The sound of the intercom from the front gate drew her out of her chair. She wondered who it could be as she wasn’t expecting anyone but Jonathan. She quickly passed through the sliding glass doors that separated the balcony from the master bedroom, and pressed the button to respond.
"Yes?"
"Jennifer, it’s me." Instantly she recognized the familiar sound of her father’s voice.
A puzzled look crossed her face and she responded with surprise. "Dad? What are you doing here? Come on up." She spoke into the intercom and pressed the button to allow her father entry.
The immediate feeling of elation that she had felt at hearing her father’s voice was quickly replaced by worry. This was not typical behavior for her father. In all the years since she had moved to California with Jonathan, her father had never just shown up out of the blue. Maybe she was overreacting, she thought. Perhaps her father was in Los Angeles to visit one of the many art galleries here. But something told her that was not the case.
Jennifer ran down the stairs to greet her father at the door. Whenever she saw him, she felt just like that little girl from long ago who couldn’t wait for her father to return from his business trips. They had a special bond between them, one that neither time nor distance between them could alter. For many years it had just been the two of them and her father held a special place in her heart.
"Hello sweetheart," her father said, gathering her up in his arms and kissing her on the cheek. "I have missed you. Where’s that son-in-law of mine?"
"He’s on his way back from London. He had a meeting there about a company that Hart Industries is hoping to acquire. What brings you to California, Dad?"
"Can’t a father visit his daughter without a reason? I haven’t been out here to see you and Jonathan for quite a while. I hope it’s not a bad time."
"No, not at all. I’m glad to see you. I’m just surprised, that’s all. Come on, lets go relax in the living room, Jonathan should be home soon."
They entered the spacious and brightly colored living room and her father settled onto the couch. Everything in the Hart’s home was exquisite, Jennifer seemed to have a special flair for decorating. It was expensive, but not showy. She had done all of the decorating herself and it had been a formidable task. After the house in Bel Air had been destroyed by the fire, they had moved out to Malibu, to the beach, and started over.
"Would you like a drink, Dad? A brandy maybe?"
"Sure sweetheart, that would be nice."
Jennifer poured her father’s drink and thought to herself about how many times she had done that for him. During her teen years, she had loved the familiarity of his evening routine. They would have dinner together, then he would retire to the study with his newspapers, where she would pour him a drink and light his cigar for him. Walter, their live-in butler, who was still with her father today, would have gladly done it, but Jennifer enjoyed doing this for him. It was something her mother had always done for him before she had died and Jennifer found comfort and security in that fact. Often, he would share with her the events of his day and they frequently discussed politics and current events. She cherished this time that she spent with her father. He had always treated her with respect, and valued her opinions, even when she was a small child. They became even closer after her mother’s accident, growing to rely on each other a great deal. Before her mother’s death, her father had been away on business quite a bit, and he often regretted not being there, but after the accident everything changed. She owed a lot to her father, he had taken on the roles of both parents, and she knew that couldn’t have been easy. He and her mother had been very happy and Jennifer knew that her loss had been devastating to him, but his primary concern had been Jennifer and her happiness. So, he had put his own grief and sadness aside, and focused his life on her.
Jennifer turned to her father and reached out to hand him his drink. "Here you go, Dad."
"Thank you." Jennifer couldn’t help but notice the way her father’s hand shook as he took the glass from her. He had always been so strong and steady, but something had changed. There was a look in his eyes, one of worry and nervousness, that had she had never seen there before.
"Dad," she said almost apprehensively, "Is everything alright? You don’t quite seem yourself."
"Nothing you need to worry about, Jennifer," he replied, quickly changing the topic. "Tell me more about the new series of articles you are working on. Something about endangered animal preservation, right?"
As Jonathan Hart drove up the long driveway in his black Mercedes convertible, he spotted an unfamiliar car parked in the driveway. The plates were those of a rental car, but he had spoken with Jennifer just a few hours before and she hadn’t mentioned that they were expecting company. He hadn’t seen his wife in what felt like years and was a little disappointed at the prospect of having to share her with guests this evening.
He entered the house through the kitchen and set his bags inside the door. "Darling?," he called out, hoping to have a few moments alone with his wife before joining their guests.
"Hello darling." Jennifer entered the kitchen and immediately flew into her husband’s arms. "I am so glad to have you home. I’ve missed you."
"Want to show me how much?," Jonathan replied with a grin. He pulled his wife closer and pressed his mouth onto hers in a passionate embrace. After a few seconds, Jennifer gently pulled away.
