by Janet Dailey
“We thought if we walked, we’d get acclimatized faster.” Vance wandered into the room and stoically ignored the chairs.
“That was his bright idea.” John wearily pointed a finger in Vance’s direction.
“I don’t think it works that way,” Jared remarked.
“Tell me about it,” John grumbled.
“A phone truck pulled up in front when we came in,” Vance said. “He should be here to hook the phone up any minute.”
“It looks like you’ll be busy for a while,” Jared said. “It’s time I got out of your way.”
“Thanks for the help,” she said.
“I was glad to do it. I’ll give you a call in a day or two after you have your schedule set. Maybe we can work in lunch or a late dinner.”
Without exhibiting the least bit of awkwardness, Jared walked over and lightly, but warmly, kissed her goodbye.
The minute Jared closed the door, John Wyatt spoke up. “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend here in Aspen, Delaney.”
“I don’t,” she replied with a studied evenness. “Jared and I are old friends. Nothing more.”
“Sure,” he said in dubious agreement. “I kiss all my old friends goodbye, don’t you, Vance?”
Fully aware that the only way to combat this ribbing was to rib back, Delaney taunted, “I wasn’t aware you had any old friends, John. I thought all of them were nubile and nineteen.”
“That’s cruel,” he protested.
“No, that’s immature,” she countered, then immediately took advantage of the moment to suggest, “Why don’t you guys go take a shower before this place starts smelling like a gym?”
John Wyatt looked at his partner. “I think we’ve just been insulted.”
Delaney smiled wickedly. “If the odor fits…”
“That does it.” John pushed himself off the couch. “I’m outta here.”
Her smile lingered as she watched them leave, then faded when she found herself staring at a closed door. With an effort, she shook off the pensive mood and focused her energies, instead, on the many things she had yet to do before Lucas Wayne arrived.
With an airport security guard at her side, Delaney was at the aircraft’s door when it opened. Riley was first in line, fronting Lucas. She saw the quick look of pleasure that came to his eyes, giving them a warmth and a shine that was reserved for her and her alone. Delaney returned Riley’s smiling glance. As always, his presence gave her a renewed sense of strength and confidence.
“All set?” he asked, his attention shifting beyond her to sweep the area.
“Yes.”
“I’ll take care of the luggage,” Riley said and stepped to one side, signaling Lucas Wayne to come ahead.
Lucas stepped from the plane. Dressed in factory-faded jeans, his dark hair curling onto the collar of his pink-striped sport shirt, Lucas gave Delaney one of his patented bad-boy smiles and chided, “What? No open arms?”
It was impossible not to smile back. “In your dreams, Lucas,” she murmured.
“You can bet my dreams of you have been sweet ones, Delaney,” Lucas declared, his voice pitched at a low, husky level meant for her hearing alone. “Now all I have to do is figure out a way to make them come true.”
Ignoring that, she took his arm and swung around to flank him. The uniformed guard copied her maneuver. “I have a car outside.” She steered him from the gate area, setting a brisk pace and alertly noting the stares of recognition sent his way.
When she ignored the signs pointing to the baggage area and directed him instead to the exit doors, Lucas pulled back. “Wait a minute. What about my bags?”
“Riley has your claim checks. He’ll bring your luggage when he comes.”
“That’s what I call service.” He fell in step with her again.
“No. That’s called getting you out of the airport with minimum delay.” She pushed the door open and stepped ahead of him, automatically scanning the handful of cars parked along the curb. She immediately led Lucas to the rented Lincoln, parked with the motor running and John Wyatt seated behind the wheel. She opened the rear door for Lucas, then climbed in after him, offering a quick “Thanks” to the airport guard when he closed the door. In the next second, the Lincoln was accelerating away from the curb.
“As usual, that was very efficiently done, Ms. Wescott,” Lucas said with mock formality. “I’m beginning to think it would be impossible for anyone to catch you off guard.”
“I’m not infallible, Lucas.”
“That’s reassuring—at least, personally.”
