“You look dead on your feet, Summer. I’ll bet none of the other ad executives at Worth are putting in your hours. Why don’t you ease up?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Sure you do. We talked about it the other night at the hospital, this crazy need you have to prove yourself. Well, guess what? The only person you really have to please in this world is yourself.”
She took a bite of her eggs. “These are delicious,” she said.
“Don’t change the subject.” He leaned forward on his elbows and studied her intently. “How come you haven’t gone out on your own?”
“On my own?”
“Why haven’t you started your own agency?”
“Her heart skipped a beat at the thought. She shook her head. “Oh, no, I couldn’t—”
“Why? I’ve seen your work. You know damn well you’re good enough. Didn’t you tell me you started working at Worth Advertising right after college?”
“Yes, but—” She paused. “It would be too risky. I would be starting from scratch.”
“That’s what life is all about, babe, taking risks. You’re talking to a pro here.”
She studied him. “You know what’s odd?” she said. “You know everything about me, and I know almost nothing about you.”
“You know more about what’s going on inside me than most people,” he said, then went on to another subject. “After breakfast, I want you to take a nap.” She opened her mouth to protest. “I insist,” he said. “Think how far behind you’re going to be if you get sick.”
“It’s hard for me to relax right now with so much going on. The work at the office and—” She sighed heavily. “My grandmother is driving me crazy with that blasted engagement party. I’ve tried to convince her to wait, but you know how she is.”
“Speaking of engagement parties.” He reached for his jacket and dug into one pocket. “You might need this,” he said, setting a velvet box before her.
Summer put down her fork and reached for the small box. She opened it and almost gasped at the gorgeous ring tucked inside. She figured it somewhere between ten and twelve karats. “Oh, Cooper. It’s beautiful. And it looks … so real.”
“What makes you think it’s not real?” he said.
She met his amused gaze and wondered why he enjoyed teasing her so. “I happen to know what diamonds cost, pal.”
“Try it on,” he said.
Summer slipped it on her finger. “It’s a little loose, but not much.”
“I can have it sized by Saturday.”
“Don’t bother, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
Cooper looked concerned. “Well, try not to lose it, okay?”
“If I do, I’ll personally replace it. Stop worrying.” She finished her breakfast and insisted on cleaning up while Cooper finished his coffee. She chatted about the other accounts she was working on, and he told her about the biker’s convention he would be attending soon in Japan.
“Japan?” she said, her heart tumbling at the thought of him going so far away. “Did you get a promotion?”
He shifted in his chair. “Yeah, something like that. I’ll probably be over there a couple of weeks.”
“Congratulations,” she said, noting his discomfort and suspecting he didn’t want her to make a big deal of it. He obviously wasn’t the sort of man who liked to toot his own horn. Nevertheless, two weeks seemed like a lifetime. Funny how her feelings had changed almost overnight. She’d been trying to think of a way to spend less time with him; now the thought of his being away made her sad. It also made her wish she were in a position to go with him. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a vacation.
Cooper was staring at her bare finger. “What’d you do with the ring?” he asked quickly.
“Oh, I took it off while I was rinsing dishes.”
“You need to keep it in the box when you’re not wearing it,” he said. “Otherwise, you might misplace it.”
Summer thought he was making a big deal out of a piece of costume jewelry, but she decided to go along with him. “Sorry, I’ll be more careful.”
Once he’d returned the ring to its proper place, he pulled her from her chair. “Now, about that nap, come on. I’ll rub your back until you fall asleep.”
It was useless to protest. Summer made her way up the stairs with him close behind. He insisted on unplugging the phone in her bedroom. “Climb in,” he said once he’d pulled down the comforter. He kicked off his own shoes while waiting for her to do so.
Summer crawled beneath the covers. “I’m telling you, it’s useless,” she said. “I’m too wired to sleep.”
He lay down beside her, remaining on top of the comforter. The last thing he needed to do was snuggle against her warm body and get turned on. “Now, turn over,” he said.
She did so. With both of them lying on their sides, Cooper began to rub her tense neck and shoulder muscles and massage her back as well. “You were serious about trying to get me to fall asleep,” she said after a few minutes.
“Yeah, why?”
“I thought you were really looking to make love.”
“Maybe later, right now you need rest more than anything.”
Summer closed her eyes as his big hands kneaded away all her tension. She did feel cherished and protected when he was around. For a woman who’d spent much of her life being in complete control, it felt good to know she could let go.
But letting go also meant giving someone else power over you, risking pain and heartache. As she lay there, she remembered reading from Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet how love often caused as much pain as it did happiness. But for those who chose not to take the risk, they lived in a world without seasons. Had she been living in such a world?
Summer drifted off to sleep in a matter of minutes. Cooper lay there quietly, listening to her steady breathing. He didn’t like to see her push herself so hard. When he was certain she was sleeping soundly, he got up from the bed and made his way downstairs. Trying to kill time until she woke up, he cleaned the kitchen. The Sunday paper was on the kitchen counter, still folded. He carried it into the living room and lay down on the sofa, propping his head on several throw pillows.
