Secretly Yours

by Gina Wilkins

  Funny how he had once thought she was merely pretty. Had he been blind—or just too stubborn to acknowledge his reaction to her?

  He didn’t say much during the meal and he didn’t linger long afterward. She walked him to the door. “Will you buy the paint for the trim? I’ll reimburse you, of course.”

  He nodded. “I’ll pick it up tomorrow. Light cream, right?”

  “Right. Thanks again for everything, Trent. I love the way the room looks.”

  “I’ll get to those broken boards this week. The whole place should be painted by the end of this month. That will leave plenty of time for me to get to Trent’s cabinets.”

  “I’ll see you at your place Tuesday morning.”

  “Yeah. See you.” It made him feel good just to say the words.

  He was halfway home when he realized he was smiling, an image of Annie’s paint-freckled face still fresh in his mind. Then his smile faded as he realized he could be headed for another crash, if he wasn’t very careful.

  ANNIE SMILED BRIGHTLY at Trent when he opened his door to her Tuesday morning. Carrying her cleaning supplies, she passed him quickly and set her things down before turning to him. “I saw that you dropped off the paint for the trim in the spare bedroom yesterday afternoon. I didn’t have time to paint, but the color looks as though it’s going to be perfect.”

  “Good. I thought it would work. Maybe I’ll get to the trim today after I fix those boards.”

  He was already moving to the door. Annie was disappointed that he seemed in a hurry to leave. She was hoping they could perhaps have coffee together before he left. They’d had such a nice time Sunday, but now Trent was acting distant again.

  Did he regret spending those pleasant hours with her? Was he worried that she was starting to like him a bit too much? She couldn’t really blame him, since she’d quivered like a jellyfish every time he’d touched her Sunday, a reaction she hoped she’d managed to hide from him. She had convinced herself that her attraction to him didn’t mean they couldn’t be friends, which was all either of them was interested in for now. Apparently Trent still needed convincing.

  Which meant that she should probably follow his example and keep things professional between them this morning. “Is there anything in particular you need me to do today?”

  He shook his head. “Just the usual. I’ll see you around, Annie.”

  “Okay. See you, Trent.”

  But he was already gone, the door closed firmly behind him.

  Annie sighed and shook her head as she set to work. One step forward and three steps back. That seemed to be the progression of her friendship—or whatever it was—with Trent. He was definitely a difficult man to understand. She wondered why she seemed so hell-bent to try.

  She was leaving his house when she noticed a dark car parked on the opposite side of the road. She paid attention to it only because Trent’s house was on a cul-de-sac, and there was nothing beyond it in the direction the car was facing. Was someone lost? Having car trouble, perhaps? She wondered if she should ask, and had just taken a step toward it when the vehicle backed up, turned around and drove off in the direction of town. She caught only a glimpse of the driver—a man with dark hair, no one she recognized.

  Shaking her head, she climbed into her own vehicle. The planets must be in a weird alignment or something today, she thought whimsically. Perhaps that was why everyone seemed to be acting so strangely.

  ENCOURAGED BY how much better the one room already looked with a fresh coat of paint, Annie began to plan to further redecorate her home. She could already picture how much nicer and brighter everything would look when she and Trent had finished.

  Deciding she might like a boldly patterned wallpaper in the kitchen, she stopped by a popular home-decorating store, Intriguing Interiors, on her way home Thursday afternoon, having finished a couple of hours earlier than usual. She’d seen an ad in the Honoria Gazette promoting several patterns of wallpaper on a half-off clearance through the end of the month, which just might put it in her price range.

  She was browsing through the clearance racks at the back of the store when she overheard a conversation in the next aisle. She couldn’t see the speakers, nor did she recognize the voices, but she couldn’t help eavesdropping since they made no effort to lower their volume.

  “Did you hear about someone breaking into Joe Baker’s storage shed?” one woman asked the other. “They got his four-wheeler and all his fishing gear.”