Within minutes, they crossed the bridge over Castle Creek and entered the town proper. Lucas continued to look out the window. The trees were in full summer leaf, shading the houses in the fashionable West End.
“I’m glad I came here. It’s going to be good to be out of the fishbowl for a while.” As if feeling the need to explain that statement, he glanced at Delaney, “Here, they don’t sell maps showing where celebrities live. No guidebooks tell you where the stars hang out. Even I can have some privacy here.”
“That’s part of the Aspen allure, isn’t it?” Delaney guessed.
“In addition to the mountain majesty of summer, the champagne powder of winter, and the high exclusivity year-round.”
Delaney smiled, as she was meant to do, and directed her gaze out the window again.
The car turned to travel along Mill Street toward Red Mountain. The narrow road twisted its way up the slope, offering an ever-expanding view of the valley town below and the opposite range of mountains.
When the Lincoln made the turn into the driveway, Delaney recognized the Mercedes parked at the foot of the front walk. “It looks like Ms. St. Jacque is on hand to welcome you to Aspen.”
“It looks that way, doesn’t it?”
She caught the faintly cynical note in his voice, but she didn’t have a chance to see whether his expression mirrored it as he opened the door on his side and climbed out. Irritated by his unthinking action, she scrambled after him, reaching him about the same instant John Wyatt did.
“You’re to stay in the car until one of us opens the door for you, Lucas,” she reminded him curtly. “This is no time to let procedures become lax.”
“Sorry. I forgot.”
“Please don’t forget again.” But she could tell his attention was already on the blonde walking toward him.
“Luke.” Susan St. Jacque stepped into his outstretched arms and tilted her head back, inviting the obligatory kiss of greeting. Then she moved back to look at him, her hand resting lightly on his forearm. “It’s so good to see you again, Luke—and thankfully, all in one piece.”
“I’m as relieved about that as you are.”
For Delaney, moments like this—when eavesdropping was unavoidable—were always slightly awkward. Like John Wyatt, she stayed in the background and directed her gaze elsewhere.
“You’ll be happy to know,” Susan said, “that your cupboards are no longer bare and the refrigerator is stocked with all your favorites. I’ve arranged for my cleaning woman to come in twice a week. If you need her more often than that, let me know.”
“Twice a week should be fine.”
“That’s what I thought,” she agreed, then paused briefly. “I’d love to stay and talk, Luke, but I know you must be exhausted after your long flight. I’ll come by tomorrow afternoon around one-ish and we’ll go look at the painting. Then later, we’ll have dinner and talk. There’s this new restaurant in town that I know you’ll love. The food and the service are marvelous.”
“Not tomorrow, Susan—”
“Luke, you aren’t trying to stall me, are you?”
“No, of course not. I just need a few days to rest. The shooting schedule on this movie was a real grind.”
“But very worthwhile, I heard. Financially speaking, of course,” Susan inserted with a touch of drollness.
“Very worthwhile.”
“And that’s what counts, isn’t it, darling.�
�
“You’re right—as always.” He paused. Out of the corner of her eye Delaney saw him reach to lightly stroke Susan’s cheek. “I’ll call you in a few days. We’ll go look at that painting you’ve been wanting to show me. Then we’ll have dinner…somewhere quiet. And afterwards—” His voice dropped to a suggestive level. “Who knows how or where the evening might end?”
“You haven’t changed, have you, Luke?” Susan murmured. “You still know how to make a woman feel very special. I could almost fall in love with you all over again. But that would never do.”
“Why not?” he argued persuasively.
“Because I wouldn’t want anything to change the relationship we now have. But I don’t hold it against you for trying.” She smiled with a definite smugness, something Lucas didn’t seem too pleased about.
“Luke!” came the childlike squeal of delight from an adult’s voice. In that same second, Delaney spotted Toby Williams running from the garage area at a lumbering gait, neither his mind nor his muscle coordination a match for his age and body. “Luke, you’re here!”
Susan saw him, too, and turned on Lucas, her voice suddenly low and angry. “You should have left him in that home.”
“I couldn’t do that.”
