A Man Worth Marrying

by Phyllis Halldorson

  She finally broke the spell. "Please, come in Gray."

  There was no foyer; the door opened right into the living room. She stepped back to let him enter. As he walked past, she caught a faint whiff of his expensive shaving lotion. It was heady stuff: understated, but enticing.

  She closed the door, and Gray's gaze roamed over her. "You look lovely," he said huskily.

  "Thank you," she replied, at a loss for words to ex-press how much his admiration meant to her. "How…how much time do we have? Can we sit down and talk for a while or…"

  He shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I made reservations for seven, and the restaurant is clear across town."

  "Oh, then I'll get my purse," she said.

  Outside, he led her to a bright red Jaguar and helped her in.

  "What a beautiful car!" she exclaimed. "It looks new."

  He beamed as he climbed in behind the steering wheel. "It is. It's my one extravagance."

  "What a joy it must be to drive," she said. "My poor old buggy is ten years old and badly in need of a paint job—but I'm not complaining, it runs well."

  He glanced at her as he started the engine and pulled away from the curb. "You're going to have to convince me that you've been driving for ten years. You don't look old enough."

  She smiled. Even when using a cliché, he sounded sincere. "Ten years ago, I wasn't even old enough to get my learner's permit. Dad and Mom gave me the car secondhand when I graduated from City College. I had enrolled at the University at Brookings to get my BA, and needed something to get around in."

  She thought she saw him wince. "I feel like I'm robbing the cradle. I'm thirty-six," he admitted.

  She couldn't help but laugh. "Lighten up, grandpa," she teased. "It's not as if you were taking me out to propose marriage. This is just a business dinner, remember?"

  "I'll try my best not to forget," he muttered so low that she wasn't sure she'd heard right.

  The restaurant Gray had chosen was the newest and the nicest one in town. The walls were paneled in wood, the lights were dim, and the diners were seated in secluded booths with shimmering votive candles in stained glass holders on the tables.

  "Oh, it's lovely," Eve breathed as the hostess seated them and handed them each a large menu.

  "You haven't been here before?" Gray asked.

  "No, I haven't," she admitted. "I'm afraid it's out of my price range, but I read the food critic's review when it opened."

  "The menu is pretty much all American, but their chef is a master at cooking it." He opened his menu. "They're already known for their prime rib, and with good reason. I highly recommend it, but don't hesitate to order anything that appeals to you."

  The cocktail waitress came, and Eye asked for white wine; Gray ordered Scotch on the rocks. When the woman had gone, he closed his menu and laid it aside. "So, are you glad there's only one more week of school?"

  She looked over the top of her menu. "I'm positively ecstatic," she said with a sigh.

  Before Grey could answer the cocktail waitress returned with their drinks, and almost immediately after that their server came to take their order. Eve followed Gray's lead and asked for the prime rib, but the petite cut.

  When they'd settled on the choice of side dishes and soups, the server left, and Eve took a sip of her wine. It was good, and she sighed and leaned back against the thick brown leather upholstery of the booth. "Now, what was it you wanted to talk to me about? You did say Tinker has agreed to be tutored, didn't you?"

  He grinned. "Yes, I did, and I don't think Bambi will give me any more trouble about it. She's not malicious. I've also talked with Tinker, explained just what would be expected of her by a tutor and how much easier school will be for her once she's caught up with the rest of her class. I let her make the decision, and she decided she wants to do it after all."

  Eve breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad Tinker was no longer afraid of her. Whether deliberately or not, Bambi had frightened the child with a variation on the "wicked witch" theme.

  Eve was beginning to wonder about this woman. What kind of mother would frighten her own daughter into not wanting to go to school?

  Eve knew the answer. It was the same type who frightened her children into behaving by threatening them with the police. Eve had met parents like her before, but she hadn't expected to find one in a family like the Flints.

