Jayce was still scowling when she rode off.
Tiara hadn't intended to call her dumb. She hated to believe people could be entirely stupid, really, but Jayce made her so furious.
The mature thing to do would be to apologize, but the idea of an apology was unthinkable while she was still angry. Tiara sniffed. If Jayce were like most people, she'd take any well meant--somewhat well meant--sorry for agreement that Tiara was wrong. "Ugh, phooey with an apology. Better Jayce think what she will and just leave me alone."
JAYCE REINED THE horse into the stable and dismounted. After loosening the cinch and removing the saddle, bridle, and blanket, she gave Arabelle's shoulder a nudge sending her out to the other horses currently with the stable hands. Jayce had enough work.
Actually, Jayce had hardly accomplished any training today. Since Tiara had arrived last night, she couldn't focus on much of anything, unless she counted Tiara, which she had no rational reason to do.
If she thought the reasons through, Jayce knew she'd conclude she just worried about Tiara's well being, stuck in that big old house by herself, waiting for her father to return, and taking on repair jobs bigger than she was. "Hell, seven-year-old boys are bigger than Tiara." Not that she originally meant any insult, at least not until Tiara got all fired up. Then, Jayce had felt duty bound to continue pushing Tiara's angry button.
As Jayce thought the situation through she reached different conclusions. Those were the last reasons Tiara was on her mind. Last night she'd seen the sadness in Tiara's eyes. This morning she'd felt the warmth of Tiara's hand on her abdomen and come so close to kissing Tiara that not doing so had left her feeling empty. If Jayce had kissed her, would Tiara be out of her system? Would Jayce be able to turn away and finally forget the petite woman?
Why was she asking herself these ridiculous questions?
Jayce had meant nothing to Tiara for ten years; she was a grown woman, no longer some lovesick seventeen-year-old wanting to play Galahad. Tiara was the one who left, not Jayce, albeit Tiara hadn't had much choice in the matter at the time. Ultimately, it had been Angie's choice, but Tiara could have come back, and she hadn't. That simple fact alone had torn her apart--Slim, too, of course. If it hadn't been for Jayce's Aunt Edna, Slim would have fallen to pieces. So, why let Tiara get to her now? She'd gotten Tiara out of her system a long time ago. Well, kind of, and this wasn't about her.
She made a promise to Slim. Jayce's responsibilities were to watch the place in his absence and that included Tiara in the deal, whether Tiara liked it or not. Jayce hadn't expected such an adamant aversion from Tiara, though. Most people would like the idea of someone watching out for them, a sort of guardian angel ready in the wings.
"The chauvinist insult was cold blooded," Jayce grumbled. She brightened a tad, remembering Tiara had also used sexy and gorgeous in her diatribe.
Once in the house, Jayce poured coffee into her favorite mug. Tiara clearly wasn't going to make the job easy, so she'd have to be clever in handling her. Jayce gulped the hot coffee. In the end, Tiara would appreciate her decision to look after her.
BY SIX O'CLOCK, Tiara had finished the rebuild of about 100 feet of fence. Half an hour later, after a refreshing shower, she was ready to begin her usual routine. She'd made tuna salad and put two sandwiches together, grabbed two cans of soda and the bag of chips off the table from the night before and carried it all to the living room. She found a television station playing an old movie. She propped her feet up on the coffee table and arranged her meal around her, ready to relax. She'd taken a large bite of sandwich when the phone rang.
Jayce calling to apologize, Tiara thought with glee. She'd accept it graciously, of course. Tomorrow, she'd make an appointment to have phone lines put in other rooms, since the only phone jack was in the kitchen. Chewing quickly, Tiara swallowed and grabbed the receiver on the third ring. "Hello," she said sweetly.
"Let me talk to Slim." The nasal voice wasn't Jayce's. An image flashed in her mind and Tiara barely managed to contain the laughter. This guy sounded like Squiggy on Laverne and Shirley.
Tiara sobered. "He's not here at the moment. This is his daughter. May I help you?"
The man snorted. "Give him a message. Tell him I'm coming for Majestic. No one steals from Sparretti."
Any residual humor quickly drained and Tiara became defensive on her father's behalf. "Mr. Spaghetti, my father is not a thief."
