Happiness was possible and nothing could stand in her way. But when she looked up from the computer and saw the beautiful woman standing in the doorway of her office, the urge to hum disappeared…
“I’m Blair Havens.”
It was like someone poked a pin in her bliss balloon and let all the happy air out.
Hope stood behind her desk, then walked around it and held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Blair. I’m Hope Carmichael.”
“I know who you are.” The other woman ignored the outstretched hand.
Hope held her own in the hospital world with employees, administration and doctors who had a God complex. But this woman intimidated her and not just because she was stunningly gorgeous and incredibly sexy. She was a tall, slim, blue-eyed brunette. If she wasn’t a fashion model, it was a loss for the advertising world. A face and body like that could sell anything.
None of that made Hope especially comfortable, but she could deal with it. What flustered her most was that Blair had a history with Jake.
Hope folded her arms over her chest and leaned a hip against the corner of her desk. “Since you know who I am, you probably didn’t wander into my office because you’re lost and looking for directions.”
“Actually I’m here to give you some directions,” she said with a sexy shake of her head that showed off all the high-priced highlights in her long brown hair. “Do you mind if I sit?”
Let me count the ways, Hope thought, watching the woman shimmy into the chair without waiting for an answer. She crossed one bare leg over the other as her black pencil skirt slid up her shapely thigh. Four-inch designer pumps covered her feet and a cashmere sweater the exact shade of her eyes completed the ensemble.
Hope had never felt quite so short, squat and insignificant in her life. “What can I do for you?”
“As I said, I’m actually going to do you a favor.”
It might be small-minded and judgmental, but Hope was pretty sure this woman didn’t do anything for anyone unless there was every chance of sizable personal gratification.
“Really? A favor?”
Good comeback, Carmichael. Way to go, she thought.
“I heard about your little thing with Jake Andrews, Hope.”
Just the mention of his name had her heart racing. “Little thing?”
“I’m not judging,” Blair said, in a tone that made it clear she was actually doing just that.
And if by some chance that was the truth, she’s a bigger person than I am, Hope thought. In fact, she was bigger—taller and incredibly statuesque.
“What little thing are you talking about?” She wasn’t proud about the stall tactic.
“Affair is such an unattractive word.” Blair wrinkled her perfect nose in distaste.
Hope desperately wanted to ask the name of her plastic surgeon, but held back. “An affair? With Dr. Andrews?”
“Hospital gossip,” Blair said, shrugging.
It wasn’t gossip if Jake told her exactly what was going on with Hope. But she was right about the word affair. It was unflattering.
“Let me get this straight,” Hope said. “Are you asking me if Jake and I are seeing each other?”
“Oh, sweetie—” Blair shook her head. “I’m saying that everyone knows you’re Jake’s flavor of the month.”
“That implies he’ll be moving on.” Hope was seething and barely kept her tone level.
“Am I being too subtle?” She tapped a long, pink-lacquered nail against her lips, never letting her gaze wander. “As I said, I’m here to do you a favor. Warn you, really. Because you seem like a very nice woman. If you’re looking for something permanent, Jake isn’t your guy.”
“Really?”
“Sad but true.” Blair’s pouty lips thinned. “A fling is all you’ll get from him.”
“Isn’t that ironic?” Hope made herself laugh.
“What?”
“I was the one who told Jake that he was wasting his time because a long-term relationship wasn’t something I wanted. And that didn’t discourage him.”
A glare heated Blair’s ice-blue eyes. “Because you’re a widow.”
She froze. There was no way for Blair Havens to know that unless she’d been asking around. Hope would think about why she’d done that later. “My reasons are personal.”
“So are mine. And you’re playing games.”
“It’s called honesty,” Hope said. “Maybe you’ve heard of it?”
Blair shot to her feet. “I tried to be nice.”
If that was her being nice, Hope wanted body armor when Blair went into bitch mode. “Nice is always appreciated when sincere.”
“Here’s the advice,” Blair snapped. “If you really care about him, end it. In the long run you’ll just hold him back.”
“Really?” Hope straightened to her full height away from the desk. She still had to look up. “Jake is a successful surgeon with an impeccable reputation. His services are in demand all over the valley. I don’t see that who he socializes with can impact his career in a negative way.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Blair tossed her head and flipped her long hair over her shoulder. “I can help him go places.”
“So can a travel agent.”
“Aren’t you clever.” The beautiful mouth twisted. “People with power can do things for Jake that truly make the sky the limit. I can introduce him to those people. What can you do for him?”
Make him laugh, Hope wanted to say, but somehow it didn’t seem to be enough. “That’s something you’ll have to ask Jake, isn’t it?”
“He’ll get bored. You’re nothing more than a distraction.”
“And you’re not?”
“I’m his future,” Blair affirmed.
What she wanted to retort was that Jake had broken it off with Blair because Hope had refused to see him otherwise. Instead she chose her words carefully. “Look, Blair, Jake’s actions in no way support your statement.”
“You don’t believe me?” Blair rested her hands on slender hips. “Look in his armoire. Top drawer, right-hand side.”
