Henrietta looked offended. “Now, Summer, you know I always take care of the costs, and since Cooper is my guest, I will cover his meal as well.”
“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that,” he said.
Both women looked at him. “Oh, but I insist,” Henrietta replied.
“Then, I’ll have to take a rain check. I prefer paying my own way.”
Summer could see that her grandmother was as stunned as she was. She merely gazed at him for a moment, blank and amazed. Was he crazy? The cost of the dinner itself would take quite a chunk of his salary. “You’ll be expected to wear a tux,” she said in a small, tight voice.
He shrugged. “I’m sure I can scrounge one up somewhere.” A faint light burned in the depths of his dark eyes. For some reason he found her discomfort amusing. “Something with a little style and pizzazz,” he added with a hearty wink.
Summer suddenly had a quick and disturbing vision of him appearing at the plush Peachtree Plaza Hotel in a lavender tux with sequins.
“What time shall I plan on picking you up?” Cooper asked, interrupting her train of thought.
“Huh?” Summer blinked several times. “Perhaps it would be best if we took my car,” she said. “I’m afraid my hair won’t survive a helmet. I could pick you up at your place … say around seven.”
“I’ll just borrow a friend’s car,” he told her. “I’ll come by early so we can swing by and pick up Henrietta as well.”
“That’s awfully kind of you,” the woman said. “I’m sure my driver would enjoy having a night off.”
“Then, it’s settled.”
He took a bite of his sandwich, but one corner of his mouth quirked at the corners as Summer fixed him with an icy look. It was obvious she didn’t want him to go, and she most certainly didn’t want him to provide transportation. She was probably afraid he was going to pick her up in some rusted-out pickup truck. For a brief second he entertained the thought of arriving at her doorstep on a donkey, and he almost smiled.
With lunch behind them, Henrietta invited Cooper out back to look at her gardens. Summer excused herself on the pretense of having to make a phone call, and promised to join them shortly. Instead, she pushed through the swinging door leading to the kitchen where she found Millie stacking the lunch dishes into the dishwasher and Mrs. Bradshaw sitting at the kitchen table making a grocery list.
Millie smiled. “Did you need something, Miss Pettigrew?”
As often as she’d tried to convince the staff to be less formal, none were inclined. “I would like to thank you both, as well as Thomas, for looking after my grandmother’s diet. The meal was lovely.”
“We’re happy to oblige,” Mrs. Bradshaw said. “Your grandmother has devoted half a century to caring for others. It’s only fitting we take good care of her now.”
Summer almost slammed into Henrietta, who was about to enter the kitchen from the other side. “I knew it!” the older woman said. “You were in there telling them to starve me. They’ll probably be boiling weeds from my garden for breakfast.”
“Nobody’s going to starve you,” Summer replied. “Where’s Cooper?”
“Oh, he had to leave,” she said. “He had an appointment and asked me to tell you he’d catch up with you later.”
Summer gritted her teeth. The skunk! He knew she wouldn’t be happy with him for agreeing to escort them to the benefit, so he’d decided to slip out without saying good-bye. “That’s fine,” she said, going to the hall closet for her jacket. “I’ve got to visit a friend in the hospital.”
Henrietta didn’t seem to be listening. “Cooper’s bringing his rake and hoe next time so he can work in my garden. I don’t believe I’ve ever had a guest do that sort of thing. Your taste in men has certainly changed. But I rather like him, despite my earlier reservations. And I can tell he’s absolutely smitten by you.”
Summer could not hide her surprise. “You can?”
“Oh, yes.” Henrietta glanced over her shoulder to make sure they were alone. “I’ll have to admit I had serious doubts about him this morning, but I feel better about it now. And the two of you make such a nice couple,” she added dreamily. “Him so dark, you so fair. You’d have beautiful children.”
Summer, in the process of pulling her car keys from her purse snapped her head up. “Children!” She shook her head. “Stop right there, Henrietta Pettigrew. Nobody said anything about marriage and children. You’re doing it again. The minute I look at a man twice, you’re ready to hire a minister and catering service.”
