“She had to show a rental this morning, should be here any time.”
“Great. What are they doing here?” Tawny waved to her family as she tried to spot Dave.
“Who?” Jason turned to look.
“My parents and Grams and Gramps Ryan. I better go say hi. Dad’s forgiven me for my earlier blunder, but Mom’s still peeved about the air I choose to breathe. I’ll see you in a bit.”
Tawny wove in and out of the people to reach her parents and the Ryans. “Mom, Dad, I didn’t expect to see you here.” She kissed and hugged her parents and then did the same with Grams and Gramps.
“We came to celebrate your accomplishment,” Dad said.
“It’s a lovely home. Oh, you planted roses for them.” Grams, eyes glistening, patted Tawny’s cheeks.
“Mija, I can’t believe you helped build this. Baby girl, I’m so proud of you.” Her mom held her hands to her heart, smiling from ear to ear.
“That’s my girl.” Gramps patted her on the back before kissing her forehead.
Their praise and support meant the world to Tawny, but it was the look on her mom’s face, one she rarely saw, that brought tears to the backs of Tawny’s eyes, threatening to ruin her mascara. In all her twenty-eight years, she could count the number of times her mom had said she was proud of Tawny on one hand and have fingers left over.
“Thank you all for coming, it means more than I can say right now.” Her voice choked up, emotions overwhelming her so she shut up, smiled, and waved a hand to dry her eyes.
Grams draped an arm over her shoulders from one side while her mom slipped her arm around Tawny’s waist from the other side. Both held her tight.
“You girls do us proud, and once again you’ve done our neighborhood proud,” Grams said.
Tawny spotted a familiar older-model brown car pull up to the curb, and the tears she’d just dried welled up all over again. “The Johnsons are here. I can’t wait to see their faces. This is the first time they’ll get to see inside. You should all come down to Paddy’s Bar after the reception here and celebrate with us.” She gave each another kiss and went to find her crew.
The crew gathered on the front porch while the director for Habitat for Humanity expressed his thanks to them for their hard work, the community members for coming out, and all of their sponsors for the donated equipment and supplies. After what seemed like an eternity, he picked up the huge scissors that might have belonged to the giant at the top of the beanstalk, and the director and Mrs. Johnson cut the ribbon. The crowd cheered and the director handed the keys to Mrs. Johnson and welcomed her home.
While the family got familiar with their new home, the crew led everyone else around back to where goodies and punch had been set up. Tawny and Dave had been assigned the task of making sure the VIPs got drinks and to answer any of their questions. It seemed like each of them had a million questions, and not all about the project. Some wanted to talk about the West End Recreational Center, which Tawny had headed up a fund-raising committee to rebuild, and others brought up her connection to Cherry and the reality show they had both been on.
She turned down a couple of offers to join other committees, because while she loved the work and giving back to the community, she needed a little downtime. Not to mention she had Cherry’s wedding, and before she knew it, the holiday season would be here, and she had a lot to do for Ivan’s event. There was also the hope she’d be spending a lot more time with a certain someone. Speaking of, where was Dave?
Excusing herself from the council member, she wandered around, greeting crew members, making sure her parents and the grandparents had drinks, finally coming to a stop when she spotted Dave under the tree fort with a couple of the women from their crew. She started over, but the director stopped her.
“Tawny, we’re so glad you jumped on board with us.” Mr. Long shook her hand, stepping right in front of her and blocking her view.
“Thanks, I had a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to the next project.” She craned her neck to see around the man.
Dave leaned back against the trunk of the tree, a red plastic cup in one hand and the other skimming down Jody’s cheek. Hmm, maybe she had something on her face and he was being a friend and brushing it off.
“The next one won’t be until spring, but we’ll have plenty to keep us busy in the office, screening applicants, rounding up supply donations, and raising funds.”
“Uh-huh.” Tawny half paid attention to what Long said while keeping an eye on the interplay between David and the women. Jody now had her hand on David’s arm.