"Darling, there is nothing I would rather do than take you upstairs and show you how much I’ve missed you," she said with a twinkle in her eye, "But we have company."
"I noticed the car outside. Who is it? And how quickly can we get rid of them?" A devilish look flashed in his eyes before softly kissing her neck.
"You’re terrible! Come see for yourself." Taking his hand she led him toward the living room where her father was waiting for them.
Steven Edwards sipped his drink slowly, wondering if he had made a mistake in coming to California. But recent happenings had caused him alarm, and he just had to see for himself that Jennifer was alright. She was all he had left and he couldn’t let any harm come to her. But he wasn’t quite sure how to protect her.
Jonathan was pleasantly surprised to find his father-in-law in the living room, enjoying a glass of brandy. The two men genuinely liked and respected each other. When Jonathan and Jennifer had decided to marry so suddenly, their biggest fear was how her father would react. But Steven had instantly liked Jonathan, there was something about the younger man that had reminded him of himself 30 years before. He thought that Jonathan was hard working and respectable, and despite the suddenness of their marriage, Steven could tell that Jonathan deeply cared about and respected his daughter. And he couldn’t deny the fact that Jennifer had a brightness in her eyes that he had never seen there before.
"Steven, what brings you here?"
Jennifer’s father rose and extended his hand to Jonathan before pulling him in for a hug.
"I just thought it was about time I paid you two a visit. Things are slow at the gallery this time of year so it seemed like the perfect time for a little trip."
"It’s great to see you. How is everything in Maryland?"
The elder gentleman hesitated for a moment before responding. "Everything is good, Jonathan. Things are a little slow right now at the gallery, but it will pick up soon. It’s just that time of year, I suppose. I’m planning a trip to the Paris gallery next month, I hope to be able to move some of the inventory from that location to the gallery in the states." He paused for a moment. "How is everything at Hart Industries? Jennifer mentioned you were looking to add a new company to your portfolio."
"Business as usual. I’m a bit undecided about this new company. In fact, if you have some time while you’re visiting, I’d love to discuss it with you."
"Sure, I have no plans while I’m here. I’m not sure how long you two can put up with me though." Steven smiled at his son-in-law, as Jennifer laughed.
"We love having you here, Dad." Jennifer moved next to him on the couch and gently kissed his cheek. "Why don’t we take your bags upstairs and you can get settled in. Jonathan, could you call Mario’s and see if we can get dinner reservations for tonight?"
"Good idea, darling. I think Mario owes me a favor, I’m sure he can get us a table."
"Jonathan, did my father seem a little different to you?" Jennifer stood in front of him in a terry bathrobe, brushing her auburn hair. He was exhausted after his long day of traveling, and was taking a few minutes to relax on their bed before readying himself for dinner.
"I hadn’t really noticed, darling. Why?"
"He just seemed distracted, kind of edgy. Like something was on his mind. Maybe I’m just surprised to see him, but he never shows up here unannounced. Makes me wonder why he’s really here."
"I’m sure you are overreacting. He probably just missed you." Flashing her that million dollar smile he finished his thought, "I know someone else who did!"
"Oh yeah?" She was captivated by her husband’s charm. "Anyone I know?" She grinned at him, a look of playfulness on her face. All thoughts of her father and his motivation for visiting quickly vanished from her mind.
"I think you’ve met him. He definitely remembers you!"
"Hmmm……you do look somewhat familiar…but it’s been a while." She loved teasing him.
"Come here, let me refresh your memory." He looked at her seductively, that special look reserved only for her. "You still haven’t shown me how much you missed me." He sat up, and motioned for her to come to him.
Jennifer smiled, knowing it was useless for her to try to resist him. She moved swiftly toward him, and he took her in his arms, pulling her close to him. He kissed her, tenderly at first, and then with more urgency. He slipped the bathrobe from her shoulders and gently lowered her onto the bed.
"Do you know how much I missed you, darling?," Jennifer purred.
"I think you were just about to show me." She laughed softly, and then did just that.
When they finally arrived downstairs, they found Jennifer’s father waiting for them, reading an California Homes magazine he had found on the coffee table.
"I thought our reservation was for seven," he said, almost knowingly.
"Mario said he would hold our table till we arrive. You know how women are, it takes them forever to get ready." He looked at his wife and when their eyes met they looked as if they were two children who were keeping a secret.
Jennifer smiled, deciding to let her father believe that it was a fashion emergency that had kept them so long in the bedroom, rather than revealing the truth. "Shall we go then, since I have already kept you waiting long enough."
"I’ll pull the car around," Jonathan answered, picking up his black suit jacket and keys on the way to the door.
