“Exactly,” Andrew said. “My vote is for Achilles, given the nature of his injury.”
Melissa thought the classic warrior’s name was woefully unsuitable for the skittish little canine, and the argument continued with friendly enthusiasm.
The food was good, and the sunlight streaming in from the big window was warm and cheery. Helen soon discovered that she was actually enjoying herself. Andrew must have been on his best behavior. He was charming, and only occasionally did she see him watching her with thoughtful, questioning eyes.
The topic of the nameless dog segued into books, which both Helen and Melissa were passionate about. Melissa had read even more than Helen had herself—which perhaps was explained by her enforced seclusion for so long. They found they shared a number of favorite authors.
Helen was surprised to learn that Andrew was quite well-read too. She would have thought he was too busy with business to spend much time buried in a book. While he sneered faintly at Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, he’d read even more of Dickens than she had, and he was an expert on detective fiction, from Wilkie Collins all the way up to contemporary authors.
Helen was finishing up her last piece of bread when Melissa mentioned that she loved poetry. By now, Helen wasn’t surprised. Melissa was clearly an incredibly intelligent, thoughtful, and creative young woman. So much potential. It was so sad she was crippled by fear.
“Who are your favorites?” Helen asked, catching herself before she fell into a reverie on Melissa’s condition.
A dimple flashed at the corner of Melissa’s mouth. “I know they’re out of style, but I like the poets whose poetry sounds beautiful and musical. Keats, Coleridge, Tennyson.”
Helen smiled. “Sounds familiar.” Then, prompted by an irresistible impulse, she recited, “The splendor falls on castles walls and snowy summits old in story. The long light shakes across the lake and the wild cataracts leap in glory.”
She stopped herself before she recited the whole poem. She loved reading poetry out loud, but the wide-eyed look from Melissa and the slightly stunned expression on Andrew’s face made her horribly self-conscious. “Sorry,” she murmured. “Bad habit.”
“Oh, no!” Melissa exclaimed, clapping her hands in excitement. “That was beautiful. It’s one of my favorite Tennyson poems. Do you know the whole thing? Please?”
Relieved that at least Melissa didn’t think she was crazy, Helen still tried to resist the request. She didn’t enjoy feeling like she was the center of attention. She’d always preferred the sidelines. But finally she relented when Melissa kept insisting, and she recited the entire poem. She gave it her best, as she loved the lilting cadence and lush syllables of the verses.
But by the time she reached the third stanza, Andrew’s expression made her want to squirm. She didn’t know what his intense, unwavering focus meant, but it made her very uncomfortable.
“That was beautiful,” Melissa raved, clapping her hands again. “Do another.”
Feeling ridiculously shy and darting nervous looks over at Andrew’s deep eyes and parted lips, Helen managed a wry smile. “I think that’s the extent of my repertoire this evening.”
Melissa didn’t push it this time, and Helen was relieved when Andrew’s expression shifted into pleasant courtesy again.
They chatted a little bit longer—not moving into any topics that were too personal or intimate—but Helen had a good time, and she was actually glad when Andrew said he’d bring up coffee and dessert, as it meant that she wasn’t yet going to be asked to leave.
While he was downstairs, Helen excused herself to use the restroom. On her way back, she heard Andrew’s voice and paused, wondering who he was talking to.
“I thought I told you to stay downstairs,” he said sternly. “The stairs are too much for someone in your condition.”
Surprised and curious, Helen took the few steps over to the stairs and peeked down. She saw Andrew on the second floor landing, carrying a tray filled with a coffee pot, mugs, cream, sugar, and a plate of cookies. There didn’t appear to be anyone with him, so Helen took another step until she could see the little dog limping up the steps behind him.
“Don’t you wag your tail at me,” Andrew chided, shaking his head at the canine rebel. “This is willful disobedience. I know you’re being left out of the fun, but that’s no excuse. I told you to stay.”
