It had been a shocking self-revelation, and she’d torn herself from his arms, angry with her yearning body and even more upset that her heart ached at least as much.
Too agitated to sit down and watch the television, she decided to take a run. She hadn’t exercised today, other than swimming, so it would do her good. But as she established a steady pace, watching the rutted lane carefully for spots that might twist an ankle, her thoughts went right back to the evening before.
The time they’d shared on the lake had been lovely. Garrett had been friendlier and more open than ever. In fact, he’d been getting gradually more approachable all week. When he’d brought up Robin, she’d thought there might be an opportunity to tell him about her relationship, but he’d seemed to need to talk and she hadn’t wanted to distract him…and she hadn’t been able to bring herself to ruin the evening. She was a coward. It was as simple as that. If she’d confessed, she would have spoiled the perfect evening they’d been sharing, and lost the chance to learn more about Garrett.
And he’d never have kissed her.
Oh, that kiss. Thinking about it made her toes curl inside her sneakers.
Earlier, when he’d paused to talk and invited her to go out on the lake with him, he’d pushed her hair back and his hand had grazed her shoulder. He’d brushed his finger lightly but quite deliberately over her skin for a moment, and she’d had to catch herself before she reached up and laid her hand over his to hold the contact. Then he’d taken his hand away and she’d been sure he was sorry for letting himself touch her like that.
She’d been even more aware of him than ever out on the lake. She’d tried not to stare at the ripple of muscle in his bare arms as he rowed, tried not to notice the way the last rays of the sun had picked copper highlights out of his dark brown hair and turned them to fire, tried to keep her gaze from returning to the fascinating flex of his strong thighs as he braced for each stroke. She’d tried.
What a moment that had been on the dock, when she’d straightened up after wringing out her hair and caught him…wanting her. That was the only way to describe the look on his face as his gaze had traced a path down over her body, pausing at her breasts. She had figured she probably looked like a candidate for a wet T-shirt contest and from the expression on his face, she’d been right. His naked need had shot out and enveloped her, making it impossible to move, to protest, to do anything but wait breathlessly as he pulled her into his arms.
And then he’d kissed her. She’d wanted it to last forever. Contrary to what she’d said, it hadn’t felt like a mistake. It had felt like Heaven. It had felt right.
So why had she stopped him?
Because, she thought miserably, she hadn’t been honest with him. And she knew him well enough to know that when she explained who she really was, there were going to be fireworks between them. And they wouldn’t be the kind she’d welcome.
“Hello, dear!”
She shook her head as she waved at Mrs. Davenport, who was seated on her front porch. The older woman had a bowl in her lap and another on the floor, either shelling peas or snapping beans. Without even realizing what she was doing Ana had run all the way to the end of the lane. “Hello, Mrs. D,” she called, slowing to a walk. “How are you this evening?
The caretaker’s wife nodded. “Good,” she said with the spare economy of a native of Maine. “You?”
Ana nodded. “I’m good. How could I be otherwise, up here in this lovely spot?”
“And with a handsome man like Mr. Garrett,” the older woman said, a sly twinkle in her eye.
She hoped Mrs. Davenport wasn’t a mind reader, Ana thought. The last thing she needed was for anyone to know how she was growing to feel about Garrett. “Having a handsome man around is always a bonus,” she said lightly.
To her surprise, the woman’s smile faded. “Don’t you hurt that boy,” she said. “That Kammy girl was bad enough.”
“Kammy?” echoed Ana. “Do you mean the other woman Garrett brought up here? Because he and I aren’t—”
But her words were lost on Mrs. Davenport. “Sneaky one, she was,” the old lady muttered. She rocked faster, as if the chair were as agitated as she was. “Running around behind his back, all the while planning to marry him. I saw her meet her fella at the end of the lane. Kissing and carrying on something awful.” She shook her head and repeated, “Sneaky one.”
Running around behind his back…? Ana’s sensitive heart shrank with pain. “But why…what kind of woman wouldn’t want Garrett?” She stopped, conscious of the impropriety of discussing him with his employee, yet too shocked to hide her reaction.
