by Mia Sheridan
Turning from the mirror, I sucked in a small breath. I could do this.
I didn’t have a choice.
CHAPTER TEN
Audra
I took a seat in the same chair I’d occupied the day before—the same one I’d been glued to for four tense hours, before Dane’s secretary had coldly broken the news that he wasn’t going to be back to the office after the meeting he was attending off-site after all. I recognized her voice from the phone. The gold nameplate on the edge of the counter above her desk read Valentina Bellamy, and she looked like a Bond girl. “Sorry,” she’d said with a condescending tilt of her red, glossy lips, her sleek, brunette ponytail sliding over one slim shoulder. “I’ll make sure to let him know you stopped by, hoping to meet with him.”
I wanted to scream.
I’d shown up again this morning, bright and early at nine, and though Valentina had looked startled at my repeat appearance, and I’d seen a flash of anger in her eyes, she smiled tightly and told me Dane was already in but was in a meeting and would likely be in meetings for the remainder of the day. I’d told her I would wait and had taken the same chair, ire blossoming in every cell in my body for every minute wasted. I’d spent money I didn’t have to be here and the asshole wouldn’t even take three minutes to see me?
I worked on stoking my anger because I knew just under that was an underground geyser of deep hurt, and if I didn’t stay in strict control, it would burst forth in an explosion of . . . well, I wasn’t sure because I’d never been one to explode. But I could feel it churning and the anger kept it well below the surface.
Across the room, the fish tank built into the wall bubbled and hummed in a way that would have been soothing under other circumstances. I looked at Valentina’s desk and saw her murmuring into the phone too low for me to make out what she was saying, darting a glance my way before turning her face to the side and lowering her voice even further. Was she talking to Dane?
I then heard male voices to my right where there was a hallway leading to the executive offices, I assumed. I froze as a deep laugh met my ears. Dane’s laugh. I knew it. Remembered it like an old misplaced treasure that was both beautiful but sharp, and brought a sudden surge of joy while simultaneously piercing me deeply.
I jumped to my feet at the same time Valentina rose to hers. Our eyes met—hers widened—and I rushed forward, easily able to reach the door to the hallway before she did since she had to round her desk.
Throwing the door open, I rushed into the hallway where three men were standing casually and chatting. Their conversation came to an abrupt halt and three pairs of eyes turned my way as I stopped in front of them, breathing harshly. But the only pair of eyes that I focused on were pale green and slowly filling with shock and recognition.
“Aud—”
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Townsend. She ran right past me,” Valentina said shrilly from directly behind me, shouldering me to the side as she stepped in front. I was unsteady with the impact of Dane standing right before me, so her slight bump caused me to falter and trip sideways.
Dane seemed to come out of a trance as he blinked and stepped toward me, grabbing my arms to hold me upright. For several frozen moments we simply stared at each other, his eyes washing over my face, mouth opening once as if to say something and then closing.
“I’ll call security, Mr. Townsend,” Valentina said, her voice both somehow far away, and overly shrill.
Dane broke eye contact and it caused me to release the pent-up breath I’d been holding. “What?” he asked dazedly.
“She ran right past—”
“It’s fine.” Dane’s hands dropped from my upper arms and I stepped back, looking at Valentina, whose cheeks were flushed with what I assumed was outrage. “You can go back to your desk, Tina.”
Her lips came together in a harsh line. The two men Dane had been talking to were both watching us curiously, but with Dane’s dismissal of Tina, they both muttered “see you laters” and headed for the door.
“Dane . . . Mr. Townsend, are you sure you don’t—”
“Very sure, Tina. Thank you.” He looked at me. “Do you want to come to my office, or—”
“Yes, your office would be good. Thank you.”
He gave another small nod, his eyes lingering on my face before he broke eye contact again. “This way.” Valentina give a small huff, before I heard the click of her heels, and the door opening and closing behind me. I followed Dane, my heartbeat still thundering in my ears. I took a deep breath, attempting to collect myself as he turned his head to make sure I was following him. He turned into a doorway to his right and held the door for me as I entered the room.
His office was spacious with windows that overlooked a courtyard surrounded by palm trees, an elegant fountain in the center. There was a sleek black L-shaped desk in front of the windows with piles of papers littering every surface. Apparently, Dane Townsend was still as untidy as he’d been as a teenage boy.
Directly in front of me was a small seating area and to the right of that, I spotted a table that held what appeared to be a miniature version of . . . I began walking toward it. “Is this the industrial park you’re building in Laurelton?” I asked.
He frowned but nodded. I looked back at it, walking along one side and then turning to walk along the other as I took in the details of the scale model. Truthfully, it was beautiful. There was even a miniature version of the mountain range I looked at every day from my office window. There were office buildings toward the middle, but they all looked to be no more than three levels, presumably so none of them obscured the view. Around that were shops and cobblestone streets, each corner with light posts where overflowing pots of flowers hung. It almost looked like an upscale Swiss village. Around the perimeter were restaurants including outdoor patios.
