managed to suck the oxygen out of a room just by being in it. His eyes darted over the pages of names and dates, looking desperately for something, anything that didn’t fit....
“There were four occasions on which Dr. Parker was solely in the company of Dr. Tate” he offered, looking up hopefully.
Felicity relaxed back into her chair, her mouth curving in a predatory smile. “So, she seems to think Ed Tate counts as protection, does she?”
Holding out her hand for the report, she dismissed the relieved man with a negligent nod of her head.
She knew there were people in her organization who would reward her very well in return for Daniels capture.
And once she had Parker, Daniels would come.
Or so someone had said.
Can’t remember who ... oh well, she thought smugly, no one important.
~ 26 ~
Tory glanced nervously at her reflection in the hall mirror and smoothed her hair before answering the door. She had been surprised when Sloan asked if she could bring two friends with her but since one of them would be Ed, she voiced no complaints.
“Hi Tory!” Sloan said, bursting through the door and giving her an enthusiastic hug. Stepping back, she touched the arm of the quiet man at her side. “This is Tom. Tom, my sister Tory.”
As Tory shook Tom’s hand, she was startled by the power in the direct gaze he focused on her and realized that what she had mistaken for quietness was actually intensity under extreme control.
“And of course, you remember Ed.”
“Sloan, I ALWAYS remember good-looking men,” Tory teased, hoping her voice didn’t betray her anxiety. As she took Ed’s hand and looked into his slightly embarrassed face, she was struck by how much more handsome he was than she remembered. His light brown hair was shorter now but those incredible brown eyes were still....
The sound of Sloan loudly clearing her throat brought Tory to her senses and she was suddenly aware that she was still holding onto Ed’s hand. Flustered, she snatched her hand away and turned toward Sloan. Seeing the amused glint in her sister’s eyes, Tory knew her reaction to Ed had not gone unnoticed and she quickly ushered everyone into the living room before Sloan could say anything.
“I made coffee,” Tory said hurriedly, walking though to the kitchen. “I’ll just go get it now.”
She heard Sloan offer to help and before she could decline, her sister quickly followed her into the small kitchen and backed her up against the counter.
“So, Big Sis,” she said grinning mischievously. “Did I just catch you making a play for my best friend?”
Tory flushed but stood her ground. “Unless you have any objections?” she said, a defensive edge to her voice.
“Of course not,” Sloan said a surprised look on her face. “Why should I mind?”
Pouring the coffee, Tory shrugged uncomfortably. “I’m sorry, Sloan. I didn’t mean it to come out that way.” Setting down the coffee pot, she turned to look questioningly at Sloan. “It’s just that I’ve always thought there was more to your friendship with Ed ... at least on Ed’s part.”
Sloan frowned. “We’ve always just been friends, Tory. I think of Ed like a brother and I’m sure he thinks of me in the same way.”
Tory shook her head and sighed. “You’re so self-focused, Sloan."
“You see whatever happens around you only in terms of how it affects you. The same with people.”
At Sloan’s protest, Tory faced her and looked down into her angry eyes. “I’m not saying you don’t care about other people, Sloan. I’m just saying that you don’t take other people’s feelings into consideration." “You’ve always thought of Ed like a brother and assume he feels the same. But when I came to visit you your first semester in grad school, I saw how he felt about you...”
“I never led him on,” Sloan protested. “Besides, I was already engaged to Alan when I met Ed.”
“So? You don’t think it’s possible for someone to fall for someone else even though that person’s heart belongs to another?”
Sloan quietly turned the thought over in her mind as she watched Tory put the coffee cups and a plate of cookies onto the tray. She could tell by the blush on her sister’s cheeks that her words were even more personal on another level.
“You’re right,” she said softly, looking into Tory’s eyes and seeing surprise quickly replaced by warmth. “I have a lot to learn about other people’s feelings. And that’s one of the big reasons I’m here now, right?”
“Yes, and Dad has been so anxious to see you,” Tory said, a catch in her voice. “He’s waiting for you in his room. Would you like me to come too?”
Sloan shook her head. “Thanks Tory, but he and I need to do this together.”
~ 27 ~
As Tom sat across from Tory in the living room, he quickly scanned her. He easily sensed *concern*exhaustion* centered on her father and Sloan but was intrigued to catch a fleeting glimpse of *interest*. He gently followed the emotional thread and was surprised to find it linked to Ed.
Glancing at Ed, sitting next to her on the couch, he caught similar feelings of *interest*anticipation* as he watched him listen intently to Tory talk about her new job and the apartment she and her dad had just rented.
