Layne walked down the hall to the elevator with him. “I feel like a deserter to leave you alone with her,” he said, “but I can’t bear to listen to her. Now that Kyle has his family back, she should have the decency to stay away. Why can’t the girl take a hint?”
Probably because Kyle isn’t dropping any, Layne thought. But she just kissed Stephen and wished him good night and waited till the elevator purred towards the upper floor before she went back to the library.
The door was half-open, and she could hear a heated discussion. Kyle and Robbie were still arguing over a close call in the last baseball game they’d seen. Layne thought the discussion had passed the point of reason on the first day, but as she stood in the doorway she heard Jessica’s trilling laugh. “He’s so cute, Kyle,” she gushed.
Layne pushed the door open. “Robbie, it’s bedtime.”
Robbie made no protest. In fact, he said nothing at all until he was tucked in. Then he frowned. “Why does Jessica act like that?” he wanted to know. “And why does Dad like to have her around?”
“I don’t know,” Layne answered steadily. “Why don’t you ask him?”
He sat up in bed. “She’s just like Gary!” he said triumphantly. “Are you going to see Gary anymore?”
I’ve never lied to him, Layne reminded herself. “No. Not as long as I’m at Wheatlands.”
He frowned and thought it over. “Are you and Dad going to get divorced?”
“Why do you ask that, Robbie?”
“Sometimes after you tuck me in at night, I get up again,” he admitted. “I sit in that little corner at the top of the stairs, and sometimes I can hear you when you’re in the library. You argue a lot.”
“Every couple argues sometimes, Robbie.”
He frowned again at that, but Layne didn’t give him a chance to notice that she hadn’t answered his question. She pulled the sheet up around him, stopped beside the big velvet dog bed to scratch Beast’s ears, and turned out the lights.
There was no point in going downstairs again. She was no martyr, and she didn’t care to intrude on Kyle and Jessica. So she went to the sitting room and found a book to pass the rest of the evening.
The maid tapped on the door. “Mrs. Emerson? There’s a telephone call for you.”
Layne looked around, and realized that the closest phone was the one in Kyle’s bedroom.
She put her book down and went to answer it.
“Layne? It takes them long enough to find you. What do you do around there, hide?”
“Hi, Gary.” Her tone was cool, and she sat down on the very edge of the big bed.
“I’m lonely for you, Layne. I know you don’t like for me to call you, but I just had to talk to you tonight.”
“This isn’t very good timing, Gary. Kyle may walk in at any moment.”
“His convenience certainly comes first with you, doesn’t it?”
“It isn’t a matter of his convenience.” Layne walked across the room to look out the
window. Jessica’s car was still parked in the drive. “Gary, I’m trying to avoid trouble for myself.
He’d be upset if he knew you were calling me, and I can’t blame him.”
“Don’t you think it’s about time you got honest with Robbie and told him what’s going on?
If you’d just quit playing games, we could at least get our feelings out in the open.”
“I’ve told you before, Gary, that I’m not comfortable with the idea of being married to one man and engaged to another at the same time. So our feelings — whatever they are —will have to wait.”
There was a brief silence. “You don’t understand how difficult it is for me, do you? I love you, and it isn’t easy to sit here thinking about you living with him.”
“I know it isn’t easy.” Layne tried to keep her voice level. “It’s not exactly a picnic for me here either.”
“You certainly seem to be enjoying yourself. Having the governor pop in for tea...”
He sounded like a whiny child tonight. It was hard for him, Layne admitted, but then it was a difficult situation for everyone. If it had been Gary who had moved in with his ex-wife for a summer, Layne would have been just as upset.
Or would she? She stared out of the window, so absorbed in her thoughts that it took a minute to realize that Jessica’s car was pulling away from the house. “Gary, please don’t call me back. I’ll get in touch with you when I can. I have a lot to think about.” She hung up without giving him a chance to answer.
She was barely back in the sitting room when she heard Kyle moving around next door.
She sighed, and smiled, and started to get ready for bed.
She had her bed made on the long couch before she realized she had left her pillow in
Kyle’s room that morning. There was nothing to do but retrieve it. The couch was uncomfortable enough with a pillow; sleeping there without one would be impossible.
She tapped once on the bedroom door and walked in. She stayed out of his way as much as possible, but a certain amount of intimacy was inevitable. More than once she had walked in just as he’d gotten out of the shower. It didn’t seem to bother Kyle, and Layne had learned to ignore his presence because when she became embarrassed it simply amused him.
Halfway across the bedroom it occurred to her that if she walked in, picked up her pillow, and left, she might as well stand there and scream that she had slept in his bed last night. So she detoured towards the dressing table and sat down to brush her hair.
Kyle was still fully dressed in dinner jacket and dark trousers. “Why didn’t you come back downstairs?”
“I didn’t feel it was necessary. You’re quite able to entertain Jessica without me.”
“You could have been polite.”
“Why? She isn’t.”
“It’s the obligation of the hostess.”
“I think that would have aggravated Jessica even more.” Layne turned her attention to
straightening out the mess on the dressing table.
