For Love of Charley (4 page)

“Who do you want to draw up the contract,
your lawyer or mine?”

“Oh.” Somehow, she managed to extract her
hand from his. “I guess yours can do it, and then I’ll have mine go over it.
After I read it, of course.”

“Of course.” If he intended to say anything
else, his words were cut off by a beeping noise coming from his pocket. “Excuse
me.” He pulled a cell phone out and flipped it open. “Cole Jordan.”

Charley leaned over the plans again, trying
to at least give him some semblance of privacy.

“She did? No, that’s fine, Robert. Here’s
the deal. I know there’s a lot of yard to take care of, but I’ll pay you ten
dollars an hour during the summer. When school starts back, you can put in a
few hours once or twice a week in the evenings, and all day Saturdays. How does
that sound?” He listened for a second and then laughed. “Sure. You can start
Monday, and bring your swimming trunks.” There was another pause. “Of course
you can use the pool. That’s what it’s for. Just give me fair warning if you
plan on deluging me with your buddies. See you Monday.” He shut the phone and
returned it to his pocket. “Sorry for the interruption, but I told Robert to
call me today. I didn’t want to disappoint him.”

“Robert?” Charley glanced up in curiosity.

“Robert Stockton. I met him in town
yesterday.”

“I know him. He’s a very nice boy. His
father owns the garage.” She hesitated. “You’ve already rented a house?”

“No, I bought one.” For the first time
today, he was the one who seemed uncomfortable. “I bought the Carstairs house.”

The blood drained from her face and the
room started to spin. “I see,” she said stiffly. “I’m sure you’re happy about
that. I know how much you liked the house. Excuse me. I think I need to visit
the ladies room.” She fled like the hounds of hell were on her heels, not
caring what he thought. Words from long ago chased through her memory. “Marry
me, Charley. Someday I’ll buy the house for you, I promise. We’ll spend our
life there, together.” God, she had been so happy, and so stupid.

She slammed through the bathroom door and
leaned her forehead against the mirror, trying to force the words away. At
least he’d kept part of that promise, she thought, a sob escaping from deep
inside. He’d bought the house. He just hadn’t bought if for her. He was going
to be living in it alone. How was she going to go back in there and face him,
knowing they would both be remembering? She had to, and she couldn’t let him
see how much it affected her.

Turning on the cold water, she splashed it
on her face, then dried and looked at her image in the mirror. She was way too
pale. Pinching her cheeks until they were red, she checked again. Better. Not
perfect, but better. At least she didn’t look like death on a platter now.
Taking a deep breath, she left the bathroom.

Cole was standing with his hands in his
pockets, his back to the door, studying some old flyers that were tacked to a
bulletin board on the wall. Something about his stance made her hesitate in the
door.

“Yoo-hoo! Anyone here?”

“Frannie!” Charley almost sagged with relief
at the sight of her cousin. She wouldn’t have to face him alone after all. Cole
had turned at Frannie’s voice and a flash of annoyance crossed his face, gone
so rapidly she wasn’t even sure she’d seen it.

Frannie came to a halt by her side. “I
stopped by your house. When you weren’t there, I figured you must be shredding
the books again, so I thought I’d drop by and give you some moral support.”
Frannie winked at her.

Charley grabbed her by the arm and dragged
her into the room. “Actually, we were just having a business meeting. Frannie,
this is Cole Jordan. He’s the man I sold half of the Red Dog to. Cole, this is
Frannie Hart, my cousin. She moved to Canyon Bend a few years ago from Texas.”

“I know you,” Frannie said. “You were here
last night.” Charley watched as Frannie gave him her best
‘you’ve-come-to-the-right-place’ smile.

“That’s right. If I remember correctly, you
informed me that not all women were panting to grab a husband.” Cole’s
expression was bland.

“Oops.” Frannie had the grace to blush.
“You really can’t blame me for that. I thought you were hitting on Charley.”

Charley felt Cole’s gaze run over her. When
she looked at him, he was studying her face.

“I suppose that’s understandable.” His
glance moved back to Frannie. “So tell me, Frannie. Can you type?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Know anything about computers?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Congratulations. You have just been
promoted to Charley’s executive assistant. With an appropriate increase in
salary, naturally.”

“I have?” She looked at Charley in
confusion. “I have?”

“Looks like it.” Charley glared at Cole.
“You do know this means I’m going to be short a waitress?”

