“That’s part of the reason I wanted to bring you here tonight.”
Her stomach twisted. Had she totally misinterpreted Parker’s intent? Maybe this meeting was solely business. That was the downside to dating her boss—the lines were often blurred between business and personal. She went hot all over, then clammy cold.
Parker released her hand. “And to give you this.” He pulled a small rectangular box from his pocket and handed it to her.
Tears glistened in her eyes as her breath caught. Her spirits rebounded instantly. She looked across the table, feeling a rush of adoration for the perfect man sitting across from her. “Is this what I think it is?”
He grinned. “Open it and see.”
Happiness poured over Sierra like the morning sun kissing a field of clover. She couldn’t stop the broad smile filling her face as she opened the box. A cry wrenched her throat, and she had the feeling of being sucker punched. “Earrings,” she mumbled, her heart plummeting. Her chest constricted, making it hard to get a good breath.
“You don’t like them,” Parker said flatly.
“No … I mean, yes. They’re beautiful.” She hesitated, trying to figure out how to respond. Her eyes connected with Parker. What did she feel right now? Anger? Hurt? At this point, it was mostly shock. “It’s just not what I expected,” she uttered, her heart thudding heavily in her chest. Disappointment rolled over her like a tidal wave, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.
The whites of Parker’s eyes popped as realization dawned. “You thought I was going to propose.”
Her cheeks went hot. “Well, yeah.” She felt like a total moron. A tear escaped the corner of her eye and dribbled down her cheek. Hastily, she swiped it away. Her phone rang. She fumbled in her purse, which was hanging on the back of the chair. It was Bennie. She hit the side button to silence it and shoved it back in her purse.
Parker rubbed a hand across his jaw. “I had no idea that’s what you were thinking.” He chuckled. “This is awkward.”
Anger spiked through her, making her feel nauseated. She glared at him. “What else was I supposed to think? Rossini’s is one of the most popular restaurants in Manhattan for marriage proposals.”
He spread his hands. “Or to celebrate a promotion, or simply being together.” He paused, giving her an apologetic look. “I didn’t mean to throw you off. I do want to marry you … someday.”
A harsh laugh scratched through her throat. “When I’m eighty?”
His face drained. “No, in a couple of years.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “A couple of years?”
“Yeah, we agreed to take things slow.”
“We have been.” Her voice rose, catching the attention of the couple at the table beside them. Sierra drew in a breath, trying to calm down. “We’ve been together two years,” she said, lowering her voice.
“I know. And it has been wonderful. Two years from now, we’ll know for sure if we want to be together for the rest of our lives.”
She had to fight the urge to laugh in his face. As far as Sierra was concerned, they had been taking it slow—painfully slow. Now Parker planned to cool his heels for two more years, saying maybe they’d consider marriage. The whole thing was unbelievable!
Sierra’s phone rang again. This time, she ignored it. Her heart was pumping so furiously, she felt like it would fly out of her chest.
“You can get that.”
“No,” she barked. “It can go to voicemail.”
Parker reached for her hand. She tried to pull away, but he held it tight. He peered into her eyes. “I love you.”
Tears surfaced. “I love you too.”
“I want to marry you. I do. But you know how hard this is for me. Especially considering what happened to my parents.”
“Just because your parents got divorced doesn’t mean we will,” she muttered. Parker’s parents had spent several years in a nasty legal battle, fighting over their assets and custody of Parker.
“I know that, but I think we owe it to ourselves to give our relationship plenty of time to mature.”
Parker liked to consider all the angles before moving forward. He was that way in business and in his personal life. Sierra knew this about him, so she probably shouldn’t be taking this so hard. Still, they’d been together two years. Wasn’t that long enough to know if you loved someone? She removed her hand. She needed to get out of here for a few minutes to clear her head and avoid saying something she’d regret. Her phone rang again. She stood, reaching for her purse and slinging the strap over her shoulder. Parker also stood.
