She should have realized he would go on the attack when things didn't go his way. She stepped away from him. "You couldn't be more right, Tyler. I had my blinders on when it came to you. When I learned you were a mercenary lying cheat, I should have stuck with my decision to leave you behind. But I didn't. I let my sexual desires win out against common sense. Thank you for opening my eyes. I won't be that stupid again. Now, get the hell out of my life. And this time, stay out."
Chapter 12
The arrest of Eve Atwood and Bruno Franklin was the talk of Philadelphia for two weeks. As was Tyler's announcement of a major business expansion. Even Courtney's brother, at least for now firmly committed to Alcoholics Anonymous, had managed to get a job at Tyler's expanded plant--and Pete hadn't worked in years.
Courtney did her best to push Tyler out of her mind and out of her life. She sent McKinsey away when she stopped by with Harvey. She ignored calls from Tyler's friend, Jack Benson. She couldn't turn down the sudden rush of society types who brought her their pets with talk about how they hoped she could work a miracle for them the way she had for Harvey, but she insisted that they stay quiet about the great things that Tyler was doing for Philadelphia and for his dog. Even though Tyler sent back her check torn into pieces, she wrote another one. She wasn't going to let herself be bought.
She told herself that she was fine, that she was back to normal, that she was no more lonely than she'd been before Tyler and his dog had walked into her life and changed everything. The lies didn't work, though. She was miserable.
Tyler stopped by every couple of days, forcing her to hide in the woman's washroom until he left. He'd abandoned the trucks full of flowers concept, but he hadn't abandoned her, which only made things worse. How could she put him out of her mind when he was ever-present?
One morning, a couple of weeks after their breakup, Courtney lay in bed trying to persuade herself that getting up was worth the effort. The streets were suspiciously quiet, muffled by another snowfall. The steady burble of her salt-water aquarium, reinstalled by Tyler and Jack, sounded lonely without the usual blur of traffic sounds.
She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, glanced at her clock, and froze. Eight o'clock? She'd have clients. She had to get up.
She bounded to her feet, grabbed her towel, and then glanced at her organizer to see what appointments she had and how much time she had for her shower.
Her day was empty.
And it was Christmas.
Going back to bed was a possibility, but Courtney recognized that that would be a complete surrender. She might as well get on with it. It wasn't as if she hadn't spent Christmas alone before.
It took an effort of will to head down the hall to the shower.
She stood under the shower for ten minutes, letting the hot jets hammer on muscles sore from sitting and not enough exercise. Only when the hot water ran out did she yank on a sweatshirt and a pair of jeans and head back to her office for a breakfast of untoasted Poptarts.
She zapped a cup of water in her microwave, dumped in a spoonful of instant coffee, and almost hit the ceiling when a hand touched her on the back.
"Do you remember me? I'm Eve Atwood."
As if she could forget. Courtney turned to face her visitor.
Tyler's mother was perfectly made up. A combination of diet, exercise and the best plastic surgery money could buy kept the woman looking more like Tyler's sister than someone old enough to be his mother.
"How can I help you, Mrs. Atwood?" Courtney looked around for a weapon to defend herself in case Eve attacked her.
"Tyler and McKinsey have both told me a lot about you."
That didn't sound good. "Listen, I don't care what they've said. I never even suggested that Tyler turn you over to the cops. I don't condone what you did, but still, you're family."
Eve smiled. "You still don't understand what drives Tyler, do you? It's easy to get caught up in his charisma and his energy and lose track of the purpose--even he did sometimes, pretending that he was just trying to make enough money to reclaim our family reputation. But if that was all, he could have quit years ago and joined the yacht and polo circuit like his father did. Instead he continued to rebuild industry here in Philadelphia, giving people jobs where, when they go home at night, they can tell their husbands or wives or children that they built something--that they created something new."
Courtney nodded. It looked like Eve wasn't going to attack her. "Okay, he's a saint. Want a cup of coffee? I only have instant."
"That would be nice." Eve sat down, then hopped up and swiped cat hairs off her long black skirt.
They were silent for the few seconds it took to heat water for Eve's coffee. When it was ready, she handed a mug to Eve, who was still standing. "Sorry about the mess."
"Hey, animals are your business."
"Well, I appreciate you telling me about Tyler's business." Despite her disappointment in him, Courtney wanted Tyler to be happy and she knew from her own experience how much joy could come from running a company that let you help the world--whether in a small way like her own, or a huge way like Tyler's.
"Actually, I'm not here to talk about him, I'm here to talk about me and getting arrested."
Courtney tensed. She'd let Eve lull her into complacency, even armed her with a cup of scalding liquid. "You have to believe that I never intended for Tyler to do that."
