Читать книгу Evening Hours - Mary Baxter Lynn - Страница 14

Edgar felt her eyes on him long before she shared her thoughts.

“You’ve really been preoccupied lately,” Rebecca Goolsby said. “Have I done something to offend you?”

“Of course not, honey.”

He stared at the woman sitting across from him at the Starbucks coffee shop near the Galleria. They had been an “item” for a while now, and he was quite taken with her. She wasn’t beautiful; she really wasn’t even pretty.

Her face was too square and her eyes were too far apart. But she had a sweetness and grace about her that had captured his heart. And her smile—how could he forget that? He couldn’t. When Rebecca smiled, it lit up her face and everything around it, which reminded him of Kaylee. She was blessed with that same gift.

Rebecca was the first woman he’d cared about since his wife died, and that had been a lifetime ago, or so it seemed. Kaylee had always been enough.

He couldn’t say when that had changed or even if it had. His daughter and her needs would always come first. He’d made that promise the day of the accident. But apparently time had dulled the pain and hurt enough so that he could now move forward.

While a relationship with a woman hadn’t been on his mind, Rebecca had simply snuck in the back door of his heart without his knowing it.

He had met her at one of Drew’s parties. She worked for a brokerage firm with whom his boss had done business. When Drew introduced them they had clicked right away. She was easy to be with, didn’t make demands, didn’t push. Most of all, she didn’t seem to resent his devotion to Kaylee.

“Was my question out of line?”

He forced his attention back to Rebecca. “You know better than that.”

“Do I?”

Edgar smiled, then reached across the table, took her hand and squeezed it. “You can ask me anything you want.”

“Only, you reserve the right not to answer.” She tempered her bluntness with a smile. “Right?”

He smiled back. “Right. But not this time. I was thinking about Kaylee.”

“Aren’t you always?” she said without rancor.

His smile spread into a grin. “Not always. You have a tendency to interfere.”

“Good,” she said with obvious pleasure. “Somehow I sense you’re concerned. Has something happened I don’t know about?”

“Possibly.”

“Really?”

Edgar ran a hand over his thinning hair and squinted his eyes. “And it’s a good thing, too, though I’m making it sound the opposite.” He paused. “Or at least I think it is.”

“Now you’ve really got me curious. What on earth is going on?”

“I think she’s interested in a man.”

Rebecca’s gray eyes widened. “Why, that’s wonderful. If the feeling’s mutual, that is.”

“Ah, that’s the kicker.”

“How about you start at the beginning and fill in all the blanks.”

Edgar told her about Kaylee’s encounter with the cowboy at the chamber function. “She didn’t know I was watching, of course.”

“Oh, honey, I think that’s wonderful, but just because she seemed interested doesn’t mean she really is.”

He was taken aback and didn’t bother to hide it. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Rebecca squeezed his hand again. “It means that Kaylee might’ve been charmed for the moment and that’s all.”

“You didn’t see her face,” Edgar responded, an obstinate set to his jaw.

“You’re right, I didn’t, which means I’m not qualified to make that call.”

“I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“You didn’t.” Rebecca paused and narrowed her eyes on him. “Where are you going with this? I know you have something up your sleeve.”

“I have to figure out a way to get the two of them together.”

“Who is he? Do you know?”

“When I first saw him, a niggling in the back of my mind told me I should know him. But for the life of me, I couldn’t place him.”

“Not then, maybe,” Rebecca said, harboring a smile, “but I bet you can now.”

“You bet right. His name is Cutler McFarland.”

Rebecca’s eyes widened. “The district attorney?”

“One and the same.”

“Wow.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“So tell me about him.”

“He’s not married. Right now that’s the most important thing.”

“Which you think gives you a green light to play matchmaker.”

Edgar leveled his gaze on her. “And you don’t?”

“That’s not—” She stopped midsentence and flashed him a sweet smile. “Tell me how I can help.”

“You look shell-shocked, boss lady.”

Kaylee shook her head to clear it, realizing Sandy had walked into the room and was staring at her out of puzzled eyes.

“What up?” Sandy asked when Kaylee didn’t respond right off.

“You’re not going to believe who I just talked to.”

“Mmm, that sounds interesting, especially since you’re still wearing that dazed look. So ante up. Who was it?”

Kaylee could barely contain her excitement. “Emily Austin.”

Sandy looked puzzled. “But you’ve talked to Emily before.”

“I know.” Kaylee’s grin consumed her features.

