“Contentment, it’s like the fountain of youth,” Harris said.
“I wouldn’t know about that,” Hank replied with a sigh.
“Problems?”
Hank nodded, but said no more as Iris reappeared. Harris smiled at his wife as she handed them each their drinks, then turned his attention back to Hank. “What’s up, son?”
“Is there a problem, Hank?” Iris asked. She and his father exchanged glances.
Hank released a small burst of laughter. “The way you two are looking at each other, I feel like I’m about ten years old and just got caught with a stack of naughty magazines.”
Iris and Harris smiled at one another, and Hank’s irritation returned full force. When they looked at each other and smiled, it was the same kind of gesture that Trent had, the one that said they were lucky, that they’d found something special and wonderful in each other.
“Hank, I wasn’t around when you were growing up, but I can bet you were never the kind of boy that needed naughty magazines,” Iris said with a small blush.
Hank grinned, the grin slowly fading. “My secretary is going to hand me her two-week notice tomorrow, and I don’t know what rm going to do,” he said.
“You’ll hire another one,” Harris replied.
“It’s not that simple,” Hank protested. “Angela is something special.”
“Then it might take you a couple tries before you hire one as good as her,” Harris replied.
Hank frowned. “No...you’re missing the point. Angela is truly special. She makes me laugh and she stimulates my mind. She keeps me on my toes and makes me be a better person. There’s no way I can live without her in my life.”
Iris eyed Hank with a small smile. “I thought we were talking about a secretary.”
“We are...I am,” Hank replied.
Iris’s smile grew wider. “You didn’t tell us you were in love with Angela.”
“In love? That’s ridiculous,” Hank scoffed.
“Sounds like love to me,” Harris replied.
Hank’s heart thudded loudly as he thought of the words he’d just spoken. Angela. A picture of her face superimposed itself in his mind... the golden light of her eyes, the beauty of her smile, her infectious laughter.
He thought of her quick mind, her gentle smile, how she’d looked when she’d spoken of her love for her brother, the emptiness she’d expressed when she’d spoken of her father.
Hank loved her.
The realization hit him hard in the gut. Somehow, someway, in the past week, he’d fallen in love with his secretary. He stared at Iris, then at his father, stunned by the revelation of his heart.
Iris laughed. “You look like a deer caught in a truck’s headlights.”
“It was bound to happen sooner or later,” Harris observed with a smile. “Face it, my boy. You sound like a man who is in love.”
“But...but this wasn’t supposed to happen,” Hank protested. He wasn’t supposed to fall in love.
He realized now that’s why he’d chosen the women he had to date...because they were safe. He knew there was no way his heart would get involved with the beautiful, but shallow women he picked as companions.
“You can’t pick the time that love will find you,” Harris said. “I loved your mother very much, Hank. And when she died, I swore I’d never give my heart to another woman. I was afraid. I didn’t want to have that kind of hurt again.”
He reached over and touched Iris’s hand and in that simple touch Hank saw lasting love and enduring commitment. “Then Iris came along and for the first time I knew that she was worth the risk of having my heart hurt again.”
Hank nodded thoughtfully. Is that what he had done? When Sarah had hurt his heart so many years ago, had he made a subconscious decision to never put his heart at risk again? Probably, he decided.
But it didn’t matter anymore. He was in love with Angela. He’d deal with her not being his secretary any longer, but he couldn’t imagine spending the rest of his life without her.
He looked at his father and Iris. “So, what do I do now?”
Harris smiled. “I say you go for it. Tell her you love her. I promise you the risk is worth it. And if you don’t take the risk, you’ll always wonder.”
A few minutes later Hank left, more confused than he’d been before he’d arrived. He loved Angela. And she intended to quit her job on Monday.
He had no idea what she thought of him, if she had any positive feelings at all for him. She’d told him on their first day as pretend husband and wife that he was selfish, egotistical and conceited. Did she still believe that?
Had the week in Mustang changed her mind where he was concerned? Evidently not, he thought with a sharp pang to his heart. After all, she planned to completely walk out of his life in two weeks’ time.
As Hank drove into his apartment building parking lot, he knew what he had to do. He had two weeks to change her mind, two weeks to make her fall in love with him. And when Hank Riverton went after something, he didn’t stop until he got what he wanted.
Chapter Nine
Roses. Bright red, with huge blossoms. That’s the first thing Angela saw when she arrived in her office on Monday morning. The vase of blooms set centered on her desk blotter, a fragrant, vivid greeting that did nothing to cheer her.
If Hank Riverton thought she’d change her mind about continuing to work for him just because he’d bought her a dozen flowers, then he had another think coming.
Angela had spent several hours on Sunday with the classified ads from the paper spread out in front of her. She’d circled the job possibilities with red ink...red circles of heartbreak.
She couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid, so vulnerable as to fall so completely, so totally for Hank’s charm. The crush she’d entertained months earlier now seemed sophomoric and superficial when compared to the depth of her feelings for him now.
It wasn’t that just physically he’d overwhelmed her. What she felt for him had far more depth than mere physical attraction. Her love went deep and strong, a love for the entire man, physically, spiritually, emotionally.
