Daddy's Little Girl (A Homespun Romance) (2 page)

"Kelsey will talk when she's ready," she said.

"I hope so.  There's nothing wrong with Kelsey's hearing, so I just have to be patient."

Jason Graham reached over and ran his knuckles down the side of his daughter's chubby face.  His expression as he looked at his child was filled with love. 

Sara's heart melted.  Jason Graham had suffered an enormous loss when his wife died.  It wasn't fair that he should lose the child he obviously loved so much.  By taking this job, she would be helping little Kelsey and her father.

Moses Judah, his lawyer, had warned Jason he would have to be very clear about the terms of the prenuptial agreement.  He couldn't run the risk of being taken to the cleaners later.  As he looked at the woman seated opposite him, Jason felt like smiling for the first time that evening.  He was positive the very thought of blackmailing someone would terrify Sara Adams.

"Could you be ready to leave for England in ten days?"

"Are you offering me the job?"  She needed to hear him say the words.

That was an odd way to talk of marriage.  Jason nodded surprised by the flare of relief in her eyes.  He didn't want her making any false assumptions, so he said quickly, "I know this is a very unusual approach, but for me its the only way out of a difficult situation."

"I understand.  I'll do all I can to help."

"Is there someone you want me to meet, or talk to?  Your family?  Your parents?"

That was a strange question.  As an adult, she didn't need to ask anyone's permission before she took a job. 

"I don't have anyone." 

The words renewed Jason's uneasiness.  No matter how much he paid her, it didn't hide the fact he was using Sara Adams.  What other choices did he have?  He had to make sure his bases were covered where the lawsuit was concerned.  He also had to be in England in two weeks to negotiate a million dollar contract which was in the works.  Postponement, even for a few months, meant he'd lose the deal.  Discoveries in the electronic world were being made every day.  If he waited, a dozen other people would have come up with the same idea he had.  Manufacturers in third world countries would offer the product three times cheaper than he could.  Being first and being fast, made the difference between success and failure. 

"My secretary mailed you some references," he told Sara Adams.  "Did you get them?"

Why on earth would he mail her references?  "Not yet.  I didn't check the mailbox before I left the house today.  I've brought my resume with me."  Sara slid the brown envelope she'd been carrying across the table.

Jason's eyes narrowed.  Why would someone bring a resume to a first date?  The only reason he was providing references was because he wanted Sara Adams to know she could trust him.  "I brought Kelsey with me, so you could meet her right away.  As I said before, she's the most important person in my life."

"I can see that.  I'll take good care of her." 

"Loyalty and commitment are very important to me."  He couldn't afford to make any mistakes.  "You have no other personal entanglements that would come in the way of our arrangement?"

"Personal entanglements?" 

"A boyfriend?  A lover?"  Moses had told him to make sure there was no one who might instigate Sara Adams to cause trouble later.

Her face went bright red as she said.  "No."

He hated intruding in her personal life, but it had to be done.

"It's absolutely imperative you realize that though this is an unusual job, I will not permit any kind of familiarity.  As far as you and I are concerned you are my employee, nothing more, nothing less."

"Of course."  Sara couldn't prevent the stuffiness that crept into her voice.  She wasn't the type to straighten her employer's tie, or climb into his lap to discuss his daughter's progress.

Jason heard the note of hauteur.  He'd offended her, but it couldn't be helped.  "There will be times when we're both in awkward situations, but handled professionally, I think we can make this work."

"I do, too."  Did the man consider diaper changing and cleaning up after a kid, `awkward situations'? 

"I know tomorrow is Saturday, but as I'm rushed for time, would you mind meeting me at the lawyer's office at ten?"

Sara's brows shot up.  She seemed to have lost the thread of Jason Graham's conversation again. "Lawyer's office?"

"We have to go over the terms of the prenuptial agreement, before I can get a special license."

Sara stared at Jason Graham.  Had nervousness affected her auditory system?  Maybe she should have borrowed Uncle Samuel's hearing aid for the occasion.

"P...prenuptial agreement?"  she stammered finally. 

Jason nodded.  Why on earth was she looking so surprised?  Surely she couldn't be that naive.  "It's very common these days, and it's the best way of protecting the interests of both parties before marriage."

"M...Marriage?"

Jason nodded again, watching Sara Adams go white. 

"Surely," he said impatiently, "you had marriage in mind when you put that ad into the Catch Basin?"