  “I heard they even took the old fly rod that had once belonged to his granddaddy. Now what kind of lowlife scum does things like that?”

  Making a mental note to be more careful about locking her doors and windows from now on—and uncomfortably remembering the car that had been parked so mysteriously outside Trent’s house—Annie moved on to the next batch of wallpaper, looking for patterns and colors that appealed to her.

  The women continued their conversation. “I’m sure Chief Davenport will find whoever did it. He sure seems to take it personally when someone breaks the law around here. By the way, did you know someone bought that old house on the end of Deer Run? The old Garrett place?”

  “You’re kidding. Who would want that eyesore?”

  “I heard it was someone from out of town. Some guy who likes to buy old houses and restore them.”

  “I’m sure the Garrett place was nice in its time, but I don’t think it’s worth restoring. It will probably cost him more than it’s worth just to make it livable.”

  “Well, you never know. A good contractor can do wonders with those old historic places.”

  Annie wondered if the unknown buyer would be interested in hiring a very skilled woodworker to assist in the restoration project. Trent could…

  She brought her thoughts up short. What was she doing planning jobs for Trent? She doubted he would appreciate her sticking her nose into his business, even if her intentions were good.

  She picked up a roll of jewel-toned floral paper and tried to picture it in her kitchen. Too bright? Too busy?

  The idle discussion in the other aisle continued. “Weren’t the Garretts related to the McBrides somehow?”

  “In a way. Josiah McBride, Sr., married a Garrett. Anna Mae. They had the three boys, Josiah, Jr., Caleb and Jonas. Caleb’s the only one of the three still living, but the rest of the family certainly seem to be thriving.”

  “Speaking of which—did you hear Trent McBride’s starting to get out again? I heard he had a date last weekend with Annie Stewart, that pretty little housekeeper who works for April Penny and Martha Godwin. They had dinner at Cora’s. Burt Woodard saw them and tried to get Trent’s attention, but he said Trent wasn’t paying attention to anyone but his date.”

  Annie had frozen in her steps, her fingers clenched white-knuckled around a roll of ivy-printed wallpaper. She and Trent had teased each other about the possibility of local gossip, but she hadn’t really believed it would happen. She simply hadn’t imagined that the locals would find her interesting enough to gossip about.

  “It’s past time for Trent to start getting out again. When I remember the way he used to chase around this town, making all the girls fall in love with him, so full of spunk and mischief, it just makes me want to cry. I’m sure he and Annie make a pretty couple. She teaches piano, you know. She’s started teaching my neighbor’s little girl. I see her from my front window when she arrives and leaves, and she’s just as cute as a button.”

  “I’ve heard that Bobbie’s hoping for a match there. She’s the one who introduced Trent and Annie, you know. She’s been so worried about him ever since he was in that awful accident and had to quit the air force.”

  Annie was looking for a hole to crawl into when she was mercifully spared further humiliation by the intervention of the store’s owner, who approached the other women and asked, “Have you ladies found anything you like?”

  The talk in the other aisle turned to decorating, and Annie was able to slip unnoticed out of the store. She h
ad seen a couple of patterns she had rather liked and she planned to return for them after she’d taken the necessary measurements. Maybe she would be fortunate enough to be the only customer in the store next time.

  She couldn’t help mentally replaying the women’s conversation as she drove home. And she cringed, thinking of how Trent would have reacted if he’d been the one unlucky enough to hear them. He’d have hated it—probably even more than she did.

  Things had been going so well between them, she thought wistfully. They had become friends, and she treasured each of the few friends she had made since moving here. She would hate for things to be ruined now by careless gossip that would send Trent bolting for safety again, just when he had started to come out of his unhappy shell—at least a little.

  7

  IT DIDN’T HELP Annie’s composure to find Trent at her place when she arrived. He came around from the backyard just as she stepped out of her car. “Um, what are you doing here?” she asked, her voice breathless because her pulse was fluttering so hard in her throat.

  He looked a bit disconcerted himself. “I didn’t have anything special to do this afternoon, so I came back to finish those broken boards. It took longer than I expected.”