  She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she jumped when Gray spoke again. "Eve? What's the matter? You haven't ruled out tutoring Tinker altogether, have you? I'm sorry she made such a bad impression when you met her but—"

  "She didn't make a bad impression," Eve hurried to assure Gray. "I liked her, and I agree she needs help. I even think I can provide that help if you still want me to, but I sort of got the idea when I came to your house the other day that you weren't quite as eager for me to take on the job as you had been the day before."

  They were sitting across the table from each other, and Gray shifted nervously. If the light hadn't been so dim, she would have thought his face flushed, but that was unlikely. Men his age didn't blush.

  "I'm going to be truthful with you, Eve," he said quietly. "You're right, I was having second thoughts. But not for any reason you might think."

  She felt the glow that had permeated her since his call this afternoon flicker and die. If he no longer wanted her to instruct his child, then why had he phoned and indicated he did? Was he prepared to hire her only because Tinker had asked for her? That thought was a real letdown. Not only was it upsetting to her, but it was also impossible. She had to have the enthusiastic approval of all three members of the family; otherwise, it would just confuse the child.

  To say nothing of what it was doing to her!

  She felt Gray's hand cover hers where it lay on the table, and his voice was husky when he spoke. "Please, don't misunderstand. Just hear me out."

  She was too stunned to speak, but he continued. "I don't know how to say this without taking the risk that you'll think I'm crossing the line between parent and teacher."

  She blinked with surprise, but he didn't give her a chance to say anything. "I'm attracted to you, Eve. When I walked into your school last week, it was with the intention of offering an anonymous Ms. Evangeline Costopoulos a summer job tutoring my young daughter. But I wasn't prepared for the fascination, the…the pull I felt as I talked to you. When I walked out, I knew I was hooked. And I wasn't happy about it."

  Then he'd felt it, too! The excitement between them wasn't just on her side.

  Eve opened her mouth, but still no words came out. He removed his hand from hers and gestured with it. "As you know, I've been married and have a daughter. It was never a happy marriage, and it got worse as it went along. The only thing we had going for us was infatuation, and when that wore off there was nothing else to bond us. If it hadn't been for Tinker, we could each have gone our separate ways once we divorced, but our daughter is the glue that binds us now. Now I'm trying to deal with a divorce and child custody. The whole thing has been something of a nightmare, and I learned my lesson. I'm not looking to get seriously involved with a woman again."

  Now Eve was totally confused. "I'm flattered," she said, and felt the radiance returning. "But what does all this have to do with whether or not I tutor Tinker?"

  He leaned forward. "Not a thing. Just put it out of your mind. For a while I thought it might not be a good idea to work closely with you, knowing there was this attraction for you on my part. But that's absurd. After all, you're a beautiful and charming woman. You no doubt have a lot of admirers."

  Eve didn't know how to reply to that. Did he want her to be his daughter's tutor—or his lover? Both? Or neither? Heaven knows, she was attracted to him, too. And she wasn't any more eager to get involved with him than he was with her. Whatever he had in mind, he was making it clear that it wasn't wedding bells. And she wouldn't accept anything less from any man.

  She almost chortled. What was the matter with her? They hadn't even known
each other a week yet, and already she was thinking about a proposal of marriage!

  She was saved from having to respond to him by their server, who brought the soup course. By silent but mutual consent, they dropped the subject. They chatted about other things: the food, the weather. Finally she was able to bring the conversation around to his personal history.

  "Are you a local boy, Gray?" she asked. "Do your parents live here?"

  He sipped the delicious beef-and-barley soup they'd both ordered. "Well, yes and no. I was born and raised here until I left to go to the University of California at Berkeley. After I got my degree, I worked out there for several years, until Dad had a massive heart attack and nearly died."

  "Oh, I'm so sorry," Eve said, thinking of her own beloved father. "Did he—that is, is he all right?"

