A Change of Heart (Perfect Indiana#3)

by Barbara Longley

  She hesitated, wondering how much she wanted to share. At the same time, it would be good to get another perspective, and Paige knew everybody so much better than she did. “Ceejay warned me not to hurt Ted. It kind of came out of nowhere, and…” It still stung.

  “Oh.” Paige flashed her a sympathetic look. “There’s history there, and it involves L&L. Ted was only twenty-one when I moved to Perfect. He had a crush on me back then. He kept asking me out and trying to convince me we’d be great together. And—”

  “You fell for Ryan.”

  “Yeah, I sure did. I couldn’t help myself. It’s that whole cowboy thing he’s got going on and those tortured blue eyes of his.” Her hand splayed over her baby bump, and she sighed.

  “Tortured?” Cory frowned. “I’ve never seen him looking anything but cocky and content.”

  “He’s fine now, but he was in pretty bad shape when he got here. He’d lost someone very important to him before he enlisted, and then his best friend died before his eyes in the same bombing that took Noah’s leg. One morning I found Ryan passed out with a gun and a suicide letter on the coffee table beside him.”

  Shocked, Cory sucked in a breath. “Wow, you’d never know it to see him today. How…” She had to take another calming breath before she could continue. Knowing Ryan had been to the point of suicide, and seeing him today, sent a flare of hope burning through her. “How’d he get better?”

  “He started therapy and fell in love.” Paige’s eyes filled with a dreamy look. “If you ask me, mostly it was the falling-in-love part.”

  “Humph.” The flare of hope sputtered out. She couldn’t afford therapy, and love wasn’t going to happen for her. How could it? Even the thought of physical intimacy made her nauseous and anxious. A shudder racked through her.

  Paige raised a single perfectly shaped eyebrow. “Don’t underestimate the healing power of love, Cory.”

  “My situation is different.” Her jaw tightened, and she had to bite back against the familiar rage that always sprang up with claws extended whenever the subject of her rape came up. Her hand balled into fists where they rested on the desk.

  “No doubt, but don’t close yourself off to…” Paige glanced at her for a second before continuing. “Anyway, Ted took it pretty hard. I feel bad about the whole thing, but I never encouraged him in any way. In fact I made it very clear I had no interest in him that way.” She shrugged. “Ted is the kind of man who falls hard and fast. You’re new to L&L, and other than me you’re the only female here. Plus, you’re a knockout. I’m sure Ceejay is just being overly sensitive on his behalf, but he’s a grown man. He doesn’t need his cousin looking out for him.”

  “You’re probably right.” Concentrating on her breathing, she forced herself back into calmer territory. “Ceejay said her hormones are wacky and not to listen to her.” Still, she couldn’t shake the hurt. She’d never been the kind of person to toy with anyone’s emotions.

  “It’s true. Pregnancy hormones can be a bitch. I’d love to see Ted happily involved with someone. We all would. Anyway, he and Ryan didn’t get along back then.” Paige brightened, her face relaxing into an easy smile. “The situation caused a lot of tension between them, but that’s all in the past.”

  Is it? More of the puzzle clicked into place, and a surge of protectiveness for Ted welled up out of nowhere. “Do you and Ryan spend a lot of time with him socially?”

  “Sure. We all spend time together.” Her expression turned pensive. “For work events, anyway. Come to think of it, outside of employee get-togethers, not so much. A bunch of the younger couples in Perfect play poker once a month. Ryan and I go, and so do Ceejay and Noah. Ted never comes, even though we invite him all the time.”

  “Probably because it’s a couples’ thing.”

  “Yeah, probably.” Paige set the catalog proofs in front of her to begin copyediting.

  Cory settled back into uploading the new furniture photos to update their website. Footsteps in the hall drew her attention, and she glanced up just as Ted stopped at their door.

  He leaned against the door frame, and the warmth in his eyes aimed straight for her heart. “Good morning, ladies.” He nodded to Paige, and brought his gaze back to her. “Have you recovered from yesterday’s Lovejoy overload?”

  “I had a great time.” Heat crept up to her face, and her pulse raced. “And if you’re free Wednesday evening, I think we can declare a winner to our wager this week.”

