He took a cautious sip and waited, no longer sure where any of this was heading. She touched his arm in a gesture that felt annoyingly maternal. “I feel healthy again, and I owe that to you. Well, and to Krystal’s movie. But, Heath…” The tiny scatter of freckles on her forehead met as she frowned. “I can’t stand this feeling that I—I sort of used you.”
His coffee mug stalled midair. “Used me?”
“That’s what we need to talk about. I consider you a friend, in addition to being a client, and I don’t use my friends. At least I haven’t until now. I know it’s different with men—maybe you don’t feel taken advantage of. Maybe I’m making too big a deal out of this. But my conscience tells me I need to be totally honest about my motivations.”
He tensed. “By all means.”
“I needed someone safe who could help me reconnect with my body, someone I wasn’t emotionally involved with. So, of course, you were perfect.”
Not emotionally involved?
She nibbled at her bottom lip, beginning to look as though she’d rather be anywhere but here. “Tell me you’re not mad,” she said. “Oh, crap …I’m not going to let myself cry. But I feel so bad. You heard Kevin last night. I…” She gulped. “That whole other complication. What a mess, right?”
She’d thrown one more curveball. “Other complication?”
“You know.”
“Refresh my memory.”
“Don’t make me say it. It’s too embarrassing.”
“What’s a little embarrassment between friends?” he said tightly. “Since we’re being so honest.”
She gazed up at the ceiling, rolled her shoulders, looked down at the floor. Her voice grew small, almost timid. “You know…The tiny crush I have on Dean Robillard.”
The floor shifted beneath him.
She pressed her hands to her face. “Oh, God, I’m blushing. I’m awful, aren’t I, talking to you about this?”
“No, please.” He ground out the words. “Feel free.”
She dropped her hands and regarded him with all kinds of earnestness. “I know it probably won’t come to anything—this thing with Dean—but before last night, I didn’t even have the nerve to give it a chance. He’s obviously an experienced guy, and what was I going to do if the connection I felt wasn’t just in my imagination? What would I do if he was interested in me, too? I couldn’t cope with the sexual ramifications. But after what you did for me last night, I finally have the courage to at least give it a shot. If nothing comes of it, well, that’s life, but at least I’ll know it wasn’t my neurosis that held me back.”
“Are you saying…I was your icebreaker?”
Those honey-colored eyes darkened with concern. “Tell me that’s okay with you. I know your emotions weren’t involved, but, still, nobody likes to think they’ve been taken advantage of.”
He unclenched his teeth. “And that’s what you did? You took advantage of me?”
“I wasn’t, you know, picturing him in my mind last night when I was with you or anything. Well, maybe for a couple of seconds, but that’s all, I swear.”
He narrowed his eyes.
“So are we okay?” she asked.
He didn’t understand the smoldering mass of resentment growing in his chest, especially since she’d handed him a free pass. “I don’t know. Are we?”
She had the nerve to grin. “I think so. You look a little grouchy, but you don’t look like a man whose honor’s been violated. I shouldn’t have been so worried. For you, it was just sex, but for me it was this huge emancipation. Thanks, pal.”
She stuck out her hand, forcing him to set down his coffee mug to shake it or look like a dick. Then she hopped to her feet, threw her arms over her head, and uncurled her small body in a cat’s satisfied stretch that pulled up her T-shirt and displayed the small oval belly button he’d dipped the tip of his tongue into last night. “I’ll meet you at the gazebo.” Her expression clouded with earnestness. “And, Heath, I promise, if you have even the tiniest leftover resentment toward me, it’ll disappear by next week. This makes me even more determined to find you the perfect woman. Now, it’s not just business. It’s personal.”
Shooting him a blazing smile, she bounced away into the kitchen, only to pop her head back out. “Thanks. I mean it. I owe you one.”
Moments later the cottage door closed. He fell back on the pillow, set his coffee mug on his chest, and tried to take it in.
Annabelle had used him as a warm-up act for Robillard?
