Part 14 (1/2)

”We invited you, not him!”

”Please,” Alex begged, ”don't start shouting at me. It doesn't help anything!”

”I'm sorry, Alex. Look, there are other reasons for you to come home.”

”What? Is something wrong with Mother?”

”No. It's Case. He's been given orders to s.h.i.+p over with his marine squadron.Shortly after Christmas, he's leaving for Da Nang. He'll be flying F-4Phantoms out of there in support activities with the ground forces.”

”Oh, dear....”

”You've got to come home, Alex. This will be your last chance to see Casebefore he s.h.i.+ps out. He wants to see you, but not with McKenzie.”

Alex felt Jim's hand on her shoulder. ”First of all, I've got plans to go homewith Jim to visit his folks in Missouri,” Alex said hoa.r.s.ely. ”We've alreadygot airline tickets.” Her voice dropped in anguish.

”So cancel the d.a.m.ned tickets, Alex! You belong at home with us. With yourolder brother! What if Case gets killed in action? You will have missed theopportunity-”

Alex covered her mouth with her hand to hold back a cry. The very realpossibility of Case getting killed slammed through her. She struggled andfound her voice. ”Father, that's not fair! It hurts me. I-I won't come home.Not for Christmas.”

”Dammit, Alex, don't be so stubborn! That man isn't your shadow!”

”No,” she rasped unsteadily, ”he isn't.” Alex was well aware of Jim's dark,concerned look for her. ”But I happen to love him, Father, and he's part of mylife whether you approve or not.”

”Well, Case is going to be terribly disappointed in you, Alex. You'reforsaking your own brother for that b.a.s.t.a.r.d! What kind of daughter are you,anyway?”

Pain ripped through Alex. Gathering every bit of her shredded courage, shewhispered, ”I love Case very much, Father. If he wants to see me before hegoes, he can come to Missouri. Or he can call. Mother has Mrs. McKenzie'sphone number.”

”I'm very disappointed in you, Alex.”

”I know. I've known it all my life.”

The phone line went dead. Her father had hung up on her.

Alex shut her eyes.

Jim took the receiver from her hand and placed it back on the wall. Gently, hegripped her by the shoulders. ”What happened?”

Blinking back her tears, Alex tried to smile, but couldn't. She told Jimeverything, watching as hurt came into his eyes. Knotting her fists againsthis chest, she cried, ”This isn't fair, Jim! It just isn't fair! Why can'tFather accept you, and how I want to live my life?”

”Because,” Jim said grimly, gathering Alex in his arms, ”he wants to controlyou like he does the rest of his family.” After holding her for a long time insilence, he looked down at her. ”Would you rather go home to see Case? Iwouldn't mind.”

Her love for him tripled. ”I don't know what to do, Jim. Father's pride is inthe way, but so is mine. I refuse to go home without you. And yet, do I refuseto see Case, to not say goodbye to him?” Alex buried her face in the folds ofhis s.h.i.+rt, hearing his heart-a steady, calming beat-against her ear.

”Sweet woman, whatever your decision, I'll stand by you. Seeing Case is moreimportant. He doesn't deserve to be penalized just because of your father- orbecause of my actions.”

”Don't say that!” Alex looked up through her veil of tears. ”This isn't yourfault. I don't accept that, Jim. I never will. Remember? I'm the one who wasout there in that jungle with you. I'm not about to abandon you in face of myd.a.m.ned father's emotional blackmail. And what I hate most is that Case is a p.a.w.n in all of this-that Father is using him.”

”He's using Case to hurt you because you love me, Alex.”

Miserably, Alex wiped her eyes. ”I know it,” she said, her voice wobbling.

It was on the tip of his tongue to say that Hiram Vance loved no one buthimself, that he manipulated the members of his family like a puppeteer, andthe family merely reacted in a knee-jerk fas.h.i.+on. Anger, hot and startling,sizzled through Jim. Alex was a victim of her father's hatred of him. As muchas Jim wished that his past wouldn't interfere, it was, once again.