When Summer opened her eyes sometime later, she saw that she’d slept almost three hours. She felt more rested and relaxed than she had in weeks. She rolled over and found, much to her disappointment, that Cooper was gone. She went into the bathroom, washed her face and brushed her teeth, then ran a brush through her hair. When she came out of the bathroom she found Cooper stretched out on the bed.
“I heard you were up,” he said. “I was beginning to think you’d gone into hibernation.”
She walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. “I guess I was more tired than I thought.”
“How do you feel now?”
She laughed. “Like I just awoke from a long winter’s nap.”
He toyed with her hair. “You’re going to have to slow down, babe. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off? We can go to a movie and have dinner afterward.”
Summer glanced at her wristwatch. “It’s two o’clock now,” she said. “That still gives us a couple of hours.”
“What do you want to do until then?”
She smiled, slid closer, and started unbuttoning his shirt. “Does this answer your question?”
The smile he gave her would have melted a frozen creek. “I think I get your drift.”
Their gazes locked as they undressed each other. Cooper kissed and stroked her until she became wet and eager for him. His hands trembled as he grappled with a condom, then pulled her on top of him, impaling her slowly in case she was still sore. She cried out softly and sank against his chest. He cupped her hips in his hands and anchored her against him as he began to thrust, slowly at first, then faster. She climaxed only a moment before him, and they shared a deep kiss as they drifted back to earth in each other’s arms.
#
On Monday, Henrietta called Summer
to let her know she’d set Cooper and her up to have their engagement pictures made the next day so they’d be ready to go to the newspaper the following Monday. Summer, who was still on a cloud after having spent the night in Cooper’s arms, was forced to do a reality check. Her friends and coworkers would see the picture and naturally ask questions. She had to put a stop to it before she became a laughingstock and scandalized the Pettigrew name.
She finally called Joyce into her office and confessed everything. Her friend and assistant had a dazed look on her face by the time Summer finished.
“How far are you planning to carry this thing?” the woman asked.
Summer shook her head sadly. “Right now I’m so confused, I can face only one day at a time.”
“How does Cooper feel?”
“I think he’s amused that I got myself into this situation to begin with, but I was in such a state of panic at the time. I expected my grandmother’s heart to give out right there in that ambulance.” She shook her head sadly. “I never thought a few lies could snowball into something like this.”
Joyce gazed at her for a moment. “You’re in love with him,” she said matter-of-factly.
Summer nodded reluctantly, but she didn’t look happy about the fact. “Yes, I love him,” she confessed, “but believe me, nothing good could come of a relationship with the man. He’s not the marrying kind.”
“He might surprise you. He was certainly willing to tear Sam Flynn apart on your behalf.”
“It’s a farce, Joyce. Cooper’s agreed to play along until my grandmother’s health improves. After that he’s off the hook. I just wanted you to know the truth because you’ll probably be invited to the engagement party.”
“Listen, kid. A man does not agree to something like this unless he has a very good reason. I think Cooper’s just as smitten with you as you are with him.”
“Smitten is not the word for it,” Summer said. “He’s made it plain from the beginning that he’s more interested in sex than in anything else.”
“Ah, so the two of you have been intimate,” Joyce said, and the blush on Summer’s face confirmed it. She chuckled. “Well, that’s certainly a good sign on your part. How was it?”
Summer tried to hide her embarrassment but failed miserably. “It was wonderful, Joyce,” she confessed after a moment. “More than I imagined it could be. That’s what scares me so much. I mean, Cooper and I are so different.”
“Yes, but isn’t that what attracted you to him in the first place? The fact he was so different from the men you’d dated?”
Summer pondered it. “I suppose that was part of it, but there’s something else. I can’t really explain it. Sometimes he seems almost … primitive in his beliefs on how things should be between a man and woman. I’m intrigued, but at the same time a little frightened over how intense he can be.”
“Are you saying he wants to keep you barefoot and pregnant?”
“Not exactly, but I think he expects to be first in my life at all times.”
“Which is how it should be,” Joyce said. “If you love someone, you automatically place them first. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a career, friends, and family, but your priorities change once you’ve met the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Wouldn’t you expect him to place you first?”
“I suppose.”
“Well, there you have it. Dr. Joyce has solved all your problems.”
Summer chuckled. “I’ll need time to ruminate.”
Joyce snapped her finger. “By the way, Max gave me a message for you. Remember that nonprofit organization called The Good Shepherd? They called back. Seems the guy in charge talked to a couple of our competitors but didn’t care for their ideas. He wants Worth Advertising to reconsider taking them on. They’ve managed to come up with a little more money. Max sort of slipped the information under the table to me because he knew you wanted the account. But if Worth happens to find out—”
“I know,” Summer said grimly. “I can’t believe Flynn hasn’t called to complain. I can’t believe Worth did not hear about it. I was getting ready to polish my resume’.
“I’ll make sure Max’s name doesn’t come up. Listen, Joyce, if I do take the account, I’m going to need your help.”
