Champagne Girl

by Diana Palmer

  She went to the computer, fumbling a little as she fed in the program disk and then her work disk. And as luck and bad nerves would have it, what came up was the copy she didn’t take to the printer—the interesting bit about the lovely young debutante heifers.

  “What the hell are you trying to do to me?” Matt burst out, glaring from the white-on-black computer screen to Catherine’s flushed face. “My God, Kit, I trusted you not to play at it like a schoolgirl! Do you have any idea how much work goes into cattle breeding? I’m asking one hell of a price for those cattle. Who’s going to take me seriously with this kind of—”

  “This isn’t what I took to the printer,” she interrupted, standing to plead with him. “Matt, please, this was just doodling. I never meant to sabotage you.” Well, she had, but that was a long time ago.

  He didn’t seem much calmer after her confession. His dark eyes accused, probed. “I gave you credit for being an adult,” he said quietly. “But you’ve done everything you could lately to change my mind, haven’t you, honey? I guess I’ve jumped the gun in more ways than just one.”

  She knew exactly what he meant, and she felt a sinking regret that she hadn’t taken him seriously. Going out with Hal had started him doubting her, drawing away from him at the house had complicated it, and finding this foolishness in the computer had cinched it. How was she going to explain herself now? She couldn’t tell him that Hal had seen them kissing the night of the wreck and had mentioned it to Catherine. God knew what he’d do to Hal if he found out. What frightened her most was a confrontation; Hal would make sure the rest of the family knew about it, and what then? It would destroy the family and make Matt look like a seducer.

  “All right,” he said, crushing out his cigarette. “Let’s see what you showed Angel.”

  She fumbled around again until she got the right disk, then scrolled the records up the screen. He leaned over her shoulder to see them. His proximity bothered her, but she steeled herself not to show it. Odd how heavy his breathing sounded—but a man like Matt surely wouldn’t be that disturbed by her, not when he had the sophisticated Layne on his string.

  “This is what went to the printer?” he asked.

  She turned her eyes to meet his, trembling inwardly at the sheer pleasure of looking at him from such a sweet distance. “Yes,” she said in a husky tone.

  His eyes searched hers and then went down to her mouth, studying it for a long, aching moment before he abruptly stood erect and turned away. “Okay. That’s all I wanted to see. We’d better get back to the house.”

  She removed the disks and cut off the computer, then carefully covered it back up. She turned to him, nervous. “Matt, I’m sorry,” she said hesitantly.

  “It’s not your fault. It’s mine,” he returned stonily. He glanced at her. “Maybe if I hadn’t rushed you, frightened you…”

  “I meant about the cattle,” she began, thinking he’d misunderstood her.

  “Sure. Come on, honey. I’ll lock up.”

  But just as they started out the door, the phone rang. Matt picked it up, frowning.

  “Yes!” His face froze. He glanced at Catherine with an unreadable expression as he listened, and she went taut with nerves because there was only one person who knew Matt was there. He listened, muttered something, and listened again with a face like a thunderhead. “Is that so?” he ground out finally, and the look he gave Catherine would have taken rust off a used car. “She is? Well, baby brother, you can just sit and wait!”

  He slammed the phone down and glared at Catherine.

  “What was that all about?” she asked, her voice weak because she had a horrible suspicion.

  “That was Hal,” he returned, jerking the door open. “We’d better go back to the house before he has a heart attack worrying about you. What did you tell him, Kit? That I was trying to seduce you?” he demanded with barely controlled anger.

  “Matt, I wanted to tell you—”

  “Forget it,” he cut her off. “Hal’s just made things crystal clear for me. Let’s go home.”

  She went out to the car and waited for him to turn out the office lights and lock the door. She’d never felt so miserable in all her life. Hal had said something to him that had set him off, and how could she defend herself without knowing what? She knew it was only Hal’s revenge for all he’d taken from Matt, but that didn’t make it hurt less. He’d just killed whatever tiny chance she had with Matt, and now she wanted to kill Hal. Matt would never touch her again, never kiss the breath out of her.…

  She forced herself not to cry. This wouldn’t do. She had to get things in perspective. Matt never wanted to marry her anyway. She’d only been a diversion, someone to play with when Layne wasn’t around. She had to remember that; it would make it easier. And letting him make love to her would only have made it worse when she had to let him go. She closed her eyes, shutting out the doubts. A moment later he was beside her, starting the engine. “You’re going to have your work cut out for you,” he remarked quietly as they drove back to the house.

