“Mr. Dillon?”
“Yes, I'm here.”
“Miss Murdock asked me to remind you about…a pine cone? Does that make sense?”
Jared smiled, sighed, and shook his head in disbelief. Jamie's pine cone. She'd remembered.
“Anyway, she's fine. A friend came to take her home. I've prescribed some pain pills that should help her sleep tonight. She should be much better in a couple days.”
“Thanks.” Jared held the receiver for a moment more, the dial tone buzzing in his ear.
Mrs. Miller touched his arm. “Good thing the Ranger found her on the trail.” There was a critical tone to her voice.
“I shouldn't have left her,” Jared confessed as he hung up the phone. “We had a…disagreement. She wanted to stay…but I still shouldn't have left her alone on the trail.”
Mrs. Miller clicked her tongue sympathetically. “Why don't you have a glass of my sun tea before you head down the mountain. There's really nothing you can do now. She's in good hands and it wasn't a serious injury.” She gently led him by his elbow to a chair at the table.
Jared sat and stared at the red-checked cloth, trying to force his confused emotions into order. His heart ached at the thought of Lacey falling on the trail…alone, hurt, unsure when help might arrive.
“Remember, it wasn't serious,” Mrs. Miller said, “and you shouldn't really blame yourself.”
Jared looked into his hostess' compassionate eyes. He cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully. “The truth is, we hardly know each other—we've never…gone out or anything. We were given this Dream Date and went ahead with it because of the publicity for the charity.”
“I see. Well, you certainly had me fooled.” She filled his glass with ice, followed by dark-amber liquid and put a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the table between them before she sat down.
Jared studied her face. “What do you mean?”
“There's a glow about people—people who come here. My husband thinks I'm loony, but I see it. I can tell…”
Jared nodded, encouraging her to explain.
“You two had that glow. It's that simple. I think it's there when people are supposed to be together. Now, maybe you two can just be friends, but my guess is that you feel more than that. Tell me I’m wrong,” she challenged.
Jared stared at her. How could she know?
“Ah, I'm right. I can see it in your eyes.” She smiled knowingly. “My Andy and I knew we were supposed to be together pretty much right away. Engaged within a week of meeting each other.” Her voice grew wistful.
“How did you know?”
She peered into his eyes before answering. “My advice? Trust your feelings. Your heart won't steer you wrong. If you think about these things too much, you just might talk yourself out of something precious.”
Jared tore his gaze from hers. It's my feelings that I don't trust.
“Well, I have all your things out on the porch for you, when you're ready to go. If you'll excuse me, I've got beds to change and cabins to clean.” She patted his hand in a motherly way. “You sit here as long as you want.”
Jared barely noticed the soft slamming of the screen door as Mrs. Miller left to complete her chores.
Now what? He felt lost. Unsettled. Essentially, he was the most uncomfortable with the grain of truth in Mrs. Miller's words.
She was right. He didn't want friendship. He wanted more. He wanted Lacey. The very thought aroused old fears and uncertainties, but he considered the woman's words very carefully.
Pushing his chair away from the table, Jared strode out to the porch. Lacey's suitcase sat next to his guitar case, the pine cone in a plastic grocery sack on the floor.
Look out, Lacey, here I come.
Chapter Fifteen
Jared parked his truck at the curb in front of Lacey's apartment building.
What would he say to her? Suddenly he wasn't precisely sure what he wanted to accomplish, his will to resolve the conflict between them melting away with every minute that passed. His self-confidence had dwindled to next to nothing.
With a frustrated sigh, he opened the door and grabbed Lacey's suitcase from behind the seat.
He strode up the sidewalk, practically running up the steps.
The front door opened just as he lifted his hand to knock and Kandy poked out her head. “Hey, thanks for bringing Lacey's stuff.”
As Jared handed her the suitcase, unexpected relief washed over him. He was glad Lacey wasn't alone.
“How is she?”
“Sound asleep right now—she's been pretty out of it since I picked her up at the clinic. You want to come in?” Kandy asked.
“I better get going,” he said, turning away from her and heading back down the sidewalk.
***
Kandy carried the suitcase to Lacey's room.
“Hey, sleepyhead, are you awake? Your cowboy just dropped off your stuff.”
Lacey pushed herself up on her elbows to look at Kandy. When she readjusted her injured foot on the stack of pillows at the end of her bed, a fresh jab of pain shot from her ankle to her shin. “Did he say anything?”
“He asked about you.”
“Is that all?”
Kandy shot her a suspicious look. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing.”
“Okay, what else happened at that cabin in the woods?”
Lacey groaned, her ankle throbbing.
“You hungry? Thirsty?” Kandy asked softly, her voice filled with concern.
“Some water…and another pain pill if it’s time.” Lacey's thoughts felt fuzzy, confused, her emotions raw.
“Here you go.” Kandy sat on the edge of the bed, handing Lacey a glass and a bright-colored capsule. “You feel like talking?”
Lacey swallowed the pill and lay back down, her eyes closed. She waited a few minutes for the pill to kick in. It made her feel relaxed. It made her feel like confiding.
“We talked, had too much champagne and got…friendly, that's all.”