  Gray smiled appreciatively. "Yes, but he had to retire as vice-president of the bank, and he can no longer survive the severe winters here, so he and Mom moved to the Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas. There, all he has to do is sit in his orange grove and pick the fruit off his trees."

  Again they were interrupted, this time by the busboy who cleared the empty soup bowls from their table. He was followed shortly by the server with their salads, and by the time they got to the entree they were more relaxed and at ease with one another—enough so that they were finally able to discuss the subject that had brought them together.

  "So, have you made up your mind yet about tutoring Tinker?" he asked as he cut into his thick piece of meat. "Or have I scared you off with my inappropriate admission? I meant it when I said I'll make a hefty donation to the school roofing fund if you'll agree to take on my daughter."

  "I've given this a lot of thought," she admitted, "but before we agree on it, I have to tell you that I'm attracted to you, too."

  This time his eyes widened with surprise, and she hurried on. "However, I'm not any more eager to get involved emotionally than you are, so I don't think we'll have a problem. I've never been married, but I went with a man when I was at the university who wanted all the perks of marriage with none of the commitments. I was naive enough to think I could change his mind, but instead he dumped me."

  Even after all this time, she still felt a catch in her throat when she talked about that painful episode. "I was both heartbroken and humiliated, and swore off men forever."

  She saw the sympathetic expression on his face, and that was the last thing she wanted. She managed a smile. "Or at least until I grew up enough to be able to tell the good guys from the cads," she amended lightly.

  Once again an awkward moment was dispatched by the server who arrived with the dessert menu.

  "So," she said when they were again alone. "If you still want me—"

  Gray closed his eyes and groaned. "Oh, I want you, all right. Any way I can get you. But for now it will have to be as Tinker's tutor."

  Eve's heart pounded, and she couldn't seem to catch her breath. They weren't even touching, yet their conversation was earthshakingly sexy.

  "Incidentally, how's the roofing fund coming along?" he asked, suddenly turning the conversation one hundred and eighty degrees.

  She cleared her throat and hoped her voice wouldn't tremble. "At the rate donations are coming in, it's going to be years instead of months before we collect enough. However, the donation from you will help," she answered. "We haven't had the money to publicize it broadly enough."

  He gazed thoughtfully at her. "Would you like me to speak to the manager at the TV station about possibly doing public service announcements about it?"

  Eve gasped, unable to believe what she'd heard. "It would be an immense help!" she exclaimed. "We've been trying to get the newspaper to run a small free ad, but to no avail. Television seemed out of the question."

  She paused to compose herself. "I'm sure with that kind of publicity, more businesses would make sizable donations. After all, supporting a cause that is good for children is great advertising for them, too."

  He smiled broadly. "Okay, then I'll speak to Paul Norton, our station manager," he promised, then was once again serious. "You do realize, don't you, that he'll conduct his own investigation before he commits himself?"

  She'd agree to almost anything for an opportunity like this. "Oh, sure, that's no problem. He'll find that everything's on the up and up. Just send him over on a rainy day and he can see for himself," she bubbled enthusiastically. "I don't know how I can ever thank you—"

  "No need," he interrupted, then took his pen out of his breast pocket to sign the tab. "It's still early—would you like to go to a movie?"

  She looked at her watch, but knew what her answer would have to be. "Oh, I'm sorry, but I have papers to grade and lesson plans to work on. May I take a rain-check?"

  He slid our of the booth. "For you, anything," he promised.

  On their way back to her apartment, the elegant sports car seemed even cozier and more intimate than before. Their seats were so close together that his hand inadvertently brushed against her knee when he shifted gears. If she moved her hand mere inches, she could caress his thigh, and the temptation to do so was almost overwhelming.

  Maybe taking this job wasn't such a good idea, after all. In fact, she knew it wasn't, but didn't seem able to resist.

  It was Gray who broke the silence. "When will you be able to start tutoring Tinker?" he asked.

  She noticed that he didn't look at her, but stared straight ahead. His voice was somewhat strained. Was he as aware of her as she was of him?

