by Diane Darcy
“Do you want to go?” he prompted.
“I’m not sure what time my class will finish today,” she stalled. “Do you want to go, too, Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth glanced between Trevor and Honey. “To look at property? Thanks, but no thanks.”
Honey looked at Trevor once more and his brows rose in question. Well, what could it hurt? His being so close to her own age didn’t make any difference to their relationship. She was still engaged. And maybe he could help her push the deal through. Maybe it would even be fun. After all, they were friends, right? “That would be great,” said Honey. “Thanks.”
***
At five-fifteen, Trevor was leaning against his truck when Honey pulled up in her car. He’d been there for ten minutes and couldn’t wait to see her again.
As she got out of the car, her fluffy curls made him smile. He’d lain awake the night before wondering if he’d imagined those spirals, and this morning, when he’d seen the straightener on the bathroom counter, had given in to temptation and hidden it. Her hair tumbling around her face was as sexy as he’d remembered. He crossed to her car. “Hi, Honey.”
After he said the name/endearment, she shot him a suspicious look, and he had a hard time keeping his expression normal. Let her wonder how he’d meant it. He held out a hand simply because he wanted to touch her.
Honey extended her own. “Hi.”Her handshake was firm, the skin soft, and he wondered if she felt the same sizzle of electricity, because her eyes flickered to his, then she quickly pulled away and glanced down.
The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable, so, clenching and unclenching his own tingling hand, he turned, walked a few feet away, and looked at the property. “So, what do you think?”
Honey joined him and glanced around at the land, her gaze lingering on the Victorian mansion, before lifting her face to his. “I actually came out here the other day and took a look. It’s a nice piece. Has your family owned it for long?”
Trevor nodded. “Since I was a kid.” He hesitated, wondering how to broach the subject. “Now, who exactly are you purchasing this for?”
Honey’s brows pulled together. “I’m almost embarrassed to say I don’t have a lot of information. My boss, Nick Alexander, wants the property, and is buying it under his name, but I don’t know why or who for.” She glanced around again. “And I can’t imagine he’d want it for himself. It’s not the type of property he’s usually interested in.”
Trevor was relieved. She obviously didn’t know anything about her boss’s plans.
“What do you think?” she asked. “Do we have a deal?”
Trevor blew out a breath. “My dad has the final say.”
Honey’s fine blonde eyebrows drew together. “Are there problems? Is there anything I can help with? I checked the property against other sales in the area and the offer is a good one.”
Trevor shifted on his feet. He’d like to just tell her the truth and get it out in the open. Her boss wanted to swoop in and get the property for a quick turnaround because he’d heard of the upcoming deal with a huge hardware chain. But his dad wanted the shyster taught a lesson, and Trevor wanted more time with Honey, so...he’d stall. “I don’t know. Maybe my dad has a sentimental attachment to it or something.”
Lame excuse, he acknowledged, but repeated to himself his new mantra of ‘all’s fair in love and war.’ This deal had the makings of both.
Honey looked even more confused. “Then why is he selling?”
Trevor shrugged, felt his face warm, and was glad for the beard.
Honey dug in her briefcase and handed him a contract. “I already signed it today at lunch in front of a notary. Why don’t you and your dad think about doing the same? Or, if it isn’t what you want, then tell me so. No hard feelings. Okay?”
She seemed so adorably confused, and was being so reasonable, Trevor felt like a jerk. He took the paperwork.
The door to the lawyers’ office opened and Van Williams moved down the steps and strolled across the lawn toward them. Trevor was actually glad for the interruption.
“Hello.” The lawyer’s lips split into a wide grin.
“Hi, Van,” said Trevor.
Van nodded a head toward Honey. “Ms. Stevens. Good to see you again.” He looked at Trevor. “So is this property actually being sold?”
