Mitch picked up on one part of what she'd said. "Loved?"
She understood. He was asking if she was still in love with her husband. "He's gone, Mitch. Just like my mother. My life has to go on." Meeting and caring for Mitch had brought that home even more.
Before Mitch could respond, they heard footsteps in the foyer. Ray entered the living room in gray sweatpants and sweatshirt. Laura had rarely seen him in anything but a suit, even when she was a child. Since he'd started walking with Nora and exercising with the rehab nurse, he seemed to enjoy casual clothes. He looked relaxed, more approachable.
He took in the photograph in Laura's hands and her serious expression. But he didn't comment on either. "Nora says supper will be ready in half an hour. Mitch, let's go to my office and discuss your sales campaign for Christmas. And Laura, I'd like to speak to you--"
"His sales campaign?" Laura asked with raised brows.
Mitch said calmly, "We worked on ideas together in Flagstaff."
Ray gazed at Mitch intently. "But you had your ads for Harrisburg set up months ago."
"I know. But I might incorporate Ladies' Night and Men's Night as Laura suggested."
Ray rubbed his chin. "I see. Well, then, we'll save that for after supper. Laura, can I talk to you for a few minutes now?"
Her gaze went to the stairs.
"If Mandy wakes up, I'll get her ready for supper," Mitch assured her.
Laura laid the photograph on top of the box and followed her father to his office where Ray immediately sat down in the monstrous leather chair behind the desk. She stood rather than dropping into the captain's chair in front of the desk. She wouldn't let him make her feel like a delinquent sixteen-year-old again. Though she did feel at a disadvantage in her stocking feet. "What did you want to talk about?"
"You and Mitch work together well."
She sent him a puzzled look. "Sometimes, but what
does...?"
Ray smiled. "You're intelligent adults with your own ideas. Of course you won't agree on everything."
She waited.
"Have you considered staying in York permanently?"
Consciously or not she had, especially since she realized she was falling in love with Mitch. But his feelings were the deciding factor, and the way it looked now... "I have a life in Independence," she hedged, wondering where this was leading.
Her father propped his elbows on the desk and put his hands together, steepling his fingers. "What if I said I'm thinking about retiring and I'd like you to take over the York store while Mitch takes Harrisburg."
Her heart raced and her stomach tightened. What she'd always wanted was in her grasp. But did she want it now? If she accepted, would her father think he could run her life as he'd tried to before? What would happen to her independence if she lived in York? And what about Mitch? What would this mean for him?
"I thought you and Mitch were partners."
He nodded. "We are."
"What would I be?" she asked bluntly.
Ray disconnected his fingers and folded one hand over the other. "I could have a lawyer draw up a three-way partnership."
He was so controlled. She couldn't read him. Was this purely a business proposition? Or did having her in York mean something to him? "Mitch will lose money."
He shook his head emphatically. "Not in the long run. If your ideas work, the York store will be on par with Harrisburg. You have the energy to pour into it. I don't any more. In a few years, you might even want to open a third store. That would be a challenge, wouldn't it?"
"Mitch will resent me." He already thought she wanted to horn in. If she said "yes" to her dad's offer, it would mean certain death to any relationship she and Mitch might have. She couldn't push in. If Mitch wanted her to stay, he'd have to ask her himself without coercion from Ray, without being trapped in a partnership he hadn't chosen.
"Mitch would see merit in the idea," Ray argued. "Remember, he's the one who brought you here."
"I know," she said, unable to keep the sadness from her voice. It would have meant so much more for her father to have called her himself.
As if guessing her thoughts, he said, "I never thought you'd come. Not after I didn't answer your letters."
Laura's throat tightened. Her dad had never explained himself. "Why didn't you?"
Deep lines emphasized Ray's age and what he'd been through the in the past few weeks. "I was still angry about--" He stopped. "I thought you'd come running home."
Laura sent him a disbelieving look. "When you didn't bother to answer me?"
"Where else would you go? Once you were home, I thought we'd settle our differences."
She couldn't help wondering if she became a partner and did something he disapproved of, would he disown her again? She couldn't deal with that a second time. But if she brought that up, they'd have to discuss why she left. They were just starting to mend their relationship. She didn't want to put a wall between them again because of a past that couldn't be changed.
Her father's face was expectant.
"I'm sorry. I can't accept your offer," she said tightly, wishing it could be different.
Ray didn't ask why, just as he hadn't asked what she was feeling after her mother died, just as he hadn't asked her how she felt when he cut her out of his life. "There are other changes I want to make, too. If I have a fatal heart attack, I want Mitch to have more than the partnership agreement."
She couldn't imagine her dad not sitting behind this desk, not barking orders. Even when she was in Ohio, she'd known he was somewhere. If he died... Tears pricked in her eyes. She blinked, swallowed, and tried to speak, but her father's next words forestalled her.
"If you're not interested in moving back to York and becoming a partner, I'm going to make a new will." Ray's chair squeaked as he leaned back. "You will, of course, inherit the house and my personal possessions. You would also receive a stipend from profits. But I want to leave the business to Mitch if you don't want to be a part of it."
