Waiting for Someone Like You (Destiny Bay-Baby Dreams Book 3)

by Helen Conrad

  Weren’t these the pieces of paper Tanner had been holding in his hand night before last? Why would her name be on them?

  Gingerly, she picked one of the papers up and spread it out to see what it said. A paralyzing sense of shock swept through her as she realized this was a message meant for her. A message from Ted. She picked up the other papers. They were for her also. She read them over, then over again. Finally, the content began to sink in. Crumpling them in her hand, she stared at her reflection in the mirror above the dresser.

  Tanner came into the room, still singing at the top of his lungs.

  “Let’s eat in the village,” he said once he’d broken off. He was dressed only in a skimpy towel tucked around his hips, and his muscular body shone in the shafts of late-afternoon sun piercing into the room from the patio. “Somewhere small and intimate and on the water. What do you say?”

  He was combing his hair in the mirror, and when she didn’t respond, he glanced her way and froze when he saw her face.

  “What is it?” he asked quickly.

  She swallowed hard, feeling as though her body parts were made of lead, “Tanner. You’re rich, aren’t you?”

  He closed his eyes for a moment. It was over. He’d known it couldn’t last.

  “I mean, really, really rich,” she went on, her voice dull and lifeless. Why hadn’t she guessed? After all, she’d sensed the similarities to Jeffrey, hadn’t she? When would she learn to trust her instincts?

  “Big money. Private yachts and summer homes in exclusive neighborhoods and all the money you could ever want for anything. Am I right?”

  He was going to turn and look at her, and he knew what he would see—-her face would be as pretty as ever, but her eyes would be alight with possibilities and cunning speculation. And why not? A whole new world had just opened up before her. Why shouldn’t she be thrilled?

  He turned slowly, steeling himself for what he was so sure he would find. But once again she surprised him. Her face didn’t look as he’d expected at all. Instead of a woman seeing the realization of all her dreams, she looked as though she’d just run into her worst nightmare. Her eyes were wide and dark and full of pain.

  He blinked, watching her, thrown off balance. What was going on here? She was drawing away, closing off to him. Her face was hard, cold, and she was stiffening, using body language that told him to keep his distance.

  “You didn’t tell me you were rich.”

  “I... You didn’t ask.”

  She wouldn’t look him in the face anymore. Shrugging into the robe, she felt for the slippers.

  “I’m sorry, Tanner,” she muttered as she swept past him. “I—I can’t deal with this. I have to go.”

  He stared at her, at a loss. What on earth was wrong?

  “Kat…” He tried to stop her, tried to take her in his arms, but she twisted away.

  She raced for the door, turning as she opened it and looking back into his face, her own frozen with something that looked very much like fear.

  “I can’t be in love with a rich man,” she said huskily, her voice trembling. “Not again.”

  And then she was gone.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN:

  Learning to Love the Rich

  Her mother was waiting for her in the cabin. Looking up from a magazine, she could read the turmoil on her daughter’s face immediately.

  “What is it, darling?”

  Kat shook her head. “The Carringtons are rich,” she said a sob in her voice.

  Her mother nodded sadly. “I was afraid of that,” she said. “But you know, dear, Tanner isn’t like Jeffrey at all....”

  “Oh, yes, he is. He’s exactly like him. Don’t you see? That’s why I fell in love with him.”

  Kat threw herself down on the bed in despair. Looking up at the sympathy in her mother’s eyes, she felt like a little girl again, like someone who needed protecting and comforting. “Mother, how much longer do we have to stay?” She blinked back tears. “I—I want to go home.”

  Mildred sighed and laughed softly. “We can go tonight, dear. I have two seats booked on the midnight flight to Chicago from my original plans. I was just going to call and cancel them, but if you’re sure...”

  “Oh, yes, I’m sure.” She sat up, wiped her eyes, and began to plan her packing, then remembered something. “But wait. You and the colonel...”

  Her mother’s hand fluttered in denial. “Don’t give it a second thought, Kat. We’ve had a lovely holiday, but it’s about time to end it.”

  Kat gazed at her mother in surprise. “End it? But I thought maybe you’d be getting married.”

  Mildred laughed. “So did I, for a while. I think John even had thoughts along those lines himself.” She sat down on the bed beside her daughter and put an arm around her waist. “We had a terrific time together. But, after all, we’re two mature adults. We both have our own lives in two very different places. I know I wouldn’t be happy in New York, and he would never fit in our little town in Nebraska. We’ve made plans to meet again next year, and I’ll be looking forward to that. It’s been a lovely, lovely vacation, but vacation time is over. It’s time to go home.”

  The temptation was strong to try to argue her out of it. Maybe she and the colonel could work something out. They had seemed so right for each other. It seemed such a shame.

  Kat had to laugh at the irony. Here she’d come to save her mother from a broken heart and it turned out she was the one who needed the life raft, not her very levelheaded mom. She should have listened to her from the first, but it was too late now. All there was left to do was pack—and try to hold herself together until she got home.

  The inside of Tanner’s head was echoing with the noise of the airport terminal. He couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Kat was walking off into the sunset without him, and there didn’t seem to be a damn thing he could do to stop her.

