Seth gaped. “You’re done already?”
“Piece of cake. No pun intended.”
Now and then, through the rest of the day, she caught him staring at her, which was so rewarding, as if he couldn’t quite believe she had managed to carry out his orders.
The trip went without a hitch. Tessa stepped in to organize getting everyone to the church on time, enjoying being able to watch Anna’s baby girl, Becca. After Seth sat next to her during the ceremony, she couldn’t stop a little wishful thinking. What would he be like as a father? In her heart of hearts, she already knew the answer. She saw how he was with her brother, how he put Zach at his ease and explained things to the boy with a patience that would have surprised anyone who knew him from Barrett. Yes, Seth would make someone a wonderful husband, but it would not be her. Pedigree or no pedigree, money married money, and that was one thing she didn’t have.
Unless she counted the cash that had appeared in her bank account. The problem nagged at the back of her mind all day. She’d hoped for a moment to call the bank, but so far that hadn’t happened. She’d discovered the snafu as she’d done her monthly bills and balanced her checkbook before logging online to verify that it jived with her actual balance. She’d sent the bank an email, but that late at night, all she’d gotten in response was the standard form reply that someone would look into it.
Now, with Seth’s sister getting married and both he and Brandon in high spirits, Tessa didn’t want to think about it, let alone mention it. Some way, somehow, a very large amount of cash had appeared in her checking account. Money that should not be there, was there, and she would have to figure out where it had come from. She didn’t play the lottery, and her luck had been pretty spotty, so it was doubtful the money belonged there. It made her nervous, but until she could get the bank on the line, there was little she could do.
By the end of the day, as they got ready to return to DC, Tessa began to feel some of the fatigue that plagued her most often in the evenings. She hadn’t been sleeping well since the elevator incident, but she suspected the stress of all the recent upheavals with a job change, the custody hearing and a nagging uncertainty over what was going on with Seth were threatening to overwhelm her. The foul up in her bank account was one more stressor she could do without.
Tessa stumbled as she prepared to get on the jet, and Brandon caught her arm.
“You okay?” He glared at his older brother. “Are you trying to work this girl to death, bro? She looks beat.”
Seth helped her into the jet and to a seat near the window, his brow furrowed with concern.
“Tessa, are you feeling okay?”
“Just tired.” As he took the seat across from her, he continued to frown at her, until Tessa felt like she needed to add something. “I haven’t been sleeping well, and I’ve been busy trying to get Zach ready for camp. It’s nothing. Really.”
“Take tomorrow and Friday off.”
“There’s no need–”
Seth cut her off. “It will give you a chance to get Zach set for camp and, Tessa?”
She looked at him, weariness dragging at her.
“I’ll come by and pick you and Zach up Friday, and then I want to take you to the beach house for the weekend. Will you come?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to pour everything into his lap, but she held back and pushed the matter of her bank account out of her mind, along with any of the doubts she still had. Seth, the man she found incredibly attractive, was inviting her to spend a weekend in a beach house with him. What was wrong in that? He’d already told her there were no strings attached. She knew he meant it. If there was one thing she knew about him since coming to work at Barrett, it was that Seth was honest. He demanded it of himself and those who surrounded him.
Tessa nodded and his frown disappeared. It was amazing what a sense of relief she felt. As the whine of the jet’s engines intensified before they started down the runway, Tessa leaned her head back and stared out the window. After the initial pressure of taking off, the jet climbed to its cruising altitude. Tessa’s eyes drooped and she quit fighting her need for sleep.
* * * *
As Tessa dozed on the way home, Seth frowned. She did look washed out and faint circles even makeup could no longer disguise lay under her eyes. He felt like a heel. She was always so efficient, it was easy to keep driving her at the same pace he drove himself. But on top of work, she also had the care of her little brother, and he suspected that could be draining more often than not. He knew firsthand how high-energy Zach was. It would take a lot out of a mother and a father, but here she was at twenty-four playing both roles. Difficult enough with a regular kid, but Zach’s special needs would make it even tougher.