Henrietta looked taken aback. “Well, you talked like … I mean, the two of you acted like you really cared about each other. I just thought—” She pressed one hand against her breast.
Summer didn’t miss it. She watched all the light go out of her grandmother’s eyes. In fact, she suddenly looked quite pale. “We do care for each other,” she amended quickly. “I just don’t want to rush into anything. As Cooper said earlier, he’s very different from the sort of men I’ve dated in the past. I need time to get used to him.” She started for the door. She needed to escape the conversation.
Henrietta followed. “He may not be suave and debonair like some of the gentlemen you’ve dated, but you’ll have to admit he’s good-looking in a rugged sort of way. He seems honest and hardworking.”
Summer was quickly growing weary with the subject. “Must we discuss this now?”
“I’m just trying to tell you that money and position aren’t everything. I would have married your grandfather if he’d sold dirt for a living. His being rich was just an added bonus, but in the end all that money couldn’t save his life when it was discovered he had a rare blood disease. Nor could it bring back my only child when she decided to run off.”
Summer opened the door and hurried out onto the wide veranda. She was in no mood to discuss her parents and the mistakes they’d made. “Cooper and I need more time before we start thinking about something as important as marriage,” she said. “I don’t want any lingering doubts.”
“Be careful that you don’t take too much time,” Henrietta said. “At your age you should have already married and started your family. You’ll be thirty before you know it. That biological clock of yours doesn’t stop ticking just because you’re afraid to make a commitment.”
“I don’t believe I’m hearing this.”
“Look what happened to Mary Ann Drummond. She was as bad as you, where her career was concerned. By the time she was ready to start having babies, her ovaries had dried up like raisins. She’s raising poodles instead. And don’t you think her poor mother’s heart is broken?”
“Please go inside, Grandmother. You’ll catch a chill. I have to go,” Summer said, giving her a peck on the cheek before making her way quickly to her car.
“So I’ll see you Wednesday?” Henrietta called out. “For the benefit?”
“Yes, Wednesday,” Summer replied. But even as she closed her car door and strapped on her seat belt, her mind was already searching for an excuse to get out of it.
Summer drove to the same hospital where Henrietta had been rushed during her heart attack. She paused at the information desk to get Warren’s room number, then squeezed into an elevator of other well-wishers. She found Warren’s room easily enough and waltzed through the door with a bright smile on her face.
“Hi, handsome,” she called out the minute she spotted her friend and coworker. He brightened at the sight of her. “I see the accident didn’t mess up that good-looking puss of yours,” she said. She ruffled his hair and gave him a playful kiss. She noted the cast on his leg and wrist. “Now, don’t worry about a thing. Auntie Summer is here to take good care of you. Just tell me where it hurts.”
He grinned. “If I told you, you’d probably break my other leg.”
“Maybe you should tell her, Warren,” a male voice said, “she seems eager enough.”
Summer whirled around at the sound of Cooper’s voice. He was leaning against the sink near the bathroom
door. She’d waltzed right past without seeing him. “Oh, my,” she said breathlessly. “I didn’t know Warren had company.”
“Obviously,” he said, his eyes boring into hers.
“Am I interrupting anything?” she asked.
“Of course not,” Warren told her. “I’ve been counting the hours until your visit. What took so long?”
Still embarrassed that Cooper had witnessed her giddiness upon seeing her friend in one piece, Summer took a seat in the chair next to Warren’s bed and folded her hands in her lap. “My grandmother insisted I have lunch with her,” she said, deliberately avoiding mentioning the fact that Cooper had been with her as well. She had no desire to rehash the previous night’s events with Warren, and from the looks of him, he probably didn’t feel like listening. She noted the bulk under his hospital gown and figured they’d taped his ribs as well. “So, you’re feeling kinda crummy, huh?”
“Like I was in a car wreck. But I’m better now that you’re here.”