"Of course I believe you, dear. But think about what you taught Tyler. He was always conflicted. Part of him wanted to pursue his dream, but part of him was weighed down by his ideas of his responsibilities to me, McKinsey, and Amanda."
"So you're saying I let him off the hook. Persuaded him that throwing you to the wolves was perfectly fine." She had thought Eve couldn't make her feel any worse than she already felt, but she was wrong.
Eve smiled. "I guess that's what I'm saying."
"Well, I didn't mean to. I just meant to help him with Harvey."
Eve smiled. "Tell me about Harvey--unless you have concerns about doctor/patient privilege."
"No, I guess it would be all right." She wanted to sit at her desk and review her notes, but she knew that was just a time-waster. Everything having to do with Tyler was fresh in her mind, burned there indelibly by the heat of the passion that had flowed between them like an electrical current.
"Harvey has abandonment issues. When Tyler tried to buy him off, providing him with trainers and food and toys but no time and attention, Harvey acted out. He was demanding the attention and destroying Tyler's poor substitutes."
Eve nodded. "And you told Tyler that. You also told him that McKinsey and I had similar issues, right?"
Uh-oh, again. "I might have said something like that. But I didn't tell him to throw you to the cops any more than I told him to give Harvey to the pound."
Eve took a sip of her coffee, then stood and walked around behind Courtney.
She followed Tyler's mother with her eyes, still half-expecting an attack.
"You have a brother, don't you?"
Eve had done her research. "Yeah."
"You love him?"
"Sure."
"But he has an alcohol problem. And he had a hard time beating it. And, although you hate to say it, part of the problem came from you and your family enabling him, right?"
"We couldn't abandon him."
"You're a strong woman, Courtney. So strong that you sometimes forget that other people can be strong, as well. Your brother is stronger than you thought, and he's found a path out of his addiction. And I'm stronger than either you or Tyler gave me credit for. I was angry when Tyler had the police arrest me, but it opened my eyes. I was busy destroying Tyler's dreams, stealing the hope from hundreds--acting out, in your parlance--just so I could get a little attention from my son. Thanks to you, Tyler is giving me that attention. We've had more honest conversations over the past few weeks than ever before. And McKinsey, too. We've been talking about Amanda, something we've avoided until now. We've talked about my husba
nd, and how his actions affected us. And we've talked about you, too, dear. " She glanced at her watch. "Oh, dear. I'm late. I hope I'll see you again."
Before Courtney could respond, Eve walked out of her office.
* * * *
Since Courtney had left him, Tyler had thrown himself into his work. With his complete investment available, Atwood Steel had undertaken a major expansion, breaking ground for an entire new complex. But he'd still made time to spend with his family--his mother, his sister, and his dog.
For the first time in a year, no smoke billowed from the furnaces as he pulled up to the plant. No flames rose into the sky because everything was shut down--for the annual maintenance that was the only occasion that many of the furnaces stopped working.
He'd invited the steelworkers to bring their families for a Christmas celebration at the plant but he had no idea how many would actually show up. They had their own plans, after all, and many had only been working with him for a couple of weeks.
Cars jammed every spot in the lot.
Jack had talked him into wearing a Santa Claus suit, padded with a couple of huge pillows, and he greeted the crowd of snowball-throwing children in the parking lot with a cheery 'ho-ho-ho.' Harvey, wearing fake antlers, joined in the fun, barking with happiness. Thanks to Courtney, Harvey was turning into a well-behaved, pleasant, happy companion.
He missed Courtney, of course. But she had given him so much, even if she refused to offer him what he really needed.
Inside the cafeteria where the party was held, he handed out envelopes stuffed with Christmas bonus cash, gave toys to the hundreds of children, and shook hands with everyone he could reach.
He was surprised at how many of the people he knew, men and women who he'd slaved with back in his union days. It was a powerful reminder of how important his work was, of the important things he was doing. Despite the hole in his life that Courtney should fill, he wouldn't trade this for anything. And he owed much of it to her. Although she'd rejected him in the end, Courtney had given him strength when he'd needed it.
The catering staff carried out huge trays filled with turkeys, hams, fresh vegetables, yams, and deserts that looked like they could float on air. But the chocolate drizzled on top reminded him of Courtney and he had to fight to keep the smile on his face. He owed it to his people to give them a good time, to not turn into the Scrooge of Christmas Present.
"Courtney looked sad." That was the strange greeting from his mother, who'd arrived from nowhere. For once she came alone, not surrounded by her usual crowd of sycophants.
"You saw her?"
"I figured I'd tell her about how getting arrested."
"Oh?" He loved Courtney, but he'd also been angry with her--angry that she hadn't given him a chance, hadn't seen what he was trying to do--when he was still wrestling to understand it himself. It had been stupid of him. What a waste of energy.