If he'd expected her to be shocked, she wasn't. It was only fair. Mitch had worked beside her father for the last four years. He was more than a partner to Ray. He'd become a son to him as well. Laura didn't feel jealous, but she did feel an overwhelming sense of loss. Personal loss.
She didn't need the business. She was happy with her life. Mitch did need it. It was his future and she couldn't take it away from him. Staying in York was impossible, unless...
Unless Mitch trusted her wholeheartedly and asked her to stay himself. Fat chance. "If you feel you need to, have the papers drawn up."
"You won't reconsider?"
She wondered if this was simply a ploy of Ray's to shake her up and make her change her mind. "Not as things stand now."
He gave her a probing look, but didn't press. "I won't do anything until you leave. I've waited this long, I can wait a little longer. Then if you change your mind..."
Tears welled in her eyes. Was this her dad's way of reaching out? Why couldn't he ever admit he cared for her? Loved her? "I'll let you know," she murmured, then turned away from her father and left the office.
She needed to see Mandy and hug her. She needed to talk to George and Anne, to reassure herself she belonged in Independence with people who loved her, who trusted her and who depended on her.
***
Mitch paced the kitchen, trying to make himself immune to the pleading in Carey's eyes. "I can't give you the money."
"Can't or won't?"
"I've given you money before."
"This is a loan."
Damn! First the mess he'd made of the trip with Laura, now this. He hadn't been able to think of anything but Laura since the night he'd almost made love to her. Every time he looked at her, remembered the way she'd felt in his arms, under his hands, he wanted to scoop her up, carry her to his bedroom and make love to her until his need for her was fulfilled. Maybe if he went ahead and did it, he could get her out of his mind. The more he fought the attraction, the more it grip
ped him. But he didn't believe in using a woman, and that's what it would be.
Just like Carey was trying to use him for the umpteenth time in their lives. Carey had lessons to learn. He wouldn't learn them if Mitch continued to give him handouts and clean up the consequences. "How many loans have I given you?"
Carey blushed and mumbled, "I don't know."
"Guess." His brother had to face facts.
"Nine, ten, twelve. I don't remember. But I guess you have them all written down in a ledger."
A stab of pain jabbed Mitch. He loved Carey. Their father's behavior and attitude had put a wedge between them, just as Carey's mistakes had put Mitch in the position of rescuer. Did Carey resent that? Couldn't he see everything Mitch had done, everything he was doing now was because he loved Carey?
"No, I haven't kept track. Carey, you need to take responsibility for what you do. Go to work. Save the money before you spend it. Then you don't have to answer to anyone."
Carey dropped his head and ran his hands over the edge of the table. "Just one more time, Mitch. I promise I'll never ask you again."
It wasn't the asking Mitch minded, or the giving. It was the wasting. He regretted his own weakness where Carey was concerned. He'd bent over backwards to show his brother he didn't blame him for the accident. Had he been wrong?
Mitch said the words he had to say. "I won't give you the money."
Carey's pale blue eyes filled with supplication. "Do I have to crawl?"
Mitch's heart turned over in his chest. "Don't do this."
"Right. Don't make life any harder for you. You've hated me since I..." He stared at Mitch's cheek.
Mitch stood perfectly still. It hurt to swallow. "I don't hate you. I didn't then and I don't now."
Carey's chair scraped as he pushed back and stood, his words angry. "Don't worry, brother. I'll never ask you for anything again."
Carey exited the kitchen and Mitch heard the front door bang. He felt as if he'd lost someone, and he wondered if this was how Ray had felt when Laura walked out of his life.
***
The following day, Mitch ran the knife down the middle of a box and lifted out a silver-plated tray.
Laura came into the office and went straight to the small refrigerator in the corner. She took out a container of yogurt and turned without meeting his eyes.
"Is that lunch?" Mitch asked. He hated the tension between them. This was his first day back in the York store with Laura and they were being so careful around each other it hurt.
"You could say that."
When she lifted her gaze to his, he couldn't tell what she was thinking. That was unusual. The fact that he'd put the shuttered look there generated guilt. "Let's take a break and have a nice lunch. The Bistro in the next block has fresh croissant sandwiches."
"You want to have lunch with me?" Her tone was puzzled.
"Sure. We're both hungry." He pulled his topcoat from the coatrack and handed Laura her poncho, then frowned. "This is what you wore today?"
"It's all I have here."
"I thought Anne sent winter clothes."
"She forgot my coat. This is fine."
Mitch didn't agree, but he held his tongue. Winter hadn't waited for Thanksgiving as it usually did in south-central Pennsylvania. The last week had been unseasonably cold. Thanksgiving. Two weeks away. This year with Laura and Mandy here, maybe Ray could enjoy it.
As soon as they stepped outside and the wind whipped them, Mitch muttered, "It's only thirty-two degrees out here." He cupped her elbow. "Let's take a detour." Turning her around, he headed her down the street in the opposite direction.
"Where are we going?"
"This will only take a few minutes." At her perplexed look, he said, "You're the one who likes surprises. Come on."
Keeping her head down against the wind, apparently Laura didn't realize where he was taking her until the bell over the door tinkled behind her and plush carpet softened their steps. The smell of leather wound around them and she sent Mitch an inquiring look.
