The Millionaire Bachelor

by Susan Mallery

  The phone on her nightstand rang. She jumped slightly and stared at the instrument. She hadn’t heard it ring before. Yet Stone must get calls. No doubt he had several lines for business. Maybe this was the house line.

  The phone rang four more times. She ignored it and picked up the television guide Ula had brought her. Maybe there was a good movie on tonight. Or something scary. If she was worried about being attacked by aliens or vampires, maybe she wouldn’t think about food.

  She flipped through the pages but didn’t see anything that looked interesting. She’d just tossed the magazine aside when someone knocked at her door. She glanced up as the housekeeper entered the room.

  “How was dinner?” the older woman asked.

  “Great. I didn’t think I liked fish, but whatever you made was terrific.”

  Ula took the empty tray and smiled. “I’m glad you enjoyed your food. I had a good time finding the recipes. We’ll try something with chicken tomorrow.”

  It was nearly seven in the evening, yet the housekeeper looked as fresh and alert as she had first thing in the morning. Every hair was in place, and there wasn’t a wrinkle in her pale gray dress. Who was this woman? Did she live here? Cathy opened her mouth to ask, then closed it. Ula’s living arrangements weren’t her business. The older woman was just starting to warm up to her. Cathy didn’t want to risk shutting her down by asking personal questions.

  “Your phone rang a few minutes ago,” Ula said. “Were you in the rest room?”

  Cathy blinked. “This extension rang, but I didn’t think it was for me.”

  “It was. Mr. Ward wanted to check on you. I told him you probably didn’t realize the guest room had a dedicated line. If this phone rings, feel free to answer it.”

  “Stone called?” she repeated. “Did he leave the house?”

  Ula headed for the door. “Not at all. He rarely leaves. He’s in his office. I’ll let him know that it’s all right for him to call back.”

  “Please,” Cathy told her, then took a breath. “Ula, is Stone all right?”

  The housekeeper paused and looked at her. “What do you mean?” The smile had faded, no doubt because in her opinion, Cathy had overstepped her bounds.

  “He told me about the scars on his face. I mean, they’re why he doesn’t go out much and…” Her voice trailed off. What was the old saying? In for a penny? She might as well finish. “Is there anything else? Any other lasting effects? Physical ones, I mean, from the accident.”

  “Oh.” Ula shook her head. “He’s fine. There are just the scars.”

  Cathy wanted to ask how bad they were, but she couldn’t think of a way to politely phrase it and she wasn’t comfortable enough to just blurt out the question.

  “He was injured in the same car accident that killed his wife, wasn’t he?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  Okay, so Ula wasn’t going to offer information. At least she was answering questions.

  Cathy cleared her throat. She didn’t want to ask, but she had to know. “He’s kept to himself all this time. He must have loved her very much.”

  “Miss Evelyn meant the world to him,” Ula confirmed. Her expression softened, as if she were lost in pleasant memories. “They’d known each other since they were children. She was his best friend. I don’t think he’ll ever recover from losing her.” She paused. “Will you be needing anything else?”

  Cathy’s throat had closed, and she could barely speak. “Thank you, no,” she managed to answer through the pain and disappointment.

  Ula gave her another smile. This one nearly reached her dark eyes. Obviously they’d bonded over the sharing of Stone’s tragic past. “Then good night.”

  “Night, Ula.”

  The door closed, and Cathy was alone with her whirling thoughts. It was her own fault for asking, she told herself. If she hadn’t wanted to know about Stone’s relationship with his late wife, then she should have kept quiet. What had she hoped to hear? That Stone had hated his wife? That it had been a marriage of convenience and he was glad she was dead? Not likely. And if that were true, he wouldn’t be someone she would want to know. Stone was more honorable than that. But still, to learn that he’d loved Evelyn so much he hadn’t recovered from her death was not how she wanted to start her evening.

  Cathy stared at the ceiling. She wondered what it would be like to care about someone that much. To love and be loved in return. She had no frame of reference, no experience with that. She’d wanted to love someone, but men were not a part of her world. She didn’t know where one went to meet them. Even if she did, she wouldn’t go there. Aside from the fact that she couldn’t start a conversation with a strange man even if her life depended on it, she wasn’t the kind of woman who attracted men. She wasn’t pretty or especially fun. She didn’t have a sparkling personality. She was just average. Her meager life wouldn’t impress anyone.

  She forced her mind away from that train of thought. Why had she asked? She’d known better, but she’d done it anyway. Just to round off the evening, she’d missed Stone’s call. She hated that she hadn’t known to pick up, although it was a little strange to think that he’d phoned when he’d only been at the other end of the house.

  She flopped back against her pillows and shifted her gaze to the blank television screen. Now what? The evening stretched out in front of her. She refused to spend it thinking about what Ula had told her. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to be happy and feel good about herself. While there hadn’t been anything that looked interesting on TV, maybe she could flip channels until something caught her eye. A sitcom or a funny movie. Or she could—

  The phone rang again. Cathy snatched at the receiver. “Hello?”

  “Hi. How are you feeling?”

