by Sharon Sala
He grinned. “You better. Them’s fightin’ words.”
“No fighting…just loving,” Honor whispered. Her mouth found his chest.
“Wait, sweetheart,” he cautioned. “Don’t start anything that I can’t finish. If you’re staying here, then I have to catch a plane to D.C. tonight. If I don’t, your grandfather’s business will go straight to hell. His accident and my absence have severely weakened the core of the company’s reputation.”
Honor sighed and lay back on the bed. She stared solemnly at the look of promise in his eyes and the words of promise on his lips. He’d asked. She’d been the one to say that she would stay. For the moment, it was all she could do.
“I’m staying,” she said quietly. “But when will you be back?”
“I don’t know for certain,” he said, as he rolled from the bed and began to dress. “But as soon as I get to my hotel I’ll give you a call and leave my number. I don’t want you to go through any more incidents like today alone.”
Honor watched a hard, secretive expression come and go on his face and wondered what he’d said to Erin and Hastings as he continued.
“I doubt if you’ll have any more trouble. But just in case…” He bent down, pressed a hard, swift kiss on her pouting lips, and promised, “All you have to do is call. I’ll be here. Remember what I said? What I take…I don’t let go…ever.”
Then he was gone and Honor was left with his promise on her lips and a lilt in her heart.
* * *
Honor headed for the kitchen to make a foray through Trudy’s larder. After Trace had come, she’d lost track of time. She glanced nervously at her wristwatch and knew that her grandfather would be arriving soon. She’d promised Trudy she would take care of him. Honor believed in keeping promises. She just didn’t know that she would be so quickly tested when J. J. brought Erin and Hastings home with him.
She found them waiting for her arrival in the library and watched with amusement as they all turned in unison at her entrance. It was obvious that they’d come only under duress.
Erin looked away as Honor entered and Hastings busied himself with pouring a glass of wine. She struggled with the urge to call out At Ease, and then decided silence would be a wiser course of action. She would let them do all the talking. She was curious as to just what they could possibly say that would make this evening even passable.
J. J. hurried to Honor’s side as he spoke. “My dear, are you all right?’ His voice was anxious, his eyes filled with concern.
Honor surprised them all by choosing to ignore the day’s events. After what had happened between her and Trace, she was hard-pressed to feel bitter about anything.
“Of course,” she said. “But I can’t say the same for Trudy. I just put her on a plane to Denver. Her sister has been in an accident. She’ll call later.”
J. J.’s bushy eyebrows rose in arched surprise. This wasn’t exactly what he’d expected Honor to say. He’d expected anger, a sense of betrayal from what was supposed to be her newfound family, even fear. But this blasé attitude about herself and her genuine concern for his housekeeper floored him.
“Well, I’ll say!” he muttered. “Too bad about her sister. I suppose I’ll have to call one of those temporary services and get some help until she returns.”
“Only for the cleaning,” Honor said. “I’ll do the cooking. It’s no big deal.”
Erin felt her stomach twist into a tighter knot of dismay. This would only put Honor in greater standing with her father. And after the dressing down she and Hastings had taken today, she could only stand back and allow it to happen. Erin was selfish and jealous, but she wasn’t a fool. She’d nearly gone past the bounds of her father’s forgiveness and that was something she couldn’t face. No matter what anyone else thought about Erin Malone’s tough, hard-nosed attitude, she still craved her father’s love and approval.
“Are we having company for supper…I mean, dinner?” Honor asked, and then looked pointedly at the pair standing in guilty silence beside J. J.
“That’s entirely up to you, my dear,” J. J. growled. “These two have something to say to you. And then if you want, they will be on their way. I think we’ve all pushed the limits of your patience and endurance for one day.”
Honor turned and waited. She wouldn’t make this easy for them. They didn’t deserve it. Erin was the first to speak. And when she did, Honor had the strangest sensation that even though the apology was grudging, it was sincere.
“I’m sorry, Honor,” she said, and looked at her father with a lost, almost childlike expression on her face.
He nodded for her to continue.
“What I did today was spiteful and hateful, and I can honestly say that I wish it had never happened.”
“Absolutely,” Hastings echoed, while looking at his fiancée with a sinking heart.
It was obvious to him that Erin would probably take no further part in antagonizing Honor. He stifled a snort of disgust and pasted his benign, lawyer face on for the assembled company. As far as they were concerned, he was just a spineless puppet for Erin Malone’s whims and fancies.
Little did they know that he harbored and fostered a very cunning, devious personality that yearned for the money and power that belonged to J. J. Malone. He’d been the one to manipulate Erin into calling the press and she didn’t even realize it. He wasn’t finished yet. There were other ways and other people that could help him reach the goals he had set for himself.
“Okay,” Honor said. “If there’s going to be two more for dinner, I’ll add water to the soup.” She headed toward the kitchen. “I’ll call you when it’s ready. Try to be nice to each other.”
The evening went better than any of them could have dreamed. Erin didn’t want to admit it, but if she gave this young woman half a chance, she’d probably like her.
Honor was courteous but kept her opinions of Erin’s sincerity to herself. She’d given her the benefit of the doubt once, and it had been spit back in her face. She would be slow to trust again.
