Between the three of them, they managed to get all of the things from Elizabeth’s car in one trip. They put Andrew’s suitcase in his room, then dropped Elizabeth’s in the room next door. A bathroom joined the two rooms.
“Talbot’s room is down the hall on the left, and mine is on the right,” Richard explained to her. “You know if you need anything, all you have to do is ask.”
“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Elizabeth told him.
“Have you guys had lunch? I thought I’d take us into town to the café.” He looked from Elizabeth to Andrew.
She knew it was time to lay some ground rules. These days were about Richard and Andrew, not about the three of them spending time together. She didn’t want to confuse Andrew in any way, didn’t want him to start to think that maybe this was the beginning of the three of them being a family again.
She loved Richard, but not in the way a wife loves a husband. She could never be married to him again. “Why don’t you and Andrew go? Is Rose still here?” When Richard nodded, she continued. “I’d love to have some time just to sit and visit with her.”
“Okay,” Richard agreed easily. “Ready, partner?”
“Ready,” Andrew replied, and the two of them hurried down the hallway with barely a backward look.
Elizabeth sighed in relief. Richard’s easy acceptance lay to rest her concerns about his motives for inviting her here. It was really only to make Andrew more comfortable.
The room Richard had put her in was attractive, done in soft pastel colors that instantly soothed her. She walked over to the window and pulled aside the peach-colored gossamer curtains to peer out.
From her vantage point, she had a perfect view of the nearby stable and the corral area. Several horses were in the pasture, their tails flicking as they dipped their heads to the lush grass.
A soothing room and soothing scenery. So why did she feel as if all the nerves in her body were stretched taut. Why was her stomach so twisted in knots? She refused to consider what the answer might be.
She left the room and headed for the kitchen. The minute she stepped into the large, cheerful room, she found herself in Rose’s warm embrace.
“Oh, mercy, it’s been too long!” Rose declared. “Let me look at you.” She held Elizabeth at arm’s length, her brown eyes warm and welcoming. “Ah, just as lovely as ever.”
“I’ve missed you, too.” Elizabeth gave the old woman one last hug.
“Sit down,” Rose commanded. “I was just about to fix me a meat-loaf sandwich for lunch. Will you join me?”
“I’d love to.” Elizabeth slid into a chair at the table and watched as Rose prepared the two sandwiches. She and Rose had gotten close during the first year of Elizabeth’s marriage.
At seventeen, Elizabeth had known little about cooking and caring for a household. She’d often called Rose for the recipes of Richard’s favorite foods and tips on keeping house. And in those phone calls, the two women had developed a friendship.
But, as often happened with divorces and changes, when Elizabeth had moved to Kansas City, the two had lost touch.
“I was going to make a sandwich for Talbot, but he left to go into Topeka just before you got here,” Rose explained as she set plates on the table. “I guess work piled up while you two were lost in the woods.” She shook her head ruefully. “You were mighty lucky to escape with your lives.”
“Don’t remind me,” Elizabeth replied with a wry grin. “I’ve never been so scared in my life as the moment when Talbot said we were going down.”
As the two ate lunch, they chatted about everything from new stores in town to the people Elizabeth had known when she’d lived here.
They spoke of Andrew, whom Rose adored. “He’s got his father’s looks and energy, and thankfully your good sense to temper it,” she said.
The stress Elizabeth had momentarily felt upon arriving melted away beneath the warmth of Rose’s smile and the easy conversation between them.
This won’t be so bad, she thought. She’d been worried about having to spend too much time around Talbot, but odds were good that they would rarely see each other in the weeks ahead. He had his work, and she had brought a handful of books to read.
Besides, she was an adult, and she’d spent ten years of her life fighting the attraction she felt for him. She could continue to fight the attraction for another couple of weeks.
Once Richard’s surgery was behind him and he was on the mend, they would return with their usual visitations, and Elizabeth would have no reason to interact with Talbot. As long as she didn’t think about that kiss, she’d be fine.
When they’d finished lunch, Elizabeth went back upstairs. She didn’t want to wander the house, not knowing when Richard and Andrew would return, but more importantly not knowing when Talbot would return.
In Andrew’s room, she unpacked his suitcase, putting away clothes in the closet and drawers, then setting out the items he’d thrown into the suitcase, items he claimed he couldn’t live without.
A baseball cap and a ball, a handheld video game, a sketch pad and his colored pencils, and a woolly bear he insisted he didn’t have to sleep with, but always did. She lined up the items across the top of the dresser, then stepped back and looked at them.
Her son. He was a terrific kid. Easygoing, he rarely pouted or threw fits. Andrew was the one thing Elizabeth and Richard had got right. And although he had easily adjusted to the divorce, adapted to the sporadic visitations with his father, Elizabeth knew the loss of Richard in his life would devastate him.
When she finished unpacking Andrew’s things, she went back into her bedroom and started on hers. Noticing a clock radio, she turned it on and found an easy-listening station, then got busy with the music playing softly.
She had brought mostly casual clothing, which she folded neatly and placed in drawers. The two dresses she’d brought, she hung in the closet. Like Andrew, she had packed several things that had nothing to do with clothing.
