“Let's not go that far,” Mark added. He didn't want to give Coop an excuse to evict them. “Let's keep our ball sports on the tennis court from now on. Deal?” Both Jason and Jimmy nodded, as Alex put her shorts back on over her wet bathing suit and pulled on her T-shirt.
“I'll see you guys soon,” Alex said as she left them, with her long dark hair wet behind her. Both men watched her go, and Mark commented as soon as she was out of earshot.
“Jessie's right. He is an asshole. And she is a great woman. He doesn't deserve her, no matter how good he looks. He's going to make mincemeat of her.”
“I think he's going to marry her,” Jessica added with interest, joining into the conversation. She wished her father would go out with someone like Alex.
“I hope not,” Jimmy added, as he put an arm around Jason, and the four of them went home to the guest wing. Mark was doing another barbecue for them, and Jimmy had agreed to stay for dinner.
And upstairs, in the main house, Alex was scolding Coop, who was still fuming.
“He's just a kid, Coop. Didn't you do things like that when you were a boy?”
“I was never a boy. I was born wearing a suit and a tie, and sprang full-blown into manhood, with good manners.”
“Don't be such an asshole,” she teased as he kissed her.
“Why not? I enjoy having tantrums. Besides, you know how much I hate children.”
“What if I told you I was pregnant?” she asked, with a look that nearly made his jaw drop.
“Are you?”
“No. But what if I were? You'd have to put up with skateboards and broken windows and dirty diapers and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches all over the furniture. It's something to think about.”
“Must I? I'm getting nauseous. You, Dr. Madison, have a vicious sense of humor. I hope your father beats you when he sees you.”
“I'm sure he will,” Alex said coolly. “He usually does.”
“Good, you deserve it.” It was a meeting he would have given almost anything to be at. But Alex hadn't invited him, and she didn't intend to. “When are you seeing him?”
“On Tuesday.”
“Why do you suppose he wants to see you?” Coop asked with obvious curiosity. He was convinced it was about him.
“We'll see,” Alex said with a smile, as they walked slowly arm in arm up to his bedroom. She had a sure cure for his tantrums. In fact, the incident with the baseball was already nearly forgotten as she kissed him. And a moment later, the broken window was the farthest thing from his mind.
Chapter 16
Alex could have predicted the way the meeting with her father went on Tuesday, or at least to some degree. It was the way meetings with him always went. Nothing ever changed in her dealings with him.
He arrived five minutes early, and he was waiting in the cafeteria for her when she arrived. He was tall and slim, with gray hair and blue eyes, and he looked stern. He always had to have an agenda when he saw her. He could never just talk to her and ask her how she was. Instead, he seemed to go down some kind of mental list, as though he were running a board meeting, and in some ways he was. The only affectionate thing he said to her that even indicated that they were related was that her mother sent her love. And her mother was no warmer than he, which was why she had tolerated being married to him for all those years. But it was her father who had total control. Except over Alex. It was the bone of contention between them, and had been a raging battle all her life.
It took him exactly ten minutes to get down to business with her, and he didn't waste any time.
“I wanted to speak to you about Cooper Winslow, Alex. And I didn't want to do it on the phone.” It made no difference to her. Their exchanges were so distant and so bloodless, being face-to-face added nothing at all.
“Why not?”
“I thought this was a sufficiently important matter, to warrant our meeting in person.” For Alex, the fact that he was her father would have been enough to warrant seeing him, but that didn't even occur to him. There always had to be a reason. “It's a delicate matter, and I'm not going to beat around the bush.” He never did, but then again, neither did she. She would have hated to admit it, but in some ways she was not unlike him. She was ruthlessly honest, not only about others, but also about herself. She had principles that she adhered to and she was very clear about what she believed. The major difference between them was that Alex was kind, and he was not. Arthur Madison wasted no time on emotions, and never minced words. And if something unpleasant had to be done, he was the first one to volunteer. He just had.
“How serious is this affair between you?” he asked bluntly, his eyes narrowing on hers. He knew her well, and he was reading her face. He knew she wouldn't lie to him, but it was unlikely that she would tell him how she felt either. She felt that it was her business and not his.
“I don't know yet,” she said carefully, and in fact it was true.
“Are you aware that the man is up to his neck in debt?” Coop had never said it to her, but the fact that he had tenants had suggested to her that things were tight. And he was no longer getting a lot of work, in fact hadn't in years. But she had assumed, incorrectly, that he had some money put away. And of course, The Cottage was worth a great deal. Her father knew it was the only asset he had, and there was an enormous mortgage on it.
“I don't discuss his financial affairs with him,” she said succinctly. “They're none of my business, any more than mine are his.”
“Has he asked you about your income, or your inheritance?”
“Of course not, he's much too polite for that,” she countered honestly. Coop was far too well bred to discuss her money with her.
“And too shrewd. He has probably done a thorough check on you, just as I did on him. I have a file an inch thick on him on my desk. And it's not good news. He's been in over his head for years, he has a mountain of bad debts. His credit is nonexistent, I don't think he could borrow a book at the library, if he tried. And he has a knack for attracting rich women. He's been engaged to at least five.”
“He has a knack for attracting all women,” Alex corrected him. “What you're saying is that he's after me for my money? Is that correct?” Like him, she cut to the chase. They were an even match. And she was hurt that he was suggesting that Coop only saw her as an easy mark. She was absolutely certain that he loved her, and it was unfortunate that he also happened to be in debt.
“Yes, I am. I think it's entirely possible his motives aren't as pure as you'd like to think, and he's setting you up. Maybe even unconsciously. Maybe he's not even aware of it himself. The man is in a terrible spot. Alex, desperation is not a good thing, for either of you. It might even force him to want to marry you, when he might not otherwise. Aside from that, he's far too old for you. I think you have no idea what you're getting yourself into. I had no idea you were even seeing him, until your mother saw you with him at the Academy Awards. We were both quite shocked. Apparently he went out with someone she knew many years ago. He didn't do anything inappropriate, but he's been around for a very long time. And I assume you know about this illegitimate baby with the porn star. That's just the icing on the cake.”
“It can happen to anyone,” she said calmly, hating her father for every word he had said, although nothing showed in her face. She had concealed all of her emotions from him for years.
“Those things don't happen to responsible men. He's a playboy, Alex. He's had a life of extravagance and self-indulgence. He hasn't saved a dime. And his debts currently amount to just under two million dollars, not to mention the mortgage on his house.”