Unexpected

by Karen Tuft

  Natalie’s cell phone buzzed to let her know she’d received a text, jarring her entire system. She pulled her phone from her bag with shaking hands.

  “It’s from Ross. Someone named Dierdorff is apparently still nitpicking over contract details. He says to tell you thanks for taking care of me and he’ll pick me up for the party at eight.”

  Janis patted Natalie’s hand. “From what I can see, you don’t fall short, and it’s not too much to hope.” She pulled out her debit card and slid out of the booth. “Well, my dear, if Ross isn’t going to make it for lunch, we’re out of here. There’s a salon appointment waiting for us, and I intend to make sure you look devastatingly irresistible when Ross picks you up tonight.”

  * * *

  It was nearly eight o’clock, and Natalie gave herself one last look in the cheval mirror. Janis and she had indulged in a spa treatment, as well as a manicure, pedicure, facial, and massage. In some respects, she felt like a new woman. She definitely looked like a different woman from the one who usually smiled back at her in the mirror.

  The dress she wore was on loan from Jackie. Natalie had held her ground about having Ross pay for formal wear, and Jackie had finally relented. She’d insisted in return, however, that Natalie borrow something from her and had loaned her what, to Natalie’s mind, was the perfect dress: a deep forest-green creation that sparkled and gently hugged Natalie’s figure, then fell straight to the floor from her hips. Its high neckline and long, snug sleeves were elegant, and a cutout at the back of her neck hinted of smooth skin while maintaining the dress’s modest allure. She’d pulled her hair up in a loose twist, and simple diamonds, again on loan from a generous Jackie, winked on her ears. Since the party was in the hotel where she was staying, she didn’t have to worry about a coat.

  Natalie decided to be more daring than usual with her make-up, going a little dramatic for her first big New Year’s Eve. She smudged up her eyes a bit and went a little deeper on the lipstick color than her normal daily lip gloss. She was breathless with excitement and nervousness. She felt generally pleased with the overall effect; she hoped Ross would be too.

  Ross. She still couldn’t believe she was here, in this amazing hotel, in this magical city, waiting to attend a fairytale event with the man of her dreams. Beyond her dreams. Janis had told her she’d helped Ross heal from his heartbreak. If she could do only that much for him, if their time together only allowed her that as a way to thank him, she would be grateful.

  The real miracle had been what Ross had done for her. He didn’t treat her like she was his housekeeper, beneath his notice. He talked to her, challenged her, questioned her like an equal. Just the other day at the art museum while she had been analyzing a Vermeer oil, he had asked, “You are majoring in art, aren’t you?”

  “Artists don’t make a living, Ross. I’m going to school so I can provide for my family.”

  He’d given her a look of disappointment that had surprised her. Then he’d said, “You’re already providing for your family. And art isn’t about making a living. It’s about giving the rest of us mere mortals joy and an awareness of life and our humanity. You know that. Someone with your gift should cultivate it and share it.”

  She’d felt incredibly guilty and intensely pleased. No one had ever shown that kind of confidence in her artistic ability before, not since her mother. Her dad loved and supported her, but he just didn’t understand its importance. Ross did. And it deepened her love for him.

  He also made her feel desirable. He always reached for her hand, put his arm around her waist, touched her cheek, her hair, played with her fingers. And the kisses. Hello kisses that made her feel like he’d been bereft without her. Good-bye kisses like he needed to fill his soul before he could leave. Playful kisses that made her glow and tender kisses that melted her heart.

  How could she not love this man? And tonight would be a special evening with him, one she would cherish always.

  A knock on the door pulled her from her reverie, and she hurried to open it, anxious to be with him.

  He exhaled sharply, and his eyes softened when he looked at her. Seeing his response made her heart beat faster.

  “You take my breath away.” He took her hand and just looked at her, his eyes flowing like warm honey all over her. Then he held her fingers to his lips and kissed them. She hummed with the pleasure of it. “I could just stand here and look at you for hours.”

  “You look wonderful yourself.” What was it about a tux that made a man look like the hero of a romance novel? “I will be the envy of every woman in the ballroom tonight, because tonight, you belong to me.”