Thistle and Thatch had absolutely become prime real estate. If I knew it was still mine, I’d consider the location of my warehouse in reference to the industrial park a wonderful stroke of luck. I could see brides coming to my shop and then walking to any number of excellent restaurants where they could lunch with their mother or bridal party. Just the thought of the business it might bring was a staggering blow.
I turned toward Dane to see that he was still watching me, an unreadable expression on his face. He moved away from the door and walked toward me, indicating the sitting area, which consisted of a modern set of gray upholstered couches with a shiny white table between them. I shook my head, too filled with nerves to relax, too antsy to sit. I laced my fingers in front of me as I really took him in. He was as gorgeous as ever, more so, actually. Damn him. Time had been good to Dane Townsend. He had always been striking with his classic bone structure and those light eyes that contrasted beautifully with his dark hair. But age had brought a . . . rugged quality to his good looks that only added to his masculinity. His jaw seemed squarer, his cheekbones sharper, and he had dark scruff on his jaw—not a beard, but not as clean-shaven as I remembered him either. As if he’d followed my thoughts, he reached a hand up and stroked his chin.
“I’m”—he shook his head—“surprised to see you, Audra.”
“Are you?”
His brow furrowed and one side of his lips tilted. “Yes. Shocked actually. What are you doing here? And how did you know about the industrial park?”
Anger raced through me. “Are you really going to pretend you haven’t received any of my messages?”
He blinked and then brought his head back slightly. “Messages?”
“Yes. I left you about a thousand phone messages over the last week, and when you couldn’t be bothered to respond to those, I flew here. I’ve been sitting in your waiting room for two days.”
He took a step to the edge of one of the couches and sat on the arm, his expression a study in confusion. “Wait, what?”
I watched him for a moment, a trickle of doubt moving through me. “You haven’t received my messages?” I asked incredulously.
He shook his head s
lowly. “Not one. I would have called you back.” He stood up suddenly and walked to his desk, where he moved some papers aside and picked up the receiver on his phone, hitting a button.
“Yes, Mr. Townsend,” came Valentina’s voice from the speaker.
“Come in here please, Tina.”
“Yes, sir.”
Dane replaced the receiver and looked up, his jaw ticking. When I heard the clicking of heels coming toward his office, I looked away from him to the door. A sharp knock sounded and Dane called, “Come in.”
Valentina entered, shooting me a glare before smiling sweetly at Dane. “What can I do for you, sir?”
“Aud—” He stopped and cleared his throat. “Ms. Kelley tells me she’s left several messages, messages that I never received. I’d like to know why.”
A shadow of what looked to be nervousness flashed in Valentina’s expression before she smiled again. “I left the messages on your desk, sir.”
Dane glanced at his desk and then back at Valentina. Without being asked, she sashayed over to his desk, moved a large pile of papers aside, and pulled out a small stack of what looked to be phone messages. Seriously? Had she placed them there this morning . . . just in case I came back. But why? “You really should let me tidy your office, Mr. Townsend. As I told you, I’d be happy to. Anytime. Even after hours.” I couldn’t see her face from where I stood, but her tone was flirtatious. So that’s why. Dane looked annoyed—thankfully, at her—and took the messages from her outstretched hand, quickly looking at them and then placing them back on his desk.
“And why wasn’t I told she was here to see me? Yesterday or today?”
“You didn’t tell me you were expecting her, sir. After all the calls, I assumed you’d have left word if you were expecting her. When she arrived, well frankly”—she shot me a derisive look over her shoulder—“I thought she was stalking you.”
The tic in Dane’s jaw jumped again. “You overstepped by making any assumptions at all, Tina. I don’t pay you to assume. If you do anything like it again, you’ll find yourself out of a job. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir, of course.”
He nodded and when she didn’t immediately move, he said, “You may go.”
She hesitated but turned, the look of victory wiped from her expression, her eyes downcast as she exited the room. Dane came from around his desk and again, gestured to the couches. I took a deep breath and sat across from him. “I’m sorry about that, Audra. Tina’s ah . . .”
He paused, seemingly not sure how to finish that thought. Very proprietary of you, I wanted to say but didn’t. I wondered briefly if they were in a relationship that wasn’t work related but pushed the thought aside. I didn’t care about Dane’s personal life. I was here on business. “It’s fine,” I said so he didn’t have to explain Tina’s anything to me. I was here now.
He nodded then sat back and looked at me expectantly. I swore I saw a hint of anxiety in the way he watched me so closely, and it made me wonder if he did know what his grandmother intended to do to my business. “Your grandmother is trying to take the building on Providence Parkway from me.”
He frowned again, tilting his head. “Take the . . . What? She told me you sold the building to her and were planning to move your business elsewhere.”
“No, that’s not true. She told me I have to leave.”
“I’m confused. When she and I began talking about possible locations for the park, she suggested buying the surrounding businesses and I reminded her that your business was right on the border. Later, she told me she made you a generous offer that you accepted.”
I gaped at him. “No,” I sputtered. “She’s forcing me out. She told me the building was never mine to begin with and because of the prenuptial agreement I signed, she’s simply reclaiming it. She gave me thirty days to move out with no financial compensation whatsoever.”