Cole picked up a pad of paper and pencil
and handed them to Frannie. “Start writing. First thing on the agenda, put an
ad in the paper for a new waitress. Then, order lunch. We can eat while we
work. After lunch, I want you to go buy office furniture. Also, buy four
computers. Tell them you want everything here tomorrow.” He pulled his wallet
out and extracted a credit card. “Here, put everything on this. Oh, and while
you’re at it, get cell phones for both of you. I want to be able to reach you
at any time.”

Charley watched Frannie write furiously,
trying to keep up with the orders, and sighed. When had she lost control? Had
she ever had it? She took a quick look at Cole. He was watching her again, and
the intense look in his eyes made her go still. Suddenly, he smiled. Her heart
and stomach collided, landing in a pitiful heap somewhere near her toes. Oh,
God. She was in so much trouble.

“Well, that’s the last of them.”

Charley looked up as Cole parked the dolly
next to the storage room. “Good.” It had taken them most of the afternoon to
empty out and clean the three rooms that he wanted to turn into office space.
They had been long, agonizing hours for Charley, watching the ripple of Cole’s
muscles as he hoisted box after box and loaded them on the dolly.

She glanced at her watch. “I need to run.
I’ve got just enough time to shower and change before opening tonight.”

“Isn’t there someone else who can handle
it? You’ve been at it all day. Why don’t you take the night off?”

“Well, I suppose Frank could cover for me.
It
is
Thursday, so we won’t have that much business.” She chewed her
lip, thinking. Not only was she physically exhausted, she was mentally ready to
collapse. The lure of a long, hot soak in the tub was more than she could
stand. “Okay, I’ll call him as soon as I get home.”

Cole nodded. “I’m on my way out, too. I’ve
still got some things to take care of at home.”

Home, Charley thought. To the house that
should have been theirs. Feeling like she’d spent most of the day on the
emotional equivalent of a tilt-a-whirl, she followed him out, waiting while he
locked the door.

“Nice car.” She stared at the Jag. Why did
it seem so awkward to just get in the truck and leave?

“Thanks. I’ll let you drive it sometime.”

Her gaze snapped back to his. Was he
serious? She’d only been trying to make conversation.

“Don’t look so shocked. It’s only a car.”
He smiled slightly and opened the truck door for her. “See you tomorrow
evening.”

“Evening? I thought you were going to work
here tomorrow morning, getting the offices ready?”

“I am, but it won’t take long. Frannie will
be here, so there’s not much sense in you standing around all day and then working
all night, too.”

“You may be sorry you sent Frannie on this
particular errand. She has, well, let’s just say ‘odd taste’ in some things.
Her apartment looks like a refugee from a hippie commune lives there. To her,
an easy chair is one of those god-awful, lime-colored beanbag things, and she
has beads hanging in every doorway.”

Charley stuck the key in the ignition and
gave it a turn. The starter clicked, but the motor refused to respond.

“As long as she gets the basics, I can live
with the decor.” He was watching closely as she tried to start the truck.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She turned
the key again with the same results.

“Pop the hood.”

“That’s not necessary, really. It’ll start
in a minute.” She tried again, and then pulled the hood release in resignation.

Cole moved around to the front and vanished
from sight, but she could hear him tinkering with something on the engine. His
head reappeared. “Try it now.” The motor turned over on the first try, and he
shut the hood.

“What did you do?”

“You had a loose battery cable, but if you
plan on keeping this thing, you really need to have the points and plugs
changed and the timing set.”

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” She
backed up and headed out of the parking lot. In her rearview mirror, Cole’s image
watched the truck until she turned onto the highway.

* * * * *

Charley leaned back in the now cool water,
her head cushioned on the pile of hair she’d pinned up. Instead of relaxing,
she’d spent the whole time in the tub going over every word Cole had spoken and
every move he’d made. When she closed her eyes, he was there, his face
tormenting her, making her tenser. All she had managed to do was get
waterlogged.

She pulled the stopper out with her toes
then reached for a towel. After sliding into a pair of jeans and a baggy
sweatshirt, she padded into the kitchen. Nothing in the fridge looked
appealing, and she didn’t feel like going out again. Just when she’d decided to
open yet another can of soup, the back door flew open and Frannie danced in.

“Put that can opener down. I come bearing
gifts.” She held up a pizza box with one hand and waved two bottles of wine
with the other. “We are going to celebrate!”

Charley eyed the wine. “Celebrate what?”

“My promotion and salary increase, and the
fact that you are going to be one rich lady.”