  She turned in the seat. “I don’t understand.”

  “Don’t you?” He laughed softly, glancing at her as he pulled up in front of the steps. “He needs someone strong, Kit. Someone to keep him in line. You’ll find that out too late, if you aren’t careful.”

  “Hal?” she muttered.

  “Hal,” he said. “I’m not blind, you know,” he added when her eyes widened. “The way he fought me about you tonight, the way you froze me out…it all adds up. I should have realized when you went to Fort Worth with him that you were trying to tell me how things stood. Why in heaven’s name didn’t you tell me at the beginning how you felt about him?” he demanded.

  “But, Matt!” she protested.

  “Let it be,” he said. “I hate like hell to rake over dead ashes. Almost as much as I hate being used as a substitute,” he added coldly.

  “But I didn’t…!” she burst out.

  “It doesn’t matter anymore. It’s over.” He finished his cigarette and put it out, and when he turned back to her, he was the stepcousin of years past. “Out, sweet cousin,” he said with a grin. “I’ve got to call Layne. Get out of my hair.”

  She hadn’t used him as a substitute. She loved him. But she knew that grin. It meant he was through listening. Her heart felt like two pounds of lead. He thought she loved Hal; and Hal had led her right into it. Matt didn’t even seem to care—beyond a little wounded vanity. He was in too much of a hurry to hear Layne’s voice. Incredible, after spending three days with her!

  “All right,” she replied. She studied his hard face one last time, her eyes soft and quiet and hurt. “Good night.”

  “Goodbye, Kit,” he said in a tone like velvet.

  She turned away quickly so that he wouldn’t see the tears and went back into the house, alone.

  Hal met her in the hall. “So there you are,” he said, grinning. “Have fun?”

  Without a second thought, without a whisper of remorse, she drew back her hand and slapped him across the face with the whole strength of her arm behind it.

  “Damn you,” she whispered shakily. “Damn you, Hal!”

  He held his red cheek, his dark eyes strange as he saw the wounded fury in her flushed features, her biting eyes. “Catherine…?”

  “I hope you get a dose of your own medicine,” she threw at him. “I hope someday you’re on the receiving end. You spend your life finding ways to hurt people, to shake them up, to get your own selfish way. You’re nothing but a spoiled little boy, Hal!”

  His eyes popped. Catherine had always been on his side, defending him. She didn’t even look like Catherine; she was all claws and teeth and flying fur.

  “But, Catherine…” he protested.

  “Leave me alone!” She brushed by him and ran up the stairs to her room. Thank goodness her mother was nowhere in sight; she didn’t think she could answer another question.

  She cursed Hal until she ran out of breath, hating h
im for what he’d done. She even hated Matt. He’d refused to listen when she’d tried to tell him the truth.

  Okay. If he wanted a war, he would have one. But he wasn’t going to find it that easy to ignore her. She was going to show him what he’d missed out on, and she was going to get even with Hal if it killed her. With that thought firmly in mind, she finally slept.

  Chapter Eight

  It was the longest night Catherine could ever remember. Her dreams were full of the night Matt had taken her to the movies, of the sweet anguish of being in his arms, feeling his hard mouth move so expertly on her own. It seemed like a lifetime ago, now, and he’d as good as told her that their fragile new relationship was over. It was all Hal’s fault, she thought, and then realized that she’d contributed to it as well, with her childish behavior, her refusal to take Matt seriously. And perhaps he had been serious. He’d looked bleak enough last night when Hal made that horrible phone call. What if he’d felt something for her? And now she’d killed it!

