A Double Wedding

by Patricia Knoll

  He ignored that. "Also, I've got to see your books, see how the business is going. If it looks successful, I'll have my attorney draw up the appropriate papers for the loan."

  "That sounds reasonable, " she admitted, but reluctance dragged at her voice.

  "Don't knock me over with your enthusiasm," he said dryly.

  "When do you want to see the books?"

  "Tomorrow will do. I'll come by the shop in the afternoon." He walked back to his car and opened the door. Propping his foot on the door frame, he leaned his forearm on the top of the door and looked at her. "Will that suit you?"

  She could give him a very vivid description of what would suit her, but instead, she nodded curtly. Before he could duck into his car, she said, "What about the excavation? What you're doing isn't right."

  "Nothing's going to happen for a few days, Silvey, because I don't have the permit yet. I'll let you know when I decide."

  Her deep brown eyes sparked with anger. "Oh, that's big of you."

  "Don't get in a snit about this. You'll see that it's best. Maybe when I get the permit, I'll take you along. If you see the actual work we're going to do, you'll drop your opposition."

  "I don't think so," she answered tightly, but he merely gave her a farewell salute and waited politely for her to precede him out of the parking lot.

  Silvey slipped into her own car. She'd been too independent for too long to give up easily on something this important. It was frustrating having her hands tied like this. She had the disconcerting feeling that he was in control of her past as well as her future.

  In spite of her mixed feelings about Dan, when she arrived at work the next day she put one of her employees in charge and she spent the time in the tiny office area at the back making sure that the shop's books were in order. She knew they were. Because she had no natural inclination for book-keeping she had to be extra careful with all of her entries when she put information into the computer.

  Besides, Walter checked her printouts regularly. However, she went back over each entry to make sure there were no mistakes that Dan could catch.

  As she worked, she thought about how surprised her parents would be if they could see how meticulously she was running this business.

  She had been an indifferent student, getting by with average grades because her thoughts and time had been consumed with her gymnastics and acrobatic classes, and with her plans for a circus career.

  Funny how having that career cut short, and discovering that she wasn't cut out for the traveling life, had focused her interest in business. She'd found that the old saying was true. The things we're forced to do often become the things we want to do.

  The shop was important to her, though. She truly enjoyed the challenge. Her desire to own The Yogurt Gallery grew with each passing day. She was determined to do so, even if it meant accepting a loan from someone who didn't seem to approve of, or even like her, very much.

  Silvey stifled a yawn as she bent over the desk and ran her pencil down the columns c—numbers. She hadn't slept much in the past few nights, too keyed up over her grandmother's departure, and her confrontation with Dan, to relax. Instead, she had called her parents, waking them from a sound sleep and shocking them with the news of Leila's engagement. It had taken her half an hour to answer all their questions and calm them down. Her dad was determined to fly to California as soon as possible to meet the man who intended to marry his mother.

  Silvey gave her head a slight shake. She still couldn't believe it herself.

  She was just finishing up with the books when her employee called from the front that someone wanted to see her.

  Nervously, Silvey jumped to her feet, smoothed her hair and grabbed her purse to fumble for her lipstick. She swiped some quickly across her lips, then looked dubiously down at the loose denim dress she had worn to work. The idea had been to be as cool and comfortable as possible, but now she wondered if she shouldn't have worn something more businesslike. She had a nice summer suit in a lightweight cotton and a pair of bone-colored heels that were. . .

  Oh, good heavens, what was she thinking? It was a sign of how much Dan Wisdom unnerved her that she was even thinking crazy thoughts of summer suits and two-inch heeled pumps. She tossed her lipstick back into her bag and locked it in her desk, then spun around and went to greet Dan with a cool smile.

  However, it wasn't Dan who turned and gave her a frankly appreciative look when she entered the front of the shop, but John Ramos.

  Surprised, she stopped in the doorway and gave him an uncertain smile, which he took for a much warmer greeting than she had intended.