  The right corner of his mouth tilted upward. “Only tonight?”

  “For as long as you want.” It had been too much to admit to out loud, Natalie knew. She could tell by how serious he grew after the comment. But she had to tell him, in even a small way, how much she felt for him, what he meant to her.

  He gently ran a finger down her cheek. “Well, gorgeous, I guess it’s time to brace ourselves and go face the madding crowd.”

  She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. “With you, I can face anything.”

  * * *

  The party was well under way by the time they reached the ballroom. Natalie’s senses were flooded with the brilliance of the chandeliers, the smooth sound of jazz floating over the murmur of voices, the fluid blending of exotic perfumes with the crisp masculine scent of aftershave. The perimeter of the room was forested with evergreens ablaze in white, twinkling lights. She could see clouds of silver and white balloons overhead, held at bay by netting; when the word was given at midnight, they would pour down on the throngs of partygoers with elegant whimsy.

  Natalie had never seen so many beautiful gowns, so many elegant men and women. She had a sudden flashback of her early days waiting tables in Tremonton, Utah, dressed in her jeans and focused only on earning enough to keep Ryan in diapers. Trying to be pleasant enough to ensure generous tips without encouraging the ever-eager truckers who frequented there. She could never have imagined herself in such upscale surroundings, and she suddenly felt she would be more at home behind the buffet table, refilling trays like she had at Dorothy’s party, than she was right at the moment. If Ross hadn’t been by her side, she’d be lost.

  “Ross! Good, you’re here.” A tall, barrel-chested man with steel-gray hair and eyes pounded Ross on the back. With Natalie’s thoughts still on the birthday party, she realized she’d seen this man there. “And who do we have here?” He turned to Natalie in greeting. “Monty Rogers, my dear.” His brows drew together slightly, as if he were bemused.

  “This is my—this is Natalie Forrester, my guest this evening.” Natalie briefly wondered what he’d been planning to say. This is my housekeeper? “Natalie, may I introduce LaMonte Rogers, one of the founding partners of the firm.”

  “Charmed.” He took her hand in an old-fashioned gesture and gently pressed his lips to it.

  “Thank you. I’m thrilled to be here.”

  “I have a pretty good recall of faces, and I have to say, you look familiar. Have we met?”

  She glanced at Ross, who gave a slight shake of his head but was smiling reassuringly. Was Ross ashamed to be with her, or was he just eliminating awkward details that weren’t necessary to explain? She had seen Monty Rogers at the birthday party but hadn’t actually met him. “No, sir, we haven’t had the pleasure. I’m certain I would remember being introduced to someone as engaging as you.”

  He grinned, looked her over thoroughly one more time with what Natalie recognized as the eye of a connoisseur, and slapped Ross on the back a second time. “She’s quite a find, Ross. I wouldn’t let her out of my sight this evening, if I were you. Too many disreputable types lurking about. Me included.”

  “Don’t worry,” Ross said as he put a protective arm around Natalie’s waist. “I intend to be vigilant.”

  They made their way to the bar, where Ross ordered each of them a club soda. Afterward,
they made the rounds as he introduced her to associates, clients, and the formidable Friedrich Dierdorff, who defied Natalie’s mental image of him. He was short and lean, fastidious, and formally polite to her, bowing slightly and crisply when they met.

  “He’s very nice,” Natalie whispered as she and Ross made their way through the crowd to the dance floor.

  “To a beautiful woman like you, perhaps, especially on a festive occasion. Trust me; he is tenacious when there is something he wants.”

  Ross calling her beautiful warmed her; the casual way he’d just thrown it into the conversation, as if her being considered beautiful was a given, stunned her.

  The band was playing a waltz, and Ross placed one hand in hers; his other hand closed around her waist. They whirled as Ross held her close, and Natalie was breathless. His eyes looked at her so warmly, so intently, and Natalie found herself trapped by them—wishing, hoping that it was possible he might love her even a little. The next dance was slow, and he drew her in against him, resting his face gently on top of her head. Natalie leaned her cheek against his shoulder and breathed in his warm male essence, a blend of spice and soap and strength. The comfortable feel of it, the rightness, lulled her into a state of bliss. Her fingers crept up to play with the hair above his collar.

