The knock on the door had the galvanizing effect of a fire alarm. She was back. He whirled around and crossed the room in four long strides.
He yanked open the door. “It's about time you got back.” Then he realized who was standing on the other side of the door. “Diana. What the hell do you want?”
She looked up at him, uncertainty pooling in her dark eyes. “I wanted to talk to you, Joel. Don't you think you owe me that much?”
He forced himself to calm down. This was business. He had to control the raging frustration, had to make himself think and act coolly. “I don't believe I owe you a damn thing, Diana, but go ahead and talk, if that's what you want to do.” He glanced at his watch. “I've got a few minutes to spare.”
“You must really hate me,” she whispered.
He scowled. “I don't hate you.”
“I'm glad.”
She smiled at him with a wistful sadness that fifteen years ago would have shredded his heart. Christ, had he really been that stupid?
“Look, Diana…”
“Can I come in?” The sunlight gleamed on her ebony hair. The glossy black mane was parted in the middle and fell straight to her delicate jaw, where it curved gently inward. Fifteen years ago she had worn it in a feathery cut that had had an equally dramatic effect on her eyes. But this style was far more sophisticated, Joel decided. It suited her classic profile. Her black sweater and close-fitting black pants heightened the impact of her striking looks.
The prettiest girl in town. Just ask anyone.
“Yeah, sure. Come on in.” Joel scanned the sidewalk below as he stood aside. There was no sign of Letty returning from breakfast. “The maid hasn't been in yet. The place is a mess. You want to go downstairs?”
“I don't think we need an audience, do you, Joel? We had enough of one last night.”
He shrugged as he closed the door. “The show didn't last long, did it? My boss got me out of there when things turned nasty. She's kind of softhearted about some things.”
“A regular little guardian angel.” Diana walked slowly over to the window.
Joel saw her eyes slide across the bed. “Yeah. She calls it noblesse oblige.”
Diana ignored that cryptic comment. She halted and stood gazing out over the small harbor. “So you finally came back.”
“Don't worry, it'll be a short visit.”
“Just long enough to let us know that you're the one who engineered the destruction of Copeland Marine.”
“I didn't exactly engineer it, Diana. Your father had already started to sink it. I just gave him enough rope so that he could hang it and himself.”
“Very clever.” Diana blinked but not quickly enough to stop two crystalline tears from coursing down her high-boned cheeks. “You're going to destroy Daddy because he wouldn't let you have me all those years ago.”
“Diana, I really am not in the mood for a lot of drama, okay? I lost my taste for that kind of thing about fifteen years back. But while we're on the subject, let's try a little honesty. We both know it wasn't your father who kept us from getting married. It was you. I asked you to leave town with me. You refused.”
“Joel, I was nineteen and I was scared.”
“Sure you were scared. Scared to make your father mad by running off with me. Scared you'd lose the Copeland money. Scared you'd lose everything that went with being Victor Copeland's daughter in Echo Cove. Believe me, Diana, I understand exactly what you went through.”
“Oh, Joel, I'm so sorry. You'll never know how sorry I am.” She swung around, the tears spilling from her eyes in earnest now. “When I looked up and saw you last night in the restaurant, I thought I was seeing a ghost. It's as if you've been haunting me all these years and now you've come back.”
“Not from the grave,” he assured her.
“Joel, please don't torment me like this. I know you've come back because of me. Because of us. I know you want vengeance for what happened. But you have to understand why I couldn't run off with you fifteen years ago. I was too young to handle the situation between us. Too young to make such a serious decision. I was afraid. Surely you can make allowances for that?”
“Sure. Why not?” Joel dropped into the nearest chair and leaned back, legs spread. He wondered what lies Copeland was feeding to Letty at that moment. “You were a kid. I was only twenty-one myself, and I didn't have more than fifty bucks left from my last paycheck at Copeland Marine. Hardly enough to put you up for one night at the kind of hotel you expected, was it?”
Her eyes filled with tears. “You're so bitter. So angry. I can't blame you.” She started across the room.
Joel realized her intention about three seconds too late to get out of the chair. Before he could move, Diana was right in front of him. She threw herself down on her knees between his legs, grasped his thighs, and lifted an imploring face.
“Joel, please, listen to me. I want you to know that if I had it to do over again, I would have run off with you all those years ago. You have no idea how much I've regretted making the wrong decision.”
At that moment the connecting door between the two rooms opened without warning. Letty stood there, staring at the scene in front of her.
Joel looked up and saw her eyes widen in shock as she took in the sight of Diana on her knees between his spread legs. He knew what was going through Letty's mind just as surely as if she'd spoken aloud. She was remembering how she had walked in on her ex-fiancé and found him with a grad student between his legs.
“Jesus.” Joel shot to his feet as if he'd been burned. The sudden action tumbled Diana to one side.
“Joel, no, wait. You must listen to me.” Diana stretched out a hand in a beseeching gesture. “I'm begging you on my knees. I want you to understand.”
Joel reached down and yanked her unceremoniously to her feet. “Damn it, Diana, stop acting as if you're on a stage,” he snapped.
