by Ruby Laska
Besides, it hardly mattered how she looked. She wouldn’t be seeing anyone she needed to impress today. After last night, she was certain Mac wouldn’t be at the city council meeting. He’d find someone to stand in for him.
Someone who, along with the entire council, would no doubt voice plenty of vigorous objections to Sheryn’s World. Sighing, Amber settled into the uncomfortable upholstered chair and lifted the top sheet of the stack of papers, determined to make sense of them this time.
But her thoughts kept drifting. First to Mac, the way he’d touched her just hours before, the look on his face when she pulled away.
And then to Dean. How her gentle refusal hadn’t made a dent, and she’d had to resort to firmer and firmer negatives before practically pushing him out the door. Even then, he seemed convinced she’d change her mind.
In fact, he’d even wanted her to wear the ring until she returned to Nashville. ”It’ll help you decide,” he’d said.
“But Dean, I’ve told you, I already have decided.”
“No, you haven’t, not really. You need time to consider. Amber, think of everything we could share together. Think of how hard we’ve both worked to get where we are. Don’t we deserve to enjoy it—together?”
But that was just it. Amber couldn’t stop thinking about how hard she’d worked, the sacrifices she’d made to become the woman she was. Successful. Strong. Well-packaged.
And empty. Inside, she was empty. The closet full of beautiful clothes, the exquisite hotel rooms and four star meals never satisfied the ache inside.
And making a union with Dean, she knew, would never solve the problem.
A sharp rap on the door caught her attention. Taking a deep breath, she stood and tried to focus on the day’s challenges that lay ahead, vowing not to let Gray down.
But it wasn’t Gray.
Mac had practiced what he would say to Amber on the drive into town. But when she opened the door and stared at him with wide, liquid eyes and pale mouth parted in surprise, he forgot everything he was going to say.
She’d left her hair natural, and it had dried into the mass of unruly waves he remembered so well. A single lock corkscrewed over her left eyebrow. She’d forgone makeup, and dozens of tiny freckles dotted her skin, which was dewy in the moist, hot air.
And she was wearing...oh, Lord, that tight white shirt left little undefined. The neckline scooped down low, dangerously close to the swell of her breasts.
And when she turned her back on him and stalked across the room, the slit up her skirt gave a view of legs that went on for miles before disappearing in a slim swatch of black fabric.
He’d seen this woman naked, Mac reminded himself. But seeing her like this still took his breath away.
“Amber.” Mac spoke her name with force, a command, and then immediately didn’t like the way it came out. He cleared his throat, and tried again.
“Amber, I’m pretty sure I have a lot of apologizing to do.”
“No, you don’t,” she answered quickly, her voice dull. “I asked you a question, and you answered it honestly. That was all you could do.”
“But that’s just it. I didn’t answer it.”
“You said enough.”
“No, I didn’t. I didn’t tell you that when you asked where we were heading, I was dying to tell you I wanted you with me, by my side, today and always.”
“But—”
“I only hesitated because it seemed wrong for me to ask you to stay here, when you obviously can’t wait to get away, to get back to Nashville.”
Her back was still turned to him, and he saw it go rigid now, the muscles tensing under the white fabric.
“That’s not entirely true,” she said softly, so softly that he had to strain to hear her.
“I want to be with you, Amber,” he said. “We can work out all the details later. We’ll find a way.”
No answer, but Amber turned slightly, glanced at him sideways, long lashes obscuring the expression in her eyes. But he could read her thoughts in her body language: her fear, her reluctance to trust him echoed in the arms held tight to her body.
“Amber, do you suppose I could at least come in for a minute?”
As Amber turned and finally gave him a smile, a tentative dimply freckle-faced smile that made his heart leap and flip and flutter down again and convinced him that everything was going to work out after all, he tossed his keys onto the table by the door and glanced down briefly.
Long enough to notice the little black box.
A velvet box.