  “I see.” She swallowed, wishing that she hadn’t overheard the unsettling conversation in the home-decor shop. “Are you finished now?”

  “I think so. Are you through?”

  “Yes. I thought I would take it easy for the rest of the day. Someone,” she added with a weak smile, “recently took me to task for working too hard.”

  His answering smile was faint, but looked real enough. “I’m glad you were paying attention.”

  She slid her hands into the pockets of her khaki slacks, feeling the need to say something else. “Do you, um, want to come in for coffee or something?”

  He looked from her to the house, hesitating long enough to make her wonder what he was thinking. When he spoke, his question came right out of left field. “Do you like movies?”

  Her eyebrows lifted. “Yes, I like movies. Well, some movies. Why?”

  “I was thinking about driving into Carrollton, maybe catch that new Harrison Ford film. I like Harrison Ford. He started out as a cabinetmaker, you know.”

  Rather amused by his uncharacteristic awkwardness, she nodded. “Yes, I know. He’s also a wonderful actor. I usually love his films.”

  “Great. So, you want to go?”

  Was this a date? A follow-up to their dinner at Cora’s? Or—she swallowed—a gesture to please his matchmaking mother?

  He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans when she didn’t immediately answer. “It’s just…you know…something to do. A way to relax for a couple of hours. It would be good for you.”

  He made a movie outing sound like a dose of vitamins. Which probably made it easier for her to say, “Okay, sure. Why not?”

  He didn’t exactly look delighted that she had accepted. In fact, he even looked a bit dismayed. But he nodded, forced a smile and said, “Okay, let’s go. If you’re ready, that is.”

  “Just let me run into the house and grab a sweater.”

  “Sure. No rush. I’ll just wait out here.”

  “You’re welcome to come in.”

  His expression revealed little when he replied, “I think it’s better if I just wait outside.”

  She nodded. Leaving her cleaning supplies in the car, she hurried inside to freshen up and grab her sweater. Even as she prepared to rejoin Trent outside, she asked herself what on earth she was doing. If there was one thing she did not need in her life, it was to be involved a with a man who was hauling around as much, or more, emotional baggage as she was.

  TRENT COULDN’T have explained what impulse had made him ask Annie to a movie. He helped her into his truck, then snatched his hands away from her as if he’d been burned by the brief contact. He didn’t know why he’d even shown up here today—it wasn’t as if the work he’d done couldn’t have waited. “Idiot,” he muttered, walking around the truck and opening the driver’s door.

  Annie looked up from fastening her seat belt. “Did you say something?”

  “No.” He climbed into his seat and snapped his own belt into place before starting the engine. He didn’t say anything as he backed out of the driveway, but he knew he was going to have to initiate a conversation soon. They couldn’t drive to another town, watch a movie and come back home without speaking—although that didn’t sound like such a bad plan at the moment.

  Annie seemed to find the silence less appealing than he did. “I stopped by a home-decor place after I finished work today. I thought I might paper the kitchen.”

  Since that seemed like a safe enough subject, Trent went along with it. “Find anything you like?”

  “A couple of possibilities. I’ll go back when I figure out how many rolls I’ll need.”

  He remembered the way she’d launched into the painting project. “Are you planning to hang it yourself?”

  “Yes. There are directions in that how-to book I bought. It doesn’t look very hard.”

  Trent gave her a skeptical look. He’d never hung paper, himself, but he didn’t think it was as easy as Annie seemed to believe.

  As if sensing his misgivings, she added defensively, “I’m sure I can do it.”

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  “I know. But I heard it, anyway.”

  He smiled. “I’m sure you can do anything you set your mind to do,” he said, a rare attempt at tact.

  “Thank you.” She smoothed her palms over her khakis—making him reluctantly remember the way her legs had looked in the denim shorts she’d worn Sunday—and cleared her throat. “I, um, overheard some gossip while I was in the store. I was sort of trapped in a corner and couldn’t help hearing.”

