by Sara Orwig
“Are you living here?” she asked in the same throaty voice Allison had heard in her movies.
“Yes, I am,” Allison replied, startled and biting back the introduction she had started to make. Silence stretched between them.
“Is Jared home?”
“He’s at the office.” Dawn eyed her from head to toe, looking with haughty disdain on her T-shirt, jeans and jogging shoes. When her eyes met Allison’s gaze again, Allison noted her lashes were thick, too long to be real, but beautiful.
“You might as well pack your things, whoever you are. I think you’ll be moving soon,” she said finally.
Allison regained her composure. “I’m Allison Tyler,” she said.
“I’m sure you know who I am.”
“I’m sorry. Your name is...” Allison couldn’t resist, and then felt guilty for the brief ornery streak that motivated her.
“It’s Dawn. Dawn Rainsford.” She turned and headed back to the limo. “Tell Jared I was here,” she ordered over her shoulder. A chauffeur stepped out to open the door for her.
When the limo pulled away, Allison shut the door and leaned against it, surprised and disappointed. Evidently Dawn Rainsford was not as out of Jared’s life as he had indicated. Allison could not imagine she was out at all if she wanted to be in his life. Dawn Rainsford looked as if she could have whatever and whomever she wanted.
Struggling to put Jared out of mind, Allison returned to her work. Hoping to get as much done as possible and finish her task, she strolled through his home and made notes as she went. By half past three she was satisfied she had done as much as she could until she went over the place with him, which apparently wasn’t going to happen today. She really didn’t care to see him right now anyway.
As planned earlier, she left to drive to her dad’s for dinner. Before leaving Jared’s home, she wrote a note and placed it on the kitchen table.
It was well over an hour’s drive even in four o’clock traffic to her father’s house. She entered through the back door, calling out to him, relieved to escape Jared’s house and talking to him about Dawn.
Tempting smells of roast beef and hot bread greeted her, eliciting a smile. “Dad, I’m here,” she called.
Herman Tyler appeared, a smile causing his wide blue eyes to crinkle at the corners as he held out his arms. She walked into his embrace, catching scents of garlic and onions. “It smells wonderful in here.”
“I made a pot of stew. Come in and tell me about the mansion. You’re doing a good job, and you’ve been correct in your descriptions and notes so far.” He stirred the stew, the delicious smell wafting out from the open lid.
“Thanks, Dad.”
“There are some pieces that are very old and very valuable. Others are just so beautiful, it wouldn’t matter if they weren’t old and rare. How will some of the things look in his Dallas home? That’s a first for you.”
“Yes, it is. I made it clear to him that all I can do is give him my opinion.”
“Well, he knows where you grew up.”
“That’s what he said,” she remarked.
“Let’s go sit in the family room. Would you like a glass of wine with me?”
“Sure, Dad. You sit, and I’ll get it. Your usual cabernet sauvignon?”
“Yep. Haven’t changed.”
She smiled as she got the bottle from the counter. “Mind if I open a white?”
“Of course not. It’s good to have you home.”
In minutes they sat in the family room. She rocked in her favorite rocking chair while her dad talked about the family. “As always, Sloan calls every day to see how I feel. He called about four o’clock today. He always asks how the job is going, and I told him about Jared asking you to see what would fit in his Dallas and Wyoming homes. Your brother was surprised you’re in town. He said he may drop by on his way home from work.”
“He’s usually in a rush to get to his own home,” she said, though she was absolutely certain her brother would appear within the hour. He wouldn’t miss a chance to grill her about Jared.
“Sloan is probably scared now that Jared will ask you out.”
“That doesn’t worry you, does it, Dad?”
“Of course not. I like Jared. I know you were a little angry he left the offer open to buy our business, but he’s a businessman. Actually, it’s nice, because if we should have to sell, or decide we want to sell, I would prefer to sell to him. He’ll take care of the business. As far as your brother is concerned, I know you long ago learned to pay no attention to his worrying over you.”
“Well, it isn’t the end of the world if I go out with Jared, but Sloan should stop worrying about it.”
“That’s like telling the sun to stop coming up in the morning,” her father replied, chuckling. “Nothing can keep Sloan from worrying about us. If he isn’t worrying about me, he’s worrying about you.”
Nodding, she said, “Enough about Sloan. Let’s talk about Jared’s mansion. This is a good job for us, Dad.”
“Yes, it is. We should have a beautiful catalog of Jared’s things, unless he decides to keep most of them.”
The sound of the back door closing halted their conversation.
“Hey, there,” Sloan called, sweeping into the room.
She greeted him, and her dad asked if Sloan wanted to join them in a glass of wine.
“Thanks, no. Can’t stay long,” he said, perching on the edge of a chair and turning to her. “I didn’t know you were back in Dallas. Jared didn’t say anything about it this morning at breakfast club.”
“Jared doesn’t always mention things,” she said, thinking about Dawn.
“Not if he doesn’t want me to know about it,” Sloan replied, still studying her.
“How’s the family, Sloan? I haven’t seen the little ones for over three weeks.”
