Read Online The Hamilton Heir by Valerie Hansen - Free Book Online
Authors: Valerie Hansen
Ads: Link
“You and Wendy look alike. Dad was short, too. You know what the Observer article insinuated. How long do you think it’s going to be before somebody takes a good look at me and imagines a family resemblance?”
“We don’t know for sure,” Betty insisted.
Justine sighed. “Yes, we do. You may want to keep lying to yourself but I’ve had all the positive proof Ineed. Accept it, Mom. Your biggest mistake is standing right here, waiting tables in your restaurant.”
Reaching for her daughter’s hand, Betty grasped it tightly. “Don’t ever think that, Justine. Never. I wouldn’t trade you for anything. You know that. You must. If Daddy was alive, I know he’d say the same thing.” Tears had filled her eyes. “I love you, baby. I wish I could change things but I can’t, so we’ll have to live with it. I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah,” Justine said, penitent and equally teary-eyed. “I’m sorry, too. Guess I was thinking of myself too much. It’s just that every time I see one of the Hamiltons these days, I get kind of crazy.”
“Now that’s something I can fix,” her mother said. “From now on, if I’m available, I’ll wait on them.”
“It’s okay. I can keep doing it.”
Betty shook her head, her expression resolute. “No. It wasn’t fair of me to push it off on you in the first place. I just wasn’t thinking clearly. When I heard them talking about how Wallace was failing, I guess it all boiled up inside me, that’s all. I can cope, now. Honest. Like the Bible says, ‘I can do all things through Christ.’”
“Tell you what,” Justine said, forcing a smile and swiping at the tears trickling down her cheeks. “We’ll do it together. Just like we always have. You, me and Wendy, all for one and one for all.”
Across the room, inquisitive eyes watched the mother and daughter embrace and found the sight interesting, to say the least. Most of what they had been discussing had been muted by the noises of theother diners and the piped-in background music, but a few words had come through. Clearly, the Hamilton family was involved in whatever had upset Betty and her daughter. That alone was enough to make the listener rejoice.
Chapter Five
T im was away from his desk when Dawn got a call that the repair garage had located a rental car for her and was bringing it over, so she grabbed her purse in case she needed identification and left her boss a note of explanation before she went downstairs to take delivery.
This time, she dutifully signed the lobby roster for Herman Gordon while Louise looked on approvingly.
“You ’spect to be gone long, Miss Dawn?” the old man asked. “Case somebody wants to know.”
“No. Not long.” She smiled at the elderly couple. They’d been with Hamilton Media for so many years, in one role or another, they were practically part of the scenery, like the bricks that made up the walls. If something happened to either of them, the old building would never seem quite as sturdy.
“I’m taking delivery of a rental car,” Dawn explained.
Herman nodded. “That was some dent you got in your sedan, wasn’t it? Yes, sirree. Good thing Mr. Wallace wasn’t here to see what went on.”
Dawn knew it was inappropriate to discuss her boss’s shortcomings with the guards, no matter how long their tenure. “Accidents happen,” she told him. “I’ll be in the employee parking lot if anyone needs me.”
That said, she spun on her heel, headed for the exit and ran smack into Tim Hamilton. He was standing outside the heavy, glass, revolving door, apparently preparing to enter.
He paused and gave her a quizzical look. “Where are you going, to interview Stuart?”
“No. Someone from the garage is bringing me wheels and I want to see what I—I mean what you—are paying for. I’ve never rented a car before so I really don’t know what to expect. The rate they quoted me over the phone sounded pretty expensive.”
“I told you it doesn’t
“We don’t know for sure,” Betty insisted.
Justine sighed. “Yes, we do. You may want to keep lying to yourself but I’ve had all the positive proof Ineed. Accept it, Mom. Your biggest mistake is standing right here, waiting tables in your restaurant.”
Reaching for her daughter’s hand, Betty grasped it tightly. “Don’t ever think that, Justine. Never. I wouldn’t trade you for anything. You know that. You must. If Daddy was alive, I know he’d say the same thing.” Tears had filled her eyes. “I love you, baby. I wish I could change things but I can’t, so we’ll have to live with it. I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah,” Justine said, penitent and equally teary-eyed. “I’m sorry, too. Guess I was thinking of myself too much. It’s just that every time I see one of the Hamiltons these days, I get kind of crazy.”
“Now that’s something I can fix,” her mother said. “From now on, if I’m available, I’ll wait on them.”
“It’s okay. I can keep doing it.”
Betty shook her head, her expression resolute. “No. It wasn’t fair of me to push it off on you in the first place. I just wasn’t thinking clearly. When I heard them talking about how Wallace was failing, I guess it all boiled up inside me, that’s all. I can cope, now. Honest. Like the Bible says, ‘I can do all things through Christ.’”
“Tell you what,” Justine said, forcing a smile and swiping at the tears trickling down her cheeks. “We’ll do it together. Just like we always have. You, me and Wendy, all for one and one for all.”
Across the room, inquisitive eyes watched the mother and daughter embrace and found the sight interesting, to say the least. Most of what they had been discussing had been muted by the noises of theother diners and the piped-in background music, but a few words had come through. Clearly, the Hamilton family was involved in whatever had upset Betty and her daughter. That alone was enough to make the listener rejoice.
Chapter Five
T im was away from his desk when Dawn got a call that the repair garage had located a rental car for her and was bringing it over, so she grabbed her purse in case she needed identification and left her boss a note of explanation before she went downstairs to take delivery.
This time, she dutifully signed the lobby roster for Herman Gordon while Louise looked on approvingly.
“You ’spect to be gone long, Miss Dawn?” the old man asked. “Case somebody wants to know.”
“No. Not long.” She smiled at the elderly couple. They’d been with Hamilton Media for so many years, in one role or another, they were practically part of the scenery, like the bricks that made up the walls. If something happened to either of them, the old building would never seem quite as sturdy.
“I’m taking delivery of a rental car,” Dawn explained.
Herman nodded. “That was some dent you got in your sedan, wasn’t it? Yes, sirree. Good thing Mr. Wallace wasn’t here to see what went on.”
Dawn knew it was inappropriate to discuss her boss’s shortcomings with the guards, no matter how long their tenure. “Accidents happen,” she told him. “I’ll be in the employee parking lot if anyone needs me.”
That said, she spun on her heel, headed for the exit and ran smack into Tim Hamilton. He was standing outside the heavy, glass, revolving door, apparently preparing to enter.
He paused and gave her a quizzical look. “Where are you going, to interview Stuart?”
“No. Someone from the garage is bringing me wheels and I want to see what I—I mean what you—are paying for. I’ve never rented a car before so I really don’t know what to expect. The rate they quoted me over the phone sounded pretty expensive.”
“I told you it doesn’t
Similar Books