Trevor shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Maybe?” Van nodded. “Well, maybe we like it here and maybe we’ll cause you some problems if you try to sell.” Van dropped the pretend smile and stared aggressively into Trevor’s eyes. Crossing his arms, Trevor stared back. “Okay. You go right ahead and do that.” Trevor didn’t smile, but wanted to. The guy was a pompous idiot and insane, to boot, if he thought his intimidation tactics were going to work.
“Maybe I will,” said Van.
“All right, then.”
“This isn’t over yet,” said Van.
“No, it’s not,” replied Trevor.
“Don’t say you haven’t been warned.”
“I won’t,” said Trevor.
Van tipped an imaginary hat to Honey. “Nice to see you again, Little Lady.”
“Nice to see you.”
Van turned and slowly strolled back across the grass.
After he went inside, Trevor turned to Honey. “Okay then, Little Lady.”
A surprised laugh escaped her, and Trevor laughed, too. A moment later, Trevor, still smiling, said, “Sorry about that. I had to get him excited. He thrives on confrontation and I didn’t want to disappoint the guy. But there’s a buyout clause for your boss, so don’t worry. The contract is all in order.” After a beat, Trevor asked, “Are you hungry? Would you like to get some dinner?”
“Uh...” Honey hesitated and looked away.
Trevor realized he was holding his breath.
“Thank you, but I already grabbed a bite to eat because I have to spend the night studying at the library.”
Disappointment settled deep in Trevor’s gut. He was pretty sure she hadn’t eaten, but didn’t push it. He liked her more and more, and she had reason to be nervous, so he couldn’t fault her instincts. He wanted to get to know her better in spite of her fiancé.
But in the meantime, she was going to be there, living in his house, for two and a half more weeks. He didn’t want to push too hard and scare her off. He had time to take it slow. “Okay. Maybe another day?”
Honey nodded. “That would be great.”
Trevor walked her to the car and held up the paperwork. “I’ll talk to my dad and let you know.”
Honey smiled up at him and something clenched in the region of his heart. “Thanks,” she said.
Trevor nodded. “See you later, Honey.”
Again she looked at him suspiciously, as if she realized he meant the name as an endearment. “Okay. See you.”
As Trevor walked back his truck, he let himself grin. There was definitely no faulting her instincts.
***
Honey drove down the road toward Trevor’s cabin. It was only nine-thirty, but it had been a long day and she was tired and ready for bed.
Christian hadn’t called all day, and okay, she was depressed about it. But still, she was positive issuing the ultimatum had been the right thing to do. Hanging up repeatedly wasn’t fiancé-type behavior, or even something friends did to each other. And right about now she was feeling like she could use a friend.
She’d been tempted to go to dinner with Trevor earlier, but had felt uncomfortable. She had a hard time reading him and wondered what he wanted from her. Just friendship she could handle, but part of her sensed he might want something more. It was hard to say what was on his mind, when his beard covered any expression on his face.
And to be honest, she wasn’t really uncomfortable with him so much as uncomfortable with the feminine way she felt around him. She wasn’t sure if it was because he was so big and masculine himself, or if it was the way he looked at her.
But she probably wasn’t b
eing fair to him. He certainly hadn’t done anything inappropriate. Still, she felt a little nervous around him. Or perhaps nervous was the wrong word. Tense? Excited? Agitated? She just didn’t know.
Honey pulled into the driveway and noticed Trevor’s truck was gone. She parked, shut off the engine, and sat there for a moment, unsure whether she felt relieved or disappointed. A tiny voice in her head said disappointed, but she quickly squelched the thought.
She carried her things inside and found Elizabeth on the couch watching TV. “Hi,” said Honey.
Elizabeth looked over her shoulder. “Oh, hi.” Her voice sounded a little hoarse. “I thought you were Trevor.” She turned back to the television. “But I guess he wouldn’t be home yet. He’s been called out to arrest a poacher.”
“He has an interesting job.”
Elizabeth lifted a shoulder. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Honey walked farther into the room to see Charlie snuggled up to Elizabeth, his huge head covering her thighs. A box of tissues lay next to Elizabeth on the couch, a few sheets crumpled and discarded on the cushion.
