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A low pop reached him a millisecond before the bullet hit him in the center of his forehead.
????
MONDAY EVENING
Simon entered the formal dining room. He always ate dinner around seven in the evening. A habit ingrained in him by his mother, who always waited for his father to get home from work because she wanted the family to eat together. He’d donethe same thing with his boys growing up, and they still usually found their way to the table three or four times a week. Especially Christopher and Leslie since they lived there. Keith had his own place, but Simon wasn’t sure why, since the man spent more nights in his old bedroom than his apartment.
“Sorry I’m late,” Simon said to those already there. “Had a phone call that went long.” A phone call that would hopefully pad his sorry bank account a little more. He helped himself to the buffet-style dinner, then took his plate to the table. He sat at the head, of course, while the others seated themselves accordingly.
To his right was Christopher and Christopher’s wife, Leslie. They had no children yet, thanks to Christopher’s desire to establish himself as the youngest governor in California. But ... soon, they planned to start trying. A pregnant wife was good campaign strategy. Simon couldn’t say he disagreed.
To Simon’s left was the bane of his existence. One that he loved simply because he was his son. Keith had so many issues, it was a wonder he’d managed to keep his nose clean and everything out of the media.
But he had, and with much effort and a lot of money, the boy’s reputation was still spotless. His good looks and charming personality—when he chose to use it—made him popular with everyone who crossed his path. Which was why Daphne Valentine, heiress to the Valentine fortune, sat next to Keith.
Somehow his wayward son had charmed the woman, who was obviously smitten with him. Keith had set his sights on Daphne at Simon’s order and had succeeded in his quest to win her heart in a fairly short amount of time. Thankfully, the boy was on the right path at the moment, and Simon intended to make sure he stayed there. Because while Daphne was incredibly intelligent, when it came to emotions and love, she appeared blinded by Keith’s good looks and utter devotion. If Simon hadn’t been well aware that his son was only devoted to himself,he might be fooled as well—which was why he didn’t stand in judgment of her inability to see beneath Keith’s surface.
He swallowed a bite of dry roast and grimaced. Why was it impossible to get a good cook? He tossed his napkin on the table and noted everyone staring at him. “What?”
Christopher cleared his throat. “Leslie just asked if she could get you anything, since the roast doesn’t seem to be to your liking.”
“Oh.” He cast a glance at his daughter-in-law. He liked her. And for whatever reason, she seemed to like him. Not in a “sucking up” kind of way, but in a way that a daughter looks up to a father. He didn’t understand it, but he was touched by it. She and Christopher had been married for only two years, but she’d definitely grown on him. Maybe because they were a lot alike. “Ah, no. Thank you. The ham and vegetables will be just fine.”
“What was your phone call about?” Keith asked.
Simon bit off his retort and pasted a pleasant expression on his face. “Just some real estate business. Nothing pressing.” He turned to Daphne. “How is your father doing? I heard he was under the weather last week.”
The woman smiled, revealing a deep dimple in her left cheek and a row of orthodontically straight white teeth. Her dark eyes glistened with life. And kindness. For a moment, the sting of an unfamiliar emotion settled on him—could that be guilt? He shoved it away to focus on her answer.
“...just fine now. He’s on medication for A-fib and he’d not taken it for a day or so.” She shook her head. “The man needs a keeper. My mother was always the one who made sure he took his medication, but ...” Simon captured the flash of pain in her gaze. Daphne’s mother had passed away three years ago after a short battle with cancer. Daphne drew in a breath and smiled again. “Well, it looks like I’ll be handling that from now on. Thank you for asking.”
Simon studied her for a moment. She really was a lovely woman. Much better than his son deserved. “He’s a lucky father to have a daughter like you.”
She shot him a small smile, and he turned his attention to his eldest son. “I’m assuming you had a busy day?”
Christopher’s gaze met his. “Still waiting to hear from a potential donor, but yes, very busy and, hopefully, successful.”
“Good. Good.” He tried the cinnamon pastry and found it dry. “Who cooked this anyway?”
“Gary did,” Leslie said.
“Tell him he’s fired. I’m tired of paying for this kind of food. A cook should know how to cook.”
Leslie smiled at him. “You’re so right. I’ll take care of it.”
“Please.” Having Leslie run the household was one of the benefits of her and Christopher living under the same roof. Granted, it was a very large roof and they could go days without seeing one another if they so chose, but she was a good woman, a doting daughter-in-law, and would make a wonderful governor’s wife.
Simon’s hands tightened around his silverware, and he could only hope everything would turn out like he’d planned.
Because if not ...
He shuddered. It didn’t bear thinking about. Everything had to go as planned. Period.
After dinner, Simon motioned for his sons to join him in his office. Once behind the closed door, he looked at Keith. “Who’s the mother of the child?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I did a little digging. Michael Harrison was adopted by that family the day he was born. He’s obviously your kid, so who’s the mother?”