“How long do you think you’ll be staying?” Ed asked, looking at her sleek dark hair and wondering idly if it would feel as silky as it looked.
“At least six months, maybe longer if Dad responds well to the new treatment.” Tory noticed the way Ed was looking at her and she smiled to herself in satisfaction. Looking over at Tom, who had not said a word, Tory was startled to see his intense gaze focused on them. It’s almost as if he were trying to read our minds, she thought uneasily. There was also something eerie and unsettling about that stare of his....
“Ah ... Maybe we could have ... dinner sometime...?”
Tory swung her attention back to Ed and gave him such a blinding smile that he dropped the cookie he held in his hand. It fell with a plop into his cup, splashing coffee into his lap. As he swore under his breath, Tory grabbed her napkin and without thinking, reached forward to dab the web spot on his jeans, then suddenly caught herself and burst out laughing.
“Perhaps we should get to know each other a little better before I try that,” she chuckled tossing him the napkin.
Ed grinned back at her, marveling at the change laughter had brought to her lovely grey eyes.
Well, Tom thought, a smile curving his lips, even the densest human could read this scene. Standing, he caught Ed’s attention.
“Ed, I’ll be back later -- I have to make a few phone calls,” he said with a nod of his head to Tory.
As he paused in the doorway, he turned and focused on Ed’s emotional imprint and released *affection*support*. Ed turned his head, eyes wide with startled comprehension as a shy grin spread over his face. Looking directly at Tom, he nodded his head in acknowledgment then turned his attention to Tory and the possibility of dinner plans.
~ 28 ~
John Parker looked up as the door opened and Sloan stepped in hesitantly. His heart caught in his throat as he looked at her and saw so much of her mother reflected there.
“Hi,” he said nervously, afraid to say more, afraid of scaring her away.
He watched her as she sat down gingerly in a chair by his bed, watchful and poised for flight. He longed to reach out and touch her but knew it was too soon.
“I’m glad you came today.”
Sloan nodded noncommittally. She waited, unsure of how to start bridging a gap of over twenty years.
“I’m sorry Sloan,” he began, “I swear I didn’t know.”
The words jolted her back to that afternoon in the lab. She’d heard him say those words to her mother as she faced Lewis, heard them again to her as her mother lay unmoving in her arms.
“I’m sure that was a comfort to my mother,” she said harshly, trying to blink back the tears pricking her eyes.
“I loved her too!” John said his eyes flashing at her. “You’re not the only one who has suffered for that loss.”
“But she died protecting ME,” Sloan said, her voice rising in anger. “He had the gun to MY head. It should have been me, not her...”
“No! It should not have been you.” he said vehemently.
“It should not have been her either,” he added painfully. “but it was.”
Tears of anger and grief spilled from her eyes, as she searched his face. “Why didn’t you help us?” she asked, her voice rough with pain. “Why didn’t you protect her?”
John flinched but faced her and the accusation she directed at him. “I was afraid, Sloan.”
Looking at him, she suddenly realized the toll his illness had taken. He was pale and obviously in discomfort. The dark hair she remembered was now heavily streaked with silver and his grey eyes reflected the pain he felt --both physically and emotionally.
“Why were you afraid?” she asked, her voice gentling a little.
“Colegrove was stagnant. We needed a breakthrough project to put us on the forefront -- to get the attention of the scientific community. If we had the money, we could attract the scientists and researchers to make the company the best in the nation. Maybe the world.”
“Was that so important?” Sloan asked. “That Colegrove Laboratories be the best?”
“I thought so at the time.” John shifted uncomfortably, determined to go on “I was contacted by someone who said he represented a covert government agency. They offered me a lot of money to fund your mother’s gene research.” He brushed his hand across his face as if he could push the bitter memory away. “A lot of money."
“I never believed they were from a secret government agency,” he admitted reluctantly. “But I wanted their funding so much I was willing to overlook my suspicions. By the time I wanted out, it was too late and I found out how utterly ruthless they were.”
“Your intuition about them was right,” Sloan said with feeling. “You’re familiar with the Dominants -- the New Species I’ve been working on?”
“Yes.” John nodded and smiled faintly. “I’ve been following your work closely.”
“I’m certain they were behind the funding,” Sloan said decisively. “But I’m not sure why....”
John groaned and the look of anguish and self-loathing in his eyes was shocking. Sloan’s throat went dry as a horrifying realization hit her.
“Mother .... her research project....”
John nodded. “The Dominants must have been watching her work for sometime,” he said heavily. “I’m sure that’s why they offered money to fund her project. They wanted to know how much she knew, how far she’d get ....”