He shook his head, but dropped the subject. “I checked on Rob. He’s sound asleep, and
Beast is guarding him.”
“They’re both happy.” A little awkwardly — why would he care what she thought? — she
added, “I’m glad you changed your mind.”
“Something told me the next time Beast ran away Robbie was going with him.”
“That’s possible,” Layne conceded.
Kyle pulled off his tie and draped it across the top of his dresser. “Were you planning to tell me about firing Mrs. Andrews, or did Robbie let something out of the bag at dinner?”
“I would have told you. How on earth could I have kept you from finding out? I just
wanted to wait till Mrs. Kirk had a chance to prove herself.”
“She did that. The hot rolls almost melted in my mouth. And far too many of them, too,” he added, ruefully patting his stomach. “Why did you fire Mrs. Andrews?”
“Because she made some remarks about our living arrangements in front of Robbie.”
He removed the pearl cufflinks from the formal shirt and started to unbutton it. “Sensitive subject, Layne?”
“It was upsetting Robbie; that’s sensitive enough as far as I’m concerned.” Layne started to rub moisturizer into her skin. “Besides, she was stealing from the household money.”
“I don’t suppose you can prove that.”
Layne shrugged. “No, but I know it. And you would too if you paid any attention.
However, if you’d like to hire her back...”
He waved a hand. “I don’t think that’s necessary. But this new cook of yours sounds too good to be true. You’d better watch her closely.”
“I’ll be delighted to. For the next five weeks; after that it’s strictly up to you.”
“I’m surprised you aren’t counting it down to days yet. Living here is a real trial for you, isn’t it, Layne?”
“It’s worth it to be with Robbie
.”
He hesitated for a second as if he wanted to say something, then shook his head and took off his shirt. Layne tried not to look at him, but she couldn’t help seeing the broad, tanned chest.
It was covered with soft dark hair that had cushioned her head on so many nights. She sighed and pushed the thought away. That sort of memory would bring her nothing but trouble.
“What will you do after you leave here?”
“I don’t know. Do you have any suggestions?” Her tone was as flippant as she could make it. As if he cares, she thought. Kyle doesn’t care where I go or what I do, as long as I stay as far as possible from Robbie.
“I might. I’ll think it over. We might find you a job at Emco.”
“Thanks,” Layne said dryly. “But I can do without a job that someone has to manufacture for me. I’d rather get my own, and it won’t be at Emco.”
Kyle shrugged. “Suit yourself. Did you see Gary while I was gone?”
Layne was wary. “As a matter of fact, I did.”
“Did you sleep with him?”
She controlled the nervous tremor in her hand and said with careful casualness, “Would you believe me if I said no?”
“Probably not. I just wanted to see what you would say.”
Layne tipped the bud vase on the dressing table so she could sniff the single yellow rose.
“If it will put your mind at rest, I will be married to Gary before I ever sleep with him.”
Kyle was silent for a few minutes. “Does that mean that you’re engaged to him?”
“How could I be? I’m still married to you.”
“I wondered if you really remembered that fact. I’m relieved that you do.”
“How could I forget it?” She put the cap back on the bottle of moisturizer and reached for the night cream. She wished that she could just walk out of the room, but Kyle would think she was running away from him.
And, she admitted, she probably would be.
“You still believe in the good old double standard, don’t you, Layne?”
She turned around on the small stool at him. “What does that mean?”
“You won’t sleep with Gary because you aren’t married to him, even though you say you
love him.”
“You sound as if you’re complaining.”
“And you won’t sleep with me — even though you are married to me — because you don’t
love me. Different excuses for different people. Each man has to play by a different set of rules.”
“You made the rules, Kyle.”
“Then let’s change them. I miss having a woman in my bed, Layne.”
“How unfortunate for you.” She carefully patted night cream onto her nose. She had
sunburned the sensitive skin. “I’m sorry to have to decline the invitation, but I have no desire to repeat the mistakes of the past.”
“Were they mistakes? One of those romps resulted in Robbie, and you wouldn’t change a
hair on his head.” He came across the room and stood behind her, studying her face in the mirror, his hands firm on her shoulders. “Besides, it was fun, Layne. Why shouldn’t we have that kind of fun again? What’s to stop us?”
“For one thing, the fact that I do not want to sleep with you.” Layne shrugged his hands off her shoulders.
Kyle laughed. “That’s what you tell yourself. I like that nightshirt.”
She had forgotten that she was wearing Robbie’s gift and no robe. The shirt was far too large, but it was just the kind Layne liked to sleep in.
“You never used to wear anything at all to bed,” he mused.
“It was different when we...”
“When we were married? But my darling Layne, we are still married. Remember? You just told me a few minutes ago.” His hands, brushed over the soft knit of the shirt, his touch feather-light over her breasts. Layne drew a quick, uneasy breath, but his hands slipped down to her waist, holding her firmly against him. “That kitten reminds me of you.”
Obviously it wouldn’t remind him of Jessica, Layne thought. Jessica was a sleek jungle cat
— and Layne a very ordinary house kitten.