  The familiar voice sent a ribbon of pleasure all the way to her toes. She forgot about being hungry, or how much her knee hurt, or even the stiffness in her body from the armchair exercises she’d done that afternoon. She forgot about the things Ula had told her and how much she wondered about Stone’s late wife. She even forgot she was alone.

  “Better,” she breathed, knowing he would think she was talking about her injuries, while what she meant was how she felt now that she’d heard his voice.

  “I’m glad. Your physical therapy went well?”

  “Uh-huh. Pepper is nice and she knows what she’s doing. She told me my crutches weren’t adjusted correctly and she fixed them. It’s made a big difference in my being able to move around the house.”

  “She came highly recommended. I’m glad she helped. How was the rest of your day?”

  Cathy glanced around the room. She’d spent most of her time in here. What could have happened? “I heard from my boss,” she said. “Ula took a message while I was with Pepper. They’re relocating, and it’s going to be a couple of weeks until everything is up and running. He says for me to take as long as I want before I come back.”

  Eddie had been concerned when she’d called him back. He’d wanted to know if she was having any trouble with the insurance company and if she did, to talk to him. He was a nice man, although she didn’t want to have to think about returning to her old, boring job.

  “That’s one less thing you have to worry about,” Stone said. “I know it’s a relief.”

  Cathy tucked the phone under her chin. “This is very strange,” she said.

  “That we’re talking on the phone? We do it all the time.”

  “I know, but we’re in the same house.”

  “Is that an invitation?”

  His voice was low and enticing. Cathy shivered. She wanted to curl up in a little ball and shriek with excitement Okay, so it wasn’t exactly flirting, but it was close enough for her. Stone was just being a friend and a very nice man. She would be a fool to read anything else into his actions. And yet…oh, but she wanted them to mean more. Was it so very wrong to dream?

  “Would you like it to be?” she managed to ask, wondering if he could hear her shaking.

 
“Yes,” he said. “I missed our conversations while you were in the hospital. But now that you’re in my house, I don’t want you to feel obligated.”

  “I never talked with you out of obligation.” How could he even think that? His calls were the highlight of her day! Of her life!

  “Then I’ll be right there. Turn out the lights.”

  For a split second, his words created an image of intimacy that made her face flush while at the same time more shivers of anticipation rushed through her. Then she reminded herself about the scars and that he didn’t want her to see him. It wasn’t anything more.

  “I will,” she said, and hung up the phone.

  For a second she wished she could run to the bathroom and brush her hair or apply a little makeup. But even with her improved balance on the crutches, she would never make it there and back in time. Besides, she didn’t have any makeup and it was going to be dark, so what did her appearance matter? But a girl could wish, she thought. So along with makeup and freshly brushed hair, she would wish herself thin and pretty.

  She laughed, then clicked off the light. The room was silent enough that she could hear, as well as feel, the pounding of her heart.

  There was a single knock, then Stone entered. “Hi,” he said. “Do you always let strange men just walk into your bedroom?”

  “You’re the first.”

  “I’ll try not to abuse the privilege.”

  She fought against the urge to tell him to abuse away.

  “I come bearing gifts,” he said, and she saw him move toward the bed. Something settled next to her.

  “What?” she asked as he walked toward the sofa across the room. Her fingers brushed against a smooth, flat surface. “Books. Which ones?”

  “The two we couldn’t agree on.”

  She grinned. “We did agree. You said you would read the biography.”

  “Nerds on parade,” he said. “I remember. I bought it and the spy thriller I wanted. I thought we could read them both.”

  “I’ll quiz you on the biography,” she told him. “Don’t think you’re going to get away with just looking at the dust jacket.”

  He sighed heavily. “I figured as much. I’ll read it.” His long-suffering tone made her smile.

  They continued talking about the two new books, then conversation turned to previous books they’d read together. Cathy found herself watching the way he used his hands to occasionally make a point. She couldn’t see much of him, but she caught the broad gestures in the shadowy darkness.

  Theirs was an unusual intimacy, she thought, liking how they were in the same room. Even though she couldn’t see him, she was still close. He’d called her. He’d acted as if he wanted to come to see her. She hugged the knowledge close, and it comforted her.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked when they’d both been silent for a time.

  “That talking in the dark is very strange, but I like it.”

  “I do, too. I don’t have many friends, so having you in my house is a real treat.”

  “You are so incredibly gracious,” she said.

  “I’m being honest.”

  “Maybe.”

  “No maybes. I am. I want you here, Cathy. I want to make sure you get better, and the best way for me to do that is to be in charge.”

  “So you really want to be the ruler of the Western world?” she teased.

  “Something like that.”

  She laughed. She didn’t know why she’d gotten so lucky with him, why he liked her or was so concerned. All she knew was that he was. She wasn’t going to question her good fortune anymore—she was just going to enjoy it.

  “Tell me about your physical-therapy session,” he said. “What did you do?”

  As she explained about the exercises and what Pepper had told her about the surgery needing time to heal, she found herself wishing that he were sitting closer. At first the sofa hadn’t seemed that far away, but now she felt as if there were an ocean between them. She wanted him to touch her, to kiss her as he had the previous night.

  More foolish dreams, she thought, but she wasn’t going to let these go. Not yet, anyway. As long as she was here, she could dream.

