No Place Like Home

by Leigh Michaels

  “You amaze me.”

  The tone of his voice was calm enough, but it aggravated her, because it seemed to be the same attitude that Emily had shown. “I suppose you mean that because Graham has plenty of money, I’m not planning to work.”

  “The thought had crossed my mind.”

  “Well, the paycheck isn’t the only reason to hold a job. There’s self-satisfaction, and independence, and the feeling of being a useful part of society.”

  “Then, by all means,” he said mildly, “you have my permission to continue working.”

  It was so matter-of-fact that her irritation vanished like a wisp of fog, and she started to laugh. “I must have sounded a bit radical, didn’t I?”

  “Rather. Do you like the travel agency so well?”

  “Yes, I do. I might not always do that, but for right now, I like it.”

  “Have you worked there long?”

  She shook her head. “Only for about a year. I started there as soon as I was out of college, but I did lots of other things before that.” She had lost count of her part-time jobs, as a matter of fact. It seemed she had always had a job of some sort, from babysitting the neighbors’ kids to waiting at tables. There had never been enough money, and so, from the time she was old enough, Kaye had tried to help out.

  He didn’t ask any further questions, and something deep inside her was just a little disappointed that he didn’t want to know more. That was silly, she told herself. She really knew very little about him, either, and it was only idle curiosity that made her want to know more.

  As they passed the Aynsley house, she shuddered. “And to think that Andy Winchester wanted me to buy that,” she said.

  “Cliff Aynsley’s house? Not your style at all, I should think. I always had the impression that the architect who designed it had been hitting the firewater a little too hard at the time.”

  Kaye blinked in confusion. His tone was casual, as if he knew the house well. “You’ve seen it?”

  He nodded. “We had it listed last year. We must have shown it a thousand times, but we didn’t get a single offer. I thought they were trying to sell it themselves now—but you say they’ve listed it with Winchester?”

  “It’s not exactly listed.” So that was what the truth was, Kaye thought. She could hardly wait to tell Graham about this—how his favorite real estate agent had been trying to sell him a turkey that no one else wanted, and not a mansion so exclusive that no one else even knew it was for sale!

  Graham had been so certain that Brendan couldn’t possibly know about the sort of house they would want to buy. He’d been wrong about that, too, Kaye thought triumphantly. She was looking forward to proving it to him tomorrow, when he saw their new house for the first time.

  *****

  It was without a doubt the most stunningly elaborate engagement ring Kaye had ever seen. It must have cost Graham a fortune, she thought weakly as she stared down at the huge emerald winking on her finger. On each side of the big square-cut stone was a fan of baguette diamonds, and the band itself was lined with tiny emeralds, perfectly matched and cut.

  It felt as if she were wearing a searchlight.

  But that’s just because I’ve never had anything really glamorous before, she told herself. Her jewelry had always been plain and simple, mostly because she couldn’t afford anything else. It would just take her a little while to get used to having things like this.

  “It’s beautiful,” she told Graham. “But I thought you said we were coming to the jewelers today just to look.”

  He beamed. “That’s what I intended. But I stopped in earlier this week to let them know the sort of thing I wanted you to have, and as soon as I saw that stone, I knew it was yours. It’s just the color of your eyes, you know.”

  “It’s very rare,” the jeweler agreed, “to find an emerald that size, and so perfect. Of course, we’ve had a bit of a rush getting it ready for you by today.”

  “I designed the setting myself,” Graham said modestly. “We had to guess at the size. Is it all right?”

  “It feels just a little tight.”

  The jeweler nodded, but said, “I’d recommend you try it for a day or two first. You may want a snug fit to keep it from slipping—it is quite a heavy ring.”

  He could say that again, Kaye thought. She felt as if it took conscious effort to keep her left hand from dragging on the pavement as they left the shop.

  “Now that’s taken care of,” Graham said, with satisfaction in his voice, “let’s go and look at this house. If you’re right, and it really is satisfactory, we can set a date. Tell me, Kaye, would you like to be a June bride?”

  June, she thought dreamily. Warm weather and sunshine—an organza wedding gown trimmed in delicate lace—the soft scent of daisies and summer roses...

  “I’ll be glad to have a date set,” she said. “It’s a little embarrassing to keep getting congratulations from people before the announcement’s even been made. Angela Warren came into the travel agency this week to wish me well, and just yesterday she asked if we’d set a date yet.”

  She swallowed the rest of that statement; having a drink with Brendan in the middle of the afternoon to celebrate had been aboveboard and perfectly acceptable, but she wasn’t quite sure how Graham would take it – especially if he found out that they had run into his lawyer’s wife at that quiet little bar. Angela Warren had looked quite intrigued herself. It had made Kaye nervous, and she’d been a little clumsy when she introduced Brendan. Angela hadn’t missed that, either, Kaye was sure.