"The C...Catch Basin?"  She never even read the matrimonial page of the Valley View.  She only knew about the section because Claire always talked about the ads she put in there for herself.

Jason bent and picked up the magazine from the side pocket of Kelsey's diaper bag.  It was opened at the page her ad was on. 

"My secretary knows how concerned I am about the lawsuit.  She showed me the ad and suggested a business marriage might provide the perfect solution to my problem."

Sara stared at the highlighted ad blankly, before her gaze went to the top of the page.  Horror jumped in to share the space with surprise.  Not only had Claire changed the wording of the ad, she'd put it into the matrimonial section of the Valley View.  How could she have done something like that? 

Busy cleaning the house and packing Uncle Samuel's clothes and a collection of thirty five years of things he'd never thrown away had kept Sara so busy she hadn't thought to check the ad herself.

"It's all a m...mistake."

Jason's eyes narrowed.  Why the sudden about face? 

"There's no mistake," he said grimly.  "You put in an ad  I answered it."

"M...My friend was supposed to put this ad into the `Jobs wanted', column.  I don't know how it got into the Catch Basin section."

She should never have agreed to Claire's plan in the first place.

"You see I needed a job badly," she explained quickly.  "My friend Claire works for the Valley View.  She said no one would notice if she slipped an extra ad in...."

Sara stared at the tablecloth.  Her mouth was running away with her.  She shouldn't have told him what Claire had done.

Making quick decisions were all part of being a businessman.  Metaphoric arm twisting was something he'd never indulged in, but in this instance it was the only thing he could think of. 

"I answered the ad in good faith," he said sternly, suppressing the rising tide of guilt.  "Even if it was a mix-up, what do you have to lose?  You need a job, I'm offering you one."

"I can't marry you," Sara said miserably.

"If you won't consider my suggestion, I'll have to call the Valley View, and complain about what's happened.  I just don't have the time to look for someone else now, and I'm sure as hell not going to let Kelsey suffer because you're getting cold feet."

"It's all a mistake," Sara's heart beat so loudly, she could barely hear herself speak.  "You can't complain to the Valley View.  Claire will lose her job.  She has a little boy to support, and her husband refuses to pay alimony."

"Try me," Jason said grimly.  He had problems too, and the fear that he would lose Kelsey overcame everything else.

"I...I need some time to think." 

Sara put a hand up and rubbed her forehead, as if to get rid of the warring pictures there. 

"I can give you till tomorrow morning."

Jason Graham face didn't show an inch of give.  Her first impression of him being stern and tough had been right, after all.  Their gazes clashed and Sara felt as if she were drowning in the power of his will.

"You need a job, Sara.  I'm offering you one.  We could help each other.  Please don't let me down."

The plea, and the way he said her name startled her.  In that second she knew Jason Graham was no domineering ogre; simply a man desperately afraid of losing his child.

"I'll call you by tomorrow morning."  She got to her feet and held her hand out. 

"What about dinner?"

"I can't eat anything now. Thanks for the iced tea."

She turned away telling herself she had to get away, give herself a chance to calm down, to think things out.  Getting into Uncle Samuel's old car, she rested her head on the wheel.

Who was it up there that was  the patron saint in charge of employment?  All she'd asked for was a regular, nine to five, ordinary job.  What she'd gotten was enough to shake any human being's faith in patron saints and prayer.  She'd been offered marriage.

Not for the normal reasons of course...just so Jason Graham could keep his daughter. 

Sara's vision blurred as she backed out of the parking lot.  She couldn't let Claire suffer. 

What had made Jason Graham decide she was the right candidate for the job?  Did she have a stamp on her forehead that said, `Easily bullied.  Plenty of experience slaving for a manipulative man' ? 

Marriage to Jason Graham would only be a replay of her life so far.  Sara could never enter any kind of bondage willingly again.  Not if she starved.

It's a business arrangement.

She'd dreamed about marriage; about finding someone who would love her; someone whom she could share the rest of her life with.  Her dreams held a house, a warm loving man, children. 

What kind of a man suggested marriage could be a business arrangement?

Pulling into the driveway of Uncle Samuel's house, Sara stared at it.  The four bedroom house with an indoor swimming pool on an acre of land, was as close to a prison as she ever wanted to be.

The mailbox at the end of the drive held two envelopes.  One was from Jason Graham's office.  The other was from Uncle Samuel's lawyer.  Her fingers shook as she ripped open the latter.  If only she could have a little more time to find another job.

