“You’re very welcome, but the honor is all mine, I can assure you. She’s an extraordinary woman. I feel like I’ve made a new friend.”
“She feels the same way about you.”
“Really?” She cocked an eyebrow. “How do you know?”
“She told me.”
“When?”
“We talked last night over the phone.”
“Oh.” Her mind started racing. Had Glory told him all of the things they’d talked about? A sense of horror came over her. She tried to think—had she told Glory anything about Hank that would incriminate her? Did Hank know she was supposed to go on a date with him?
“Glory is like a second mom to me. I try to check in with her most evenings to make sure she’s okay.”
“Wow, that’s very thoughtful.”
He dismissed the compliment with a wave of his hand as he sat up in his seat. “Anyway, I wanted to let you know that money is no object where she is concerned. Give her what she wants, and make sure all of the invoices come directly to me.”
“Okay, I’ll do that.” Was Hank footing the bill for all of the expenses? That was impressive! Super impressive!
Thinking their chat had come to an end, Chloe uncrossed her legs and prepared to stand until Hank stopped her.
“Um … there’s one more thing …”
“Yes?”
He began fiddling with his pen. It was her turn to be amused. Was he actually nervous around her? The thought was somewhat thrilling.
“Kate tells me that you’re an expert at making your own custom botanical arrangements.”
Her first inclination was to downplay her skill, but the words her mother often spoke rang in her ears. When someone gives you a compliment, you simply smile and say “thank you” even if you don’t feel like you deserve it. “Thank you,” she blurted. He gave her a funny look, and she realized that thank you was probably not an appropriate response. She cleared her throat. “I mean, yes, I do make my own arrangements.” Most interior designers simply picked them out of a catalogue, but Chloe liked to design her own because she could make something unique that was completely original.
“After lunch, I’m going to the Riddle’s project. If you don’t mind, I’d like for you to go with me and take a look at her dining room. Lily Riddle needs a centerpiece for a party she’s hosting. It would be nice to offer her something original.”
“Of course, I would be glad to.” It was good to know that her talents were being appreciated and utilized. “I’ll have to special order all of the flowers from my wholesale supplier in Alabama.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Really? Alabama, huh?”
“Yep, I have the best supplier in the nation as far as I’m concerned.”
“Okay, order away.”
“And I’ll need a workspace and floral tools.”
He laughed. “You are demanding, aren’t you?”
She stiffened for a split second, until she saw the teasing look in his eyes. A smile twitched at the corners of her lips. “Yes, but I’m worth it,” she quipped and then realized what she’d said. “I mean, it’ll be worth it,” she corrected, her eyes going wide. Geez! Could she have sounded anymore corny?
“I’m sure you are,” he said softly, causing a thrill to shoot through her. She could feel her pulse, hammering in her ears as her eyes locked with his. He really was strikingly handsome with his rugged features and suntan that emphasized his light eyes. She liked the way crinkles appeared around his eyes when he smiled. It made him seem down-to-earth and real. Her gaze went to his lips, and she fleetingly wondered how they would feel against hers. She could almost make herself believe that he was reading her thoughts and that maybe he was thinking the same thing about her. A sense of panic flooded her. She really did need to keep her imagination in check! He was her boss, for goodness sakes! This high school crush she had on him was getting out of control! It had come on so suddenly that it had blind sighted her. Was she grasping for straws because she was so desperate to move on from Dan? Was that why she was becoming so enamored with Hank all of a sudden? Before she could make a complete fool of herself, she broke the connection and looked down.
“Chloe,” she heard him say, and then the door opened and there stood Garrett. A suspicious look came over his face as he looked back and forth between the two of them. “Am I interrupting something?” It was more of an accusation than a question.
“No,” Chloe said guiltily, stumbling to her feet. “Hank and I were just going over projects.”
