“That’s not all? You mean there was more.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you like the teapot.”
“That’s ridiculous. Who else do I have to buy gifts for?”
“I’ll see you soon. Love you, Gran. Goodbye.”
Up until his last comment, Sabrina had been congratulating herself for such an accurate prediction. Then Trent had to go and ruin everything by being the kind of guy who sends flowers and a teapot to his grandmother. She grudgingly admitted it was a nice thing to do.
He laughed slightly as he put down the phone. “I asked for an early delivery. I wasn’t expecting eight fifteen. Good thing my grandmother was awake.”
Contrary to her feelings about him in general, Sabrina found herself responding to the wry grin he sent her. “I think most elderly people get up early. My grandmother used to get up at five every day.”
“Used to?”
“She passed away last year.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I remember how close the two of you were.”
She wished there was a way to stop the constant references to their past. “Thank you for the bagel and tea, but I’d rather you didn’t do it again.”
He leaned back in his seat. “Don’t you agree with supporting the local economy?”
“Of course, but I prefer to do it myself.”
“Could you make an exception? Not for me, but for Jared? It was his idea to begin with. Team building I think he called it. I’m not sure three people constitute a team, but it doesn’t matter. It’s become a tradition.”
Sabrina tilted her head to the side, unsure whether to believe him. “I suppose I could. I wouldn’t want to upset Jared.”
“That’s what I’m counting on.”
“I’m sure you are,” she retorted with a bitter twist of her lips. “I was always a pushover.”
He sat up straight, all evidence of amusement gone from his face. “No, you weren’t. You cared about other people’s feelings. There’s a difference.”
Why was he saying nice things about her? It wasn’t necessary. Or desired. “Was there anything you needed me to do this morning?”
“Not right now. I’ve got a conference call in about twenty minutes. I’ll probably have some things later.”
“Sounds good,” she said, only too happy to escape his disturbing presence.
All during the next hour while she ate her contested breakfast, dealt with the mail, and made changes to Jared’s presentation, Sabrina could hear the rise and fall of Trent’s voice in the office next door. Maybe she should bring some ear phones so she wouldn’t have to listen to him talk all day.
Later when she was on all fours underneath her desk, she heard his voice again, but this time it wasn’t coming through the wall. Why couldn’t it have been Jared who walked in on her in such an undignified position? Or better yet, why hadn’t she thought to close her door and avoid the entire problem?
If she looked up and he was smiling like he’d been doing when he caught her with the candy bar in her mouth, she’d…well, she’d probably throw her shoe at him or something equally detrimental to her job. Raising her head a few inches, she peeked over the top of the desk. He was closer than she thought, and he wasn’t smiling or laughing. “I dropped the back of my earring,” she explained.
Trent started around the desk. “Do you want me to help you find it?”
“No!” she said quickly and too loudly. “I mean, that’s not necessary. I’ll look for it later.” She scrambled to her feet awkwardly, aware of her red face and the fact that some of her hair had worked its way out of the bun she’d spent too much time on. “Did you need something?” As soon as she said the words, she realized how ridiculous they sounded. Of course he needed something; why else would he be standing there?
“These are the earnings reports for last month. Jared said he showed you how to update them yesterday.”
“Those are the Excel spreadsheets, right?”
Trent nodded as he dropped a bulging folder in her inbox. “If you run into any problems, just set it to the side, and I’ll check back with you after lunch. I also need you to call the caterer sometime today and confirm our order for Friday. Ask to speak with Lynn and remind her to be here no later than eleven. Here’s all the info you need for that.” He added several sheets of note paper to the top of the folder. “Last thing; are you free tomorrow night?”
The color in her cheeks that had started to fade returned with a vengeance. Was he actually asking her out after the way he’d treated her before? He must be the most insensitive, conceited person on the planet. She’d rather pick up a rattlesnake than go somewhere with him. “Is this something for work?” she asked, playing for time.
“No. One of my clients gave me two tickets to the Beethoven Concert Series at the convention center. I already have plans and can’t use them. I offered them to Jared, but he doesn’t care for classical music. I thought you might be interested in going.”
As had happened at the restaurant, she had the feeling he knew exactly what was going through her mind. He’d always been able to read her. It had been flattering before; it was inconvenient now. As for the tickets, her inclination was to refuse; but her conscience wouldn’t let her off that easy. Madeline had been talking about that concert series ever since it was announced, but by the time Sabrina got around to calling for tickets they were sold out. While she hated the thought of being indebted to Trent, she couldn’t pass up an opportunity like this. Her hesitation brought a widening of his smile.
“You don’t have to give me an answer now.”
“I was trying to figure out what Madeline has going on tomorrow night. I’m pretty sure she’s free, and I know she’d enjoy going.”
“Then take them,” he said as he pulled them out of his wallet and laid them on her desk. “The seats are on the fifth row in the middle. You won’t have to strain your eyes trying to see.”
That was good news for Madeline and James. Trent didn’t need to know that Sabrina had no intention of using them. “Thank you. My sister will be thrilled.”
