Wanted: Wife

by Stella Bagwell

It was too late for her to find the same sort of happiness she could see on Savanna’s face. Oh, maybe not physically too late, she thought wistfully. She was certainly still young and fit enough to bear children. But emotionally her heart was just too old, too scarred and used up to ever try to love again.

  “The reason I’m out early this morning, I thought you might go shopping with me. I’m going to surprise Megan with a few new things to wear to school. And then I thought we might make a trip to the beauty salon. My treat.”

  Still in a thin cotton housecoat, Jenny turned toward her friend. “I could certainly use the trip to the salon. And I’d love to go. But—”

  “Don’t tell me you have to work,” Savanna said with a groan. “I thought your shift didn’t start until late this evening?”

  Jenny shook her head. “I’m on a separate assignment from Orville today. I’m giving a safety lecture at a local trucking firm. You’ve probably seen some of the semis on the interstate. The ones with the big red L.L. Freight written on them?”

  Savanna nodded. “Yes, I know the trucks. In fact, I know where the trucking yard is. That’s a big place, Jenny. How many drivers will you be speaking to?”

  Jenny lifted one shoulder and let it fall. She hadn’t been thinking about how many men would be in the audience. She’d been thinking about one man. And she’d been wondering what it was going to be like to see him again.

  “I’m not sure. It doesn’t really matter. The lecture would be the same whether the audience was five or fifty.”

  “I don’t recall you ever doing anything like this before,” Savanna said with a curious glance at Jenny. “Is this something new for you?”

  Jenny shook her head. “No. I’ve done them before. Although it’s been a long time.”

  “Well, all I can say is I’m glad it’s you and not me. I’m terrible at public speaking. I think my high school speech teacher gave me a passing grade just to get me out of her hair.”

  “Actually,” Jenny said, rising restlessly to her feet, “I’m not fond of these things myself. But when Captain Morgan says do it, I’m in no position to argue. Although in this case I…”

  “You what?”

  Jenny glanced at her friend as she tried to decide how much to tell her. In the end, the need to confide in someone won out. “I wanted to argue loudly.”

  Savanna crossed her legs and patted the seat Jenny had just vacated. “Somehow I get the feeling you’re holding out on me. Sit down and tell me what’s going on. Are you having trouble with your job?”

  Jenny made a sound that could only be described as strangled laughter. “I’m having—” Easing down on the couch, she shook her head at Savanna. “Don’t laugh. But I’m having trouble with a man.”

  Savanna stared, dumbfounded. “Man trouble? You? What sort of trouble could you be having with a man? I’ve never seen you look at one twice. Have you been—” Her eyes suddenly wide, Savanna stopped and leaned toward Jenny. “Are you seeing a man, Jenny?”

  “No!”

  The word rushed out quickly. Too quickly, in fact, because Savanna was suddenly studying her with a sly gleam in her eye.

  “You have! I know it. I can tell you’re lying.”

  Jenny let out a resigned sigh. “Honestly, Savanna, I haven’t been seeing a man in the way you’re thinking. Although I have gotten myself sort of—tangled up with one.”

  “What do you mean, tangled up? Like in entwined limbs?”

  “No! Nothing like that!”

  Frowning, Jenny jumped to her feet and crossed to the dining table. Without realizing what she was doing, she stacked several papers together, squared their corners, then tossed them on the tabletop.

  “Jenny-”

  “Orville and I made a traffic stop the other evening,” she blurted out before Savanna had the chance to go any further.

  The blonde smiled. “That’s big news, Jen.”

  “Quit being smart-mouthed and listen,” Jenny told her as she walked across the room toward her. “The driver was Lucas T. Lowrimore. The man that owns L.L. Freight Company.”

  “Oh,” Savanna said slowly, “is that why you’re doing the safety meeting there?”

  Jenny’s full lips twisted. “In a way.”

  “Jen, you’re being evasive. Did you get into trouble with your captain because you gave one of the city’s big businessmen a ticket?”

