Читать книгу The Heart's Choice - Joyce Livingston - Страница 10

The woman in the passenger seat quickly rolled down the window as the SUV careened to a stop, its tires making a crunching sound as they left the Colorado highway and rolled onto the uneven shoulder. “What’s the problem?” she called out to Tavia, who was standing at the edge of the road, dressed in jeans and a short-sleeved print top, both insufficient to ward off the chill of the late afternoon.

Tavia MacRae blinked hard and tried to appear calm, although inside she was a jangle of nerves. “My—my new boyfriend dumped me out of his car. I—I need a ride.”

The nice-looking young man behind the steering wheel frowned as he sized her up from head to toe. “I don’t know. I usually don’t pick up strangers.”

Disappointed by his comment and afraid her boyfriend might return, Tavia allowed her jaw to drop. “Then why did you stop?”

“I asked him to.” The pretty brunette in the front seat gave her a warm smile. “You looked like you needed help.”

“His hands were all over me. He tried—” Tavia dipped her head and swallowed hard but couldn’t hold back a sob as the tip of her finger touched her swollen lip. “Wh-when I wouldn’t—you know—he got really mad and started pushing me around and hitting me with his fists. I—I was afraid he was really going to hurt me, but instead he reached across and opened the door and shoved me out.” She hunched her shoulders and shivered as she rubbed at her skinned elbow. “He wouldn’t even let me have my jacket. He—he just drove off and left me here.”

The man raised a brow. “He was your boyfriend?”

Tavia shook her head. Her lip hurt, and so did her arm and her wrist. But what hurt most was the embarrassment she felt at having to admit she’d been so gullible. “He wasn’t really my boyfriend. This—this was the first time I’d been out with him. He—he seemed real nice when I met him.”

The woman winced at Tavia’s words. “Maybe you should have gotten to know him better before deciding to take such a long ride with him.”

Tavia lowered her eyes, knowing the woman was right. “I don’t have the opportunity to meet men that often. I guess I was persuaded by his good looks and his nice car. I’ve learned my lesson.”

The man continued to eye her suspiciously, as if he half believed her story but wasn’t quite sure she could be trusted. “I don’t know. Maybe it—”

The nice brunette slapped at the man’s arm. “Adam, come on. Don’t be such an old worrywart. Can’t you see she needs help? We can’t leave her stranded out here on the road. The sun will be disappearing behind the mountains any time now and she’ll freeze in that lightweight shirt. She’s already shivering. At least let her use your cell phone so she can call someone.”

Tavia waited, too humiliated to meet his gaze, her heart pounding in her throat, knowing there was no one she could call, and who knew when someone else would come by and give her a ride? Maybe it would be someone even more dangerous than the man who’d dumped her. Why did she always pick the losers? If she’d been smarter, been a little more cautious—

Frowning, the man handed Tavia his cell phone. She punched in a few random numbers then, after turning away from them, pressed the End button and pretended to be waiting for someone to answer. “Uh-oh. Looks like they’re not home and I don’t know anyone else who would be willing to drive this far to pick me up. Are you sure you can’t give me a ride?”

The woman leaned toward him. “Adam, please?”

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, his arms circling the steering wheel as he turned toward the open window and hitched his head toward the back seat. “Okay, climb in, but we’re only taking you as far as the next town.” He paused long enough to give her a warning frown. “You understand?”

Tavia yanked open the back door of the big, shiny SUV when she heard the lock click open and climbed in, closing it quickly behind her before they had a chance to change their minds. “I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate this. It seems like I’ve been standing on this road for hours. The traffic has been whizzing by me and no one would stop.”

“They probably had better sense than I did,” the man said gruffly, his eyes trained on the rear-view mirror as he cautiously pulled back onto the highway.

The woman sitting beside him leaned into his shoulder and smiled up at him. “Now, sweetie, don’t be such an old bear. I respect this woman for refusing that man and fighting him off like she did. You should, too.”

He seemed to deliberate her words carefully; finally glancing back over his shoulder at Tavia with a nod and, for the first time, offering a half smile. “Sorry. She’s right. It’s just that you can’t be too careful these days.”

