Perfect Partners

Grayson,” Stephanie said. “I knew the minute I met him that he would make an excellent father.”
    “Is that the reason you married him?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Letty was appalled. She closed her eyes, wishing desperately she could recall the question. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
    “It’s all right.” Stephanie sounded amused rather than affronted. “To be perfectly truthful with you, the fact that Morgan was good father material was far more important to me than any other single factor. At least in the beginning. But now that I’ve gotten to know him better, I’ve come to realize that he has any number of other wonderful qualities.”
    Letty’s hands clenched in her lap. She glanced across the seat, unable to read Stephanie’s expression because of her blue-mirrored sunglasses. “Stephanie, I know I have no business asking this, but do you really love my father?”
    “Of course.” Stephanie smiled serenely and tooled the Porsche into the parking lot of a supermarket. “But I would not be surprised if your definition of love is somewhat different from my own. I hope you don’t mind if we stop here for a minute. I’m out of feta cheese and salsa.”
    “No, I don’t mind.”

    Much later that night Letty lay in bed and listened to the murmur of voices drifting in through the open window. Her father and Stephanie had not yet retired for the night. They were still sitting out on the glass-enclosed deck overlooking the city lights and Elliott Bay. Letty could not see them, but she could hear their low-voiced conversation.
    “Do you think she’ll stay in Seattle, Morgan?”
    “I don’t know. But she needs the change. The worst thing she could do right now is go back to Vellacott.”
    “You may be right. I feel sorry for her. She seems a little lost, if you know what I mean. Maybe breaking off her engagement bothered her more than she’s willing to admit.”
    “She’s strong. She’ll bounce back fast enough. It’s nice of you to be so concerned about her, Stephanie.”
    “She’s your daughter. Naturally I’m concerned about her.” There was a short silence, and then Stephanie added, “I don’t think she fully accepts or understands our relationship yet, though.”
    “Give her time.”
    There was another period of silence. Letty turned onto her side and curled up. Then she heard Stephanie’s voice again.
    “The class was wonderful today, Morgan. I’ll be starting a new auditory stimulation routine for Matthew Christopher tomorrow.”
    Morgan chuckled. “It won’t be much longer and you’ll be able to talk to him face to face.”
    “Two more months.”
    Letty heard the expectant hope and satisfaction in Stephanie’s voice, but she also detected something else, a note of tension. She thought of the intense way Stephanie had taken down everything Professor Blanchford had said that afternoon. It was as if she had been afraid of missing a single word.
    Afraid. Yes, Letty suddenly realized. That was the right word.
Afraid
. But that conclusion made no sense. Stephanie was the most unflappable, most coolly controlled woman she had ever met.
    “I’ll have to check on that Italian crib we ordered,” Morgan said. “It should be in by now.”
    “I called the artist who’s doing the mobile that will hang over the crib. He said it was almost ready. He chose botanical subjects as his motif.”
    Letty listened to the soft voices for a while longer. The bottom line, she decided, was that she felt like an outsider in her father’s home.
    It was definitely time to move out. She would start looking for an apartment right away.
    Tomorrow she would be sitting in the president’s office at Thornquist Gear. That thought sent a jolt of euphoria through Letty. Her new life was waiting for her to take command.

    Joel studied the printout that lay on his desk. Everything looked solid. All the little ducks were lined up in a row waiting for him to fire the howitzers. Copeland Marine Industries was so much dead meat ready to start rotting in the fields.
    He should have felt more of a sense of satisfaction, he thought. He had waited long enough to bring down Victor Copeland. Fifteen years, to be exact. In another month the business would be over and done.
    So why was he feeling edgy today? Joel got up and went to stand at his office window. His problem was the impending arrival of Letty Thornquist, and he knew it. She would be here tomorrow, expecting to