  His eyes widened for a second, and one side of his mouth twitched up. “It just so happens, I’m free this Wednesday.”

  “Good. In that case, we’re having dinner with my mother. I told her we’d be there around six.”

  “I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

  “Just so you know, my mother is amazing. She’s not the issue. It’s where I grew up that is going to win the bet for me.” Oh, Lord, could she sound more defensive?

  “Just so you know.” He straightened off the door frame. “It never entered my mind that your mom is anything but great.”

  His tone had taken on the calm, even cadence he always used when she had one of her mini meltdowns. She didn’t know whether to feel grateful or mortified. Her cheeks flamed even hotter, and all she could do was nod.

  “Staff meeting in ten?” He turned back to Paige.

  “Yep. I just have to print out the agenda.”

  “See you in a few.” He continued on down the hall to his office.

  Cory blew out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

  Paige frowned at her. “What was that all about?”

  “Defensiveness.”

  “What on earth do you have to feel defensive about?” Paige’s eyes lit up and she let out a laugh. “Ted grew up knee-deep in hog poop.”

  “He lives on a little slice of heaven surrounded by a large, loving family. Have you ever seen a piglet? They’re so cute, you just want to pick them up and hug them.” Cory studied her computer screen. “I grew up in a shabby trailer park on the seedy side of town, the product of multigenerational poverty in a single-head-of-household family.”

  “And yet you turned out great. It’s going to be a tie, and you’re in luck.” Paige grinned. “I get the tiebreaker vote, which is totally swinging your way. You and I have got to stick together in this testosterone-laden environment.”

  “Or we could just leave it a tie and forget the whole thing.”

  “Not going to happen, kiddo.”

  “Probably not,” Cory conceded. Paige’s good humor and warmth radiated toward her, and the bunched muscles between Cory’s shoulder blades relaxed. “Do I have to go to the staff meeting, or is it mostly for employees with fancy titles?” She’d attended for the first two weeks, only because she still needed to learn the extent of her responsibilities. Most of what they discussed now had nothing to do with her, and she had better things to do with her time. More productive things, like call Brenda and set her straight on her tendency to meddle.

  “It’s optional. Mostly it’s to keep the lines of communication open between departments. Someone has to keep things coordinated and moving in the same direction, and as it turns out, I’m that someone. Project manager is another one of my many titles here. I make sure everyone gives an update and that everything continues to move in the right direction. The guys wouldn’t know who was doing what otherwise.”

  She rose from her chair and gathered the papers spitting out of the small printer they kept in their office. “It’s something we started when I came on board, and I suspect it’ll lapse while I’m on maternity leave.” She frowned. “Maybe I’ll bring that up this morning. Would you be willing to see to it that the meetings continue while I’m gone? By the time I go on leave, you’ll be comfortable with everything, and you can be the project manager for a while.”

  “Sure.” This would give her another way to contribute, and maybe by the time Paige went on her leave, Cory could push a little more for her own agenda. She wanted to be th
e one in charge of updating their systems and procedures.

  “Great. I’ll let the guys know.” Paige stopped at the door. “I’m glad you took this job, Cory. Having you here has made a huge difference for me, and it’s really nice having another woman to talk to during the day.”

  Warmth filled her, and she smiled back at Paige. “I’m glad too. Thanks.” Once Paige left, she pulled her cell phone out and hit speed dial. Brenda didn’t start her workday until eleven in the morning, and Cory wanted to settle a few things before they went on their double date. They weren’t teenagers battling the trailer trash stigma anymore.

  “Hey, Cory.” Brenda picked up on the third ring, her voice raspy with sleep. “This better be important, because I haven’t had any coffee yet.”

  “It is. What are you up to?” The other side of the line went quiet for a few seconds. “Well?”

  Brenda yawned loudly. “It’s too early in the morning for this, and my crystal ball is cracked. What is it we’re talking about again?”

  “I’m referring to this double date business with Kyle.”

  “Oh…he actually came through on that?” She sounded way too pleased with herself. “I didn’t think he would.”

  “Again. What are you up to?”