  “You’ve got to understand,” Mildred had told him sympathetically a few hours earlier when he’d gone to her for help. “The way Jeffrey left her was quite traumatic. She’d been brought up to believe you stick with the partner you choose, through thick and thin. She was ready to be a good wife, ready to start a family. And then the man she chose threw up his hands and said, ‘See you later.’ It shook her confidence in her own judgment as much as anything else. How could she have been so wrong in her choice? She tried to blame it on the fact that he was rich, that he was spoiled and used to new toys every time he turned around.”

  “Was that really what it was?”

  Mildred had shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe, partly. But it was also the fact that Jeffrey was a weak man, and his parents’ opinion mattered a lot to him. When they didn’t approve, he lost interest. He needed their approval, so he moved on to find a way to get it.”

  “And left Kat behind.”

  “Yes.” She nodded. “It took Kat a long, long time to get over that. And, in some ways, she’s bothered by it still.”

  Tanner ran a distracted hand through his hair. “But I’m no Jeffrey.”

  She touched him soothingly on his arm. “Of course not. But you are rich. And you are used to getting your own way. In her mind, people like that hurt others without a second thought.”

  His eyes were haunted as he stared at her. “What are you telling me, that it’s hopeless? That she’ll never change her mind and give me a chance?”

  Mildred hesitated. “I don’t know what I can tell you, Tanner. She’s spent years building up a very big wall around her heart. It will take a very determined man to scale it. And a very patient one.”

  Patient was something he had never been. He’d tried to talk to Kat, but all she would do was apologize, and then cut off all conversation. When he’d tried to talk to her about meeting for dinner, she’d had the meal sent out by ferry. When he’d knocked on the cabin door, she’d had Mildred send him away.

  “I can’t talk to you,” she told him as she hurried with her luggage to the waiting cab later that night. “I know w
hat I have to do. If I talk to you...” She gave him a panicked look and threw herself into the car.

  That did it. If she was going to Nebraska, so was he. He grabbed the next cab he could find and raced out to the airport, running through the terminal to find her.

  “I’m buying a ticket on your flight,” he told her, glaring. “Don’t try to stop me.”

  She didn’t try to stop him, but circumstances did the deed for her.

  “Sorry, senor “ The ticket agent shook his head. “We are completely booked.”

  No room on the plane. He turned and stared at Kat. “I’ll buy the airline,” he growled.

  She threw up her hands, her eyes misting.

  “You see?” she said. “That’s typical. Rich people think they can buy anything.” And then she turned, put her arm through her mother’s, and hurried away to wait at the top of the ramp for boarding to be announced.

  Tanner stared after her. Damn it all, he was rich. Was he supposed to apologize for it? Was he supposed to give it all to the poor? Or was he already so badly tainted that poverty wouldn’t change his character?

  Somehow he knew that would be what Kat would say. There had to be a way out, but right now he couldn’t find it.

  He stared at her, her lovely blond hair, the gentle curve of her cheek, and he ached inside. He needed her. There had never been another woman who had captivated his soul this way, not even Eileen. He couldn’t let her walk out. He had to have her with him. What the hell was he going to do about it?

  Kat’s eyes were dry, but she was crying inside. Her fingers shook as she opened her ticket for the boarding clerk to take the stub. She was glad to be getting on the plane at last. She had to get out of Tanner’s reach before he did something. She knew he wanted to do something, and she wasn’t sure how strong she could be if he put up a determined effort to stop her from leaving. He was so very dear to her in so many ways.

  “Are you all right?” Mildred asked as they made their way onto the plane.

  ‘I’m fine,” she said firmly, blinking her eyes at the lie. She wasn’t sure if she would ever really be fine again.

  They settled into their seats and she stared out the window into the dark. Tiny lights sparkled along the runways. Lights from homes sparkled along the hillsides. She closed her eyes and put her head back against the headrest.

  Why had she come? Why had she set herself up for the pain again? From now on she was going to keep her nose to the grindstone and not go anywhere or do anything that might risk her heart this way. What the heck, maybe she would marry Ted. That ought to kill any impulses she might have.

  She started when her mother touched her arm.

  “Kat, where do you suppose the others are?” Mildred said softly.

  Kat opened her eyes and looked about. They were the only people on the plane. She frowned, but then heard something up front, beyond the curtains.

  “Don’t worry, Mom. There are people in first class. I’m sure the others are coming.”

  She closed her eyes again and was almost dozing when the engines sprang to life and the plane began to taxi into position for takeoff.

  “Kat—“ Mildred’s voice was high with anxiety “—didn’t that ticket agent say this flight was completely booked? Then where are the people?”

  Kat looked around, then stood up and looked harder. There was no one else in tourist class. They were all alone, and the plane was getting ready to take off.

  “Have you seen the flight attendant?”

  “No, I haven’t seen another soul since we came aboard.” Mildred’s eyes were wide. “What in the world... ?”

  There wasn’t time for questions. A trumpet blast from first class spun their heads around, and suddenly a mariachi band emerged, guitars ringing out, voices raised in Spanish song. Kat and Mildred fell back into their seats with a thump as the band came marching down the aisle, singing away, each member grinning at Kat, obviously aiming all their efforts on her behalf.