Amusement lit Hank’s eyes, and she could tell that he was enjoying watching her squirm. She gave him a questioning look as irritation sparked over her. Garrett noticed the exchange. His eyes narrowed. He closed the distance between them with two steps. Before she could stop him, he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the lips. She jerked away from him as the heat of humiliation burned through her veins. She’d told him never to do that at the office! She looked at Hank, whose face had gone a shade darker.
“What’re you doing?” she seethed, looking up at Garrett.
He gave her a disarming smile that made her want to slap him. “I’ve been trying to call you.”
The last thing she wanted to do was to get into an argument with Garrett in front of Hank. She ignored the comment and moved to walk past him, but he caught her arm.
“Hey, what’s going on with you?” His expression grew earnest.
“Let’s not do this here,” she said through gritted teeth. He was clutching her arm so tightly that it hurt. “Let go of my arm.”
His expression went hard.
Hank stood. “I believe she asked you to let go of her arm. Do as she said.”
The warning in Hank’s voice was unmistakable, and Chloe saw the hesitancy creep into Garrett’s eyes as he released her arm. Then he smiled again, but his eyes remained cold. He gave Hank a scathing look and held up his hands. “I see how it is … I take one trip out of town, and big brother moves in on my territory.” He looked at Chloe. “We’ll discuss this later.” There was a hint of promise in his voice that sent a shudder running down her spine as he left the room.
Hank gave her a concerned look. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“Garrett can be a little overbearing at times.”
Overbearing? Really? That was putting it mildly! A band-aid approach to a serious situation. He was treating her like his property! And it was starting to scare her!
“If he gives you any problems … or if you ever need to talk about anything …”
“Thanks. I’m okay,” she said tersely, hugging her arms.
He looked unconvinced, but thankfully, he dropped it. “I’ll meet you in your office at 11:30, and we’ll go to the Riddle’s home together.”
12
Chapter 12
Hank stormed into Garrett’s office without knocking. “What was that about?”
Garrett leaned back in his chair and propped his arms behind his head. “Have a seat.”
“I’ll stand.”
“Suit yourself.” Garrett picked up his exercise ball and began squeezing it.
Hank placed his fingertips on the desk and leaned in, eyeing Garrett. “You had no right to treat Chloe that way.”
“Oh, don’t get your trousers in a wad. Chloe knows I didn’t mean anything by that. It was a lover’s quarrel, that’s all.”
The anger that surged through Hank caught him off guard. “First of all, your romantic escapades have no business trickling into the work place. And second, Chloe is not like your other women!”
A hard smile twisted over Garrett. “My other women, huh? What’s wrong, big brother? Not jealous, are you?”
Hank wanted to knock that smug expression off Garrett’s face. He pointed. “Watch it. I won’t let you hurt Chloe like you did Yvette.”
“My relationship with Chloe is nothing like what happened with Yvette.”
Hank lifted an eyebrow. Garrett switched girlfriends like most peopl
e switched brands of soaps. Most of the time, Hank never even bothered to learn their names. “Chloe is a valuable part of my team, and I won’t let you mess with her head.”
He threw down the ball. “Is that all she is to you, a valuable part of your team?” His voice grew taunting. “Because it looked like it was something more. Just remember that I claimed her first. She belongs to me!” He pointed to his chest, his face growing flush.
“Chloe is a person—not a slab of meat. She can make her own choices.”
Garrett’s eyes glittered in a challenge. “I guess we’ll have to see which one of us she chooses, won’t we?” They glared at each other until Garrett leaned forward. “By the way, I hate it when you get all sanctimonious on me. You’ve changed since you went and got all churchy. We used to go to clubs and have a good time. You were the first to pick up women back then.” He gave him a look of disgust. “What happened to you? You’re a pathetic shell of the man you used to be!”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Hank roared and then immediately regretted the outburst. Garrett could get his temper riled faster than anyone. He raked a hand through his hair, trying to get control over his emotions.