Chapter Fifteen
As Annabelle approached the gazebo, she saw Ron and Sharon ahead of her on the path, their arms around each other’s waists. She was still shaking, and her stomach felt like an acid swamp. She might not have been the best actress in Northwestern’s theater department, but she still knew how to pull off a scene. In front of her, Ron held the gazebo door open for Sharon. His other hand strayed to her bottom. No mystery what they’d been up to last night. Now all she had to do was make certain none of them got an inkling of what she’d been up to.
As she let herself in through the screen door, everybody called out greetings, and she’d never seen a more sleep-deprived, sexually satisfied group. Molly had a rosy mark on her neck that looked like beard burn, and from the smug expression on Darnell’s face, Charmaine didn’t deserve her reputation as a prude. Phoebe and Dan sat on a wicker couch sharing a single muffin. And instead of nagging Webster as she usually did, Krystal was cooing and calling him “Baby.” The only innocent faces belonged to Pippi, baby Danny, and Janine.
Annabelle turned her attention to the meal Molly had set out, even though she didn’t feel like eating. A sunny yellow pottery vase filled with zinnias sat in the center of a nutmeg-colored tablecloth displaying frosty pitchers of juice, a French toast casserole, a basket of homemade muffins, and the B&B’s specialty, baked oatmeal laced with brown sugar, cinnamon, and apples.
“Where’s Heath?” Kevin asked. “Never mind. On the phone.”
“He’ll be along,” she said. “He’s getting a late start. I’m not sure what time he got to sleep last night, but he was still awake when I went to bed.” As she headed for the buffet, she told herself the lie was an act of kindness, since the truth would have ruined more than a few breakfasts.
Janine, who was filling her plate, cast a disgruntled look at the gooey-eyed behavior going on behind her. “Tell me I’m not the only one feeling sexually deprived this morning.”
Annabelle sidestepped. “Krystal should have been more sensitive toward the two of us.”
“So we were wrong about you and Heath?”
Annabelle simply rolled her eyes. “You guys do love your drama.”
She and Janine settled into a pair of wicker chairs not far from the Tucker family. Annabelle was nibbling at the corner of her baked oatmeal square when Heath made his appearance. He wore khaki shorts and a Nike T-shirt. At least part of what she’d told him was true. She did feel as though she’d laid the ghost of Rob to rest. Unfortunately, another ghost had taken its place.
Pippi, who’d been swiping bits of banana from her baby brother’s high chair tray, flew across the gazebo and tackled Heath at the knees. “Pwinz!”
“Hey, kiddo.” Heath awkwardly patted her head, and one of her Daphne the Bunny barrettes slid to the end of a blond curl.
Phoebe frowned. “What’s she calling you?”
Annabelle slapped on her perkiest expression. “Prince. Isn’t that adorable?”
Phoebe lifted an eyebrow. Dan kissed the corner of his wife’s mouth, probably because he liked Heath and wanted to distract her. The three-year-old kept a firm grip on Heath’s legs as she looked over at her mother. “Want Pwinz to get me juice.” She gazed up at Heath. “I gotta stuffy nose.” She wrinkled it to make her point.
Molly, who was wiping a glob of banana from the limestone floor, waved vaguely toward the table. “The juice is over there.”
Pippi regarded him adoringly. “You gotta phone?”
Kev
in’s head shot up. “Don’t let her near your cell. She’s got a thing.”
Heath started to reply, but Webster interrupted. “Where are we going on our hike?”
Kevin took the messy bib from Molly. “The trail runs around the lake. I figured we’d do the section between here and town—close to six miles. Nice views. Troy and Amy volunteered to drive us back when we’re done.”
“They’re watching the kids,” Molly said.
Troy and Amy were the young couple who ran the campground. Pippi patted Heath’s bare leg. “Juice please.”
“One juice coming up.” Heath headed to the buffet table, filled a big glass all the way to the top, and gave it to her. She took half a sip, handed it back without spilling more than a few drops, and grinned. “I got moves.”
This time Heath’s mouth curled in genuine amusement. “Yeah?”