Intrigued and oddly touched, Helen watched silently. Never would she have imagined a man as cool and professional as Andrew Cane having such a conversation with a pitiful little dog.
The dog, worn out from its long climb, flattened himself on the floor and panted.
Andrew scowled. “Now, I suppose you expect me to help you get the rest of the way up. I already have my hands full.”
The dog just thumped its tail on the floor a few times.
“Fine. I have to take up this tray first, but I’ll come back to get you.” Andrew started up the flight of stairs but paused when the dog heaved itself to its feet to follow. “That’s not going to work, is it? All right. Hang on. I’ll try to get you. But don’t blame me if you end up with coffee-stained fur.”
Helen watched breathlessly as Andrew maneuvered the tray to one hand and scooped up the injured dog in the other. Then, realizing he was on his way up, Helen quickly backed away and returned to the sitting room.
She felt amused and surprised by this evidence of a warm heart in Andrew Cane. However grumpy he had pretended to be, he was clearly fond of the dog and went out of his way to take care of him.
Helen was convinced that no one could be so sweet and considerate with a helpless animal if he was as heartless and self-seeking as she’d initially assumed Andrew to be.
She felt a little guilty for her initial impressions. And she also felt something else. A warm interest that made her very anxious.
When she returned to the room, Melissa asked her about her college and graduate school experiences. Glad of the distraction, Helen answered willingly and managed not to act differently when Andrew reentered the room, carrying the tray but with the dog limping at his heels.
They talked about colleges for a while, and Helen learned that Melissa had graduated from an online degree program with a double major in History and Government and that she now worked part-time for Andrew’s company, doing some editing work on web pages from home. Obviously, they were all starting to be more comfortable with each other, as the topics of conversation were becoming more personal.
“I just love how you dress,” Melissa asked, munching happily on a cookie. If one didn’t know better, nothing about her behavior or appearance would have suggested she was anything other than a pretty, well-adjusted woman. “Where do you find your clothes? I know they don’t sell dresses like that at the mall.”
“They don’t,” Helen said, smoothing down the long skirt of her dress. “I raid yard sales and thrift shops. There are a few vintage shops I like to browse in too, but I only occasionally have enough money to buy clothes there.”
“It’s so cool you have such a distinct, personal style. I always thought it a shame that everyone insists on dressing like everyone else.”
Helen laughed and felt her cheeks warm again. For some reason, talking about something so personal to her in front of Andrew made her feel conscious of herself in a way she wasn’t used to.
She couldn’t help but wonder what he thought of how she dressed.
“I guess that’s a nice way of saying I’m totally out of style.” Before Melissa could object, she added, “I’m just teasing. Although I’m used to students looking at me like I’m crazy. I don’t know—it just doesn’t bother me very much. I wear what I like.”
“That’s so great.” Before anyone else could chime in, Melissa changed the subject. “I think the dog needs to go out. That’s the way he sniffs when he has to go. Andrew, can you?”
Andrew blinked. “What?”
“Carry him downstairs and take him out,” Melissa explained. “I think he needs to go. You
should never have let him climb all the way up the stairs. He’ll hurt his little leg even more. I don’t want him to have to walk all the way down.”
Helen waited to see if Andrew would admit to his part in the dog’s ascent up the stairs, but he just tightened his lips and stood up. He grumbled as he leaned over to scoop up the dog again, but Helen wasn’t fooled.
After what she’d seen earlier, she was sure his displeasure was just an act.
Melissa must have known the same thing because she beamed at her brother and told him how incredibly sweet he was.
As Helen watched Andrew leave the room, his handsome face grumpy and his tall, lean form hampered by a whimpering dog, she experienced the oddest swell of feeling. So different from the way she’d felt about him before.
That would have been good, but this new feeling could lead to a great deal of trouble.
