by Arlene James
Sighing with satisfaction, Holt at last sat back, stretched out his long legs and crossed his ankles, his heels on the floor next to Tyler’s chair. “Now that’s what I call eating.”
Tyler laughed. “I’d hate to see what you call pigging out.”
“I’m a hardworking man,” Holt said with mock defensiveness, his green gaze settling on Tyler. “What is it exactly that a CEO does?”
Tyler knew when he was being measured, and he also knew that a man like Holt wouldn’t be impressed with mere position. He wouldn’t demean himself by trying to convince Charlotte’s brother that he did more than delegate. “A great deal.”
“I’ll bet,” Holt said. Not a hint of disdain had colored Holt’s voice, but neither did it contain even the barest inflection of admiration.
“I’m sure it’s a huge job,” Charlotte said quickly.
Warmed by her defense of him, Tyler just smiled. Tyler could feel another question hovering in the air, but he would not prompt it. Instead, he simply waited.
After a moment, a slight smile twisted one corner of Holt’s mouth, but he did not disappoint. “So what’s an important CEO doing in our little Eden?”
Tyler smiled to himself. “Just passing through.”
“Don’t take more’n a minute to just pass through,” Holt pointed out.
Tyler propped his forearms against the tabletop. “Just biding my time, then.”
“In Eden,” Holt said doubtfully.
Tyler considered, but why dither? If pressed, Charlotte would undoubtedly repeat what he’d told her earlier. Why shouldn’t she? “All right,” he said. “If you must know, I’m hiding.”
Holt sat forward abruptly, bracing his elbows on the table top. “From who?”
“From people who aggravate me.”
“Is that a long list?”
“Long enough.”
“But hopefully not growing,” Charlotte said anxiously.
He chuckled. “Not lately.”
Holt relaxed a bit, asking, “How long you plan on hiding out around here?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Tyler answered, surprising himself. “A while yet.”
“Well, you might as well come along to church tomorrow, then,” Holt said.
The invitation sounded off-hand and casual, but Tyler knew better than that. He knew a challenge when he heard one. He knew, too, that he’d gain this man’s respect only by attending church with the family the next day. Surprisingly, he found that he wanted this man’s respect. That being the case, the decision seemed simple.
“Might as well. Nothing else to do, except sleep, and there’s all afternoon for that.”
Holt reached past Tyler, and when he drew back his hand, he had the dinner tab tucked between two fingers. Tyler automatically reached for his wallet, but Holt waved him off.
“Naw, now, that wouldn’t be neighborly.”
Neighborly, as they both knew, had nothing to do with it. “At least let me pay my share,” Tyler insisted.
“Not this time.”
Bemused, Tyler tilted his head. “Can’t I at least leave a tip?”
“You better,” Joanie said from behind him, and everyone around laughed, including Holt.
Tyler had a twenty out of his pocket in a flash. Holding it up, he tilted back his head, asking, “Will this do?”
She snatched that twenty so fast her hand blurred. More laughter followed, including Tyler’s own. Then a grinning Charlotte rose in the small space at the end of the bench.
Tyler rose and stepped away, allowing Holt to push back the table. Charlotte slipped around her end and came to Tyler’s side. His hand moved of its own volition to the small of her back as they turned toward the exit, and it stayed there until they stepped out of the building. Holt remained inside to pay the bill at the narrow counter set up in one corner near the door.
Tyler stood in the darkness next to Charlotte, feeling sated and happy and restful. “Thank you for inviting me to join you.”
“Glad you did,” she said, folding her arms.
“Me, too.”
He hunched his shoulders against the chill and debated the wisdom of slipping his arms around her. Holt spared him the decision by sliding back the glass door just then and stepping outside. Tyler put down his head and turned toward the truck, pleased that Charlotte stayed at his side.
Only as Holt paused at the open truck, fitting that cowboy hat onto his head once more, did Tyler fully realize what he’d done by accepting an invitation to attend church. What on earth was he going to wear?
Chapter Six
Standing next to Tyler on the pavement at the motel, Charlotte watched her brother’s long legs stride toward the building. Tyler spoke to Holt as he opened the screen on the kitchen door.
“Thanks again for dinner.”
Holt waved a hand negligently. “No problem. See you in the morning.” He paused and looked back over his shoulder. “Provided you don’t change your mind.”
Charlotte sighed inwardly. What was wrong with him? Did he have to make even an invitation to church sound like a challenge?
“I won’t change my mind,” Tyler replied evenly. She tried not to be too pleased by that. Tyler or anyone else attending church was a good thing, but it didn’t have anything to do with her personally.
“You coming in?” Holt asked Charlotte. Her brother usually stopped in after dinner to speak to Hap.
“In a minute.” She felt that she owed Tyler a private word. Holt had needled him all evening, and she didn’t want Tyler to get the wrong impression. Holt split a look between her and Tyler, then went through the door shaking his head.
Charlotte glanced at Tyler, not quite sure what to say. “I hope you weren’t offended by Holt’s behavior this evening.”
“Offended? Why would I be offended? Guys prod each other all the time.”