  He strolled forward and leaned on the counter. "Hi, Silvey. Thought I'd come down and see what kind of operation you're running here."

  He glanced around as he tucked his sunglasses into the neck of the Phoenix Suns T-shirt he wore with faded jeans. "I'm surprised you're in the retail business. With your acrobatic talent, I'd think you'd be able to get a job performing just about anywhere."

  "I ... I suppose I could have."

  "I should have done what you did," he said. "Gone on the road instead of tying myself down to college, debts, wives, and more debts."

  She hated listening to him poor-mouth, so she said, "We all make choices that we sometimes regret."

  "Do you regret leaving the entertainment business?"

  "Not anymore. I was tired of the traveling," she said, walking out from behind the counter to lead him out of the path of the paying customers. She couldn't imagine why he was here. She'd always liked John, but beyond their high school gymnastic competitions, they'd had little in common. "And I'm buying this shop. I've got big plans for it."

  He gave her an indulgent smile, but she refused to let him make her feel inferior. Instead, she smiled back and said, "Can I get you something? Strawberry cheesecake swirl is the frozen yogurt flavor of the day. Maybe with some chocolate sprinkles on top?"

  He shook his head. "No, thanks, I didn't stop in for a snack. I came to take you up on your offer."

  "My offer?" Frowning, she glanced at him, then found her attention caught by the bell over the door which jingled as someone came in.

  It was Dan, whose swift gaze riveted on her immediately, then darted to John. A flash of sardonic humor filled his eyes for just a second before he turned to shut the door.

  She sensed John stiffen beside her and she gave him a curious look as Dan walked across to join them. The two men greeted each other and she sensed a definite coolness in their tones. Neither of them offered to shake hands, but perhaps that wasn't unexpected since they saw each other frequently at the college.

  To her further surprise, the tension between them seemed to fill the shop like a living presence. Uncomfortably, Silvey wondered why they disliked each other so.

  When neither of them spoke, Silvey's glance darted from one to the other and she burst into nervous speech. "Hello, Dan. John just stopped by for..." She stared at him. "Why did you stop by?"

  He spoke to Silvey, but his eyes were on Dan. "To see if you'd like to come with me to a faculty barbecue at Dr. Varga's home. He's president of Sonora College, you know."

  "No, uh, I didn't know." She glanced at Dan, who was regarding John with cool speculation. "It sounds..." Her words trailed off as she tried to decipher what Dan was thinking, then could have kicked herself for even caring.

  "Now, don't say you won't go with me," John wheedled. "You said I could call you."

  "Well, yes, of course, but this is a little unexpected."

  "Why, Silvey? You knew I always had a thing for you."

  Dan made a sound in his throat that sounded suspiciously like a cross between a laugh and a snort of derision.

  John turned to look at him. "What about you, Wisdom? Will you be going?"

  "Not likely. I'm not much of a schmoozer."

  "Not worried about that promotion, then?"

  Silvey could see that John's interest was more than idle curiosity, but she couldn't quite put her fing
er on the underlying tone of his voice.

  Dan seemed to have no such problem. He gave John a quelling look, but he spoke in a matter-of-fact tone when he said, "If I'm promoted to head of the archaeology department, it'll be because of my work, my published papers, and my knowledge, not my attendance at faculty barbecues. I'm not bucking for anyone else's job, and I don't need to impress anyone."

  Silvey watched in astonishment as a tide of red washed into John's face. Was his plan to move in on someone else's job? She suspected it was, but she still felt sorry for him because she knew how hard it was to win any kind of verbal contest with Dan. She rushed to smooth things over. "John, I'll be happy to attend with you. When is it and what shall I wear?"

  She would have had to be blind to miss the disapproval in Dan's face and the flash of triumph in John's eyes as he looked first at Dan, then back to her as he gave her the information she needed.