“Somehow, I doubt I’ll ever be rich.” She
watched Frannie pour the rich red wine, and then sat down at the table, taking
the glass nearest her. “Did you go by the saloon?”

“Yep. As your new executive assistant, I
thought it was my duty,” she said loftily. “Besides, that’s where I got the
wine. Frank has everything under control. Dig in.” She scooted the pizza box
closer to Charley.

“It’s going to take two full bottles of
wine to celebrate?”

Cheese strung onto Frannie’s chin as she
took a bite. “You, dear cousin,” she mumbled around a mouthful, “need to
relax.”

“I’m not tense.”

Frannie guffawed. “If you were wound any
tighter, your panties would cut you in half. I’m here to see that you ease up,
even if I have to get you drunk to do it.”

“We can’t get drunk. We both have to work
tomorrow.” Charley sipped the wine and Frannie immediately refilled her glass
to brimming.

“They aren’t delivering the office
furniture until eleven, and Cole told me not to come in until then. You don’t have
to be there until tomorrow night. Now, no more excuses.”

“Fine. You win.” Charley drained her glass
and let Frannie fill it again. “But I am not tense. What possible reason could
I have? Everything is going just fine.”

“Oh, come on. Who do you think you’re
kidding? This is Frannie, remember? Every time Cole Jordan looked at you today
you got goose bumps the size of Mt. Everest. And when he touched your arm while
showing you where the pantry would be in the restaurant? Your eyes bugged out
so far you looked like one of those cartoon characters.”

“Oh, God.” Charley dropped her face into
her hands. “I’m so humiliated. Do you think he noticed?”

“Is he blind, deaf and stupid?”

“No.”

“Then my guess would be, he noticed.”
Frannie stood, grabbing the wine and both glasses. “Let’s move into the living
room so we can prop our feet up.”

The room spun a little as Charley followed,
but it was a pleasant sensation, and she could feel her tight muscles beginning
to ease. “How much of that stuff have I had?”

Frannie looked at the bottle critically
before sinking onto the couch. “About three glasses, I think. You did drink
them kind of fast though.” She patted the couch next to her. “Now, sit down and
tell me all about it.”

Charley flopped onto the sofa and picked up
her glass. “What am I going to do, Frannie? I’ve been in love with him since
grade school.” She took another long drink.

“That’s the reason you don’t date. I knew
it! You
are
still in love with him!”

“I don’t know any other way to be.”

“You could just give in to it. God knows,
he’s a hunk. A roll in the hay would do you a world of good.”

“Don’t be stupid. After what he did to me,
I can’t trust him. I don’t even know if he’s married, or engaged, or seeing
someone.” She finished her wine, and groaned. “How am I going to face him every
day and stay sane?”

“Did he do or say anything today that might
make you think he’s interested?”

“No.” She frowned. “Not really. Well,
maybe.”

“Which is it? Yes or no?”

“No.” Charley sighed. When had Frannie
refilled her glass? She stared at it, her forehead wrinkling in an effort to
concentrate.

“Well, in that case, I wouldn’t worry about
it. In a month or two, you’ll be so used to having him around that you won’t
even think about it.”

“Two months?” Charley downed her wine in
one gulp, and then squinted to see Frannie better. “I have to feel like this
for two months?” Unsteadily, she held out her glass. “More.”

“Okay, but if you throw up, you’re on your
own. Wine wasn’t meant to be guzzled.” She poured. “I know you don’t want to
hear this, but I really like Cole.”

“Oh, sure. You get a promotion, a raise,
and free use of his credit card. Why wouldn’t you like him?” Wine sloshed over
the edge of her glass as she waved her hand for emphasis. “What do I get?
Someone to boss me around and break my heart all over again. Well, it’s not
going to happen. I’m a big girl now.”

“The biggest,” Frannie agreed. “I mean that
figuratively, of course,” she hastily assured when Charley glared at her.

“Are you drunk?” Charley attempted to arch
one brow and only managed to cross her eyes instead.

Frannie fell over on the couch giggling.
“Not as drunk as you are, but give me a minute. I’ll catch up.”

“Do you know what that bastard did to me?”

“You mean besides break your heart and
leave you?”

“Yeah,” Charley nodded. “Besides that. He
bought my house. My house!” She poked herself in the chest with one finger and
then rubbed the spot. “He promised me we’d live in that house together, and now
he’s bought it for himself.”

