Like a Charm

by Candace Havens

  “Did you recognize the voice?” Caleb stood up.

  “No.”

  “Get me your phone. Where’s the letter?” He was picking up his own cell.

  “I left it in Atlanta.”

  “Can you call and have one of your friends send it here? I’ll give you the address in a minute.”

  I handed him my cell. “It’s a blocked number.”

  “I see that, but I have friends who can trace most anything.”

  He punched a button on his phone. “Dave? It’s Caleb.” He grunted. “Yeah, man. I’m here for the weekend. Listen, I was wondering if you could run a trace for me.” He gave the other person my cell phone number.

  “Yep, in the last hour.” He waited a few minutes. “Okay, great.” The person on the other end of the line said something. “Yep. Tell Bill I’m having a letter sent to him. I need him to check it out and I’ll call Tuesday and explain everything. Great, thanks.” He hung up.

  “The call came from a pay phone in Atlanta. Whoever it was used coins to make the call, so we can’t trace a credit card. Dave is checking to see if there are any cameras in the area.” He sat next to me on the sofa. “Can you think of any reason anyone would want to threaten you?”

  “No.” I racked my brain. “I can’t. I’m a corporate lawyer. Maybe it has to do with one of the business deals we’ve made, but most people don’t even know I’m involved.” I paused and stared out the window.

  “I was also involved with a sexual harassment case with a coworker, on her side of course. Things didn’t go her way and justice was not done. She took her life, but I didn’t have anything to do with what happened to her.” At least I didn’t think I did. I still couldn’t remember what had happened on the roof. There were police reports, but I hadn’t seen any of them yet.

  “Kira, I’m sorry. That bastard should hang.” I loved Caleb for believing in me. “And I didn’t know your friend, but I know you, and if she took her life I know it had nothing to do with you.”

  I kissed his cheek. “Thank you. It doesn’t keep me from feeling guilty. I’m telling you, I think whoever it is has the wrong person. Besides, if he’s in Atlanta, I’m fine. Right?”

  Caleb scooped me into his lap. “Yes. But I’m still not letting you out of my sight.”

  I wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about the letter?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know. I really do think he has the wrong person.”

  “Is that one of the reasons you were considering the job offer in New York?”

  I hadn’t talked to him about that. “How do you know?”

  “Sam and I were talking before you and I went out that first time. He mentioned that you’d had some offers.”

  “Oh.” Sam had a big mouth. “No. Not really. I wanted out of Atlanta because I felt like it was time to move on. I have to tell you I was a little worried at first about the letter, but I forgot about it when I arrived in Sweet. So much has happened the last few weeks, I hadn’t even thought about it.”

  He sighed and leaned his head into mine. “Well, call and have someone send it.”

  I let out a deep breath. “Okay.”

  A few hours later we were dressed and seated at the very elegant and beautiful restaurant at the Mansion on Turtle Creek. The first course of pumpkin soup was delicious.

  We talked about the Sweet Christmas pageant at the Methodist church and how Caleb had narrowly escaped having to be one of the wise men. Our salads arrived just as a beautiful woman walked up to the table.

  She was dressed in a black suit, and her ample breasts were spilling out the top. “Caleb, love. I didn’t know you were back in town.” Her auburn hair was in an upsweep, and her dangerous red nails touched Caleb’s shoulder. When she leaned down to kiss him, I wanted to rip her to pieces.

  “Megan,” he ground out. “Where’s your man du jour?”

  She winked. “Men’s room. I saw you and had to come say hi.”

  Caleb looked uncomfortable and I knew this was one of the women from his past—and from the sound of things, a recent past.

  I lost my appetite.

  “Megan, this is my girlfriend, Kira.”

  For the first time she glanced my way. “So you’re his eye candy of the week.” She gave me a look that would freeze any heart.

  Then it dawned on me that Caleb had introduced me as his girlfriend and had put a special emphasis on the word. My heart warmed in a big way.

  I stuck out my hand so that she had to shake it. “You must be an old friend of Caleb’s. It’s nice to meet you.” I smiled sweetly.