She’d brought paperback books by favorite authors, several textbooks so she could study for the classes she intended to take next summer. She piled these on the nightstand and moved her hips to the beat of the rhythmic music.
“Elizabeth.”
She gasped and whirled around to see Talbot standing in the doorway. “Talbot!” A blush warmed her cheeks. “How long have you been there?”
“Long enough to know you obviously don’t need hip-replacement surgery.” One corner of his mouth curved into a smile. Her blush intensified. “I’m glad you and Andrew got here okay.”
She nodded. “We arrived about an hour ago.” Why was it that the air in a room always seemed to get displaced the moment he appeared?
Had he always been as handsome as he appeared at the moment? Clad in a worn pair of jeans and wearing a black ribbed shirt and a pair of loafers without socks, he looked casual yet elegant and utterly masculine.
“It appears you’ve fully recovered from our adventure,” he said, and his gaze momentarily flickered down the length of her. Heat suffused her in response to his gaze.
“I’m fine. What about you? How’s your knee?” Go away, she wanted to scream. Go away. Don’t look at me like that. Don’t talk to me. Please, make these days here easier on me by staying away from me.
“Still a bit sore, but all right,” he replied. “Are you finding everything you need?”
“Everything is fine. We’ll be just fine.” Her voice sounded higher-pitched than usual.
He stepped closer to her and she realized he held a small paper bag in his hand. “I’ve made arrangements for a tutor to begin working with Andrew first thing tomorrow morning. He’ll work with him from eight to eleven every day while you’re here.”
“Thank you.” Her mouth was uncomfortably dry, and she just wanted him gone.
“I better get back to work,” he said. “Oh, this is for you, to make your stay here more comfortable.” He handed her the small paper bag, then turned on his heel. “I’ll s
ee you at supper.” He disappeared from sight and she heard his footsteps carrying him down the hallway.
She drew a deep breath and slowly released it, then sat on the edge of the bed. She’d hoped she would have no reaction to seeing him again. She’d hoped the odd yearnings that had affected her during the course of their three days together had been an anomaly that had nothing to do with reality.
But now she had to face the fact that something drew her to Talbot—the same something that had been at work during the course of her marriage to Richard. Although for the course of her marriage she had remained one hundred percent committed to her husband, she had always been aware of a tension, a chemistry, a desire, at work between her and his brother.
She’d handled it during her married years by rarely placing herself in a position where she had to be around Talbot. And in all those years she had never ever put herself in a position of being alone with him.
Until the plane crash. Until they’d talked for long periods of time, shared tiny pieces of themselves. Until all those crazy feelings had returned with a vengeance.
This is about Richard, she reminded herself firmly. Richard wanted his family around for support and love. He certainly didn’t need his ex-wife lusting after his brother. She was certain that would only add additional tension, additional stress on a man who faced a huge challenge.
Besides, it wasn’t as if she loved Talbot. Deciding that whatever it was she felt for him was just some sort of craziness that would pass, she reached into the bag he’d handed her.
Her fingers closed around the object. She pulled it free and stared at it.
A night-light.
It was shaped like a pretty flower with a hummingbird drinking from the center. Talbot had bought her a night-light.
Her heart contracted in a way that nearly evoked tears of wonder as she continued to stare at the unexpected, thoughtful gift.
He would have had no way of knowing she always packed a night-light with her, that she would never risk leaving home to stay in a strange place where the night might be too dark.
He had remembered her fear and gone out and bought her a night-light.
As she plugged the light into a socket near the bed, she wondered if in agreeing to come here, she hadn’t made the biggest mistake of her life.
Chapter Six
“Mom, get up!”
Andrew bounced on her bed with the enthusiasm of a natural early riser. Elizabeth groaned and tried to burrow deeper beneath the blankets. “I’ve been up for an hour, and Rose let me help her make biscuits. She said to tell you breakfast will be ready in about twenty minutes.”
Elizabeth rolled over on her back and squinted open an eye to look at her son. He was already dressed, and besides his blue jeans and red sweatshirt, he wore a bright, eager smile that gladdened her heart.
“Do I really have to get up?”
“Yes!” He grabbed her by the hand and tried to pull her from the bed.
She laughingly gave in. “Okay, okay, I’m getting up!”
Andrew jumped off her bed and headed for the door. “Now I’m going to go wake up Dad,” he announced, and hurried away.
Elizabeth grinned, knowing there was only one person in the world who hated getting up early more than she—and that was Richard.
She remained in bed for another few moments, then got up and padded into the bathroom. She covered a yawn with the back of one hand as she turned on the water for a shower.
She felt as if she could sleep another ten hours and knew it was because she had slept so restlessly the previous night. She quickly stepped into the shower and tilted her head up to meet the warm spray.
Talbot had not joined them for supper last night. It had been just the three of them. After dinner, Richard and Andrew had gone for a walk, and Elizabeth had returned to her room, not wanting to accidentally bump into the man who spent far too much time in her thoughts.
When she’d finally gone to bed, the night-light he’d bought for her had cast a reassuring glow not only in the room, but in her heart.