“Watch.” She dropped to the sisal rug and did a somersault.
“Cool.” Heath gave her a thumbs-up.
“Daddy says I’m cool, too.”
Kevin smiled. “Come here, pumpkin. Leave Prince Man alone until he’s had his breakfast.”
“Good idea,” Phoebe whispered. “That werewolf thing could happen at any minute.”
Ignoring her, Heath took a sip from Pippi’s juice glass. “So what time does the hike start?”
“As soon as we get our act together,” Kevin replied.
Heath set down the glass and scooped up some of the French toast casserole. He said, a little too casually, “I was planning to take off for Detroit right after breakfast, but this sounds too good to pass up.”
Annabelle took a dismal stab at her oatmeal square. She’d barely managed to get through her big scene this morning. How was she going to stay perky for a six-mile hike?
As it turned out, they were mostly separated. Annabelle tried to decide whether that was good or bad. Although she didn’t have to keep pretending, she also couldn’t be absolutely sure he’d bought her act this morning.
When they returned to the campground, Pippi threw herself at her parents as though she hadn’t seen them in years. Kevin distracted her so Molly could nurse Danny, and Molly snuggled up with the baby in the gazebo’s wicker rocker. Danny wanted to look around, and he batted away the faded receiving blanket she’d tossed over her shoulder for modesty.
“Could I have just a little privacy here, dude?” She cupped her hand around his small head.
Annabelle took a gulp from her iced tea glass. Molly deserved everything good that had happened to her, and Annabelle didn’t begrudge her any of it, but she wanted those things, too: a great marriage, beautiful children, a fabulous career. Heath took a seat next to her on the glider. Since he was leaving soon, he’d opted for iced tea with the women instead of beer with the men.
“A bee!” Pippi exclaimed, pointing at the floor. “Look, Pwinz, a bee!”
“It’s an ant, honey,” her father said.
The men began talking about training camp, and Janine announced that she wanted to run an idea for a scene in her new book past the women. Danny finished his snack, and Molly set him on the floor to play. She’d just finished putting her clothes back together when a too familiar voice chirped from the path outside the gazebo. “There you all are.”
Annabelle froze.
Everyone turned to watch through the screen as a tall, lovely, pregnant woman come toward them.
Annabelle couldn’t believe it. Not now. Not while she was still trying to cope with last night’s disaster.
“Gwen?” Krystal’s face split in a smile. She jumped to her feet as the door opened, and the rest of them followed.
“Gwen! What are you doing here?”
“We thought you couldn’t come.”
“We’re leaving today. Why did you wait till so late?”
“You’re finally wearing maternity clothes.”
And then, one by one, the women fell silent as the implications of Gwen’s appearance hit them. Molly looked stricken. She turned to gaze at Annabelle, then at Heath. The other women were only a few beats behind. Dan’s calculating expression indicated that Phoebe had told him about Annabelle’s scam, but the rest of the men were oblivious.
Kevin snatched up his beer as Pippi made a grab for it. “Gwen called me yesterday to make sure we had room,” he said with a grin. “She wanted to surprise you.”
And did she ever.
“Where’s your husband?” Webster asked.
“He’ll be along in a second.” With the women surrounding her, Gwen still hadn’t spotted Heath, who’d come slowly to his feet. “Our closing got postponed,” she said, accepting the glass of iced tea Sharon handed her. Annabelle was too queasy to take in much of her explanation—something about a problem with the bank, their furniture going into short-term storage, and a week to kill before they could move in.
“Hey, guys.” Ian stepped into the gazebo. He wore wrinkled plaid shorts and a Dell Computer T-shirt. The men called out greetings. Darnell slapped him on the back, sending him pitching into Kevin, who clasped him around the shoulders.
“You haven’t met my agent yet.” Kevin drew him past the women. “Ian, this is Heath Champion.”
Ian’s extended arm froze. Gwen drew in a quick breath, and her hand shot to her rounding stomach. She stared, first at Heath, then at Annabelle.
Annabelle managed a weak smile. “Busted.”