“When do you think they’ll release you?” she asked.
“I was hoping to get out tomorrow, but my doctor insists on keeping me until Monday, because he wants to see all my test results.”
“And when are your parents coming?”
“They’re arriving on Tuesday. Mr. Worth has already been by. He said to take as long as I needed. I just hate leaving you in a bind at the office.”
Summer knew it wouldn’t be easy balancing both workloads, but it couldn’t be helped. She would manage somehow. She forced a bright smile and tried to sound optimistic. “I’ll be fine. Right now you just concentrate on getting better. Is there anything you need?”
“Other than a little TLC, I’d like to have a pair of pants and a clean shirt in case I’m discharged tomorrow. You haven’t lost your key to my place, have you?”
Summer felt the heat rise from her neck, knowing how it must sound to Cooper, then wondered why she cared one way or the other. Warren had given her a key the previous summer before leaving on vacation because he hadn’t trusted anyone else to take care of his ficus trees and see to his mail.
“I’ll run by this afternoon,” she told him.
Someone tapped on the door and Summer turned as a middle-aged man in a white jacket stepped into the room, holding a clipboard. Warren looked pleased to see him.
Summer decided to make herself scarce while Warren’s doctor examined him. “I’m going to grab a cup of coffee in the cafeteria,” she told him. “You want me to bring you anything?”
Warren nodded eagerly. “How about a slice of pecan pie?”
“You got it.”
“I’ll go with you,” Cooper said, following her out.
Summer punched the button for the basement, where the vending machines and cafeteria were located. The metal doors whisked open, and she stepped in with Cooper right behind. A shadow of annoyance crossed her face.
He saw the look and realized he was the one who had a right to be mad. How could she let him kiss her senseless one minute and simper over his cousin the next?
“What’s bugging you?” he muttered as if he had no idea.
Summer shot him a killing glare. “Don’t play dumb with me, Cooper Garrett,” she snapped. “We agreed to try to bail you out of further social obligations, and you did just the opposite. Now I’m back to square one. Not only am I forced to continue lying to my grandmother, I have the added pressure of trying to pretend we’re a couple when we’re not. You could easily have gotten out of going to that benefit.” The elevator came to a stop, but Cooper reached past her and pressed a button that kept the doors from opening. She opened her mouth to protest, but he interrupted.
“Maybe I didn’t want to get out of it.”
Summer eyed him as he stepped closer, forcing her into a corner. The elevator seemed to shrink in size as his thighs grazed hers. His finger remained on the button. She drew back, but there was no escape. She suddenly felt claustrophobic, depleted of oxygen. “What possible reason could you have for wanting to carry on this ridiculous charade?” she demanded with what little breath she possessed.
He tilted his head forward, and his eyes flashed a brilliant onyx. His lips hovered over hers enticingly. She felt ready to snap. Part of her wanted to be kissed, that side of her that dealt with feelings and emotions and gave no heed to logic and common sense. “I’ve already told you,” he said, his voice so low and husky, she felt the hair on her arms rise. “I wanted you from the minute I saw you. I’ve decided I’m going to have you no matter what.”
“You can’t make a decision like that without my consent,” she said. “And I’ve already told you—”
His lips descended, cutting off the rest of her statement. The kiss was hungry and devouring, hot, setting her mouth aflame and making her forget all the reasons she should be protesting. Summer clutched the front of his jacket, half afraid her knees wouldn’t hold her. When he finally raised his head, she felt weak and confused.
“I’m willing to play this your way,” he whispered against her slightly parted lips. “I’ll court you like a gentleman if that’s what it takes. But don’t make me wait too long, Summer, because I’m not a patient man when it comes to getting what I want.” As his lips captured hers once more, he told himself she was as good as his. He would have her. Even if it meant stealing her away from his cousin.
Chapter Six
Summer was late for work on Monday due to an accident that tied traffic up on the interstate for forty-five minutes. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was not the time to get rattled, she reminded herself, knowing she had an important meeting in less than an hour. By the time she pulled into Executive Park Plaza, where Worth Advertising leased the entire top floor of offices in a modern glass and steel-framed building, she had managed to calm down.
