parent and she was alive,'' Josie reminded him.
''I didn't care whether she was or not. Grace was gone long before I met you. I never intended for her to be part of my life again so telling you would have served no purpose. Besides, you would have made me go find her.''
''All you had to do was tell me she existed,'' Josie countered. ''That would have been decent.''
Matthew laughed outright, startling Josie. Archer, a man who kept his own counsel, didn't throw his head back and laugh like that, he didn't lounge on the sofa, comfortable in her house as if he owned it even if he had every right. Yet, here was Matthew acting like it was yesterday, as if the day was long and it was good to be together at night.
''When has a lawyer ever worried about being decent?'' he asked. ''They have a class at law school that teaches you how to get people to talk about things they don't want to talk about. If you'd really wanted to know details about my family you would have pushed until I caved.'' Those arms came off the back of the sofa, the beautiful laugh was gone as he got down to it. ''I didn't want to remember Grace much less talk about her. As far as I was concerned she was as dead as my parents.''
''Then why the resurrection? Did you want to round out your family for the campaign posters?'' Josie drawled.
Matthew rested his elbows on his knees. His shoulders were broad, his legs long. He was tan, sinewy and he was a damn handsome man who carried something under his skin that Josie had always found irresistible.
''I can see where you might be a little ticked off at me for not telling you about Grace but, truthfully, Josie, I'm not really worried about how you're feeling right about now. My wife is dead and the police think my sister killed her. My plate is kind of full with women who have problems.''
''You're right. You don't owe me a thing.'' Even if Matthew couldn't see the burn of embarrassment, he knew it was there. He knew her too well. ''That's not my beef, Matthew. The fact that you weren't with Grace tonight tells me you might think she had something to do with your wife's death? Do you think that?''
''God, no. Of course not,'' Matthew shook his head emphatically. ''Grace loved Michelle.''
''Then why weren't you there?'' Josie insisted. ''It was pitiful how worried she was about you.''
Matthew's head pulled up ever so slightly. A mirror of Grace's involuntary gesture. There was that same glint deep in the eye, that same peevishness that flickered when either brother or sister felt cornered. Funny, Josie had never noticed that in Matthew before. Yet, as quickly as she saw the flash of annoyance it was gone. ''Grace is very loyal and I'm very cautious. Bottom line, when I got word of this I was with a group of very important, very nervous people.''
''Money type people?'' Josie asked, unable to keep the disdain from her voice.
''People who have a lot invested in me,'' he answered. ''They have connections. They have expectations. Politics does make strange bedfellows and I wasn't going to kick off the covers and go running until everyone was tucked in tight. I'm not going to apologize for that.''
''I didn't ask you to,'' Josie pointed out.
''You look disgusted; like you just found out I still go to frat parties. I guess in a way I do. I don't blame you for being disappointed,'' he chuckled sadly. ''The parties are the same just the people are older and the booze is better. These people have a right to be nervous and they expect me to act in their best interests.''
''I don't think I like those people,'' Josie said.
''That was pretty clear when we parted ways. Politics were never for you. Do you know they conducted a poll on how many sympathy votes I was going to get after Michelle died?''
''That's disgusting,'' Josie scoffed.
''It is. It never occurred to them to think about my feelings.'' Matthew touched the coffee table. He ran a finger along the fine edge. ''Now they'll do another poll. They'll want to find out
''I didn't care whether she was or not. Grace was gone long before I met you. I never intended for her to be part of my life again so telling you would have served no purpose. Besides, you would have made me go find her.''
''All you had to do was tell me she existed,'' Josie countered. ''That would have been decent.''
Matthew laughed outright, startling Josie. Archer, a man who kept his own counsel, didn't throw his head back and laugh like that, he didn't lounge on the sofa, comfortable in her house as if he owned it even if he had every right. Yet, here was Matthew acting like it was yesterday, as if the day was long and it was good to be together at night.
''When has a lawyer ever worried about being decent?'' he asked. ''They have a class at law school that teaches you how to get people to talk about things they don't want to talk about. If you'd really wanted to know details about my family you would have pushed until I caved.'' Those arms came off the back of the sofa, the beautiful laugh was gone as he got down to it. ''I didn't want to remember Grace much less talk about her. As far as I was concerned she was as dead as my parents.''
''Then why the resurrection? Did you want to round out your family for the campaign posters?'' Josie drawled.
Matthew rested his elbows on his knees. His shoulders were broad, his legs long. He was tan, sinewy and he was a damn handsome man who carried something under his skin that Josie had always found irresistible.
''I can see where you might be a little ticked off at me for not telling you about Grace but, truthfully, Josie, I'm not really worried about how you're feeling right about now. My wife is dead and the police think my sister killed her. My plate is kind of full with women who have problems.''
''You're right. You don't owe me a thing.'' Even if Matthew couldn't see the burn of embarrassment, he knew it was there. He knew her too well. ''That's not my beef, Matthew. The fact that you weren't with Grace tonight tells me you might think she had something to do with your wife's death? Do you think that?''
''God, no. Of course not,'' Matthew shook his head emphatically. ''Grace loved Michelle.''
''Then why weren't you there?'' Josie insisted. ''It was pitiful how worried she was about you.''
Matthew's head pulled up ever so slightly. A mirror of Grace's involuntary gesture. There was that same glint deep in the eye, that same peevishness that flickered when either brother or sister felt cornered. Funny, Josie had never noticed that in Matthew before. Yet, as quickly as she saw the flash of annoyance it was gone. ''Grace is very loyal and I'm very cautious. Bottom line, when I got word of this I was with a group of very important, very nervous people.''
''Money type people?'' Josie asked, unable to keep the disdain from her voice.
''People who have a lot invested in me,'' he answered. ''They have connections. They have expectations. Politics does make strange bedfellows and I wasn't going to kick off the covers and go running until everyone was tucked in tight. I'm not going to apologize for that.''
''I didn't ask you to,'' Josie pointed out.
''You look disgusted; like you just found out I still go to frat parties. I guess in a way I do. I don't blame you for being disappointed,'' he chuckled sadly. ''The parties are the same just the people are older and the booze is better. These people have a right to be nervous and they expect me to act in their best interests.''
''I don't think I like those people,'' Josie said.
''That was pretty clear when we parted ways. Politics were never for you. Do you know they conducted a poll on how many sympathy votes I was going to get after Michelle died?''
''That's disgusting,'' Josie scoffed.
''It is. It never occurred to them to think about my feelings.'' Matthew touched the coffee table. He ran a finger along the fine edge. ''Now they'll do another poll. They'll want to find out
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