“I was thinking that maybe you and your friend Ms. Ryan could help us out with our winter campaign.”
“Sure, that sounds great,” murmured Tawny.
Dave leaned in close to Jody to speak directly into her ear. Whatever he’d said had the woman laughing like a crazed hyena.
“Wonderful. I’m not sure what the fund-raiser will be yet, but I’m sure with yours and Ms. Ryan’s track record, it will be a resounding success.”
What? Crap, what had she just agreed to?
“It was good talking to you, and thanks again for all your hard work. I’ll have my assistant get in touch with you when we’re ready to start. I better go over and thank the city council members for coming. Take care.”
She waved him off, thinking Cherry was going to kill her for signing them up for . . . something. Whatever. It wasn’t like her friend hadn’t done the same to her once or twice in school, and if it was too much, Tawny would figure a way out of it or a way to make it work for them. It was all in the details, and she was a pro at making a list and checking it off. In the meantime, she needed to rein in her internal green monster. She took a step in the direction of the tree when Dave turned and climbed up the ladder to the fort. He was probably looking to escape the crowd. Or so she thought until Jody followed him up while her friend headed off toward the punch bowl. Dave reached down and helped Jody up the last few steps.
Probably not what it looked like.
Because what it looked like was David back to his playboy ways and moving on to the next victim.
Before she could decide to join the two of them in the fort or move on, another benefactor of the project stopped Tawny. The man asked if Tawny thought Cherry might do some spotlight advertising for them. The guy rambled on about his company and their product (lights, toilets, something to do with houses) for several minutes. Tawny promised she’d mention it to Cherry. The show had almost ruined her life, but thanks to their success with the rec center, Cherry was the town’s sweetheart. Hopefully in another month or two the excitement from the show and Jason’s proposal on it this past summer would die down and her friend could finally start the life she’d always dreamed of.
As for Tawny, it looked like hers would still be stuck on pause. It’d been at least fifteen minutes since David and Jody had disappeared. She’d like to think “oh well, it was good while it lasted,” but the sinking sensation in her stomach told her otherwise. Pressure built in her chest and forehead. Acid turned in her stomach, and Tawny made a quick dash into the house. She dropped to the cool tile in the bathroom and put her head between her knees.
What had she done? How could she have let herself fall in love with David “The Charmer” Farber? She knew his reputation. Knew if it walked and had double X chromosomes, he couldn’t help but flirt. And yeah, as Alex had said, he had an uncanny ability when he was interested to make you the sole object of his attention. Well, right now she wasn’t the one he was interested in, because out there in the backyard, Jody was the only person he’d seen.
As she saw it, she could lie here curled up on the Johnsons’ new bathroom floor and cry her eyes out and then face a lot of strange looks, or she could go home and fall apart in private. Taking option two, she pushed up off the floor, checked herself in the mirror, and headed out.
She slipped out the front door and ran into Cherry.
“Hey, we were looking for you. Everyone is rea
dy to head over to Paddy’s and—what’s wrong?” Her friend held her by the upper arms, scanning her face.
“Got a killer of a headache. Can you make my excuses for me?”
“You bet. Do you need me to drive you? You look a little pale, honey.” Cherry did the mom thing and held the back of her hand to Tawny’s forehead. “You’re kind of cool. Are you okay?”
She gave her friend a small smile. “I’m fine, Mom. Just need to go home and lie down until it passes.”
Cherry wasn’t buying it. Tawny could see it from the squinty eyes and hear it in the toe tapping. “Need me to kill anyone?”
“Not yet, chica. I’ll let you know when to bring the shovel, though.”
She knew her luck with Ivan couldn’t hold out forever. There had been hope that he would stay in Cuba long enough to forget her, maybe hook up with some hot cutie from home who couldn’t wait to start popping out bebés and starching his shirts for him. Sadly, that didn’t happen. When his number popped up on her phone this afternoon, there had been the slightest (okay, the size of the Grand Canyon) urge to ignore his call. However, he was a client, and she didn’t want to explain to her bosses how she’d blown it. Besides, it gave her a good excuse to avoid seeing David. Or would have, had he been interested in seeing her.