He guided her to a rack with full-length leather coats and pulled out a rich forest green one with a hood. "Try it on."
Mitch had bought his jacket here. This coat was as supple and soft as his. Leather would suit Laura perfectly. It would enhance her sensuality. Of course, that might not be such a great idea. He had enough trouble with her appeal now.
"I can't afford this," she protested.
"It's a gift." Her gray eyes softened and he wanted to tug her into his arms and simply hold her.
"I can't accept it."
He could see she wanted to and not simply because she needed a coat, but because it came from him. "If Anne and George gave you a present, you wouldn't give it back, would you?"
"That's different. Why would you want to give me a present when you think the only reason I want to get close to you is to take control of the business?"
The hurt in her voice was evident and Mitch felt lower than a sinkhole. He looked around to see if anyone was listening. Across the room the sales clerk was ringing up a sale at the cash register. Two ladies were at a nearby rack. "Must we have this conversation here?"
"If you want me to try on this coat we must."
He sighed and turned his back on the two women. "Laura, to tell you the truth, I don't know what I believe any more." He thought about things differently since he'd met her. He knew he'd never been in love with Denise. He realized he'd denied most of the pain in his childhood. He acknowledged he kept his feelings hidden. And now, he wondered what had actually happened between Laura and Ray.
"I'm not trying to take control of the business," she said. "Dad asked me to stay and manage the York store if he retires. I refused. I'm going back to Ohio in three weeks."
Mitch felt as if he'd been kicked in the gut. Her decision meant she had no ulterior motive. She wanted no part of the business. It also meant she would be leaving. That prospect didn't give him an iota of the relief he'd once thought it would. She'd become a fire in his blood he couldn't extinguish or ignore. He didn't know if that was interfering with his judgment or directing it.
Recovering, he said, "Then you have to accept this as a going away present. You need it now. It's early."
Indecision played in her eyes. "Cloth would be fine."
"But not as warm. Trust me. This is just what you need for an Independence winter too." When she still looked as if she might refuse, he said softly, "Let me do this, Laura. I've given you some rough moments."
She smiled, the first genuine smile he'd seen since Flagstaff. "They're over? You're going to be agreeable and compliant from now on?"
"As much as you are," he quipped. He took the coat from the hanger and held it for her.
She slipped her arms into the sleeves. He lifted her hair, holding it a moment longer than necessary before he let it flow softly onto the closed hood.
Laura wrapped the coat around herself reverently as if it was mink. When she belted it, her hands caressed the leather.
Mitch's breaths became shallower. He'd like to wrap himself around her as closely as the coat, mold to her, stroke her. Hell. What would that get him? In three weeks, she'd be gone. Flings weren't his style. And Laura? She lived in the moment. An affair might be acceptable to her. Her response in the hotel suite seemed to indicate as much. But the more he told himself to stay away, the more he was drawn to her.
"What do you think?" he asked, loving the way the deep color emphasized and complemented the golden highlights in her hair.
She turned around, her eyes sparkling with silver lights. "It feels wonderful!"
He pointed to the side wall. "Go look in the mirror."
She walked toward the three-way mirror, the coat swaying around her as if it was made for her. It moved with her, against her, for her.
After facing the mirror head on, she turned to the left, then to the right. Her smile grew wider by the minute. Pulling the hood up, she buttoned the collar to achieve the full effect. She put her ha
nds in the pockets. She pulled them out. Pirouetting in a circle, she let the leather lap against her calves.
Returning to where Mitch was standing, she let down the hood. "It's a beautiful coat."
"You look beautiful in it." The huskiness of his voice surprised him.
Her eyes combed his face. "I could use a new winter coat, I suppose."
"It's yours."
"No, that wasn't what I meant. What if I pay half?"
"Nope." When he saw her open her mouth to protest, he added, "But you can pay me back another way."
Instantly she was wary. "How?"
"My jewelry exhibition is Friday night. Go with me to Harrisburg." The look in her eyes made his heart jump crazily.
"That's it? That's not a payback. I'd love to see your work. I've wanted to since I arrived."
"You'll be giving me moral support," he said, trying to make the deal sound two-sided.
"As if you need it. Dad told me last year you sold every piece that one night."
"This year might be different. The public is economically conscious and...fickle."
Her fingers lovingly stroked one lapel as she looked down at the deep green leather. "And you think this is a fair trade?"
He kept a serious expression. "Absolutely."
"I'll accept the coat on one condition. You let me take you out some night."
There was a daring light in her eyes. "To dinner?"
She laughed and drawled, "Maybe. Or maybe something else."
"Like...?"
"Let me think about it. Is it a deal?"
Deals with Laura were happening more often. He was especially pleased with this one. "It's a deal."
Laura's stomach rumbled. She smiled and unbuttoned the coat.
"Aren't you going to wear it?"
"If the salesclerk cuts off the security tag." She glanced at the price again. "Mitch..."
He dropped his arm around her shoulders and shepherded her toward the cash register. "We made a deal. Now that you won't freeze, let's go to lunch."
***
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