  Silvey was glad to see John out the door a few minutes later, but she turned back to Dan with a sinking heart. She really didn't want to go out with John, not to a faculty barbecue, or anywhere else. It irritated her that Dan's disapproving presence had made her feel coerced into accepting John's invitation. The truth was that she had foolishly gotten herself into this, though. She would brazen it out.

  "Wasn't that nice of him to drop by?" she asked brightly.

  Dan lifted a sandy brown eyebrow at her. "Oh, yes. I've noticed that John Ramos is awash in kindness."

  "We're old friends," she said archly as she signalled for him to follow her into the tiny office.

  "Looks to me like he's anxious to.be more than old friends. In fact, he probably doesn't want to be friends at all."

  "I'm sure you're wrong."

  "No, I think he's got you all picked out for wife number three."

  "Oh, don't be ridiculous."

  Angrily, she waved toward a chair that was wedged in between the desk and the wall, then dropped into her own chair behind the desk.

  When he sat down, she began arranging the books, computer printouts, and receipts for him to see.

  He didn't even glance at them. Instead, he studied her until she looked up and self-consciously began toying with the collar of her dress.

  "What is it?" she finally asked.

  "I think that in the absence of your grandmother and your parents, I should look out for you."

  Her eyes sprang wide in surprise. "Look out for me?"

  He nodded. "To make sure you don't get yourself into any trouble with a guy like John Ramos."

  "John is all right. I told you, I've known him since high school."

  "He's not some pimply faced kid any longer. He's a man with a man's problems, and he's not someone you should trust."

  With an effort, Silvey kept her voice under control as she said, "I don't need you to tell me who I can trust."

  He held up his hands, but it wasn't a sign of surrender. "Just venturing an opinion." He paused. "I hope you enjoy the barbecue."

  "I'm sure I will." She gave him a smile that would have melted an iceberg.

  "It's a good thing you're an acrobat."

  She knew he was trying to get a rise out of her, but she couldn't help taking the bait. "Why is that?"

  "Because you might need to vault over a wall to get away from him."

  "I can take care of myself," she said tightly. "Now, did you want to look at these books, or not?"

  With a look that told her the subject was changing only because he allowed it, Dan pulled the neat ledgers toward him and began poring over the facts and figures.

  What had she been thinking? Silvey looked around the huge flagstone patio of the Varga home and tried to recall why she had agreed to this. This was not her kind of gathering. These people were all older than she was and, nice though they appeared to be, she could find little in common with them.

  The setting was beautiful; a spacious home in the foothills of the Santa Catalina mountains, whose flagstone patio looked out over the city of Tucson.

  At this time of the evening, the smog was obscured and only the lights could be seen, stretching far into the distance.

  The grounds were landscaped with desert plants and gravelled paths. Delicate limbs of desert willows danced and swayed in the breeze that drifted up from the valley. A misting system had been attached to the patio roof, sending a cooling superfine spray of water into the air.

  Silvey glanced around once more at the crowd. She had never regretted not going to college. She had never believed that higher education was for her, but now she wished she'd had a few classes in philosophy or logic to keep up with the dear little man who was waving his drink around and spouting about the importance of some obscure German thinker.

  "Never received the kind of recognition he deserved, you know," her companion said.

  "Really, Professor Roarke?" she asked, stifling a smile at his sincerity. "That's too bad. Why was that, I wonder?"

  Her half-hearted encouragement was all the little professor needed to be off and running again.

  Silvey couldn't help feeling piqued at John for having dumped her here while he made the rounds of the party guests. She had known he was self-serving, but she hadn't expected him to be so downright rude. He had left, her to her own devices while he "schmoozed," as Dan had called it. She watched him as he left one group and moved to another and couldn't help wondering how many people recognized his basic insincerity.

  Chagrined at her uncharitable thoughts, she swept her hair back from her neck and thought wistfully of a swim in the pool at the other side of the patio. It looked as if it was strictly for show, rarely used by Dr. and Mrs. Varga, who seemed to be sincere, quiet people comfortably settled into middle age. She doubted that they swam laps, but she might be wrong.