Your uncle specifically mentioned in his will that your occupancy of the house was to be terminated a month following his death.  It was not to be extended under any circumstances.

I regret....

The rest of the words ran together as tears filled Sara's eyes.  Angry tears.  Even from his grave Uncle Samuel had the power to hurt.  Her mother had worked herself to death for him and he hadn't cared.  Sara had given him twenty four years of her life.  That was twenty four years too many.  She had to get out of here as soon as possible.

An hour later, after a shower and a sandwich, Sara paced the kitchen floor.  Claire had taken Bobby to her mother's in Sacramento for the weekend, so she couldn't even call her.  How could Claire have messed up so badly?

It wasn't any use worrying about that now.  She had to reach some sort of a decision soon.  The facts were simple.  Sara needed a job and a place to stay.  Jason Graham needed a wife. 

The ramifications bothered her.  Marriage wasn't a state one entered into lightly.  Despite being plain and unattractive, she wasn't willing to give up on her dreams. 

Agreeing to Jason Graham's ridiculous proposition would mean giving up her new independence.  She didn't want permanent ties to anyone right now, even if Jason Graham did think of those ties as business ones. 

By threatening to complain about Claire, Jason Graham had proved he was just like her uncle.  He didn't understand honest mistakes.  He was only aware of his own needs.  All man.  All self-involved.

The next instant honesty demanded she amend that conclusion.  The tender way he'd looked at his daughter popped into Sara's mind.  She couldn't fault his motivation.  He loved his child and he wanted to keep her.  He was simply doing what he thought would ensure that result.   A parent had those inalienable rights. 

She reached for the second envelope that had been in her mailbox, Claire's voice ringing in her ears. 

You've got to stop thinking about others and start learning to put yourself first, before its too late. 

That was Sara's first challenge.

CHAPTER
TWO

Jason Graham had enclosed letters of reference from a bank president, a minister, two lawyers, and a woman who had worked for him for eight years.  The words `good character', `absolute integrity' and `a man of principles', were repeated over and over again.  The woman, Rowena Harris, had added that Jason Graham was a wonderful employer and father.  Since his wife's death, he'd often worked through the night to make time for his daughter.

Sara walked over to the kitchen window.  The mountains in the background, their peaks reflecting the glow of the setting sun, offered no solutions.  Smart people create their own opportunities, the calendar on the kitchen wall said.  Sara looked at it, and her eyes narrowed.  Maybe there was something she could do with this situation. 

She had to think of Jason Graham's offer as a door to the freedom she wanted.  Helping him win the lawsuit shouldn't take more than six months max.  The amount he'd mentioned he was willing to pay, was very generous.  Quick calculations in her head told her she'd have more than enough money to pay a year's rent on an apartment by then. 

But marriage...Sara's heart still refused to agree to a marriage that was a business arrangement.  That was one dream she wasn't willing to give up on.  Dare she voice the only alternative she could come up with to Jason Graham?  She could try.  Resolution shot up her spine and flooded her brain, clearing fear away.  Helping Jason Graham keep his daughter was one thing.  Allowing him to bully her into marriage was another. 

Sara was plain, not stupid.  Living with Uncle Samuel had taught her men took what they wanted, riding roughshod over feelings in the process.  There were too many bitter examples around for her to ever forget that:  Claire's bitter divorce, the sadness that had always clouded her mother's eyes.  If her father had been as great as her mother said he was, why hadn't he waited to make love with her till after they were married?

She'd also learned that there was only one person who could stand up for Sara Adams.  It was a job she had to do herself. 

Sara stopped pacing and reached for the phone.  She had to get this over with before her courage deserted her.

"I'll take the job, if you'll consider my proposal," she said, as soon as Jason Graham answered the telephone.

"What proposal is that?" 

Sara didn't let the crispness in Jason Graham's voice deter her.

"I'll travel with you as your fiancé, not your wife." 

"How will that help me in court?" 

"An engagement can be just as effective as a marriage.  A good lawyer can convince the court you are in the process of setting up a stable home for Kelsey.  I think the fact we've become engaged, so that all three of us can adjust to a new situation before we get married, will make sense to a judge.  Besides, you can also say you wanted to give me time to be sure about my feelings, that you want this relationship to last forever.  Patience will make more sense in a courtroom than the fact you've jumped into marriage with a complete stranger."