Sunday he’d called after she left the housewarming to make sure she was okay. As Tawny could hear Cherry and Jason in the background and the call had lasted all of twenty seconds, Tawny was convinced he’d only called to save face with their friends. Yesterday she’d had work that kept her going from eight in the morning until well after eleven last night. And today, she’d heard nothing, nada, zip. Time to take a clue and move on.
Now the guy across from her hadn’t taken his eyes off her since she’d walked through the doorway.
“Ah, querida, I missed your smile.” Ivan brushed a fingertip down her thumb.
Casually, Tawny moved her hands to her lap and out of reach. “I hope everything was okay with your family.”
His facial features tightened before relaxing into a smile. “My youngest sister went into labor early and her husband and my parents are traveling. Both she and my nephew are fine now.” He brought out his phone and hit the gallery app.
A part of Tawny’s heart melted at the sight of the tiny infant swaddled in his beautiful mama’s arms. “Oh, he’s adorable and so small.”
“He was in a hurry to meet the world. Only 2.5 pounds. Thankfully, everything works and he can breathe on his own.” His voice broke as he spoke and his eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Forgive me. We almost lost both of them.”
She couldn’t even imagine the fear his family had gone through, especially with his parents and brother-in-law being so far away. To almost lose not one, but two family members at the same time . . . her heart clutched at the mere thought. Her brother George would have gone nuts had Alex or any of her nephews or niece been in danger.
“You’ve no need to apologize. I’m glad you could be there for your sister. As much as my family drives me up one wall and down the other, I can’t imagine losing any of them.” Actually she could, as there had been some close calls, some excruciatingly close calls with her brother Dante. Being related to an explosives expert, you kind of expected the worst. Thankfully they never knew about any of the near and not-so-near misses until after the fact, when Dante could prove he was safe.
Ivan flagged down the waitress. “Could you bring us a bottle of Regusci Cab and the antipasto tray to start, please?”
Great, she hated antipasto, and cabernets gave her a headache. If he’d bothered to ask, he would have known. Oh well, skipping on the appetizer would leave her more room for dinner, and she was craving manicotti like a pregnant woman craves . . . everything.
“You have worked on our event, sí? I am excited to hear your progress.” He smiled that charming, dimpled smile and she finally understood what all the fuss had been about. He looked like a little boy who’d just been caught chasing his sister with snakes and knew he stood one chance of getting out of having his butt whipped.
“Yes. As I’m sure you’re aware, the number of attendees does limit our venue options tremendously. However, I think you’ll like my suggestion. Foxwoods MGM Grand Ballroom cannot only accommodate an event of this size, but they’re willing to give your employees a fantastic room rate. This way your guests won’t have to worry about drinking and then driving home, and they can turn it into a full weekend getaway.” She reached into her into her bag to get the folder she’d prepared for tonight, relief washing through her. If she could keep his mind on business, everything would be great. “I’ve brought the proposal for you to review and perhaps make a few decisions on, or if you have questions, we can discuss them now.”
Ivan held out a hand to stay her actions. “E-mail them to my assistant. Foxwoods is fine and I’m sure what you’ve proposed will be as well.”
What? Didn’t he just say he wanted to hear the plans? She was so confused, and if this business date was his way of getting her to go out with him, she wasn’t going to be happy either. “There really are details we should discuss before I move forward.”
“I’m confident you’ve selected the best dishes and arrangements. Tell me, what have you been doing to fill your time while I was away?”
Working, building a house, not pining for you, she thought, but then decided none of those would interest Ivan, especially the last part. “Oh you know, the usual. Mostly helping my friend, Cherry, with her wedding, and my brother is officially engaged now.”
His eyes lit up and he held his wineglass to her. “We drink, to love and happiness.”
The waitress returned with their appetizer and asked if they were ready to order. To Tawny’s relief, Ivan indicated she should go first. With their dinners ordered, he passed her a small plate and she declined.