A benign smile spread over Garrett’s face as his voice grew silky smooth. “I just miss you, man. I miss the guy I could relate to. We used to have so much fun together. When you changed, you took my best friend away.” His voice caught. “I’ll never forgive you for that.”
The hurt in Garrett’s voice stabbed through Hank as a sense of guilt came over him. Regardless of how much they fought they were still brothers first and foremost. Nothing could change that. He just wished there was a way to get through to him. Garrett was still living in the past, and it was time for him to grow up. “Life is not all fun and games, Bro. There’s a price that goes along with it.” From the time they were kids, Hank felt a responsibility to take care of his younger brother, and even though they were adults, Garrett was still like a child in many ways. It was like he thought he was immune to the ugliness that came from his high-rolling lifestyle. But Hank knew better. The devil always collected his dues.
“I’m not like you, I can handle the pressure.”
Hank sat down. He let out an incredulous laugh. “Is that what you think this is about. The pressure?” He rubbed a hand across his forehead. “Running an honest business is a heck of a lot more pressure than anything I ever did before.”
“You keep telling yourself that.”
Then Garrett’s earlier comment registered. Hank cocked his head. “You said that you weren’t like me. That you could handle the pressure.” He gave Garrett a penetrating look as a cold feeling settled in his gut. “What did you mean by that? Please tell me that you’re not involved in anything.” It was his worst fear! The one that kept him awake at night! He’d almost confronted Garrett several times but decided against it. There was no sense in adding more tension to their already strained relationship. And a part of him didn’t want to know what Garrett was doing. Plausible deniability was what kept him sane! He wanted to believe that Garrett really was putting together real estate deals all of those times when he was away.
“Of course I’m not involved in any crap! I may like the gambling and women, but I’m not stupid!”
Hank locked eyes with him. “Swear it! Swear that you’re not getting in with Sam or any of his group. We both know how that will end.”
“I swear it to you,” Garrett said, not flinching.
“Okay,” Hank finally said. “That’s good enough for me.” Even as he spoke the words, he hoped, for both of their sakes, that Garrett was telling the truth because the knot in his stomach told him otherwise. He’d spent his life trying to protect his little brother from the bullies of the world. The problem was—he didn’t know how to save Garrett from himself.
* * *
Garrett was sitting in his car in the parking lot when Chloe and Hank emerged from the building. His jaw tightened when he saw Hank touch her arm, and then she laughed at something he said. They walked toward Hank’s SUV. It was all he could do to keep from jumping out of his car and pummeling Hank when he saw him stride over and open Chloe’s door for her. Chloe looked up at Hank in appreciation, and he caught something else too—a look that passed between them. It was the same look he’d seen when he stepped into Hank’s office and saw the two of them.
A sinking feeling came over him as he watched them drive away. He was losing her! He stared unseeingly ahead as a hot anger surged through him. How could Hank do this to him? Surely he could see how much he cared for Chloe! Had it not been for him, Chloe would’ve never started working at Marsh Interiors. He’d talked Hank into giving her a second chance! He thought back to when he and Hank were in high school. They both liked the same girl, Tabitha Stevens—the head cheerleader. In the end, Garrett had backed down and let Hank have her. He clenched his fist. It was Hank’s turn to back down! Chloe was not like all of the other girls he’d dated. Independent and smart, Chloe was the kind of girl a guy could settle down with. The kind he could make a commitment to. Well … at least she was the kind of girl he would try to make a commitment to. A part of him wondered if he could truly ever be faithful to just one woman, but he was certainly willing to give it a shot with Chloe! He needed something big! Something that would stake his claim on her and turn her away from Hank. Then it hit him! He knew exactly what he could do to win her back. A smile spread across his face. No girl could resist what he was about to do—not even Chloe.
His phone buzzed. A cold sweat came over him as he read the text.
I’VE BEEN PATIENT LONG ENOUGH! WE NEED TO MEET ASAP! NO EXCUSES THIS TIME!