For a few frozen heartbeats, Dane simply stared at me. Then he swore softly under his breath, running his hand though his hair and leaving it slightly tousled in a way I remembered it looked first thing in the morning. Despite my nerves, despite my anger and what surely was an elevated blood pressure, I felt a spear of undeniable attraction for this man who, for such a short time, had been mine. But I also felt surprising shyness. Because he wasn’t mine anymore. Mostly, he was a stranger. A beautiful stranger.
I fidgeted slightly in my seat, and his eyes moved to my hands as I wrung them in my lap. His gaze stayed trained on them as I made a point to go still, and then his eyes lifted to mine. He released what sounded like an angry gust of breath.
“When did this happen?”
For a second I had to re-orient my brain back to the conversation. His grandmother. “Uh, about a week and a half ago. I spent a week trying to call you.” Despite my best efforts, there was still hurt in my voice and I cleared my throat, hoping he hadn’t detected it.
His eyes found mine again and something flashed between us, familiar, but something I didn’t want. Something that inspired a deep fear that even the thought of losing my business hadn’t brought forth in me. “I’m glad you called me, Audra,” he said gently. “And I’m sorry my grandmother lied to you.” His finger stroked along his lower lip again and my eyes followed it. But when he began speaking once again, I blinked and met his eyes once more. “She’s . . .” He frowned, then glanced away as if trying to figure out a way to explain her. As if he could. “She’s protective of her family. There are a lot of negative things I know you’ll say about Luella Townsend, but that’s what it usually comes down to. A misguided desire to protect.”
I shook my head, his words breaking whatever spell I’d just been under. Snap out of it, Audra. “It doesn’t excuse what she’s doing.”
“Of course it doesn’t.” Dane stood, causing me to startle slightly. He came around the coffee table and took a seat next to me on the couch. My breath hitched as I turned to him. My impulse was to back away, to stand, to create space between us once again. This was . . . this was . . . he was too close, and I didn’t like it. The fresh smell of his cologne, of him, enveloped me and made my brain feel foggy, my nerve endings tingly and raw. “The building is yours, Audra. I gifted it to you, and I’ll make this right. You don’t have to worry. I’ll talk to Luella and work this out.”
And as I stared at his earnest expression, I knew he was telling the truth. Dane had been many things during our brief marriage, but he’d never been a liar. He’d held things back, things he shouldn’t have, but he’d never told direct falsehoods. That had never been him, and I didn’t believe it to be now. So many emotions were swirling through me, feelings I hadn’t allowed myself to think about—much less experience—in all the time we’d been apart. I looked away, chewing on my lip. “Thank you,” I finally murmured, leaning farther back on the couch to put some more room between us. Dane’s eyes narrowed very minutely, but with what I couldn’t be sure. “Will you, ah, call her or how should this . . .”
Whether because of my body language or for his own reasons, he stood. I let out a tiny relieved breath as he walked to his desk where he turned and leaned against the edge. “No. I’m going to talk to her in person.” He crossed his arms over his chest, his shirt pulling tight at his biceps. “I have a conference call with the developers on Monday. I’ll go and meet with them face to face instead. And, I’ll see Luella first and get this straightened out.”
“Do you really think it will be that easy? The way she acted when I went to see her . . .”
“I’ll get it straightened out,” he repeated, not remarking on whether it would be easy or not. Would she fight him on it? What if she refused to budge? Would our verbal agreement stand? I took a deep breath. Dane likely couldn’t answer those questions much better than I could right now. Yet, I felt markedly better, and though being in such close proximity to Dane after all these years had me edgy and unsure, relief provided the much-needed cool stream of calm.
I nodded. “Thank you.” I gave a slight shake of my head
. “Before I came here, I wasn’t sure if you knew about this or not.”
That same muscle jumped in his jaw, but his eyes remained steady, focused on me. “You couldn’t have thought I’d look away as Luella took that building from you and tried to ruin your business.”
“It’s been a long time, Dane. We didn’t exactly . . . end on good terms. I wasn’t sure.”
“Jesus, Audra,” he said, and the hurt in his voice took me off guard. “You know me better than that.”
“I knew you, Dane. It’s been seven years. Neither of us know each other anymore.”
He was silent as he regarded me. “Are you so sure?”
“No, I . . . I’m not sure of anything. I don’t need to be sure of anything. I appreciate you helping me, and I’m sorry if my questioning of your role in this upsets you, but I’m sure you can understand after all the unanswered—”
“Have dinner with me tonight.”
“I . . .what?”
“Dinner, Audra. You have to eat, right? Let me buy you dinner and we can catch up a little. You can tell me about your business and what you’ve done with it so I have all the information I might need when I speak with Luella. And in turn, I can tell you about the plans for the industrial park that I’m sure will bring positive growth to your business.”
Dinner? With Dane? No, I didn’t want to go to dinner with Dane. That sounded dangerous in ways I didn’t even want to contemplate. And yet, he was making a special trip to Colorado to confront Luella on my behalf. He was being kind, and seemed honestly perplexed at his grandmother’s actions. What big deal would dinner be? He’d fly to Colorado, hopefully get his grandmother to back off my business and me forever, then return to California. I wouldn’t see him after that. There would literally be no reason for me to ever see Dane Townsend again.