"Sparretti," he corrected in a shrill tone. "I'll give him two days to return my property. Then I come for Majestic myself."
Tiara tensed. This man sounded serious, even with the ridiculous voice. Was this her father's trouble? She decided it best not to antagonize. Voices could be deceptive and he might be seven-feet tall and built like a linebacker. What if he followed through with his threat? "Maybe if you explained the situation, I could be of assistance."
"Two days," he whined nasally, and then hung up.
Tiara replaced the receiver on the cradle. "All right, Dad, call." She hoped the plea would make the phone ring. "This time I'll get answers if I have to track you down to do it." Tiara stared at the phone for five minutes, but nothing happened. "Okay, I'll give you a little more time," she said, then went back to her supper.
The old movie playing was a James Cagney gangster film. A cool breeze blew through the open window and she shivered; whether from an omen or the wind, Tiara wasn't sure. Was her father involved with gangsters? Did gangsters still exist like in the old movies? Killing whoever got in their way or had allegedly stole from them? She knew street thugs and gangs existed, but did the mafia-types?
The soggy sandwiches made her appetite disappear. So did the mood for old movies. Flipping the top on the soda can, Tiara guzzled half the contents, her form of liquid courage, before she rose, locking the house up as nice and tight as possible. She felt ridiculous when she had finished. It was still light outside and she sat locked inside like a paranoid spinster.
Better paranoid than dead, she reasoned.
Tiara shook her head. What was she worried about? Hadn't the spaghetti man given her two days? Nevertheless, gangsters lied. She went back to the couch, opened the bag of chips and stuffed three large ones into her mouth. Then she groaned. Between a missing father, Jayce Mansfield, the horse and the gangster--not to mention the wicked goose--her life had quickly become reminiscent of a bad B-movie.
This better not all turn out to be a joke, Dad.
Chapter Five
TIARA FELT SO bone-weary the following morning that even her steamy shower hadn't helped. Used to hard work, she hadn't expected the fence repairs to make her so tired. Of course, she admitted, nightmares of gangsters with Tommy-guns hadn't made for restful slumber.
"You're probably blowing all this out of proportion," she mumbled into her coffee.
"Blowing what out of proportion?"
Startled she set down her mug and turned to see Jayce leaning against the frame of the kitchen door she'd opened before starting coffee. Jayce's hands were behind her back and one booted foot casually crossed the other at the ankles. Her hair was damp and neatly combed. Evidence she had recently finished a shower; or dunked her head in the horse trough, Tiara quickly amended. The image of Jayce doing just that made her want to smirk.
She groaned instead, wondering if it was because she hadn't expected to see Jayce so early, or because the woman looked so darn good after her own rough evening of almost nonexistent sleep. Truth being told, Tiara realized sullenly, Jayce looked good to her no matter how the night had gone or what her present mood happened to be.
"I brought a peace offering," Jayce said softly.
"Unless it's your head on a plate, I won't accept it," Tiara replied. She wanted to demand Jayce leave her alone, leave her house--okay, Slim's house--but Tiara couldn't afford to expend more energy. She would need every ounce to finish the worst of the fencing before dark today.
"Will Danish do?" Jayce asked, moving into the kitchen and dropping the white paper sack onto the tabl
e. "Blueberry's still your favorite, isn't it?" She moved to the cabinets, pulled down two small plates and poured herself a mug of coffee, before sitting opposite her. Tiara was surprised Jayce had remembered something as personal as her favorite fruit filling. More surprised by how much it pleased her. "Eat up," Jayce ordered, putting one on a small plate before each of them.
Tiara stared at the peace offering as if it would jump up and bite her. What was Jayce up to now?
"Pastry won't bite back," Jayce said with a chuckle.
"Don't do that." Tiara glared at her. How did Jayce always manage to read what was inside Tiara's head? Like not knowing where plates were, or her trepidation in retrieving a mug or that Tiara wanted to bolt whenever they got close.
"Do what?"
"Know what I'm thinking, almost before I do." She should have known Jayce would laugh, but was unprepared for her own hurt response. "Glad I can bring amusement to your day," Tiara said. Taking her anger out on the Danish, she tore a section, shoved it in her mouth and chewed vigorously.