He made her laugh, he made her think. He challenged her yet comforted her. He was all that she had ever wanted, and she knew he was the man she would never have.
She picked up the vase of roses and held it over her trash can. If he saw them in the garbage then he would see how effective his ploy had been.
How extravagant, how like him, to go over the top in an effort to get what he wanted. But, with the fragrant scent wafting in the air and the roses’ dewy perfection so exquisite to see, she couldn’t throw them away. Instead she placed the vase on top of the metal file cabinet behind her desk where people coming into the office would admire them, but she couldn’t see them as she sat and worked.
Her first order of the day was to call some employment agencies and set up interviews with prospective secretaries. From the moment she’d realized she loved him, she knew there was no way she could work for him, watch him date and get on with his life. But, she wasn’t going to leave him in the lurch, either. She had to hire a decent replacement for herself.
She sank down at her desk and stared at the picture of Hank on the opposite wall. How on earth was she going to sit here for the next two weeks with his handsome visage a mere glance away?
She punched on her computer terminal, deciding she’d just have to keep busy, keep her attention away from the picture, away from the emotions that churned in her heart. Fourteen days...that’s all she had to endure.
Surely the excitement of starting a new job, meeting new co-workers, rising to new work challenges would keep her mind off love and romance and Hank.
As she tried desperately to reassure herself of this, Hank opened his office door and stepped out. “Oh...you’re here,” he said.
He looked as handsome as she’d ever seen him. Clad in a navy blazer and slacks, with a starched white shirt beneath the blazer, he looked crisp and clean...and sexy as hell. Th
e blue of the jacket emphasized the depth of that same color in his eyes...eyes that gazed around, obviously looking for the roses. He finally spied them atop the file cabinet, but his features revealed nothing.
“I told you I’d be here this morning as usual,” Angela replied, then drew in a steadying breath. Why did he have to look so good? Why did she have to love him so? Why couldn’t she have fallen in love with some nice, ordinary man? Why did it have to be Hank who had captured her heart?
“Could you come in here for a moment or two?” He gestured to his private, inner office.
Angela nodded and pulled her resignation notice from her purse. She’d typed it up the day before, prepared to place it on his desk first thing this morning.
She followed him into his inner sanctum. He closed the door behind them, but didn’t sit down behind his desk as he usually did.
“We need to talk,” he said. He took a step toward her.
She was aware of the racing of her heart. Couldn’t he hear it? Couldn’t he hear that it was frantically beating out her love for him? He stood too close to her and his nearness battered at her mental defenses.
“Did you want me to take a letter? Make an appointment?” Angela was grateful her voice remained cool and controlled, not showing the emotions that raged inside her.
“Did you read the card that was on the roses?” he asked.
He took another step closer, completely invading her personal space and forcing her to take a step backward. His scent, the one she had become so familiar with over the past week, filled her senses and she wanted to weep.
“No. But I’m sure it says that you want me to keep my job.” She held out her notice of resignation. “Here’s my answer.”
He took the note and scanned it, then wadded it up into a ball. Angela frowned. “It doesn’t matter what you do with it. I’ve given you my notice, and that’s that,” she exclaimed.
“Angela, just listen to me.” He approached closer, and she stepped back once again, stopping when she hit the closed door behind her. He raised his arms and placed his hands on the door on either side of her, effectively trapping her in place.
“The card on the roses didn’t say anything about the job. It didn’t plead with you not to quit.” His eyes bore into hers, intense in a way she’d never seen before.
She was self-consciously aware of the fact that she’d put on little makeup that morning, that her hair was probably its usual curly mess, and that the gray suit she wore did nothing to compliment her.
“Angela, you should have read the card. It says that I love you.”
Her heart seemed to stop for a long moment, then a deep, piercing ache set in. She stared at him, unable to believe what he’d just said.
Anger swelled up inside her. She swallowed against it, but it refused to go away. Instead it grew to mammoth proportions, overwhelming her. With one swift movement, she dunked beneath his arm and turned back to face him.
“You would do anything to get what you want, wouldn’t you?” Her voice rang with condemnation. “How low you are, Hank Riverton. How low to pretend to love me so I’ll agree to remain working for you.”
“No.” Hank looked horrified. “No, that’s not it at all,” he protested.
“How convenient,” she continued angrily. “How convenient that you’ve suddenly discovered this newfound love for me at the same time I’ve handed yon my resignation.”
She shoved him out of the way and grabbed the doorknob. “I should have known that you’d try anything to get me to stay, but I never dreamed you’d sink this low.” She opened the door. “I’m going to lunch,” she exclaimed.
“Lunch? But, it’s only a little after nine,” he sputtered.
“So, fire me,” she snapped back. She slammed the door behind her and grabbed her purse from her desk. As she left the building, she wondered how on earth she could have let herself fall in love with such an unethical oaf.
His bogus confession of love ached inside her, pierced her heart with a pain that took her breath away. She walked to a nearby diner where she ate lunch every day.
Of course he would have no idea how his phony love confession would hurt because he had no idea that she truly loved him.
