Of course.
I know you think Im a terrible person for allowing last night to happen. She stopped him when he would have spoken. Please, let me say this. The truth is, I couldnt-cant-afford this place. I inherited it, with no cash to fix it up. And despite appearances She lifted her arms out, indicating her own expensive attire. I have no income, at least not for the foreseeable future.
This doesnt bode well for me getting paid, he said lightly.
Youll get paid. I think Ive figured out how to get some quick cash, so lets go ahead and trim back those other trees you were worried about as well, and Ill have your money by the end of next week. I hope thats okay, because-
Its okay. He managed a smile even though he was still flummoxed over the realization he intended to see Suzanne again, and soon.
Are you sure? Taylor asked.
Hell, half his clients didnt pay him until he threatened legal action. The end of the week would be just fine. Dont worry, well make you safe. In any case, the worst is certainly over.
Taylor studied the building so desperately in need of renovation. Her worried frown didnt fade. Lets hope so.
5
SUZANNE DROVE HOME from the Café Meridian on autopilot, numb from shock. She was unemployed. How could that be? Lately, her life seemed to be a really bad comedy-only she wasnt laughing.
Some of that numbness wore off as she parked in front of the building shed promised not to move out of yet had no means to pay for.
Work removing the tree was underway, leaving the front yard of the building little more than a mountain of fallen branches and wood rounds. Men moved around, intense and concentrating. Not surprisingly, Suzannes eyes honed right in on one in particular. Ryan.
Even from a distance, he had an authoritative quality to him as he worked, talked, coaxed, gestured. There was just something in his movements that set him apart, made her stomach quiver with recognition-and more.
Still walking, still gesturing, he turned, vibrant and charismatic, and lost in the passion of his work.
Ryan.
He wore denim and cotton, same as everyone else, but he didnt look like anyone else. His chest was broad, his arms well toned, his belly flat and corded. Muscles, muscles everywhere, she thought, a little dazed. And every one of those muscles was in defined relief as he moved in and around the fallen tree, calling out orders, picking up a saw, bending over a large branch himself.
The oak tree had been pulled off the building and lay across the front of the yard, looking almost harmless as the crew of men worked on it with chainsaws.
Harmless, ha! Given the gaping hole left in the wall-her wall-the loft apartment would be out of commission for a good while. Suzanne felt bad for Taylor, but it was hard to concentrate on that with her own life in the toilet.
And now that she was no longer numb-thank you lust hormones, and thank you Ryan, not-she vibrated with anger over what had just happened to her at work. Fingers shaking, she tore her gaze off Ryans body and went through her purse for her cell phone. She found a pen out of ink, her plain Chap Stick and a half-burned vanilla votive candle, but no cell phone. Dumping out the contents of her purse, she pushed aside her unpaid Visa bill and a letter from ex-fiancé number two, begging her to try again, and finally located the phone. She could only hope she had an operating battery.
She did, but there was no reception. Great, because heaven forbid anything go her way today. She got out of her car, not forgetting to grab the bag with the gallon of ice cream shed helped herself to from the café.
But still no reception.
Eye on the digital readout, she kept moving. Every few feet she paused, waiting, her rarely indulged redheaded temper gaining speed the longer the phone refused to work.
She backed up, moved to the side, even stomped her foot, and finally her phone obediently beeped its working status. Punching in the number for her exs office, she sat on a round of wood and opened the bag with the ice cream. Shed thought ahead to grab a spoon as well, and had just taken her first mouth-watering bite of decadent double-fudge chocolate ice cream when Tim came on the line.
Suzanne. His voice was kind. His voice was always kind, which now that she thought about it, annoyed the hell out of her. Did he have any other feelings like anger or frustration?
What can I do for you? he asked.
What could he do for her? Die a horrible, painful death, for starters. Tim, I thought you were okay with our break-up.
WellI still miss you, you know that. Ill always miss you.
A load of dog poop, as she knew damn well from his sister that he had moved on from boinking the cleaning lady to boinking his secretary. If thats true, why did you-
Suzanne? Hello? You still there?
Yes! Im here. Tim, you-
Youre breaking up. Hello? Hello?
Damn it, she could hear him loud and clear. She was going to break him up. Instead, she tucked the ice cream container under her arm, stood and backed through the yard a little further. There. The reception is fine, she said through her teeth. So please, tell me why youve decided to wreck my entire life.
A little melodramatic, dont you think?