  “It’s time you got back on that proverbial horse, Cory. Plus, Kyle is so shy with me, I’m hoping having another couple along will help him relax. I’m up to killing two birds with one stone.” Another pause stretched between them. “I’m trying to help.”

  “I don’t need that kind of help.” A lie, straight out, but dammit, she needed time to get her head straight. Once she had her benefits back, she’d sign up for therapy at the VA center. Maybe in a year or two she’d be in a place where her center of gravity had returned, and she could think about dating then. Not now. “Don’t do this again, Brenda. You’ve put me in an awkward position.”

  “Who did Kyle ask to be your date?”

  “Ted Lovejoy, and it’s not a date for us. We’re doing it as a favor for Kyle, and because Ted enjoys bowling.”

  “Yeah? Is he the hottie with all that curly blond hair?” Brenda sounded plenty awake now. “The nonveteran I met the afternoon I picked you up, right?”

  Cory frowned. She didn’t like all that enthusiasm for Ted coming from her best friend. “Yes, and he’s my boss. I don’t want to mess anything up with my job, so this is a one-time deal. Got it?”

  “This is perfect. If things don’t work out between me and shy guy, I’m going for Ted.” She chuckled. “Good job, Kyle.”

  “Absolutely not!” Cory’s heart leapfrogged to her throat, and her palms itched. “Ted Lovejoy is off-limits.”

  “Why? I’m single. He’s single.” Brenda huffed. “I’m twenty-seven years old and ready to settle down and start a family. I’m tired of the singles scene. Ted is a business owner, and he seems like a really nice guy. Nice guys are hard to come by.” Another pause. “You just said you don’t want to date him, so…what’s the problem?”

  Jealousy and panic chased around inside her like a dog after its own tail. Hadn’t she sworn to tell Ted she didn’t want to spend so much time with him? What plausible reason could she give Brenda that wouldn’t reveal her own jumbled feelings? Thinking about Ted dating anyone else sent her into another kind of meltdown altogether, and she wasn’t prepared to deal with it. Damn, she was in all kinds of trouble—too scared to connect, and too desperate to let go.

  “There’s no problem, other than this job means a lot to me. I don’t want any awkwardness or hard feelings. If you date him, and it doesn’t work out, it’ll make things difficult for me and Wesley. He needs this place as much as I do.” Oh, that was lame, bringing Brenda’s brother into this. She took another long breath to steady the nerves playing bumper car in her middle. “Do me this favor, Brenda.”

  “I don’t know, Cory. You’re asking a lot. What if he’s the one? What if I date Ted and things go really well? It could happen. Don’t assume the worst.”

  No! “Maybe Kyle’s the one. Have you already written the poor guy off just because Ted is my date for bowling night?”

  “Huh. A minute ago you said it wasn’t a date. Now it is?”

  “I’ve got to get back to work. I’ll talk to you later.” Her heart racing, and her mouth as dry as a saltine cracker, Cory hit End Call on her very best friend in the world. Wonderful.

  Now that Cory had taken over shipping, Ted had more time on his hands. He’d missed the production end of things, the deep satisfaction that came from creating something of value with his own two hands. The artistry and craftsmanship part of this business was what kept him going. He wrapped up what he’d been working on and headed down the front stairs, eager to take on a new project.

  “Hey, kid,” Kyle greeted him. The rest of the production crew nodded and smiled before going back to what they were doing.

  “Hey.” Ted took the most recent order out of the wall-mounted tray. A cradle. Good, and this one was in the sleek, new contemporary style—deceptively plain, but a challenge skillwise. Just what he wanted, a project he could get lost in. He eyeballed the bins holding their lumber supply. They had just enough bird’s-eye maple to fill the order. “I thought you weren’t going to call me kid anymore.”

  “I forgot. It’s habit.” Kyle leaned closer, lowering his voice. “So…how’d it go yesterday?”

  “It went great.” Payback was a rare commodity for him, and he planned to stretch it out. He moved away, heading for the sliding trays where their patterns were stored. After placing the cradle pattern on the drawing table, he gathered the lumber, choosing his pieces carefully and oh so slowly.

  Kyle followed, fidgeting with the mallet he held in his hands. “And?”