Seth rubbed his hand over the center of his chest. She was too young and too fragile to be taking on so much by herself. And he could imagine how well that idea would go over if he ever mentioned it to her.
They landed less than an hour later. Tessa had slept the whole time, only stirring as they touched the ground, but she was still not quite awake. Seth loved the way her cheeks flushed in sleep, and the slight confusion in her expression when she awoke, then dozed off again.
Brandon glanced at the two of them with a faint grin, and Seth frowned at him.
“I’ll see you later,” his brother called as he ducked out the doorway.
“Hmm.” Seth acknowledged him, his attention still on Tessa. He wished he could let her sleep. “Tessa,” he murmured. “Sweetheart, wake up.” The endearment slipped out so he was barely aware he’d even used it, but it felt right.
Her eyes fluttered open once more, and she turned her head. Awareness returned, this time all the way. She smoothed her hair back and unbuckled her seatbelt.
“I’m sorry. You should have awakened me sooner.”
“We’ve just arrived. Don’t worry about it.” Seth held out his hand. “Come on, I’ll run you home, and I meant what I said. Take tomorrow and Friday off.”
Tessa smiled. “Thanks. I guess I could use a break.”
As they pulled up in front of her apartment, Seth turned his head and caught her watching him. The expression on her face made his cock stir. God, he wanted her, but he’d screwed it up so much in Chicago. She swallowed and blushed, sending his desire that much higher knowing she also felt something.
“What time do I need to come get you and Zach Friday?” His voice was a little hoarse.
“Noon. They leave from his new school by bus at one.”
“If you’ll have your things packed, we can go on to the beach house after his bus leaves.”
“All right.”
He came around to help her out of the SUV. When he’d handed her down, he caught hold of her wrist, ducked his head and brushed her lips with his. He wanted so much more than that, but didn’t dare. Not yet.
“What was that for?” she whispered, her eyes wide.
Seth stroked her cheek. “Thanks. For your help. It meant a lot to Anna…and me.”
She nodded. “I’ll see you Friday.”
Seth leaned against the SUV as she hurried up the sidewalk and through the door. A weekend. It was more than he’d dare hope. Now all he needed to do was convince her he was interested in more than a romp in bed. As he walked back around the Escalade, he asked himself what he was interested in–a relationship for sure, but more permanent than that he couldn’t wrap his mind around yet. Moreover, he wasn’t sure Tessa would be able to either.
Chapter 8
As impatient as she was to have Zach’s last minute camp list out of the way, Tessa waited to do anything until she could get hold of someone from her bank. She could find no actual deposit to her account, just a balance that read ten thousand dollars more than it should. She was past the initial heart failure stage, now she was anxious to get it straightened out, but the bank was little help.
“I’m sorry, Miss Edwards. We’re doing what we can, but so far we haven’t been able to track where the money came from…or w
here it should be.”
“Can’t you move it out of my account?”
“Until we can locate the exact source of the money, no. If it turned out to be a computer glitch of some sort, then your account would be overdrawn to the tune of ten thousand dollars.”
Tessa pressed her lips together in irritation. “Fine, but I need some reassurance that this will be taken care of as quickly as possible.”
“We are working on it. I can assure you of that.”
She hung up to see Zach standing right behind her.
“Get your clothes on, bud.” She gave him a bright smile. This was her problem. Not his. “Let’s go get your stuff for camp.”
Thursday passed faster than Tessa would have thought. After rushing around all morning, the afternoon was spent packing. Tessa made sure everything was labeled and stowed so it would be easy for him to find without having to tear his whole trunk apart–though that would happen anyway. She included some snacks and a double amount of sunscreen, knowing how Zach needed to keep from getting fried to a freckled crisp.