  She'd been wrong about several things lately, especially about accepting this date with John. She gave Professor Roarke another smile, but her eyes wandered to where John was currently button-holing two women whose tie-dyed clothing and strings of beads look as though they were caught in a time warp from the sixties. Since he had spent very little time with her, it was more than obvious that he hadn't brought her along as a real date, so she had to wonder why he had brought her along. She had assumed it was to renew an old acquaintance, but again, she'd been wrong.

  She remembered the tension between him and Dan. Was it possible that John was only pursuing her because he thought Dan was interested in her? Little did he know that Dan's only interest was in "looking out for her."

  Her gaze drifted to the doorway leading from the house and she froze.. For some unexplained reason, a tide of heat washed through her body and reddened her face when she saw Dan Wisdom standing there.

  He was dressed casually in khaki trousers and a striped shirt whose sleeves were rolled up over his forearms. He looked at ease and comfortable, unlike John, who had worn overpriced designer slacks, a silk shirt and tie to this event. As irritating as she often found Dan to be, she had to admit that was one thing she liked about him. He was sure of himself. He was a real man whereas John was just playing at being one.

  Surprised at her own insight, Silvey gave a fleeting thought to the memory of how he'd looked in evening dress and sighed mentally. If he wasn't so darned good-looking and appealing, she'd have a much easier time keeping her mind off him.

  Silvey bit her lip in consternation. Who was she trying to fool? His looks didn't have as much to do with her growing attraction to him as his enigmatic personality.

  He intrigued her as well as irritated her.

  Recalling that he'd told her he avoided such events as this, she wondered why he had come.

  His sharp eyes were searching the area intently and when they met hers, she gave an involuntary shiver. As soon as he saw her, he started her way.

  CHAPTER SIX

  "HELLO, Silvey," Dan said, breaking right into what Professor Roarke had been saying, but the older man didn't seem to mind. He smiled when Dan greeted him, but his pleasure quickly turned to a frown when Dan
added, "You know, George, I think Randall Fine disagrees with you on that point you were just making about Schwartz's theories."

  "Not really!" Professor Roarke turned to seek out his adversary with the directness of a bloodhound on the scent. "Where is he?"

  "I just saw him over by that tray of canapés. If you hurry, you can catch him and straighten him out."

  "You're right," the professor declared. Before he turned away, he grabbed Silvey's hand and pumped it enthusiastically as he said, "Thank you for a stimulating conversation, Miss Carlton. Perhaps I'll see you later." He bustled away.

  Silvey pursed her lips and gave Dan an ironic look. "That was really low, Dr. Wisdom."

  Dan answered with a sly grin. "No, it isn't. Randall does disagree with him. The two of them disagree about everything under the sun.

  They love to argue. In fact, they live to argue." He tilted his head.

  "He seems to have enjoyed his conversation with you."

  Shrugging, Silvey took a sip of her soft drink. "I can't imagine why. I hardly said a word."

  "Few people do when George is around." Dan's face grew speculative as he glanced across the patio to where John was talking to Dr. Varga. "Looks like you didn't need my warning about vaulting over a wall to get away from him."

  "No," she said slowly, reminding herself to keep a lid on her temper.

  "I didn't."

  "Did your boyfriend leave you to your own devices?"

  Silvey bit back the automatic denial that John was her boyfriend.

  Instead, she lifted her chin and said, "He does seem to have a great many people to talk to."

  "Sure he does. He's campaigning for my job." "You mean, if you get the promotion to head of the department?"

  "That's right."

  Silvey thought that in that case, John should be a little more deferential to Dan, but he probably knew, as she did, that Dan would scorn him. She was quiet for a minute before she asked, "Didn't I hear you say you usually avoid this kind of get-together?"

  Dan feigned innocence. "Who me?"