Mrs. Davenport positively glowered, her normally pleasant countenance drawn into a fierce scowl. “After his money, she was. That’s the story I heard from Mr. Robin.” The rocking chair slowed its pace a fraction. “Burned him bad. You’re the only one he’s brought here since.” She shook a finger at Ana. “So don’t you hurt him now.”
“No, ma’am.” Desperate for a change of subject, Ana pointed at the bowl, which she could see was full of peas. “You got a good crop this year.”
“It’s been a good summer.” Mrs. Davenport smiled, apparently dismissing the topic now that she’d said her piece.
After a few more moments of conversation, Ana said, “Well, I’d better get back.”
Mrs. Davenport nodded. “I’m going in soon. The skeeters’ll make a meal of you if you don’t.” She shot an odd, challenging glance at Ana. “Your mama always said those skeeters were big enough to carry her away.”
“My…mother?” Ana felt like she’d been dumped into the lake. Icy fingers of shock dribbled down her spine. “You knew my mother?”
“I did.” The elder woman’s eyes assessed Ana’s face. “Knew you were hers the minute I laid eyes on you.”
“How…?” She stopped. The “how” was obvious. Robin had brought her mother here. “Robin brought my mother here,” she said quietly.
Mrs. Davenport nodded. “The first time they came, ’tweren’t nothin’ but woods back there. They hiked back and looked around, and when they came out, Mr. Underwood bought it from us on the spot. Got the whole place built by the end of the summer, and the next summer, they spent the whole season up here. He had to go back down south a few times on business and she stayed here, but other than that, they hardly left.” She smiled. “Never saw a couple so happy.” Her smile faded. “But the next year, he came alone. I thought they’d get married, but she left him. Haven’t ever seen her since.”
Apparently the Davenports didn’t know Robin already had been married when he’d brought Janette Birch to Maine. They’d adored him; telling them now would serve no purpose, so she merely said, “My mother’s gone.”
Mrs. Davenport’s eyebrows rose. “I’m sorry for your loss.” She hesitated, then set her peas aside and rose from the chair slowly. “Let me get a bag and you can take some of these peas along. We’ll never eat ’em all.”
Ana left to run back the lane a few moments later, a bag of green peas bouncing along in her hand. A peace offering of sorts, she imagined. And with every step, the shock of the caretaker’s words vibrated through her anew.
Robin and her mother had come here together. Picked out the land and built the house. Together. And according to Mrs. Davenport, had spent the whole of the following summer here.
A fresh frisson shivered through her as the implications of that revelation struck her fully. She’d been born in early April…and very probably conceived right here in Eden Cottage the summer before.
Back at the house, she decided to wait until she had cooled down from the run before she showered. As she stowed the peas in the refrigerator, she bumped a container of lentil soup. It teetered on the edge of the shelf, then crashed to the floor, spilling soup across the kitchen. Muttering, she filled a bucket and began to scrub the kitchen floor. She was really going to need that shower, she thought ruefully. It was just as well Garrett wasn’t home.
Garrett. She sat bac
k on her heels, the scrub brush motionless in her hand. She still found it hard to believe that any woman could prefer another man to him. Garrett was everything a woman could possibly want. Handsome, unquestionably. If she’d ever met a more attractive man, she couldn’t remember when. Wealthy, yes, but in her book, wealth was definitely optional. Far more important, he had a sense of humor. He was intelligent and enjoyed a good argument. He definitely wasn’t a man who thought women were a lesser species. And he was kind. A weird thing for her to think, given the way he’d treated her earlier in their…relationship. But though he didn’t know it, she’d seen him with Roadkill, patiently talking to the skittish cat, slipping her treats, trying to win her affection.
Then that pesky R word surfaced again. Relationship. She and Garrett were not in a relationship, she reminded herself. Except one born of necessity and of the family connection about which he didn’t even know yet.
