Prologue
The small, dimly lit room was a contrast to the bright lights and merriment in the nearby reception hall. It was the perfect meeting place for the two conspirators who faced each other.
“I have to say, young man, that your note was intriguing. Are you now going to reveal why we have to have this meeting in private?” The deep voice rumbled as the man settled back in a chair. He eyed the boy facing him. He was impressed that even under his stern gaze, the boy didn’t waver as he spoke.
“It’s very simple.” The boy kept his voice low. “I have a single mom. You have a single son. We both want to see them married off. There’s no reason why we can’t work together to accomplish our objectives.”
The man chuckled. “I suppose you have a plan.”
“Yes, I do. We’re already ahead because your son is hot for my mom.”
The older man shook his head. “I’ve heard that she has told him she isn’t interested.”
The boy shrugged off his statement. “Yeah, but that can change. I did some research on your son and what I’ve learned about him tells me he’s perfect for my mom. All she needs is some time to really get to know him.”
“How do you expect to bring them together?”
Nick Donner smiled. “I’ve worked up what I feel is a foolproof plan.” He then proceeded to outline his idea.
The older man’s skepticism soon turned to interest as he listened to Nick. “I admit that I’m impressed. Do you honestly think something that wild could work?”
“There is absolutely no reason why it won’t as long as you’re willing to do your part,” Nick said with unshakable confidence.
An hour later, their plan was mutually approved with a handshake. Separately, the two participants slipped out of the room and returned to the reception hall just in time to watch Nora Summers Walker and her new husband, Mark Walker, cut the wedding cake.
For the balance of the evening, the young man and his older partner didn’t do anything to betray their plan that, if successful, would bring them together for another wedding real soon.
Chapter One
The sun shouldn’t be shining today. It should be cold and dark and dreary. Or raining. Rain would work.
With a sense of foreboding, Lucy Donner looked up at the modern-styled concrete-block building. She imagined the stairs leading to the front doors were actually steps leading to the gallows. The line of people patiently waiting to go through the security checkpoints in the courthouse lobby were the condemned waiting their turns.
She really needed to stop watching late-night movies where everyone ended up murdered.
She didn’t want to walk up those steps even though she knew her son’s fate hung in the balance up there.
“There you are, dear.” Lou and Cathy Walker came up to her. Cathy immediately pulled her into a hug then cupped her hands around Lucy’s cheeks. The older woman looked concerned as she studied Lucy’s face. “How are you doing?” Cathy asked, clearly not missing the worry shadowing Lucy’s eyes.
“I’ve gone through four bottles of antacids in the past two days,” she whispered, gripping Cathy’s arms as if she needed a lifeline. “What does that tell you? It’s wonderful that you’re here, but as I told you last night, you didn’t have to come. I have an idea it’s not going to be pleasant.”
“Of course, we would come. You’re family,” Lou told her. The relationship was only that Lucy’s brother was married to their daughter, but Lou continued, “We Walkers stick together.” He curved his arm around Nick’s shoulders and tugged him against his side.
Lucy blinked rapidly. The threat of tears quickly dried up when she looked at her son. This was her darling baby boy. The light of her life. The reason they were spending their morning in court.
Once this was over she was grounding him until he was fifty.
And here she’d thought things would change for the better after they moved.
Lucy had seen it as a sign when she’d found a house not far from the Walker homestead in Sunset Canyon, California. She was even happier to find a school that believed in challenging its gifted students without giving them any special treatment just because their IQs happened to be higher than those of most of the rest of the human population. She was even relieved that puberty seemed to settle down Nick’s mischievous nature now that he’d turned thirteen. He spent many of his free hours with Lou Walker during which he learned what went into renovating an antique automobile. Lucy had decorated their new house and made it into a home for herself and her son.
Life was great.
Until it took a crazy U-turn. Lucy received a call from the school’s dean telling her that not only had Nick hacked into the school’s computer, but that he’d deleted all student and personnel files and replaced them with new ones that bore no resemblance to what had been there. The dean explained that Nick’s actions were considered a crime, which was why they would spend this morning at the courthouse.
Lucy was grateful Cathy and Lou had come to lend her moral support. Since the day the dean had called her, she’d alternated between fury at her son for what he’d done and fear he’d be sent to a juvenile facility that would make those late-night bad-boy movies look like a fairy tale.
Now they were in court to learn Nick’s fate. Determined to look the part of the most responsible mother in the world, she’d chosen a black skirt and a cream blouse. She mentally cursed the black high heels that were killing her feet. She’d chosen the extra three inches for courage. Judging by the condition of her stomach, it hadn’t worked very well. For once, she hadn’t had to resort to threats to get Nick into a dress shirt and tie. Even his usually unruly sandy-brown hair was brushed into submission.
“What