“Thanks, I don’t blame you for being cautious.” Tavia leaned back in the seat and tried to calm down. Every bone in her body ached. “I wouldn’t pick up a hitchhiker, either.”

“But you’re not a hitchhiker,” the woman refuted adamantly. “You’re someone in trouble. To me, there’s a big difference.”

Tavia smiled appreciatively, sure if it hadn’t been for the nice woman’s influence on the man she assumed was her husband, she’d still be standing by the side of the road. “Thanks. It’s nice to have someone who understands.”

The woman shifted her position and extended her hand over the back of her seat. “Hi. I’m Jewel Mallory.”

“Hi, Jewel. I’m Tavia.”

“Tavia? What a pretty name. I’ve never heard it before.”

Tavia smoothed at the tear on her shirt. “Thanks. I think it’s Scottish. I like your name, too. It sounds real elegant.”

“That’s what I keep telling her,” Adam inserted, smiling at the lovely lady seated beside him. “She’s my jewel. I told my folks, she’s not only a jewel, she has a heart of pure gold. But then, I guess you’ve realized that.”

Jewel gave him another playful pat. “Why, Adam, what a sweet thing to say.”

He grinned. “Simply the truth, my precious.”

Jewel’s hand cradled the man’s shoulder. “Well, Tavia, this man, who appears to be my biggest fan, is my fiancé, Adam Flint.”

“You’re engaged?” Tavia looked from one smiling face to the other. “Congratulations. When are you getting married? Have you set a date yet?”

“In the spring, right after I graduate,” the man chimed in, his smile broadening, his sullen behavior suddenly changing for the better. “I’m taking Jewel home to meet my parents.”

Tavia’s brows lifted in surprise. “They haven’t already met her?”

Adam shot a quick glance toward his intended. “Not yet, but they’ve talked to her on the phone a number of times. We met in California where I’ve been going to school. She’s originally from Tennessee.”

“But they have seen your picture, right?” Tavia asked.

“I take terrible pictures.” Jewel’s hand went to her mouth to stifle a giggle. “I hate having my picture taken and I guess it shows on my face. I end up looking like a mug shot for the post-office wall. I wouldn’t let Adam send them any.”

Adam gave his fiancée a wink. “She’s not kidding. As much as I love her, she’s not at all photogenic.”

“He’s right. That’s exactly what my mom used to say when I’d bring those school pictures home.”

“Besides, I want them to be surprised by her inner beauty, as well.” Adam sent a man-in-love look toward his beloved. “Once they meet her, I know they’ll fall in love with her instantly, just like I did.”

Jewel smiled shyly. “Don’t listen to him, Tavia. He’s a real flatterer, but I love every minute of it.”

Adam glanced in his side mirror before continuing. “We talked about getting married earlier, but my parents want to throw us a big spring wedding.”

Tavia frowned. “You mean you’re not living together?”

“We’re both kinda old-fashioned, I guess. We’re both Christians, and didn’t feel it was right to just move in together like many of our friends have done. In fact, we’ve even had separate motel rooms on our trip here.”

“I’m sure your parents are happy about that.”

“Oh, yes,” Adam volunteered, catching her eye in the rearview mirror. “But they’re a pretty romantic pair themselves, even after being together nearly twenty-eight years.”

Tavia wished she had someone who loved her as much as Adam appeared to love Jewel. His devotion for her was written all over his smiling face.

Jewel reached across and cupped Adam’s cheek with her palm, her hand caressing his face. “Although we really wanted to get married right away, we talked it over and decided since we are committing our lives to each other and this was going to be our one and only wedding, we wanted to do it up right.”

Tavia eyed the woman suspiciously. “You’re not—”

“Pregnant? Oh, my, no!” Jewel gave her head a firm shake. “But we do plan to have children—someday. Adam’s parents have his little baby bed stored in their attic, along with his high chair and his stroller. Our children might use the very same things their father used when he was a baby. Won’t that be sweet?”