They all thoroughly enjoyed their dinner at Mario’s, not only was it one of the finest Italian restaurants in Los Angeles, but it was also a sentimental favorite of the Harts. Jennifer and Jonathan had frequently gone there during the early years of their marriage. Several of their friends were dining there that evening, and couldn’t help but notice the looks of love that were still exchanged by the Harts, even after all of the years of marriage. They looked happier and more in love than ever, and most people who knew them couldn’t help but feel the pangs of jealousy whenever they saw them together.
The evening was a pleasant one, but both Jennifer and Jonathan were aware of the fact that their dinner companion seemed a little ill at ease. He didn’t seem comfortable or particularly talkative, which was very unlike him. And the only time that he really seemed involved in their conversation was when he was sharing with Jonathan stories of Jennifer as a child. Only then did his burden seem to lessen. He loved to talk about his daughter and her childhood antics and it was clear to anyone who listened that Jennifer was his entire world, his reason for living. The Harts had been involved in a spirited conversation when they both became acutely aware of the lack of input from their guest.
"Steven?" Jonathan attempted to rouse the older man, who was clearly lost in his own thoughts.
Startled at the sound of his son-in-law’s voice, Steven Edwards was jolted back into the present, and responded weakly, "I’m sorry, I guess my mind is somewhere else tonight. I think I’m just tired, after all, it’s close to midnight in Maryland."
"Maybe we should be going then, Jonathan," Jennifer interjected. "You must be tired from your trip too. We all could use a good night’s sleep."
Nodding to his wife, Jonathan agreed. "Good idea, darling. I was hoping to get to bed early this evening." Jonathan Hart glanced in his wife’s direction with a look that told her that sleep was the last thing on his mind.
She rolled her eyes at him and a faint smile crossed her lips. He was incorrigible, but she loved it, and him. She couldn’t wait to be home, and alone, with her husband. She had missed him incredibly while he was in London, and would have accompanied him, had it not been for a meeting with her publisher that she simply couldn’t postpone. She and Jonathan had met in London, years before, and whenever they visited there, they were filled with the magic of their whirlwind courtship. Their marriage never lacked passion or romance, but just being there caused them both to reminisce, and to feel thankful for the twist of fate that had crossed their paths in life.
Jennifer’s father quickly responded, "Shall we go then?" He rose from his seat, reaching for the check which had been placed next to Jonathan. "I’ll take care of this," directing his comments toward his son-in-law, "And I want no arguments from you."
"Thank you, Steven." Jonathan knew there was no use arguing with him, he was a man used to getting his own way, "But next time’s on me."
"You’ve got a deal."
The trio exited the restaurant, after stopping to say goodbye to several friends who were still dining there. During the ride home, Steven sat motionless in the back seat, looking out of the window as if in a trance. At one point, Jennifer attempted to engage him in conversation, but had no luck, as he remained oblivious to her efforts. For the rest of the trip, the car was filled with silence.
After arriving back at the Hart’s home, they promptly retired to their respective bedrooms for the evening. Steven’s quirky behavior hadn’t gone unnoticed by either of his dinner companions, who were both somewhat troubled by it.
"Jonathan," Jennifer called to him from the bathroom where she was readying herself for bed. She walked around the corner, to the bedroom where her husband was standing by the door, about to exit.
"Yes, darling?" Jonathan stopped and turned to face his wife.
"Did you see what I mean? About my father, that is. Something is definitely not right." The look of concern on her face was obvious.
"Yes, I did. But it could be many things, darling. Maybe he really is just tired, like he said. And he’s been doing a lot of travel, and working hard, and he’s not getting any younger. Perhaps with a good night’s sleep, he will be back to his old self tomorrow. You know how your father is, Jennifer. He is a proud man and used to handling his problems on his own. If there is something wrong that he can’t resolve on his own, he will tell us in his own time." Jonathan wished that he could relieve Jennifer’s worries. But he wasn’t sure that they were unfounded. In all the years he had known Steven, he had never seen him behave like this.
"Maybe you’re right, darling." She walked toward him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, taking in the familiar smell of the cologne she had bought him the previous Christmas. It was one of her favorites, and he knew it and wore it often. She turned her head upward and kissed him gently. "I think I am going to get some sleep. Are you coming to bed now?"
"I’m just going to run downstairs to get a file that I want to look through before tomorrow morning’s board meeting. But I’ll be right back. Can I get you anything? Maybe a drink, to help you relax?"
"No thanks, darling."
"I’ll just be a minute." She watched him leave the room, gently closing the door behind him, before settling into bed.
