by AJ Nuest
“What? Why?”
“The one thing Caroline needs right now is a big sister. And I want to be that for her. But in order to do so, I’ve got to have some time alone with her. So…leave.” She smacked his wallet to his chest.
He hesitated a moment before sweeping her into his arms. “Have I recently told you how much I love you?”
“You have.” She pecked his lips, and then turned him toward the door with a shove. “But don’t come back for at least two hours.”
After he’d gone, she hurried back to Caroline’s side, two fortifying glasses of wine in hand.
The story spilled from Caroline’s lips between sobs—how she and Jeremy had been having a difficult time ever since her return from Vail. In a fit of frustration, she had finally admitted the truth about her family, and he had screamed he was done with her and her rich, spoiled attitude before storming from the apartment.
“How long ago was this?” Tessa asked.
“Just yesterday.” Caroline patted her eyes dry. Her cell rang, and she reached into her pocket, checked the caller ID, and collapsed against the couch.
“Now what?”
“It’s my mother.” She wiped her nose. “She’s been after me for weeks to attend this stupid dinner party so I can meet her friend’s son.” She stared at the phone in her hand, chiming away. “I can’t go. I’m in absolutely no shape to deal with this right now.”
“Of course you’re not.” Tessa squeezed her arm.
“But if I don’t talk to her, she’ll just keep calling. She’s making me crazy.” The phone went silent. Caroline sighed when the message tone beeped.
This was her chance. The gears in Tessa’s head wound to a fever pitch, chugging out several varying scenarios. Maybe…possibly…Sure, the idea was a bit devious, but if her efforts helped Caroline…“Call her back and blame me,” she suggested.
Caroline’s head jerked up. “What?”
“Call your mother back and tell her some sort of drama happened with me, and Dibs needed you in Chicago right away.”
Her big blue eyes widened in alarm. “Why would I ever do that?”
“Caroline.” Pragmatic dismissal invaded Tessa’s voice. “We both know your mother isn’t exactly fond of me. It’s not like telling her one little white lie is going to damage our blossoming relationship.”
Caroline’s chin lowered, a quiet laugh shaking her shoulders.
“I don’t mind. Make me your scapegoat. It will give you some time to depressurize.”
Doubt leaked into her gaze. “You’d really do that for me?”
“Of course. That’s what friends are for.” Tessa stood, pointing toward the kitchen. “Go into the sunroom and call. I’ll take your things upstairs.”
By the time Caroline had been soothed and settled, Dibs returned, five plastic grocery bags loaded with junk food dangling from his hands. He disappeared and rematerialized a moment later with an armload of flowers, several bottles of wine, and an entire sheet cake. Caroline squealed her delight, and Tessa couldn’t help but laugh. God, she did love that man.
They brought everything but the cake into the living room and set up an impromptu picnic. Tessa ran upstairs and gathered as many pillows and blankets as she could carry, then directed Dibs and Caroline to slide the furniture back so she could spread them over the floor.
The evening passed while they enjoyed their own special slumber party in front of the fire. Tessa loved sharing that time with them, even when she sensed the weight of Caroline’s gaze—either as Dibs fed her a small piece of food or tugged her between his legs so he could wrap her in his arms. That night was one of the best of her life. That Caroline had come to them in her moment of crisis nurtured Tessa’s dreams of finding a place within Dibs’s family. Her friendship with Caroline was developing into something wonderful, growing in the exact way she had hoped.
When the fire finally died down, the house around them dark and quiet, Caroline caught Tessa’s eye from across the room. “What’s a one?” she asked.
Tessa grinned and lowered her gaze to Dibs, asleep on his side, a pillow tucked under his head. “A one—” She crawled away from where she leaned against his stomach and joined Caroline against the side of the second couch. “—is a starving artist.”
The two of them talked late into the night, trading stories of the men they had dated, sharing things even their mothers didn’t know. The descriptions of Tessa’s categories made Caroline laugh so hard at one point Tessa worried she might wake Dibs.
“So why does Dibs call you Bunny?” she asked once their amusement died down.