“Hopefully, we can start a family a year or so after I graduate,” Adam added.

“I hope so, too.” Jewel pinched Adam’s arm affectionately. “From what Adam’s parents have told me on the phone, they want to invite all theirs and Adam’s friends and business acquaintances to our wedding. Do the big church thing, with the huge reception. His mother and I are going to have a blast planning it.”

Adam gave her a quick sideways look of adoration. It was obvious he was crazy about her.

“How about your parents, Jewel?” Tavia asked. “Are they disappointed you aren’t going to have your wedding in Tennessee?” As soon as she spoke, Tavia wished she hadn’t asked the woman such a personal question. What business was it of hers?

“Jewel doesn’t have any family,” Adam answered, even though Tavia’s question had been directed toward her. “Her mom and dad were killed in a car wreck when she was a senior in high school. Other than a couple of distant relatives she hasn’t heard from in years, she’s pretty much alone.”

Jewel lowered her head and blinked hard. “It was a terrible time for me. We’d been so close that for a while I wished I were dead, too. I had great parents.”

“Having family around you, family who loves you and who you can depend on, must be a wonderful thing. I wish I’d been that lucky.” Tavia’s heart went out to her.

Jewel’s face brightened. “Well, I have a family now. I have Adam and his parents.”

“And they’re going to love you as much as I do, honey.” Adam lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “You’ll see. Mom’s always wanted a daughter. Now she has one.”

“I’m so anxious to meet Adam’s parents,” Jewel said. “I’ve missed being a part of a family these past three years. Mr. and Mrs. Flint are lovely, caring people. I’ve received such sweet letters from them, besides talking to them on the phone. They’ve told me so many cute things about this man I’m going to marry. They even told me about the time he—”

Over Adam’s half-joking protestations, Jewel began. “Adam’s parents had just moved into their new home and they invited everyone from their church to come to an open house. His mother spent all morning in the kitchen, making her famous cherry chocolate brownies as the main dessert. Just before their guests were due to arrive, she added the final touches to each of her beautiful brownies—a huge dollop of freshly whipped cream and one perfect, maraschino cherry, then carried the huge silver trays into the dining room and placed them on the beautifully set table. She lit the candles, then closed the dining room doors, planning to keep her lovely table and all its goodies out of sight until everyone arrived.”

Adam reached across with a good-humored frown and tapped Jewel’s shoulder. “Okay, sweetheart, this is your last chance. You’d better quit while you’re ahead or I’ll tell my story, too.”

“Too late, Adam. I’ve already started my story. I have to finish.”

Tavia glanced out the side window. Already, the sun had disappeared behind the mountain range. It was great that this couple had been kind enough to give her a ride, but what was she going to do when they let her out?

“Anyway, when it came time to serve the refreshments, Adam’s mother proudly threw open the dining room door—and let out a scream!”

Tavia gasped. “Why? What had happened?”

Jewel let out an animated laugh. “Someone had removed every single cherry and had run a finger through each dollop of whipped cream, stringing it all over the brownies!”

“Not Adam!”

“Yes, Adam. My prim and proper Adam!” Jewel nodded.

Adam gave her a menacing glare, though his eyes showed it was only in jest. “I’ll get you for this, Miss Blabbermouth.”

“But that’s not all,” Jewel went on. “In the resultant shocked silence, they heard a terrible moaning and groaning coming from the bathroom at the head of the stairs. Adam’s parents rushed up to see what it was, and there was Adam—his little hands resting on the sides of the toilet seat and he was—”

Adam reached across and cupped his palm over Jewel’s mouth. “I think she gets the picture, Jewel. You needn’t go into any more detail.”

Peeking over his hand, Jewel’s eyes glittered with amusement. Tavia couldn’t contain her laughter. In her mind’s eye, she could see the scene Jewel had described.

Finally, Adam took his hand away. “Sorry, Tavia, sometimes my fiancée is a bit over the top.”

“Okay, you win, Adam,” Jewel said, smiling at him, “I won’t give her all the gory details, but I will tell her to this day you refuse maraschino cherries and whipped cream. On anything!”