  Caleb snorted.

  A tall man walked up behind her. He had to be seven feet something.

  “Oh, Dirk. You’re here.” She wiggled her fingers at us. “Ta ta.”

  I laughed as she walked away. “Do people really say ta ta anymore?”

  Caleb chuckled. “She does. I’m sorry about that. She’s a total bitch. Unfortunately, I’ve dated my fair share of women like that.” He shook his head. “Present company excluded, of course.

  “I think that’s one of the things I love about you. You’re the complete opposite of that kind of woman. You’re beautiful and chic, but without the bitchy parts.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “You haven’t seen me when it comes to business. The office had deemed me the Ice Princess of the boardroom.”

  He grabbed my hand across the table. “I have a hard time believing that.”

  It was very true. “Caleb, there are parts of my life you really don’t know. I—I’m different with you. I’ve been a different person since I left Atlanta. I’m thinking that’s not such a bad thing.” I smiled.

  He kissed my fingers.

  The waiter arrived with our food, and we enjoyed our meal of baby turbot, Pacific halibut, and filet mignon.

  When we left I wasn’t certain I’d be able to walk to the valet stand. This time the valet brought around the silver Mercedes I’d admired the day before in the garage. Turned out it belonged to Caleb and that’s what he wanted to bring tonight.

  Back at his condo, we undressed quickly and I scrubbed the makeup off my face.

  We were kissing when the phone rang. It was a little after midnight. He ignored it. Then it rang again.

  “Hold that thought.” He put a finger to my lips. “Yeah,” he answered. Silent for a full minute, he grabbed a pad and pencil from the side table drawer. “Monday? Crap. Why didn’t you call me earlier?” He was quiet again. “Fine, whatever. Get me on the first flight out. Oh, okay.” He looked at the bedside alarm clock. “I’ll be there. No, I’ve got it. Fax the rest of the info to the hotel. Yeah, same one.” He hung up.

  Sighing, he turned to me. “I’m sorry. I’ve got to go to Tokyo. Tonight.”

  I sat up. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah. It’s just a follow-up to the story I was telling you about.”

  “The arms dealers?”

  “Yeah, turns out their funding is coming from an unusual source and there’s a merger about to happen…That’s about all I can tell you right now.”

  “It’s all right. Is there anything I can do?”

  He frowned. “You’re going to have to get yourself home.”

  “I can have my parents come get me. It’s not a problem, don’t worry about it.”

  He kissed me hard. “Nope. I want you to take the Mercedes. I’ll move your packages over from the truck and you can leave in the morning after you get a good night’s rest.”

  I remembered that I had to be back for the nursing home gig. “I can take the truck.”

  “Nah. You’ll be more comfortable in the silver bullet. I’ll bring the truck down when I get back.” He pulled me to him and kissed me for several minutes. “I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave you alone.”

  I smiled. “I’ll be fine, really.”

  He jumped out of the bed. “I almost forgot.” He ran into the living room and I enjoyed the view. His
body was strong, that of a runner’s. Long legs with solid thighs and a tight butt, and the front of him with those abs was equally appealing.

  Holding something behind his back, he sat back on the bed. “I want you to know how much I love you, Kira. And I know you’re gun-shy about that word, but I love you and nothing is going to change that.”

  His lovely face was so earnest I couldn’t help but believe the words. I loved him too. Saying it out loud was another story.

  I leaned in and kissed him, my lips soft against his, hoping he could feel the emotion even though I couldn’t say it.

  He deepened the kiss and then pulled back suddenly. “Woman, you make me forget everything. Here.” He held out a blue box with a red ribbon. It was long, beautiful, and from Tiffany. At Christmas they replace their trademark white ribbons with the rich red.

  “Caleb?”

  “Open it.”

  “Whatever it is, it’s too much. You don’t have to buy me presents.” I looked from the box to him.

  He smiled. “I know, baby, but I wanted to do this.” Shoving the box in my hand, he tapped it. “Hurry. I now know that every woman in the world loves something in a Tiffany blue box. So I can’t lose.”

