Steve laughed. It was either that or plant his fist in the kid's face. This whole thing was becoming more and more bizarre.
' 'Let me see if I get this straight. You are concerned about your sister because she's acting more mature these days? Is that right?"
Jason leaned his arms on the table and leaned toward Steve, his gaze direct and very cold. "We're here, hotshot, because I for one think that something happened to her on that island that had no business happening. That's what I think. It's the only explanation for her odd behavior. I don't believe in beating around the bush and I'm not asking you any direct questions that will cause you to make up a bunch of lies. Let's just say that I know human nature. The way I figure it, you put two attractive people on an island together for several days and one thing's going to lead to another. Add to that the fact that Cindi says that Robin hasn't heard anything from you since she got back—"
"Of course she hasn't! I've already told you, she made up a number that wasn't hers because she didn't intend to ever hear from me again!"
Jason continued as though Steve had never said a word. "In this case your stay on that island is going to lead to a wedding before the month is out."
"You can't force us into getting married," Steve said, knowing he sounded belligerent. He no longer cared. He'd had it up to here with the whole lot of them. If he never saw another McAlister for the rest of his life, he would die a happy man.
"You think not?" Jason asked, deliberately drawling his words. "Well, you just hide and watch."
Nine
Steve strolled around the University of Texas campus, admiring the buildings, the statues, the Tower and the stadium. He was a little surprised at how warm it was for this time of year. He'd been wandering the grounds looking at everything for the past forty minutes and had become increasingly aware of the balmy air.
He glanced at his watch. According to Josh, Robin should be getting out of her last class of the day in about ten minutes. He planned to time his arrival at that particular building when she would be coming out.
One thing Steve could say about Texans, they certainly were determined to get their own way. The fact that he was here in Texas was actually the result of a compromise he'd made with Robin's brothers.
They agreed that they wouldn't insist that he marry her if he'd return to Texas with them and meet with her, find out why she'd lied to him, and, if possible, find out what it was about her changed behavior that had caused Cindi to worry about her. If she made it clear that she wanted no part of him, then they'd let him off the hook.
A generous offer in their minds.
It didn't matter to them that he had no more time coming and that his paycheck would reflect the loss of wages because of this trip. Once Steve discovered that Robin's best friend—as well as her brothers—was worried about her, he knew he wouldn't be able to forget about this whole mess until he found out what was going on by facing her for one final—and no doubt humiliating— time.
The fact that he actually wanted to see her again was the humiliating part—enough to lie to his captain and tell him he had a family emergency. He could lose his job over this little escapade.
As the time drew close for her to appear, Steve grew increasingly nervous. What if he didn't recognize her? Since coming on campus, he'd spotted several tall, slender women striding about the place. And they all seemed to dress the same—in battered jeans and oversize shirts or sweaters, their hair hidden by a variety of hats and caps.
The embarrassing truth was, he wasn't at all sure he'd recognize Robin with clothes on, something he definitely hadn't wanted to mention to her brothers.
Later, he realized he shouldn't have worried. He spotted her immediately by the way she walked, the tilt of her head, the way she wore her jeans, not to mention that glorious head of red hair flowing around her face and shoulders. Oh, yes. He would have known her anywhere.
He'd worn dress slacks and a sports jacket for this meeting, but had drawn the line at a tie. He wore his long-sleeved shirt with the collar open and was considering draping his jacket over his shoulder. Seeing her had already increased his body's temperature.
She didn't see him, but then there was no reason for her to be looking for him. Her brothers had suggested that he might prefer to surprise her. Actually, they had decided that the less she knew about their involvement in his sudden appearance, the better chance there was of keeping harmony in the family.
Since he knew quite well what she was going to do when she heard about their visit to California—and he had every intention of informing her—he could understand their concern about her reaction. It would almost be worth hanging around to watch her strip their hides off them.
He couldn't feel sorry for them. They needed to learn to butt out of other people's business, even if the people were loved ones. He'd learned that the hard way watching his brothers and sisters grow up.
It was time for her brothers to be taught a thing or two. Too bad he wasn't going to stick around long enough to do the teaching himself, but he had a strong hunch that Robin could take them on just fine.
He waited until she was even with him before he spoke her name. She jumped as though something had touched her with an electric prod and spun around in a circle with a haunted look in her eyes. Now that she was closer, he could see why her friend and family might be worrying about her.
She'd lost weight, and from the shadows beneath her eyes, it looked to him as if she'd lost more than a few nights' sleep, as well.
When she focused on him, her eyes widened and she turned pale beneath her tan. He stepped forward and took her arm, afraid she might faint. She jerked her arm away from him.
"What are you doing here!" she snapped, looking around as though afraid to be seen talking with him.
Her attitude confirmed what he'd already known—that he was the last person she wanted to see. But he was here now and, by damn, he was going to deal with the situation. Nobody would ever accuse him of being a coward. "I was wondering if there's someplace we could go for a drink and maybe talk."