  “Ross, darling,” a sultry female voice purred behind her. “Our little German friend is asking for you.”

  Natalie pulled herself from her reverie and saw the woman from the birthday party, the one who’d made certain Natalie knew she was hired help and nothing more. Recognition dawned on the woman’s face when she saw Natalie too.

  “Well, look who must have found a fairy godmother! Away from the ashes and at the ball with the prince, it appears.”

  Natalie smiled as politely as she could. She could tell Ross wasn’t pleased. She hoped it was because of this woman’s poor manners and not embarrassment at being discovered he was here with the scullery maid. His face was rigid. “Gina, this is my friend and guest, Natalie Forrester. Natalie, Gina Rogers. Monty’s daughter—and an associate at the firm.”

  With formalities out of the way, Gina said, “Friedrich is waiting for you in the hotel lounge, darling. He thought it was too noisy in here to talk business.” She smirked. “It’s New Year’s Eve, and he wants to do business. Thankfully, I convinced him he could handle matters sufficiently with just you.” She ran a bloodred fingernail down the sleeve of his tuxedo. “I told him I was otherwise occupied.”

  Ross sent Natalie a concerned glance. She laid her hand on his arm. “I’ll be fine. This is a good opportunity for me to powder my nose anyway.”

  He looked hesitant and glanced at his watch. “It’s eleven thirty. Save midnight for me.” He looked longingly at her lips. “Promise?” he added.

  “Promise,” Natalie whispered as she watched Ross stride off toward the exit.

  She heard a soft laugh behind her and turned. Gina was looking down her nose at her. “Look at you. Aren’t you sweet? Lovesick over our little Ross. Saint Ross the Divine. Do you honestly think you’re the first woman to set her sights on him? And trust me on this, these are women who have a lot more to offer him than you do—unless he’s such a neat freak that the idea of having a little live-in tub scrubber appeals to him in some twisted way.” She chuckled at her own joke.

  Patting Natalie on the arm, making her feel like a child, Gina continued, sarcasm dripping from her tongue like acid. “Oh, I think I’ve hurt your feelings. I didn’t mean to. I mean, it’s certainly possible that the Ross I’ve known for the last several years has changed his colors. He very well may have suddenly decided he’d rather saddle himself with a woman who wipes up spills and collects bar tips rather than one with a pedigree and accomplishments that naturally complement him.” She swallowed the rest of her champagne and then, to make a point, handed the empty flute to Natalie and whispered, “But I really don’t think so.”

  Natalie stared at the empty glass in her hand. Gina’s deep red lipstick was a violent smear along the rim, sneering back at her. Part of her was angry at this pretentious woman who didn’t know anything about her and had already passed judgment. Gina didn’t know how much Ross had done for her; frankly, it didn’t sound like she knew Ross very well at all. But she had worked with him for years, so it was possible she had a knowledge of his past relationships. Natalie honestly didn’t know if he’d had any women in his life, other than Liz. Janis had said he’d become a different man, jaded and cynical. It didn’t preclude him from seeing people, just changed how he responded to them. It had been more than a decade, after all. It was hard to imagine he’d not seen any women socially during such a long period of time.

  The Ross she’d initially met had been like that man—aloof and wary. The new Ross, with his sharp edges of wariness smoothed away, had given her confidence in her talents and intelligence. Had made her feel worthy.

  But Gina was also right on one level, and Natalie began to feel pangs of despair. Ross was the most amazing man she’d ever met, a man she never could have imagined existed. When she’d idolized brash, arrogant Buck or fallen for Wade’s initial charm, she’d never dreamed of someone like Ross. Her youthful experiences hadn’t prepared her enough to conceive of someone like him.

  He was the epitome of intelligence and success. He was strikingly handsome and carried himself with a confidence that only came from deep within. A man like Ross deserved a woman who was like him in all those ways.