“You do not care for what I ordered?”
Dang, he must have seen her grimace when she looked at the tray.
“My apologies. I was brought up in male-dominant household, and when I go home . . . it takes time to break the habit again. I should have asked, please forgive me.”
His apology floored her. It wasn’t the first time he’d acted in a chauvinistic manner, yet it was the first time he had acknowledged he shouldn’t do it. Maybe there was hope for Ivan the Sexy Sexist after all.
“It’s okay. The manicotti will more than fill me up. I don’t recognize the wine you chose. Is it from New York?” She swirled the wine around the glass, sniffed it (uh, bell peppers?), and took a small sip. Not bad.
“It is good, is it not? It comes from a third-generation winery in Napa that I stumbled upon last year. We are lucky to find it on the menu, as they only supply their wines to select vendors.”
Another sniff and she noted the cherry she’d tasted, yet something else sweet, and dang if she didn’t still smell bell peppers. Vintners—she’d never understand the concoctions they came up with. Jason had tried to teach her a little, but it was like rocket science to her. “It’s a lovely wine, thank you. Ivan, I hate to push, but we really should discuss the holiday party.”
She set the wine down and before she could look up, he had reached out and taken her hand. He turned it palm up and caressed the pulse point of her wrist. Okay, not going the way she had planned this night to go and so not right with her promise to David. And then it hit her. Was the promise even still valid? Were they still seeing each other, or had he moved on?
All of the signs for the latter were there. He hadn’t called in two days, and the last time she’d seen him he’d been disappearing with another woman to a secluded spot.
“I’d rather get to know you better than discuss work, querida.”
A battle of good and evil warred in her brain. The good Tawny argued she needed to give David the benefit of doubt, to give him a chance to explain. The bad Tawny said screw him. Flirt with the good-looking man who had made his intentions known. The man her mother approved of. Have some fun and stop
being a Goody Two-shoes.
Hooded warm caramel eyes focused on her, a slow smile tugged at the corners of his mouth (a very kissable-looking mouth at that), and she knew—it was no good.
David Farber and she had unfinished business.
She dropped her gaze to his soft fingers as they traced a pattern over her pulse. Pain shot through her lip where she’d been nibbling on it again. An old habit she’d formed when working out a problem. When she thought about how it probably looked to Ivan, she wanted to smack herself upside the head.
Slowly she extracted her hand and dropped it in her lap. “Ivan, you seem like a very nice man, but—”
“You are not interested. I was too forward, perhaps.”
“Yes. No.” She held up her hand and smiled while she gathered her words. There was too much at stake here. “You are a bit forward, but that’s not it. Actually you’re incredibly good-looking. If you ever get tired of marketing, you could turn to modeling, or pose as a living statue of a Roman god, or you get my point. On top of that, you’re successful, charming, intelligent and—”
“Not the man of your dreams. I understand. While your head tells you I am a suitable choice, your heart tells you Mr. Farber is the one for you.” Resigned disappointment filled his voice and dragged his smile down.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you think this was anything but business.”
“No apology necessary. It is hard to argue with one’s heart, and I never complain about spending time in the company of a beautiful woman.”
“Thank you for understanding. About the event proposal?”
He took a sip of his wine and flashed her those dimples. “We can discuss the details after we eat. However, I’m confident in your choices, and I hope Mr. Farber knows what a lucky man he is.”
Chapter Nineteen
Dave arrived at the bank, grumbling with every step he took toward the front door. Why couldn’t Brody deal with this mess? After all, what was the point of having an attorney for a business partner if he couldn’t take care of the paperwork? Dave had things to do. Manly things like play with electrical circuits and wires. The deadline to finish the B&B loomed large like a Broadway banner over his head. Flashing day and night to remind him he was running out of time. Granted, they needed the loan to cover the new equipment. Equipment he needed. And yeah, technically he was part owner.
Boyfriend for Hire Page 24