“It was actually Bunny Rabbit when we were kids, pre-braces.” Caroline curled her upper lip, affecting two buck teeth. “I hated it. I would always run and tell my father. He usually scolded Dibs and made him apologize, but over time the nickname stuck.” She tossed some popcorn into her mouth. “What about you? What’s the story with Rex?”
“Oh, Lord.” Tessa rolled her eyes, and then showed Caroline her empty wineglass. “If you want to go there, I need a refill.”
They retired to the kitchen and Tessa spied the large sheet cake centered on the table. “And cake!” She held a finger in the air. “I need more wine and some cake!”
Glasses refilled, they settled at the table, forking hunks directly into their mouths while Tessa related the story of how she and Dibs had met, ending with their trip to Vail.
“Oh God, and then we all showed up.” Caroline slapped a palm to her forehead. “And Mother…she was in rare form that night.”
That uncomfortable dinner replayed in Tessa’s mind…followed by the conversation she’d overheard between Caroline and Mrs. Brenner near the front door the next day. She cleared her throat. “Caroline, I can’t tell you how glad I am you’re here this weekend. It would mean the world to me if we remained friends.”
She frowned over the rim of her glass. “We are friends, Rex. In fact, I’m sort of hoping one day we’ll be sisters.” She tipped her head toward the living room.
Tessa smiled. “Me, too, Bunny.”
A drowsy lethargy soon settled into Tessa’s body, and she and Caroline returned to the living room to rest their overloaded stomachs. Tessa lay down next to Dibs and covered them with a blanket. He snuggled close, instinctively spooning her with his body.
A second blanket wrapped securely around her shoulders, Caroline reclaimed her spot against the opposite the couch. “What’s it like finding your soul mate, Tessa?”
She frowned, though a smile lingered on her lips. “You think Dibs and I are soul mates?”
“Anyone can tell just by watching the two of you.”
She checked over her shoulder—Dibs still lay sleeping—and adjusted her head on the pillow. “Do you remember waking up Christmas morning as a child? When you knew a whole stockpile of presents were under the tree? Remember how thrilling it felt to know Christmas had finally arrived, and something truly amazing was waiting for you in the next room?”
Caroline nodded. She tugged over a pillow and stretched out along the blankets.
“It’s like that, but every day.”
Her eyes glistened in the warm glow of the fire.
“Loving Dibs is like waking up to Christmas every morning,” Tessa said quietly, “and knowing something incredible is waiting for me to simply walk over and pick it up. And that when I do, it will be the most perfect gift in the whole world.” She reached over and held Caroline’s cheek. “Don’t worry, Bunny. You’ll find your present.”
A breath hitched in Caroline’s chest.
The quiet crackle of the fire filled the silence, Tessa nestled cozy and warm inside the shelter of Dibs’s arms, and slowly drifted off to sleep.
****
The aroma of brewing coffee tickled her nose. Tessa stretched and yawned, her legs tangled in the crumpled blankets strewn about the floor, but Dibs and Caroline were absent. The low murmur of their voices drifted in from the kitchen, and she rolled onto her stomach, balancing h
er chin on her crossed arms.
“How often does he bring it up?” Caroline asked.
“At least once a week. It’s gotten so I’m avoiding his calls, but I can’t delay much longer. I need that signature.”
Tessa frowned. Wait…he who?
“What are you going to do?” Concern tinged Caroline’s voice. “They won’t let this go on indefinitely, Dibs.”
Oh no…God, no.
“Exactly what I have been doing.” He expelled a frustrated breath. “What other choice do I have? I’m not leaving her, Caroline, I love her.”
“I know, but aren’t you worried? If he doesn’t sign off, they could make things really miserable for you. For both of you.”
A wave of panic propelled Tessa to sit up on the floor. Her heart lurched in her chest. Their words could only mean one thing. Dibs’s parents were trying to persuade him to break off their relationship.
“Of course I’m worried. But I’ve also retained a team of corporate attorneys who are scouring the contract for any loopholes. I’m not going down without a fight. And if these are the tactics we’ve sunk to, then I say let them come. I’ll do whatever is needed to protect her.”