“Excuse me.” Letty's voice was ice. “I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to tell Joel that we've been invited to tour the Copeland Marine facilities this afternoon.”
Diana glanced at her and then apparently lost interest in the new arrival. She turned back to Joel. Her small hands doubled into fists. The tears pooling in her eyes started to fall.
“You were supposed to come back, Joel,” Diana whispered. She raised her clenched hands and struck his chest. “Damn you, you were supposed to come back and rescue me. I waited for you.”
She rushed past him to the door, jerked it open, and fled.
The sound of Diana's receding footsteps echoed in the sudden silence that filled the motel room.
Letty glanced at her watch. “I told Victor we'd be there at one-thirty. I hope that fits in with your busy schedule.” She stepped back into her own room and started to close the connecting door.
Joel leaped forward and shoved the door open again. “Damn it to hell, Letty, that was not what you think it was.”
“Your private life is no concern of mine, Joel.”
“Bull. After last night we both have a hell of a lot of interest in each other's private lives.”
“I'd rather not discuss last night,” she said primly.
“Yeah, I'll just bet you don't want to talk about it.” Joel strode forward, driving her back until she was trapped by the bed. He loomed over her, not touching her.
“Now, Joel…”
“You don't want to admit how good it was, do you? What's the matter, Letty? Can't you deal with the fact that it was me who made it good for you? Me, not that damned professor back at Vellacott? What's the matter? Did you think a man had to have a Ph.D. after his name in order to know how to make a woman like you have a climax?”
“Stop it, Joel. What are you yelling at me for? It's not my fault I walked into your room a minute ago and found Diana kneeling in front of you like some sort of acolyte.”
“Acolyte?” He stared at her.
“Yes, acolyte. A very admiring, very devoted acolyte. And it was quite obvious just wha
t portion of your anatomy she found worthy of devotion and admiration.”
“Maybe you'd be interested in that portion of my anatomy, too, if you gave me a chance to get my jeans off,” Joel shot back before he could stop himself. He groaned and closed his eyes while he got a grip on his raging temper. “Damn. I can't believe this.”
“Neither can I. Would you please get out of my way, Joel?” Letty pushed at him.
Joel took a step back, freeing her. She sprang away from the bed and stood glowering at him, arms folded tightly beneath her breasts. He forced himself to take a deep, steadying breath. “Okay, okay, let's call a truce here and take it from the top. I'll go first and explain what you saw.”
“It doesn't need any explanations.”
“Yes,” Joel said grimly, “It does. Diana was staging a scene.”
“That much was obvious.”
“She came here for a little drama, and she got it. She always did like to be the center of attention. She's convinced herself that I set up Copeland Marine because of something that happened between us fifteen years ago.”
Letty studied a small painting on the wall just past Joel's shoulder. She rubbed her palms up and down her forearms. “Victor told me that you and Diana were lovers,” she murmured. “He told me everything.”
Joel watched her closely, eyes cold. “Everything?”
She nodded brusquely, her expressive face turning an embarrassed shade of scarlet. “Yes. Everything. How he found you and Diana together and how he ordered you never to see her again. He admitted he virtually ran you out of town.”
“Is that all he told you?” Joel asked.
“Not quite.” Her eyes, serious and questioning now, met his. “He said he realizes he may have made a mistake all those years ago. He wonders if you would have made him a better son-in-law than Keith Escott has. That should give you some satisfaction.”
“I don't give a damn how I compare with Escott.”
“Joel, I don't see any point in pursuing this conversation. We both know you're using my company to get your revenge against the Copelands.”
“Your company?” Hearing her say the words aloud was more than enough to trigger Joel's anger all over again.
“Yes. Whether you like it or not, Joel, Thornquist Gear belongs to me. One of these days you're going to have to accept that.”
“The hell with trying to explain things to you. You're right. There's no point in rehashing the past. Tell me what Copeland said at breakfast.”
“I just told you what he said.”
Joel waved that aside with an impatient gesture. “Not about what happened fifteen years ago. Tell me what he said to convince you that we shouldn't shut down Copeland Marine. I want to hear the sob story.”
Letty slanted him a repressive glance. “It is a sob story. A true sob story. And I'm sure you're well aware of just what's at stake here. It's clear that if we close Copeland Marine, we'll be shutting down a major portion of the town's economy, just as I suspected.”
“Business is business. What's this crap about touring the yard this afternoon?”
“He offered to show us around, that's all.”
“You going?” Joel asked.
“Of course. Don't you want to come with me?”
“Shit. I guess I'd better. If I don't, Copeland will probably play a few more violins for you.”
Letty's chin came up. “And I just might listen.”
“Listen all you want. You can't stop this thing, Letty. It's too damn late. You can't risk Thornquist Gear just to save Copeland Marine, and that's what trying to keep Copeland afloat would do. It would jeopardize Thornquist. Kill off your own company and you'll put three times as many people out of work as you will here in Echo Cove. That's the bottom line, boss.”
“Don't call me boss,” she shouted.
He was startled by her burst of fury. She had been so cool and controlled until now. “Okay, okay. Take it easy, Letty.”