  “Has that been happening to you, too? There will be a lot of interest in us, I’m afraid. But the time will go by before we know it. You said the house was in good shape, though?”

  She nodded. “Of course there are things I’d like to change, but nothing that has to be done. We could actually move into it right away, if we wanted.” She couldn’t resist a jab. “Unlike the Aynsley house, which would have taken a year of work.”

  She had told him over lunch what Brendan had said about the Aynsley house. Graham had shrugged off the story. Now he said calmly, “I doubt Andy knew all the details. He was only doing it out of friendship, anyway.”

  “Friendship for whom? You or the Aynsleys? It looks to me as if you would have been left holding the bag.” She leaned forward in her seat. “Look, Graham. You can catch just a glimpse of the house there on the hillside.”

  “Where? I didn’t see anything.”

  “That’s one of the beauties of it, I think. It’s so private that unless you know exactly where to look, you can’t see it at all. The driveway is up the next hill and off to the right, and Brendan should already be there.”

  “You’re on a first-name basis?”

  “Yes,” she said mildly. “Do you object?”

  “I don’t suppose it makes any difference.”

  “What did you find out about Brendan?” She was relatively sure of the answer, or she wouldn’t have asked the question. Graham had had nearly a full week to make his enquiries, and it seemed to her that if he had found anything to discredit Brendan McKenna, he would have told her about it within the hour.

  “He seems to be reputable.” It was stiff, almost grudging, and Kaye interpreted it to mean that everything Graham had heard was glowing. “He only sells houses, though. Nobody seems to know why, but it’s a little short-sighted, I’d think. The big money is in commercial property, and it’s a whole lot less bother, too.” He parked beside a brand-new dark blue car in the driveway. Brendan’s car was nowhere to be seen.

  Kaye glanced at her watch in irritation. This is no time to be late, McKenna, she thought.

  But Brendan greeted them at the door. “Hello, Kaye. Mr. Forrest.” His hand was extended.

  Graham shook hands politely and turned to his left, into the formal living room. He stood in the center of the room for a moment.

  “I didn’t think you were here yet,” Kaye said. “Your car isn’t...” Suspicion edged into her voice.
<
br />   “Do you like it?” Brendan asked.

  “You borrowed it while yours is being fixed, right?”

  He shook his head. “No. I decided I’d had the old one long enough, so I rewarded myself.”

  “You told me you’d given up the idea.” She was furious.

  “Of a BMW, yes. I never said I wasn’t going to buy a car, Kaye, and why you think it’s any of your business—”

  “You idiot,” she said, and her voice was taut with anger. “You’re a damned fool, Brendan McKenna!”

  He looked stunned, as if she had slapped him, and Kaye stopped short, her face burning. Just why did she think it was any of her affair?

  Besides, she told herself harshly, he hadn’t done anything so very irresponsible. She and Graham were going to buy the house, weren’t they? He’d get the commission; there was no doubt about that.

  And you, she lectured herself, have no business to be telling him what to do with his money!

  She turned on her heel, followed Graham into the living room, and slipped a trembling hand through his arm to steady herself.

  Brendan paused in the doorway for an instant. Kaye saw a frown of puzzlement creasing his forehead as he watched them. Then, with a long breath that sounded almost like a weary sigh, he came across the room. His shoulders seemed to sag a little.

  Graham paced thoughtfully down the length of the room, up a step and into the attached dining area, which was set off from the living room with a wrought-iron railing. His eyes were on the carpet.

  “That dreadful pink has to go, of course,” Kaye said. Her voice wasn’t quite steady, but she had command of herself again. She let go of his arm and turned around to look across the room with half-closed eyes. “I think something in off-white or light gray would be much more versatile.”

  “Hmm,” Graham said. He vanished through the door that led to the kitchen.

  For an instant, Kaye was almost afraid. Now that they were alone again, what would Brendan say? Would he demand an explanation of the harsh accusation she had flung at him? He certainly had every right to.

  But he didn’t. Instead, he murmured, “I see the jeweler had your kind of glitter in stock, after all. I thought perhaps your ring would have to be specially ordered.”

  “It was,” Kaye said. “Graham designed it.”

  He studied her face for a long moment. Then he took hold of her hand and his eyes dropped to the ring. “How very... interesting.” There was no expression in his voice.

  Kaye flushed in embarrassment, and then was heartily ashamed of herself. What difference did it make what Brendan McKenna thought of her engagement ring, anyway? Graham had spent his precious time designing a ring, when most men would have settled for the first ordinary diamond that they saw. How dared Brendan sneer at it! She glanced down at her hand and sighed wistfully.

  “I think that sigh must mean that he designed it without even asking what you wanted,” Brendan hazarded.

  “And I think that it’s a beautiful ring and—and none of your business.”