A team of attorneys?
She shivered as the questions fired rapid-shot. How long had it been going on? Had the coercion ever stopped? Or had they been at him ever since their first meeting in Vail? And what signature? Miserable how? Was his foundation at risk?
Her worst fear had come true, and she had no idea how to stop it. Dibs’s parents were forcing him to choose. She’d run out of time.
She placed a hand over her racing heart. A long moment passed, the silence reverberating loudly against her ears. She lifted her head to two sets of eyes peering at her from across the kitchen table, Dibs’s guarded, Caroline’s filled with fear. They didn’t want her to know.
“Good morning.” Tessa smiled and pushed to her feet, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. “How long have you two been up?”
“Just a little while,” Dibs answered.
She stepped to the kitchen counter and filled a coffee cup, and when she lifted it to her lips, his eyes locked onto hers over the rim. Unease lingered on his brow. He worried she had overheard their conversation.
“What time is it?” She left the counter for the table.
“It must be after ten.” Caroline linked her hands over her head, arms extended and palms toward the ceiling. “And I’m hitting the shower so I can head back to New York.” She stood and shoved in her chair. “Thanks to Rex, my world is back in perspective. I’m pretty sure I can handle the rest of the weekend on my own.”
Dibs snorted. “Rex?”
She grinned on her way out of the kitchen. “Yep.”
The minute she disappeared behind the wall, Tessa captured his hand and led him into the living room, lay on the floor, and tugged his fingers, inviting him to join her.
He twined their legs together and whisked a second blanket over their heads. “Are you exhausted?”
“I could easily be convinced to spend the day in bed.”
He smiled, brushing the backs of his fingers down her cheek. “Will you marry me?”
A deep yearning amassed in her chest. Searching his face in the dim light, she longed to say yes. More than anything she had ever known before, she wanted to marry Dibs.
But accepting his proposal would be the worst of her mistakes. Their future would pay the price because she hadn’t been strong enough, or smart enough to locate the answers to keep him out of harm’s way. As much as she loved him, she couldn’t say yes.
She lowered her gaze. “No.”
The tip of his finger urged her chin up, but he didn’t speak until she met his eyes. “That was the first time you hesitated. I thought for a second there you changed your mind.”
She blinked back a set of tears. “I love you very much, Dibs.”
“Then marry me, Tessa.”
“Can’t.” She closed her eyes. “I’m not ready.”
Chapter Nineteen
Voice mail again. Tessa lowered the receiver to the cradle. Now she was stuck, awaiting the RSVPs for the awards ceremony, unable to finalize the meals or get an accurate table count until she spoke to Ms. Kramer.
Across the small unadorned office, Tiffany’s part-time desk stood vacant. Tessa lifted the receiver, and then replaced it a second time. She didn’t want to interrupt while Tiffany was out on the lawn, going over the schematics with the tent rental company.
On the desktop before her, a long list of items demanded her attention. Maybe if she wasn’t so tired she could concentrate. Five days and Dibs still hadn’t said anything. And ever since, she’d been unable to shake the horrible sinking in the pit of her stomach. Every moment she wasn’t purposely focused on something else, panic dug its insidious fingers into her chest. When would the Brenners strike? What would they use as leverage? And what, if anything, could she do to stop them?
A soft tapping and the office door popped open. “Hey, Rex.”
“Well, hi there.” She stood and rounded the desk to meet a smiling Dibs. “What are you doing here?”
His arms settled around her waist as he tended her lips with gentle kisses. “I was summoned.”
“By who?”
“My father.”
“Uh, oh.” A spark of anxiety flickered and crackled along her nerve endings. “I didn’t know he was here.”
“He arrived this morning for his monthly status meeting, and apparently it’s urgent he see me.”
“What about?”
“There are a few documents we need to go over, some legalities to hash out.”
The spark fanned to a flame. Dibs had mentioned a signature. His father’s signature. And whether or not Mr. Brenner agreed to scribble his John Hancock on the dotted line was important enough Dibs had consulted a lawyer.