She was attracted to Andrew, but that wasn’t the end of the world. He was handsome and masculine, and she couldn’t help but notice. She’d been attracted to men before, but there was something else—starting to bloom inside of her as she thought about what she’d seen of him tonight. His absolute commitment to his family. His tenderness and care with his sister. His willingness to put aside his own desires in order to answer someone else’s needs. And the way he tried to hide his obvious affection for a helpless dog.
He was still a somewhat infuriating man, but she was feeling more than attraction. And she knew nothing good could come of it.
Because what she felt was…fond.
***
Andrew waited outside as the dog took care of its business, and he was surprised to realize that the sun was already at the horizon. Dinner had gone better than he’d expected, and he couldn’t believe how quickly the time had passed.
After an iffy beginning, Melissa had warmed up and blossomed in her conversation with Helen. Andrew was surprised by such a development, but he couldn’t help but also be thrilled.
It was the first time in so long she’d made any progress at all. Maybe it was a sign that she was finally close to taking the first step toward healing.
He rubbed the tense muscles at the back of his neck and made himself admit that his enjoyment of the evening wasn’t just because of his sister’s progress. Helen was beautiful, intelligent, and generous, and she had a dry sense of humor he wouldn’t have expected from her quiet, old-fashioned appearance.
She also had the most beautiful speaking voice he’d ever heard. When she’d recited that poem earlier, he’d been swept away by the pitch of her voice and the haunting loveliness of the cadences.
He shook his head, telling himself not to get distracted. She still was an unknown quantity, and she was his main obstacle to obtaining the manuscript.
Although he obviously found her attractive, there was almost no chance of his ever pursuing that attraction. He didn’t engage in casual flirtations anymore, and nothing else was possible with Helen.
He was only in Cane for the month, and then he’d say goodbye to it—and everyone here—for good.
When the dog limped back over to him, Andrew lifted him again and carried him back up the stairs. He muttered under his breath about canine moochers who abused their owner’s generosity and good-nature, but he couldn’t help but scratch the dog behind the ears when the brown eyes gazed up at him adoringly.
Dogs were just impossible to dislike.
When he returned to his sister’s sitting room, he was shocked to discover that she and Helen were talking about spiritual matters. Melissa was sharing how she’d become a Christian—at a youth group she’d attended for two years before the year she’d started shutting herself off from the world.
“It all just kind of clicked,” Melissa explained. “That Jesus was the one I needed. I don’t know what I would have done for the last ten years without him. Andrew has been so good to me, but I can’t help feeling…” She trailed off. Darted a quick look over at Andrew. “I can’t help feeling so alone a lot of time.”
Andrew felt his heart tighten in his chest, and he realized his sister was worried about hurting him. She had hurt him. Because he’d tried so hard to give her everything she needed and he’d obviously failed at that.
“Of course,” Helen said softly. Her eyes rested briefly on Andrew’s face, and he hoped she hadn’t seen his pained reaction. “How could you not feel alone? At least you’ve had a brother as good as Andrew to help.”
He swallowed, wondering if she’d said that out of kindness to him and then wondering why she would have done so when she’d never shown any signs of liking him.
Melissa’s eyes filled with tears. “Yeah. I guess God knew what he was doing when he brought me to that youth group.”
As always, unable to resist the need to comfort his sister, Andrew reached over and put a hand on her arm. “And, since he knows what he’s doing, he won’t just help you get through it. He’ll heal you all the way. He’ll—”
Andrew broke off, hardly believing what he’d just said.
It wasn’t that he didn’t mean it. He was spiritually conflicted about some things, but he still believed.
But he couldn’t believe he’d said it out loud, and now he wished he hadn’t.
Melissa’s shocked, awed expression made him feel awkward, and Helen’s obvious surprise made him self-conscious. He wondered what she thought about his spiritual condition. They’d been part of the same church growing up. Had she assumed he no longer believed anything at all?
He didn’t like that idea, but he wasn’t sure how to address it.
“Andrew, the dog wants up on the window seat with me. Can you help him up?”
