“Tell me more.”
“You’ll get to meet him here shortly.” She glanced at the clock. “Gorden’s been working with him today, getting his feet wet. His first official day is Monday.”
“Young?” A smile curled his lips. “Handsome?”
“Daddy!” She hoped she portrayed the right amount of shock. Inside, she was already laughing. He fell for it.
He chuckled as he waved her objection away. “Relax, I promise not to play matchmaker.” He sighed. “You’re right, though. That does make it a little tougher to plan a trip right now.”
She felt a little guilty. “What are you doing this weekend?” It’d been four months since she’d taken off a full day, much less an entire weekend.
His grin returned. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“How about a weekend at the Boca house?” Her father owned a beautiful waterfront house on Gasparilla Island, in a little community called Boca Grande, nearly two hours south of Tampa. “Do you think the tarpon are running this weekend?”
He jumped to his feet with a huge smile. “Probably not, but who the heck cares! We can still go fishing, right?”
She loved seeing her father like this. Happy, excited. “Absolutely, Daddy.”
He rounded the desk and hugged her. “Let me go check in to make sure no one needs me this afternoon, and we’ll leave today after you go home and pack.”
“Don’t forget to come back to meet Douglas.”
He turned at the door. “Right!” He grinned playfully. “Any chance he wants to learn how to fish and—”
“Daddy!” She pointed at the door. “Go!”
He laughed. “All right, all right. Can’t blame me for trying.” He left. She sat down and let out a deep breath.
So far, so good.
Chapter Six
Doug took a nervous breath as he followed Gorden into Harper’s office. He’d assured Doug that it was okay to call her Harper, although in front of other employees, at least in the beginning, it would be more respectful to refer to her as Ms. Wells. Inside, he found Harper talking with an older man she strongly resembled.
She stood and smiled when they entered the office. “Ah, here he is. Douglas Holt, this is my father, Harrison Wells.”
“Nice to meet you, Douglas.” He stood and offered his hand.
Doug shook with him. “Thank you, sir. Doug is fine.”
He sensed the older man sizing him up. “Since you’ll be working with Harper on such a close basis, you can call me Harrison when we’re alone like this.” He looked at Gorden. “Well, what do you think of him?”
Gorden smiled. “I think he’s going to do just fine. As long as she doesn’t chew him up and spit him out,” he added with a playful smirk in Harper’s direction.
That made Doug laugh. “I’ll do my best to hold my own with her. Or die trying.”
The two older men laughed. Harrison clapped him on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit, son. Don’t let her give you any backtalk either when—”
“Daddy!” she said, cutting him off. From the tone of her voice and look on her face, it seemed her father was about to give something away that she didn’t want told.
He stopped, looked at her, then glanced at Gorden. Doug didn’t miss the almost imperceptible shake of the head Gorden gave Harper’s father.
Harrison rolled his eyes. “Fine. I guess all women need their secrets.”
“Daaaaaddy!” she practically growled in a warning tone.
“Fine!” He turned to Doug. “I’m sure Gorden will give you a full education in everything you need to know to work with my headstrong daughter.”
“Yes, sir.”
* * * *
Harper went from loving her father to wanting to strangle him. She didn’t want Doug knowing about her diabetes. She’d given Gorden strict instructions not to reveal it to him, and she knew he’d hold her confidence. It wasn’t any of Doug’s business, and the only reason Gorden knew was because he was like a second father to her. None of her employees knew it and that’s the way she wanted it.
I’ll have to have another talk with Daddy about privacy.
After twenty minutes of chatting, with her father asking Doug questions about himself, he finally headed for the door. “I’m going to go pack, Harper.” He turned, shaking a finger at her. “We’ll meet at my house at six. Right?”
She sighed. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Good. Um, any chance Doug might want to join—”
“Daddy!”
He laughed. “Can’t blame me for trying. Doug, good to meet you, and looking forward to getting to know you better. Gorden, if you and Olivia want to join us this weekend, you’re more than welcomed.”
“Thanks, Harrison. I’ll ask her. Maybe we’ll drive down for the day on Sunday, if nothing else.”
“Great! See you later.”
Harper sat and breathed out another sigh of relief as her father left. She looked at Doug. “I do believe you passed with flying colors.”
“You sure did,” Gorden added.
“But don’t be surprised if he tries to marry us off,” Harper said.
Doug let out a laugh. “Well, I guess that will make things easier for you, then.”
“In some ways, yes. I can only hold him off for so long. Fortunately, while he wants me to have a life, he also doesn’t want me to rush into the wrong relationship. My hope is that after a year, the company will be doing so well that he’ll give up pressuring me to ‘relax.’”
“Good luck with that, Harper,” Gorden chimed in. “Let me know how that works for you.”
* * * *
After they finished with him for the day at a little after four, Doug sat in his car and waited for the A/C to kick in and cool it down. Monday, he’d be able to park in the private garage, in his newly assigned space. His car wouldn’t feel like an upholstered oven when he climbed into it.
That is, until his new Mercedes came in.
This still feels like a dream. Well, most of it was a dream.
Some of it was an impending nightmare.