"There are a lot of other women in the world," his mother reminded him.
He looked at her, suddenly faced with a realization. He needed his business, but he needed Courtney too. They'd have to work something out because he wasn't going to let her slip away. "No, there aren't. Take over as Santa Claus. I'm going to bring her back."
He yanked off his fake beard and stripped off the fur-lined velvet coat
"Me?"
"Hey, this is a social thing. There isn't a social thing in the world that you can't handle?"
"Do you really think you can persuade Courtney to take you back?"
He shrugged. "I'm going to make sure she listens to me this time, anyway."
"All right, then. I'll be Santa." She grabbed the Santa Claus coat, pushed her arms into it, and loaded up with pillows. "But I want to help arrange the wedding."
"You're getting way ahead of yourself." Although the idea of Courtney all in white did have a very definite appeal.
He shook a few more hands as he headed back through the parking lot, let Harvey jump into his car, and took off.
* * * *
Courtney slammed down her phone set. Of course Tyler wouldn't answer. He had a social life. He was probably out with some babe, showering presents on her and then sexing her up so thoroughly she couldn't think.
Not that she had a lot to say to him. But at least she wanted to apologize for being so wrong about his mother.
The sound of a helicopter shook the building as it flew overhead.
Courtney tried to ignore it. Her neighborhood wasn't the best and the police overflew it frequently, chasing down hoodlums who, in the heat of a police chase, abandoned their cars to strike out on foot across the urban landscape. But this helicopter proved hard to ignore. The sound grew until it felt like an earthquake. A pile of her books leaned over, then crashed to the floor.
"What the--" Could a criminal be inside her building?
The snick of a key in her lock startled her, but then it all made sense. Helicopters meant police--or someone with outrageous wealth. Keys to her building meant another tenant--or the owner. Tyler was the only one who met all the criteria.
She ran out the back door and headed for the woman's bathroom. It had kept Tyler away before and, while she wanted to apologize to him, she intended to do it over the phone. He'd already proven how dangerous physical proximity could be.
His footsteps didn't hurry but he'd almost caught her by the time she reached the restroom.
"If you don't come out, I'm coming in."
"Can't you read? Women only."
She tried to hold the door shut but she might as well have tried to plug a volcano. He didn't even seem to notice her resistance as he burst through the door.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded. Tyler wore a leather jacket and jeans, but nylon helicopter straps hung from his body.
"I've been waiting for weeks and I can't wait any longer. We're going on that Caribbean trip."
"Don't be absurd. I've got--"
He stopped her protests by pressing his lips to hers.
She intended to resist. But, once again his kiss was more persuasive than her intentions. Her traitor body surrendered without a fight, melting into his while her tongue lapped him up as if he was manna sent down from heaven.
The helicopter rotors shifted tone and Tyler pulled away. "Okay, here's the situation. We're going to find some sun. We're going to get you a bikini. We're going to sort through things and talk about things until we've said everything that needs saying. And when we come back, we'll either be over each other, or we'll be together."
Courtney shook her head. "I don't do tropical beaches with men who are practically strangers."
"Good. Because I'm not a stranger and I don't want you doing beaches with anyone but me. In the meantime, come on."
"What's the big hurry?"
He looked slightly embarrassed. "I'm afraid Harvey might eat something important on the helicopter if we wait too long."
Could she just accept? "Can't we talk about this?"
He nodded. "Talking is one of the important things we're going to do. I have a lot I need to learn about you and I'm in a hurry to start."
"What sort of thing?"
"You know. Like whether you think Harvey needs a friend, besides your fish, of course. Whether I should repaint my living room terra cotta or green, whether our kids should go to public or private schools. There's a lot I need to learn."
"Kids?"
He grinned at her. "Well, there's no hurry for that. We can practice a lot before they get here."
"But--"
He glared at her. "Am I going to have to throw you over my shoulder and drag you, or will you come willingly?"
Every inhibition Courtney had ever preserved tried to stop her, warned her against this step. Could she really allow this strong-willed man just tell her what to do? Was she encouraging his caveman tendencies by giving in?
What did she want? Shouldn't she stand up for what was best for both of them?
Then she thought about the two of them on some desert isla
nd, some place where she couldn't get mad and walk away instead of talking thing out, and she knew without a doubt what was best for them. She threw off her doubts with a shrug of her shoulders that seemed to take hundreds of pounds off of her back.
"Hell, no, you aren't going to drag me. I'll race you to the chopper. And if I'm wearing a bikini for you, I get to choose the bathing suit you wear."
He held out a hand. "Deal." But the handshake quickly turned into a kiss--a much better way to seal a bargain, and a steamy promise of the pleasures they would share for the rest of their lives.
CEO's S.O.S. Page 15