Adam glanced at Tavia in the rearview mirror. “My turn now.”

“Don’t believe a word he says, Tavia,” Jewel cautioned, patting her fiancé’s cheek. “He has a tendency to exaggerate things.”

Adam sent her a good-natured frown. “Me? You’re the one who exaggerates.”

“I only embellish a good story, dear. There’s a difference!”

How Tavia longed to have this kind of relationship with a man, but it never seemed to happen to her. She met few men as warm and friendly as Adam.

“Embellish? That’s what you call it?” Adam checked the traffic to his right and changed lanes before going on. “Okay, Tavia. Let me tell you about this woman. She actually stalked me from the first time she saw me.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it stalking.” Jewel settled herself back into the seat. “But I did think you were adorable, and I wanted to meet you.”

“I hate to brag,” Adam went on, “but I’m a pretty good ice skater. I’ve been skating since I was in junior high. Though I didn’t skate much during my first three years at college, the apartment I moved into at the end of my junior year was just down the street from a skating rink. I figured, rather than go to the student union and bowl or work out, skating would be a great way to get some exercise, and I started going every Friday and Saturday night. One Friday night, as I was skating along, doing some fancy footwork and minding my own business, this pretty gal skates right across in front of me and falls down!” He gave Jewel a wink. “So? What’s a gentleman supposed to do? I stopped to make sure she was okay, then helped her up. She’d skinned her knee a bit, so I took her arm and skated her to the front of the rink and offered to buy her a cup of hot cocoa.”

“I took him up on it immediately!”

Tavia had to laugh at the look on Jewel’s face as she spoke.

“Anyway,” he went on, “after she finished her cocoa, I asked the lady at the concession stand for a little bandage to put on her knee and helped her to where she’d left her jacket and shoes.”

“Then what?” This was like a Cinderella story and Tavia was eager to hear the rest.

“I have to admit she was pretty cute, so I hung around until she came back out onto the ice, then asked her to skate with me when the rink’s announcer called for a couples-only skate. She hung on to my arm like she was afraid she was going to fall down again, and she kept telling me what a wonderful skater I was.”

Tavia clapped her hands. “Oh, that’s such a sweet story.”

“Hey, that’s not all of it. She showed up at the rink again the next night and batted those baby blues at me. Of course, I asked her to skate again, and again she clung tightly to my arm. I figured she must have just started skating and I wanted to do everything I could to help her, so I put my arm around her as we skated, to help steady her. By the end of the evening, she had me under her spell. From that moment on, I never even looked at another girl.”

Tavia leaned forward, placing her hand on his shoulder. “That is such a romantic story, Adam. Thank you for telling it to me.”

Adam caught her reflection in the mirror. “Hey, there’s more.”

“There’s more?”

“Yes. Six months later, Jewel confessed to me she’d learned to skate when she was in high school! That woman had been stalking me for several weeks, trying to figure out a way to meet me, before she came up with that idea of falling down in front of me! She was nearly as good a skater as me!”

Tavia turned to Jewel and gasped. “You didn’t!”

“Oh, but I did, and it worked. Look what happened! I’m engaged to the guy!”

“You are both lucky to have found each other. Adam, I’m sure your parents are going to love Jewel when they finally get to meet her.”

“Adam has told me so much about them. I think his mother and I must be a lot alike. Even though Adam and his father hate rhubarb, she’s as crazy about it as I am. We both hate scary movies and cry at sad ones and we both love to read in bed. He says his mother always has a stack of romance novels on her nightstand, waiting to be read.” Jewel brushed a lock of hair from her face and anchored it behind one ear. “How about your family, Tavia? You said that man back there was your boyfriend. Or should I say a new acquaintance? I guess that means you’re not married.”

“No, I’m not.” Tavia stared out the window, the pain of her past as vivid as if it were yesterday. “I—I don’t have a family, either. My mom died of cancer when I was two. I don’t remember her at all.”

“Your father raised you?”

