Best Kept Secrets

Alex turned in the direction Pat Chastain had indicated and

 

located the fourth man, whom she hadn't noticed until now.

 

Flaunting etiquette, he was still slouched in a chair in the

 

corner of the room. Scuffed cowboy boots were crossed at

 

the ankles, their toes pointing ceilingward and insolently wagging

 

back and forth. His hands were loosely folded over a

 

western belt buckle. He unlinked them long enough to raise

 

two fingers to the brim of a cowboy hat. "Ma'am."

 

"Mr. Lambert," she said coolly.

 

"Here, sit yourself down," Chastain offered, pointing her

 

toward a chair. "Did Imogene offer you some coffee?"

 

"Yes, but I told her that I didn't care for any. I'd like to

 

get to the purpose of the meeting, if we could."

 

"Sure enough. Junior, pull that other chair over here. Angus."

 

Chastain nodded for the older man to sit back down.

 

When everyone was reseated, the district attorney returned

 

to his chair behind the desk. "Now, Miss-- Well, I'll be

 

damned. During all the introductions, we failed to get your

 

name."

 

Alex held center stage. Four pairs of eyes were trained on

 

her, curiously waiting to hear her name. She paused for dramatic

 

effect, knowing that divulging it would cause a profound

 

reaction. She wanted to witness and catalog their

 

individual reactions. She wished she could see Reede Lambert

 

better. He was sitting partially behind her, and the cowboy

 

hat hid all but the lowest portion of his face.

 

She took a breath. "I'm Alexandra Gaither, Celina's

 

daughter."

 

A stunned silence followed the announcement.

 

Pat Chastain, befuddled, finally asked, "Who's Celina

 

Gaither?"

 

"Well, I'll be a sonofabitch." Angus flopped backward in

 

his chair like a collapsing inflatable toy.

 

"Celina's daughter. My God, I can't believe it," Junior

 

whispered. "I can't believe it."

 

"Somebody want to fill me in, please?" Pat said, still

 

confused. Nobody paid him any attention.

 

The Mintons openly stared at Alex, searching her face for

 

 

 

resemblances to her mother, whom they had known so well.

 

From the corner of her eye, she noticed that the toes of

 

Lambert's boots were no longer wagging. He drew his knees

 

in and sat up straight.

 

"What on earth have you been doing with yourself all

 

these years?" Angus asked.

 

"How many years has it been?" Junior wanted to know.

 

"Twenty-five," Alex answered precisely. "I was only two

 

months old when Grandma Graham moved away from here.''

 

"How is your grandma?"

 

"She's currently in a Waco nursing home, dying of cancer,

 

Mr. Minton.'' Alex saw no merit in sparing their sensibilities.

 

"She's in a coma."

 

"I'm sorry to hear that."

 

"Thank you."

 

"Where have y'all been living all this time?"

 

Alex named a town in central Texas. "We lived there all

 

my life--at least, as far back as I can remember. I graduated

 

high school there, went to the University of Texas, and then,

 

straight into law school. I passed the bar a year ago."

 

"Law school. Imagine that. Well, you turned out fine,

 

Alexandra, just fine. Didn't she, Junior?"

 

Junior Minton turned on his charming smile full blast. "I'd

 

say so. You don't look a thing like you did last time I saw

 

you," he told her teasingly. "Best as I recall, your diaper

 

was wet and you didn't have a single hair on your head."

 

Considering the reason for this prearranged meeting, his

 

flirting made Alex uneasy. She was glad when Pat Chastain

 

intervened again.' 'I hate to butt into such a touching reunion,

 

but I'm still in the dark."

 

Angus enlightened him. "Celina was a classmate of Junior's

 

and Reede's. They were best friends, actually. Rarely

 

did you see one of them without the other two when they

 

were in high school. Crazy kids."

 

Then, his blue eyes turned cloudy and he shook his head

 

sorrowfully. "Celina died. Tragic thing." He took a quiet

 

moment to collect himself. "Anyway, this is the first time

 

we've heard a word about Alexandra since her grandma,