Joyce looked thrilled at the prospect. “You know how long I’ve waited for a chance like this. Let me get their phone number for you.” She started for the door and paused. “What if Mr. Worth does find out you went behind his back on this one?”
“I’ll have to face that problem if and when it comes up.”
#
Henrietta welcomed private investigator Don Rhodes into her den and asked him to sit. Once they’d settled on a time, she had given Emma a long list of errands. “I believe you’ve met my driver and close friend, Axel Jones,” she said, introducing the two.
“Yes, we’ve been in touch a couple of times. I’m sorry it took longer than usual to get the information you wanted. Our company has been backed up with cases.”
Henrietta noted the slim file in Rhodes’s hand and shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “You were able to learn something about Mr. Garrett?”
“Indeed I was. I can sum it up by saying I have good news and bad news.” He opened the file as if to read the information, but Henrietta interrupted him. “Mr. Rhodes, would you mind just leaving the file with me so I might look at it in my own good time?”
He looked surprised. Finally, he shrugged and handed her the file. “If that’s what you prefer.”
“I believe it would be easier this way. You know where to send the bill?”
He nodded, and then stood. “Well, if you don’t need my services further, I’ll be going. Feel free to contact me if you have questions.”
“I’ll see you out,” Axel said. He disappeared for a few minutes while Henrietta stared at the closed file in her lap. When her driver returned, he closed the door once more. “Is something wrong, Mrs. Pettigrew?”
“Yes, something is very much wrong here,” she said. “I have no business prying into Mr. Garrett’s personal life. I raised my granddaughter to believe everyone on this earth was equal and that a person should not be judged by what kind of work they do or how much they’re worth. If Summer loves Cooper and wants to marry him, that’s good enough for me.” She offered Axel the file. “Please destroy this immediately.”
He took it. “Consider it done.”
#
The week passed quickly as Summer worked on various accounts, calling Warren long distance several times to brainstorm ideas about those they shared. With nothing else to do, he sounded only too eager to assist. “I know I haven’t been pulling my weight lately,” he said, “but that’s going to change once I get on my feet again.”
“Why the sudden change of heart?” Summer asked.
“I could have lost my life in that accident. While I waited for the ambulance to arrive, all I kept thinking about was how I’d wasted a lot of years chasing skirts and hanging out in singles’ bars. I’m going to turn my life around.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Warren. If I’ve learned one thing in this life, it’s that people can and do change. It sounds like you’re ready to do just that.”
They talked a few more minutes. Summer told him about losing Sam Flynn as a client and the reasons why, then her decision to take on the Good Shepherd account despite Mr. Worth telling her not to.
“Just be careful,” Warren said. “You know how hard it is to keep secrets in that company. Some of the older guys still resent having a woman on board unless she types and takes dictation. There are guys that would kill for this kind of information. They’d consider it a real feather in their cap if they could go to Worth with something like this. They’d likely get the Gridlock Tire account.”
Summer sighed. “Sometimes I think I’d be better off if I went out on my own.”
There was dead silence at the other end. “You mean quit Worth Advertising?” he asked at last, sounding surpr
ised.
“At least I could pick and choose my accounts.”
“You know, that might not be such a bad idea. As a matter of fact, I might be interested in going in with you. Partners, fifty-fifty. I think the old creative juices would flow easier if old man Worth weren’t always breathing down our necks.”
Summer wasn’t sure she’d want Warren as her partner, knowing how he worked. Or, rather, how he didn’t work. He might be ready to change for the better at the moment, but the moment a pretty face showed up he might forget his promises. “It’s just a thought,” she said. “I’m not sure I’d be brave enough to give up a regular paycheck and strike out on my own.”
“You wouldn’t be on your own,” he reminded her. “You’d have me.”
“I have to think about it, Warren. I’m not about to make such a decision without giving it a great deal of thought.” They chatted a little longer. By the time they hung up, Warren had convinced her to keep an open mind about the two of them going into business together.
#
Cooper dropped by most evenings with carry-out or something to cook on the grill. He often listened to Summer’s ideas about one project or another and offered suggestions of his own. When Summer told him she was meeting with the staff from The Good Shepherd behind Mr. Worth’s back, he seemed genuinely pleased.
Summer found him indispensable, running errands, taking her car in for an oil change, keeping her cupboards stocked and the coffee fresh. “I don’t know what I would have done without you this past week,” she said one night as he was about to leave.
“Be careful, Ms. Pettigrew,” he said. “You sound like a woman who needs a man in her life. Next thing I know, you’ll have me swimming moats and slaying dragons.”
She averted her gaze. “I was just trying to say thank you for your help,” she said, determined not to let him think she was helpless. “I’m not in the market for a knight in shining armor.”
He gave her a knowing smile, then kissed her and left. She stood in the doorway several minutes, wondering how he’d managed to insinuate himself so quickly into her life. Later, as she was lying in bed, it occurred to her that Cooper had not pressed for sex all week. Had he lost interest? She realized she’d been worrying about something like that happening all along. He had managed to win her trust to an extent and get her in bed; could it be that he’d lost interest now that he’d accomplished what he’d set out to do?
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