Heath shook Ian’s stalled hand without giving anything away, but Annabelle knew sudden death when she saw it.
“Nice to meet you, Ian,” he said. “And, Gwen…Good to see you again.” He nodded in the general direction of her stomach. “Fast work. Congratulations.”
Gwen simply swallowed. Annabelle felt Heath’s fingers coil around her upper arm. “Would you excuse us? Annabelle and I need to talk.”
Just like that, the book club sprang into action. “No!”
“Don’t move!”
“You’re not taking her anywhere.”
“Forget it.”
Heath’s expression was a cluster bomb about to detonate. “I’m afraid I’ll have to insist.”
Kevin looked puzzled. “What’s going on?”
“Business.” Heath marched Annabelle toward the screen door. If she’d tossed a sweater over her head, it would have been a bona fide perp walk.
Molly shot ahead of them. “I’m coming with you.”
“No,” Heath said flatly. “You’re not.”
Krystal shot Phoebe a frantic look. “You scare everybody in the NFL. Do something?”
“I’m thinking.”
“I know…” Molly grabbed her daughter and thrust her toward Annabelle. “Take Pip with you.”
“Molly!” Phoebe shot forward in outrage.
Molly regarded her sister helplessly. “How rough can he get if he has a three-year-old watching?”
Phoebe snatched her niece out of harm’s way. “Never mind, sweetheart. Mommy’s having one of her crazy spells.”
Gwen made a faint, fluttery motion with her hand. “Annabelle, I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
Annabelle managed a shrug. “Not your problem. I brought this on myself.”
“Exactly,” Heath said. And then he steered her out the door.
They walked without speaking for several minutes. Finally they reached a grove of trees, and that was where he turned on her. “You conned me.”
More than once if she counted this morning, but she hoped he hadn’t figured that out. “I needed a sure bet to get you to sign the contract, and Gwen was the best I had. I promise, I was going to tell you the truth sooner or later. I hadn’t worked up the nerve.”
“Now there’s a surprise.” Those cold green eyes could have cut glass. “Bait and switch.”
“I—I’m afraid so.”
“How did you get the husband to go along with it?”
“A—uh—year of free babysitting.”
A blade of wind cut through the clearing, ruffling his hair. He stared at her for so long her skin st
arted to itch. She thought of all she’d put herself through this morning…For nothing.
“You conned me,” he said again, almost as if he were still trying to take it in.
Apprehension knotted her stomach. “I couldn’t see another way.”
A bird shrieked overhead. Another screeched in response. And then the edges of his mouth crinkled. “Way to go, Tinker Bell. This is exactly what I’ve been talking about.”
Just because Heath approved of Annabelle’s scam didn’t mean that she escaped a lecture about business ethics. She defended herself by saying, truthfully, that it wouldn’t have occurred to her to do something so dishonorable to any other client.
He was only partially satisfied. “Once you start flirting with the dark side, it’s hard to turn back.”
And didn’t she just know it.
Kevin eventually popped through the trees. “Oh, good,” he said as he spotted Annabelle. “I told Molly you’d probably still be alive.”
She stayed at Kevin’s side as they all walked back to the gazebo. Shortly after that, Heath took off. As he left, she found herself thinking that this deception crap was getting old. How would Heath have reacted if she’d been honest? Right. Like that wouldn’t have been a recipe for destroying everything from her self-esteem to her professional dreams. But she was sick of deceit. She wanted to make love with someone she didn’t have secrets from, someone she could build a future with. And didn’t that just say it all. This was about chemistry. It had nothing to do with an eternal meeting of kindred souls.
Chapter Sixteen
Portia hit the Enter key on her office computer to sort the data file. This time she’d searched by hair color, which was stupid because hair color could change from one week to the next, but surely someone lurked in her data bank whom she’d missed, someone who’d be perfect for Heath, and she kept envisioning a blonde. She winced as the aggressive whine of a power saw cut through the Sunday afternoon quiet. Non-union laborers were remodeling the office overhead, and the intrusion grated at her already frayed nerves.
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