“When this job’s over, you can keep all three of them some evening. That ought to be enough for you,” he said.
“I’d love for them to come and stay all night. We’ll have fun.”
“That’s a deal. You’re a good aunt, sis. And the girls would love to come. The baby is too little to know what he’s doing. I’ll tell the girls, because it’ll give them something to look forward to.”
“Come by and bring the kids to see me first on your way to Allison’s,” Herman said and Sloan nodded.
“Did Jared hang out at his house today?” he asked Allison.
“I haven’t seen Jared today at all,” she said. Then she added, “I’ll probably return to Houston tomorrow.”
“Is Jared going to Houston?”
“You’ll have to ask him, Sloan. I don’t know what he’s doing. I haven’t talked to him. I’ll tell you who I did see. Dawn Rainsford came by in her limo looking for Jared,” she said, knowing that would please Sloan.
“What does she look like in person?” Sloan asked, sounding awestruck.
“She looked just like she does in her movies or on television or in ads. She’s gorgeous.”
“Jared does attract the ladies,” Sloan said. “Dawn Rainsford... Did she come in?”
“We didn’t exactly have tea together,” Allison remarked. “You can save your questions for Sloan. I only had a brief encounter.”
Sloan studied her, and she gazed back, sipping her wine. He stared at her. “So how’s the job?”
“Very good. Ask Dad. Your friend has a great inheritance. That mansion is filled with beautiful antiques.”
“I’m surprised Jared wants to sell the place and almost everything in it.”
“If you could see the mansion, you’d know why,” Allison said. “It’s sort of gloomy.”
“Well, I’d better hit the road because it’s going to be a long commute home in this traffic.” He turned to his sister. “Walk
me to the door?”
She followed him to the back door, where Sloan turned to face her. “Don’t go out with Jared,” he said immediately in a hushed tone. “It doesn’t sound as if there’s much danger of that happening, but I’m warning you. He has a trail of broken hearts behind him, Allison. He isn’t ready to settle down.”
“I know,” she said, studying her brother. “To tell you the truth, I’ll be glad to be almost finished.” She looked over her shoulder toward the family room. “I just don’t want to worry Dad about it.”
“Frankly, that’s good news.”
To hurry her brother along, she embraced him. “Tell the family hi and give them a hug and kiss for me,” she said.
“That I’ll do. See you,” Sloan said, leaving. At his car he paused and waved. She watched him drive around the corner before closing and locking the door. Her cell phone chimed, and she took it out of her pocket to see it was a call from Jared. She placed it on a shelf by the back door and started to leave it when it rang again. She glanced at it once more and saw a familiar number. Picking up the phone, she answered to hear her friend Phillip, who asked her to dinner.
After, she rejoined her dad. “Phillip just called and asked me to dinner. I knew you wouldn’t mind, so I told him to come join us. He’ll be here shortly.”
“Good,” Herman said. “I’ll check on the stew.”
“While you do that, I’ll set another place at the table,” she stated, heading to the large kitchen with her dad.
Thirty minutes later she heard the door chimes and opened the front door to face a tall, broad-shouldered man with blond hair and blue eyes. His smile revealed flawless white teeth.
“Come in. Dad and I are in the family room.”
“How’s the Houston job going?” Phillip asked, walking beside her.
“Very well. I’ll be through and home soon.”
“Good. Did you find lots of interesting items?”
“Yes. I can show you some pictures. Dad, here’s Phillip.”
The two greeted each other and soon they were sipping wine and talking. As the men discussed the recent estate sale they had both attended, she studied Phillip. He’d be considered a handsome man by any female. Why didn’t she have the same electrifying reaction to Phillip she did to Jared? She was far more compatible with Phillip. He was interesting, handsome, successful—all descriptions that would fit Jared—but there was no heart-stopping, breathless reaction when they touched or kissed. Phillip was nice, pleasant, but she felt nothing toward him except friendship. She reminded herself that he was the type of man she wanted to marry—reliable, safe, responsible. A man who didn’t want to take wild risks and enjoy adventures that could be life threatening and—
“Allison?”
She realized both men were staring at her, and her dad repeated her name.
“Sorry. I was thinking about some notes I made today and wondering what I did with them. I didn’t hear what you said.”
“I asked you to take Phillip to my office and pull up the pictures you sent. He may be interested in buying something when that collection goes on the market.”
“Sure,” she said, standing at the same time as Phillip. In minutes he sat at her father’s desk, and she had pulled a chair beside him while Phillip scrolled through the pictures on the laptop. She lost herself in describing the pieces as Phillip read her father’s notes.
Herman stepped to the door. “Dinner’s ready. You two come eat, and then you can come back and finish looking. Did you find anything, Phillip?”
“Yes, sir. There is a seventeenth-century German clock I’d like, especially if Jared agrees to sell it for the price you’ve placed on it.”
“I think he’ll accept whatever Dad suggests,” Allison said, walking beside Phillip to the kitchen, where steaming bowls of stew awaited on the table. A platter with hot golden corn bread was in the center of the table.