Containing the biggest diamond ring he’d ever seen in his life.
Mac froze. Amber followed his gaze and, seeing the box on the table, started.
“Oh, no,” she breathed. “The ring.”
Mac stepped back, as though the ring were an exposed high voltage line, and looked from Amber to the ring and back at Amber.
“An engagement ring? When exactly were you planning to tell me about this?”
“It’s not what you think—”
“Not what I think? Tell, me, for what other occasion does a man give a woman a piece of jewelry like this? Was this from that guy who called the other day?”
“Well, yes, but—”
Mac slammed his fist on the door, nearly splintering the cheap wood. “Do...you...have any idea...”
Any idea that he’d been about to open his heart and soul to her one more time?
That he’d planned to ask the question that another man had beaten him to?
“Forget it,” he muttered. “Forget the whole thing.”
“Give me a chance to explain,” Amber pleaded, crossing the room and laying a hand on his arm, a hand that was cool and soft and promised pleasure and love and nearly stopped him in his tracks.
Almost, but not quite. Mac was enough of an expert on hurt to know that if he stayed, this was one hurt he wouldn’t survive.
“No explanation needed.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“You’ve been crying!”
Sheryn took one look at Amber and threw an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into the room.
“It’s okay, I don’t want to intrude,” Amber snuffled, dotting her eyes with a wadded Kleenex. “I was just getting ready for the city council meeting and—but I’ll be fine, I just need a minute.”
Gray and Sheryn stared at her for a moment.
“Fine,” Gray echoed solemnly.
“Yes. I’ve looked over your notes on our counterarguments and I think—”
“Girl, if that’s what you call fine, I’d hate to see you when you’re having a bad day.”
Amber ran her fingers through her unruly hair and sighed. So much for attempting business as usual. Oh, hang those Sawyers. They knew her much too well.
“Dean came to visit last night,” she managed in a wobbly voice. “He left this.”
She pulled the little box out of her purse and tossed it to Sheryn, the same little box that had caused so much trouble. “I can’t even stand to look at the thing.”
Sheryn gave a low whistle as she opened it. “This must be at least three carats! But isn’t an engagement ring traditionally worn on the finger, rather than carried in a purse?”
“Well, yes. That’s the problem. I’m not engaged.”
“I’m confused,” Gray broke in, dragging a chair around for Amber, which she gratefully sank into. “Dean drives six hours to pop the question, and you turn him down and hang him out to dry —and he still gives you a ring? I don’t guess I’d have been feeling quite so generous, myself.”
“No, he didn’t give it to me. I mean, he left it. See, he told me to take some time to think, but I didn’t need any time, but I guess he left it because he thought I might change my mind.”
“But you won’t,” Sheryn said gently. “Right? You have no intention of giving that poor boy another thought. ‘Cause you’ve gone and fallen in love with somebody else.”
Gripping the arms of her chair, Amber nodded mutely,
tears spilling over her lashes and trailing down her cheeks.
“That McBaine fellow,” Gray said helpfully. “Seemed like a decent guy to me.”
“Oh, Gray,” Sheryn said impatiently. “Go fetch us some coffee, will you? This isn’t exactly your line of work.”
“Thanks,” Amber mumbled miserably. “You guys are the best.”
“No problem, sweetie,” Gray said, bending to give her a kiss on the cheek. “And by the way, don’t get too worked up over that city council meeting. There’s been a change of plans.”
Patting her shoulder, he gave her a broad wink and left, closing the door softly behind him.
Change of plans. That didn’t sound good. Even through her misery Amber’s mind raced with possibilities: there were any number of roadblocks Mac could create if he wanted to take his anger out on the project. She rubbed her eyes and blew her nose on a Kleenex that Sheryn offered. Then she looked expectantly at Sheryn for an explanation.
“What sort of change? Did they move the meeting?”
“No, not exactly...but let’s talk about you some more before we get into all that.”