  The thought tormented her. If he had felt something, was it possible that she could resurrect it? Fight Layne for him and win? She got up and gave herself a pep talk as she fixed her face and dressed carefully in a white peasant dress with layers of ruffles. Perhaps it wasn’t too late. But even if it was, she was going to turn over a new leaf. No more little-girl tantrums, no more stammering embarrassment. The old Catherine was going into the closet in mothballs, and the new one was going to be a force to behold. She was going to have her hair fixed, buy some new clothes. But first, she was going to stand Hal on his ear. She would see to it that he understood what he’d done to her last night.

  It was late morning when she got downstairs, but oddly enough the family was still at the breakfast table. Once, Hal would have whistled blatantly when she walked in. But it was a serious, quiet Hal who looked up when she joined them.

  “Morning, cousin,” he said, searching her face.

  “Good morning, Halbert,” she returned, using his full name for the first time in memory. She smiled at him dreamily and sighed theatrically. He frowned curiously as her cool glance went to Matt. “Morning.”

  “Morning, sweet cousin.” He grinned, not a trace of ill humor or regret in him as he leaned back in his denims to study her with the old mocking smile. “Headhunting today, are we?”

  “She did that last night,” Hal murmured, touching his cheek, and he smiled tentatively. “Knocked some sense into me.”

  “Did it hurt?” she said with mock sorrow. “Poor darling.”

  Hal actually flushed, digging into his eggs with renewed vigor. He seemed to have a lot on his mind, and he kept shooting nervous glances toward Matt, who was as impassive as ever. Betty stared around her uncomprehendingly, shaking her head. She didn’t understand anything they said these days. Perhaps it was the generation gap at work, cutting her off from the younger people.

  “Did what hurt?” Matt asked amiably, then sipped at his second cup of coffee as he leaned back precariously in his chair, Spanish eyes dark and amused, his shirt unbuttoned at the throat and straining against the hard muscle of his chest.

  “Oh, I seduced him last night, that’s all,” Catherine said outrageously. “Did you know he was still a virgin?”

  Matt actually choked on his coffee. Hal buried his face in his hands, and Betty sat like stone, staring blankly at her daughter.

  “Poor old dear,” Catherine clucked as Matt coughed into his napkin. “It’s your age, Matt. You just can’t hold your coffee anymore.”

  He stopped coughing and glared at her. “What the hell’s gotten into you this morning?”

  “Love.” She sighed, staring at Hal with a dreamy expression. “Hal, darling, when are we getting married?”

  Hal’s face was fascinating. It went white, then red, then purple as he gaped at her. “Married?”

  “Well, I can’t leave you in the lurch. I still respect you, darling,” she added wickedly. “Do marry me.”

  “I can’t,” Hal burst out. “And for God’s sake, stop talking about seduction!”

  “Don’t you like being hassled, darling?” she persisted, eyes flashing. “Doesn’t it feel good to be on the receiving end?”

  “Aha!” Hal burst out, sitting erect, pointing at her. “Aha, that’s your game! It’s revenge!”

  “Darling, what have you ever done to me?” She pouted, blinking her lashes at him. “Except refuse to marry me, that is.”

  He threw down his napkin. “I’m leaving. I have to get to work,” he said, glancing at Matt to see how the older man reacted to that bombshell. Hal grinned at his brother’s puzzled expression as he stood up. “I called an old friend early this morning and begged for a job. Matt, you can scream if you like, but I’m going to work for Dan Keogh. He has a racing team, and he’s letting me work my way up as a mechanic. I’m starting for minimum wage.”

  Matt scowled. “You? Working for minimum wage?”

  Hal straightened proudly. “I’m not afraid of hard work as long as it’s something I enjoy. I’ve always loved tinkering with cars, but I’m not cut out for real estate, despite what you promised Mother. She’s dead, but I have my own life to live, and I’m going to do it my way. Cut me off without a dime if you like—I don’t give a damn.” He glanced at Catherine, who was listening intently. “You were right, Catherine,” he added gently. “I was a selfish spoiled brat. But people can change. Just stand back and watch me. If I’m needed, I’ll be at the garage. Ciao, all.”