  “And what? We ate, I took her to the barn to see the piglets, and then I drove her home. No big deal.” Ted glanced at Kyle over his shoulder. “Are you interested in what we had for supper? My mom roasted a turkey, and we had mashed potatoes, gravy, peas with pearl onions—”

  “I don’t care about what you ate.” Kyle frowned. “Did you ask her?”

  “My mom?” He raised his brow. “Ask her what?”

  “Damn, kid.” Kyle looked like his world was about to end. “Don’t tell me you forgot.”

  Ted bristled. Hadn’t he just mentioned the kid thing? “I didn’t forget anything.”

  “What’d she say?”

  Oh, it was tempting to keep him guessing, but Kyle really was an OK guy, and he had enough on his plate without Ted adding to his misery. “Cory agreed to go out for bowling and pizza.”

  Kyle’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Great. I’ll set it up.”

  “Not for this weekend. I’m tied up.” A lie, but he didn’t want Cory to feel pursued. Wednesday with her mom right after Sunday with his family was already pushing it. Come to think of it, they were doing things all backward. Usually a couple dated for a while before introducing their families. But…she didn’t know they were dating, so it was all good.

  “How about the following weekend, like Saturday night?”

  “Sure. That’ll work.” He laid the lumber out on the drawing table and began tracing the pattern. Kyle continued to hover in his space. Ted straightened, frowning at him. “Don’t you have work to do?”

  “Yeah.” Kyle shifted his weight but stayed put. “I was just wondering…” Another shift. “Did Cory say anything about Brenda? You know, like…anything that might be good for me to know?”

  “Nope. Believe it or not, you two were not our primary topic of conversation. Cory was more interested in the pigs than she was in your budding romance with her friend.” Ted chuffed out a laugh and shook his head. “Go back to work.”

  “Right.”

  Kyle stomped off, leaving Ted free to think about his own budding romance. Lord help him if Cory realized that’s how he saw what was going on between them. Stealth. He needed stealth and a light tread. So light she wouldn’t even notice the direction his steps were taking. Somehow, he’
d work his way around her defenses and gain her trust before she even realized what was happening. A stupid smile broke free. Wednesday couldn’t come fast enough.

  “Uh-oh.” Ryan stepped into the room with a new pattern in his hands. “I’ve worn that look a time or two, kid.”

  Damn. Ted’s smile disappeared. “What the hell are you talking about now? I’m just happy to spend some time in production. Sitting at a desk all day is wearing.”

  “Sure.” Ryan cocked an eyebrow and snorted. “I hear you brought L&L’s newest out to meet your folks yesterday. Must have gone well for you to wear the I-can’t-keep-the-dumb-ass-grin-off-my-face look this morning.”

  “As usual, you’re full of shit.” Every eye in the room fixed on him. So much for stealth. “Where’s Noah?”

  “He and Paige left for Evansville about a half hour ago.” Ryan slid a shelf out and laid the new pattern down with care. He slid the slip of card stock out of the metal bracket on the front of the shelf, wrote the pattern name and number on it with the Sharpie they kept on top and slipped it back into place. “Remember? They’re checking out a few retail sites today, and then he’s picking up a load of oak and maple before they head back.”

  “Oh, right.” Of course he remembered. All purchase orders went through him.

  “What’re you starting?” Ryan moved closer to peer at the pattern. “Nice. That design with bird’s-eye maple is going to be stellar. Let’s take a few pictures before we ship this one.”

  “Good idea. This will be the first project for me in the new contemporary line.” Happy that he could redirect Ryan so easily, he threw in a bit of insurance. “Great design work, by the way.”

  “Thanks.” Ryan’s eyes lit up, and he warmed to the subject. “Have you taken a look at the new bedroom suite prototype we just finished? It’s still set up on the third floor. It has the same deceptively simple lines as the contemporary children’s furniture.”

  “I saw it in production, but not all put together. I’ll be sure to take a look.” Relieved, Ted turned back to his project. Ryan circulated, sharing a few words with each of the guys before heading back to his office. Once he left, Ted let the dumb-ass grin break out again, his thoughts focused on the real project on hand—Corinna Marcel.