Susan gave Chloe a knowing smile. “Why don’t you have dinner with us while you’re here?”
“I think I will. First, let me show you what I’ve got.” She opened the box that was full of earrings and necklaces. “Pete brought back a bunch of odds and ends from the jewelry show. He’s willing to sell them for a song.”
Lila fixed herself a plate while Susan took the pieces out of the box and laid them on the table. She and Darbie acted like children in a candy store, picking up each piece and holding it up to them.
“Speaking of jewelry, we were just talking about all of the heists that have been taking place lately.”
“I know. Pete said that was the talk of the show.”
Susan handed Chloe a pair of ruby earrings set in a cluster of diamonds. “These would be beautiful on you with your dark hair and eyes.”
Chloe held the earrings up and admired how they caught the light and reflected it back in sparkles. “Are they real?”
Lila chuckled. “I wish.” She waved a hand. “Mostly cut glass, but it’s still quality stuff.”
“How much do you want for them?” It would be at least two weeks before Chloe got her first paycheck, and her funds were running low. Moving across country had cost her more than she thought it would.
“How does six dollars sound?”
“Amazing!” Darbie interjected. “I saw a pair of earrings like them in the mall for forty bucks.” She reached for a pair of emerald earrings. “How about these?”
“The same.”
“I’ll take these,” Chloe said. “How much for the matching necklace?”
Lila pursed her lips. “Tell you what—I’ll sell them both to you for ten dollars.”
“Thank you, that’s very generous.” Chloe could think of at least three outfits that would go well with the jewelry. She had a few nice clothes but would need to buy more now that she was working full time. In the meantime, she would have to think of clever ways to stretch her existing wardrobe until she could afford to buy new things.
The doorbell rang. Darbie looked at Chloe. “Who could that be? Are you expecting anyone?”
“No.”
Darbie went to answer it. A second later, she came back, a mischievous grin on her face. “It’s for you.”
“Really? Who is it?” Chloe wrinkled her nose. “Not another delivery.” Please let it not be another delivery! She couldn’t handle that tonight. After the staff meeting, Chloe had made a hasty exit so she wouldn’t have to talk to Garrett. She’d successfully managed to avoid him the remainder of the day. Surely he’d not sent her something else.
“Delivery? I didn’t realize you got a delivery,” Susan said, interest lighting her eyes.
Chloe stood. “Who is it?”
Darbie flashed a mysterious smile. “Go and see for yourself.”
As Chloe left the kitchen, Darbie began wagging her tongue again, telling Susan and Lila all about how Garrett had given her the shoes. She figured at the rate Darbie was going, she would have Chloe’s entire life history spelled out by the time she returned to the kitchen.
When she stepped into the living room, she was stunned to see Garrett, standing by the front door, holding a single red rose in his hand. She stopped in her tracks. “Hey.”
He gave her a hesitant smile. “Hey.” He held out the rose. “This is for you. I know I brought you one last time, but I couldn’t resist doing it again.”
She took it. “Thanks.”
He motioned to the couch. “May I sit down?”
She thought fast. The last thing she wanted was for everyone to come into the living room and see Garrett. Or worse! What if he overheard them talking about him? “Um, let’s go outside and sit on the front porch.”
“Okay, or we could go for a drive.”
“Yes, let’s do that.” While she didn’t relish the thought of being alone with Garrett, it would give her a chance to talk to him uninterrupted, without anyone looking on. “Hold on. Let me tell my roommate I’m going out.” She made sure to place the rose on the table in the hall before she went back into the kitchen.
When Chloe stepped into the room, Darbie was at the point in her narrative where Chloe learned that Garrett was Hank’s brother. The instant she saw Chloe, she stopped talking and gave her a sheepish grin. “Were your ears burning? I was just filling these guys in on your day.”
Susan lifted an eyebrow, a coy expression on her face. “When you told me about your first day, you left out all of the juicy parts.”
Chloe shot Darbie a withering look. “No, just the humiliating parts.” She’d made the mistake of confiding in Darbie about the day’s events right after she got home from work. That would certainly never happen again.
Darbie’s face turned cherry red as she tucked both sides of her hair behind her ears.
“Oh, don’t get miffed at Darbie,” Lila said, patting Darbie’s hand. “Susan and I had to practically beat the information out of her.”
“Yeah, I can tell.” Chloe rolled her eyes.
Darbie smirked. “Geez, sorry, I didn’t realize you’d be so touché about it.”
There was so much more she could’ve said at that moment, but she decided to take the high road instead. “I’m going for a drive with Garrett. I’ll be back after while. Susan, thanks for dinner. And Lila, I’ll get you some money for that jewelry tomorrow.”
“No rush,” Lila said.
Susan winked. “Have fun with your man.”
“Thanks,” she mumbled as heat crept up her neck.