“My dad drank himself to death when I was seven. I was sent to live with an aunt and uncle I’d never met. They really didn’t want me. When I was sixteen, I ran away. I’ve been on my own ever since. End of sad story.”

Jewel’s eyes grew round. “And now this has happened to you? You poor thing! And I thought I had it bad, losing my parents like I did.”

Adam smiled over the seat at Tavia. “Sorry. I had no idea what you’ve gone through. I’m glad we stopped to help you.”

“Me, too,” Tavia responded, wondering what would have happened to her if this nice couple hadn’t come along.

“Adam’s going to be a doctor, like his father,” Jewel announced proudly, as if wanting to change the subject for their passenger’s sake. “Only he’s going to be an ob/gyn. His father specializes in dermatology.”

“A doctor? That’ll be nice,” Tavia answered, not exactly sure what an ob/gyn did. She cast an embarrassed glance over her shabby jeans and her simple print shirt—clothes she’d bought at the Goodwill store. Rich parents, a new SUV, beautiful clothes. A good future ahead of them. This nice couple has it made and what do I have? Nothing. Absolutely nothing but bills I can’t pay and a lousy job I’m about to lose.

Adam flipped on the turn signal and moved back into the inside lane. “I sure hope you’ll be able to get someone to come after you soon.”

“I hope so, too.” Although Tavia was grateful for the ride, she knew she had no choice but to try to hitch another lift into Denver from wherever they’d leave her off. There really wasn’t anyone to call. Not anyone she trusted to show up, and she certainly didn’t have any money for a motel. The waitress she worked with at the café had three kids to support and didn’t even have a car. The woman who lived next door to her was probably too drunk to answer the phone. Her landlord was even less trustworthy than the man who’d let her out on the roadside. Her boss at the video store where she worked part-time was already on the verge of firing her. She’d never call him.

“You do have someone to call, don’t you?” Jewel prodded, noticing her hesitation.

“Ah—yeah. I’ll just keep calling that woman I tried to reach on your cell phone until she gets home. You can just drop me off anywhere. I’ll be fine.”

Jewel took off her seat belt to pick up her purse from the floor. She pulled out a ten-dollar bill. “Here, take this. You’ll need money for the pay phone and to get a bite to eat while you’re waiting.”

Tavia ignored her offer and turned her head away. “No, I couldn’t. You’ve already done more for me than most people would.”

“I insist.”

“Yeah,” Adam chimed in, “go ahead and take it. You’ll need it.”

Tavia was tempted to reach for it. She really did need it, but pulled her hand away. “Only if you’ll let me mail it back to you when I get my next paycheck.”

Jewel reached the money out to her again. “I have a better idea. Next time you see someone in need, you give them a ten-dollar bill and we’ll call it square. Okay? You can even put it in the Salvation Army pot at Christmas if you’d rather.”

Tavia stared at the bill. No doubt there would be a long-distance charge if she could figure out someone to call. Smiling, she accepted it, folded it carefully and stuck it into her pocket.

Beck Brewster gave a big yawn as he leaned back in the seat and stretched first one long arm, then the other. He’d been on the road for nearly seven hours now and his back was beginning to feel it. He set the brake on his eighteen-wheeler, grabbed his coffee mug and climbed down from the cab.

Another eighteen-wheeler, much like his, pulled into the Colorado rest-stop parking lot and swung into the stall beside Beck’s. The driver gave him a wave, then shoved open his door and dropped down to the pavement. “Hiya, Brewster. Didn’t expect to run into you today. How goes it?”

“Hey, yourself, Matt. Where ya headed?”

The man shielded his eyes from the brilliant afternoon sun with one hand. “Littleton. Where you headed?”

Beck pulled a pack of gum from his pocket, took out a stick, and offered the pack to the man. “Headed back to Denver. Hope to drop my load and be in my own bed by ten o’clock tonight. Boy, I hate sleeping in motels. Don’t think I’ll ever get used to it. Of course, sleeping in the cab is even worse.”

