She crumpled onto the dock and sobbed until her throat was sore.
***
Rick threw his suitcase in the back of the SUV and slammed the door shut. How could he have misjudged a person so much? How had he so misconstrued what he and Harmony meant to each other? But he’d seen it. In her eyes when they’d filled with tears and in her body when she’d relaxed against him for that brief moment. But she wanted him out of her life? Fine! He’d go home and she could have the gators to keep her company.
When he’d left her camp he’d called the airlines. They’d had an open first-class seat on a flight to Boston tonight, so why the hell not? There was nothing here for him. She’d told him so.
She hadn’t even come to see the snack bar. Not once. He’d changed more than the tile and the paint, but she didn’t care. He’d taken what she’d taught him about nature to make changes that would be sound financially and environmentally. It didn’t matter to her. Nothing he did mattered. He might as well go back to Boston. At least he had no illusions there. He knew nothing he did there mattered, either.
He took a long minute and looked up at the starry sky. It really was beautiful here, this place built with a mind to nature as well as money. Weird. But beautiful.
He drove to the Welcome Center and dropped the house key in the box where Tammy had told him to and drove out of the community. As he headed toward the airport he glanced in the rearview mirror. There was nothing there. His stomach clenched. He knew it was because of those special street lights, the ones that didn’t throw any light upward. But to him it was more than that. It was as if Cypress Corners and everything that happened there had been just a dream, gone as quickly as he’d found it.
That was what he’d wanted from the start, right? A diversion? No strings? He should be happy he got out of there before making a fool of himself for a woman he thought cared for him. He was happy. He slashed a thumb over his cheek and wiped it on his jeans. Damn it, he was happy.
By the time he arrived at his apartment, his head pounded. The meal on the plane had been less than filling. The three drinks he’d had hadn’t helped. He dropped his bags on the marble-tiled foyer and walked through to the kitchen. Another beer, maybe. Hair of the dog and all that.
The message light on the phone blinked. A voicemail. It wouldn’t be from her. She didn’t have this number. No, it must be from Bill. While Rick was in the air his BlackBerry was turned off. His father must have called here as a last resort when he couldn’t reach him at Cypress Corners or in the sky.
This was what he wanted, right? Might as well jump right in.
“Hit the ground running, Rick,” he told himself.
He punched the button and waited for his father’s first edict.
“Chapman,” his father’s voice boomed. “Tammy at Cypress told me you left. Come to the house for dinner Sunday. I want to talk over some new acquisitions.”
He cursed softly. He heard Tiffany’s voice in the back, breathy and false as she added her own demands.
“Tiffany said to come at two. She said Jake might stop by.”
With a click his “family” cut off. Maybe Jake would be there. Rick hadn’t seen his brother in months. But Jake didn’t like Tiffany any more than Rick did, and Bill could barely stand the second son who didn’t do more than try half-assed to work for the company.
“Maybe Jake has it right,” he muttered.
He skipped the beer and stepped into the shower, letting the four steaming jets pound away his headache and his thoughts. With a fluffy towel from the heated towel bar wrapped around his waist, he padded into the bedroom and hit a button on the wall to turn on the state-of-the-art sound system. He collapsed on the satin comforter on his king-sized bed and stared up at the coffered ceiling.
This place was richly-appointed, a fact he paid plenty for every month. But when he closed his eyes he didn’t picture the deep carpet, the magnificent view of the harbor or the gourmet kitchen he didn’t use. No. He pictured a cozy one-room furnished with an old bed covered with a worn and unbelievably soft quilt. Nothing fancy, just warm and snug and occupied by the one person who could make any place feel like home. The only person since his mother who could ever make him feel like he belonged.
“Harmony.”
He threw an arm over his eyes and fisted his hand. Sleep, Rick. Forget.
***
“We missed you Sunday.”
Rick looked up from his desk and watched as Bill strode into the room. “Tiffany was upset.”
He bit back the comment he wanted to make. “I was busy. I’m playing catch-up here.”