He actually sounded pleased. She breathed a silent sigh of relief. “I just didn’t want you to think it’s because of who you are or anything.”
Grinning ear-to-ear, Tyler rocked back on his heels. “Yeah, I know. Anyone hanging around his little sister would get the same treatment.”
She blinked, then laughed. “True. It’s nothing personal.”
“Oh, it’s personal,” Tyler said. “Your brother wants to protect you. I can only respect that.”
She sighed, saying, “I don’t need protecting. I’m not seventeen, I’m twenty-seven.”
Tyler’s pale eyes seemed to glow. “True. For the record, I’m glad I went along. I really enjoyed myself. Thanks for inviting me.”
“I’m glad, too.”
“I, um, I do have a problem, though,” Tyler said, rubbing his chin, “and I’m going to need some help with it.”
Charlotte jerked a little straighter. “Oh?”
He held out the sides of his suit coat, saying, “I’m standing here in the only clothes I have, and I’ve been standing in them quite long enough. I need to come up with something for tomorrow. So what do folks wear to church around here and where can I get that?”
Charlotte hadn’t even thought of such a dilemma, but obviously he was right. The man needed a change of clothes. She could try washing things for him, but she’d prefer not even to touch such obviously expensive articles. What if she ruined something? Still, she’d help if she could. Christian charity demanded it, regardless of his social status.
She eyed him critically for a moment, then shook her head. “I’m sure my brothers would lend you something, but Ryan’s too wide and Holt’s too tall. And Granddad—” she waved a hand dismissively “—his wardrobe’s straight out of the 1950s.”
Tyler seemed genuinely distressed. She imagined that image was very important to a man in his position, which must only enhance his need.
“What am I going to do? I don’t even know what I should be wearing. I mean, at home, I always wear a suit and tie when I go to church.”
Her ears perked up at that, glad to hear that he went to church back in Dallas.
She wondered if he was a regular attender, then pushed the thought aside in order to tackle the more immediate issue.
“Suit and tie are fine, of course.”
“But this suit needs dry cleaning,” he pointed out. “Not even a good pressing will do at this point. I can manage the tie, but that’s about it.”
She tapped her foot, thinking. He could beg off, but it was church. He should go. She wanted him to go. For his own good, of course.
Oh, all right, it was more than that. In all truth, she liked him. A great deal. She hadn’t wanted to drive away and leave him here alone tonight, and she wanted him to go to church with the family in the morning. So what if he would be gone before sunset tomorrow? That was just as it should be, but he still had a problem.
For the man to attend church he had to have clean clothes, and she couldn’t blame him for not wanting to wear that suit for a third day.
Charlotte glanced at Tyler and found him gazing down at her patiently. “Okay,” she said, embracing the project. “Let’s look at our options.”
“What would those options be?”
Sucking in a deep breath, she considered. “I could always wash whatever is washable.”
“And I would still be stuck wearing a dirty suit,” he pointed out.
“Exactly. Guess that means driving to Duncan.”
Even if they’d realized earlier in the day that clothing for him would be an issue, Duncan would have been the only option. Women’s clothing could be found in Eden, but not men’s.
“Duncan,” he mused. “How far is that?”
“About thirty-five miles.”
“Ah.” He looked off in that direction as if he might actually catch sight of the place. “They have a mall in Duncan, do they?”
“Uh, sure. Sort of. But all the stores in the mall will be closing…” she looked at her watch “…right about now.”
“Oh.” He grimaced. “Plan C, then, I guess, huh? Please say you have a Plan C.”
She shook her head. “Nope. Plan B was and is to drive up to the twenty-four-hour discount store in Duncan. That’s not part of the mall.”
“Discount store?” he parroted doubtfully.
“You won’t find anything else open at this time of night,” she told him. “Not around here.”
Glancing at his wrist, he smiled wryly. “You wouldn’t in Dallas, either.”
“Well, there you go.”
He leaned forward. “There we go. I hope.” Ducking his head, he looked up at her from beneath the crag of his brow and admitted sheepishly, “To tell you the truth, I’ve never done much shopping.”
She rolled her eyes, half convinced that he was joking. “Oh, please. A man with your money—”
“Can hire someone else to shop for him,” he interrupted flatly, averting his gaze. “I shop for investments, big-ticket items like cars and boats and property, and even then someone else has done the research for me. When it comes to clothes, I get fittings and pick out fabrics. From a grouping which my fashion consultant has already decided are appropriate.”
Charlotte must have stood there with her mouth open for a full minute or more before she realized that she was gaping. Hastily she cleared her throat. “Right. Okay. I’ll, um, just let Granddad know where I’ll be.”
Tyler heaved a great sigh of relief. “Thank you. Again. I’ll get the car.” He slid his hand into the pocket of his pants. “Meet you right here.”
“Five minutes,” she promised as they parted.
She found Hap sitting at the dining room table with Holt. As usual, Holt somehow managed to sprawl his long body over the chair without winding up on the floor. For such a hardworking man, he could look as lazy and boneless as an old hound dog, but he always said his energy all went to his brain cells at times like this. She didn’t doubt it.