“You don’t have to get up. I’ve got to go to the restroom. I’ll be right back,” Sierra mumbled, walking away.
She held back the tears long enough to get out of the main body of the restaurant. As she walked toward the restrooms, her phone rang again. She cursed, reaching into her purse. It was probably Bennie. Whenever Bennie couldn’t reach her, she made a point of calling repeatedly until Sierra answered. However, she was surprised to see that it wasn’t Bennie. It was a number she didn’t recognize with a South Carolina area code.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Sierra, this is Nadine Thompson.”
“Oh, hi.” Nadine lived across the street from Bennie. In her younger years, Sierra thought of Nadine as a close friend and mentor. But they’d drifted apart, as Sierra had done with all the people back home in Sugar Pines. This was the first time Nadine had ever called Sierra. She was surprised Nadine even had her number. “Is everything okay?”
“No, I’m afraid not.”
Sierra tensed, her throat tightening. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Bennie. She’s had an accident.”
Somehow Sierra managed to find her voice. “What happened?”
“She hurt her knee.”
Sierra felt a mixture of alarm and relief. For a second there, she thought something terrible had happened to Bennie. An injured knee was bad, but there were lots of other things that were much worse. “Is she doing all right?”
“She’s hanging tough.”
“How did it happen?”
“She was on a ladder adjusting the stage lights and fell.”
Of all the stupid things to do! “She should’ve known better than to get up on a ladder,” she huffed.
“Yeah, you’re right. But you know your aunt.”
“Yes, I do,” she shot back.
Nadine let out a long sigh. “I’m afraid there’s more.”
Sierra’s heart jumped into her throat as she braced herself.
“Bennie’s in over her head financially. She was counting on using the proceeds from Macbeth to get caught up on her house loan, but now that she’s incapacitated …” Her voice trailed off.
“What’re you talking about?” Sierra’s voice was near yelling. A woman walking past gave Sierra a funny look, but she only scowled and turned her back to the woman. “Bennie doesn’t have a loan. The mansion is paid for.”
Nadine let out a nervous laugh. “Oh, I thought you knew.”
“Knew what?” she barked.
“Bennie borrowed against the mansion to fund her outdoor theater.”
Heat poured over Sierra as she began pacing—two steps forward, two steps back—in the hall beside the restroom. “How could Bennie be so stupid?” she fumed.
“I’m sorry to put you in a hard position, but it’s bad. I can’t help but feel responsible because Bennie came to me. I helped her get the loan through The First Federal Bank where I work. I’ve spoken to the president Leo Farnsworth, and he’s willing to give Bennie a thirty-day extension. But if she doesn’t get caught up on her payments, the bank will foreclose.”
“How far behind is she?”
“She hasn’t made a payment in ten months.”
She sucked in air. “How much are the payments?”
“Twenty-two hundred dollars.”
A headache pounded across the bridge of Sierra’s nose. Everything was falling apart faster than she c
ould put it back together. “I can’t believe Bennie didn’t tell me about the loan. I just spoke with her this morning.” Sierra didn’t have enough money saved to cover the past-due payments. She’d managed to tuck away a little each month, but it cost a fortune to live in New York. Even with her raise, there would be no hope of amassing the amount of money needed to cover the payments.
“Bennie’s too embarrassed to tell you.”
Sierra’s brows darted together. “Does Bennie know you’re talking to me?”
“Heavens, no. You know how much pride Bennie has. She’d let the bank take the mansion a hundred times over before she burdened anyone with her problems. Which is why I had to step in and let you know what’s going on.”
“I appreciate that. Is Bennie home?”
“Yes, the ambulance came and took her to the hospital. But she was released a few hours later.”
Alarm trickled over Sierra. “It was serious enough for an ambulance?”
“I’m afraid so. She did a doozy on her knee. It’s swollen up the size of a grapefruit. The doctors say she might need surgery.”
“Who’s with Bennie now?”
“I went over and spent a few hours, but had to come home and make dinner for Hal. I’ll go back over and check on her tomorrow morning.”