Allison only half listened to the conversation through dinner while they talked about the antiques from the Delaney collection. She heard her phone ring once, and Phillip paused. “I think I hear a phone. It’s not mine.”
“It’s mine,” she answered. She flapped her hand, as if to dismiss it. “It isn’t important. Sloan would call Dad’s line.”
Phillip looked at her with curiosity and then turned to continue his conversation with her dad.
By nine o’clock Phillip said he had to leave, and she followed him to the door.
“When will you be back in Dallas to stay?” he asked.
“Probably not for two more weeks,” she answered. “I’ll try to make it sooner.”
“Call and let me know. There’s a play coming up that should be good. It was successful on Broadway, and this is its first time in Dallas. It will be here early April.”
“Great. I’ll let you know as soon as I do when I’ll be home.”
“Thanks again for dinner.”
“That was Dad’s doing. Glad to see you,” she said.
“It’s good to see you. ’Night, Allison,” he said and brushed a light kiss on her cheek.
She watched him get into his car and waved at him before he drove away. Closing and locking the door, she remembered Jared’s kisses that ignited desire until it was a raging blaze. Why couldn’t she feel that with a man like Phillip, the kind of man she intended to marry? She was sure there were women who would love to go out with him, and found him exciting and fun.
Of all men, why was she attracted to Jared?
When she rejoined her dad in the kitchen, he waved his hand. “Why don’t you spend the night here? You can go to Jared’s in the morning.”
Smiling at him, she sat beside him. “I’ll do that,” she said, knowing it would please her dad, who no doubt was lonesome.
She didn’t acknowledge her other reason for staying: she wouldn’t have to see Jared tonight.
Not seeing him didn’t mean, however, not thinking about him. She spent a restless night in her old bedroom, plagued by images of him in Dawn’s arms.
In the morning she took her time leaving her father’s house, in hopes that Jared would have already left for his office. She waited until almost nine o’clock to kiss her dad farewell.
She drove to Jared’s house. To her surprise, his black low-slung sports car was in the rear driveway. She hoped Marline and others on his staff were present. She didn’t care to deal with Jared right now. She didn’t want to hear him tell her Dawn was definitely out of his life. Dawn had not gotten the message. Allison didn’t want to think about his kisses, either.
She knew she had to interact with him at some point in order to return to Houston and finish her task. But later was better than sooner in this case.
Steeling herself with a deep breath, she went to the back door and knocked. In seconds the door swung open, and she faced Jared....
And, like a billowing curtain, her resolve went out the window.
Six
“Good morning. I’m glad you’re back.” Jared smiled, and she felt warmth settle on every inch of her, like honey oozing on bread.
All the coolness she’d mustered toward him dissipated in one single heartbeat. She drew a deep breath, passing him while he held the door, and caught a whiff of his masculine aftershave. He wore a tan Western shirt, jeans and boots.
Closing the door, he caught up with her, his fingers closing lightly on her arm as he turned her to face him. “I called you last night, and I sent you text messages.”
“We had company when I visited with my dad. I stayed at his house all night.” She forced herself to step out of his grasp. “Dawn came by here yesterday,” she said, aiming for light and casual and missing the mark. She compounded it by gazing into his eyes. His sinfully appealing green eyes. “I—I think she left afterward for your office.”
“S
he did. Allison, it is over between us. She was probably bored and couldn’t think what else to do while she’s in Dallas. She’ll be in a show here that’ll run for about two weeks. She means nothing to me. I seriously doubt if I mean anything to her.”
“It doesn’t matter, Jared. It was just a reminder that you and I have different values, different lives,” she said, feeling only a degree better.
“I don’t think we have such glaring differences. Dawn shouldn’t make any ripples between us, because she’s out of my life.”
“She hasn’t gotten that message, Jared.”
“She knows it full well, but if I talk to her again, I’ll remind her.” He closed the space between them and took her arm again. “In the meantime, let’s forget Dawn.”
“Consider it done.” Regardless, she had to get out of this house. Get away from Jared as soon as possible. “How soon do we leave for Houston? I’d like to get back to work.”
He stood looking at her, and she wondered what he was thinking. In spite of her determination to keep him at arm’s length, right now her heart beat faster, and she was intensely aware of his hand lightly on her arm, his steady gaze holding hers.
“I’ll talk to the pilot.” Jared walked away. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket to confer with him. “We take off in less than an hour,” he told her a moment later. “We can leave now for the airport.”
“Fine. I’m ready to go.”
It took her no time at all to grab her things, and within minutes, they were on their way. The ride to the airport was quiet. It wasn’t until they were airborne that they started to talk. Jared shifted in his seat to look at her and asked, “How’s your dad?”
“He’s fine. He told Sloan that I was in Dallas. Sloan came by after work to see us. He stops by a lot to check on Dad.”
“Sloan called me. Again. I saw him at breakfast club yesterday morning, and I didn’t tell him you were working in Dallas. He thought you were still in Houston. He was less than happy with me for not mentioning it. I think I made it clear to him that there is nothing between us, and this job will be over very soon. I told him that you’re busy, and we haven’t seen each other much.”
