“Ah. Her mother is a problem, then?”
Since Craig and Jack both knew the story of how their grandmother Murphy had put up roadblocks against both their fathers’ courting their mother, he understood why that was the first assumption his dad would make. But the suggestion resonated inside Craig.
“You know, that could be it,” Jack said.
Craig agreed. She’d spoken quite openly about her father, but hadn’t said much about her mother at all.
Craig met his brother’s gaze and experienced an aha moment like they sometimes had when interviewing with prospective business associates.
“In that case, my advice is to be respectful, but firm. I’ll tell Philip and your mother that you’re doing your best to close the deal.”
Craig laughed. “Hell of a way to put it, Dad.” Then he shook his head. “We’re going slow with Anna. She knows the history of our families, she knows we’re interested in her, and she knows we’re not playing games. The fact that she hasn’t quit and continues to show up every day gives us great hope.”
“As I said, you’re working to close the deal,” his father said. “If Philip and Madison know you’re approaching the matter with as much tenacity as you do making money, they’ll be content. At least until Christmas.”
“Understood. Is Mother there? We should at least say hello to her.” And if he didn’t ask, he might hear about it the next time they saw her.
“Nope. It’s just me here right now. Your mother and your other father are over at the Conrad place.”
“The Conrad place?” Jack blinked and met Craig’s gaze. “That pretty two story house with the large yard in back over by the school? That’s empty, isn’t it?”
“Well it was, but everyone’s racing to get it set up for new residents. It needs to be ready by Christmas.”
Craig and Jackson had more cousins than they could shake a stick at. Generally, only one reason saw everyone pitching in to get one of the vacant houses in town spruced up and furnished. He wondered which of his cousins was getting ready to get married.
“Who are the new residents?” Jack asked.
Terrence laughed. “Why, the two of you are, of course!”
* * * *
For the last week, Anna was aware of a real problem in her life. Not surprising, the problem itself wasn’t new. She’d lived with it most of her life. She’d always just assumed that if she decided to ignore it, if it didn’t go away it would, at least, stay hidden in the background, and she could be content.
She’d been lying to herself. She’d always known it, but just lately, as she’d gotten a taste of what it was like to be liked and respected by Craig and Jackson Jessop, that lie had grown too huge to maintain.
Anna sighed as she allowed the thought to form whole in her mind. She wasn’t happy living in her parents’ house.
She wasn’t happy at home.
She’d been unhappy here for years. Anna had been compliant and respectful, even if in the last few years an edge of sarcasm had emerged, flexing its talons every once in a while. But that hadn’t been real rebellion.
It hadn’t been standing up for herself.
Anna let her eyes rest once more on her image in the mirror. This new outfit—all the new outfits—that her mother had purchased for her was just...wrong.
The colors did nothing for her, neither did the style. The material, all satin and lace, was completely inappropriate for the office—as had been the last four days’ outfits. The worst part was the tight fit of the clothing. Her mother had done a complete one-eighty and instead of buying her clothes a full size larger than she needed, had purchased them a full size smaller.
It so reminded her of that horrible black wool dress episode when she’d been fourteen.
Anna was faced with a decision. She could continue to do what she’d been doing every day this week—leaving early so she had the time to stop at the restaurant out by the interstate, take the clothes she’d stashed in her car, go in, change, and then head to work. Or she could finally and at long last, confront her mother.
That’s it. That’s the dilemma and the solution. Now, what are you going to do about it?
Ten minutes later, Anna entered the dining room. She’d timed it well, as Josie was just pouring her mother’s coffee. When the servant saw Anna, she grinned and looked to the pot in her hands.
Anna smiled back, and nodded. Then she took her place, and put her napkin on her lap. “Thank you, Josie. Could you please bring my breakfast right out? I’m running a little behind today.”
At least her mother waited until the servant had left the room.
“That’s not the outfit I set out for you today.”
“Yes, I know. But it is the one I’m wearing.”
Clara treated her to a good frown. “No, you’re mistaken. Please go upstairs and change.”
“No, I’m sorry. I won’t.” Anna turned her attention to her father. “Could I have the front section of the paper, please, if you’re done with it?”
“Of course. As a matter of fact, I just remembered that I needed to get to the office early today myself.” He set the paper close to her, and got up from the table. He gave her mother the usual perfunctory kiss on the cheek, and, in Anna’s estimation, fled the field of battle.
She hadn’t really expected her father to do anything different.
Josie reentered the dining room, setting a plate before her. Anna didn’t care what the meal was, and in truth she didn’t know if she’d be able to eat anything. Her stomach was twisted in knots.
Then she and Clara were alone, and the tension in the room felt chilling. Anna decided not to wait.
She turned to her mother. “I apologize if I’ve upset you. However, you need to know that the outfits you purchased on my behalf are entirely inappropriate for the office, and for me, under any circumstances. It’s completely unfair for you to have to spend your time shopping for me. So from here on out, and for the first time in my life, I’ll be responsible for purchasing my own clothing.”
“You’ll get no allowance from me to do so.”