Elizabeth flashed a weak smile. “Do you want to watch a movie? You can change the channel if you’d like.” Her eyes were swollen and she’d obviously been crying.
“That’s okay,” said Honey. “I’m pretty beat so I think I’ll turn in.”
Elizabeth stared at the TV.
Honey didn’t move. She wasn’t sure what to do. “Is there anything I can do to help?” she finally asked, her voice soft.
Elizabeth laughed derisively. “Don’t mind me. I’m just crying over this sad movie.”
Honey glanced at the comedy on the TV. Elizabeth was obviously lying, but Honey would respect her wish for privacy. “I’ll see you in the morning then, all right?”
“Sure. Goodnight.”
Hefting briefcase, purse, and books, Honey climbed the stairs. She felt bad about not helping Elizabeth, but truly didn’t know what to do, and didn’t want to intrude.
After getting ready for bed, Honey pulled back the blankets and quickly realized someone had placed a three-inch-thick mattress pad under the sheet. She pressed the mattress with her fingers. It was deliciously soft. She wondered if Trevor or Elizabeth had put the pad there.
Right then Elizabeth passed her room.
“Elizabeth?”
She stopped and backtracked. “Yes?”
“Did you put this soft mattress pad on the bed?”
“Trevor did.”
“Oh. That was nice,” said Honey.
“Yeah, he’s a nice guy.” Without another word, Elizabeth walked on and Honey heard a door shut down the hall a moment later.
Honey climbed into bed and turned over a couple of times before settling in. It was so much more comfortable. She grinned in the darkness. He was such a sweetie! Snuggling down into the soft mattress, she pressed her face into the pillow, feeling loved.
Dismay had her eyelids popping open.
Liked! She’d meant liked!
She liked Trevor, he liked her, but they were only friends. Barely that, since they’d just met. He was simply a thoughtful host. She needed to cut off these strange feelings she was having toward him. He wasn’t for her. Christian was.
But drifting off to sleep about five minutes later, she was still thinking about Trevor.
Chapter Seven
While Honey ate her breakfast on Saturday morning, she tried to decide whether or not to go home. She glanced at the silent cell phone on the table beside her and suppressed a sigh. Christian had never phoned. So much for her ultimatum. Apparently he’d called her bluff.
She took a bite of toast and looked across the table at Trevor reading the newspaper. Breakfast together had become something of a habit for the two of them since Wednesday, with Trevor insisting on doing the cooking each day.
She felt a little foolish about wondering if Trevor were attracted to her. He’d been nothing but a gentleman all week, going out of his way to make her feel comfortable the few times they’d seen each other. And she’d kept herself so busy she hadn’t had time to dwell on anything but class work.
The phone rang and Trevor stood to answer it. “Hi, Mom. Yeah. I don’t know. Just a sec, let me ask.” He lifted the phone away from his ear and looked at Honey. “Are you still planning on dinner tonight at my parents?”
Decision time. Did she stay in Redding for the weekend, or go home? She had to admit she’d expected a call from Christian by now, begging her to drive to Napa. But here it was, Saturday morning and still no call. A kernel of hope that Christian was on his way to Redding to surprise her lay curled in her heart.
Honey glanced at her cell phone. “I’m not sure.”
“I have to work later this afternoon for a few hours,” said Trevor. “But I could show you the sights until then. You’ll be leaving in a few weeks and might be sorry if you don’t take the chance.”
Trevor put the phone back to his ear. “Okay,” he said, then handed Honey the phone. “My mom wants to talk to you.”
Honey took the phone. “Hello?”
“Hi, Honey.” Laura’s voice was warm and friendly. “I think you should take Trevor up on his offer. He knows all the best places, and then you could come to dinner with him tonight. We’d love to see you again. I feel like I’ve abandoned you this week.”
“Oh, don’t feel that way. I’ve been so busy with classes I wouldn’t have had time to visit. But can I get back to you in a few minutes?”