His father adjusted the creases on his slacks and nodded at the simple explanation. Why wouldn’t he agree? Wasn’t work the most important thing? Why mess it up with family dinners.
“Jake couldn’t make it, either,” Bill said.
He opened his mouth to ask why but shook his head. Two sentences was about all Bill would spend on family discussions. Better to get on with business.
“I’ve been looking over the Aspen property,” Rick said. “It’s very promising.”
Bill settled in the big leather chair facing Rick’s desk. “Good. There’s an investors’ meeting Thursday morning. I want to have a few things to tempt them.”
He nodded. Bill sat there at stared at him.
“What?” Rick asked him.
His father shrugged and stood. “Nothing. You look a little tired.”
He waved a hand. “Like I said, Dad. I’ve been busy.”
“Let me know what you have ready for Thursday’s meeting.”
With that Bill left the room. The exchange with his father was odd, but Rick wouldn’t read it as fatherly concern. Not that he’d recognize it coming from Bill, even if it bit him in the ass.
He returned his attention to the papers on his desk. Acquisitions. Deals. Investments. Returns. This was what he’d trained for. Where he excelled. For once he’d take a page from his father’s book and clear his mind of everything else.
By two o’clock the headache was back, beating dully behind his eyes. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he closed his eyes and pressed the intercom button on his phone.
“Yes, Mr. Chapman?” his new executive assistant said. She was young and shapely and no doubt hand-picked by Bill.
“Bring me a coffee and a couple of Advil, please,” he said.
“Yes, sir.”
The girl clicked off and he turned his chair toward the view his new office provided, taking in the tall buildings and the crowded street thirty stories below. His headache pounded harder. Only looking up at the clouds he could see between two buildings brought him a bit of relief. Strange. He heard the door open behind him.
“Just leave it on the desk,” he said. “And thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” his brother said.
He spun his chair around and faced Jake. Younger than Rick by three years, Jake seemed even younger. Tanned and grinning, he looked like he just stepped off the cover of an adventure magazine. He wore an open flannel shirt over a thermal undershirt and rumpled khakis. Rick saw he still wore his black hair long to his shoulders and it was tied back in a ponytail. A gold hoop dangled from one ear. God, he was a sight for sore eyes.
“Jake.”
“Hey, bro,” Jake said.
He stood and crossed to him, wrapping him in a bear hug. “It’s been a long time.”
Jake hugged him back. “Yeah. Too long.” He pounded Rick’s back and they parted. “I thought I’d see what Bill’s got you doing now.”
He ignored the barb and sat back down. “I see you’re still alive. In spite of yourself.”
Jake slumped in the chair their father had just vacated and grinned. “Belize was a challenge, but I’m still alive and kickin’.” He lost his smile. “Which is more than I can say for you.”
He waved a hand. “I’m just trying to acclimate myself to the new position, Jake.”
Jake blew out a breath. “Yeah. Executive Officer of
big money, and ruler of all finances in the free world. You wanna tell me what happened in Florida?”
He winced and took the two Advil with a gulp of coffee. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah,” Jake said again. “I got an earful from dear Stepmom, along with a couple of gropes. She said something about some tree-hugger?”
He kept his face immobile, saying nothing.
“Come on, bro,” Jake said softly. “Spill.”
He looked into his brother’s eyes. Dark like their mother’s, they were clear and sharp and concerned. What the hell?
He spilled.
Chapter 18
Jake let out a whistle and ran his fingers through his hair, freeing a few strands from his ponytail. “So what are you going to do?”
Rick’s throat was tight, but he was just thirsty, right? He drained the rest of his now-cold coffee. “Nothing. I’m going to do nothing. She told me to leave and I did.”
“Just like that?”
He looked at his brother. Jake lounged in the chair. He appeared relaxed but his eyes showed his full attention from beneath lowered lids. Damn.
“Look, Jake.” He spread his hands in front of him. “Harmony made her choice. It wasn’t me.”