He stared at his phone. Tate would still be at work for a little while yet. He could take the asshole way out, call him right now, leave a message, and then not answer if Tate called him back at four thirty when he left work.
What he should do was pack an overnight bag, drive up there, and face him like a man. He owed Tate that much.
Cowardice won.
His stomach twisted as he waited to see if Tate or his voice mail would pick up.
Oh, thank god.
After Tate’s voice mail message ended, Doug nearly hung up. Instead, he forced himself to talk. “Hi, it’s me. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to talk to you, but a lot’s happened in the past twenty-four hours. This job…it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance. And it’ll allow me to help Mom and Dad keep their house. So I can’t turn it down.” Visions of the nondisclosure agreement he signed danced in his head. “I can’t come back this weekend, but I will next weekend. It’s…it’s a long story. Love you. I’ll try to call you tomorrow.”
He pressed end and took a deep breath. Then he put his phone on silent and headed home.
* * * *
Harper slid behind the wheel of her Mustang and closed her eyes. What a friggin’ day.
She’d called her father after Doug and Gorden left and reminded him, once again, to not give away her personal information to everyone. Especially to new employees.
He’d apologized with that condescending tone that told her he thought he was doing what was best for her, but he agreed not to say anything about her diabetes to Doug.
Why’d he have to pick now to be a doting dad? Her life would be sooo much easier if he hadn’t.
She sighed as she opened her eyes and cranked the engine. No, she didn’t want him to be distant. She loved that he was trying to be more involved in her life. She just wished he’d pick a different area than her love life.
At home, she dropped her cloth
es on the bathroom floor and stood under a hot shower for a few minutes to freshen up. Then she grabbed the shower massager from its holder and leaned against the cool tile wall.
Her thoughts turned to Doug as she adjusted the shower pattern to a stream and directed it onto her clit. She imagined he had talented hands that would know exactly where to touch her.
She slid her free hand up to her breasts, playing with her nipples as her breath quickened. The warm water pulsing directly on her swollen nub started pushing her toward climax.
Better yet, I wonder what his tongue feels like…
She let out a cry when her orgasm washed over her at the thought of Doug’s mouth between her thighs. As she got her shaky legs back under control, she smiled. Even if nothing ever happened between them, at least she could indulge in scorching fantasies about the man.
After another moment, she changed the showerhead back to spray and replaced it in its bracket on the wall so she could finish her shower.
Maybe one day I’ll have someone, Doug or not, who can turn those fantasies into reality.
She shut off that line of thinking. Her dad would be ready to go, and she didn’t want to keep him waiting.
Besides that, she damn sure didn’t want to get her hopes up over nothing.
* * * *
Harper’s dad had his truck loaded and ready to go when she pulled into his driveway. He lived in Tarpon Springs, in the house he’d bought when he’d married her mom. An old, 1950s-style house reminiscent of Victorian homes, with lots of intricate gingerbread trim on the outside. He’d had it meticulously restored, and the lot sported three beautiful large, old oak trees. She pulled up next to his truck, which she knew he’d insist on taking. He said it was so she could rest during the drive, but she suspected it was more so he knew she’d stay the whole weekend if she couldn’t get home.
He stepped out the front door with a smile on his face that made her hate the things she’d thought about him earlier. She loved him. He’d done the best he could as a single father. She’d never wanted for care or attention when growing up, between the Smiths and her father.
He opened her car door for her. “Hi, sweetheart.” He offered her a hand as she stepped out.
“Hi, Daddy.”
He wouldn’t let her get her bags and the cooler with her medicine in it from the trunk. He insisted on doing all the loading. Resigned to spending a weekend as Daddy’s little girl, she let him without further complaint.
When they finally got on the road and headed south, Harper comfortably settled in the passenger seat with her iPhone plugged into the charger. She surreptitiously checked her e-mail when her father wasn’t looking. She couldn’t be out of contact all weekend.
By the time they hit the Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay, she could tell her father was in a fine mood. He sang along with the radio and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in time with the music.
“Should we stop for dinner somewhere on the way?” He cast a glance her way.
She knew what he was really asking. “If you want, Dad.”
“I can pull over at that exit in Ellenton. It’s just a few minutes away.”
“I’m not going to drop dead in the next few hours,” she said with a smirk. “Anywhere’s fine. I’m okay.” She knew what the conversation had really been about. His unspoken questions were, When was the last time you checked your blood sugar, and are you due for your medication? And do you need to eat?
No matter how busy he was, or how much he had on his plate, from the time her diabetes was diagnosed when she was ten, he’d rarely missed a doctor appointment until she reached her teens and she insisted he not come because it was just too embarrassing. He’d practically made himself an expert on type 1 diabetes.
He laughed. “I’m sorry. You’ll always be my little girl. You know that, right?”
She tried not to roll her eyes. “Yes, Daddy.”
It’s going to be a loooong weekend.
Chapter Seven
Friday afternoon, Tate was about to leave for the day when Jenny stopped him. “Boss wants to see us in the office.”
“Crap,” he grumbled. “This can’t be good.” He’d felt unsettled all day. Maybe he was overreacting, but it was totally out of character for Doug not to try harder to get in touch with him when visiting his parents.
