Twice Kissed - Lisa Jackson [151]
His glance was filled with skepticism. “I don’t know that she did. The psychiatrist said that Marquise had never mentioned it.”
“That’s a lot different than saying it didn’t exist. Just because Mary Theresa didn’t confide in her.”
“She was Marquise’s shrink. Why wouldn’t she tell her?”
“Why didn’t she tell me about the baby?” Maggie shot back. “Look, Thane, I can’t explain it, all right? But it happened.” She stood and felt her spine straighten until she was meeting his cloudy gaze with her own. “And it’s true.” She angled up her chin with renewed determination. “I’m sorry about you not knowing your son. Really. And…and I wish things were different.” Oh, God, Thane, if you only knew, had any inkling about how much I loved you. “But I can’t change anything. I would if I could, but I can’t. So now I’ve got to concentrate on finding Mary Theresa.” She struggled to keep her voice steady.
“Believe me, no one wants that more than I do,” he said, and she couldn’t help that little snag of disappointment that tore at her heart. For as much as she’d never stopped loving him, the same could be said of his feelings for his ex-wife. Though he denied it vehemently, she couldn’t trust herself to believe him. Wouldn’t. He’d lied too much already, kept far too many secrets. He started to reach for her, but dropped his hands when she slid away from him and refused to give in to the urge to fall victim to him all over again.
“Don’t even think about it.”
“You don’t believe me.”
“To tell you the truth, Thane, I don’t know what to believe,” she said. “I…I just don’t want to be confused any longer and I can’t afford to make another mistake.”
“Another one?”
“With you.” Clearing her throat, she walked across the room. “Now, if I remember right, we’ve got things to do.” Even though I would love nothing more than to melt into your arms. Setting her jaw against such wayward thoughts, she added, “Let’s start with Renee Nielsen.” With fresh intent, she strode to the table where she noticed the message light was blinking furiously on the phone. “First I want to see if Becca called.” She dialed the message center and scribbled down the recorded missives.
The first call was from Tess O’Shaughnessy, the executive producer of Denver AM, asking Maggie to be a part of a program dedicated to Marquise; the second was from Craig Beaumont, reiterating the request. The third was from Howard Bailey, who asked Thane to call back.
Maggie handed Thane the message and their fingers touched briefly. In that instant Maggie felt the connection she’d always had with him, the same tiny spark of electricity that hadn’t dulled despite the years, despite the lies, despite the dark cloud of betrayal that had been with them both. She thought he might kiss her, wanted desperately to feel his lips pressed intimately against hers, silently begged that what they shared wouldn’t be destroyed.
And yet she couldn’t forget that he still loved Mary Theresa. No matter how hard he denied it, the connection that existed between him and his ex-wife was far stronger than the tenuous link between them. “I want to go over Marquise’s diary again—I have this feeling I’m missing something, that there was a reference to Renee.”
The phone rang again and Maggie snagged the receiver, half-expecting to hear from her daughter. Instead, it was Detective Henderson.
Maggie froze. Her gaze locked with Thane’s.
“Sorry for calling so late, but I thought you’d want to know,” he said, and Maggie experienced the cold fingers of dread crawling up her spine. Her hand clenched the receiver in a death grip. “It’s about your sister.”
“What?”
“Well, we’re starting to think that your sister’s Jeep might have been forced off the road.”
“What do you mean?” she whispered, questions rushing through her head. “Are you saying someone intentionally tried to kill Mary Theresa?”
What the hell was Henderson insinuating?
“Don’t know for sure. Could be. Could