With minutes to spare, Summer climbed from her car and hurried inside the building, making her way through the lobby to the elevators, which tended to be tied up this time of day. Luck was with her. One of the doors was standing open. She stepped in and punched the button to the tenth floor, then smoothed the wrinkles from her navy jacket and winter-white pleated skirt. She paused just outside the conference room where Edwin Worth met with his advertising people each Monday. Joyce was waiting inside with a cup of coffee, a fistful of messages, and a number of files containing key accounts.
“Thanks, Joyce,” Summer whispered, taking a seat at the long mahogany table with her male coworkers. The Monday-morning meetings, or grill sessions, as some of the employees referred to them, had terrified Summer in the beginning. Straight out of college, she was certain her ideas sounded corny and naive, but Warren had assured her she’d brought a freshness that was long overdue to the firm. She never knew if he was being honest or if it was just another ploy to get her in the sack.
Edwin Worth stepped inside with his young male secretary, Max, a man in his twenties who was as fastidious in his appearance as he was in his job. The CEO sat at the head of the table; Max took the chair to his right, pen and pad poised and ready.
“Before we get started,” Worth began, “I want to let all of you know Warren Spencer was involved in a car accident Friday night.” He gave them a rundown of his injuries. “He should be released today, but he’s going to be out of commission for a while. I had Max send flowers on behalf of the company,” he added.
He gave a rare smile. “On a happier note, Warren and Summer snagged the Gridlock Tire Account. I don’t have to tell you what a big win that is for Worth Advertising.”
He’d barely gotten the words out of his mouth before the clapping began. Summer nodded her thanks.
Worth looked curious. “What do you think was the deciding factor?” he asked Summer. “I know we were the highest bidder.”
Summer would not tell him how she had slaved over the account; she would tell him what he wanted to hear, which is how things were done at Worth. “That’s an easy one,” she said. “Worth Advertising has a reputation of being the best game i
n town.”
He looked pleased. “Now, then. I’ve got a busy day ahead of me, so let’s try not to drag this out.”
For the next hour they went around the table discussing current projects while Max scribbled furiously. Leaning forward, hands clasped together, Worth listened carefully and asked questions.
When it was her turn, Summer updated him on her accounts, including the one she’d recently been assigned, a string of weight-loss centers for women, which had the potential of becoming a multimillion-dollar account. The owner eventually wanted to go nationwide with his centers, and he was willing to spend any amount of money to achieve that goal and see they were successful. Summer’s initial success landing the account was one of the reasons she was recently promoted.
“I’ve spoken to Mr. Flynn several times by phone, and he has a few ideas as far as the image he wants to create. Unfortunately, his ideas are somewhat dated, as in women only want to look better in order to attract men, and he is not doing himself any favors by wanting to call his centers The Body Works. I’m going to try to convince him otherwise when we meet for lunch this afternoon.”
“What do you have in mind?” Worth asked.
“Mr. Flynn’s weight loss centers are high-end and high-priced,” she said. “Not only does he offer state of the art equipment, he has a dietitian on board, and many of his employees are personal trainers as well. He plans to add a spa in some of his more lucrative centers in Florida; West Palm Beach and Naples being two such locations. If that weren’t impressive enough, he is going to hire licensed professionals who will do facial peels and administer Botox injections. In other words, he will provide services that aren’t offered in the local gym.
“Keep going,” Worth said.
“What Mr. Flynn doesn’t seem to grasp, at least in our phone conversations, is that he should not be competing with gyms that offer simple work outs and aerobic classes. His clientele will consist mostly of professional women who have enjoyed a lot of success and those with money who won’t balk at his membership costs. I’ve been working on his brand, but I’ve yet to come up with a suitable name that will set him apart.” Summer smiled at her colleagues. “I’m open to suggestions.”
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