  He almost groaned. “Let me guess—someone was talking about the McBrides.” It wasn’t such a great mental leap. Someone in Honoria was always talking about the McBrides.

  “Yes, I’m afraid so.”

  She sounded so nervous that he tried to put her at ease with a tone that was more casual than he felt. “Trust me, we’re used to it. Who was the subject this time? Trevor? My cousin Lucas again? They don’t say much about Emily since she married the chief of police, and my sister, Tara, and cousin Savannah don’t cause much talk these days since they live elsewhere. Or were they just talking about the McBrides in general?”

  Annie cleared her throat again. “Actually—they were talking about you. And, um, me.”

  He scowled, immediately guessing the subject. “Damn. Our dinner at Cora’s last weekend?”

  “Yes. I just thought you’d want to know.”

  He could have gotten along without knowing, actually, but he merely nodded. “The best way to handle it is to simply ignore it.”

  “That’s what I thought. It was just—well, uncomfortable. Considering everything, it’s probably a good thing we’re going out of town to see the movie, rather than at the Honoria Metroplex. Not that we have anything to hide, of course. We just don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about us.”

  “No, we don’t want that,” he said, his voice hollow. He told himself that the local rumor mill wasn’t the reason he was taking her out of town. Gossip no longer bothered him. He’d simply been in the mood for fresh scenery. And the theater in Carrollton had more comfortable seats than the one in Honoria.

  Even as he mentally listed his reasons, he knew they were garbage. He was taking her out of town exactly because he hadn’t wanted to be stared at and talked about. This was the best way he’d known of to have Annie Stewart to himself, and still be out in public where he wouldn’t be tempted to try something really stupid.

  It shouldn’t be such a big deal for a couple of friends to catch a movie together. It certainly didn’t have to mean anything or lead to anything, despite his mother’s less-than-subtle hinting. Right?

  Idiot, he told himself again, silently this time, but no less fervently.

&
nbsp; “Maybe I shouldn’t have told you about it,” Annie murmured, reading the displeasure in his silence. “I just thought you’d want to know what they were saying…”

  He shook his head. “As I’ve said, I’m used to it.”

  “What, exactly, is it about the McBrides that people find so fascinating?” she asked curiously, shifting to face him as he drove.

  Because of his limited peripheral vision, Trent didn’t risk looking away from the road, but he was aware of her eyes on him. He was also aware of how close she sat in his small-cab truck, so close it wouldn’t have taken much for him to reach out and touch her. His hand itched on the steering wheel, as if eager to do just that. He gripped the wheel more tightly.

  “Damned if I know,” he said finally, forcing himself to concentrate on the conversation. “We’ve had our share of scandals through the years, I guess, but no more than any other large family, I’d imagine. It isn’t as if we’re rich or involved in organized crime. We’re just…well, ordinary. I don’t really see what makes them enjoy talking about us so much.”

  “When did it begin? The gossip, I mean.”

  “Years ago. First there was talk that my great-grandfather was a horse thief, a tale that’s grown even taller through retelling. Then came the big feud between the McBrides and the Jennings family—that started during my grandfather’s day and I don’t know if anyone still living even knows why. My uncle, Josiah, Jr., was a mean old cuss whose first wife died from what most people suspected was emotional neglect. His second wife was believed to have run off with a married man—a Jennings, no less. That man’s son was murdered a few years later, and my cousin Lucas, Josiah’s son by his first wife, was generally blamed for Roger’s death, though there was never enough evidence to arrest him.”

  “I see.” Annie sounded a bit dazed.

  Trent wondered grimly why he was telling her all this. Maybe he felt she ought to know what she was setting herself up for if she chose to further her friendship with the McBrides. With him.

  Because he’d come too far to stop now, he went on. “Lucas left town for a while to get away from the accusations. After making a fortune in the computer industry in California, he came home a few years ago to visit his half sister, Emily. While he was here, he got involved with Roger Jennings’s sister, Rachel, and—”