“And she uncovered them,” Sloan finished, her eyes wide with shock.
“No, Jana found DNA anomalies in some blood samples taken from a group of prisoners she was working with, but she was just getting more data when they ordered the project shut down."
“You uncovered them,” he said, his voice softening with pride.
Sloan sat motionless, her mind racing with the implications of what she’d just heard. Looking at her father, she was startled to see pride and love reflected in his eyes and she suddenly realized how selfish she had been with her own love.
Leaning forward to take his hand in both of his, she said sadly, “I know now that the Dominants didn’t want her research results. They wanted her research stopped, permanently. That’s why they sent someone to kill her.”
At the stunned look in her father’s eyes, Sloan gently squeezed his hand. “I just found out myself, a few days ago."
“His name is Lewis and he is truly ruthless. He now trains other Dominants as assassins and wants to stop our work toward coexistence between Dominants and humans.”
“Sloan,” he said, searching her face urgently. “If only I’d known who -- what -- they were ...”
Sloan shook her head, remembering what Walter had said to her earlier. “Don’t carry that burden with you. You can’t change what happened twenty years ago but you can work to make it right.”
John nodded slowly. “I have been.”
Sloan frowned, a puzzled look in her eyes.
“Who do you think is funding Dr. Attwood and his team?” John said softly, squeezing her hand.
At Sloan’s amazed expression, he smiled for the first time since she’d walked into the room.
“I figured it was the least I could do with the money I got after I sold Colegrove Laboratories."
“Besides,” he said, the sad look returning to his eyes. “It was the only way I could stay in touch with you .... protect you.”
Sloan looked down at his hand in hers. She blinked back the tears stinging her eyes and leaned forward to rest her forehead against her father’s hand.
“Thanks, Dad.”
~ 29 ~
Dinner was not going well. Ed had been so anxious about the date that at the last minute he had asked Sloan and Tom to join them for dinner. And evidently, Tory wasn’t any more self-confident tonight than Ed.
Looking across the table at them, Sloan couldn’t decide who was more nervous. So far, Tory had knocked over her wine glass --twice -- and Ed had shot half his salad off the plate trying to cut it and look at Tory at the same time. Slanting a glance over at Tom, Sloan saw only his usual composed expression but she wondered if he was regretting the dinner invitation.
Suddenly Tory’s beeper went off. Seeing the number of the hospital where she was on call, she quickly excused herself and went in search of a phone.
As soon as she was out of sight, Ed fell back in his chair, loosened his unaccustomed necktie and groaned. “Oh man,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose and squinting his eyes shut. “How about if I slide under the table cloth and when my dinner comes, you guys can just toss it under the table to me.”
Tom turned to Sloan and frowned slightly. Leaning toward her, he whispered, “Why are they having a bad time?”
“It’s the unknown quantity,” Sloan explained with a smile. “One of the trials and tribulations of dating.” Seeing his questioning stare, she laughed softly and placed her hand lightly on his cheek. “Luckily we skipped that part and went right to the ‘falling in love’ part.”
Tom eyes registered understanding and amusement. Glancing sharply over her shoulder, he nodded in the direction Tory had gone. As Sloan turned to look, she saw her sister frantically waving her hands to get her attention.
Excusing herself, Sloan rose from table and looking intently at Tom, jerked her head toward Ed as she left.
“...Ed?” Tom cleared his throat and wondered what Sloan had expected him to say.
“Has Tory left?” Ed asked abruptly, suddenly looking around as he pushed his hair back out of his eyes. “Not that I blame her. I’m sure she thinks she’s fished something out of the shallow end of the gene pool.”
Tom tilted his head and looked seriously at Ed. “Why would she leave? She is very interested in you.”
Ed looked at Tom, an expression of hopeful amazement on his face.
Tom nodded. “I sensed it when we took Sloan to meet Tory and her father at their apartment. Her feelings were very centered on her father and Sloan but I caught a definite thread of interest for you. It’s there tonight, as well.”
As Tory slid back into her chair, Ed straightened his tie and smiled warmly at her. She was so startled, she dropped her napkin to the floor and as they both leaned forward to retrieve it, they knocked heads. Pulling back to stare at each other in embarrassment, they both suddenly burst out laughing.
Sloan let out a sigh of relief and glanced over at Tom who was calmly eating his dinner. I wonder what he said to Ed, she thought curiously. But Ed and Tory’s animated chatter caught her attention and she turned to watch the two, now completely absorbed in each other’s company, and she smiled in satisfaction.
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