“More’s the pity,” she muttered and walked past him to her car. “I’ll wait for your call, Luke. Make it soon.”
But Lucas didn’t have time to respond as Toby wrapped both arms around him and knocked Lucas backward a step with the force of his enthusiastic greeting.
“You came, Luke.” There were tears in Toby’s eyes and unabashed joy in his face. “You came just like you promised.”
“I always keep my promises, sport. You know that.” Luke hugged him back, then set him an arm’s length away. “It’s good to see you again, Tobe.”
The smile on Toby’s round and heavy face faded a little. “I missed you, Luke.”
“I missed you too, sport.” He rumpled Toby’s dark hair as he would have a boy’s. But Toby was a boy trapped in a man’s body, a body an inch shorter and a good forty pounds heavier than Luke’s.
“You and me, we’re gonna have fun, aren’t we, Luke?”
“You bet we will.”
“Will you take me fishin’?”
“Sure.”
“Can we ride horses, too, maybe?”
“If you promise not to fall off.”
Toby started to giggle, but the sound was drowned out by the squeal of tires as the Mercedes accelerated out of the driveway. Toby watched it, a glumness settling over his expression. “She don’t like me, Luke. I try being nice to her like you said, but—she still doesn’t like me.”
“It’s not your fault, Tobe. You just keep on being nice.” Lucas curved an arm around Toby’s wide, bulky shoulders and smiled encouragingly.
Toby tried to smile back, but the attempt was a weak one. “I think she’s scared of me. But I wouldn’t hurt her, Luke. I promise I wouldn’t.”
“I know that. You’d never hurt anybody. She’s just being a silly girl. A scaredy-cat.”
“Yeah, a scaredy-cat.” Toby nodded, his face brightening. “She’s a scaredy-cat.”
“Right. So you just forget about her. Okay?”
“Okay…”
Delaney was more than a little surprised by what she was seeing and hearing. For some reason she had expected Lucas to treat Toby with a kind of condescending patience, a pitying tolerance, something that would suggest Toby was here because it was good for Luke’s image, which was a somewhat cynical view to take, but it had seemed the obvious one to Delaney…until she’d seen him with Toby—seen the sensitivity and warmth he showed him. It left her with the distinct impression that Toby was here because Lucas wanted to be with him—and it wasn’t for any image-building purpose. She found herself curious about their relationship, wondering when and how it had begun. Maybe at some fund-raiser for the mentally handicapped? Or maybe—she didn’t have time to complete that thought as Lucas guided Toby toward her, his arm still draped companionably around the man’s shoulders.
“Toby, you remember Miss Wescott, don’t you?” he said. “You met her the other day…”
“I remember.” His nod had a touch of a bashful bob to it.
“Hello, Toby. It’s good to see you again.”
“It’s good to see you,” he said, self-consciously echoing her words.
“Miss Wescott’s going to be spending a lot of time with us,” Lucas explained. “And this is her friend—”
“John Wyatt.” John stuck out a hand to Toby, a smile wreathing his bony, freckled face. “I’m glad to meet you, Toby.”
“Lo.” Toby shook hands with him none too certainly, plainly reserving judgment on this stranger. Delaney guessed this gentle man-boy hadn’t been shown a lot of kindness in his life, especially by strangers. Most were probably uneasy around him—like Susan St. Jacque—or else quick to shun or laugh at him.
She heard a car slow down to make the turn into the driveway. “That should be Riley.” As she swung around, the car pulled in with Riley at the wheel.
“I hope he has my luggage,” Lucas remarked idly.
Toby immediately piped up, “I’ll carry your suitcase in, Luke.”
“It’s a deal. In fact, I’ll give you the heaviest one.”
“That’s ’cause I’m strong, huh?” he said proudly.
“That’s right.”
Riley parked the rental car alongside the Lincoln and popped the trunk lid. When John Wyatt walked over to help unload the bags, Toby was right on his heels, temporarily leaving Delaney alone with Lucas Wayne.
His dark eyes gave her a sidelong look. “I meant to ask—which one of the guest bedrooms did you take?”