Sandy gestured with a hand. “You’re not making sense, girl. Tell me what she wanted.”

“She wants to fly down and meet with us.”

“And…” Sandy coaxed.

“I’m trying to keep a lid on my excitement, only you’re not helping.”

“Tell me what you’re trying to keep a lid on before I pee up one leg and down the other waiting.”

Kaylee rolled her eyes. “You’re crazy.”

“Details. Give me the details.”

“One of the French houses—she didn’t say which one—wants to do a show here. They hired Ford to spearhead it. Ergo, she wants our expertise and our models.”

“Oh, my gosh.”

“I know. It’s mind-boggling, isn’t it?”

“The purpose of the visit is to hash out the details.”

Kaylee blew out a breath. “I assume so.”

“What a coup.”

“I can’t help but wonder what made her tap us.”

Sandy made an unladylike snort. “You know the answer to that—we’re damn good. You’re damn good.”

“Sometimes I have my doubts, especially when I can’t seem to corral my girls.”

The fire went out of Sandy’s eyes. “I hate to put a damper on things, but now that you mention the girls—”

“Don’t tell me there’s been another uprising.”

“Not yet, but it’s brewing. I still don’t know what the hell is going on, but it’s ongoing, whatever it is.”

“Undercurrents, huh?”

“Oh, yeah. Big time.”

“Damn,” Kaylee muttered under her breath.

“But until one of them cracks, we won’t know.”

“If they mess up this deal with Ford, I’m going to personally strangle them. But I think they know that.”

“You’ll have to get behind me,” Sandy said through tight lips.

“Maybe by the time Emily gets here, whatever’s ailing them will be resolved.”

“I wish I could bet my booty on that.”

“Just keep me informed, okay?”

Sandy nodded.

“Do you have time to go over this mountain of photos?” Kaylee asked, switching the subject. “I feel like tossing them, but I’m afraid I might miss the next Cindy Crawford.”

“All the more reason to take a look-see.”

For the longest time they sorted through hundreds of photos from aspiring models. While the task appeared daunting, it wasn’t, as it took an expert only a split second to know whether the young face had potential or not.

“Sorry if I’m interrupting.”

Both women were so mired in the job at hand, they hadn’t realized they were no longer alone. But when Kaylee heard that low, sexy voice, her stomach bottomed out.

What was he doing here?

How had he gotten past the reception desk? Apparently Christy had stepped away to the restroom.

Sandy was the first to acknowledge Cutler, looking him over from head to toe. “May we help you?”

“Hope so,” he drawled, his gaze concentrated on Kaylee.

She managed to pull her scattered wits about her enough to properly introduce them.

Although Kaylee could see that curiosity was eating at her, Sandy held herself in check and peered at her watch. “Oops, I have a meeting. I’ll check in later.”

Once her assistant walked out, an awkward silence descended.

“Surprised to see me.” A flat statement.

Kaylee couldn’t bring herself to look Cutler in the eye for fear of what she would see there. Yesterday’s incident when he had deliberately turned and walked away as though repulsed by her lameness was too fresh in her mind.

She couldn’t bear to see that look, nor did she want to think about it. Why should she care what he thought?

Only, she did.

As though he could read her mind, he said, “Look at me, Kaylee.” A beat passed. “Please.”

Unwittingly she responded to the husky note in his voice and turned and faced him, but not before she lifted her chin a notch. That was when she noticed he had closed the distance between them. He was so close now that the clean smell of his cologne penetrated her senses.

Heady stuff.

Thank goodness an iron will and long years of keeping her emotions in check came to her rescue. She didn’t so much as move a muscle. She merely stood her ground.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?” She knew he could see through her stall tactic, but she didn’t care.

“Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”

“I didn’t think about it one way or the other.”

“Liar,” he whispered, his eyes delving deep into hers.

Kaylee’s breath stuck in her throat and for a moment she was indeed rattled.

“So how ’bout the truth?”

“Actually it’s none of your business,” she said without taking her eyes off him.

“What if I chose to make it my business?”

“Why would you do a fool thing like that?”

“Maybe because I find you damned attractive.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“Give me a chance and I’ll prove it.”

Her heart was going haywire. “How?”

“Have lunch with me.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Chicken.”

Her head bowed back. “It’s going to take more than lunch to convince me.”

“If that’s a challenge, then I’m more than up to it.”

“You have no idea what you’re getting into.”

“Did anyone ever tell you you talk too much?”

“Yes, but—”

His lips stopped her flow of words.