  “No. Quite the contrary,” she told her, then with a resigned sigh, she sat beside Savanna. “I’m not having trouble with Captain Morgan. It’s Lucas Lowrimore. He’s—he’s been pursuing me. Sort of,” she added quickly as she watched Savanna’s mouth form a surprised O.

  “Pursuing you? Really? What’s the man like?”

  “He’s tall, dark, rich and sexy.”

  “In that order?”

  Jenny couldn’t help smiling at Savanna’s question. “No. Sexy is the prominent word here.”

  “Ooh, now we’re getting somewhere,” Savanna said. Sipping her ginger ale, she scooted to a more comfortable position on the couch. “Tell me all about him.”

  “Savanna,” Jenny scolded, “there’s nothing to tell. I mean not anything like you think. The man simply wanted me to go out with him. And I refused.”

  “Oh, but Jenny, why? This might be the one true one. The one good man I know is out there looking for you, wanting to love you.”

  Jenny snorted. Once she might have believed and hoped there was someone out there for her. But life with Marcus had taught her that romantic notions were foolish, risky things.

  “There isn’t such a man, Savanna. At least not for me.”

  “Only because you don’t want one.”

  “You’re darn right I don’t want one. I’m doing just fine like I am. I don’t have to answer to anyone. I don’t have to be afraid or humiliated or—oh, you know how I feel about this, Savanna. There’s no need to talk about Lucas. I’m not about to get involved with him. Even if he thinks otherwise.”

  A smug smile played on Savanna’s lips. “Sounds like you’re already involved. You just called him Lucas.”

  “I call Orville Orville, too. But that doesn’t mean I’m crazy about the guy.”

  Savanna let out a knowing laugh. “You’re so transparent, Jenny. I can see your eyes crackling fire just at the mention of this man’s name. And I couldn’t be happier about it.”

  Jenny reached for the ginger ale in Savanna’s hand. “I think you better let me have this. I’m the one getting sick now.”

  Savanna handed the drink to her friend. “So are you going to be seeing him today at the lecture you’re giving?”

  “I hope not.”

  “Why? Afraid you might be tempted?”

  Jenny grimaced. “Yes.”

  Savanna reached over and patted Jenny’s knee. “Take my advice, Jen, give in and say yes. You might find out you like the man.”

  That was just it, Jenny thought glumly. She already knew she liked Lucas. She didn’t want to. But she did. And that only strengthened her resolve to keep her distance from the man. If she didn’t, she might be foolish enough to let that liking turn into loving.

  “Forget it, Savanna,” she said after a moment. “Just because you’re happily married and blissfully in love doesn’t mean I can be, too.”

  With a knowing little smile, Savanna plucked the glass of ginger ale from Jenny’s fingers. “We’ll see, dear friend. We’ll see.”

  Later that afternoon, Jenny entered the office building of L.L. Freight Company. A young woman seated at a desk in the foyer directed her up to the third floor, where Lucas’s private office was located.

  Rather than take the elevator, Jenny climbed the stairs, then walked down the corridor in search of a door marked with Lucas’s name. Once she found it, she knocked lightly.

  As Jenny waited for an answer, she discovered her palms were wet. With a disgusted groan she rubbed them together and took two deep breaths. Darn it, she wasn’t a nervous person. As a policewoman she’d faced all sorts of situatio
ns, some of them life threatening. So why was the idea of seeing Lucas Lowrimore again turning her inside out?

  The door suddenly opened, and Jenny found herself looking at an older woman dressed in a hot pink suit and matching spiked high heels. She was peering at Jenny over a pair of outrageous rhinestone-studded reading glasses.

  “Oh, there you are,” she said, a bright smile on her face. “You must be Officer Prescott. Please come in.”

  Jenny followed the secretary into a spacious work area furnished with a desk, file chests, couch and several armchairs.

  “I’m Lilah,” the woman said as she offered her hand to Jenny. “I’m sure Mr. Lowrimore has told you all about me. And if he hasn’t, he should have.”