As she dried herself, she steeled herself for whatever the day ahead might hold. If she tried to spend every minute of every day in the bedroom, by the end of her visit she would be completely insane. She had to get out a little, even if it meant running into Talbot.
Moments later, dressed for the day in a pair of jeans and a navy sweatshirt, she headed downstairs for the kitchen. Before she reached the bottom of the staircase, she heard the sound of male laughter coming from the kitchen.
It was easy to identify the high-pitched giggles of her son, the uninhibited laughter of Richard and the low-pitched rumble from Talbot.
“Ah, there she is,” Richard said as she entered the kitchen. “Sit down.” He pointed to the chair between him and Talbot. “It’s all on the table.”
“I’m sorry if I kept you waiting,” she said as she slid into her chair. Beneath the smells of fried bacon and buttery, baked biscuits, she could detect the familiar fragrance of Talbot’s aftershave.
“Did you sleep well?” Talbot asked.
“Yes,” she replied, although it wasn’t true. “Thanks,” she added softly, knowing he would know what she was thanking him for.
He nodded and averted his gaze.
“We were just having a discussion on who can make the best pizza,” Richard said. “I say it’s me.”
Andrew rolled his eyes and grinned at his mother. “I told Dad I could probably make a better pizza than him. The last time he tried to make me pizza, he burned the crust black. Besides, he makes his from a box.”
“That’s because we started playing catch in the yard, and I forgot all about it baking,” Richard protested. “And what’s wrong with a box?”
“You all know I’m the master pizza maker around here,” Talbot said, joining in the fun. “Several pizzerias in different cities around the world are always trying to buy my old family recipe.” His dark eyes glittered with humor and his lips curved into a smile.
That smile. That killer smile that was so rarely used, and yet, whenever she saw it, her heartbeat became just a little faster than normal. She suddenly felt as if the air was too thin to breathe and quickly busied herself by buttering one of the flaky, golden biscuits.
“Really?” Andrew asked dubiously.
“Andrew, your Uncle Talbot is full of baloney,” Richard said with a laugh. “Besides, if his recipe was an old family recipe, I’d have it, too.”
“I have never been full of baloney,” Talbot protested. “I don’t even like baloney.”
Andrew giggled with delight at the good-natured banter.
“It sounds to me like there’s only one way to settle the matter,” Elizabeth said, finding their high spirits contagious, despite her unease.
“And what’s that?” Richard asked.
“A pizza bake-off. Right here in this kitchen tonight.” The three males stared at her, then slowly they all began to smile.
“I’m in,” Richard said.
“Me, too,” Andrew said.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Talbot said with a lazy grin. “And Elizabeth will be the judge.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I must warn you all. I’m a tough pizza critic.”
“The tougher, the better,” Richard said enthusiastically.
“But if we win, what do we win?” Andrew asked. “There has to be a prize or something if it’s going to be a real contest.”
“I’ll pick up something in town,” Elizabeth offered. “I’ll get something really special. And I’ll be happy to do any grocery shopping that needs to be done for the big event. Just make me a list, each of you, of what you need to create a masterpiece pizza. I can make the trip into town this morning while Andrew is with his tutor.”
Andrew made a face, indicating what he thought of the tutoring deal. “I think it would be more educational to go to town with you.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Nice try, kid.”
“I’ll take the ride
with you,” Richard said. “If you don’t mind, there’re a few things I need to take care of.”
“That’s fine,” she agreed hurriedly, grateful it wasn’t Talbot who had offered to go with her.
Throughout breakfast, she was far too conscious of Talbot. She tried not to notice how he seemed to possess not only the chair he sat on, but also the immediate space surrounding it.
Even in the mere act of eating, he appeared powerful and in control. Sexy. Twice their legs brushed under the table, and each time Elizabeth jerked away as if she’d encountered fire.
Fortunately Richard and Andrew provided entertainment and conversation, and the details of the pizza contest were hashed out, making the meal pass swiftly.
Immediately upon finishing his meal, Talbot excused himself and left the kitchen, and Elizabeth found herself relaxing.
When the rest of them were finished eating, Rose appeared to clear the table and shooed away any offers from Elizabeth to help.
Elizabeth was on her way back to her bedroom when Talbot appeared at the bottom of the stairs. “The tutor is here. I thought you might want to meet him.”
She nodded and followed him into his office. As she walked behind him, she couldn’t help but notice how his shoulders filled out and stretched the material of his T-shirt. His jeans fit him as if they’d been made exclusively for him, molding to his slim hips and well-shaped buttocks.
Lordy, she was having problems thinking of him as a man she’d never really liked, a man who had intimidated her and been cool and distant with her throughout her marriage to Richard.
All she seemed to be able to think about was those strong arms holding her through the dark, scary night, of his lips lightly pressed against hers in a kiss she’d wanted to go on…and on.
In the office a pleasant-looking, sandy-haired young man sat in a chair before the large desk. He stood as they entered the room.
“Elizabeth, this is Todd Green. He comes highly recommended and with impeccable references,” Talbot said.
“Hi, Todd.” She held out her hand, and the young man gripped it firmly. She wasn’t sure whose hands were sweaty, Todd’s or hers.
Lost in His Arms Page 7