Taken off-guard, Andrew automatically leaned down to help the dog up. His sister could have done it herself, but he was grateful for the chance to do something, to be active, when the topic of faith made him feel so incredibly helpless.
The women continued chatting, and Andrew listened with half an ear as the topic shifted to First Church and Helen’s father as the pastor.
He couldn’t help but wonder what his life would have been like if he’d never strayed from his faith, from the church. He knew he would have made some different choices, but more deeply he wondered if he would have found the security and contentment—the peace—he still seemed to be lacking.
He was distracted from his broodings when Melissa asked, “Andrew, he wants down now. I’m trapped by the table.”
Andrew shook off his reverie and assessed the situation. Melissa was boxed in by the table they’d pulled up to the window seat, and the dog indeed appeared to be trying to jump down. The animal was nervous, however, and kept making false starts, pulling back before he made the plunge.
With a long exhale, Andrew got up from his chair again. “I’m not sure how I’ve become the dog’s personal servant.”
“Who better?” Melissa teased.
Giving an exaggerated scowl, mostly for the females’ benefit, Andrew reached over to grab the dog under the ribs.
But the dog had been intent on getting down on his own, and he didn’t recognize the help that was coming to him. He jumped just as Andrew reached for him.
Taken by surprise, he made a lunge for the dog, grabbing it just in time to keep it from landing hard on its hurt leg. Andrew, however, was thrown off balance by his sudden bend at the waist. He managed to get the dog on the floor unscathed but then realized he was in danger of toppling over himself.
He grabbed for the table to steady himself but missed the edge. Instead, he grabbed the table cloth, which provided him no support. He tried to counter the momentum of his forward fall by jerking himself back.
It didn’t work. He sat down hard and ungracefully, and he’d failed to release the table cloth. In his descent, he pulled the table cloth with him and a clatter of dishes, silverware, and glasses cascaded down around him to the floor.
He blinked, dazed by the fall and the sudden onslaught of table settings.
Then he heard a giggle.
He
shot suspicious eyes over to the onlookers and saw Melissa beginning to laugh openly and Helen with her mouth covered in poorly stifled amusement.
He closed his eyes. “I know you are both too kind to mock.”
The women proved him wrong. His aggrieved tones pushed them into real laughter, and their amusement rung out merrily over his abject indignity.
Then the dog had the gall to limp over and lick him tentatively on the hand, as if he hadn’t been the cause of the whole debacle.
Andrew grumbled and threatened retaliation, of course, but he couldn’t help but gaze up at Melissa and Helen, so pretty and uninhibited in their hilarity.
It had been ages since he’d seen his sister having so much fun. His heart warmed as he watched her.
And as he watched Helen, who had seemed to turn his world upside down in just over a week.
.
Chapter Five
The next day, Andrew went about his business—taking care of decision-making and correspondence for his company, checking into some lingering legal matters connected to the Cane estate, and arranging for some necessary work to be done at the house—without his typical, unwavering focus.
On the phone with a contractor, he tried to explain all that needed to be done on the grounds, including getting a stronger hatch door and a lock on the dugout cellar, but he kept losing his concentration. He had to try three times to complete his request.
He couldn’t stop thinking about Helen.
Andrew tried to explain it away as his gratitude for the way she’d started to pull Melissa out of her shell, but something told him it went beyond simple gratitude.
She wasn’t at all the kind of woman he’d been attracted to before. He was accustomed to poised, outspoken women who were used to getting what they wanted.
Helen was reserved and soft-spoken, almost reticent. Except when provoked, of course. Then she knew how to put up a good fight, all the more effective because her stubbornness was so unexpected.
She wasn’t sleek or cosmopolitan. Her hair was always falling down in soft wisps around her face, and she wore quaint, old-fashioned clothes that seemed to suit her perfectly. Despite her appearance, she wasn’t prim or stuffy. It might take some encouragement, but when she got going she spoke so passionately about the things she loved—books, ideas, her family, her faith.
No Shadow (Prodigal Sons of Cane) Page 5