* * *
All the way to Washington, D.C., Trace struggled with his conscience and his heart. He knew he had tremendous responsibilities toward Malone Industries, but his heart told him he was doing the wrong thing. He should have stayed in Colorado with Honor. Every instinct had told him that her troubles weren’t over. The incident at the restaurant hadn’t been life-threatening, but the undertones had been more than malicious. Someone was setting out to cause her as much mental stress as possible. He knew all the facts pointed to Erin Malone and her intense desire to be number one in her father’s eyes. But this wasn’t quite what he would have expected Erin to instigate.
His thoughts kept jumping from one family member to another. Who else besides Erin had anything to lose if Honor became an important member of J. J. Malone’s family again? Father Andrew was virtually out of the picture. His life and his world were the church. By choice, he’d have it no other way. That only left Erin. But this stunt had merely made her look bad in her father’s eyes, and Erin was smarter than that. She would have chosen another method that wouldn’t implicate her so quickly.
Who did that leave? Trace wondered. There were no other family members, not unless one wanted to count Erin’s fiancé. Trace started to dismiss that thought out of hand when something made him stop and take a harder look at this incident. Just what would Hastings Lawrence have to gain if Honor O’Brien had never been found?
A thoughtful expression darkened Trace’s eyes. He ran his fingers through his hair and down the back of his neck, twisting at a knotted muscle just below his collar. He had a feeling that he’d better finish his business in D.C. as quickly as possible. Something told him that Honor might be facing more than the press before this was over.
He heard the pilot announcing their arrival and quickly buckled his seat belt. He was suddenly very anxious to get off the plane and to a telephone. He needed to hear Honor’s voice.
Chapter 8
After
Trudy’s abrupt leave-taking and yesterday’s events, J. J. would not hear of Honor staying at the mansion alone. So after a quick breakfast, they both departed for Malone Industries and missed Trace’s phone call.
Trace frowned, hanging up after letting it ring for nearly a minute, and grabbed his briefcase. He would be late for his first meeting but was desperate for word of Honor’s well-being. After what they had shared yesterday, he was overwhelmed by the immensity of his love for her. The distance that was between them now was nearly impossible to bear.
He caught the hotel elevator on its way down, squirmed himself in beside the people who were tightly packed into the tiny interior, and swallowed his frustration.
The elevator reached the ground floor, spit out its load into the hotel lobby, and then started back up for more of the same. Everyone who’d just exited the elevators was now racing toward the front doors, competing for the cabs that were lined up for possible fares. Now Trace had little time to dwell on what was going on back home. Trying to get a cab at this time of day was something like being in the front line of the Boston Marathon. You could see daylight in front of you, it was what was behind you that made you worry.
Finally he succeeded and barked out his destination. His day had started in turmoil; he just prayed that it would end on a happier note. He would find some time later in the day and try calling again. Honor O’Brien was making him crazy.
* * *
Irene was pleased to see J. J. bringing his granddaughter to work with him. She yearned for a chance to get to know her better. Megan, J. J.’s wife, had been a good friend of hers. Looking at Honor was like looking at Megan all over again. She quickly volunteered to be Honor’s guide through the building. They left J. J. with a cup of steaming hot coffee and one of his favorite sweet rolls.
The morning passed quickly. All too soon it was time to break for lunch. Honor had qualms about going out into the public eye again. But J. J. solved that problem with a suggestion to eat in the company cafeteria.
Irene rolled her eyes and made a delicate but sarcastic comment as they started out the door.
“I’ll have the Alka-Seltzer ready when you two return. I’d rather skip lunch than face that buffet of instant heart disease.”
J. J. frowned and made a face as they exited the office. Once he made a decision, it was next to impossible to deter him from his goal. And his goal was saving his granddaughter from any more harassment. At least he knew they’d be safe within the confines of his own building.
Irene pulled her sack lunch from a drawer and began to eat. The phone rang. She swallowed hastily and mumbled her response.
“Malone Industries, J. J. Malone’s office. How may I help you?”
“Irene? Is that you?” Trace asked. She sounded strange.
“Oh! Mr. Logan. Yes, it’s me. I was just having a bit of lunch. You just missed Mr. Malone. He and his granddaughter have gone to get something to eat.”
Trace sighed with relief. Now he knew where Honor was.
“Will you tell them I called, give Honor this number,” he said, and then hesitated before he added, “And tell her I love her.”
“Sir?” Irene questioned.
“Just write it down.”
“Yes, sir!” Irene smiled to herself.
She jotted down the message, underlining the part about loving, and finished her lunch. Several more phone calls came in and she gathered the stack of messages, along with J. J.’s mail, and put them on his desk.
“Irene!” Hastings Lawrence called, as he stuck his head into the office door. “Has J. J. returned from lunch? I’ve some papers he needs to read.”
“No, but I expect him soon.”
“Well, if you don’t mind, I’ll just wait in his office. They’re important and there’s a deadline on getting them signed.”
Irene nodded her approval. It was common practice between J. J. and his lawyer. She had no reason to refuse the man. But she’d been unaware of the seriousness of the conflict between the two yesterday. Letting the lawyer into the office played an innocent part in the loss of contact between Trace and Honor.
