The Troublesome Angel

by Valerie Hansen

  The doors slid open. Stacy stepped into the elevator and punched the button for the basement garage. Just as the doors were closing she saw Graydon burst out into the lobby and hurriedly scan the crowd. For an instant, she thought he hadn’t seen her. The last glimpse of his penetrating gaze before the doors slammed shut told her she was wrong.

  It was the color of her dress that caught his eye. It matched the striking blue of her eyes and set them off as if both had been painted when God had dipped his brush into the summer sky.

  Until now, Gray had never seen Stacy in anything but her work clothes. It shouldn’t have been a surprise to him that she was so lovely, since that was the overall impression he’d always gotten, yet everything about her had dazzled him when he’d walked into that banquet room and caught sight of her.

  Noting that she’d boarded a descending elevator he guessed she was headed for the garage. By taking the stairs two at a time he reached it a few seconds before she did.

  He skidded to a stop in front of the elevator as the doors slid open with a whoosh.

  Stacy stood very still and stared at him, then found her voice. “How did you do that?”

  “Do…what…?” He was struggling to catch his breath.

  “Never mind. I know. I just didn’t think anybody could run that fast.”

  Gray managed a lopsided smile. “I imagine it’s easier going down than it is going up.”

  “Undoubtedly.” Acting on impulse, she reached for the buttons and punched the closest one.

  Before the doors could close again, he jumped aboard. Stacy was too surprised to react in time to get off.

  Leaning against the side nearest the controls, he looked terribly proud of himself for having bested her.

  Provoked, she said, “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to stop this thing and let me off, would you?”

  “Sure. As soon as you promise you’ll have coffee with me so we can talk.”

  “We have nothing to talk about. I don’t care how much money you gave the rescue tracking program, you can’t buy my time. I have too little of it to spare as it is.”

  “Boy, I know the feeling.” He folded his arms across his chest, checked his watch and tried to look nonchalant. “I’m supposed to be in Conway in an hour. I’d hate to miss an important appointment.”

  “Then you obviously don’t have time for coffee, either.”

  “You’re right. How about dinner some time this week? I’m free most nights.”

  “Well, I’m not,” she stated. “As a matter of fact, I’m going to be out of town. I’m leaving immediately.” She didn’t like the self-satisfied look that appeared on his face, or the knowing glint in his eyes.

  “Ah, that explains it.”

  “Explains what?” Stacy was getting more and more frustrated at not knowing why he was acting so smug.

  “The camping gear I saw in your truck when I was first looking for you. I wondered what you were up to.”

  “What I do and where I go is none of your business.”

  “Unless I happen to need your services again,” Gray countered. “Suppose Missy runs away while you’re gone?”

  “Then you’ll have to call someone else. The boy who’s watching my place for me has the phone numbers of other members of the search team. He’ll be glad to refer you.”

  “I don’t want somebody else. Missy trusts you and Lewis. If we have more problems with her, you’re the one who should go after her. Otherwise she might hide and never be found.” His smile spread. “Besides, I want to get my money’s worth and you’re the best.”

  That did it. Stacy was at the end of her patience. She lunged for the elevator controls. He blocked her effort with his body and she accidentally hit the red, emergency stop button instead of a closer floor, as she’d intended.

  Bells went off. The elevator came to an abrupt halt. Stacy was already off balance. Her high-heel shoes made her stagger and she blundered into Gray before she could regain her footing.

  He caught her easily. “What did you do that for?”

  “Let me go.”

  “Okay. Whatever you say.” He opened his arms with a broad flourish. “What do you propose we do, now?”

  “Why ask me?” The bells were still sounding, increasing Stacy’s already considerable distress. She clapped her hands over her ears.

  “Because you’re the one who got us stranded,” Gray shouted over the din. He was grinning broadly.

  “It’s not funny.”

  “I think it is.”