“The bastard,” Frannie agreed solemnly. Suddenly
she sat up straight. “You know what we should do? We should go toilet paper his
yard.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Charley stared at her
with admiration. “No, wait. We can’t. You’re too drunk to drive.”

“Good point. Okay, I’ve got it. Let’s go
toilet paper Ben’s yard. He’s a male too, and it’s only two blocks to his
house. We can walk that.”

“He’ll arrest us.”

“No, he won’t. I’ll refuse to marry him if
he does.”

Charley lurched to her feet and turned in a
complete circle. “I’ll get my shoes, you get the toilet paper.”

Frannie took her by the shoulders and aimed
her at the hall. “Your room is that way.”

“Right. I knew that.” She was upended in
the closet when Frannie yelled at her.

“Hey, Charley. You only have two rolls
left.”

Summoning all her power of rational
thought, Charley sat down in the closet floor, swatting at something that
tickled her face. “Then take a few bars of soap, too,” she yelled back. “We can
put pictures on the windows of his patrol car.”

“Gotcha. Ready to go?”

“Ready.” Charley limped back into the
living room.

Frannie stared at her for a second. “Nice
outfit.”

“Thanks,” she replied, pleased. It wasn’t
often that her and Frannie’s taste in clothes coincided. “I’ll get the wine.”

“Now, remember. We have to be quiet.”

The phone rang, and Charley hesitated.
“I’ll get it. Might be Frank.” She limped to the phone.

* * * * *

“How did it go today?”

Cole looked up as Kristy stopped in the
living room doorway, her arms loaded with books. “I honestly have no idea. One
minute I’d think everything was going to work out fine, and the next she’d
almost take my head off.” He rubbed his eyes tiredly. “Am I doing the right
thing, Kristy? Maybe I should just tell her the truth.”

“Would she believe you?” Kristy put the
books on the coffee table and sat down.

“No, she wouldn’t. Would you, in her place?
She thinks Victor Channing is the next best thing to Jesus.” He shook his head.
“You should have seen her reaction when I told her I bought this house. I think
stabbing her would have hurt less, for both of us.”

“Cole, you knew this wasn’t going to be
easy. Are you going to give up after one day?”

“I didn’t know how much it was going to
hurt, Kris. If it were just me, I could handle it, but I can’t stand to see her
hurting, too.”

“Hey, if she’s hurting, it’s because she
still cares. Do you want to take a chance that you’ll lose her for good?
Because if you give up now, you will. This is both of your futures on the line.
Are you going to trade the chance to be with her forever just to spare her a
few minutes of hurt?” She hesitated. “Cole, it’s pretty rare in this day and
age to find someone you can really love. Don’t throw it away. At the very
least, give it a few more days. She’s still in shock over seeing you again. I
have an idea,” she said. “Why don’t you call her? Maybe it will help you decide
what to do.”

“Oh, sure. What reason could I have for
calling her? I’m not supposed to be interested, remember?”

She grinned at him. “You’re the genius.
Think of a reason.” She scooped up the books. “I’m going to be upstairs reading.
Yell if you want me.”

He listened to her footsteps running up the
stairs and then looked at the phone. Should he? God knows, he wanted to hear
her voice, even if she was yelling at him. He could always say he’d called to
find out who handled her legal work. It was something he’d need to know
eventually, anyway. Picking up the phone, he dialed before he could change his
mind. Four rings later, someone finally picked up.

“Lo?” The voice sounded unnaturally bright
and chipper.

Cole hesitated. “Charley?”

“Yep. Thaz me.”

Suspicion began to creep over him.
“Charley, have you been drinking?”

“Celebratin’,” she clarified.

He grinned and leaned back on the couch.
“What are you celebrating?”

“Frannie’s promu…raise. Have to go now.
Frannie is waitin’ on me.”

“Hang on! Where are you going?”

She giggled. “To Ben’s house. Ssh. Don’t
tell anyone. We’re going to trash his yard.”

“Why are you going to trash Ben’s yard?”

“Cause he’s a man, and all men are pigs.
You’re a pig, Cole. Did you know that?” There was a loud crash accompanied by a
thud, and then laughter.

“Charley? Are you still there?” Silence.
“Charley?”

“I’m here.” She laughed again. “Got the
phone cord wrapped around me. I fell.”

“Are you all right?”

More silence. “My feet don’t work right,”
she finally answered him.

She sounded more puzzled than upset, he
decided. “Charley, listen to me. I’m coming over there. Don’t leave, okay?”