* * *
Chloe watched as Garrett took his napkin and thoroughly cleaned each piece of silverware before arranging it beside his plate so that it was equally spaced. He’d already sent his pie back because it wasn’t hot enough for his taste. His car was immaculate, and even though it was getting late and they’d had a busy day at work he still looked as neat and fresh as he had when she first saw him earlier in the day. Now that she thought about it, his office was perfect too. There was not a single thing—not even a sheet of paper—out of place. She was a neat freak herself, but Garrett took things to a new level. He had a set idea of how things were supposed to be, and he expected everyone, including her, to get in line with those expectations. Well, he would have to get used to disappointment where she was concerned because she certainly wasn’t going to jump on command. She picked back up on the discussion they had begun when they got into his car.
“It’s like I told you earlier. I don’t feel comfortable getting involved with someone that I work with. If we didn’t work together then maybe things would be different, but as it is …” She let the words dwindle out.
He leaned back against the booth and gave her a casual smile, but she could tell he was getting agitated from the way he kept drumming his fingers on the table. “And I told you, it’s not a big deal.”
“Well, it’s a big deal to me!”
He shrugged. “If you’re that worried about it, I could always talk to Hank and get him to let you go. Then we could date, and you wouldn’t have to worry about it.”
She went stiff as her heart began to race. “What?” Her throat felt tight, and she swallowed hard. “How could you say something like that?” She blinked rapidly to stay the tears.
“I’m just joking. I would never do that. I’m trying to lighten up the mood a little.” He looked apologetic. “Hey, I was just kidding. Honest!”
She clasped her hands tightly in her lap and looked away.
“I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t realize it would upset you. I truly am sorry.” He touched her arm.
He looked sincere, but how could she be sure? Now that the words had been spoken, she would always have that fear hanging over her head. She got the feeling if she ended things here and now that he would cause her serious problems. And she needed this job! It was like trying to dance around a land mine without getting her foot blown off.
“I give you my word that our relationship has nothing whatsoever to do with your
job.”
She still didn’t fully trust him, but she relaxed a little. “Okay.” She had to try and make him understand where she was coming from. “Garrett, my reservations about a relationship have nothing to do with you. You’re fantastic!” He beamed, but she wasn’t finished. “I’m just not ready for a serious commitment right now. I’m still dealing with some things from a past relationship that went terribly wrong.”
He gave her a sympathetic smile. “Who isn’t?” He sat up and rubbed a hand across his forehead. “We don’t have to rush things.”
He peered into her eyes, and she was struck by how incredibly handsome he was. And she could tell from his confident expression that he knew it! He thought that if he kept looking at her with those puppy-dog eyes that she would melt and give him whatever he wanted. It was tempting. He was so captivating and charismatic. And he obviously liked her. Maybe she should be more like Darbie and throw caution to the wind.
“Let’s just take things slow and see where they end up. No pressure.” He reached for her hands.
“What about you and Yvette?”
She knew she’d hit a nerve when she saw him tense. He let go of her hands. “What did she tell you?”
“Only that you are the most eligible bachelor in Salt Lake—a real lady-killer.”
He scoffed. “Yvette doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Really? Because I kind of got the impression that the two of you dated and that you broke up with her.”
The corners of his lips turned down. “We only went out on a couple of dates. That’s it. I never led her on or pretended that it was anything more than it was.”
“Oh, you mean dates like what we’re on right now?”
“It’s not like that,” he said quickly, giving her a pleading look. “This is different.”
She cocked her head. “How so?”
He looked flustered for a minute until a sly smile stole across his lips. “You’re baiting me, aren’t you?”
Her eyes turned to saucers. “No! I’m just trying to figure you out.”
Amusement twinkled in his eyes. “Oh, you want to know more about me.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Well, I think I can handle that,” he said with a sure smile. And just like that, he was in control of the conversation once more as the charm oozed out. He talked about his love for cars and extreme sports like rock climbing, bungee jumping, skydiving and even snow kiting (whatever the heck that was). The more he talked, the more uncomfortable Chloe became. She and Garrett had nothing in common, making her wonder what it was that he saw in her.
“Tell me about your childhood,” she said when the conversation lagged.
He rested his arm on the back of the booth. “I grew up in The Valley. My father left when I was three, leaving my mom to take care of Hank and me.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged. “I don’t remember much about him. We grew up in an apartment building. My mom was a saint who did everything she could to put a roof over our heads and food on the table. She worked as a sales clerk in a department store and did laundry and ironing for the neighbors.”
“Is Hank your only sibling?”
“Yes.” He paused as a pained expression came over his face. “It’s just the two of us now. Our mom passed away from leukemia five years ago.” He picked up his glass and swirled around the ice before lifting it to his lips. She got the impression that he was swallowing down his emotion along with the drink.
“I’m sorry,” she repeated not sure what else to say. Loss was hard, and she knew from personal experience that there were no words that could help ease the pain.
He acknowledged the comment with a slight nod.
“How many years apart are you and Hank?”
“Two years and four months.” He smiled. “Want to guess who’s the oldest?”
“Hank … for sure.”
A playful smile tugged as his lips. “Yeah, he looks quite a bit older than me, doesn’t he?”
She wrinkled her nose. “A little … maybe. But he acts older.”
He gave her a crestfallen look. “You think so?”
She took a sip of her drink. “Yes, I do.”
“Hank’s the responsible one for sure.”