He wouldn't have thought she could look any paler, but she whitened even more with his words.
"I don't understand why you're here," she said stubbornly.
"Yes, I know that, which is why I'm suggesting we find a more private place where I can explain." He looked around at the stream of students walking around them.
She followed his gaze, finally taking notice of the people around them. "I suppose," she said, showing little enthusiasm.
One thing for sure. The meeting thus far couldn't be considered a roaring success.
It hadn't occurred to him that she would be this upset at seeing him again. Annoyed, perhaps. After all, she'd sent him a clear message, both on the machine and by giving him the wrong number, that she'd already dismissed him from her life.
Which was fine with him. Hell, he'd been busy getting on with his life, hadn't he? If it hadn't been for those blasted brothers of hers.
Once again he took her arm and started toward the parking lot. "Where are we going?" Her voice echoed her unease.
"I'm not kidnapping you, if that's what's bothering you. I'm going to the car. I thought we'd get away from the campus, if that's all right with you. What's the matter with you, anyway? You're acting like I'm some kind of stalker. I think that it's important that we talk. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here."
She glanced at him, then away, as though even the sight of him disturbed her. He didn't like this at all. Something was going on with her, and he'd find out before he left Texas or know the reason why.
She turned and started toward the parking lot, her book bag hanging off one shoulder.
When they reached his rental car, he opened the door for her, then walked around and got in on the other side. "Okay," he said. "Where to?"
She directed him off campus and several blocks farther, to a restaurant that had some tables out beneath large trees. They parked and found a table, gave drink orders to the waiter, th
en sat quietly, warily eyeing each other.
"You don't look like you've been getting much sleep," he finally said.
She shrugged. "I've been doing a lot of studying." Her lashes flickered, her gaze quickly going over him before she looked away. "You look as though your vacation agreed with you."
"It did. Particularly the part that was shared with you."
"Please don't go there, okay? I don't want to talk about that."
He studied her for a long while before leaning back in his chair with a distinctly sinking feeling. What in the world had he done to her that she could barely look at him, didn't want to talk with him? Had being with him in some way driven her over the edge so that now she disliked all men?
Or was it just him?
"I'm sorry," he finally said.
Their drinks arrived, along with a basket of tortilla chips and a bowl of red salsa.
She'd just reached for a chip when he spoke. She glanced up at him. “For what?'' she asked warily.
"For whatever I did to make you dislike me so."
Her eyes widened and she began to laugh, but Steve didn't hear much amusement in the sound. "Well, let me count the ways...for making me feel like a naive fool, perhaps? For making that big scene the morning I left about how special I was, after all that had happened between us, talking about marriage, of all things, when it was all fun and games with you. You never meant a word of all that. And you accuse me of being a coward? At least I was honest with you when I told you I was confused about everything that had happened so quickly. I wanted to take it easy, to let things develop between us naturally... and you made me feel that I was using you!"
He shook his head. "You're a real piece of work, Robin. Just how—if you don't mind explaining this to me—did you see our relationship developing naturally when you deliberately gave me a fictitious number to call? Oh, not to mention that brush-off message you left on my voice mail to greet me when I got back home." "I don't have the foggiest idea what you're talking about. I gave you my number, yes. It wasn't a fictitious number, by the way. And my message had nothing to do with a brush-off. It was a carefully worded message that I was not pregnant and that you didn't have to worry." As she talked her face became more flushed as her voice became quieter and more intense.
Steve was used to dealing with all kinds of people in all kinds of situations. He was good at reading people. It was obvious to him that Robin passionately believed what she was saying.
He considered what she'd said. So maybe her message hadn't been quite the brush-off he'd decided it was. It had sounded polite enough when he'd heard it the first time. In fact, he well remembered how delighted he was that she had called him.
He pulled out his billfold and pulled out the evidence he had that she had misled him. Like a good cop, he hadn't destroyed the evidence, even though he'd had absolutely no use for it once he discovered the truth.
Without saying a word, he handed the slip of paper to her, then crossed his arms and waited.
She glanced at it, then at him. "Is this supposed to be making a point? Because if it is, I've missed it."
"That's the number you gave me, and it belongs to some guy named Greg Hanson."
"That's bull. You dialed the wrong number."
"I might have. Once. Possibly twice. But I called that number so many times that Greg and I got on a first-name basis pretty quickly."
She looked at the paper again. "You dialed 555-2813?" she asked.
"You mean 2873."
"No. My number is 2813, which is what I wrote down. Right there." She poked her finger at the paper with a stabbing motion.
"That's not a one. It's a seven."
“Excuse me, but I believe I know my own telephone number."
"Well, I dialed a seven."
"Good for you."
They stared at each other in frustration and anger. Steve looked at the piece of paper. He picked it up and stared at it closer. "That sure looks like a seven to me."
"So you keep saying."
He finished his drink and signaled the waiter for another one. He was beginning to feel much better about things. Much, much better. He might even have reason to be grateful to Robin's nosy, interfering brothers.