  She pulled a face. “You would.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure somebody will hear the alarm and come to our rescue,” he said calmly. “In the meantime, we can have our little chat.”

  The noise stopped abruptly. Stacy slowly uncovered her ears. “I don’t want to chat. I don’t want to be stuck in here with you. And I don’t want to have anything more to do with you once we get out of this mess. Is that clear?”

  “Very.” He couldn’t get over how cute she looked, standing there with her fists on her hips, insisting on having her own way. “I don’t suppose you’d like to hear my apology again, would you? I’ve rehearsed it a lot and it’s much more convincing than it was when we were out by my mother’s rose garden.”

  Stacy rolled her eyes. “Please. Don’t remind me. I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life.”

  “I have. But I probably get around more than you do. For instance, there was the time I’d arranged for an extravagant steak dinner to impress an influential client. I didn’t find out he was a strict vegetarian until after it was all over.”

  “He didn’t say anything at the time?”

  “Not much. I think he was too busy feeling sorry for his dinner. On a personal level.”

  “That’s terrible.” She couldn’t help the slight smile that lifted the corners of her mouth. “Poor man. I take it you didn’t impress him the way you’d hoped?”

  “Well, he didn’t hire me as his consultant, if that’s what you mean. I doubt he’ll ever forget me, though.”

  “No kidding.” Neither would she, Stacy admitted. Her first dose of the Paynes, with Mark, hadn’t left her nearly as affected as getting to know Graydon had.

  The elevator came to life and started to ascend. Gray realized time was running out. He chose to use their last few moments of forced togetherness to reiterate his regret for having caused her embarrassment. “Okay. If you won’t have dinner with me, I guess I have no choice. I’ll try to make this quick. I really am sorry, Stacy. I didn’t mean to give the impression I was only kissing you because I knew it would aggravate my mother.”

  “You weren’t?” Her eyes widened.

  “Well, yes, I was. But I didn’t intend to humiliate you. I thought you’d enjoy driving Mother crazy as much as I would. I never dreamed you’d think I was just using you.”

  “That’s exactly what you were doing.”

  “No, it isn’t. I thought we were having fun. You know. Kidding around. Letting off a little steam after the harrowing afternoon we’d all had.”

  Stacy shook her head sadly. “You still don’t see the truth, do you?”

  “Maybe it isn’t me who can’t accept candor and honesty.”

  Upward movement stopped. The door slid open to reveal a middle-aged, balding technician in a grey-striped jumpsuit that was too tight around his waist.

  He eyed the two people in the elevator car with suspicion. “Everything all right in there, folks?”

  “Fine,” Gray said. “We hit the red button by mistake.”

  The man chuckled. “Sure, sure. I know how it is. I was young once, too. Next time y’all want some privacy, though, do me a favor and go park somewhere instead of messing with my elevators. It throws the whole schedule off when I have a car go down like this.”

  “It was an accident,” Stacy insisted.

  “Is that a fact?” The technician boarded the elevator as they got off and held the safety switch so the door would stay open. “Well, mayb
e so. This is the first time I’ve had it happen where the lovers spent all their time talkin’ about kissin’ instead of fixin’ to do it.”

  Stacy felt hot color rise in her cheeks. “What?”

  The man chuckled as he pointed to the roof of the car. “We’ve got a camera and a mike mounted up there for security reasons. You two sure fight a lot. Maybe you ain’t right for each other.”

  Gray began to roar with laughter the same way he had when he’d promised his mother he’d keep Stacy from stealing the family silver.

  To her credit, Stacy joined in. She was still chuckling to herself when she walked down the stairs from the lobby to the parking garage. Thanks to Graydon Payne, it was going to be a long time before she was prepared to board another elevator.

  Or smell another rose.

  Chapter Ten

  The drive from Little Rock to Judy and Angela’s Spring River camp took Stacy three long hours. By the time she arrived she’d visualized her most recent encounter with Gray a hundred times. Each time she replayed the incident she remembered different elements.