In fact, the money that went into Anna’s bank account was from the trust fund her grandmother had established for her and had nothing to do with her mother.
She didn’t say as much. She wasn’t trying to be difficult, she was merely attempting to set some long overdue boundaries. “That’s fine, then,” Anna said. “As I am earning a paycheck, I will of course take any funds I need out of that.”
“We’ll see.”
When Clara said nothing more, when she turned her attention to her own meal, Anna heaved an inner sigh of relief. Not wanting to attempt to eat anything just then, she finished her coffee, politely excused herself, and headed for the door. She did feel the daggers her mother shot at her, but all in all, Anna felt as if she’d won a major point.
Since she had left sooner than normal, she took a moment once she reached her parking space to visit the café two doors down. They had a vast selection of morning pastries. Normally she would never choose anything as rich looking as a cherry cheese Danish, but today was a special occasion.
She’d been respectful and calm, and she’d managed to do something she’d been terrified of doing. She’d stood up to her mother.
She knew that compared to a lot of young women her age, she really was a late bloomer. Most young women would never tolerate the level of interference Clara Cooper had always taken as her right.
There was something inherent in her mother that needed to control her environment. That was a fact that Anna had always known and, yes, understood. But she was twenty-one years old, and it was past time that she needed to take a bit of responsibility for her own life. She hoped that she and her mother could reach a new understanding, and have a new, better relationship.
On such a pretty December day, Anna Cooper thought that anything—anything at all, was possible.
Chapter 6
Jack blinked, came out of his focused state, and tilted hi
s head to better hear the sound that had burst his concentration. After a moment he smiled. He looked over at Craig, whose smiling gaze met his.
Anna was humming. They’d both been so happy when she arrived at work earlier, because on her face and in her eyes they’d seen something they’d never seen on her before. They saw victory.
Jack didn’t know the details, and hoped that someday soon Anna would feel comfortable enough with him—and Craig—to tell them what great hurdle she’d cleared this morning. They’d known, of course, that she’d been troubled these last few days. But they hadn’t felt they could push her into telling them what concerned her.
He liked seeing her happy. He’d like it even more if they could be the ones responsible for that expression on her face.
She’d wear it every day if it was up to us.
He looked at the clock. It was nearly noon on this Friday in December. The weekend was almost here, and that was something Jack was truly sorry for. It meant two days without seeing Anna. They’d had lunch dates and spent the time getting to know her. Everything about her felt so right. He wanted, very badly, to enfold her in his arms, to snuggle her down between him and his brother.
He wanted to taste her lips and uncover that fabulous curvy body of hers, one piece of clothing at a time.
He just plain, flat-out wanted her.
Because they’d been open with Anna about the sort of relationship they wanted with her, they were taking things slow. They’d done their best to let her know they weren’t playing games. And they were giving her time to decide if she wanted to take the next steps toward having a real relationship—an intimate relationship—or not.
They weren’t either of them overly practiced with smooth moves or sexy lines. Anna was too important, in any case, for either of those gimmicks.
The phone rang and Anna answered. He couldn’t hear every word she spoke, of course, but her tone told him it was a welcome call. His gaze wandered back down to his desk, and the report he’d been reading.
He and Craig planned on getting together next Thursday with the Sanderses, and they were no closer to knowing if they were going to invest with them, or not.
Movement had him jerking his head up.
“That was the printer. Your business cards and the letterhead are ready. Do you want me to bring back lunch?”
“You don’t have to run out, Bella. Have the stationery delivered.”
Anna grinned. “I want to ensure that everything is exactly as we ordered it. If it’s not right, they can get started faster making it right if I inspect it all on their premises before I take delivery.”
“That makes sense,” Craig said. “As long as you understand you don’t have to go the extra mile, but we appreciate that you want to.”
“I know you do. I thought I’d pick us up some sandwiches and then, we could talk about Christmas when I get back. You could tell me what to expect over the time we’ll be in Lusty, so I’ll know what to pack.”
They’d told her if she wanted to come, they’d be leaving on Monday after work. He was so happy she’d decided to accompany them he nearly couldn’t speak. “You won’t be sorry.” Jack thought his heart was going to burst out of his chest. He looked over at Craig.
“Thank you,” his brother said. “Thank you, sweetheart, for trusting us.”
“I do trust you. I...well, we’ll talk when I return. But it was never my trusting you that was in doubt, in my mind.”
“You said things were complicated at home,” Craig said. “It was hell for us both, not asking for an explanation.”
“I know. I could see it in your eyes. Your not pressing me was hard for you both, and I appreciate your restraint. I wasn’t ready to talk about it. I think maybe I am, now. Or will be,” she said, “over sandwiches and coffee when I get back.”
Jack nodded. “Then, yes, please, pick something up. You know what we like.”
“Not yet. Not really. But I’m hoping to find out soon.”
The sight of the blush that decorated her cheeks not only heated his blood, it made his cock sit up and take notice. Anna didn’t have to tell them she was a virgin. He knew she was.
He waited until he heard the sound of the door closing. Then he turned and looked at his brother.