Her heart sank, and she picked up the brush and dipped it in her bucket, then slopped a patch of soapy water over the floor and redoubled her scrubbing. She had to tell him about her father. Tomorrow. She would definitely tell him tomorrow, though she dreaded the thought. No man liked to look foolish, and she was very much afraid that’s how Garrett would feel when he learned the truth. He might even think she’d kept it from him deliberately, that she’d been laughing at him for the past three weeks.
She hoped not. If nothing else, she hoped they could salvage the friendship from their relationship once he got over his anger. There was no one else who had known Robin like he did, and her lonely heart craved those shared memories almost as much as it did the other things Garrett could make her feel.
“Hello.”
She bobbled her brush as someone behind her spoke. She wasn’t sure whether it was fright or delight for a second, but the feeling of utter pleasure that hearing his voice provoked washed through her. She relaxed and her heart began to beat heavily, her reaction to him beyond her control. Garrett was back. And she knew what she had to do. She had to tell him. Right now, tonight.
She sat back on her heels, turning with a smile on her face. It froze in place when she realized he wasn’t alone.
“Hello,” she said uncertainly, looking from Garrett to the woman beside him.
The newcomer was blond. Very blond, and though it would have been nice to know it was a dye job, Ana suspected the color was real. It certainly highlighted her pale, porcelain skin and wide blue eyes well.
“Ana, this is Eileen.” Garrett performed a perfunctory introduction. His gaze met hers and her heart contracted at the aloof expression on his face. As if he didn’t care one bit what she thought.
And then she realized that he didn’t. Why should he? She was the only one who was letting her heart get mixed into this mess Robin had forced on them. Unable to bear the distance between them, she transferred her gaze to his date.
“Welcome to Eden Cottage.” Ana forced herself to smile at the other woman, though she could feel her cheeks burning.
“Thank you.” The blonde’s voice was clear and sweet.
Steadfastly, Ana kept her eyes on the other woman, refusing to look at Garrett again. The hurt rushing up inside her made her voice tight as she said, “I’m just finishing up here. I’ll be out of your way in a minute.”
“No rush,” Garrett said. “We’re going out on the deck.” He took a bottle of wine from the counter, slipped a corkscrew into his pocket and pulled two fluted goblets from the cupboard.
He ushered his little blond beauty out of the room and she heard them pulling open the sliding glass door and stepping onto the deck.
Ana stood and carried the bucket to the sink to be emptied, then quickly mopped the floor with clean water. He was so obvious. Just like a man. Couldn’t he have simply left things alone? After all, she was the one who had called a halt last night and pronounced their kiss a mistake. So why had he felt compelled to rub her nose in another woman’s presence the very next evening? Did he think she was stupid? If he wanted to be sure they never got caught up in a moment like that again, all he had to do was say so.
A burning knot rose in her throat, and her chest felt as if it were being squeezed in a vise. She would not cry over him. She placed both hands on the edge of the sink and dropped her head, trying to control the feelings that wanted to burst out of her.
Oh, God, how had she come to this in three short weeks? The truth was, she didn’t dislike or despise Garrett anymore.
She loved him.
Six
“I’ll be back in a minute,” Garrett said to his date.
“I’ll be waiting,” Eileen said coyly. She tossed him a smoldering look from her blue eyes and Garrett realized belatedly he was supposed to respond. But all he could manage to do was send her an abstracted smile as he stepped back into the house.
She hadn’t been bad company. In fact, they’d had a very pleasant evening. He’d taken her to a restaurant high on a cliff overlooking Penobscot Bay and they’d enjoyed a bottle of local wine while they’d chatted. He’d found her as likable and pretty as he remembered. She also was a mathematics whiz, and she knew far more about the stock market than anyone would ever suspect. Still, he hadn’t been attracted to her in any but the most generic way. When he’d invited her back to the cottage, he’d done so with the express purpose of letting Ana see that he had other fish on the line, that he didn’t need her. Didn’t want her.
But the moment he’d walked into the kitchen earlier, he’d known he’d made a mistake. One of monumental, only-a-man-would-do-something-so-dumb import.