Cautiously Steve said, "So you really gave me the correct phone number." He said quietly, "You intended for me to call you."
She stared at him with disgust. "You actually thought that I would— You believed that after the time we had together that I'd—" Then something shifted, a light in her eyes or something about her expression, as though she'd just realized something. She tilted her head and aimed that heart-melting smile of hers directly at him. "You've been trying to call me," she said, wonder in her voice.
"Haven't I just made it abundantly clear that I spent an inordinate amount of time calling you? And getting friendly with good ol' Greg?"
She dipped her head and played with her glass. "I thought you blew me off after I left the island." "What?"
She lifted her shoulders in a small shrug. “'Well, when I didn't hear from you, I thought..." She let her words dwindle into silence.
"That everything I'd said to you on the island was a lie," he finally finished for her. She nodded.
"Well, thanks for all that trust you have in me." "You're saying you trusted me? Accusing me of giving you the wrong number as though I hoped to avoid you?"
They glared at each other.
"Would you like to hear the chefs suggestions for the evening, or would you prefer to look at our dinner menu?" the waiter asked.
Steve glanced up blankly, then focused on his surroundings. It had grown dark since they had arrived. Now several lamps and a myriad of tiny lights strung through the trees lit the area. Many of the tables around them were filled.
"Uh, give us a minute, if you please," he finally said. The waiter nodded and walked away. He looked at Robin. "I don't know about you, but I'm starved. Do you want to stay and eat?"
She, too, had only now noticed that the restaurant was getting busy. Her mouth twitched as though she were fighting a smile. "If you'd like," she said with dignity, then ruined the effect by chuckling. "I can't believe we're arguing about who is the abused party here, can you?"
"Well, you've got to admit this was quite a mix-up." She reached over and took his hand. ' 'Thank you for swallowing your pride and coming to see me," she said, softly. "I've missed you so much, but was determined not to chase you. I felt that I had made the first move by leaving you a message."
He grinned, taking her hand and bringing it to his mouth, where he pressed a kiss in her palm. "Too bad you didn't repeat your phone number. Then I would have heard it."
"Do you really think my ones look like sevens?" He laughed. "I'm going to forgive you, okay? Now we'd better order before we get thrown out of here."
Once they were through with dinner, they returned to the car. As soon as Steve closed his door he reached for her. She flowed into his arms with reassuring eagerness.
The kiss was filled with pent-up passion that had them both aroused and trembling. When he finally pulled away from her, Steve placed his hand against her cheek. "Come back to the hotel with me. Will you?"
"I want to, Steve, but I can't. I need to get back to the apartment. Cindi's probably got the police out looking for me already. She's gotten to be such a mother hen, lately."
"Call her. Tell her you're fine. And that you'll see her in the morning."
She blinked, then slowly smiled. "All right." Her agreement surprised him. It also told him that she was indeed maturing, making decisions for herself.
He'd rented a room at one of the hotels on the way to the new airport. Once at the hotel, he took her to his room. After unlocking the door, he motioned to the phone.
She quickly dialed a number and waited.
"Hi, Cindi, it's me," she said after a moment. "I'm fine. Yeah, I knew you'd be starting to worry, which is why I'm calling. Look, I ran into a friend, so I won't be home for a while. I just wanted to let
you know I'm all right. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
She hung up, then turned around and looked at him.
"You said we needed to talk."
He nodded. "I think we've done that."
"Yes, I guess we have. We seemed to have discovered that we have a few trust issues where the other is concerned."
"I think I have a solution for that."
"What's that?"
"Let's get married," he said lightly. "With that kind of commitment between us, I know we'll work out any minor kinks that might show up from time to time." "You want to marry me because...?" He walked over to her. "Because I love you," he admitted quietly. "I must have fallen in love that first day you appeared on the island. I know I've never been able to get you out of my mind since then. You're with me whether I'm asleep or awake, daylight or dark, on the job or at home. It ripped me apart to think that you didn't feel the same way."
"I would never have made love to you if I hadn't known how very much I love you."
He sighed in relief. ' T was counting on that. That was the only thing that gave me any confidence to approach you there on the island. I knew that your innocence wasn't just a result of having protective brothers. You had chosen not to become intimate with anyone for a specific reason. The fact that you changed your mind where I was concerned was the most encouraging thing that happened."
"Please don't bring up my brothers, okay? When I got home I finally faced them and told each of them what I thought of their behavior and that I had had enough of it. I let them know in no uncertain terms that if they wanted any relationship with me, now or in the future, they were to stay out of my life."
Steve tried not to wince. Obviously her lecture hadn't fazed them in the least when they decided to come hunt him down.
Not that he blamed them. He would be eternally grateful that they had come looking for him. "So, does this mean you'll marry me?" She laughed and threw herself into his arms. "You bet.
I'm going to insist you make an honest woman of me. But we can talk about all the details later." She kissed him, then kissed him again with much more intensity. "I don't know how long you can stay—"
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