Hastings walked around J. J.’s desk, playing an imaginary game with himself that this was his office and his company. As he laid his papers on J. J.’s desk, he noticed the stack of phone messages atop the mail.
Trace Logan’s name caught his attention. With no qualms of the propriety of snooping, he took the message, read it and, erupted in fury. He loved her? The bastard was confident enough of his position to have it written down for all to see? He felt the ground tilting beneath him. Time continued to slip away and take Hastings’s safety with it.
He heard voices, knew J. J. was returning from lunch, and hurried around the desk. He quickly took his seat opposite J. J.’s chair and sat waiting for his boss with an innocent, expectant expression on his face.
When Honor walked in with J. J., he nearly lost his composure. Only years of suppressing his true thoughts stood him in good stead. No one, not even Honor, knew how surprised he was to see them together.
He’s teaching her the business. Erin was right! He was going to put this woman in the company.
If his panicked thoughts were correct, his chances for promotions just took a nosedive. And then rationale took over, and he silently admitted to himself that it wouldn’t matter if he married Erin Malone tomorrow. None of this mattered if he couldn’t stop the audit. He’d not only be out of business, he’d be incarcerated for more years than he cared to imagine.
His mind whirled. He had to find a way to stop this audit! There would be no reason to stop it unless he could cause some sort of rift between J. J. and this damn Amazon claiming to be his granddaughter. He knew that was virtually impossible. And he shuddered thinking about the threat Trace Logan had left ringing in his ears.
Hastings didn’t have the guts to flaunt the physical threat. But he had to do something. If he couldn’t cause trouble between these two, maybe there was another way. He wasn’t ready to admit defeat.
J. J. frowned as he saw his lawyer waiting inside his office. He was still angry about Hastings’s part in what he considered a betrayal of loyalties. But the lawyer’s bland demeanor and the reason for his presence quickly made J. J. forget his anger.
It was business as usual. Honor took the opportunity to escape into Trace’s office, away from Has tings’s shifty eyes. She didn’t like him. And from their first meeting, hadn’t trusted him.
She closed the connecting door and walked over to the long leather couch against the wall of Trace’s office. The scent of his aftershave was faint, but lingered enough on the furnishings and one of his jackets to give Honor a sense of his presence. It was enough to make her long for his deep, gentle voice, that sexy mouth that twisted into a heartbreaking smile whenever he saw her, and feel the comfort of being held securely within his tender strength. Yesterday flooded her memory. The emotions that he had pulled from within her. The depth of commitment they had shared.
She walked over to the coat rack, took down his jacket, slid her arms inside the sleeves and wrapped all that she had of Trace Logan around her. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, remembering.
Her heartbeat accelerated and then skipped a beat as she saw the huge, overstuffed leather couch against the wall. She could imagine Trace’s long length stretched out on that piece of furniture. She tried not to imagine herself beneath him.
Her eyes burned, her heart ached, but there was no tall, dark man with chocolate-chip eyes to take away her loneliness. She knew it had been her choice to stay. She sighed and remonstrated herself. Feeling pitiful is not your style, Honor, my girl.
She sank onto the leather cushions, pulled Trace’s jacket tighter around her, and stretched full-length along the couch. She told herself she’d only rest a minute; maybe close her eyes just until they quit burning. But the minute stretched into several and then into an hour.
When J. J. finally had time to miss her, he found her sound asleep in Trace’s
office. He quietly closed the door and let her sleep. As long as he knew where she was, she could do any damn thing she pleased. He was overwhelmed with the joy of knowing that he had Johnny’s daughter back. He gave instructions to his secretary to hold all the phone calls and then went back to work.
It was late afternoon when Honor awoke and, soon after, accompanied her grandfather home. She wondered about the absence of Trace’s promised phone call, but her confidence in their love gave her no reason to worry. When he found time, he’d call.
This was the order of their routine for the next couple of days. It wasn’t until the third day after she’d started accompanying her grandfather to the office that she realized the harassment had started again. But in a way she would never have expected.
* * *
“Irene…Hastings just called. He needs those contracts you were working on. Are you finished with them? I told him Honor would bring them down to legal.”
J. J. was all business now that Trace was gone. He’d forgotten just how much of the workload Trace had assumed until he was no longer there to take it.
Honor had willingly offered to run errands for Irene. It was the least she could do under the circumstances. J. J. still wouldn’t let her stay home alone, and Trudy wasn’t due back until the weekend. She was bored to tears at the office, concerned by the absence of contact between her and Trace, and gladly welcomed anything she could do to make the day pass quicker.
Irene nodded, gathered the papers scattered on her desk, and handed them to Honor. “Just give them to anyone in the front office. They’ll see that he gets them,” Irene said. She’d picked up instantly on Honor’s dislike of Hastings Lawrence.
Honor smiled and started out the door. This was nothing she hadn’t done many times during the past few days. So she was more than surprised when she entered the elevator, pushed the button for the correct floor, waited for the car to move, and it didn’t! When nothing happened, she pushed the button again. This time the car started to move, and Honor sighed with relief.