“How friendly?” When Lacey didn't answer, Kandy continued, saying, “Something tells me that your year of celibacy ended last night, am I right?”
Lacey forced her eyes open to look at Kandy. “I feel like an idiot,” she whispered.
“Well, the way I see it, you can look at it two ways.” Kandy's voice was low and soothing. “Chalk it up to mutual attraction—two lonely adults, safe sex, a good time. Or,” she continued quietly, “you need to figure out if there's more to it than that.”
Lacey let her heavy eyelids close. But was there more? Kandy was right. She should just let it go.
“It's just,” Lacey began, “that he's too complicated. I feel like I've finally gotten over Dirk and Devyn and then life pushes me together with another single father with a daughter that I could easily care for. I can’t handle another heartbreak.”
“And…” Kandy urged.
“And it's not what I need or want right now.” The words sounded weak, even to her.
“What makes you so sure it would end in heartbreak?”
“I don't want to take the chance,” her voice trailed off before the sob in her throat could break loose. She waited a few minutes before continuing. “I've thought through things a hundred times and I know what my life is and I certainly know what I don't want.”
“You sure about that?” Kandy's voice sounded far away as the pain medication kicked in.
“He's not good for me,” Lacey whispered.
Several moments passed in silence, and Lacey's mind began to feel deliciously numb.
“Feeling better? Is the pain lessening?” Kandy asked.
Lacey nodded. Kandy was sometimes more like a wise little sister than a prized employee, and she valued her friendship. She was glad she was there, glad to be able to confide in her.
Lacey's eyelids flew up. “Don't you have to get back to the salon?” She forced herself to pay attention.
“Nope, Sue came in to sub for me. Everythin
g's fine. Hey, you got two calls yesterday.”
“From?”
“The first one was from Corporate. The said they wanted to talk to you about that regional position in Denver. I'd be mad at you except they said if you took the job, they were considering me for the management position here…because you recommended me.”
Lacey smiled as she allowed her eyes to close. “You're ready, even if you don't know it.” Denver. New place, new job. The promotion she'd been waiting for. No Jared or Jamie to break her heart. A perfect solution to the mess she was in.
“And the second call?”
“The marketing director wanted to know if you were going to make it to the annual meeting on Thursday evening.”
Lacey groaned her response. “This Thursday?”
“I told her about your foot and she said she'd understand, but she hoped you'd go. The new General Manager of the mall will be there and he wants to meet all the merchant managers.”
It was an important meeting. Lacey had heard the new manager had remodel plans to share that would affect about half of the storefronts, and she hoped hers would be included. She caught her breath painfully as she readjusted her foot.
“You want me to tell her you can’t?” Kandy asked.
“No, I'd better try to go. Go ahead and RSVP for me—I should be better by then, at least good enough to get through the business meeting. If my ankle bothers me, I'll just skip the dinner and dance part.”
“Okay, boss.”
Lacey sighed and contemplated what she could wear to the formal event that would draw the least attention to her bandaged foot. She knew she should attend the meeting. Even if she decided to take the Denver job offer, she had her salon's best interest still in mind.
This was the perfect chance to argue for the need to include the salon in the mall's remodel plans.
Having made the decision, Lacey felt herself relax. Her body felt heavier as the pain medication's effect lulled her into a safe, dreamless sleep.
“Lacey? You asleep?” She heard Kandy’s voice far, far away, followed by the sound of her bedroom door closing. Then she allowed the fog to completely surround her, like she was floating on a safe little cloud, where falling wasn’t an option and no one could find her.
***
Lacey pulled to a stop and allowed the valet attendant to help her out of her car. She forced a weak smile as she joined the crowd lined up at the entrance of the grand old Victorian hotel where the annual mall meeting was being held.
The men were in tuxes or dark suits and most of the women were in short black dresses, a few in silk formal pantsuits, with a fair number wearing sequined gowns. Her hand nervously smoothed the floor length skirt of the powder-blue gown she'd chosen—primarily because its length served to conceal her bandaged ankle. By keeping it covered, she hoped to avoid having to endlessly repeat the account of how her injury had happened. Every storytelling occurrence induced a flood of unwanted emotion.
There had been no word from Jared since the accident, and part of her was glad. It proved her suspicions that he wasn't serious and confirmed her own decision that she just needed to chalk up the weekend to experience. Two consenting adults getting together, that was all.
Glancing downward, Lacey checked the position of her bodice.
Her dress was strapless and formfitting, and she felt a little self-conscious about the amount of bare skin it exposed.
Her goal was to look sophisticated, confident, and professional. She'd had Kandy put her hair up in an elegant twisted braid, completing the look.
Lacey began to scan the crowd, noting familiar faces and running names through her mind. The marketing director caught her gaze and waved, quickly approaching, her hands fluttering excitedly.
“Oh, Lacey, you made it—I'm so thrilled. How are you feeling? Great dress, by the way—where did you find it? Now, come with me to meet Chad Watkins, our new, quite handsome and eligible General Manager. He's to die for.” Her greeting gushed out in one continuous vocalization.
