Christmas Babies by Mona Risk

spoil me.
To give them credit, they spoiled me rotten for five years. Then they sent me
to boarding school.” Pain churned in his eyes and clogged her throat.
    “They had more kids by then?
Natural kids?”
    “No.” He snorted. “They had to join their jet set parties. He was a movie
producer. She was a famous actress. Ever heard of Anne Lee Meyer and Frank
Davidson?”
    “Yes, of course.
She was my mother’s favorite actress.” Madelyn’s jaw sagged and she tilted her
head, eyes widening. “Don’t tell me... Oh my God, Anne Lee Meyer was
your mother?” Such a beautiful talented actress. Such a sweet woman adored by a
whole generation of fans. And he resented her?
    “Frank Davidson’s real name was
Frank David Preston.” Nick’s mouth curled down. “As a child, I often wondered
why I had to spend my life in a boarding school, with only two weeks at home
for Christmas.”
    “What about summer vacation?”
Madelyn needed time to absorb and sort the information he’d just dumped on her.
    “For two years in a row, they
tried taking me to the movie set. Apparently I got bored and didn’t behave
well.”
    “What d’you expect from a six or
seven years old?” Empathy filled her heart for the cute boy he must have been
with his dark curly hair and blue eyes.
    “After I embarrassed them one too
many times, they dispatched me to a first-class camp. To be honest, I enjoyed
it and stopped missing home.”
    “When did you learn you were
adopted?”
    “I was seventeen when they
decided to divorce. Frank had several affairs and was drinking a lot. Anne Lee
was fed up, left him, and remarried. When I complained that they abandoned me,
that I had no home, Frank told me the truth. Very kindly. He said I was a young
man now and didn’t need them. He’d pay for my college and graduate studies, or
any business I wanted to start. I shouldn’t worry about money. I was their only
heir with a lot of dough in my name. I was devastated, scared, and lonely. It
took time to adjust.”
    “No wonder you worried about
Casey’s twins. I’m so sorry, Nick. But I think you misunderstood your parents’
motives. The lifestyle of a world-famous actress and a movie director is not
appropriate for a little boy, whether he was adopted or biological. A good
boarding school is a far better place for a kid. Wouldn’t you think so?”
    “I never saw it this way.” Nick
scowled and then stared into space. “But you may be right. They were too busy
to raise a child and wouldn’t have done it differently if I was their biological
son.” Bitterness faded from his voice and the lines on his forehead relaxed.
    “I heard that Anne Lee Meyer was
sick. What happened to her?”
    “Alzheimer. Phase four. She won’t
last long.” His sensuous lips stretched in a thin line, and he blinked several
times. Had tears tickled his eyes? He sighed. “She’s in a nursing home in
Naples, two hours away from here. I drive to see her every couple of weeks. I
see her now more than when I was growing up.” He laughed, a sad
self-deprecating laugh.
    “And your dad?”
    “After several strokes, he’s now in
a wheelchair. He still lives in his lavish apartment in Manhattan. Several
nurse aids come to help him. Mentally he’s quite alert and continues to do some
consulting. I’ve often asked him to move to Florida but he likes the big city
where he has a lot of friends and business partners.”
    “How old is he?”
    “Eighty-one. I visit several
times a year.”
    “You’re a good son, Nick.” Her
own eyes moistened.
    “I’m trying to repay what I owe
them. After all, they saved me from the orphanage.” A muscle twitched at the
base of his neck.
    Was he still resenting them? She
didn’t dare ask the question.
    He played with the bottle of
wine. “Want some? I finished that bottle all by myself.”
    “Good. It was for you. I don’t
drink.” 
    “I’m such a lousy guest. You invited
me to a scrumptious dinner and introduced me to your