“I’m having a bit of trouble with my windshield wipers.” Matt shook his head with a laugh as he gestured upward. “But from the looks of that cloudless sky, I don’t think it’ll be a problem to make it on into Littleton without them.”

Beck nodded and glanced skyward. “You’re probably right. Sure hope I make it okay.”

“Oh? Why?”

Beck placed his mug on the step and began examining the brake lines. “Nothing, I hope. I just have this strange feeling. I hate going through these mountains with a full load. I always worry about the brakes holding. And the noise those Jake brakes make gives me the willies. Guess I’m a natural worrier.”

“Bet you carry a rabbit’s foot, too.”

Beck shook his head. “I didn’t say I was superstitious, just a worrier. There’s a big difference.”

“Well, unfortunately, we have to depend on the guys who do the maintenance on these babies, but they seem to know their job. I sure wouldn’t be much help to them. I barely know a flywheel from a crankshaft,” Matt said. “I need to hit the walking trail and stretch my legs a bit before I leave. The old bones ain’t what they used to be, and I wanna rinse out my mug and get some pop from the pop machine.”

Beck gave the man a mock salute. “Then I’ll see you around. I’d wait until you’re ready to go and follow you on down but I wanna keep on schedule. Drive safe.”

“You, too. I’ll probably see you next week.”

“Yep. Catch you later.”

The two men shook hands, then Beck headed off.

“Boy, I hate driving through these mountains.”

Jewel smiled at Adam. “I’d offer to drive, but I know he wouldn’t let me.”

“Hey, even though I’ve driven this road all my life, I still worry about it.”

Jewel poked Adam’s ribs playfully. “I don’t know why. You’re a great driver.”

Adam gave her a boyish smile. “Keep that flattery coming!”

“Your ring is beautiful,” Tavia told Jewel as the woman relaxed her hand across the seat back. She’d never seen such a beautiful ring, or such large stones.

Jewel’s face beamed with pride. “It was Adam’s mother’s engagement ring. His dad bought her a new set for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. So when they learned we were engaged, they wanted me to have her engagement ring.”

“We’d planned to come home this past Christmas, but the day we were to leave Jewel came down with the flu and I had to come on and leave her behind. I knew it would kill my folks if I didn’t spend Christmas with them. I brought Mom’s ring back with me and gave it to her.”

“You’re so lucky to have found each other,” Tavia said sincerely as she looked from one to the other. They were a handsome couple, and it was obvious they adored one another. She’d never had anyone look at her the way Adam looked at Jewel. And she probably never would. The kind of guys she met were definitely not the romantic type. How had she ever let that creep talk her into going for a drive up in the mountains with him? She should’ve known he’d put the make on her. The crumb-bum. Well, she’d learned her lesson. Next time, she’d be more careful.

Jewel slipped the ring off her finger. “Wanna try it on?”

Tavia stared at her in amazement. “Me? Try on your ring? Goodness, no!”

“Oh, come on. It’ll make your hand look really pretty.”

Tavia backed away and folded her arms over her chest. “I couldn’t. With my luck, I might lose it or something.”

“In the car?” Jewel let out a chuckle. “Even if you dropped it, I’m sure we could find it! Here, try it on. I promise it’ll make you feel like a queen.”

“I—I don’t know—”

“Ah, go on,” Adam cajoled. “That stubborn woman of mine won’t give you a minute’s peace if you don’t try it on. She even had the maid who cleaned our rooms try that ring on.”

“Well—if you’re sure—” Tavia reached out, took the sparkling ring from Jewel’s hand and slipped it onto her finger, sure this was the closest she’d ever come to wearing such a beautiful and expensive ring.

Jewel gave her a big smile. “See? Didn’t I tell you?”

Tavia held out her hand, gazing at the huge stones. “Your engagement ring is the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. You’re right! It does make you feel like a queen.”

“You should have seen Adam propose.” Jewel jabbed at her fiancé’s shoulder. “He was so cute. He—”

“Hang on!” Adam’s face suddenly grew serious. “There’s a big eighteen-wheeler coming up fast behind us. I hope the guy’s smart enough not to try to pass us on this curve.”