As quick as Jayce's laughter started, she stopped. "Come on, Red." Jayce shifted in her chair. "Okay, I'm sorry for upsetting you and for laughing."
"Who says I'm upset?"
"It's only obvious what goes on in that pretty little head of yours, since it's written all over your face. Not hard to figure out." Tiara felt her face grow warm. Jayce thought her pretty? No, she chided herself silently, only a figure of speech. "Well, try to refrain from doing it altogether," Tiara mumbled grumpily around another mouthful.
"I'll do my best," Jayce promised, giving the pouting expression she'd used yesterday morning. Tiara still had the urge to tug at the extended lower lip--with her teeth.
"You had better quit that, too."
"What?" Jayce asked, taking a large bite of Danish.
"Pouting," she said. "Some bird may think it's a perch and land on it." Tiara giggled at the image flashing in her head. "You know how unpredictable birds are with their droppings."
Jayce laughed around the mouthful of food, nearly choking in her hurry to swallow. When she'd swallowed, she presented Tiara a quick flash of straight white teeth. "A sight you would pay dearly to see, I'm sure."
"As a matter of fact, I would."
"No offense, but I'd rather not accommodate you in that direction. Certainly, if you want me to indulge you in any other direction..." Jayce glanced toward the stove, then back with a mischievous grin. "Want to pick up where we left off yesterday?"
"No." Tiara felt her face go warm again, and decided to give breakfast her total attention. She lowered her head and let her hair fall forward, hoping it would shadow the blushing, if not hide it completely.
"Too bad," Jayce whispered huskily. "I was looking forward to seeing just what we could cook up together."
She knew Jayce wasn't referring to food. It bothered Tiara when her body grew warm at the suggestion and the tempo of her heartbeat increased. She clenched her hands to curb the impulse to reach out and pull Jayce closer. Tiara's gaze hypnotically pulled in the direction of Jayce's lips as her own mind conjured an image of...Jayce's lower lip caught between Tiara's own teeth before her tongue ran--
A hand passed before her face and startled Tiara.
"Hello?" Jayce's voice sounded filled with mirth.
Tiara blinked to clear the last remnants of...daydreaming? More like a sensual fantasy. If Jayce hadn't regained her attention, how far would Tiara's mind have gone? She shuddered. Too far, that's where. "Sorry," Tiara whispered, surprised and embarrassed by the huskiness of her own voice.
Jayce grinned at her like a kid who just pulled off a successful prank as she leaned back in her chair. "Nice little trip, I hope? Your body was here, but the rest of you went all Star Wars."
"Huh?"
"Red, you went far, far away."
Tiara cleared her throat. "Sorry," she repeated, relieved her voice sounded normal.
"Let me ask again, since you apparently weren't listening the first time," Jayce said, getting up and pouring another cup of coffee. She brought the pot over to the table and topped Tiara's mug off. "What'd you blow out of proportion?"
Tiara's heartbeat quickened, in panic. Did her expression reveal her internal vision? Did Jayce refer to her fantasy as blown out of proportion? She started it, Tiara's mind screamed. Damn her anyway. Jayce could have been more tactful in letting Tiara know her teasing was one-sided.
"If you'd kept your promise, you wouldn't be included or bothered by what I do or do not blow out of proportion," Tiara said.
"Come again?" Jayce looked bewildered.
How long would they play this particular game? "Knock it off, Jayce. You know what I'm talking about."
Jayce crossed her arms over her chest, drawing Tiara's attention from her face. Down, to...full, rounded breasts, strong and still sexy, such...
"No, I don't know," Jayce said.
"If you hadn't been reading my expressions, you wouldn't have known I'd blown the imagery out of proportion." Tiara finished, shaking her head and meeting Jayce's stunned gaze.
The corners of Jayce's mouth twitched. Her sky blue--no, cornflower-blue--eyes sparkled with the restrained mirth. "What imagery would that be exactly?" Jayce asked, her voice nearly bubbling with humor. "I was referring to what you said when I first walked in."
Tiara groaned at her own stupidity, not able to face Jayce. Tiara turned away, managing an awkward, "Oh."