“And why would I do that, even if I didn’t think it was a violation of his space?” she added.
“Oh, please. We both know you’re sleeping with him. If you want proof that what I’m saying is true, look for the diamond engagement ring. He bought it for me. A big, square-cut diamond set in platinum. Just the one I wanted. And I know it cost him a bundle. But his intentions are crystal clear. He’s going to ask me to marry him.”
“Why would you want to? One of two things is going on. Either he’s moved on or he’s cheating on you. That doesn’t sound like a successful relationship.”
“Jake and I are two of a kind. We both want power. He wants to have it and I want to be with a man who does. We can help each other get there. He needs me.” Blair was adamant.
Not once had this woman declared that she couldn’t live without him. It was all about control and pushing him toward success. Not once had Blair mentioned the most important thing.
“What about love?” Hope asked.
“It doesn’t buy dinner at exclusive, expensive restaurants. Or million-dollar homes in Vegas, Vail and the Hamptons.” Blair laughed. “Jake doesn’t talk about it, but he grew up poor. Marrying the right woman will guarantee a successful future and that’s what he’ll always care most about. I understand him. Money and success will always come first and I can make both of those things happen for him.”
“Okay, then.” Hope’s hands were shaking. She’d had just about enough of Blair the bitch. “Thanks for stopping by. It’s been fun. We’ll have to do this again sometime.”
Blair slid the strap of her pricey purse more securely on her slender shoulder and walked to the doorway before turning back. “If you care about him, you’ll walk away and let him get what he wants most.”
When she was gone, Hope dropped into the chair. Her legs were trembling and she was so mad she could spit. What had Jake ever seen
in that woman, besides the obvious? Then she went cold inside as another thought slipped in.
What if Blair was telling the truth?
Was Jake just having a fling and Hope was handy? A challenge? When he got tired of her, would he drop her like a hot rock?
She glanced at the doorway where that woman had stood just moments ago. Hope disliked her with the same intensity with which she cared about Jake. Maybe more than care. The last time she’d felt like this she’d been in love.
Her gaze settled on the key he’d given her sitting on her desk and the doubts crept in as she picked it up. She had to know whether or not Blair Havens was yanking her chain.
Hope pulled into Jake’s driveway and was really upset when she didn’t see his car. She needed answers only he could give her and the sooner he confirmed that Blair was lying through her beautiful, straight white teeth, the better.
He’d given her the code to the security system along with the key and said to make herself at home until he got there. She accomplished the first two steps without a problem, but number three was harder to pull off. She couldn’t forget Blair’s words.
If you don’t believe me look in his armoire.
It was wrong to go snooping through someone’s things, even someone you’d been intimate with. Was that how Blair had found the ring? After sleeping with Jake?
After a ten-minute argument with herself about what to do, Hope was no closer to getting answers because Jake still hadn’t arrived. But on her own she could find out whether or not Blair would lie to hang on to Jake.
Hope walked into the master bedroom, turned on the light, then stopped in front of the armoire. Her hand was shaking as she grabbed the shiny gold circular knob and pulled out the top drawer. Reaching inside, her fingers closed around a small velvet jeweler’s box, the kind that would hold a ring.
“I so wanted her to be lying,” Hope whispered.
But when she lifted the lid on the black box, a very big diamond caught the light and winked at her. So, it was true. While he’d been with Blair, Jake had acquired an expensive ring that could signify a marriage proposal.
This hurt so much more than she wanted it to. As a nurse, she knew pain was an indication of healing or a warning that something was wrong. Sometimes the problem couldn’t be fixed. Or it was just a matter of changing a behavior. Like pulling your hand away from a hot stove to stop the burning.
She’d gotten too close to the flame this time. The searing in her chest was proof of that.
“Hope?”
She jumped at the sound of Jake’s voice. “I didn’t hear you.”
“I saw your car, then couldn’t find you. Don’t take this the wrong way—” He’d moved closer, was standing behind her, his big hands curving around her upper arms. “But I sort of hoped you’d be in bed. Naked.”
His warm breath tickled the back of her neck and Hope shivered. “I never thought of that.”
It was the truth. The scene with Blair playing over and over in her mind didn’t leave much room for seduction plans. Blair had told the truth about this engagement ring. Was it also the truth that Jake belonged to Blair?
Hope slid away from him and turned. He wasn’t in a suit because he’d been in scrubs for surgery all day. He was wearing jeans and a long-sleeved navy cotton shirt. The effect was just as potent to her senses as his Dr. GQ look. The clothes didn’t make the man. It was all about the man himself and she needed to find out who Jake Andrews really was.
“I need to talk to you.”
“Okay.” There was an uneasy look in his eyes when he said, “What about?”
She held out her hand with the open jewelry box resting on her palm. “This.”
He looked down, then dragged his fingers through his hair. “Isn’t it a violation of something to go through a person’s things?”
“I didn’t go through anything. Blair told me exactly where it would be.”
There was bitterness in the gaze he lifted to hers. “That was low even for her.”
“She told me you’re going to ask her to marry you and if I didn’t believe that, I could find the ring here. Fifty percent of what she told me is true. What about the other half, Jake?”