  Jenny shook Lilah’s hand “Actually, Lucas hasn’t said-”

  “Oh, you don’t have to worry about being subtle around me, honey. Mr. Lowrimore always tells me exactly what he thinks. Just like these beads I’m wearing today.” Lilah fingered the purple-hued pearls wrapped choker style around her neck. “He says these look gaudy with this pink suit I’m wearing. But I told him he doesn’t know anything about fashion. A woman has to make a statement about herself. Especially if she wants to be noticed. Don’t you think so, Miss Prescott?”

  “Please call me Jenny.”

  Still smiling, Lilah took Jenny by the elbow and led her to the couch situated a few steps away from an inner door.

  “Have a seat, honey. I just talked to Velma, our dispatcher, a moment ago. She says the drivers won’t all be back in the yard for a while yet. Besides, Mr. Lowrimore won’t care if you start right on the button. Would you like a cup of coffee? I just made a fresh pot in his office. It won’t take a moment to get it.”

  Jenny hadn’t come here to sit and drink coffee. But she could hardly start the meeting until all the truckers arrived. Taking a seat on the couch, she said, “I’m fine. Please don’t bother Mr. Lowrimore.”

  Lilah waved a dismissive hand at her. “Oh, don’t worry about bothering Mr. Lowrimore. He’s not here.” She clucked her tongue in disapproval. “He was called out unexpectedly to that downtown shelter of his. His electrical contractor was having some sort of problem with the city fire code or something. I tell you, that man just takes on too much.”

  So Lucas wasn’t here, Jenny thought as the secretary disappeared into his office. The news should have had her sighing with relief. But to her dismay she felt deflated. All week she’d been thinking about the things he might say to her, the way he would look at her and the way she might feel when she looked at him. She’d anticipated this day with every fiber of her being. She’d equally dreaded it. And now Lucas wasn’t even here, and a part of her had wilted. She couldn’t understand it.

  “Here you go,” Lilah said as she returned. “I left it black. I had a feeling you drank it that way.”

  Jenny took the foam cup from her. “Thank you, I do.”

  Rather than going to her desk, Lilah perched a hip on the arm of the couch a short distance from Jenny. An exotic floral perfume floated around her, and though the woman was outrageously flamboyant, she made a part of Jenny wish she was wearing a dress instead of a uniform.

  “I’ve never known a policewoman before,” Lilah said. “I never expected you to be so beautiful. But then I should have known you would be. Mr. Lowrimore never lies about things like that.” She laughed and waved a jeweled hand at Jenny. “Mr. Lowrimore never lies about anything. But I figure you already knew that about him.”

  Lucas had told this woman she was beautiful? Jenny didn’t know what to think. “Actually I don’t really know Lucas that well. Have you worked for him long?”

  “Since he started this business. And from that day he’s been the most kind, generous boss I’ve ever had. You see, Mr. Lowrimore and I go way back. I use to work for a lawyer. He came in one day to get some legal advice, and while he was waiting for his appointment, the two of us got to visiting about one thing and another. He told me all about the business venture he had in mind and asked me if I’d like to come to work for him. I took an instant liking to him. So I said yes.”

  “Just like that?” Jenny was amazed. Even though Lilah appeared to be a little bit offbeat, she knew the woman had to be a competent secretary or Lucas wouldn’t have kept her on for so long. Still, Jenny couldn’t imagine any woman doing such an impulsive thing. “You didn’t really know him, or if the business would survive.”

  Lilah laughed softly. “All it took for me was one good look at Mr. Lowrimore. He’s not a man who’s going to fail at anything he goes to do. You know what I mean?”

  Jenny knew exactly what the woman meant. And it made her wonder how she could stand up to him if he really tried to pursue a relationship with her. “He’s certainly appeared to make a success out of trucking,” she said as she glanced around the plush office.

  “Mr. Lowrimore worked himself to the bone in those early years. ‘Course, he could coast now if he wanted to. But those children of his take up a lot of his time. I tell him he needs to get married and have a few of his own. A man with a heart like his—well, it’s just a sin for him not to be a father. But Lucas has ideas of his own about that.”

  Before Jenny could reply, the telephone rang. Lilah went to answer it. Their conversation ended, Jenny walked to the plate-glass windows lining the opposite wall. As she sipped her coffee, she watched several eighteen-wheelers roll into the huge yard below.