“None. Riley will sleep here. He’ll be your roommate for the duration,” she replied. “A second man will be posted at the entrance to the drive. You should consider having a gate installed. It would make our job a lot easier. As it is, we’ll use one of the rental cars to block the drive.”
“Wait a minute. Where will you be?” There was a trace of anger in his frown that matched the demand in his voice.
“When you’re here, in the house or on the grounds, I’ll be at the command post, coordinating everything.”
“That’s not the deal, Delaney. You’re supposed to be protecting me.”
“I’m supposed to be in charge of protecting you,” she reminded him patiently.
“No, dammit! You’re supposed to be here—with me!” The temper she’d seen him unleash on two previous occasions was in evidence again. “I’m paying you for your services and, dammit, that’s what I’m going to get. You’re not going to pawn me off on your trusty sidekick!”
Delaney took a deep, calming breath and suppressed the urge to respond just as hotly. “You are paying for the services of Wescott and Associates. Mr. Owens is more than qualified—”
“I don’t give a good goddamn how qualified your Mr. Owens is!” he exploded. “I want you with me—not him. Do I make myself clear?”
He loomed in front of her, all raging temper and ego. Delaney held her ground.
“You have made yourself very clear, Mr. Wayne.” She resorted to crisp formality, and watched him recoil as if slapped by it. “However, I told you once before, my services don’t extend to tucking you into bed at night. If the arrangements I have made for your protection are not satisfactory, then—”
“Hell, no, they’re not satisfactory. I want you with me!” He stopped and looked away, closing his eyes for a brief moment. When he opened them again, there was no more anger. As quick as he was to temper, he was equally quick to get over it. “Delaney, how can I make you understand that I feel safe when you’re around?” he said, his eyes silently pleading with her. “Can’t we reach some sort of compromise on this? If you want Riley to sleep here—fine. Heaven knows, I’ve given you enough reason to think”—he deliberately paused for effect, a teasing smile edging his mouth—“I have designs on your virtue. But indulge me a
little and be here the rest of the time.”
His anger had been easy to resist, but not his smile. “There’s a lot of paperwork. A lot of scheduling and advance planning involved in protecting you—work that happens to be my responsibility. But I’ll be with you as much as I can otherwise. Will that do?”
“I guess it will have to. Thanks.”
“We try to oblige the client when we can.” But she knew that meant she would have very little free time of her own. Which also meant she would have very little time to spend with Jared. Maybe that was just as well.
Toby came back proudly carrying an oversized bag. “I got the biggest one, Luke. Do you want me to put it in your room?”
“Yeah, would ya?”
“Sure.” Toby hesitated, his glance skittering around before lighting once again on Lucas. “Are you coming, too?”
“Sure.” Smiling, Lucas sent Delaney a parting look and walked off with Toby.
Riley joined her. “Who’s that?” He nodded at Toby.
“Someone Lucas has befriended. His name is Toby Williams. He’ll be staying here.” Delaney shrugged to indicate she had no more information than that. But his question drew her attention to the pair walking ahead of them, Toby jabbering away like an excited little kid while Lucas listened attentively, smiling and inserting a prompting remark now and then. “Toby isn’t exactly who you would expect Lucas to invite for the month, is he?”
“As Alice would say—‘Curiouser and curiouser,’” Riley replied.
FOURTEEN
EARLY ON THE MORNING OF the third day in Aspen, Delaney stood on the boulder-strewn banks of the Roaring Fork River. She wore a bright green and black plaid flannel to ward off the lingering coolness and a pair of faded jeans, soft from numerous washings. A black bow gathered her long hair together at the nape of her neck and revealed the earpiece to her two-way radio.
A few yards away, Lucas Wayne and Toby fished the icy waters of the thundering river. It was a peaceful scene, with the mists raveling off the mountains and the meadow strewn with wildflowers.
“Beautiful morning, isn’t it?” Riley remarked from a few feet away as he surveyed the scene, a pair of dark sunglasses shielding his eyes from the glare of a rising sun.