“What did you choose? Tell me that one.”
He stood and paced behind his desk. “I chose Chapman, damn it. It’s what I’ve wanted forever. Since Mom died.” He met Jake’s gaze. “This is what I chose.”
“Man.” Jake shook his head. “You sound just like Bill.”
He fisted his hands. “Don’t give me that bullshit! You’re not the one working his ass off for this company, here every friggin’ day no matter what.”
“Hey, I’m only telling you what I see. You give yourself to this place and you lose, bro.”
“This is my career, damn it! I don’t know anything else. I vowed to win and this is my reward.”
“You’re losing it, Rick. Stay here and you’ll turn into our father.”
“That’s not fair,” he growled. “You play at Chapman. You scale mountains and jump off bridges and when you’re bored you come back here to make a little money. I can’t do that.”
“Why not? You don’t owe Bill anything.”
He felt his anger leave in a rush as he covered his face with his hands. “I don’t do this for Bill.”
The silence stretched for several minutes. He heard Jake shift in the chair and lifted his head to find his brother leaning toward him. Jake’s eyes looked wet.
“She’s gone, Rick,” Jake said softly. “She’s been gone a long time.”
He knew this in his head. But in his heart? It was like she just died.
“It’s not just my promise. This is what I’m made for. This is what I want.”
“Then why do you look like shit?”
He smirked at him. “Thanks.”
“Now tell me what you really want,” Jake said.
What did he want? He wanted passion and comfort. Strength and sweetness. He wanted to feel like he did when he was with…
“God, Jake.” He swallowed hard. “I want her. I want Harmony.”
“Then go for it.”
He rubbed his brow and winced again. “It’s not that easy.”
Jake stood and walked around the desk. “Seems easy to me.” He put his hand on Rick’s shoulder. “And it seems like you should fly back down there and make her see that, too.”
“No.” He sat back in his chair. “She told me to leave and I left. End of story.”
Jake shook his head but didn’t press him again. He didn’t know if he was grateful for that or a little pissed off.
“I talked to Cassie last week,” Jake said.
Cassie. Their wild little sister who was off in Europe.
“Man,” Rick said. “Do I want to know what she’s up to?”
“She got kicked out of another school.”
He snorted. “Big surprise. I doubt she’s ever going to graduate.”
“She runs around with those Euro-trash friends of hers. They don’t care if they finish their degrees or not.”
“I wish she’d just finish and come home.” He fiddled with the pens on his desk. “I haven’t been able to reach her for months.”
Jake chuckled. “I think the kid turns off her phone. Wouldn’t you?” He walked toward the door. “Let’s get together for dinner.”
He thought of his schedule for the coming week. What the hell? “Thursday night?”
Jake nodded. “Don’t work too hard,” he said as he left.
He laughed at Jake’s parting shot. He thought about his siblings then, each screwed up in their own way because of Bill. He wasn’t kidding with Jake. He didn’t want to know what trouble Cassie was getting into. Maybe Bill’s attention would come in time to help one of them. Before Jake killed himself or Cassie got into a mess Bill’s money couldn’t buy her out of.
He thought about all Bill had finally bestowed on him at Chapman. He had his father’s attention now. Finally.
It would have to be enough.
***
Harmony woke up, her head pounding. She turned and nearly threw up over the side of the bed.
“Shouldn’t have eaten at The Clubhouse last night,” she grumbled. “Darn rich food.”
She sat on the edge of the bed and braced herself with her arms while the room settled. Rubbing her temples, she took slow even breaths. True, she hadn’t been sleeping well since Rick left two weeks ago. It seemed she saw him around every stinkin’ corner of the property. Dr. Robbins only asked about him once, thank goodness. She hated lying, especially to him. But it was better if everyone thought she and Rick hadn’t been lovers while he was here. Because if they knew he’d used her, taken advantage just to further Chapman’s concerns, what did that make her?