  “What on earth?’’ Mildred repeated.

  “Tanner, that’s what,” Kat said breathlessly. “I’m going to kill him.”

  But murder had to be postponed while they listened to a medley of famous romantic melodies, sung with heart-wrenching emotion by the mariachi singers, with choruses on the trumpet. By the time the music began to fade, Mildred was laughing, and her daughter was fuming beside her.

  A flight attendant finally appeared from behind the curtain and instructed the musicians to return to their seats and buckle up as the plane was about to take off.

  “Is there any way I can go back to the terminal?” Kat asked her, feeling hopeless. “I seem to have forgotten something.”

  “Sorry.” She smiled sunnily. “It’s too late for that. We’re taking off.”

  And take off they did, with the stewardess going quickly over the safety instructions and disappearing into first class again.

  “He’s up there,” Kat said to her mother, despairing. “I know he’s up there.”

  Once the plane had reached its cruising altitude and the seat belt sign went off, there was another flurry behind the curtain and a cart rolled out bearing an elaborate meal, with real china and sterling-silver flatware. Two men in tuxedos and huge smiles began to serve Kat and her mother a beautiful Caesar salad complemented with large goblets of wine. It was evident that filet mignon and other delicacies were waiting under domes. For a moment Kat and her mother were speechless, but that condition didn’t last too long.

  “What is this all about?” Kat insisted sternly. “We didn’t order this. Take it back.”

  But the waiters pretended not to understand English and went about their trade with gusto. Kat gave up in frustration.

  “Tanner!” she called out toward the front. “You coward! Come out here and show your face.”

  Her heart somersaulted in her chest when he looked through the curtains and smiled at her.

  “Hi,” he said cheerfully. “How do you like it so far?”

  “So far?” She tried to frown, but somehow she couldn’t manage it. At least she was able to suppress the smile of pleasure at seeing him that seemed to be trying to creep through. “What do you mean? Is there more?”

  He came out and strolled down the aisle toward them. “There’s me,” he said simply, catching her gaze with his own. “Only me.”

  Only him. She couldn’t help but gaze back, loving him despite all her best intentions. Only him.

  “Excuse mes” Mildred was muttering, squeezing past her. “I’ve got to visit.., well, I’ll be back.” She disappeared down the aisle, quickly followed by the waiters, but Kat didn’t even notice.

  “Tanner...” she was saying helplessly. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Why do you think, lovely lady?” He took up her hand and slowly kissed each finger. His huge eyes were melting. “Why do you think?”

  She gulped away the lump that seemed to have appeared in her throat. “How could you possibly have bought this airline so fast?” she said huskily, shaking her head.

  “I didn’t. What.,.do you think I’m nuts?” He sank into the seat beside her. “I wouldn’t buy an entire airline for a thing like this.”

  She blinked at him. “What did you do, then?”

  “I merely bought off everyone who had a ticket. Gave them double the face value on the things. And hired the band and caterers right out of the airport restaurant. Some poor party is waiting an extra long time for their filet mignon, I’m afraid.”

  She couldn’t help it. She started to laugh. “Tanner, you’re crazy,”

  “You’re absolutely right.” He leaned closer. “I’m crazy about you. And I’m not going to let a little thing like my being wealthy come between us.”

  “But, Tanner...”

  “Kat...” He took her chin in his warm hand and gazed at her lovingly. “I know about what happened with Jeffrey. But I’m not him.”

  “No,” she whispered, feeling misty again. “No, you’re certainly not like any other man
I’ve ever known.”

  “Good.” His grin was lopsided. “But you’ve got to understand this, Kat. I refuse to apologize for having money. I’ve always had it, and I always will. It makes life a whole lot easier.” He shrugged carelessly, “It’s making it possible for me to show you how I feel right now.”

  For some reason, what he was saying was making a great deal of sense, “How do you feel?” she asked. She had to know, had to hear it from his own lips.

  He took her hand in his and held it to his heart. “I feel like I’m in love,” he said softly. “I know we need more time to get to know each other better, but I want to be up front with you from the start. I want to marry you, Kat. And all I need is the time to convince you that you want to marry me, too.”

  She touched his cheek with the palm of her hand. Tears were shining in her eyes. “But Tanner, I’m so scared—“

  “I know.” He held her tightly. “Darling, I know.” He kissed her eyes, her temple, her lips. “I’m scared, too. But you’ve got to give me a chance to prove myself to you.”

  She sniffed, smiling through her tears. “And what about me?” she said softly. “Don’t I have to prove myself to you?”

  His grin was a slash of happiness across his handsome face. “You already have, Kat, my love. You already have.” Little did she know how much her reaction to his wealth had surprised him-—and how his heart had soared. He would never doubt her again. Never.

  She settled back into his arms, knowing she was probably nuts to give in this way, but also knowing she didn’t have a choice. She was in love. Love was a form of insanity that made you do nutty things, things a sane person wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. But it looked as if he had the same disease. Why not ride out the symptoms together?

  “I love you, Tanner Carrington,” she admitted, sighing happily.