Rather than responding, he started the engine and drove out of the parking lot. He forced his mind away from Chloe and methodically began going through the upcoming job. If everything went according to plan, he would be able to take care of the problem at hand. First, he would deal with Chloe before she became too attached to Hank, and then he would head out of town and take care of business. His phone buzzed again. Dread churched his gut as he glanced at the text.
I WON’T BE PUT OFF ANY LONGER! CALL ME!
* * *
When Chloe returned home that afternoon, the mystery of her yellow shirt was solved—Darbie was wearing it. She was sprawled out on the couch, drinking root beer and munching on tortilla chips. “Hey,” she said, not taking her eyes off the TV.
Chloe put down her purse and design bag. “Hey, how was your day?” She sat down on the loveseat.
“Okay, I guess. I have loads of homework, which I’m not too happy about. But what can you say? That’s life.” She shoved a handful of chips into her mouth.
“Yeah, I can tell you’re into your homework.” She made a point of looking at the chips and drink.
Darbie made a face. “Geez! I’m taking a break, okay?”
Chloe chuckled, holding up a hand. “Hey, I’m not judging you.” She pointed. “Nice shirt, by the way. I was looking for that this morning.”
“Oh ...” Darbie let out an uneasy laugh. “Oops. Sorry. I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed it.” She looked contritely at Chloe.
Yes, she did mind! While she and Darbie were getting along better, there were still things that annoyed the heck out of Chloe. And borrowing her things without asking was one of them. She tried to think of a diplomatic way to phrase her frustration. “I don’t mind you borrowing it, but I wish you would’ve asked.”
“Fine, I’ll try to do remember to do that next time,” she mumbled before turning her attention back to the TV.
Not sure what else to say, she sat there for a minute and then stood. “I’m going to my room to rest for a bit before I start making dinner.”
“Okay,” Darbie said absently. “See ya.”
13
Chapter 13
Chloe glanced at the clock on the microwave—6:31. Her guests were coming at 7:30. She’d have to hurry to get everything done in time. Since her arrival in Salt Lake, she and D
arbie had eaten dinner almost every night with either Lila and Pete or Susan. Chloe was beginning to feel guilty and decided to reciprocate, so she invited them over for dinner. Darbie insisted on helping, but it was obvious that she’d never cooked a day in her life. Chloe decided to make them a southern meal. One of her favorites—fish! She gave Darbie one job—the simple task of frying catfish while she finished making the slaw, hushpuppies, and the lemon meringue pie. Undoubtedly that one job was too much because Darbie put the fish in the skillet, turned it down on low, and went into the living room to watch TV. Thankfully, Chloe noticed it before the fish was ruined and turned the temperature back to high. There were times when she felt like she was forging a bond with Darbie and then other times—like today—when she got on her nerves!
As she worked to finish the meal, Chloe’s thoughts drifted back to earlier in the day when she went with Hank to look at the Riddle project. Hank had been genuinely interested in her ideas, as was Lily Riddle. Afterwards, when they were driving back to the office, Hank began asking about her. She told him about growing up in Beaufort, South Carolina and how she’d been thrilled when she was accepted into the design program at AIA. After a while, the conversation started to feel like a repeat of the one she’d had with Glory, and she wondered how much Glory had told Hank about her. She got the feeling that he was trying to find out about Dan even though he never would come right out and ask. She kept steering the conversation away from that topic, and she could tell Hank was getting flustered. For some perverse reason, this pleased her. There was definitely a spark between them. She’d felt it several times when his hand “accidentally” brushed against hers at the Riddle’s home. And he was easy to talk to. Furthermore, he was genuinely interested in what she had to say. Her attraction to him was not only physical but intellectual as well. He was a wealth of knowledge where design and architecture were concerned, and it was refreshing to discuss a topic she loved. She smiled, remembering what he said when he dropped her off at her car.
When Darkness Falls Page 13