It was bad enough Lettie knew. But as eccentric as she seemed, Harmony knew she could count on the woman to keep her secrets. Yes, she knew they’d slept together. What she didn’t know was how hard Harmony had fallen for him.
She washed her face and felt better right away. That was weird. As she brushed her hair, she focused her mind on the meeting with the developers at the end of the week. Since Rick left, she’d found that they welcomed her input. So she accompanied Dr. Robbins to the meetings and also discovered that she liked presenting her own work to a table surrounded by people with more money than she’d ever see. But they treated her well. They respected her. Darn it, it felt good.
Another day at the Institute, another day to avoid Rick’s phone calls. Becky didn’t even page her any more. She just took a message and left a little pink note on Harmony’s desk in the lab. It was a nice stack of pink notes by now, but she couldn’t bear to throw them away. So there they still sat, pink, perky and expectant.
She finished getting dressed and rode into the village. Several people she recognized called out greetings to her as she wove her way through the Village Center toward the Institute, and she waved back. Residents and people who worked at the Welcome Center called her name as she rode past. Strange, but it felt good. Maybe she should think about moving into the village. Lettie had been pressing her to do just that for weeks now. Construction on the recreation center would start in a few months. Why put off the inevitable?
Just a couple of months ago the thought would’ve seemed ridiculous. Frightening. Maybe she’d go into the Welcome Center and see what they had available. She snorted. Maybe Rick’s house was still vacant. No way. She couldn’t bear to be in the place he’d so recently occupied. It was bad enough she saw him around every corner.
Her scooter wobbled beneath her and she touched her left foot down to steady herself as she turned a corner. No. She couldn’t drive past that house without thinking of what they’d done inside. What she’d done. She’d been wild and free and had taken full advantage of the willing man beneath her. Rick had been in as big a hurry, his body ready for her in an instant. Her body flushed with the memory. Why, they hadn’t even had time to
put on a condom.
The truth hit her right in the belly. She skidded to a stop and covered her mouth with her hand.
“Oh, God.”
She counted in her head and knew. In a flash she just knew. She was pregnant! In her mind she saw a flash of something, a smiling baby with thick dark hair and bright eyes. Rick’s son or daughter. Oh, God.
She got off her scooter and walked it the block or so to the Institute. She didn’t trust herself to ride there safely, the way her hands were shaking. Heck, her whole body was shaking.
“Hey, Harmony!” Becky called.
She turned and waved to the girl sitting on a bench beneath a large crepe myrtle tree. She parked the scooter and took off her helmet. Her cheeks burned. That was silly. No one knew about Rick or the baby. If there was a baby. She wasn’t going to wait to find out.
She walked over to Becky on shaky legs. The girl was drinking a yogurt smoothie and just the thought of drinking the thick rich shake, sweet and creamy and a little sour, made her stomach twist again.
“Hi, Becky.” She took a breath as the nausea passed, leaving her heart racing. “When you go back in could you tell Dr. Robbins I’m here but I’ll be a little late?”
“Sure.”
Becky’s brow furrowed and she put down the smoothie. Harmony watched the shake ease its way back down the straw and gulped.
“Harmony?”
She looked at Becky again and shook her head. “What?”
“Are you all right?” Becky smiled a little. “Sorry, but you looked a little pale there for a minute.”
She swallowed as she tried to slow her racing pulse. “I’m fine.” She gave the girl what she hoped was a smile. “Really, Becky. I’m fine.”
Becky opened her mouth but Harmony didn’t give her a chance to ask her anything else. She waved and turned away, heading for the storefronts across the street. If her suspicions were right, in a couple of months no one would have any question about it.
She hurried toward the shop on the corner, an old-fashioned drugstore and soda fountain that carried everything from penny candy to the newest pregnancy tests. She hurried past the glass and chrome canisters filled with red-hots and other treats, the sweet smell almost sickening her again. She sure wasn’t shopping for taffy. Huh-uh. The sooner she knew, the better. She turned down an aisle of the store to a section she’d never visited before.
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