“I don’t plan on proposing to Blair,” he said firmly, snapping the lid closed on the exquisite ring.
“All evidence to the contrary.” Her voice was so empty and cold it made her shiver.
“The truth is I came close to asking her,” he admitted.
The words pierced Hope’s heart. “So you’re in love with her.”
“That’s not what I said.”
“I don’t understand. Love is the only reason to get married.”
“In a perfect romantic world,” he said grimly. “Not in mine.”
“That needs a little more explanation.”
“Yeah.” He met her gaze. “My partners were settling down. Mitch and Cal got married and started families—not necessarily in that order. I’m not getting any younger. It seemed like as good a time as any. Blair is beautiful and fun. We got along well. But there was something that drew me in deeper. Something bigger than all of that.”
“What?” she asked, unable to look away from the intensity in his eyes.
“I came damn close to proposing to Blair, but it had nothing to do with love. It was all about my pride. My past.”
“But you triumphed over adversity. Poverty doesn’t define a man. You’re a perfect example of that.”
“It doesn’t define me on the outside. I can afford the car, house and clothes.” His voice was low, harsh. “But on the inside I’ll always be the poor kid who doesn’t have jeans without holes, shoes that aren’t too small or too big, or a roof over his head. I’ll never be good enough.”
She wanted to put her arms around him but didn’t dare. “That’s not true, Jake.”
“I was in love once. In college.” His gaze burned into hers. “I’d never been happy like that. Ever. Graduation was coming up and I’d been accepted to medical school. I couldn’t stand the thought of being separated from her, so I asked her to marry me. I knew better than anyone how to survive on practically nothing.”
The hurt and anger twisting his mouth told her it hadn’t ended well. “What did she say?”
“She talked to her father.” Jake blew out a long breath. “Did I mention that her family had a lot of money?”
“No.”
“My bad.” He shook his head. “Actually my bad was being born poor. Her father told me I wasn’t good enough. He asked how I’d feel in his place. Why he shouldn’t believe that I was using his daughter for her money, looking for an easy way to finance my education. Women marry rich guys all the time. But he wouldn’t stand by and let some penniless loser get to his little girl.”
“But he was wrong about you,” she protested.
“He was. But it didn’t matter. He didn’t care that I’d already secured enough in student loans to pay for med school.”
“That’s awful, Jake.”
He dragged a hand through his hair. “Believe it or not, I can understand how he felt. What kicked me in the gut was that the woman I thought loved me really didn’t. She sided with the family and cut me out of her life.”
“I see.”
“I’m glad someone does, because I sure as hell don’t. But here’s the thing.” He pointed at her. “Blair’s family encouraged our relationship right from the beginning. I thought they didn’t know about my past, but found out her father does background checks on his daughter’s ‘friends.’ The guy used to be a congressman and her mother is third-generation Las Vegas society. They accepted me. In spite of my past. And they couldn’t be happier that Blair and I were together. For the first time the poor guy got the prom queen.”
“So why did you break it off?”
He folded his arms over his chest and met her gaze. “Deep down I knew that Blair and I never would have worked.”
Hope had expected him to say it was because she’d refused to be the oth
er woman. “Then why did you buy a ring? A man only does that when he’s seriously considering a lifetime commitment.”
“Without love it’s just jewelry.” He took a step forward. “Without the proposal of marriage it means nothing. And I just couldn’t make myself pop the question because I knew she’d say yes. Since ending it, I haven’t had a chance to return the ring.”
Hope studied his eyes, the earnestness on his face, but couldn’t let herself believe.
“I need to go.” She moved past him and down the hall, hurrying to the front door. Desperation to get away had her practically running because she wanted so badly to be by herself.
Jake caught her arm in the entryway and stopped her. “Wait.”
“Please, just let me go.” She couldn’t look at him and risk destroying her resolve.
“Did you hear anything I said?”
“Everything,” she confirmed. “Love didn’t work out for you either.”
“Yeah. But I got over it. A long time ago. I told you that story so you’d understand the ring was nothing more than a symbol of how far I’d come from being a penniless loser.”
“Maybe it’s more than that. What if you and Blair belong together?” she asked.
He dropped his hand from her arm. “Life threw me some curves and a lot of hard knocks. But it didn’t make me a liar. Or an idiot.”
“That’s two of us,” she said. This was a hard knock she’d fought tooth and nail to avoid. Why couldn’t he have just taken no for an answer? “The truth is that I’m glad all this came out. You and Blair—”
“There is no me and Blair.”
“That’s not what she said.” Hope chanced a look at him, then wished she hadn’t.
“You’re more willing to believe her than me?” Angry words died on his lips as a frustrated expression pushed through the pleading. “I get it. This is just one more thing to push me away. You’ve been looking for excuses to do that since the day we met. You’re afraid to take a chance.”
Hope wanted to tell him he was wrong about her being a coward, but that would be a lie. Pain was an indicator to make you change behavior and that’s what she was doing. She’d just had a taste of how hard losing Jake would be. This was her last chance to get out before she couldn’t get out at all.
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