The determination in Sara's voice was at odds with the way her fingers twisted the telephone cord. 

"What do you have against marriage?"  Jason demanded.

She took a deep breath.  "Marriage is not a state one enters and exits lightly.  Not in my book, at least."

"I'll have to give it some thought," Jason said reluctantly.  "Dee Dee might bring up something to the effect our living in sin is having a bad influence on Kelsey."

Sara felt herself go bright red at the thought people would think they were lovers.  "She'd have to prove it first, wouldn't she?  Isn't she aware that some people still get engaged in this day and age, without living together in the sense you mean?"

There was a pause and then Jason Graham said.  "It might just work.  I'll check with my lawyer and call you back."

Sara thanked him and said goodbye.  Hanging up, she realized she'd risked everything on that one call.  Standing by what mattered most, meant she might fall by her ideals and lose the only real job offer she was likely to have.

Jason poured himself a cup of black coffee.  He had to catch up with the work he'd brought home from the office.  Kelsey had woken up, had some chicken noodle soup and gone back to sleep. 

Jason looked at the dark liquid in the mug wondering about Sara Adams.  He had to agree with one part of what she'd said.  No one, not even Dee Dee Smythe, would be able to picture someone as `straight arrow' as Sara Adams living in sin. 

Something in her eyes told him she wasn't putting on an act.  The fact she wasn't too scared to argue with him proved she wasn't as malleable as he'd imagined.  Under the quiet unassuming exterior, Sara Adams was stronger than he'd thought. 

He felt strangely keyed up, as he thought of the courage she came wrapped in.  He hadn't asked what her circumstances were, but he knew she needed a job desperately.  His brows drew together.  Not so desperately that she would fall in with anything he wanted though.  What did she have against marriage?

It's not a state one exits and enters lightly.  Not in my book.

He hadn't missed the catch in her voice.  Did Sara Adams have dreams of marriage being a state of happily-ever-after?  He'd opened his mouth to say something, then closed it.  The fact he'd had a rough ride on the marriage roller coaster didn't give him the right to stomp on anyone else's dreams.

Jason felt his jaw clench.  Had he been wrong about Sara Adams?  They hadn't even finalized things, and she was dictating terms to him.  Women always took a mile even before you'd given them an inch.

As his wife, she would have everything she needed.  Money, the best clothes, a luxurious lifestyle.  According to the terms of the agreement Moses had drawn up, whoever helped Jason would receive a large bonus on termination of the agreement as well. 

Moses, had reluctantly agreed marriage would provide Jason with infallible evidence he was trying to set up a stable home for Kelsey.  The lawyer, who'd known him since Jason's pre-Diana days, had pointed out very quickly that answering an ad was risky.  Extremely risky.  Only opportunists chose that route.  Jason had to be very careful that he wasn't taken in by someone sharper than himself. 

Jason knew all about clever, selfish women.  Diana, had taught him an unforgettable lesson in that department.  No one was going to take him for an emotional ride twice.  He was done with love and all that sort of thing. 

Rowena had persuaded him there was nothing wrong with answering the ad considering his circumstances.  Her niece had met such a nice man through the same magazine.  A smart woman would seize the opportunity of making some good money for doing very little in return. 

The idea had been a rope thrown to a drowning man.  Marriage seemed like the only way to make sure Kelsey stayed with him. 

A willing woman and a legal arrangement, had sounded like the only way to have it all.

Sara Adams hadn't been willing though.

The realization shook him because he believed one could buy anything if one was willing to pay the price.  Ms. Adams was different.  In spite of her desperate need of a job, she had risked losing everything, by standing up for whatever it was she believed in.  That set her apart from the women he knew.

Twin prongs of worry and guilt gripped him in a vice.  For an instant he wanted to tell her it had all been a mistake and they should just forget the whole thing.  A glance at Kelsey's innocent, sleeping face, and Jason felt the familiar fierce protectiveness surge through his body.  No one was going to take his baby daughter away from him.  Circumstances had him backed into a corner.  He had no other choice except to give Sara Adams' way a try.

The fact Sara Adams wasn't the kind of woman he was attracted to would prevent the complications Moses had warned him about.  The odd protectiveness she inspired was only because she looked so young. 

If he had an employee evaluation sheet in front of him, Jason would have Sara Adams down as quiet, undemanding, passive.  A follower, not a leader.  Except for that unexpected streak of stubbornness, he'd judged her correctly.