”You can go home, Alex.”

She shook her head. ”No! I won't give Father the satisfaction. I won't!”Gazing up at him, Alex whispered, ”I want to go home with you. We deserve thistime together. I love your mother and father almost as if they were my own.”

”Okay,” Jim said, his voice cracking, ”we'll go home-together.”

”Welcome, welcome, welcome!” Tansy McKenzie called from the wooden porch oftheir Ozark cabin, surrounded by trees that had shed their leaves for thecoming winter. Dressed in a simple cotton dress and bright red ap.r.o.n, thepet.i.te woman had never looked happier.

Alex climbed out of the rented car and waved. Some of her depression lifted asJim's mother, who was in her mid-sixties, moved gingerly off the porch. Theevening was upon them, the sky a darkening blue and cloudless, the air brisk.

”Hi, Ma!” Alex greeted her excitedly as she shut the car door. As she walkedtoward Tansy, Alex wished with all her heart that she could experience suchobvious love and warmth from her own family. But somehow, as she reached outand hugged Jim's mother, Alex felt the invisible load she carried on hershoulders lighten.

”Oh, you look wonderful!” Tansy bubbled, holding Alex at arm's length. ”Lordy,you're more purty than ever before!” she declared, her eyes twinkling. Shereleased Alex as Jim approached. ”h.e.l.lo, son. Welcome home!”

Jim embraced his mother. He was so tall and lean in comparison to Tansy.

Alex smiled her welcome as John McKenzie approached. As always, he was dressedin bib overalls and a plaid flannel s.h.i.+rt. His head was bald, and he wore anancient pair of spectacles far down on his hawklike nose. It was the merrimentin his eyes that made Alex smile even wider.

”Hi, Mr. McKenzie. Merry Christmas.” Alex offered her hand. A handshake wasall she had ever shared with Jim's reserved father. Unlike Tansy, Johnremained somewhat distant. Alex respected his need for formality, so it waswith great surprise-and pleasure-that she saw the tall, lanky man open his arms.

”Welcome home, Alexandra,” he said gruffly, hugging, then quickly releasingher.

Welcome home. The words rang sweetly, and Alex beamed. ”Thank you, Mr.McKenzie.”

”Call me John. No sense standin' on ceremony.”

”I'd love to,” Alex admitted, surprised yet thrilled by his decision. She sawJohn's severe-looking features soften even more as Jim approached. Alex heldback tears as she saw the warmth, pride and love pa.s.s between father and son.When John McKenzie embraced his son, it was with enthusiasm and obviousdelight. If Alex had any doubts about her decision to come to the MissouriOzarks for Christmas, they were laid to rest now. As she looked around, sherealized there wasn't a dry eye among them.

Sniffing, Tansy gripped Alex's hand. ”Well, ya'll come in! It's chilly outhere, and we've got a roarin' fire inside. Come!”

The interior of the cabin was filled with wonderful odors, and Alex smiledover at Jim as they took off their coats.

”I'm starved, Ma.”

Tansy poked at her son's ribs. ”Jim, yore lookin' a mite thin. Four days ofhome cookin' is what you need.”

”Son, you look like a starvin' cow brute to me,” John noted wryly as he ambledtoward the living room.

Jim put his arm around Alex and grinned. ”Well, if it weren't for this gal,I'd look a lot worse, believe me.”

Tansy nodded and winked over at Alex. ”Honey, will you help me set the table?The pheasants are done cookin', and I've got everything timed for half an hourfrom now.”

”Pheasants?”

”Sh.o.r.e,” John said, settling back in a black-walnut rocker near the potbelliedstove. ”I went huntin' wild turkey this mornin', but they outsmarted me. Acouple of dumb pheasants sittin' in my neighbor's cornfield didn't, though.”

”I've never had pheasant,” Alex admitted, content with country living.