Ana had been wearing a brief pair of yellow jogging shorts that showed her magnificent legs to advantage, and she must have gone running because she was still wearing her sneakers. The T-shirt she wore was liberally splashed with the water she was using to scrub the floor.
God. The last thing he needed was to be confronted with the sight of Ana in a wet T-shirt again.
Her hair had been carelessly twisted atop her head and stray curls fell down to wave around her face. She was working at a hot, messy job and her fine skin glowed with exertion. She should have looked like hell. Instead she looked as desirable as any woman in a sleek cocktail dress ever had looked to him.
She hadn’t heard them come in, and for the barest moment before she’d registered Eileen’s presence, there had been something warm and welcoming in the private smile she’d begun to send him. Possibly even something intimate. He hadn’t imagined it, of that he was absolutely positive.
But then she’d seen his date. The smile froze, then disappeared. The expressions that rushed across her mobile features—shock, humiliation, and worst of all, unmistakable hurt—had been easy for him to read. The shock he’d expected. The humiliation he hadn’t intended, but any woman caught scrubbing a floor when guests arrived would have felt the same. The hurt…how could he have known? he asked himself rather desperately. She’d made a point of rejecting him last night. She hadn’t even stuck around to discuss what had happened, had simply dismissed it out of hand as a mistake, which had stuck in his side like a burr beneath a saddle. And so he’d decided to get a date, had taken a petty, juvenile action just because he wanted to show her that her words hadn’t bothered him. A mistake, she’d said.
But the moment he’d seen her face tonight he knew she’d lied. For whatever reason, Ana hadn’t wanted him to know how that kiss had affected her.
If it affected her anything like it affected me, we’re in big trouble. If he had any sense, the last thing he’d be doing was going back inside to confront Ana. If he had any sense, he’d pretend he hadn’t seen the raw emotion that had slipped out beneath her facade a few moments ago. If he had any sense, he’d lock himself in his room for the next few days and get the hell out of here on the thirty-second day without looking back.
But as he walked across the living room to the kitchen doorway, he knew he didn’t have a single grain of common sense where Ana was concerned.
And then he saw her.
She stood in front of the sink, head down, with her elbows locked and her hands gripping the counter, as if she needed the support of her arms to hold her upright. There was defeat in her slumped posture, the way her weight rested on one leg. Even her curls seemed to have lost their spring.
“Ana,” he said softly.
Her head jerked up and she whipped away, putting her back to him. But the one wild-eyed glance she’d shot in his direction had shown him clearly the tears brimming in her beautiful sea-green eyes. “Go away.” Her voice was muffled; she hugged herself tightly with crossed arms.
“We have to talk,” he said, as quietly as before. The urge to cross the room and take her in his arms was nearly irresistible but he forced himself to wait, sensing that she’d reject comfort—or anything else—right now. “Let me take Eileen home and then—”
“No,” she said sharply. “I do not want to talk to you.” Her voice was thick with distress and her back was rigid as she moved down the short hallway to the door. Before he could figure out what to say, how to handle this whole awful situation, she’d slipped through the door into the night beyond.
The snicking sound of the screen door latching galvanized him into action. Striding down the hall, he stepped out onto the porch, expecting that she’d be huddling there in the dark. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, an especially long one because there was just the barest sliver of a new moon in the sky, but when they did, he realized the porch was empty.
Then he heard her footsteps on the path that led to their little beach. “Ana? Ana, wait.”
The footsteps didn’t slow. If anything, her pace increased. Garrett started to move as fast as he dared down the pebbled path, instinctively knowing what she intended. “Ana!” he shouted. “Don’t go out on the lake. It’s not safe.”
Her footsteps thudding across the dock were the only answer he got, and he cursed vividly as he skidded on pine needles and nearly missed one of the rough rocks that served as steps. By the time he burst onto the dock, she was nothing but a dim blur moving rapidly away from the shore. Dammit! She knew he hated her going out alone. Now she was alone, on the lake, in the dark. His worst nightmare.
Billionaire Bachelors: Garrett Page 9