“She’s there? By herself?” The thought of her aged aunt alone with an injured knee in that big house was nearly too much to take. Her own knees went weak. Sierra leaned back against the wall for support.
“Yes, but I’m right across the street. Bennie can call if she needs anything.”
“Does she even have anything to eat?”
“I took over a plate of food.”
Sierra put a hand to her chest. “Oh, good. Thank you.”
“I’m happy to do it. Bennie’s like a sister to me.”
“I appreciate everything you’re doing for her. Thanks for calling and letting me know.” She ended the call, her mind on fire. As she stumbled to the restroom, she could only see one option.
She had to go back to South Carolina to sort this thing out. Bennie couldn’t lose her house.
Chapter 3
Going home was always a mixed bag for Sierra. It was nice to be out of the sweltering heat of the city, back to a landscape as familiar as the back of her hand. Yet, no matter how much time passed or what she’d accomplished, every time she stepped foot across the town limits she was thrown back into the thick of her turbulent childhood. Here in Sugar Pines no one saw Sierra as the adult she’d worked so hard to become. She was simply the niece of the most flamboyant and eccentric lady in town.
This trip was even more nerve-racking than normal because of the situation. She’d talked to Bennie on the phone, demanding to know why Bennie hadn’t come clean about her financial problem. Bennie downplayed the severity saying Nadine was overreacting and had no right to call Sierra and stir up trouble. Then she insisted that her knee would be just fine. “You don’t worry about me,” Bennie said. “I’m doing okay. It’ll take a lot more than a bum knee and a pesky bank to get me down.”
While Sierra appreciated Bennie’s die-hard, self-reliant approach, she obviously wasn’t okay. The bank would take her house, leaving Bennie with nothing. Heat prickled up Sierra’s neck to the point where she was sure her blood pressure was sky high. She drew in a breath. Freaking out wouldn’t help matters. She needed to separate herself from her emotions, think about this rationally.
Fortunately the timing was good, because Sierra needed a break from Parker to process things. Two days after the disastrous dinner Sierra was still smarting. She was embarrassed by her reaction and miffed that Parker wasn’t taking their relationship to the next level anytime soon. Furthermore, Parker’s reaction to her leaving stung. He was more concerned about making sure Sierra stayed on top of the Pristine Pizza account rather than missing her personally. She assured him that so long as she had her laptop and Internet she’d be able to handle it remotely. She added that contrary to what most New Yorker’s think, they do have Internet in South Carolina.
As Sierra neared the downtown area of Sugar Pines, she looked at the line of historic buildings with their colorful siding and cheerful windows that looked like bright eyes peeking out. Sabal Palmetto Trees stood in front of the shops, reminding Sierra of tall palm trees.
Her gaze caught on Clydedale’s Pizza on the corner with its red and white striped awning. The interior was as cheerful and bright as she remembered. An unexpected warmth flowed through her and she got the feeling she was greeting an old friend.
Even though she couldn’t see it from the road, her memory filled in the gaps of the black-and-white checkerboard floor and red-lacquer, swivel barstools lining the counter. She couldn’t count the number of times she’d sat in that shop, eating pizza or sipping on a vanilla milkshake, daydreaming about the glitzy future she would create for herself—a future she thought was in her reach before the dinner fiasco.
Next to Clydedale’s Pizza was a florist and dry cleaner. The Blankenships used to run the dry cleaner, but Sierra remembered Bennie mentioned that they’d sold it to an out-of-town investment company. The realty company on the end was new. The bakery the same. Her mouth watered, thinking of Ruth Ann’s delicate pastries. She made a mental note to stop by there and Clydedale’s Pizza in the next couple of days. Sierra had no idea how long it would take to work out an arrangement with the bank, or if that was even possible. But she had to at least try.
Her phone rang. She fished in her purse to retrieve it. It was Parker.
“Hello?”
“Hey, did you get there okay?”