“I am going to take a walk along the waterfront and have a look around Echo Cove before our tour of Copeland Marine. I need some fresh air.” She went over to the closet and found a pair of trousers. Then she turned to glower at him. “If you will excuse me, I would like to change.”
Joel did not trust her mood. “I'll come with you. I can show you around the place.”
“No, thanks. I'll find my own way around town. Don't worry, I won't get lost.”
He squelched an uneasy sense of disappointment. Something told him he was not doing a good job of handling the boss today. Maybe she just needed time to cool down. “All right. Suit yourself.” He walked reluctantly toward the connecting door.
“Joel?”
He stopped at once and turned his head. “Yeah?”
“Diana said you were supposed to rescue her fifteen years ago. From whom did she need rescuing?”
“Diana did not need rescuing,” Joel said. “Believe me, she was the town princess fifteen years ago. She had everything she wanted. The best clothes, a new convertible, admission to an exclusive private college, everything. All she had to do was ask her daddy for something one day and the next day it was hers.”
“Except you. Victor wouldn't let her have you.”
“No.” Joel walked into his own room. He started to close the door.
“Joel?”
“Now what?”
“It's becoming fairly obvious that you're back in Echo Cove because of what happened between you and Diana fifteen years ago. You apparently failed to rescue her then. Are you thinking of doing it now?”
Joel shook his head in disgust. “You aren't getting the picture here, boss. I am no longer in the rescue business.”
Half an hour later Letty stood in Echo Cove's tiny shorefront park and gazed out over the water. The sun was shining, but there were clouds moving toward the land. A brisk breeze was toying with her hair and making her jacket flap.
She felt restless and disheartened for the first time since she had left Indiana. Everything had seemed so clear a few weeks ago when she made the decision to quit her job and move to Seattle. Thornquist Gear and a new life had been waiting for her. She had seized the opportunity with both hands, sensing the rightness of it. It had seemed so easy, so perfect.
She recalled Great-Uncle Charlie telling her once during a rare philosophical moment between fishing trips that there was no such thing as a free lunch.
Letty realized she was only just beginning to understand what an enormous glitch Joel Blackstone was causing in her new life-style.
Nothing went right around Joel. Nothing happened the way it was supposed to happen. Nothing was quite what it seemed.
Except last night, Letty thought wistfully. For a while last night everything had gone perfectly.
How odd for Joel to say he was no longer in the rescue business. Last night he had rescued her from her secret, growing fear that she would never experience the full power of her own body.
Letty told herself with some satisfaction that she had known all along she just needed to meet the right man.
Too bad the right man was so hell-bent on vengeance and destruction.
Letty knew that, for her, the possibility of love was beginning to loom very large.
At two-thirty that afternoon, Victor Copeland led Letty and Joel into his upstairs office. A window on one wall provided a view of the boatyard they had just toured.
In spite of the financial problems of Copeland Marine, the facilities were active. Dozens of men in hard hats and work clothes moved about among the assortment of yachts, cruisers, and fishing boats that had been dry-docked for repair or outfitting.
Coiled lines, winches, and chains were everywhere. The sound of high-powered construction machinery rumbled through the walls. The smell of varnish and tar seemed to seep through the office window.
Copeland's office was littered with blueprints and marine supply catalogs. The old steel desk was stacked with papers and file folders.
“You see what I'm saying, Letty? Co
peland Marine is getting the work. My reputation is rock solid. Always has been. We got into a bind a few years ago when the economy took a downturn. I'll admit I was a little overextended at the time because of some modifications I made to the yard.”
“You were ass-deep in debt, Copeland.” Joel stuck his hands in his back pockets and smiled coldly. “The interest rate on the bank loans you had taken out were eating you alive. Another six months and you'd have lost everything. It was plain bad management that got you into that mess.”
Victor ignored him, just as he had during the tour. He looked at Letty. “Like I said, I was a little overextended, and when Thornquist made its offer, I jumped at it. I didn't know I was being set up. But things are working out the way I planned. And if you'll just give me a little extra time I can pull this company out of the red.”
“You've had all the time you're going to get, Copeland.” Joel glanced at Letty. “We've seen enough. Nothing's changed around here in the past fifteen years. Copeland's still running his yard like it was some five-and-dime operation he had going out in his garage. He couldn't save it even if we gave him an extra hundred years.”
Copeland's face turned a violent red. He swung around, confronting Joel for the first time that afternoon. “You shut up, goddamn it. I'm trying to talk to the owner of Thornquist Gear. And that sure as hell ain't you, Blackstone.”
Joel looked steadily at Letty. “There's no point in hanging around here any longer.”
“Now, just a damn minute,” Copeland yelled. “I got a right to tell her how it is. This is business, damn it.”
Letty frowned as she realized the superficial calm that had existed during the tour was fading fast. “Excuse me,” she said briskly. “I would like to see the rest of the offices.”
Victor swung his large head back to her. He glowered. “Huh? What are you talking about?”
She smiled. “If you don't mind. I just want to get a feel for the administrative structure of Copeland Marine.”
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