Lacey didn't bother to reply to the woman, knowing any comment would fly in one ear and out the other, unnoticed. Clenching her teeth against a stab of pain, she controlled her limp as she followed behind the woman.
Deepening her smile in readiness, Lacey mentally rehearsed what she would say. She'd heard Watkins was very bright, very young, and a keen executive who'd quickly climbed the corporate ladder. He also had a reputation for being a ruthless businessman.
She needed him on her side.
“Lacey Murdock manages the Shear Delight Salon, and this is Chad Watkins, our new General Manager.”
Lacey extended her hand, shocked to find an open, friendly face before her. Watkins was not what she expected.
He was at least six feet tall, impeccably dressed in a white silk tuxedo with a collarless shirt, massive shoulders filling the coat. His skin was “just back from the topics” tanned and his tawny-gold hair pulled back in a ponytail. Brilliant blue eyes held her gaze as he grasped her hand.
“Great to meet you, Lacey, please call me Chad.”
He was drop-dead gorgeous which immediately put Lacey on edge. In the retail business, good looks frequently suggested an insufferable personality. She hoped he was different.
“I'm looking forward to showing you the salon and convincing you to include us in the remodel.” Might as well be upfront, she decided. For a long moment he studied her intently, his eyes sharp and assessing.
Finally, he released her hand and with his gaze unwavering, he said, “Martha, please see that Lacey is at my table so we can talk a little business during dinner.” His tone was a unique mixture of warmth and cool authority.
Powerful relief filled Lacey as she enjoyed the satisfaction of so quickly securing his attention. The evening might prove to be even more successful than she'd hoped.
***
The business meeting finally over, Chad joined Lacey's table, taking the empty chair beside her. From his speech, she'd learned that the future changes for the mall included a twenty- million-dollar remodel and expansion.
To everyone's surprise, Chad's concise address had been humorous, to the point, and optimistic. Recurrent cheerful applause interrupted his words as he described the modifications and improvements already planned.
As he settled himself at the table, Chad greeted each guest by name, then ceremoniously placed the dinner napkin in his lap.
“I'm afraid your entree is probably cold,” Lacey began, “but they insisted on leaving it and—”
Before she could finish her thought, Chad had raised a finger toward the catering captain. Within moments he was served a fresh entree.
A sense of the man's strength and intimidation came to her, even though he had been both gracious and pleasant about his request for a replacement meal. It was obvious the man had expectations and standards for every part of his life.
Lacey stared at him, watching his interaction with the others. How old was he? She figured him to be close to her age, early thirties, though he could even be late twenties, she realized.
With a start, Lacey also realized that Chad Watkins seemed to have every quality—appearance and otherwise—of her imagined “perfect” man, and seemed to precisely fit her list of must-haves. He was young, successful, had a good job, and best of all, he was nicely uncomplicated.
So different from Jared.
Lacey cocked her head to examine his features. Yes, he was dazzling, but why didn't her heart skip a beat when she looked at him? She shrugged off her lack of attraction and attributed it to the distraction of her throbbing ankle.
In his oration, Chad had described his own path of achievement and stability, sharing his personal and business philosophies. On the personal front, he had even declared his lifestyle did not include a wife…yet.
Chad interrupted her thoughts, saying, “I've examined the profit and loss statements for the salon since you've been the manager, Lacey—quite impressive.”
Then she watched
as he turned toward her and leaned forward, lowering his voice. “I'm already considering the salon for part of the remodel, but I wanted to meet you and learn more about the accomplished businesswoman who turned things around during the last rather difficult fiscal year.”
Lacey looked at him with amused wonder, beaming at his kind words and approval. This was no cut-throat executive—this was an intelligent, serious, self-assured man. Definitely financially secure, she thought, mentally checking off another perfect trait. And a man who appreciates the efforts of a career woman.
Nothing like Jared.
She winced at the unwanted emotion that tugged at her heart. Silently she listened to the conversation at the table as it focused on local business trends, city politics, and the turmoil of the retail industry still struggling with the aftermath of the latest economic downturn.
It was an environment where she was decidedly comfortable, Lacey thought, smiling at the ease Chad had in answering difficult questions. He was certainly focused on the bottom line, but appeared to at least be willing to consider some of the merchants' suggestions.
He was much more open-minded than most men she knew. With some effort, she pushed away another thought of Jared.
Stop comparing them.
Laughter burst from the people at the table, bringing Lacey's attention back to the present. Chad joined the others, his laugh deep, warm, and rich. He brought his napkin to his lips, then turned to Lacey, his mouth quirked with humor.
“Do you think I've won them over yet?” he asked in a low, composed voice.
Lacey nodded. He had. And easily.
He gazed at her speculatively, adding, “I won't be staying for the dancing tonight—I'm not interested in music and I'm afraid dancing is a frivolity I loathe. I'd like to finish our conversation tomorrow. Are you free for lunch?”
She watched the subtle play of emotions on his face. Was he asking if she was free for lunch…or free for lunch? Her mind clouded for just an instant, and then she shook away the fog.
Why not?
Chapter Sixteen
COWBOY FOR SALE--A Second-Chances Spicy Romance Page 15