Charlotte bent and pressed her cheek to her grandfather’s forehead. “How’re you feeling?”
“Oh, I’m fine, darlin’. Don’t you go worrying about me.” His merry eyes twinkled. “Holt says y’all took Tyler Aldrich to dinner with you.”
She glanced at her brother. “So we did. He seemed to enjoy himself.”
Hap’s bushy white eyebrows moved upward. “Enough to accept an invitation to church tomorrow, I hear.”
Nodding, she said, “Yeah, there’s a little problem with that, though, so I need to go out again for a while. Do you mind staying up until I get back?”
He twisted slightly in his chair. “Where’re you going, hon?”
She could feel Holt’s gaze drilling into her, and she knew what he thought, that her interest in Tyler was personal, but as she’d said earlier, she wasn’t seventeen anymore. She knew her own mind, and she had a clear vision of her life and world. Tyler had no place in that world, other than a very temporary one.
“Tyler has nothing clean to wear to church tomorrow, so I’m going to help him find something at the discount store in Duncan.”
“Ah.” Hap grinned so wide that his dentures clacked, but he quickly shuttered his expression, glancing at Holt. Obviously they’d been discussing her and Tyler, and just as obviously Holt had made his opinion known. She wondered what he found so objectionable about Tyler, but then she reminded herself that it didn’t matter. He and Hap were both wrong if they thought anything would or could come from what was, essentially, an act of Christian charity on her part.
“He can’t buy his own clothes?” Holt asked sardonically.
She folded her arms, getting to the real issue. “There is no reason I shouldn’t help him out.”
“That’s exactly right,” Hap said, repositioning in his chair again. “Y’all be careful, hon. I’ll take care of the desk. I’m going to be up a couple more hours anyhow.”
“I’ll help you,” Holt added in a flat tone.
“You will get yourself home and to bed,” Hap replied good-naturedly, pointing a gnarled finger at Holt. He flicked that same finger between himself and Charlotte. “Neither of us need sitting up for.”
“You like him,” Holt accused, narrowing his eyes at Hap. “You just want to give her a chance to start something with Mr. Big Bucks out there.”
“Well, what of it?” Hap retorted, not even bothering to deny it. “She deserves a good man, and they don’t exactly hang off the trees around here.”
Exasperated at the way the men in her life seemed to be jumping to all sorts of unwarranted conclusions, Charlotte threw up her hands. “You’re both being ridiculous,” she scolded lightly, marching around the table to drop a kiss on her brother’s head. “I’m not starting anything with anyone.” She moved on to Hap, repeating the process with him. “And if I was, it wouldn’t be with him.”
“Why not?” Hap demanded. “I do like that boy. He’s not such a big shot he can’t rub elbows with the little people.”
“Granted, but he’s a big shot who lives and works in Dallas,” she reminded them, figuring that said it all.
They both knew perfectly well that she’d broken off her engagement when her fiancé, Jerry, had insisted that he couldn’t make a decent living around Eden, and she’d known Jerry Moody her whole life. They’d dated for years before getting engaged, but she hadn’t wanted to trade her small-town life for the big city then, and she still didn’t.
Holt smiled, but she couldn’t tell whether she saw relief there or something else. It simply did not matter. Not at all.
She went out without another word, ignoring the little voice in her head that whispered Tyler Aldrich, a grown man who ran a huge corporation, could surely buy his own clothes without assistance from her, had he wanted to. And provided she had been of a mind to let him.
Charlotte tried not to be impressed as she sank into the luxurious leather seat. If dinner had somehow blurred the differences between them, then this extravagant automobile served to underscore them, especially when Tyler tapped the screen of the in-dash computer. She watched as he chose a destination from those listed, state first and then city, before he turned to
her.
“Address?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“The discount store, do you know the address?”
“Uh, no, actually I don’t.”
“How about an intersection? Anything near will work.”
She racked her brain for a moment, then gave the only street name she could remember. “81 and Elder.”
He chuckled. “What is it with you Oklahomans and trees? Half the streets in this state seem to be named for trees.”
Charlotte shrugged, smiling. “Never thought about it.”
The computer did its thing, a flashing light indicating the exact location of the discount store.
“I thought I was supposed to show you where it is,” she said, wondering again why she’d agreed to this, given the suppositions of her family and the fact that he could obviously find his way around without her.
“You know that’s not the only reason I asked for your help,” he told her, guiding the car out onto the highway.
“Uh-huh. You don’t know how to shop.”
He shot her a look, smiled and said, “I’ve got to confess something.”
She sat up a little straighter, her heart suddenly pounding. “What?”
“I’ve never been in a discount store in my life.”
She shook her head, feeling oddly deflated. What had she expected? “It’s not like you have to have a membership to get in the door or anything.”
“I know that. What I don’t know is what I should be looking for or where I should be looking for it. Those stores are huge. I told you, I’m used to someone else narrowing down my choices. Then I just stand there and let the tailor measure me. Even then, he usually comes to me.”
“I see.” She’d known people lived like that, of course—in some other universe. “Talk about your worlds colliding,” she muttered under her breath.
“What’s that?”
