A Family Matter
Part Four
By Martha Mills
martheeny@yahoo.com

Thanks also to Sharon, Debbie, Cathy and Ally for their invaluable feedback, encouragement and support. And to everyone else who sent along a kind message, or enjoyed this story.

Note: This story was somewhat inspired by a movie called "Liar’s Moon." I highly recommend it.

Roland Carter was sitting quietly in his favorite chair, waiting for his son to arrive. It made his head spin to think that John might possibly be bringing Abbie with him. For almost twenty-seven years, Roland had known about her. His mind drifted back...

It was the fall of 1972. That was when Roland had been a young dynamo hotshot attorney, who jumped at the chance to travel to Lubbock, Texas. He was in charge of setting up the new office, wrangling in new clients (mostly oil companies) and making sure everything went off without a hitch. He had spent the first week conducting job interviews non-stop. And then there was Peggy Carmichael. He remembered the first time he saw her standing up to shake her hand, he had become self-conscious as he realized he was getting an erection. He knew then she would become his secretary, and hopefully, his mistress. She had eagerly accepted both positions.

Peggy had been married to that drunk. What was his name? Jesse. Sometimes after working late with Roland, she'd come to work the next day wearing long-sleeved shirts in the heat (autumn was hot in Texas), or slacks, when she knew Roland preferred her mini skirts. It was never spoken of, but he knew that she was married to a wife-beater.

For eight weeks, he had stayed in Lubbock. Just long enough to staff the office and woo the area's finest attorneys to join the firm. Just long enough to drum up more business, and establish a client base that exceeded even his expectations. It was also just long enough to get Peggy Carmichael's hopes up that maybe Roland would take her back to Chicago with him, leave his wife and children, marry her. He knew from the get-go that she was nothing more than a tight piece of ass, who was somewhat adept at shorthand and typing. A distraction after a long day. Another notch in his belt. So, after everything was settled, he had gone back to Chicago, and left her behind. He had gone home to his wife, Laura. His sons, Bobby and Johnny. Peggy was left, heartbroken, bitter, and unbeknownst to him, pregnant.

It had been another eight months before he heard from her again. She had called him at the office, to drop a bombshell on him. "I've just given birth to your daughter, Abigail." Roland was floored. He wouldn't believe it until they had a blood test done. Results didn't lie, the child was biologically his. He insisted that the baby be raised as a Carmichael. To Peggy's credit, she didn't try to blackmail him. She only wanted her daughter to have the same opportunities in life that Laura's children would have. An education, a future.

Roland did what came naturally with any `problem', he threw money at it. He set up an education fund, under the guise of the Carter Foundation, of course. He knew Peggy's life must be hell, that Abbie's would be, too. Chances were that Jesse knew of Peggy's infidelity. If that were true, then he surely knew that the baby probably wasn't a true Carmichael. God help that child. Whenever guilt might creep up into the edges of Roland's mind, he'd remember what was important. Laura. Bobby. Johnny. And later, Barbara. They were his family, for god's sake! He had been young and arrogant.

But all that had been a long time ago. Eventually, he would find himself realizing he hadn't thought about the Carmichaels for months, and later on, for years. But now it was back again. Ready to bite him in the ass, and jeopardize his marriage. Again. Damn.

He heard the doorbell, and snapped back into the present time. "Well," he thought to himself, "time to take care of business."

Peggy Carmichael was almost finished with her second pint of whiskey. She had spent the day in a daze.

Abbie, her precious child, her only reason for existing, had met a Dr. John Carter. Roland had a son named John Carter. Shit! Roland. She had been forced to call him today. The promise she had made to herself, that she would never speak to him or of him again....broken. "But it was for Abbie's sake," she tried to reason. Anything for Abbie.

The man obviously hadn't changed. That condescending tone was as biting as ever. She could hear the words he had used so long ago. "What in the hell would make you think I give a damn about you? Or the child you claim is mine? Are you too stupid to realize that I have a family? I don't need yours. Take the money and leave me alone." The tears started again.

Peggy wanted this to all wash over. Maybe this doctor she was seeing was in no way connected to Roland. She knew that Abbie had a good head on her shoulders. If Dr. John Carter actually was Roland's son, chances were that Abbie wouldn't be at all interested in him. After all, Peggy could just imagine what Roland's two sons had grown up to be. "Arrogant sons-of-bitches! Just like their father!" she was slurring her speech, talking to herself. "Goddamn bastards!" Then it occurred to her that Abbie was the bastard, the one born out of wedlock. Her body heaved with the sobs as she fell back onto the couch. Then her thoughts turned to Abbie becoming intimate with a man who could well be her own brother. "Good Lord, what have I done?" Mercifully, she passed out soon after.

"Check this out, Abbie. I'll ring the doorbell. Exactly seven seconds will pass, and Edward will answer." John always got a kick out of this. Edward was very punctual, reliable.

"Stop pulling my leg!" Abbie was grateful he was trying to lighten the mood. She had no idea what to expect once they stepped through that door. "Really? Seven seconds, huh?"

John smiled. "See for yourself." He pressed the doorbell. Sure enough, after seven seconds, there was Edward, opening the door for them. Abbie shouldn't have been surprised, but she was. Then she was filled with awe, as she was ushered into the foyer, which was three stories high. The entire entry hall was breathtaking, with tastefully ornate paintings and trim.

Edward took their jackets and said, "I'll let your father know you're here, sir."

John stopped him. "Edward, I have known you since I was four years old. My name is John. Please don't call me sir." He hated the formality that the servants always used, but he knew it was mandated by Roland.

"Sorry, John," he replied, and he left the room.

John walked over to Abbie's side. "Abbie, if I seem to act differently toward you, while we're here, please don't take it personally. Dad is very protective of `the Carter Legacy' as he calls it. I think it would be best to play it cool, like we're just friendly acquaintances. I personally would like to see it be much more than that, but if Dad even suspects that we're, you know, dating....or....whatever..." John stopped, and realized what he had said. Had he stepped over the line? What if Abbie really just wanted to be his friend? They had just met yesterday, and here he was talking about a `relationship'.

He swallowed hard, and forced himself to complete his thought. "Well, you'd be put under the microscope. I don't want to subject you to that." He didn't mention the time he had overheard Roland in a meeting with a private investigator, discussing Anna DelAmico. And they hadn't even been dating! His father had seen them talking together, in the hospital one day, and had drawn his own conclusions. John felt his cheeks flush with the memory.

Then he looked at his date, and wondered how he would be able to mask his attraction to this beautiful woman before him. It was all he could do to back a few steps away from her, for the sake of appearance. The scent of her made him tingle. He ran his hands through his hair, from nervousness.

Abbie smiled. "I trust you." She wanted to grab him, and kiss him, like he kissed her the night before. If only she could tell him right now that she felt the same way. She was ready and willing to jump into something serious. But she held her tongue. It was a good thing, too. Roland appeared at the end of the hall, motioning them into the parlor.

END PART FOUR.