“Robbie knows the kind of thing I like.”
“Meaning that I don’t?”
“Quick, aren’t you? I just meant that you haven’t been around enough to notice what I
like.”
“You sound jealous, darling,” he said. His voice was soft and teasing. “I’ll take better care to stay home and pay attention. Very close attention.”
“That wasn’t what I meant...” Layne stammered.
Kyle laughed. “And you have a very poor memory, Layne, if you think I’ve forgotten the things you like.” He picked up the dinner jacket he had discarded and hung it in the closet. “I remember all kinds of things you like.”
There was an undertone to his voice that made Layne shiver. He had always had the power to make her want him. It frightened her to know that he could still do it.
But he changed the subject, and she breathed a little easier. He had just been teasing, after all. “What are you going to wear for our dinner party for the governor?”
“Clare’s dress.”
She saw the frown that began to gather around his eyes, and quickly became intent on the single stray hair that needed to be plucked from her left eyebrow.
But his voice was gentle as he asked, “Why do you continue to call it Clare’s dress? She gave it to you.”
“All right,” Layne said amicably. “I plan to wear my orange dress — the one Clare gave me.”
The silence dragged out. Layne sneaked a look at Kyle. He was standing, hands on hips, regarding her thoughtfully. Seeing the muscles in his shoulders and arms made her uneasily aware of how strong he was.
“And the garden party? What are you wearing for it?”
He wasn’t going to like this, she knew. “My blue sun dress.” She held her breath and
plucked the offending eyebrow hair, pretending to be engrossed in the chore.
But there was only silence. When she finally dared to look at him, he was rummaging
through her side of the closet. “This one?” he asked pleasantly, holding it up as if to assess it.
“That’s the only blue sun dress I own.”
He took a better hold of the neckline as if to inspect it, and ripped the dress down across the front from neck to hem. Then he brought it across the room and flung it in her lap. “I’m terribly sorry, Layne. My hands slipped.”
She stared, horrified, at the wreck of the garment. Even though she had grown to hate that dress over the last few weeks, it had been hers, and Kyle had willfully destroyed it. “Kyle, you can’t just rip up my clothes if they don’t suit you!”
“It seems to me I just did.”
Tears flooded her big eyes. “You had no right to tear up my clothes.”
“I have every right to insist that my wife dress appropriately. So when you go shopping, be certain that you buy something suitable for the garden party. And while you’re at it, something new for the dinner would be a nice idea.”
“Why does it matter so much?” She slid around on the dressing table bench to face him. “In another five weeks I won’t be here anymore. What difference does it make what dress I wear to your precious garden party?”
“It matters because you’re too pretty to hide yourself in muddy colors and badly-styled clothes.”
“That doesn’t matter a damn to you, Kyle. But it would hurt your pride if I wasn’t dressed to your standards when the governor came. It might make him wonder what you ever saw in me.”
“He certainly would wonder if he saw you in your ordinary clothes. I think if I ever see another T-shirt on you I shall rip it off.” His voice was hard.
“It hurts you to look at me, doesn’t it, Kyle?”
He looked at her with a sudden dawning of comprehension. “Is that why you do it, Layne?
Do you plan to make yourself look awful because
you think it bothers me to see you that way?”
“No, I don’t delude myself. I don’t matter to you at all; you wouldn’t care what I looked like if I wasn’t still your wife. But you’re too proud to admit that Mrs. Kyle Emerson might not be a beauty. Well, I’m not ashamed of my looks, and I’m not going to pretend to be something I’m not.”
“But you are pretending. You’re hiding behind a wall of badly-chosen clothes. You’re afraid to be a woman.”
“I’m not the sort of woman Jessica is, that’s sure.”
He smiled grimly. “That is certainly true.”
She flinched as if he had struck her.
He came across the room slowly, and Layne felt herself shrink. “Do you know what I think you need?”
“I’m sure you’re going to explain it to me.”
He smiled. “First you need a good spanking, but since I’m not your father I’ll have to pass on that. Then you need to be reminded of how it feels to be desirable.”
“And I suppose you think that’s your function in life?”
“I am your husband.”
“That’s a mere formality.”
He took the tweezers out of her hand and replaced them on the dressing table. “It doesn’t have to be a formality. We’re both adults, and it’s a long time till Labor Day. Why shouldn’t we enjoy each other?”
“Why don’t you just go and enjoy Jessica? I’m certain it would do you both good. She
looked very frustrated tonight.”
He smiled and pulled her up till she stood in the circle of his arms. “You can’t deny that we had something unusual. Making love to you was as natural as breathing. You set me on fire, Layne. You still could, you know.”
Layne’s voice was unsteady. “Sorry, I’ve forgotten where I left my matches.” She tried to pull away, but it was impossible; the strength he had developed with years of manual labor held her prisoner.
“Remember what it was like?” he murmured. His lips brushed her cheek, her temple.
She shivered. “Stop it.”
“Why? Don’t you like to remember? You were such an eager little bride that you would
wake me at dawn so we could make love before I went to work. I see you do remember; you’re blushing.”
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