  Even though Orville had insisted Lucas was a wealthy man, she’d never expected L.L. Freight Company to be this big. How had one man turned so little into so much? she wondered. Why hadn’t a woman been around to share it with him? And those children Lilah spoke of, were those the ones she’d seen him with in the park?

  Stop it, Jenny, she scolded herself. You don’t need to know anything more about Lucas Lowrimore’s life. The less you think about him the better off you’ll be.

  Lilah’s voice suddenly sounded behind her. Jenny glanced over her shoulder to see the woman rising from her desk. “Velma just called up from the yard. She says the last truck has made it back. If you’re ready, I’ll take you down to the meeting room and help you set up.”

  Jenny turned from the window and tossed the remains of her coffee into a trash basket. The time had arrived to get this lecture over with and put Lucas Lowrimore out of her mind once and for all.

  By the time Jenny started the safety meeting, the room was packed with men. She started off with simple, basic rules of good, defensive driving, then went on to other things, like how inertia affected big rigs, particularly tankers, as they made sharp turns. She pointed out how to safely mark the highway with hazard blocks when a truck was stalled on the side, and what to do when a truck accidently spilled chemical or flammable contents. She discussed weights, speeds and braking time in feet and seconds. The list Jenny went through was long, and covered the gamut of roadway safety.

  An hour later she was relieved to see the men were still listening attentively as she wound up her program.

  “In closing, men, just remember that fifty-five does save lives, and I wish each of you safe and happy driving. Now if someone will get the lights, I’ll let you all get back to work. Thank you all.”

  The lights went on and the men politely applauded. Jenny looked over the audience to nod her appreciation. As she did, she spotted one lone figure leaning casually against the wall at the back of the room.

  Lucas! Dear Lord, how long had he been there?

  He began to walk toward her. Unable to do anything else, Jenny watched him until several of the drivers came up to shake her hand and tell her how much they enjoyed her talk. With her attention momentarily diverted from Lucas, she was able to calm her pounding heart and tell herself she wasn’t really glad to see the man. Even so, she could feel a bright flush on her cheeks, and for some odd reason she kept getting the urge to smile.

  Eventually the truck drivers cleared the room. Lucas, who’d been standing to one side, joined her at the utility table she’d used to set
up her projector.

  “I was right about you,” he said. “I knew you’d get to my men.”

  The sound of his voice sent shivers of pleasure through Jenny. Desperately trying to ignore her reaction to his nearness, she looked at him. “How long were you standing back there?”

  A lopsided smile curved his mouth. Jenny wanted to let out a loud, helpless groan. He might not be a tradition ally handsome man, but he was far too sexy for her peace of mind.

  “Oh, I came in shortly after you started. Why? You wouldn’t have changed your program because of me, would you?”

  Judging by the lazy, daunting way he asked the question, Lucas already knew he’d distracted her. And that made her far more angry at herself than at him.

  “No. I wasn’t doing it for you,” she told him, her voice cool.

  A smile on his face, he said, “I’m glad. Because for once I can say the men enjoyed a safety meeting. You did a great job, Jenny.”

  Just when she was about to decide she didn’t really like the man, he turned around and complimented her, she thought wryly. Or was it just flattery, a tactic on his part to soften her? She hated to think so. But doubting a man’s motives was second nature to Jenny. She hated being so cynical and suspicious all the time, but Marcus had left deep scars inside her. She couldn’t simply trust Lucas because his friends and employees said he was a nice, generous man.

  “I’m sure they’ve heard it all a hundred times before.”

  “They have. That’s why I needed you to make them sit up and take notice.”

  “I was only doing my job.”

  “And doing it well,” he added softly.

  His dark gaze was roaming her face, touching it as though he was glad to finally be seeing it again. Jenny wondered if these past few days he’d been thinking about her the way she’d been thinking about him.

  Giving herself a hard mental slap, Jenny turned her attention to the slides scattered across the tabletop. “I—I’d better get these things gathered up and back to the station house.”

  She began scooping up the slides and placing them in a small metal box. Without waiting to be asked, Lucas went to the portable screen and scrolled it back into its cylinder.