Friday morning she took him out to breakfast. He loaded up on his favorite, pancakes smothered in butter and syrup. It was almost enough to make Tessa, who was not a big breakfast-eater, gag. She sipped coffee and munched buttered toast as she ran back down the list of things he was supposed to have.
“Don’t forget to turn over your medication to the camp counselor,” Tessa reminded him. “I put it in a plastic bag, along with written instructions.”
“Tess,” Zach said around a mouthful of food, “I’m not a little kid anymore. I can remember that.”
Tessa smiled at him. “Sorry. Oh, and Zach?”
“What?” he asked in exasperation.
“Have fun.” Tessa grinned at him.
He beamed, his tension gone. “I will. I can’t wait to show Seth how well I can sail when I get back.”
The man in question showed up promptly at noon. As Tessa double-checked that the windows were locked, the Escalade eased up to the curb. Her bag was already sitting at the top of the steps, and Zach was pulling his trunk onto the porch.
“Seth!” Zach shouted.
After locking the door, she hovered in the dimness of the hall. What was she doing? This was her boss she was getting ready to join for the weekend. Seth was still dressed in the suit he’d worn to work that morning, a deep charcoal gray with a thin burgundy pinstripe. Knowing he would still be dressed for the office, she had worn a slim-fitting sundress and sandals rather than the hip-hugger shorts and t-shirt she would have donned had she been running Zach to camp and then coming back home. There was still time to back out. But as she watched the sun glint off his hair and the grin he shared with Zach, her nervousness decreased, and she stepped outside. Boss or not, this man liked her brother, and how cool was that?
He opened up the back of the Escalade before coming up the sidewalk.
“Tessa.” He nodded at her and glanced at Zach. “Hey, buddy, ready for camp?”
“Oh yeah!”
“Grab one end of your trunk, then. I’ll get the other and we can get it out to the car.” Once the trunk was loaded, Seth gave Zach instructions to get in and buckle his seatbelt while he grabbed Tessa’s bag with his free hand. Zach adjusted the belt as Seth came back to the passenger side to open the door for Tessa.
“You look beautiful,” he murmured for her ears alone as he held out his hand to help her in.
Tessa smiled at him. “You don’t look bad yourself.”
His gaze held hers for a moment. “Is your bag a sign that you haven’t changed your mind about the weekend?”
“I haven’t changed my mind, Seth.”
His lean face relaxed, and this time his smile was wide enough to show his dimples. His eyes twinkled, the faint creases at the corners adding character rather than age. Her heart beat a little heavier. Like this, he was hard to resist. And did she even want to?
“I’m glad.” His quiet murmur caressed her nerve endings. Had there been an edge of uncertainty in his look?
Before getting in this time, he took off his jacket and laid it on the back seat. They arrived at the school in plenty of time. It was a hub of activity, with parents pulled up willy-nilly in the parking lot. Interspersed with the Volvo station wagons and BMWs were a couple chauffeurs and even some embassy cars. Tessa hid a grimace. The downside to paying for a school like Chesterfield was Zach landing in a more elitist atmosphere, but if it helped overcome his learning differences, she would live with it.
A couple teenagers approached to help with his trunk while Tessa supplied emergency information to a camp counselor. Seth added his cellphone number as an emergency contact in case Tessa couldn’t be reached. She smiled her gratitude.
Seth held out his hand to Zach, who took it with an air of grave formality and gave it a firm handshake. When her little brother turned to her, Tessa smiled at him, mortified to find her vision was starting to cloud.
“Oh snap! You’re not gonna cry are you, Tess? That would be sooo embarrassing,” Zach informed her.
Tessa pulled herself together and tugged the hair at the back of his neck. “No. I’m not going to cry. I’ve been counting the days until I could ship you off, twerp. Give me a hug.”
She watched him get on the bus, and to her chagrin found her eyes were getting blurry again. She blinked several times to dispel the tears, smiled big, and waved.
When the bus pulled away, Seth held out his crisp white linen handkerchief. “Need this?”