  She knew he cared for her. He’d invited her to New York, shown her the sights, and introduced her to his friends. He wouldn’t have done that if he hadn’t had some feelings for her, she was sure. But he’d never told her he loved her. Of course, she hadn’t ever told him those exact words either.

  “I will be the envy of every woman in the ballroom tonight, because tonight you belong to me,” she’d said to him.

  “Only tonight?”

  “For as long as you want.”

  He simply had to know how she felt. He had to know she loved him with all her heart.

  A quick glance at the large clock hung especially to count down to the new year showed there were only a few minutes left before midnight, and still, Ross was nowhere to be seen. She discarded Gina’s champagne flute and her own warm soda and made her way carefully through the crowds toward the exit doors she’d seen Ross go through earlier. She’d promised midnight to him, and she would do what she could to keep that promise. For Ross and for herself.

  She was nearly through the tangle of the increasingly celebratory crowd when she saw the doors open and Ross walk through. Ross looked rigid, his jaw set. Natalie felt an urge to go to him and put her arms around him, smooth the wrinkle from his forehead and tease the sparkle back into his eye. She knew the exact moment when he saw her. The corners of his mouth lifted, and his eyes began to warm. And then his eyes broke contact with hers, focused on someone behind her, and widened in shock.

  “Hello, Ross.” A quiet female voice spoke behind Natalie, and Natalie turned sharply.

  Behind her, to the left, was a dazzling woman, tall and elegant in a shimmering gold dress the exact color of her hair. She looked as if she had descended from Mount Olympus, as regal and perfect as she seemed in every way. The goddess smiled slightly, a look of gentle affection warming her rich coffee-colored eyes. What else did Natalie see in those eyes? Regret?

  She felt a sharp stab in her stomach. The women she’d seen at Dorothy’s party, the woman she’d met at Ross’s house, that sultry witch Gina Rogers, had been intimidating. Natalie realized now that they were nothing. This woman, this goddess, was the real threat. Natalie knew who she was the instant she watched Ross compose himself to take care of the formalities.

  “Liz! What a surprise.” He smiled woodenly at Natalie. “Natalie, may I introduce Liz—Elizabeth . . . Bancroft. Liz this is Natalie Forrester. She’s . . .” Natalie inwardly winced at his pause, realizing full well he struggled to label her in front of the woman who’d broken his heart. “She�
��s a . . . friend . . . of mine.”

  Natalie forced an overbright smile on her face and took Elizabeth Bancroft’s outstretched hand. Natalie briefly felt the urge to curtsey and fought through it and her shallow breathing to shake hands and collect herself. Liz held Natalie’s hand gently but firmly and looked her straight in the eye. Natalie got the sense she was being thoroughly probed.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet any friend of Ross’s.”

  Natalie could hear the education and elegance in the cultured tones of Liz’s voice.

  Liz released Natalie’s hand and turned back to Ross. Her affection was intensely apparent to Natalie, her face soft with it, her eyes gleaming. Something in the back of Natalie’s mind warned her not to look at Ross, but how could she not? She turned to him and immediately regretted it. His face was like stone, his color ashen. A muscle twitched in his jaw. But it was his eyes that were her undoing. The shock, the intensity of the emotion she could see there sent her heart from its throbbing place in her throat to the floor. He still loved this woman. He had to.

  How could he not still love someone as beautiful, as perfect as this Elizabeth Bancroft seemed to be?

  Natalie watched Ross collect himself. He blinked a few times and forced the corners of his mouth into a semblance of a smile. “How long have you been in New York, Liz?”

  Natalie swallowed hard and looked away briefly, unsure what to do. She noticed the New Year’s clock. It was only a couple of minutes to midnight.

  “I’ve only been here a few weeks,” the golden goddess said. “The firm opened an office here in town, and I relocated.” She paused for a few moments and straightened her back. “Clay and I are divorced. It seems you were right all those long years ago, Ross.” She smiled ruefully, shaking her head. “You were even right about becoming Mormon. I was baptized a few years ago. It’s what got me through all of this.”

  Natalie could sense Ross’s growing agitation. She also started to notice the crowd getting noisier. Suddenly, they all shouted, “Ten! Nine! Eight . . .”