“No. You first. What happened to the meeting? Did Mac—that is—”
“It had nothing to do with Mac.” Sheryn was turning slightly pink. “You see, I had a change of heart myself.”
“You did? What do you mean?”
“Well, this whole small town thing—I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love this place. I really do. But I got to thinking, if we put the park up here, I’d have to be coming around at least every month or so, dragging everyone along with me. You know, it wouldn’t be fair to ask Gray to keep hauling himself down here, not to mention what it would do to his workload.”
Realization dawned on Amber.
“You’ve given up on building the park?”
“Well, not necessarily forever—aw, what the heck, Amber, I’m not like you. I’m going crazy here, trying to figure out what to do next. I’ve bought everything worth buying and eaten everything worth eating and seen everything there is to see and—and frankly, I’m going to lose my mind if I have to stay here much longer.”
“I see,” Amber said, and a wave of relief passed through her, lifting for a second a little of the gloom in her heart. “You know, I hate to admit it, but I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear you say that. Even if things...even if Mac and I don’t work out, I have to admit I would kind of hate to see anything happen to this place.”
“Starting to feel like home again, is it?”
Amber turned away to hide the pain in her eyes. “Actually, I—I think that I may have just lost my last chance to call this place home.”
“Nonsense,” Sheryn said. “I don’t want to hear that kind of talk from you.”
“But you don’t understand. He saw the ring, and he was so angry—”
“A simple misunderstanding.” Sheryn wrinkled her nose. “Believe me, the road to happily ever after is littered with ‘em. If I had a nickel for every time I was ready to hang Gray, I’d be loaded.”
“You are loaded, Sheryn,” Amber reminded her. “But...I think you might have a point.”
“That’s right, Sugar,” Sheryn nodded. “Trust me on this one and go out there and give it your all. What have you got to lose?”
“‘I think you forgot to take this with you,’“ Amber wrote carefully on the piece of paper the postal clerk had given her. “I’ve thought about it, as you asked, and I’m afraid my answer is still no. I’ll call you when I get back.”
She signed her name with a sigh and folded the note carefully.
“Can you sell me a real secure box? I need to be absolutely sure this gets where it’s going.” She took the small black velvet box from her pocked and laid it on the counter.
“Why, sure,” the clerk said, and began rummaging around behind the counter. “I imagine we can come up with something.”
Something about the man looked familiar to Amber, and she studied him carefully. Kind smile, eyes the color of faded denim, deep dimples on both sides of his mouth...
“Hutch Stapleton, is that you?”
The clerk straightened and stared at Amber hard. “Why yes ma’am, guilty as charged, but—”
Then a shock of recognition lit up his face.
“Amber.” He said softly, and his smile became even softer.
Maybe he remembered that first stolen kiss, too.
Amber blushed a little and nodded. “You know, when I came to town, I was in such a rush I decided I wouldn’t look anyone up. Now I’m kind of sorry. It sure is nice to see you again. How’re your folks?”
“Fine, fine,” Hutch said, taking the little box and nestling it into a cardboard box stuffed with crumpled paper. Then he taped and tied it until it would have taken a stick of dynamite to disturb the contents inside, talking all the while. “I married Sue Manchewski, you might have heard. We’ve got twins now.”
“Twins! How wonderful! Boys or girls?”
“Little girls, coming up on six. Jenny and Bix. Well, Bix is really Beatrice—”
“—after your mother,” Amber finished for him. A memory of the woman, stocky, with work-worn hands, came to her mind. How many dozens of times had she sat at Beatrice Stapleton’s kitchen table after school, sharing fresh-baked cookies and milk with Hutch? “How is she?”
Hutch frowned, snipping the ends of the twine carefully. “Well, I’m afraid she passed away last year,” he said. “I’m just glad we had the time we did with her. I was offered a job up in Blountville—remember my cousin Hal, he’s got a Chevy dealership up there now—but Sue and I decided to stay here in Heartbreak. Best decision we ever made,” he added, pushing the package towards her across the counter for her inspection.