  She thought for a minute. "I'd prefer to wait until school is out. That will be this coming Friday, so I can start anytime after that."

  He still didn't look at her. "How about Monday?" he suggested.

  She was taken aback. "But don't you want her to have a breather before she starts up again?"

  He shook his head. "I don't think that's necessary. The longer she's out of school, the harder it will be to get her started again."

  Eve was disappointed. She'd hoped to have a little break during which to be lazy, but the sooner she started work, the sooner she'd start getting paid and helping build up the roof fund.

  "Monday's fine with me," she told him. "What time do you think would be best?"

  "Well… My last broadcast of the day is on the noon news. I'm finished by one, but I can't always leave right away. There's a lot more to forecasting the weather than just reading it on the air. Bambi works from two to six p.m. Would three till five be too late for you?"

  Eve thought about it. "Actually, no it isn't. It's late enough that I can have most of the day free, and early enough that if I want to do something in the evening, I can."

  He pulled over to the curb and stopped, and she realized that they were already in front of her apartment complex. Gray got out of the car and walked around to open her door. He helped her out and they stood facing each other, but instead of saying good-night there, he took her arm and walked along beside her toward the building.

  "Gray, it's not necessary to escort me to my door," she protested, but not vehemently. She loved the extra attention.

  "Oh, yes it is," he said with mock seriousness. "My mama taught me to behave like a gentleman. You don't want me to disappoint her, do you?"

  Eve giggled. "Oh, my, no. There are too few gentlemen walking around anymore as it is."

  They climbed the stairs to the second floor wraparound balcony, and stopped at her door. She'd left the outside light on, and she'd already taken the key from her purse on the way over. She inserted it in the lock and pushed the door open, then turned to face Gray.

  "Our station manager is out of town for the next couple of days," he said. "But as soon as he returns, I'll talk to him about the PSAs, then get back to you. Okay?"

  "It—it's more than just okay," she told him through the tremble in her voice. "Gray, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your willingness to do this. I don't think even you can understand what a difference the publicity will make to the children, and the teachers,
too."

  He smiled. "I'm glad I can help, but you must understand that it will be up to Paul. All I can do is make him aware of the need."

  "That's more than enough," she said thickly. "If you can get his ear, I guarantee you I'll win over his heart."

  "I don't doubt that for a moment," he assured her gravely.

  She took a deep breath and put out her hand. "Thank you for the wonderful evening." Her voice was low and husky; she hadn't planned it that way—that's just the way it came out.

  "I can't remember ever having such a delightful time," she continued. "Or such a delicious dinner…"

  Slowly, gently he put his hands on either side of her throat and tipped her face up, then placed one thumb across her mouth in a hushing motion. Her heart stopped beating and she forgot to breathe.

  "It's much too soon," he murmured, and his voice was as hoarse as hers had been, "and I promised myself I'd behave, but there's one thing I have to know."

  As he gently caressed her nape, unable to stop herself, she leaned forward until they were almost touching. Her knees shook; her lips trembled as the tip of her tongue slowly moistened them.

  His fingers dug into her shoulders. "Do you want to kiss me as much as I want to kiss you?"

  "Oh, yes." Her answer was unhesitating as she closed the slim gap between them and walked into his arms.

  Chapter Four

  Gray held Eve loosely around the waist with one arm and twined the fingers of his other hand through her thick dark curls, then lowered his head and brushed her lips with his—once, and then again.

  His embrace was strong but gentle, and his breath was fresh, like the breeze from the sea. She snuggled closer, and he raised his head and guided hers to his shoulder, then rubbed his cheek in her hair.

  "You're as soft and warm as I knew you'd be," he murmured into her ear.

  For a moment they just stood there, and she reveled in his gentle grasp. Then he was the one to pull away. She felt chilly and bereft without his arms around her, and she leaned back against the doorjamb to support herself, to keep her trembling knees from buckling.