  I picked at the ribbon, and then slid it off. Lifting the lid I saw a platinum heart charm bracelet. A tiny gasp escaped. “Caleb, it is too much. It’s beautiful.” I held it up as brilliant diamonds glittered on the hearts in the light.

  “It’s…gorgeous.” My eyes watered and I sniffled. I bit my lip to keep from crying.

  “So you like it?” He was like an excited schoolboy.

  “I love it.”

  He took it from me and put it on my wrist. “Every time you look at this I want you to remember how much I love you.”

  The tears spilled over.

  “Oh, baby, please don’t cry.” He held my face in his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away the tears. “I want you to be happy.”

  “I am,” I said on a sniffle. “It’s the most beautiful thing anyone has ever given me.”

  Smiling, he kissed me again. This one was slow and passionate.

  “What time is your flight?”

  “Three hours,” he said against my lips.

  My mind did quick calculations. If we hurried, he’d have just enough time to make it.

  Feeling bold, I pushed him back on the bed. “I have a present for you too.” I kissed his neck and nibbled at his ear. “A little something for you to take to Japan with you.” I slid down his body.

  Chapter 26

  I can resist everything except temptation.

  LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN

  By Wilde, Oscar, 1854–1900

  Call #: F-WIL

  Description: iv, 216 p.

  By the time I dropped Caleb off at the airport and made the drive back to Sweet, it was almost seven a.m. I didn’t want to stay at his condo without him, so even though I was exhausted, I decided to make the trip home.

  I pulled up outside the library and, after locking the Mercedes, I carried the bags to the door.

  Inside, the library was cool, but there weren’t any dead people hanging out. At least not any I could see.

  Herman and Rascal waited for me at the foot of the back stairs. “Hey, pooches. Thanks for watching over the place.” They gave a short hello bark, Rascal’s high and yippy, Herman’s low and loud. One nice thing about ghost dogs is there are never any accidents. And I didn’t have to walk them in the cold weather.

  I dumped everything on the sofa, threw my clothes on the floor, and climbed into my bed. I set the alarm for ten and slept for three hours.

  I made it to the nursing home in time. I’d dressed in jeans and a green cable-knit sweater. Margie was so grateful I showed up. “Your piano playing helps drown out the tuneless crowd. Hey, what’s that?” She pointed at my wrist.

  “Isn’t it pretty?”

  She nodded. “More like gorgeous. Is that from Caleb?”

  I bit my lip and nodded.

  “Man, he must really be hot for you.”

  I smiled. “I’m kind of into him too. I’ve never felt this way about a guy, so it’s all kind of new to me.”

  Margie hugged me. “Kira, I’ve learned when it comes to men, it’s best not to analyze too much. Just enjoy your time with him.”

  Sam was there and gave me the third degree about my weekend. I placated my protective friend with stories about our dining experiences.

  Sam groaned. “I love Sweet, but I’ve been missing sushi big time.”

  I laughed. “Maybe we can all go someday soon, after Caleb gets back.”

  “It’s a date. You know, you seem happier than I think I’ve ever seen you. This thing with Caleb is going well?”

  Smiling, I squeezed his arm. “Yeah. It’s still new, but yes. It’s the best thing ever.”

  He hugged me. “I’m glad. Be careful.” Sam wasn’t throwing doubt. He wanted me to protect myself.

  “I will.” After playing for forty-five minutes, I snuck out while the elder residents opened their gifts.

  I picked up a meatloaf sandwich and a salad from Lulu’s. The mysterious phone call from the day before still had me spooked, and I already missed Caleb. I had to keep my mind busy. I planned to search for the all-important book Terry had hounded me about, and I wouldn’t rest until I found it.

  When I woke up the next morning, I’d been asleep for almost twelve hours. My plan to find the book didn’t pan out. I’d lain down to take a short nap, and zonked. The good news was I felt more rested than I had in weeks. I opened my eyes to see the bracelet on my arm and my heart did a funny little flip at the thought of Caleb.