What? In the Carter fashion, she laughed in the face of emotion. Better they see you laugh than cry. Melodramatic? No, Im not being melodramatic. But I can give you melodramatic if youd like. She stopped to shove a huge bite of slightly melted ice cream into her mouth. She almost groaned with pleasure at the rich flavor, but dragged her mind back to the task at hand. Why did you get me fired?
Oh, that. It was too painful for me to know you were working at my sisters restaurant. I could never go there without being reminded of the emotional distance, the break-upso I found someone else better suited for it, thats all.
What? You found a better chef than me? Who?
Someone who will love me the way I deserve.
She winced. Tim, what does that have to do with cooking?
Its my new girlfriend. Shes thrilled, so thrilled she promised me all sorts of favors.
You- Argh! Forget calm. Calm was gone. Her redheaded temper overpowered all typical Carter family behavior. You got me fired so you could get an assortment of sexual favors?
No, I got you fired so I could get an assortment of sexual favors youd never perform for me. I never realized how much we didnt connect sexually, he said thoughtfully. Maybe you need a therapist, Suzanne.
She tipped her head back, studied the bright blue sky and counted to ten. I do not need a sexual therapist.
Suzanne, seriously. Im worried about you. You really should get help. He sounded sincerely concerned, which was totally at odds with his selfish manipulating that cost her a job. Boy, shed really done a number on him. This post-Suzanne Tim was nothing like the sensitive, weeping Tim shed first known.
Ive got to go, Suzanne.
Tim-
She heard nothing but static. Fake static.
Dont you hang up on me- Damn it! Yanking the phone from her ear, she glared at it. Im going to kill him, she decided and stuck another huge spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.
But then youd have to go directly to jail without passing Go.
Whirling around, she facedoh, good Lord. Ryan. Ryan, now shirtless, and damp from what had undoubtedly been hours of hard, physical work. A fine sheen of sweat covered his chest and the light dusting of dark hair that ran from pec to glorious pec. She could feel the heat of him and suddenly could barely breathe.
Yeah, right, she needed a sexual therapist! What she needed, apparently, was a cold shower. Slowly she reached up and took the spoon out of her mouth.
No man is worth jail, he said in the same voice hed used on her last night, the one that made her shiver and quake from the inside out. Even a scum likeTim, did you say?
Great, hed heard it all, the entire, humiliating listing of the recent events of her pathetic life. You were eavesdropping.
He didnt defend himself, just slowly crossed his arms over his chest and gave her that same crooked smile, accompanied with a raised brow that made her look around.
With growing horror, she realized that in her quest for phone reception, shed backed herself right in the middle of his work zone. She was surrounded by wood rounds, chain saws and a sea of sawdust.
On either side of Ryan were two younger workers. When they caught her staring, they smiled sheepishly and turned back to their work.
Not Ryan. He just stood there looking at her. She put the spoon into the container and looked right back. From the bottom of his work boots to the top of his dark hair now decorated with wood chips, he was even more amazing than shed remembered from last night, and she remembered him as pretty amazing.
Tim had been very good-looking, in a scholarly, professorly sort of way. Medium height, lean.
Not hard and sinewy tough, like Ryan, who looked as if hed spent years and years honing that body with hard physical labor. Shed never really gone out with anyone like Ryan.
And didnt intend to! She was through with men, done with destroying them. She really needed to remember that.
It felt odd to be standing here like this, exchanging their first words since hed had his arms around her the night before. When it had been dark. Raining.
Urgent.
Where shed probably, if hed kept on kissing her as he had, would have been willing to perform any sexual favor he wanted.
What would a sexual therapist say about that?
You okay? he asked quietly.
Me? Oh, sure. She managed a laugh and hoped she didnt have a chocolate mustache. Dandy.
You lost your job.
What? Taylor came out the front door of the building, reached for Suzannes hand. You lost your chef position at Café Meridian?
Her ex got her fired, Ryan offered helpfully, still watching her very carefully. Sounds like good riddance, wouldnt you say, Taylor?
Definitely. Taylor hugged Suzanne close, and while her free hand lifted and hugged back, she stared at Ryan over her shoulder. Not just because he was shirtless and magnificent, but because of the way he was looking at her.
And okay, partly because he was shirtless.
All right, mostly because he was shirtless.
But he wasnt smirking. Why wasnt he smirking?
He wasnt looking at her as if she was the biggest idiot on earth. Instead, his gaze was compassionate and seemingly sincere.