She took her usual stool at the counter and ordered a breakfast platter and coffee, although the last thing she felt like doing was eating.
While she waited for her food to arrive, she sipped her coffee, wondering why fate had been so cruel to her. She’d only loved three men in her entire life. Her brother, Brian, her father... and Hank.
If she were Attila the Hun, she knew Brian would love her. She’d practically raised him. She’d been the one who had attended school meetings, taken him to Cub Scout functions and baseball games. She and Brian had a bond that nothing and nobody would ever break.
But when her father had left, she’d been absolutely devastated. He had been her hero, the most important man in her life and she’d never, ever in her life, understand how he’d so easily walked away.
Now that she considered it, she realized Hank and her father had a lot in common. Angela’s dad had been handsome to distraction, able to charm both men and women alike.
Like Hank, Angela’s dad had been ambitious. As an insurance salesman, he’d been a hustler, aggressively going after new accounts.
When he’d walked away from the marriage... from Angela, he’d taken half her heart with him. And now Hank had stolen the other half, leaving nothing left inside her chest except a hollow emptiness.
Hank had told Angela he loved her and she’d gone to lunch. But, the utter absurdity of the situation didn’t make Hank laugh at all.
After she’d gone, he sank down at his desk and leaned back in his chair. He knew he’d been wrong to dupe Brody and Barbara and the other couples in Mustang. He’d known it was wrong and he’d done it anyway, and now he was paying the price.
How could he convince Angela his love was real when she’d seen him lying without a blink of his eyes? How could he gain credibility with her when he’d sacrificed it for business’ sake?
He had to do something. He couldn’t just sit here and let the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with get away.
Lunch. She’d gone to lunch. He’d find her, proclaim his love again...and again...and again...until she’d have to believe him.
He couldn’t believe that she didn’t somehow, someway care about him. They’d shared too many intimate moments for him to believe she was completely inured to him. He’d kissed her...but she’d kissed him back. Surely she’d kissed him because she felt something for him.
With a renewed confidence, he locked up the office and stepped outside, only to frown in confusion. Hell, she’d been his secretary for two years and he didn’t know where she went for lunch.
Had she driven or walked? To the left of his office building were several drive-through services offering the standard fare of fast food. To the right were several restaurants, one a diner, another one a high-price Italian place.
The diner, Hank decided. He strode with quick, determined strides down the sidewalk, his heart racing in anticipation. He had to make her understand. Somehow, someway he had to make her believe him.
He entered the diner and looked around, his heart thudding the beat of love as he saw her at the counter. For a long moment he stood just inside the door and watched her.
Why had it taken him so long to notice her? A week ago he hadn’t been able to bring her features to mind, and now he couldn’t imagine forgetting anything about her. Where had his head been for the past two years?
She stared down at her plate, moving food from one side to the other with her fork. He noticed the graceful curve of her neck, the prim position of her legs pressed tightly together. His heart swelled with tenderness, a tenderness he’d never known before.
As the man who’d been sitting next to her got up and left, Hank slid onto the stool he’d vacated. “Angela,” he said.
She looked up from her plate, her ey
es widening with disbelief. “I don’t believe this. What are you doing here?”
“I like to eat with the woman I love,” Hank replied, loving the color that jumped onto her cheeks. “Do you realize how often you blush, and how utterly charming it is?”
“You’re mad,” she replied. “You’ve gone absolutely bonkers.”
“I’m not bonkers, I’m in love,” he returned. He twirled around on the stool and faced the other diners. “I’m in love,” he yelled, his pronouncement met by startled stares. “I’m in love with the woman sitting next to me, and she won’t even give me a chance.”
“Honey, if you don’t want him, I’ll take him,” an old woman cackled as she winked at Hank.
“Go on, give him a chance,” a man at one of the booths bellowed.
Angela bolted from the counter and ran for the door. “Hey,” the waitress yelled after her. “You aren’t stiffing me.”
Hank pulled a handful of bills out of his pocket and threw them on the counter, then raced after Angela. “Angela... wait!”
He couldn’t believe how fast she could move. He had to break into a run to catch up with her. “Angela... please.” He grabbed her arm. She jerked away from him, then turned to face him.
“Hank, I don’t know why you’re playing this game, but it isn’t going to work.” He saw a glimmer of tears in her eyes and instantly regretted his impulsive actions.
“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you,” he said softly. “I just thought maybe you’d believe me if I said it out loud in front of other people.”
“You did embarrass me. I was mortified,” she said, swiping at an errant tear that raced down her cheek.
“That’s the last thing I wanted to do,” Hank said, kicking himself for his insensitivity. As she started to walk again, he fell into step beside her, his mind racing to find something...anything that would convince her that his love was true.
“Angela...I know I lied to Brody, but I’m not lying now.”
“You not only lied about being married to me, you told them I was pregnant,” she accused.
“And I think we should stay together for the sake of the baby,” he teased. His heart broke when he saw no resulting glint of humor in her eyes. “I’ll tell Brody the truth, if that’s what it takes to make you believe me.”
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