“You’d better kiss her when she comes back, because I am dying to taste her—and you’re the first.”
Craig nodded. “It was all I could do not to jump up and grab her right then and there. It’ll likely take her at least an hour, if not more, to get back here.” Then he laughed. “Good thing we’re both prone to losing track of time when we work. It’ll make that hour go faster.”
“I don’t know if I will be able to work now,” he said. Thoughts of Anna were with him day and night as it was already.
Jack had a feeling that one taste of her would never be enough—and, once tasted, he wondered if he’d ever again be able to achieve that deep-in-his-soul absorption in his work.
If he couldn’t, but had Anna as his wife, he would consider it to be the best deal he’d ever negotiated, bar none.
Becoming absorbed to pass the time didn’t seem to be in the cards, because not two minutes later, the phone rang.
“Jessops, Jack speaking.”
“Sorry to bother you, Mr. Jessop. It’s Frank, down at the security desk. There’s a woman here who insists on seeing you, but I don’t have her listed as having an appointment.”
They didn’t often get people who wanted to just come up and chat. Their business was highly successful, but also somewhat under the radar. Only certain people knew of their existence, and he and Craig liked it that way. Jack clicked the intercom button so that Craig could hear the call.
“Who is it that demands to coming up?”
“Mrs. Clara Cooper.”
Anna’s mother. He looked at Craig, who raised one eyebrow, a sure sign he was curious.
“Send her up, Frank. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome, sir.”
“I’ll go meet the elevator,” he said, then nodded toward their slightly cluttered desks. “Why don’t you...” He couldn’t explain why he felt nervous, but he did.
Craig nodded and quickly began to straighten his desk. As Jack stepped into the small corridor that led to the reception area, he saw his brother move over to Jack’s desk.
Jack’s steps didn’t beat the elevator. As he opened the outer office door, the elevator opened and a middle aged, blonde woman stepped out. She was taller than her daughter, with a figure less curvy, and a face far less open. She had a pinched look about her, and he wondered if her foundation garments were perhaps laced a bit too tightly.
There was nothing pleasant or appealing about the woman at all. Nevertheless, she was Anna’s mother. He nodded and used his best company manners. “Mrs. Cooper, I’m Jackson Jessop. This is a pleasant surprise. I’m afraid Anna has gone to lunch, but you’re most welcome to come—” That was as far as he got. The woman held up a hand, and, being a well-bred Texan gentleman, he immediately shut up.
“I know Anna’s gone. I watched her leave—after she chatted up that guard at the desk as if they were equals.” Apparently that was a bad thing, according to Clara Cooper. Then she pinned him with a stare. “I understand there are two of you for whom my daughter works.”
“Ah...yes, my brother is inside. Please come in.” Jack closed the door behind her and indicated for her to precede him. Craig got to his feet the moment the matron—there was just no other word that fit her so well—entered the inner office.
“This is my brother, Craig Jessop.”
“Delighted to meet you, Mrs. Cooper.”
“I didn’t come here to socialize, Mr. Jessop.”
“Indeed? Then perhaps you could have a seat and tell us why did come here.”
Jackson was more than happy to turn over responsibility for the conversation to his brother. Between them, Jack tended more often than not to feel shy and reluctant to converse, especially with newly met persons, or those,
like Mrs. Cooper, who seemed to have...well, attitude.
The lady sat down, and Jack wondered if he and his brother would have to defend their interest in her daughter. Not many people outside Lusty knew about, let alone accepted the concept of the alternative lifestyle many of the people lived there. His own mother had had the devil’s own time with her parents, once she married his fathers.
“It has always been my desire to see my daughter, not out in the workaday world, but making a suitable marriage, one of good social advantage. However, since she seemed determined to have a career, I still had great hope that she would meet a man of suitable background willing to overlook her many obvious physical flaws and take her to wife. To that end, I had asked Edgar to hire her into his company, and direct her toward suitable candidates.”
“Excuse me for interrupting, Mrs. Cooper. What obvious physical flaws? Anna has no obvious flaws that we can see.”
From Craig’s tone, Jackson knew he was very close to losing his temper.
“Please, sir, do not pretend you didn’t notice that the girl is fat and frumpy.” Clara Cooper waved her hand in dismissal. Jack felt his own temper begin to stir. The woman didn’t seem to notice his or Craig’s reaction. Instead, she carried on. “Aside from the fact that Anna is an heiress in her own right, it is my desire to see her mated with someone of equal or greater prospects, a respected member of elite Texan society. But you, sirs, are not even listed in the social register, and despite my husband’s assurances that your business must be thriving and legitimate—two conditions of tenancy here at this address, he assures me—I have my doubts about you—and I am rarely wrong.
“Therefore, I want you to fire Anna the moment she comes back to work after her outing. I realize this might be inconvenient for you, so I’ve decided to compensate you for your trouble.”
Jack’s temper threatened to erupt. He couldn’t believe that a mother would speak so callously of a daughter. He looked over at Craig and saw not only that reaction, but an even icier rage.
A Very Lusty New Year [The Lusty, Texas Collection] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 6