“That’s great. I hated to see them go to waste.” His glance went to the silver watch on his wrist. “I better go before my next appointment gives up on me.”
As she picked up the tickets and slid them in her purse, she wondered if she’d just been tricked into accepting an olive branch. It wasn’t that she wanted to be antagonistic toward Trent; but she did want to maintain a certain distance. This new and unwanted relationship was strictly a business one and was only being tolerated out of necessity. While it had been nice of him to offer the tickets, one good deed didn’t make up for all the heartache he put her through.
She used her lunch hour to run a few errands, one of which was to pay the electric bill. The rent payment was due the first of the month which was next Monday. Her first paycheck couldn’t come soon enough. She also took the opportunity to give Madeline the good news. The happiness in her sister’s voice went a long way in making Sabrina glad she hadn’t allowed her personal feelings about Trent to overcome her common sense.
Upon her return to work, she ran into Jared in the parking lot, and they walked into the building together. She wished she only had to deal with him. Trent looked up from his position at the reception desk where he’d obviously been talking to (or more likely, flirting with) Paige.
“How was the Chamber of Commerce luncheon?” he asked Jared.
“Boring for the most part; but the food was good. Did you have lunch with the girls today?”
Trent laughed. “Of course. They were excited to see me, as usual. You’d think I’d been gone a week the way they carried on.”
“You’ve spoiled them; I hope you know that.”
“Someone’s got to do it. It might as well be me. I need to show you the financial statements for that new company we’re thinking about adding to our index.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Their voices faded away as Sabrina walked into her
office. Lunch with the girls? He was still the same old Trent; collecting women like some people collect stamps. Would he ever grow up?
Chapter Three
Trent smiled as Mason took off down the sideline easily outrunning the older boys trying to tackle him. At nine years old, the blond-headed ball of energy with the face full of freckles was a force to be reckoned with due to his speed and ability to elude defenders. Watching him pick his way down the field reminded Trent of his own playing days.
Like many people, he’d taken his athletic ability for granted, never realizing how quickly things can change. All it took was a few seconds of goofing off to end his baseball career. The years of training in the weight room and playing on the field had forced him to be disciplined, focused, and unafraid of a challenge. Those traits served him well in the business world.
Mason reached the end zone to the cheering of the small crowd. Trent felt the sting of tears in his eyes. A year ago this day probably wouldn’t have happened because Mason wouldn’t have been anywhere near this field. His father was in prison, and his mother worked two jobs. She didn’t have time to take him to sporting events, the theater, or anywhere else. She was doing her best to keep a roof over their two heads and food on the table.
Through the auspices of the Big Brother Big Sister program, Trent and Mason had been brought together. Getting involved with that organization was one of the best decisions Trent had ever made. In spite of his busy schedule, he got together with Mason a couple times a week. Their shared love of sports provided an instant connection. After discovering the boy’s interest in playing football, Trent signed him up for a youth league and made sure Mason had the right equipment and a ride to the practices and games.
Having grown up within the confines of a supportive family, Trent had little idea how others less fortunate lived. Getting to know Mason and his mother had given him a better appreciation for his parents as well as fired his determination to make a difference when and where he could.
When the final seconds ticked off the clock, Trent made his way to the bench situated near the sideline. Mason was at the end gulping down water like a thirsty man in the desert.
“Good job out there today, man. You left them in the dust.”
“Thanks, Mr. Trent.”
“I think we should celebrate this victory. What would you like to eat?”
“Pizza!”
Trent laughed. “I don’t know why I even bothered to ask.” He picked up Mason’s helmet and cleats. “We need to get going. It’s a school night, and I told your mom I’d have you home by eight so you can study for your history test.”
“Why do I have to know all the presidents? I can always look them up on the internet.”
Trent put his arm around the boy’s shoulders. “It’s exercise for your brain, that’s why. Like the muscles in your arms and legs, the more you use it, the stronger it gets.”
An hour later, he was backing out of Mason’s driveway, his thoughts on the pinewood derby race coming up after the first of the year with Mason’s Boy Scout troop. The contestants were supposed to build their car out of wood. Trent had never done anything like that before, but he figured that together he and Mason could come up with something that would at least make it to the finish line. Over the blaring of the radio, he heard his phone ringing.
“Hey, Landris. How was your trip back to St. Marys?”
“Not bad. We passed by a farm selling pumpkins so of course we had to stop. I don’t know who had more fun between Faith and Olivia. What I do know is that it took over an hour, and we came home with three pumpkins for me to carve by Halloween.”
“The joys of domestic life. I’m so envious right now.”
“Yeah, right. I just got off the phone with Mom. She suggested we have Thanksgiving at my house this year and then we can do Olivia’s birthday party two days later on Saturday. Taryn and Clint will definitely be here for the party; they’re not sure about Thursday yet. I think Clint wants to go to his parents in Tennessee. I wanted to see what you thought.”
“I’m fine with whatever you decide. Just tell me when and where to be.”