JAYCE COULDN'T HOLD back any longer, the laugh burst out of her throat. Whatever imagery had gone on, she didn't need it voiced to visualize it, as Tiara's red cheeks and downcast eyes told her all she needed to know. Just picturing what Tiara was probably imagining had Jayce positively delighted. Until she realized Tiara could be envisioning anyone's lips while staring at hers.
Reaching forward, Jayce touched the loose hair that had fallen around Tiara's face and tucked it behind her small ear. She then cupped Tiara's chin and raised it. "When I came in," Jayce began slowly, "you said you were probably blowing something out of proportion. Should I worry? What happened, and is it something you need to talk about? I'm ready to listen."
Tiara carefully pulled away from Jayce's grasp, gaze darting around the kitchen, landing on everything and anything, but Jayce. Tiara appeared hesitant to explain. "I got a call last night, about Majestic."
"Slim called?" Jayce asked, relatively certain that wasn't the answer.
"No, some guy claiming Dad stole his horse and that he'd be coming for it in two days. Since I watched an old gangster movie afterward, I kinda had nightmares. That's what I meant. I blew the call out of proportion."
Jayce scowled. "Did he threaten you?" The question came out sounding harsher than intended. She didn't want Tiara hurt, her safety was Jayce's responsibility. For Slim's sake, she reminded herself. Tiara shook her head. "What's this guy's name?" Would Jayce know him? Probably not.
Tiara shrugged. "It sounded like food."
"A food name?" Wow. For a petite woman, meals seemed to be the one thing Tiara could relate to with any seriousness. "Can you be more specific?"
"Spaghetti," Tiara said, paused, and repeated with a nod, "Yeah, sounds like spaghetti."
Jayce chuckled at the declaration. "Okay. Mr. Sounds-like-spaghetti called and told you Slim stole his horse. Then said he, or Slim, was coming in two days?"
"Mr. Spaghetti was coming here," Tiara confirmed. "Dad never stated an arrival time when he called."
"Slim called? What did he say about the guy?"
"He didn't say anything," she explained. "Dad called the night I arrived, and told me to expect to see the brute. This other call came last night to announce Mr. Spaghetti was coming to get the horse."
Brute? Ah, Majestic, Jayce thought, trying to piece the information together without revealing how humorous, albeit frustrating, she found the situation. Apparently, from the way Tiara referred to the horse, she had little love for the animal, especially after their little "walk" together yesterday morning. If only Jay
ce had a camera. The picture would have been priceless, at least to Jayce.
"So Slim never told you when he was coming home?" Tiara shook her head. "The other guy's coming in two days to reclaim a horse he says Slim stole from him?" Tiara nodded. "Slim wouldn't steal, so this guy's lying," Jayce concluded.
"Ha." Tiara pursed her lips and rolled her eyes.
"What 'ha'?" Jayce couldn't believe that little outburst. Not from the sweet kid she remembered. Tiara wasn't a kid anymore. Maybe sweet had gone terribly sour.
"The guy gambled with Dad and got suckered," Tiara stated with bitterness.
This was too much. From the tone, Tiara sounded like she believed Slim capable of cheating. What was with the gambling remark? She knew little about her own father. Part of the guilt rested on the older man's shoulders, for maintaining the separation; but Tiara could have-- should have--more faith in her own dad, not convicting him without any actual evidence.
Jayce's exasperation flashed so quickly she acted without thinking. Leaping from her seat and around the table, she loomed over Tiara for half a second, grabbed her by the shoulders and tugged her from the chair.
"You spoiled brat," Jayce ground through clenched teeth. "Your father hasn't gambled since you and Angie left. Not that it was ever the issue Angie made it out to be, either. You'd have known that, if you cared enough to ask."
"He admitted as much in his call." Tears gathered in Tiara's eyes, her lips trembling when she replied, "I wasn't given a choice in leaving."
Jayce suddenly felt like a raving lunatic. She was holding Tiara off the floor with her feet dangling, and she'd caused further emotional pain by dredging up the past. Tiara was right. Angie hadn't given Tiara or Slim a choice in the matter. Softening her voice, Jayce replied, "You could have, should have, come back."
"Why?" Tiara asked.
The gold flecks in her eyes sparkled through her tears, the gray blending with the watery haze. How could Tiara not know the answer? Jayce swallowed hard. "You had people here who loved you, needed you, cared about what happened to you."
A Majestic Affair Page 4