He picked up his coffee and sipped it.  As it trickled down his throat, he told himself he was right on one score.  Sara Adams would be no trouble.  No trouble at all.

The ringing of the doorbell startled Sara.  It echoed through the empty house.  Had Uncle Samuel's lawyer come by to pick up the key in person and make sure she'd left everything in good condition?

Sara's heart lurched.  "Mr. Graham?"

What on earth was he doing here so early on a Sunday morning.

"It's Jason, Sara."

She flushed.  He'd told her that twice yesterday in the lawyer's office as well.  "I'm sorry."

He looked bigger than ever in charcoal grey sweats that were a perfect foil for his dark hair and blue eyes.  For the first time she noticed the tiredness that shadowed his face.

"Is something wrong?"

Maybe he'd had second thoughts about the whole thing and had come to tell her so.  Sara's heart sank.  She'd have to move into the dormitory at the Y till she found another job.

"Nothing's wrong.  May I come in?"

"Of course."  She stood aside, feeling stupid. 

"I thought I'd help you move."  She got the faint whiff of his soap, a lemony cologne and baby powder, as he passed her.

"Move?" Sara asked blankly.

"Yes.  At Moses' place you'd said you would come over early this morning, by cab.  I thought I'd help you instead."

He'd also wanted to see the house she'd lived in, know a little more about the enigma that was Sara Adams.  She'd called him yesterday morning and they'd met at Moses' office.  She'd worn the brown suit again and Moses had looked very uneasy after he’d shaken her hand.

They'd gone over the terms of the contract and Moses had asked her if she'd like to have her own lawyer go over it.  Sara had looked surprised and told him she didn't have a lawyer and she trusted him.

Moses had gone beet red.  Jason would never forget the look on the lawyer's face as Sara had said, "There is just one thing though.  Mr. Graham's paying me a very generous salary.  There's no need for this bonus  mentioned at the end of the contract."

Moses had turned strange after that.  While Sara had sat in the waiting room, Moses had told Jason sternly that people like Sara Adams were rare.  In all his forty years of practicing law, he'd never met anyone who turned money down.  He'd looked worried as he'd said she was a nice young lady and he hoped they were doing the right thing.  Reluctantly he'd handed Jason the report one of his investigators had prepared on Sara.  Jason hadn't liked the fact Moses had Sara investigated, but his lawyer had pointed out it was good sound common sense to do so these days.  Because Kelsey was involved, Jason had forced himself to read the report.

There had been very little in it that Jason didn't know already.  She'd lived all her life with her mother and uncle in Rainbow Valley.  Her mother had died five and a half years ago, her uncle a month ago.  Sara Adams had worked part time in a preschool for almost five years and she had no boyfriend.

It had sounded like a pretty lonely existence. 

Jason glanced around at the cardboard cartons in the hall.  There were about twenty of them and they were huge.  He frowned.  "We could take the smallest of these and then have someone get the rest."

Sara Adams gave him a puzzled look and then followed his glance to the cartons.  "These aren't mine," she said quickly.

"Whose are they?"

"My uncle's.  His lawyer asked me to pack his things."

More boxes through a wooden arch caught Jason's eyes.  He moved towards an elaborate dining room.  Six huge boxes covered most of the marble floor. 

"You did all this?" 

His eyes went from the Aubusson rug on the floor to the collector's painting on the wall.  Why hadn't packers been hired?

"Only the small things.  Movers are going to get the expensive stuff."

"Do you have any staff to help you?" 

"There was only Uncle and me here."

"You shouldn't have had to pack these things, Sara."  He caught one of her hands and turned it over.  There was a two inch long, open scratch on the back of it.

She hid her hand behind her back.  "It's all right.  I didn't mind."

"Do you have a band-aid?"

She wet her lips and nodded.  "In my bag in the kitchen."

He followed her there, taking note of more boxes.  A slow burn of anger was building within him.  Was the lawyer trying to use her?

He watched her rummage through her handbag.  Taking out  a band aid, she tore it open.

"Here, let me."  He took the plaster strip from her and placed it over the cut.  "That's better."

"Th...thank you."  She looked up at him and Jason was reminded of a bird he'd found when he was about ten.  It had been injured in a storm and it had trembled just the way Sara Adams was now.  He looked into her eyes.  She was a golden-brown owl; one that for some reason was scared of him.

"Would you l..like some coffee?"

He let her hand go and stepped away.  "That wouldn't be a bad idea."