“You’ve been happy here, then?”
“Yeah. I got to be near Mom, and then there’s Sue’s family, too. But I tell you, the best is taking Jenny and Bix around and showing ‘em all the places we used to go. Looking up at the stars in that big old field behind Hawk’s place—remember doing that? Or getting a banana split down at the Penguin Point on a hot day. Heck, I’ve even got the girls fishing down at the creek. Some days I close my eyes and think I’m eight years old again.”
Hutch laughed, and Amber heard true contentment in his voice. For a moment she was overwhelmed by it, moved nearly to tears by the simple pleasures he described.
Hutch had never had a glamorous life, and the years had added some pounds around his middle, a fine map of lines around his eyes, thick calluses on his hands. But at that moment Amber would have given everything she had to bask in the simple rewards he’d earned.
But maybe she still had a chance.
“Hutch, thank you,” she said, lettering Dean’s address with care, and handing him some bills to cover postage for the neat little package. “I don’t—I’m sorry that I didn’t stay in touch all these years. I think I may have missed out on a wonderful friendship. But maybe I’ll get another chance someday. Give my love to Sue, will you please?
“I sure will, Amber. You look just as pretty as ever,” he added. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you at first. Your hair’s different, and you’re dressing a little different too. Still, the minute I really studied you, I knew it was you.”
Amber impulsively leaned across the counter to plant a quick kiss on Hutch’s cheek, as innocent and fleeting as that kiss so long ago. As she opened the glass door of the post office to leave, Hutch called after her.
“Hey, have you seen Mac since you were in town?”
Amber turned and gave Hutch an uncertain smile. “As a matter of fact, I’m on my way to see him now.”
“He always was crazy about you,” Hutch said. “Y’all sure had something special, even back then. I have to admit...I always envied that guy. He had it all.”
“No,” Amber said softly. “You’re the one who has it all.”
She knew he wasn’t there even before she knocked. The house seemed too still somehow, his absence something she sen
sed inside. His truck was gone, too.
Inside, the dogs began barking when she knocked.
“Hi guys,” she called. “Hush now, hear?”
Hearing her voice, the dogs escalated their chorus to baying and howling. They sounded so mournful that Amber sighed and tried the door. Unlocked, of course.
She gave it a good shove and was nearly knocked down by the two beagles, who leapt up and placed their front paws against her legs, barking joyfully. Then they seemed to remember their manners and stopped jumping, rolling instead onto the backs to show her their twin plump bellies, speckled with pink freckles in the white fur.
“Oh, you two,” Amber said, reaching to rub their tummies. They rolled their heads back and forth in pure pleasure. “So where did your master go? Are you sworn to secrecy? I know I haven’t, ah, been totally fair to him,” she went on, “but I hope you’ll forgive me. I have every intention of making it all up to him, if he’ll let me. Oh, I wish you could talk.”
Rising, she scanned the room for clues as to where he might have gone. It looked the same as it had the other night, reading glasses still tossed on the coffee table, but everything else carefully put away and straightened.
Then she spotted something amiss on the mantel.
Pete’s picture. It was missing.
Or no, there it was on the counter. Resting flat, as though Mac had been staring at it, then tossed it aside.
She had to find him. Giving the dogs a last pat, she let herself out. The heat of the day enveloped her, a faint hot breeze stirring the skirt around her legs. She paused for a minute, concentrating, thinking of all the places in town where Mac might have had business. She’d go door to door if she had to, covering every inch of Heartbreak until she found him.
Suddenly she realized exactly where Mac had to be.
Jumping in Sheryn’s car, she was grateful for its precision engineering, the way it sailed uncomplainingly over the rough country roads as she leaned on the gas. Slowing when she passed little knots of houses, she took the long, solitary stretches at a good pace. She knew the roads so well, their contours returning to her as she crested each hill, took each turn.