“No,” Tessa said with a sigh. “I’m fine. I just hope he will be. These are the kids he’ll be going to school with after he gets back. It’s kind of a team-building trip, so I hope everything goes okay.”
Seth put his arm around her shoulders as they walked back to the SUV. “He’ll do fine.”
It seemed he was about to say something else when a man’s voice interrupted.
“Seth Barrett? I didn’t realize dropping kids off for summer camp was exactly your cup of tea.”
Seth turned, a polite but cool smile on his face. “Good afternoon, Trip. We were dropping Tessa’s brother off.”
Tessa had already sized the man up. Medium brown close-cut hair, hazel eyes and a tan that showed he didn’t spend all his time in an office. The fact he was already dressed in tennis whites also indicated leisure was more his style. A lot of women might find him handsome, but her keen eyes caught the beginning of the paunch and an overall lack of the muscular hardness that was so much a part of Seth. She’d met a hundred of his type before. As he started to size her up, Tessa felt Seth’s body tense.
“Allow me to introduce you. Trip, this is Tessa Edwards. Tessa, this is Trenton Thompson the Third, better known as Trip. His family’s also from Loudoun.” There was a tone in Seth’s voice as he mentioned family that could almost have been laughter.
Trip’s eyes widened. “The Edwards of Mont Clair?”
Tessa decided right then and there she was going to kill Seth, or at the very least get even. She smiled. “Yes, though I’m afraid I don’t keep in close touch with them. I assume you’re the Thompsons who bought Medfield Park?”
If possible the man’s eyes widened even more, and it was all Tessa could do to keep from laughing. Seth had done this on purpose, knowing the man was a social climber who would be as impressed if he trotted out Tessa’s bloodlines as though she were a prize Thoroughbred up for sale.
“My parents bought it, although Bitsy and I live there now.”
“It was a real pleasure to meet you, Trip.” Tessa smiled at him, drawing on all her charm, and saw him swallow. She snuggled closer to Seth’s lean frame. “Seth and I were on our way out…to lunch.”
She inserted enough pause to make Trip Thompson think they were going to do quite a bit of eating, just not food. She batted her lashes at him and he swallowed once more.
“Oh. Well. Nice to meet you.” Trip turned tail and hurried back to his hulking, black Mercedes. Tessa pursed her lips, trying hard to keep
from laughing out loud.
“You are an evil young woman,” Seth rumbled with soft laughter.
“Me? You were the one who started pulling out the Edwards’s pedigree like you were showing off a prize mare.”
“I couldn’t help it,” Seth said as they turned to walk back to his car. “He’s such a schmuck! How about some lunch before we leave town?”
Tessa nodded. “Only if you don’t take me anywhere we can run into more of the Trip Thompsons of the world. It’s bad enough Zach will go to school with all their little clones.”
Seth drove to a deli not far from Tessa’s home. It was a place she’d been to a time or two, but didn’t figure Seth would know. Her surprise must have shown on her face.
“I don’t live that far from here, Tessa, so I do know the area pretty well.”
While she settled for a salad, Seth ordered a sandwich with everything but the kitchen sink on it. As he squashed one half of it together, getting ready to bite into it, her amazement must have shown.
“What?” He looked at her salad and then back at his sandwich. “Look. You’re what–five-two, five-three?”
Tessa nodded.
“I’m six-five and probably at least double your weight. I need food, not rabbit nibbles.”
Tessa laughed. Seth raised both brows at her and took a big bite out of his sandwich. He demolished his lunch and was already loosening his tie before Tessa had even half-finished. She was glad to see he didn’t start fidgeting like a lot of men but was content to people-watch while she finished eating.
“Where is your beach house?” Tessa asked once they were on the road and Seth was headed east.
“Crosswick Island. It will take us a couple hours to get there.” He glanced over at her. “If you don’t want to travel that far, we can always stay at the bay house.”
Balancing Act Page 10