“Yep, I’m about five minutes away from my aunt’s house.”
“I thought you were going to call me when you landed.”
She caught the hint of reprimand in his voice. Was he actually concerned about her? This was new. Maybe she’d been a little too quick to judge him. Her spirits lifted. “Sorry, I didn’t have a chance. I was trying to get my rental car taken care of. They lost my reservation.”
“Did you get it worked out?”
“Yeah, finally.”
“Good.”
He sounded distant, distracted. “Hey, this is changing the subject, but Ross called. He wants preliminary ideas about our marketing strategy by this Friday.”
She tightened her grip on the steering wheel. That was two days from now. “I thought we had until next Wednesday.” She’d be hard-pressed to get something put together by next week, much less Friday.
“Yeah, me too. But he’s pushing us to get it to him sooner. You know how these big fish are. They sign a contract and then expect us to jump. I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of scheduling a brainstorming session tomorrow at ten thirty. We can patch you in through Skype.”
She stopped at a red light. “Okay.” She didn’t like the idea of Parker going behind her back to schedule a meeting she was supposed to be in charge of. Neither did she like Ross going around her and talking to Parker. Then again, it was Parker’s company, so that was to be expected. Then it hit her—the real reason Parker called. To make sure she’d be at the meeting. Disappointment needled through her.
The light turned green. She stepped on the gas. A sign caught her eye as she gasped. Chandler Construction. Was that Dalton’s business? She didn’t know of any other Chandlers in Sugar Pines.
“What’s going on?” Parker asked. “Are you okay?”
It was on Sierra’s lips to reply yes when her body was thrust forward into the steering wheel. She felt the impact at the same time she heard the loud pop, followed by the sickening sound of crushing metal. It went through her mind that she’d rammed into the truck in front of her. Steam rose from the hood of the car, green fluid was spilling from below the glove box. Her mind scrambled to process what was happening. The passenger airbag had deployed from the impact, but not the driver’s side. That was probably a good thing. Otherwise, her face would be burned and bruised. Her body trembled as she took an assessment of hersel
f. She was okay. Her knee was a little sore from hitting into the dash. But otherwise, she was perfectly fine. She offered a prayer of gratitude.
She looked at the black Ford truck that she’d hit. Crap! Her heart sank. It was a cruel twist of fate that she’d had a wreck, here, in Sugar Pines considering her family history. And she certainly couldn’t afford any extra expenses right now. Thankfully, the rental car agent included their insurance in the rental policy. Hopefully, that would cover everything.
Her phone was on the driver-side floorboard. Parker was probably wondering what was going on. She leaned over and retrieved it. The call was still connected. She put it to her ear. “Are you still there?”
“What the heck, Sierra? I heard a loud crash.”
She let out a shaky laugh. “Yeah, I hit the truck in front of me.”
He swore. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” The driver’s door of the truck opened. Her gut churned. Whoever was in that truck wasn’t going to be happy. Please let it be somebody I don’t know, she prayed. “Parker, I’m gonna have to let you go. I’ll call you after I deal with this.”
“But, Sierra—”
She ended the call and rolled down the window, her apology on her tongue. Then she saw him—the one face she’d spent the past seven years trying to forget.
“Dalton,” she squeaked. She couldn’t breathe! She willed herself to calm down.
He got out of the truck and assessed the damage. Even from this distance she could feel animosity radiating off him. How well she remembered his rugged profile and sharp jawline. His hair was longer all over, hitting just below the ears. Except for the few layers around his face, it was a solid sheet of blonde so dark it was almost brown. On other guys, it would’ve looked messy and unkempt. But on Dalton, it was sexy. He was dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt that showcased his ripped biceps. She caught a hint of a tattoo peeking out of his sleeve. That was new. He must’ve gotten that in the military. Dizziness swirled over her as she gripped the steering wheel. She wasn’t at all surprised, but still disappointed in herself, when the all-too-familiar attraction simmered in her stomach.
Seeking Mr. Perfect Page 2
