Special Delivery by Danielle Steel Read Free Book Online

check on her mother.
    How are you doing, Mom? Are you okay? She hoped she wasn't ready to leave yet. Jan thought it was good for her to be there, and besides, it was a terrific party.
    I'm fine, sweetheart. Thank you for bringing me. I haven't seen some of these people in years, and Jack has been very pleasant. It was almost an apology for the things she had said about him for the past three years, but he seemed much more respectable to her than he had before, and very comfortable on his own turf. She would have hated to admit it, but she almost liked him. When's Paul coming?
    Any minute, I hope. He was in a meeting. And shortly after that, Jan got called to the phone by Gladdie. It was Paul, the meeting was taking forever, but he promised that he'd be there as soon as it was over. You'll never guess who's here, she said, sounding happy and mischievous, and he laughed as he listened. She was in a better mood than she'd been in in weeks and he was happy to hear it. The tension between them had been getting increasingly stressful.
    Knowing my father, it could be anyone. Tom Cruise ' Madonna '
    Better than that, she smiled as she held the phone, Amanda Robbins.
    You actually got her to go with you? Good job, kid. I'm proud of you. How's she doing?
    She knows practically everyone here, and she looks terrific. She combed her hair, put on a little makeup, and presto magic, the movie star returns. I wish I had her looks.
    You've got her beat hands down, baby. Don't ever forget that.
    I love you, she said, touched by what he'd said, whether or not he meant it.
    Just keep my father away from her, if she's looking so great. That's one headache we don't need. She'd never speak to me again, and neither would you.
    I don't think there's any danger of that, Jan laughed at what he'd said. But he's been very nice to her. The place is mobbed, and he's been pretty busy. They keep getting celebrity crashers.
    Only women, I'm sure. Poor guy, they'll probably eat him alive and tear his suit off ' life is tough for some of us. That's my daddy. Anyway, sweetheart, I'll be there as soon as I can. Hang in there. I'll call you when I leave the office.
    See you soon. It was the nicest exchange they'd had in weeks, and when she went to look for her mother, she saw that she was talking to Jack again, and decided to leave them alone. It wouldn't be such a bad thing if they could be friends finally, and stop complaining about each other. And from the distance, while they talked, Jan could see that her mother was smiling, and Jack seemed very earnest.
    As it turned out, he was telling her about his buying trips in Europe, and how much he disliked Milan and preferred Paris. And they were exchanging experiences at Claridge's in London. The two seemed like old friends as Jan drifted away to chat with someone she knew, and another hour had gone by when Paul called again, but this time he sounded frazzled. The meeting hadn't gone well, and when he'd gone downstairs, he found that his car had been towed, and he had no way to get to the party, other than to call a cab, but he wanted Jan to pick him up, and in exchange, he promised to take her to dinner. It was really too late for him to try to get to the party.
    What about my mom? I can't just leave her here, she said, sounding worried.
    Why don't you have my dad put her in a cab. He might even have a limo or two standing by. He usually does that for big stars who need a ride somewhere. Just ask him.
    Okay, I'll try. But if she has a fit, I'll call you. I may have to take her home. Otherwise, I'll be there in ten minutes.
    Be here, he said firmly. I've had a stinking afternoon and I want to see you. A nice, quiet dinner somewhere sounded great to her too, and she hoped that her mother would be willing to have Jack put her in a cab or a limo.
    When she found them again, still together in a corner of the room, she explained the situation to them, and for an instant her mother looked panicked. But Jack stepped into it