After they hung up, Honey broke down and called Christian.
“Hello?” he said.
Was she being too defensive, or did he really sound smug? “Hi, Christian. I’m just wondering what you’re up to.”
“I’m actually on my way out of town.”
A spurt of hope had Honey’s mouth parting.
“Some guys offered to take me deep sea fishing,” he said. “And since you weren’t here I told them I’d go. We’re on our way right now.”
Honey’s spine slowly straightened and she breathed in deeply. “This is awfully sudden, isn’t it?”
“Well, yes, but you weren’t here, so there was nothing to stop me. What did you want me to do, sit around all weekend?”
Honey’s fingers tightened on the phone. “I just don’t understand why you can travel somewhere else but not to see me?”
She said the words calmly, well aware Trevor could hear everything.
“What’s there to do in Redding?” asked Christian. “Anyway, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
“A once in a lifetime opportunity?” Again, she kept her tone light. “You live in California. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of others.”
“Don’t you want me to have fun?” He sounded petulant.
Honey sighed. It was already done. She obviously wasn’t going home, he wasn’t coming here, so why fight about it? There was always next weekend. “Sure, Christian, have a great time. Will you call me when you get home?”
“Sure. Talk to you later,” he definitely sounded smug that time.
“Bye.” She hung up, looked at Trevor, and tried to hide her hurt as she considered her options. “I guess I could fly to see my parents in LA. Or simply go home to Napa and catch up on a few things.”
Trevor smiled. “Or stay here and play with me? It’ll be fun. We’ll just go and hang out. Then later go to my parents for dinner. That way you’ll get another chance to talk to dad. As far as I know he still hasn’t made a decision. Maybe tonight’s the night.”
Honey’s boss had been leaving messages wondering why she wasn’t doing anything to move the sale forward. Anyway, she deserved to have fun, too, didn’t she? Honey smiled and nodded. “Or I could play with you.”
Grinning, Trevor grabbed the phone and called his mother back.
***
“You should see this glass all lit up at night,” said Trevor. “It’s great.”
Stomach churning, Honey looked down at the bridge they walked on, at the built-in aqua
green squares, then quickly up again. The Sacramento River below made her stomach clench, and she stayed smack in the middle of the bridge.
That wasn’t hard to do because tourists packed the edges to look down into the river. Honey suppressed a shudder and tried to distract herself by paying better attention to Trevor.
“And did I tell you the white tile was imported from Spain?”
She risked a glance down again to see tile around the glass, then quickly back up at the giant sundial in front of her. Up was good. Up was better. “Very pretty.”
Trevor followed her gaze. “The sundial is 217 feet tall and can actually tell time on the north side. Which is, of course, why it’s called the Sundial Bridge.”
Honey’s fingers clenched together and she wondered what he’d do if she clung to his arm. “Wow.”
“It’s a suspension bridge. The tall pylon and the cable stays keep it from interfering with the salmon spawning habitat. Which, of course, I consider all important,” he grinned.
Honey risked a smile. “Of course.” Maybe she should simply sprint to the other side?
“Up ahead are the exploration park and the river trail system, and if you want, we can go see the butterfly house later. Most people love it.” Trevor looked at her. “Are you okay?”
Honey didn’t want to ruin their outing, and surely they’d be off the bridge soon. “Sure. I’m having fun. This is the first time I’ve been dressed in casual clothes all week. It feels great.”
Trevor glanced at her outfit, of tee shirt, capris and sandals. “You look great.”
The admiration in his voice had Honey glancing down, embarrassed. She hadn’t been fishing for compliments, but simply trying to avoid looking at people fishing in the water. “Thanks.”
A group of kids walked between them, separating her from Trevor, and Honey felt a momentary panic before they slid back together again.
She liked keeping him close. If the bridge broke from the weight of all the people, surely he’d save her?
A touch on her shoulder had Honey turning to see an older, well-dressed woman with shiny brown hair smiling at her.