  He threw up his hand in farewell and went out the door. Matt stared after him, aghast. “I’ll be damned,” he said under his breath, fumbling for a cigarette. “A miracle!”

  “Hal, working,” Betty echoed. She lifted her napkin to her eyes. “Oh, dear, I think I’m going to cry.”

  “It won’t save him,” Catherine said. “I’m still going to marry him to save his good name.”

  “Darling, you didn’t really…?” Betty probed gently, all eyes.

  Matt was watching, too, warily.

  “I do not kiss and tell,” Catherine said smugly. She got up, too. “I’m going to get the advertisements ready this morning, and I’ve got to arrange a caterer for the barbecue.” She looked over at Matt. “Is the caterer you used last year capable?”

  “Yes,” he said.

  “Then I’ll get him again. And I need to be off for an hour at lunch,” she added. “I have some shopping to do.”

  “Help yourself,” Matt murmured, studying her curiously.

  She smiled. Good. Let him guess. She was about to organize a frontal campaign, and he was the objective; but it wouldn’t do to let him know it. “See you later.”

  “She wouldn’t seduce Hal, would she?” Betty asked worriedly.

  “Of course not,” Matt agreed. But his eyes were narrow and thoughtful and a little worried as he watched her flounce out of the room.

  * * *

  Catherine was humming softly at the computer when Matt came in. Hold on to your heart, girl, she told herself, and steeled herself not to jump or blush when he stood over her.

  “Almost through,” she told him with a sunny smile. “Angel said the printer would like you to look over the layout before he prints your programs.”

  “I’ll go now,” he said. He stared down at her, his hands in the pockets of his tight jeans, his dark eyes shaded by his straw hat, his face impassive. “You haven’t slept with Hal, have you?”

  She looked up at him sensuously. “Darling, haven’t I?” she returned huskily, smiling slowly at the darkness growing in his eyes.

  He started to say something, clammed up and slammed out of the office. Catherine only smiled.

  She went into town at lunch hour and wandered into a hairdressing salon that specialized in walk-in customers. Twenty minutes later she walked back out into the sun with a wavy short haircut that added years of sophistication to her face, emphasizing her big green eyes and pretty, pouting mouth. She laughed, feeling new and excited. She went to a large department store next a
nd smothered her very traditional instincts. She bought gauzy blouses, low-cut in front, and flaring skirts. She bought slinky dresses and an off-the-shoulder evening gown in a wild jungle-green print. She bought open-toed high heels and sandals and some trendy earrings. And before she went back to work, she donned one of the new outfits—a swirling blue gauze skirt and a deeply cut, puffy-sleeved white blouse. With a touch of red lipstick and some eye makeup she’d never used and big, flashy blue earrings, she looked like something out of Vogue. She laughed at her reflection, wondering at the change. And then she went back to work.

  The expression on Matt’s dark face when he came back from lunch was comical. He stopped in the doorway and stared, just as Angel and the other girls had, but he took longer to recover.

  “Well?” she asked huskily, smiling provocatively at him. “Do you like it?”

  “My God, you can’t come to work dressed like that,” he said curtly. He closed the door and jerked out a cigarette.

  “You smoke too much, darling,” she murmured. She got up and went close to him, winding veils of seductive perfume around him as she gently took the cigarette from his fingers. She was awed by the way he reacted.

  “Kit,” he said under his breath. His eyes went to the bodice of the blouse, to the deep V that left her smooth breasts revealed.

  “What’s wrong, cowboy?” she asked, staring up into his darkened eyes. “Do I bother you?”

  “Of course you bother me!” he growled. His hands caught her waist and squeezed, pulling her against him. “Why?”

  “Why what?” she asked, parting her lips and watching his eyes rivet to them.

  “The haircut. The new clothes,” he said. “Is this for Hal’s benefit? If it is, you’d better lock your door at night, or you may catch the wrong fly, little spider.”

  “I couldn’t catch you,” she whispered. “You’ve got Layne, haven’t you?”

  He couldn’t seem to get his breath. His hands moved up her sides to her rib cage, feeling the softness of her skin through the flimsy blouse. “Kit…”