  He mentioned a couple of businesses he was thinking of investing in. They discussed his work, then the weather. Finally Stone rose to his feet.

  “It’s getting late, and you need your rest. I’ll see you tomorrow evening, if that’s all right.”

  “It’s perfect,” she said, and held her breath.

  But unlike last night, this time he merely crossed to the door and let himself out into the hall. Cathy watched him go, then fell back onto the pillows. She clutched the books to her chest, but they were a poor substitute for the fantasy that was Stone Ward.

  Chapter Six

  Stone stood at the window of his office, watching as he had every day for the past two weeks. Cathy’s improvement was remarkable. She was now able to get around without using her crutches, although she needed a cane going up and down the stairs.

  The physical therapist—Stone could never remember her name—led Cathy through several exercises. Cathy bent and turned as instructed. She still wore her shapeless gray sweats and an oversize T-shirt when she worked out. Stone wasn’t sure, but he thought the garments might be a little more baggy than they’d been when she’d first started. For the past couple of nights, he’d thought her face might be a little thinner, but in the twilight that was their world when he visited her, it was hard to tell.

  Ula had mentioned that his houseguest preferred her to prepare low-fat meals. Was Cathy trying to lose weight? He thought about the vague outline of her shape he’d seen when he’d visited her in the hospital. She’d been a little heavier than she’d described herself, but he hadn’t really noticed anything specific. He knew that women tended to worry about their weight more than men did. He leaned against the window frame. If being in his house gave Cathy an opportunity to achieve a personal goal, then he was pleased. He wanted to help in any way he could.

  Cathy climbed down from the table. Her therapist said something, and Cathy leaned back her head and laughed. The sound drifted up to him, and he found his mouth curving up in response. He liked her laughter. The expression of happiness added a little life to his otherwise dead world. She reminded him that he was still alive.

  There was danger in that, he acknowledged. Danger in wanting too much. The pleasures of ordinary mortals had no appeal for him. He had yet to pay for his sins, and until he did, he would not be spending any time in the light—literally or figuratively. He deserved the darkness. Not only did it allow him to hide, but it also forced him to remember what he’d done.

  Evelyn. Everything came back to Evelyn. At first he’d thought he would be able to let it all go and move on. Now he knew better. This was his world—the solitary darkness. For a brief period of time, Cathy would be here to show him what it was like in the light. When she was healed, she would leave him and he would return to the gray silence where he belonged. He didn’t have to wait until after death for his punishment. He had his own private hell on earth.

  “Cathy is doing much better.”

  Stone turned and found his housekeeper standing in his office. She was one of the few people who had ever seen his scars. At first he’d been self-conscious about her being around him, but Ula was nothing if not unflappable. As usual, she was dressed in a perfectly pressed gray dress with a white apron. He’d told her many times he didn’t care if she wore a uniform or not. She always thanked him, then continued to wear the same thing. After nearly ten years, he knew better than to try to change her mind.

  He glanced back out the window, watching Cathy as she sat on the bench and raised and lowered her foot while keeping her thighs still. “Yes, she has really improved. In another couple of months, she’ll be back to normal.” And then she would probably want to leave, but he didn’t want to think about that right now.

  Ula walked over to his desk and set down several flat envelopes. “The o
vernight packages are here.”

  “Thanks.”

  Usually she gave him the mail, then left, but this morning she lingered. He stepped away from the window and moved to his desk. “Is there a problem?”

  “Not at all.” Her dark eyes were unreadable, as was her expression. “I wondered if you would like to go over next month’s menus.”

  He grimaced. “Only if the alternative is a root canal. You know I don’t care about that. Fix what you like.”

  He prepared himself for the familiar battle. Ula didn’t think he ate enough. Sometimes she was right. He’d lost weight recently, the result of his absent appetite. But food held no interest. His world had been reduced to his work and his calls to Cathy.

  Still Ula didn’t leave. He settled into his chair and gave her his full attention. “What’s on your mind?” he asked, and motioned for her to take a seat. She ignored the invitation.

  “Your guest,” she said. She was tiny, not even five feet, yet she didn’t look the least bit intimidated by him. She never had. That’s probably why he’d kept her around. “Cathy has been here for two weeks. She’s well on the road to mending, and I thought she might be getting a little tired of being locked in the house all the time. Perhaps she would like to get out and go shopping, or check on her house.”

  Stone had picked up one of the packages, intent on checking his mail. Now he let it drop to his desk as he grimaced. “You’re right,” he said flatly. “I should have thought of that. She probably thinks she’s a prisoner here.”

  “You don’t leave very often yourself,” she said as she settled onto the edge of the chair opposite the desk. “Why would you think others would be any different?”

  “That’s not even subtle, Ula.”

  “I wasn’t trying to be.” She smiled faintly.

  “Okay, I’ll talk to Cathy tonight when I go see her. She can have the car and go anywhere she likes.”

  “I suspect what she would like is some company.”

  “You mean friends?” He thought about that. To the best of his knowledge, she didn’t have any. From what he’d learned, her life was very solitary. “She’s welcome to invite over anyone she likes.”