The image of the two of them, facing off against each other…“Don’t go,” she whispered.
“What?” He pulled his head back. “I have to go.”
“No, you don’t,” she urged. “Say you don’t feel well. Say you got a flat tire…anything. Just don’t go.”
Love warmed his gaze and he swept a lock of hair over her shoulder. “Now, what’s this all about?”
“Call it women’s intuition. I just want you to stay here…with me.”
He shook his head. “I’m going upstairs to meet with my father, and then I’m coming back to take you to lunch. And if you’re very lucky, you may even get a kiss or two.”
She tightened her arms, lowering her cheek to his shoulder. “Promise?”
“Absolutely. Now let me get this over with, and I’ll return in just a bit.” He patted her bottom.
“Okay.” She leaned away from him. But if he was worried, it didn’t show. Only love filled his gaze, his constant love. She stole a kiss, quickly rescanned his face, and pecked his lips a second time. “I love you.”
“Love you, too.” He smiled over his shoulder and stepped through the door.
She returned to her desk, her mind spinning. This supposed meeting gave her the creeps. Something was off. Way off.
Her hands met the desktop as a stark visual of Michael slammed into her mind. He sat across the table from her, warning she’d be in over her head. The Brenner family had a deep power that could ruin both her and her business if she wasn’t careful.
Dread shuddered down her spine. At this very moment Dibs was going to confront his father, and yet here she stood, hiding in her office like a scared little girl, doing nothing.
No.
She snatched up her cell phone and the leather BFG portfolio and marched straight for the door. She’d go in search of Ms. Kramer, and if her search ended at the Executive Suites, then so much the better. If Dibs needed her, she would be there to stand at his side. Together they could face his family. Together they could decide what came next.
Down the hall, she stopped every so often, but inside office after office, she met only bewilder
ed shrugs. No one had seen Ms. Kramer all morning.
She rounded the corner in the hallway, her anxiety mounting each step nearer the elevator. The doors slid open, and she hesitated. Perhaps she should go back to her office and wait. When Dibs returned, she would tell him everything. That she knew of his father’s phone calls. The conversations she overheard in Vail, her meeting with Michael, all of it.
But her waiting had brought them to this place…and time had not been on her side.
She stutter-stepped onto the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. As the doors whispered closed, she breathed deep, her nerves humming like a struck tuning fork at the thought of defying Mr. Brenner.
The elevator opened to a buzz of activity, the composed, almost serene atmosphere during her first visit to the Executive Suites shockingly absent as people rushed across the room. She clamped down on her disquiet, lifted her chin, and strode confidently toward Ms. Kramer’s reception desk.
“Hi, Nanette.” Tessa clutched the leather portfolio to her chest. “Is she in?”
Ms. Kramer’s receptionist held up a finger. “Yes, right away.” She spoke into her headset, jabbed a button on her phone. “She needs to see you. Three minutes.” She lifted her eyes to Tessa. “She’s in, but you’ll have to wait a bit to see her.”
Tessa nodded, stealing a peek at the double doors leading to Mr. Brenner’s private suite. Maybe she should just knock. Hell, maybe she should burst inside and demand they include her once and for all.
Angry voices filtered through the doors. The noise level in the room hushed. Murmuring conversations trailed off to an awkward silence. Each person stilled in their activities, the edgy silence almost palpable in the air.
Nanette faced Mr. Brenner’s suite. A few moments of uncomfortable tension passed before she refocused on Tessa.
Tessa’s head snapped around when deep shouts erupted through the walls. A loud slam vibrated the wooden barrier and Mr. Brenner’s receptionist jumped in her chair.
The door wrenched open and Dibs stalked through, jaw tight, long stiff strides propelling him across the room. Tessa stood frozen, her mouth dry with fear. He stopped before the elevator and punched the call button. Mr. Brenner stormed from his office, a sheaf of papers clutched in his fist. Their shoulders evened as the doors opened, Mr. Brenner’s determined gait leading him onto the car at the same moment Dibs stepped inside.
