A Silken Thread - Brenda Jackson [98]
“I’ve enjoyed our time together,” she said. The only thing she regretted was that she hadn’t mentioned Brian to her mother at all. In a way she felt bad that her mother hadn’t suggested she go visit Brian instead of April. It was as if Karen intended to wipe Brian from her memory and refused to acknowledge that he still existed.
“Then it’s settled. I’m going to leave day after tomorrow to visit Marnita for a few days and you’re going to visit with April. This should be fun and is probably something we both need.”
Erica couldn’t help but smile. Yes, seeing Brian was definitely something she needed.
“Are you sure of your plan, Karen?”
Karen stood at the window and watched Erica standing near the water. Every so often she would stick her toe in and then snatch it back out. Erica was in a good mood, and had been ever since she’d suggested she go visit with April. But Karen knew her daughter well enough to know where she would be going instead.
“Yes, Jaye, I deliberately eavesdropped on her conversation with April a little while ago when she thought I was taking a nap. April is in Los Angeles like you said, but Erica has already purchased a ticket to Dallas. She’s going to surprise Brian and show up on Wednesday. And while she’s headed for Texas, my flight is taking me to L.A. to deal with April.”
“Are you sure you want to meet with April yourself? You’ve been letting me handle everything so that no one would know about your involvement. What if April goes back and tells Erica about your visit? She might put two and two together and—”
“It won’t happen, trust me,” Karen said, smiling. “I know something about April that she will want kept a secret and I will do so if she gives me what I want.”
“Which is for her to get out of Griffin’s life,” Jaye said.
“Precisely.”
“And are you sure you won’t run into Griffin while you’re visiting with April?”
Karen eased down in the chair. “Positive. I talked to his mother earlier today, and she mentioned that Griffin is home this weekend.”
She unfolded a sheet of paper. “I have Erica’s flight information for Wednesday. I’m depending on you to make sure when she returns here that there’s nothing left of the relationship between her and Brian that can be salvaged.”
Donna was silent as she listened to the male voice on the other end of the phone.
“Erica Sanders will be arriving at Brian Lawson’s house around two o’clock that day. It’s my guess since it’s a surprise that she will come straight from the airport and let herself in.”
“It’s a gated community. They won’t let her in,” Donna said, trying to get out of whatever she was being forced to do.
“According to my sources, her name is approved on security’s registry and she has a key to let herself in. I need you to arrive before she gets there and do your thing. By the time Brian arrives I want you to have painted a picture so condemning she won’t believe a thing he says.”
Donna nibbled at her bottom lip. She didn’t want to do it but she had no choice. “And you sure there’s nothing that will link anything back to me?”
“Not unless you get sloppy with what you need to do and I suggest that you don’t. Do we understand each other, Donna?”
She drew in a deep breath, again wondering who didn’t want Brian to marry his fiancée to the point they would go through all this trouble to make sure they were kept apart. “Yes, we understand each other.”
The phone then clicked dead in her ear.
“Hello.”
A chagrined look touched Griffin’s features at the sound of the sleepy voice. “Oops. Sorry, I assumed you would still be up. Did I wake you up, sweetheart?” California was two hours behind Ohio, which meant it was only eight o’clock there.
“I would have been up had it not been such a grueling day. But I always love hearing from you, just like I love you.”
Griffin couldn’t help but smile. Now that he and April had declared their love for each other, these were the happiest days of his life. He only wished she would give in and let him be open about their relationship. But he figured