“So, how did the two of you end up in business together?”
“Hank went to BYU and got a business degree. I went to the U and studied Architectural Design.”
“The University of Utah?”
He nodded.
“We both have a knack for design, so we decided to pool our resources and work together.”
“From the looks of things, it seems like y’all have built a successful business.”
“Thanks. I like to think so.”
“So you’re doing the real estate on the side?”
“Huh?”
“When we went to dinner you said that you dabbled in real estate.” He had said that, hadn’t he? She tried to remember exactly how he phrased it.
“Oh, yeah. I do a little here and there. Travel quite a bit.”
She waited for him to say more. When he didn’t, she continued. “Oh yeah, you’d just gotten back into town that night we went to dinner. That’s when you saw your friend.” Was it Chloe’s imagination, or did he seem nervous all of a sudden? “How did your meeting with him go?”
“Fine.” He brought his napkin to his lips and signaled for the waiter. “Can we get our check, please?” He forced a smile. “It’s getting late. I need to get you home. We have a busy day of work ahead of us tomorrow.”
Chloe’s senses went on full alert. Garrett had been so open about his childhood, but the minute she mentioned his meeting with that murky-looking man, he clammed up. She was starting to think that Garrett’s carefree attitude was a carefully constructed front that masked a much more complex individual underneath. She wondered what secrets he was hiding beneath his easy smile.
Later that night, as she was drifting off to sleep, it occurred to her that the entire time she’d been talking to Garrett, she was trying to decide how much of her past she was willing to share with him; but as it turned out, the exercise was a waste of time because Garrett talked about himself the whole time and had not asked her a single question about herself. She couldn’t decide if that were a good or bad thing.
9
Chapter 9
A boiling heat was the first thing Chloe noticed, followed by the intense brightness of the sand, causing the sockets behind her eyes to ache. There was no refuge from the fiery sun that was scorching everything around her. She looked ahead at what looked to be a checkpoint of some sort. Then she saw Dan, in his camouflage desert combat uniform, approach a van. He said something to the driver who held out his identification for inspection. Dan nodded as another soldier walked around to the passenger side where he began methodically checking the vehicle.
Chloe tried to bridge the distance between them, but her feet got mired in the treacherous sand that was dragging her down deeper and deeper. Dan turned, and she saw recognition light his features as he smiled. Everything slowed, searing the events into her mind. Dan’s smile turning to shock and then horror as a loud explosion shattered the air. The van breaking into pieces. Acrid smoke stinging her eyes. Razor-sharp shrapnel cutting her face.
She cried out, but the sound got snuffed out in the commotion around her. Her tears gushed, turning to blood that sliced red whelps onto the white sand.
“Dan! Come back! Dan!”
“Chloe, wake up!”
She fought against the hands that were shaking her. She had to get to Dan! She had to help him! “Why did you leave me?” she cried.
“Chloe!”
She opened her eyes, looking around wildly, not seeing anything. Then everything came into focus. She was in her room, lying on the bed, Darbie was standing over her, her curly red hair flying out in all directions. Chloe went still, her mind trying to synch the dream with her surroundings. She to
uched her face and realized it was wet with tears, and she was bathed in a sticky sweat. She sat up in bed and leaned against the headboard. Darbie sat down on the bed beside her.
What could she possibly say to smooth this over? Humiliation burned through her veins as she hugged her arms. “I’m sorry, I was having a nightmare.”
Darbie’s eyes met hers, and even in the near darkness, she could see the worry on her face. “That was more than a nightmare. It sounded like you were reliving some traumatic event. And you were calling out for Dan.”
Chloe raked her hair out of her face. She could feel Darbie’s eyes, looking at her like she was a freak. “It was a dream,” she muttered. “A silly dream.” She gritted her teeth. “Geez! Everyone has nightmares from time to time. It’s not a big deal!”
Darbie touched her arm. “Stop.”
Chloe jerked around. “Stop what?”
“You need help.”
Tears welled in Chloe’s eyes, and she angrily brushed them away. “I don’t need help! I just need time.”
“You’re still seeing him, aren’t you? Your fiancé.”
Chloe rocked back as the words circled around her, stripping away her carefully crafted barrier of protection, making her feel naked and exposed.
“It’s okay. You can tell me.”
There was enough moonlight shining through the window that Chloe could see Darbie’s anxious expression, but there was also something else there as well that she’d not counted on—compassion. She was so tired of pretending. Tired of trying to fight this thing alone. Something gave way inside of her as she slowly nodded. “Yes, I still see him,” she said quietly. A sob wrenched her throat, and she put her hand to her mouth to stay it, but it was too much to contain. She started gulping and then sobbing. Darbie sat patiently beside her until she got it all out.
Finally, Chloe sniffed and wiped her nose with back of her hand. “I’m sorry.” She let out a half laugh. “You got more than you bargained for when you agreed to room with me. You didn’t know you were getting a crazy person.” It was her greatest fear, laid open. She was crazy, and now she’d admitted it out loud. Everything hung in the balance as she waited for Darbie’s response.
When Darkness Falls Page 10