  What she yearned to do was focus only on the negative. Unfortunately, that was proving impossible. She kept seeing his smile and the whimsical twinkle in his eyes, kept hearing his engrossing laugh.

  Finally, she gave in and sought divine help. “Father? I’ve got a problem,” she said softly as she wheeled into the drive that led to the main camp. “I don’t want to be interested in Gray but I can’t help myself. I actually like him. He’s good-looking, funny and pretty understanding, considering.” Instantly, his opinion about her unconscious discrimination against the wealthy came to mind.

  “Maybe too understanding,” she added. “And it’s so sweet how he loves that poor, lonely little girl.”

  Was that why she felt so drawn to the man? she wondered. Was it because he reminded her of how lost and alone she’d felt when she was in a situation similar to Missy’s? Perhaps. If only God would explain it all.

  “Please, Father,” Stacy pled. “I’m so confused about everything. Help me? Please?”

  Falling silent, she completed her prayer the way she’d been taught, then waited for an answer. No bolt of divine lightning struck to illuminate her hazy thoughts. No sense of peace descended the way she’d hoped it would. Truth to tell, she felt more out of sorts than she had before she’d resorted to calling on the Lord.

  Stacy chewed on her lower lip. She’d experienced that uncomfortable state more than once since becoming a Christian. In the past, those feelings had meant she was out of fellowship with God. If that were the case this time, chances were the hindrance was due to Graydon Payne and his pompous family.

  “But what am I supposed to do about it?” Stacy grumbled as she parked her truck and climbed out.

  Judy ran to greet her with a welcoming hug. “Hi! How did things go in Little Rock?”

  “Oh, fine.”

  “You don’t seem convinced.” She let go and stepped back. “Wanna tell Mama all about it?”

  Stacy’s guilty conscience reared its head. She grimaced. “I’m not real sure that’s a good idea.”

  “Uh-oh. I sense an all-nighter coming.” Judy reached into the truck to help her carry her things up to the cabin. “Good thing I talked Angie into baking two pies. We’ll need our nourishment if we’re going to stay awake.”

  “Oh, no!” Stacy stopped. “I forgot to bring the ice cream.”

  “That’s okay. You probably had other things on your mind.” Judy was watching her closely. “Am I right?”

  Stacy made a silly, self-deprecating face. “Mama,” she gibed, “you know me far too well.”

  Graydon had worked out with weights and even jogged an extra mile after dinner to tire himself out, but he still couldn’t sleep. It was ridiculous to be so determined to make Stacy Lucas accept him, yet that was the notion that refused to leave his mind, refused to let him relax enough to doze off.

  He could understand why she was put off by his family, his father in particular. She didn’t owe Nathan any loyalty the way he did. Or the way his mother did.

  For his entire childhood Gray had wondered what it was that made him feel like an outsider within his own family. He’d done his best to make his parents proud; gotten good grades in school, stayed out of trouble, played the sports his father appreciated, even considered following Nathan into the family business.

  In a way, he was glad he’d had the courage to step out on his own and fend for himself. If he hadn’t, he might never have found out what had happened to create the dysfunctional family relationships he’d had to deal with all his life.

  The memory was still as clear as if the confrontation had taken place mere days ago instead of years. It rose unbidden to fill his mind once again.

  That day, Nathan had been practicing his golf putting in the den. Gray had chosen to use that occasion to approach his father about his plans for the future, now that he’d finished college.

  He’d knocked at the open door to get the older man’s attention. “Hi, Dad. You busy?”

  “Busy enough.” Nathan had kept his concentration focused on the golf ball. “Your mother tells me you’re graduating with honors.”

  “Yes, sir.” Not a word was said about paternal pride in his accomplishments but Gray was so used to that kind of reaction he easily let it pass.

  “Good. Looks like I’ll have to be getting your name painted on a door at the office pretty soon.” Still, Nathan didn’t face him.