Landris laughed. “You’re easy to plan around. Thanks again for watching Olivia for us the other day.”
“Glad to be of service. It took my mind off the fact that my girlfriend preferred to go back to a guy who cheated on her not once, but multiple times, instead of staying with me.”
“You didn’t look too upset about it.”
“Nothing hurt but my pride which means I’ll survive and live to date again.”
“There goes the timer on the stove. My casserole is done.”
Trent chuckled. “You’re quite the little housewife.”
“Laugh all you want, but I’m not the one who wakes up alone every morning.”
“I’d love to talk about this some more, but there’s a woman on the side of the road, and I think I know her.”
“I don’t doubt it.”
“It’s been fun, Landris.”
As Trent slowed down to take a closer look, he knew his eyesight hadn’t failed him. The woman wearing a pink and gray jogging suit that while not skin-tight still succeeded in accentuating her long legs and nice curves was definitely Sabrina. He remembered her comment about being extra-large and shook his head in disbelief. She definitely wasn’t seeing herself through a man’s eyes.
* * * * *
In spite of her preoccupation, Sabrina wasn’t so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn’t hear the woeful yelps coming from the ravine running alongside the road. Retracing her steps, she saw the remains of what had been a cardboard box. Peering from underneath was a pair of sad brown eyes in a furry face. Pure, impotent rage swept through her.
“Don’t worry, darling. I’ll get you out of there.”
Her eyes quickly surveyed the area. The sides of the ditch were moderately steep and strewn with rocks, dead branches, and trash. In addition, the ground was still wet from the thunderstorms that had passed through the area last night. Waiting at the bottom of the gully was several feet of murky water containing all manner of nasty things. She didn’t want to end up sliding into that. It appeared this rescue was going to be a little more complicated than she first thought.
The sound of a fast approaching vehicle brought her attention to the road. Instead of going past, the gleaming silver BMW drew up beside her. The tinted passenger window slid down soundlessly. In her concern for the puppy, Sabrina completely forgot that she was supposed to be at a concert to which the man smiling at her had provided tickets.
“What are you doing?” Trent asked, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses.
Sabrina pointed to the ditch. “There’s a puppy down there. I’m trying to figure out the best way to get him.”
“That sounds like a two-person job. Wait a sec, and I’ll help you.”
She eyed his expensive suit doubtfully. It probably cost more than half her wardrobe. “Are you sure? It’s going to be a dirty job.”
“Nothing the dry cleaner can’t get out.”
Before she could say anything else, he reversed the car and pulled in behind her. While she was trying to decide if this was a good thing or not, he emerged from the interior. A few seconds later, he was standing next to her, his height and overall presence making her feel diminutive in comparison which was something of a novelty in itself considering her size.
She could still remember the teasing she endured in middle school. It wasn’t easy being the tallest girl, and with a few exceptions, the tallest person in her classes at a time when a girl is at her most vulnerable and so badly wants to fit in. High school was somewhat less traumatic because by then most of the boys had caught up with her, but she still had to wear flats to prom in order not to tower over her date. There was something inherently awkward about having to bend down to kiss a guy. That had never been a problem with Trent. He topped her by at least five inches. Just like he was doing now.
Flipping his sunglasses into his
hair, he glanced down into the ravine. “Who in the world would do such a mean thing?”
“I don’t know, but if I could get a hold of them, they’d be sorry,” she said fiercely. “The least they could have done was taken the poor thing to an animal shelter. It’s late October and even though we’re in the South, it still gets cold here at night.”
“I feel the same way you do.” Hands on his hips, he walked several yards past her. “There aren’t as many rocks over here and the angle isn’t quite as steep. How about I go down and lift our little friend up to you?”
“I shouldn’t let you do it. Your clothes will never be the same.”
“Probably not, but a puppy is worth more than a shirt and pants.”
He shrugged out of his suit coat, removed his tie and laid them on the hood of the car. For a second, she thought he was going to take off his shirt, too. He didn’t, but she had no trouble remembering the first time she saw him without one.
They’d gone swimming in one of the lakes near the college. It hadn’t been his six-pack abs that caught and held her attention. It had been the scar dividing his muscular chest in half; a stark reminder of the heart surgery he had as a child. When she’d skimmed the white line that stood out against his otherwise tan skin with her finger, he’d caught her hand and given her a kiss that made her forget the coolness of the water and the twenty other people around them.
“Did you say something?” he asked, startling her.
“No, why?”
“I thought I heard you. Anyway, here I go. Wish me luck.”
As he started down the slope, she said, “Be careful, Trent. That water down there looks disgusting.”
“I will, baby cakes.”
Her brows lowered. “You’ve got guts calling me that.”
He looked up at her, his expression apologetic. “I didn’t mean to do it. It just sort of…slipped out.”
She shook her head in disgust. “I’m sure it did. Isn’t that what you call all your girls?”
He laughed shortly. “I know you won’t believe this, but you were the only person I ever called baby cakes. It didn’t fit anyone else.”
Dare to Love: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 4) Page 5