  He let her fingers slip out of his, and the weight of the ring dragged her hand down. “That’s true,” he said. “It certainly is none of my affair. Shall we catch up with your multi-talented fiancé?”

  Graham was upstairs by then, inspecting the master bedroom.

  Brendan waved a hand at the bedroom across the hall and said, “I think you’ll find this to be quite a comfortable house for a family, Mr. Forrest. The nursery is just across the hall and the entertainment center downstairs, right in the center of the house, would make a wonderful playroom. It would be very easy to keep track of the children.”

  Graham looked at him with disbelief and said, “That’s only another way of saying that they’d always be underfoot!”

  It didn’t disturb Brendan. “Nothing of the sort,” he said. “As soon as they’re old enough, they can be moved down to the bedrooms on the lower level. The entertainment center could be soundproofed so if you wanted to have a party, it wouldn’t disturb the children.” He was smiling calmly.

  Graham didn’t bother to answer that one. “Kaye,” he said, “now that you’ve had your little joke, shall we get down to some serious house-hunting?”

  “I don’t understand,” she said. “I am serious, Graham.”

  Graham waved a hand. “This is absolutely impossible, Kaye. There isn’t even space for a maid’s room.”

  “The maid’s going to live with us?” she asked weakly.

  “The dining room will only seat six, at best. The entire house is far too small to entertain properly.”

  “But you haven’t even looked at the lower level. There is an enormous room down there.”

  “Are you really suggesting that I entertain my clients and my friends in a basement, Kaye? How do you plan to give dinner parties? By setting up a buffet on a ping pong table? I think you must have gone completely mad.” He glanced at Brendan. “Or else you have fallen into the clutches of an unscrupulous salesman.”

  “That’s ridiculous, Graham! Brendan is not unscrupulous.” She was almost in tears.

  “Certainly not unscrupulous,” Brendan said calmly. “But perhaps I’m confused. If we could sit down and talk about what you’d like to have, Mr. Forrest—?” He indicated a window seat.

  “I thought I had made things clear to Kaye,” Graham said, but he settled himself on the seat.

  “Yes, I believe Kaye thought you had, too. It happens sometimes; a client falls in love with a house and is completely blind to its faults. Now, if we can just talk it over—”

  Kaye was furious. Isn’t that just like two men? she thought. When something goes wrong, they blame the woman!—and then they go off and discuss it without even including her. Dammit, this is going to be my house! Shouldn’t I at least have a say in it?

  But they had their heads together, and they obviously weren’t going to listen to anything she said.

  She retreated to the entrance hall, her resentment building into a storm. If there had been a china vase handy, she would have smashed it.

  So she had fallen in love with the house, had she? And she had become completely blind to its faults! At least now she knew where she stood with Brendan McKenna, she thought resentfully—precisely nowhere!

  He hadn’t even backed her up; as soon as he saw which way the wind was blowing, he had promptly deserted her cause and agreed with Graham. Well, that shouldn’t have surprised her, she decided. She certainly didn’t have the money to buy a house; it was Graham’s funds that would, in the long run, pay Brendan’s commission.

  And that, she thought spitefully, was what he was counting on to pay for that spanking new car. She should have expected that he’d abandon her as soon as his commission was threatened! Well, I hope he has to eat the damned car, she thought vindictively.

  When Graham and Brendan came downstairs twenty minutes later, apparently the best of buddies, she looked at them both with silently smoldering anger.

  “Well,” Brendan said cheerfully, “I’ll get to work, and next week we’ll have some new things to look at, Kaye.”

  “Don’t bet on it,” she muttered, and swept out to Graham’s car with an icily regal air that the best royal families would have envied.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  KAYE maintained an obstinate silence halfway across town, and then realized that giving Graham the silent treatment was going to accomplish less than nothing. So she finally cleared her throat, gathered her poise, and said, “I like that house, Graham.”

  Amazingly enough, he didn’t argue. “It is a very nice house, darling. But it is simply not suited for us. I can’t imagine how you allowed yourself to be so short-sighted about it. Even your pet real estate agent was pointing out flaws that I’ll bet you had never seen.”

  “I didn’t hear him pointing out any flaws,” she muttered. There must have been quite a heart-to-heart discussion going on between the two of them, she thought, while she had been downstairs steaming with anger.

  “Yo
u must not have been really listening. That probably accounts for the whole misunderstanding. Come, Kaye, you don’t expect that he’s going to walk from room to room telling you in plain English what’s wrong. You have to learn to listen to what he means— not just the words he’s saying.”

  “I thought he was saying it was a wonderful house!”

  “You obviously aren’t sensitive to the implications, Kaye. Though, as a matter of fact, I can’t blame you too much. I hardly believed myself that he was saying those things—I can’t imagine how he ever sells a house if he keeps telling the buyers everything that’s wrong with the place.”