  He must have been reading minds, because my cell phone rang. I ran across the cold wood floor to see his number on the caller ID.

  “Hey, babe. Did you make it home safe? I know you didn’t go back to the condo. I called the doorman.”

  I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see me. “Yes. You sound tired. Did you sleep on the plane?”

  He laughed. “Off and on. I kept having wicked dreams about a beautiful blonde driving me mad.”

  I wrapped the quilt from the sofa around me. “Really? Who?”

  “Oh, just some girl I met. Her kisses are still making me…”

  “Caleb! Don’t talk like that. I already miss you.”

  He laughed. “That’s what I wanted to hear. Oh, how did the carols at the nursing home go?”

  “Fun. Any idea when you might be back?”

  “Not yet, but I hope soon. Hold on one sec.” I heard him talking to someone. “Listen, I’ve got to go. I love you, Kira. Be safe.”

  “I will.”

  After we hung up, I squeezed my arms around myself. I did miss him.

  “Let’s see. Shower, breakfast, and then to work,” I said out loud. “Maybe if I work really hard the next few days I can keep my mind off of missing Caleb.”

  I snorted. “As if.”

  An hour and half later when I opened the large wooden doors of the library, a surprise stood on the steps.

  It took me a minute to recognize him. “Mr. Grayson?” He was one of the men I’d interviewed with in Atlanta.

  “Hello, Ms. Smythe. May I come in?”

  “Uh, sure.” I backed up so he could pass through.

  “I know this must seem odd.” He shook the snow off his shoulders onto the mat in the vestibule, and then hung his coat on the rack there.

  “Surprising, yes.” I was glad I’d put on one of my suits this morning and had taken the time to apply makeup. It was kind of hit and miss with me lately. One day I’d wear jeans, the next Armani. I went with my mood. The townspeople didn’t seem to care what I wore.

  “Cynthia Jordan told me you were staying here through the holidays, and I wanted the chance to speak with you before you made your decision at the end of the year.”

  “Would you like a cup of coffee?” I offered. This multi-billionaire had come to the middle of nowhere to woo me? I was pleased and wary at t
he same time.

  “That would be wonderful. I didn’t realize how cold it is here. The jet had a tough time landing in all the snow and ice.”

  It had been snowing off and on for the last twenty-four hours. There was almost a foot more this morning than when I’d fallen asleep early yesterday.

  I brought out two red mugs to the reading table where Mr. Grayson was seated. He wore a maroon sweater over a shirt and tie. “Thank you,” he said as I handed him the cup. “This is a quaint town, not at all what I expected in the middle of West Texas.”

  I laughed. “No one ever expects the architecture. It reminds me of Prague.”

  He looked up at the stained glass, gothic-style windows. “It’s beautiful. I can understand why you wanted to come back here to visit.”

  I sat back in my chair. I learned long ago to let the other person do the talking. You always find out more that way.

  He leaned his elbows forward on the table. “I wanted to apologize.”

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “I feel I came on a little strong during our first meeting.” As he spoke, the room filled with people, none of them living. Terry leaned against the row of nonfiction books, filing his nails.

  I tried not to notice and concentrated on what Mr. Grayson said. “We want you, and we’re willing to make a deal on your terms.”

  “That’s very generous of you.” I stared hard at him. “What I don’t understand is why?”

  Clasping his hands together, he pursed his lips. “Money. That’s the honest answer.”

  I liked that he told the truth.

  “Mr. Grayson, any good contract lawyer could do the same for you.”

  “Would they be as honest or as forthright as you? Do they have your integrity?” he asked.

  “What?”

  “I don’t want to bring back bad memories, but you stood up against your entire corporation for a woman you barely knew. You stood up for what you knew was right. I followed that case from the beginning and I know what you’ve been through.

  “You’re the kind of person I want, someone who will do what’s right no matter what.”

  Some of the firms I’d interviewed with had used what I’d done to lowball my salary. Of course, they still wanted me to help them out. This guy saw my loyalty to my coworker as an attribute.