  “Well, sir, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Gray said boldly. “You know how much I appreciate the opportunity but—”

  “Spit it out, boy.”

  “Okay. I’ve done so well in architecture and city planning, I’ve decided to start my own consulting firm. I know it’s a gamble but a couple of friends and I have worked out the details and we have the necessary skills. It’s what we want to do.”

  When Nathan finally straightened and looked at him, Gray was astounded by his cold expression. He’d suspected his father would be disappointed in his choice of career but he hadn’t expected the clear contempt mirrored in the older man’s eyes.

  “I knew all along it wouldn’t work,” Nathan said.

  “I beg your pardon?” Gray was confused and more than a little uncomfortable. His father had always been distant. Open animosity, however, was a new phenomenon.

  “It’s because of that religious nut you had for a roommate in college, isn’t it? He’s convinced you that you don’t owe me a thing. Right?”

  “James had nothing to do with it,” Gray countered. “This was my decision.”

  With a shrug, Nathan had turned away and gone back to his putting. “Fine. It suits me. I wouldn’t have even offered you a job in the first place if your mother hadn’t insisted. I knew from the first day I saw you that you’d never deserve to become a Payne.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me,” he’d said flatly. “You’re not my son. You never were.”

  Even now, Gray could remember every word, every inflection of his father’s painful disclosure. He’d run from the room and out into the gardens, so upset he could hardly breathe. That was where his mother had found him and tearfully explained the rest.

  “I was young,” she’d said. “And in trouble. Your father…I mean, Nathan…said he loved me anyway and didn’t care that I was carrying another man’s child. If I’d had any idea he’d have so much trouble accepting you once you were born, I’d never have married him.”

  After that day, it was only because of his mother’s pleas for family harmony that Gray had remained on pseudoamiable terms with his father. Lately, he was beginning to suspect that she wished she hadn’t begged him to buy the house at nearby Norfork Lake, in addition to his condo. She and Nathan had Rosalie to give them grandchildren, and Mark to carry on the family name. He, on the other hand, was merely an unwanted, constant reminder of the awful mistake his mother had made.

  Gray sighed deeply. Funny how things wo
rked out. The estrangement within his family wasn’t because of anything he’d done, or not done. Yet his father’s critical attitude had almost destroyed him, made him believe the whole world was against him. If it hadn’t been for his old friend James, who’d led him to the Lord and shown him the unconditional love of his Heavenly Father, Gray didn’t know what kind of person he would have eventually become.

  That sobering thought reminded him of Missy. His heart was breaking for her. As her uncle he’d made up his mind to do what he could, but he knew he couldn’t take the place of her real father. Nor could Mark. No one could. Not in the way she needed right now.

  He could, however, offer her a respite from Candace’s unreasonable rules of proper conduct. His sister-in-law meant well. She just didn’t have the foggiest idea what Missy was going through or how hard it was for the child to make the adjustment of coming to live with new parents so soon after the loss of her natural father.

  All he had to do was convince Mark and Candace that it was for the best that Missy attend an upcoming church camp. He’d already promised to help chaperon, thanks to his old friend James’s constant urging, so the situation was tailor-made. Missy could get away from daily stress and he’d be nearby if she got scared and needed him.

  It was a perfect plan. Gray just hoped the Lord agreed.

  “I don’t believe it! You were actually stuck in an elevator with him?” Angie giggled at Stacy, her dark curls jiggling. “Oh, my. What a picture.”

  Judy agreed. “No kidding. So, what happened next? Did he kiss you, again?”

  “Of course not,” Stacy said dryly.

  “Well, why not? The whole thing sounds like it had to be providential. I’ve always thought God had a great sense of humor. This just proves it.”

  Stacy shook her head. “It does not. All it proves is that Graydon Payne is a stubborn, impossible man with an inflated opinion of himself. He actually thought I’d agree to go out to dinner with him. Can you believe it?”