Then again, he was usually with Doug when he visited his parents.
She smacked him on the shoulder. “Why do you always have to assume the worst? Come on, it could be good news.”
“On a Friday afternoon? Not likely.” They walked to Albert Holder’s office. The president of the company didn’t usually call people into his office for a fat-chewing session.
Holder smiled at them when he spotted them in the doorway. He waved them in. “Go ahead and close the door behind you,” he said.
“See?” Tate whispered in Jenny’s ear. She quietly shushed him as they both took seats in front of his desk.
“Well, I guess you’re wondering why I asked you in here.” He smiled. “I won’t keep you hanging any longer. I’m promoting both of you.”
Jenny grinned as she smacked Tate on the arm again. “See? Told you it wasn’t bad.”
“I received two weeks’ notice from Barbara Davis a little bit ago. Her husband is being transferred. The next logical person for her job is you, Jenny.” He looked at Tate. “And the only person I want taking Jenny’s place is you. You haven’t been here very long, I know, but you’ve proven yourself, and you’ve become one of my best workers. You’ll both be getting raises, obviously. The reason I brought you both in here at the same time was because I didn’t want to drag it out. Jenny, you’ll need to help train Tate while Barbara is training you to take her position. I’d like as smooth a transition as possible.”
“Um, how much of a raise are we talking?” Tate asked. “Not that I’m looking a gift horse in the mouth. I don’t care if Jenny knows. I’ll be telling her anyway.”
“Well, okay. You’ll be making what Jenny’s making now, forty thousand a year.”
Tate thought he misheard him. “Forty grand? Four-zero?”
Mr. Holder smiled. “Yes.” He looked at Jenny.
“Ditto,” she said. “Might as well tell me now. We’ll compare notes later.”
“You’re getting a bump to Barbara’s pay scale, which is forty-eight thousand.”
She let out a happy whistle. “You have no idea how much I appreciate that.”
“Well, I want to keep both of you happy and working for me.”
Tate started to say something, then kept his mouth shut. He didn’t want to do anything to blow this in case Doug’s job fell through.
Holder sent them down to human resources before they left for the day. On the way, Jenny grinned. “Want to go out to celebrate?”
“Sure.” He hadn’t told her about Doug’s new job or the problems his parents were going through, not that he knew all the details anyway. Doug’s family was very private when it came to financial matters, and he wanted to respect their privacy.
Ironic, I get a promotion and a great raise, and I’ll probably be leaving in a few weeks anyway.
When he finally got out of the building at five thirty, he saw the missed call from Doug. He called him back and reached Doug’s voice mail. “Hey, babe. Sorry I’m playing phone tag with you,” he said. “Guess what? Holder just gave me and Jenny promotions and kick-ass raises. Wait’ll you hear, it’s nearly double my pay. Give me a call when you can. Jenny wants us to go out and celebrate, so I’ll try to catch you later. Love you.” He hung up and looked at his phone.
Neither one of them had ever been clingy, mopey men. And not jealous ones, either. They enjoyed doing things together, but had friends and interests outside their relationship as well. Both of them agreed that was healthy.
He just wished in this case it didn’t feel quite so lonely. It was the longest stretch he’d been without Doug for months, and he was really missing him and wishing he could celebrat
e with him tonight instead of Jenny.
* * * *
Doug felt like a real shit when he played Tate’s voice mail. His first thought wasn’t for how fantastic the opportunity was for Tate, but how it gave him a potential opening to suggest Tate not move down right now.
I should grow a set and just tell him.
He didn’t want to let go, though. He loved Tate.
Telling Tate about the details of his job tempted Doug nearly beyond reason. But every time he thought about doing it, the nondisclosure contract flashed through his mind, followed by the sound of his father’s choked sob over the possibility of losing their house.
He closed his eyes. Eileen deserved stability. His mom had been through enough healthwise. Moving was an additional stress she did not need. His father…
Well, now his father could finally look at retiring in a couple of years instead of having to work until he dropped to pay their mounting medical bills.
He took a deep, pained breath. He wasn’t sure how to break it to Tate, but he knew he’d have to.
His parents didn’t want to go out to dinner, but his sisters did. Another chickenshit move on his part, he suggested they hit a movie, too. While getting ready, he called Tate and reached his voice mail. Taking a deep breath, he left a message. “Hey, that’s great news about your promotion. I’m taking the girls out to a movie tonight to give Mom and Dad some breathing room. If I don’t talk to you tonight, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Love you.” He hung up before he could start crying.
Tomorrow. I’ll do it tomorrow.
Dinner and the movie ran late. Tate had called while they were in the theatre, and since they didn’t get home until nearly midnight, Doug took the opportunity to avoid calling.
He spent a mostly sleepless night tossing and turning and thinking about Tate. The first time they’d gone out.
The first time they’d made love.
Doug was more than nervous, he was scared witless. He’d never slept with a guy before, and Tate was only the second guy he’d gone out with after finally admitting to himself he was bi.
Dalton, Tymber - Contractual Obligation (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 5
