Darling Jenny (12 page)

He tore away the rest of the paper to show everyone the large basket of fruit. Since no one else had taken part in their conversation that day of the sleigh ride, they did not see the humour of the gift and stared in puzzlement at Logan.

'Only you would think of this, Jenny Glenn.' Deep amusement rimmed his every word as his gaze shifted from her to his mother. 'I once told Jenny of my habit of sampling different "fruit",' he explained, 'so here we have everything from oranges to the proverbial apple of temptation.'

Mrs. Taylor's melodic laugh joined in with the more hesitant ones from the rest of the group. Gradually everyone's attention was diverted back to their own gifts, allowing Jennifer's complexion to return to its normal colour. After unwrapping her present from Dirk and inhaling the scent of the expensive perfume, she was left with only one package, Logan's. She was reluctant to open it with him sitting right beside her. At that moment Sheila enlisted his help in the kitchen and Jennifer was able to open it without his embarrassing presence.

A black, rectangular jewelry case gleamed out to her from the partially removed paper. Cautiously she opened it and barely stifled a gasp of surprise and pleasure at its contents. On a cushion of white velvet rested two strands of delicate gold chain holding a cabochon-cut jade stone encircled by antique filigree work with brilliants of diamonds dotting the corners. She didn't know too much about gems, but this was obviously a very expensive piece of jewelry. She closed the lid quickly on the exquisite work of art, knowing she should refuse it yet longing to see it around her neck.

'Jenny, would you give me a hand with the eggnog?' Sheila requested as she passed a tray to Mrs. Taylor, oblivious of the stunned silence of her sister.

'Of course.' Jennifer was all too glad to put Logan's present down. Her hand was practically on fire just touching it.

She escaped as quickly as she could into the kitchen, avoiding any contact with Logan's searching eyes as she darted past him. But minutes later, his footsteps muffled by the clinking of crystal glasses, he entered the kitchen.

'Sheila makes awfully good eggnog,' he remarked as he halted beside her.

Jennifer's hand paused midway between filling another glass. She tried to breathe naturally while smiling in agreement with him.

'You're not wearing the necklace,' glancing casually at her unadorned neck. 'I thought it would look nice with that gown.'

Jennifer placed the ladle back in the bowl and turned towards him with a determined lift to her chin.

'It was very beautiful,' she said sincerely, 'but I just can't accept it.'

He lifted an eyebrow at her as the small smile died on his face. 'Why not?'

'It's much too expensive.' She suddenly found it difficult to explain why she wanted to refuse it. 'It just wouldn't be right for me to.'

'We can hardly be considered strangers—after all, we spent a night together in the same bed. I would hardly think a piece of costume jewelry could be classified as a compromising gift after that.'

'Costume jewelry?' Jennifer whispered in an astounded voice. 'I thought it was jade.'

'It's jadeite,' Logan informed her with a dimpling smile.

'Oh!' Her voice sounded exceedingly small. That must be some synthetic form of jade, she thought. How humiliating for her to believe he was giving her an expensive gift. 'Well, in that case, I guess it will be all right to accept it.'

'I'm glad. After all, I accepted your gift in the spirit it was intended.' His teasing voice brought a fresh wave of pink into her cheeks, only to recede quickly to paleness as he continued, 'Sheila told me you were the one who invited Dirk here tonight.'

'Yes, that's right.'

'I didn't realize that in the short space of a week you and Dirk had become such close friends.'

'I don't know that we're close friends.' Jennifer answered him casually, but there was a defiant gleam in her eyes. 'Both of us have a very deep affection for my sister. I think Dirk would make an excellent husband and father.'

'You do? You've taken matters in your own hands and decided you know what's best for your sister's future happiness.' He was again wearing his mask of amused indifference that was so irritatingly smug. 'I hope you don't try the direct approach. I've found subtlety works best with Sheila. I do agree with you on one point—I think it's time she remarried.'

His words hung in the air as if his sentence was unfinished. Mentally Jennifer finished it for him, 'but not to Dirk.' To Logan?

'Are you going to try to stop Dirk and me?' She tilted her head back to glare coldly into his face.

'I would never stand in the way of Sheila's happiness. But that's Sheila's decision, not yours or mine, Jenny Glenn.' A roguish dimple appeared briefly in one cheek as Logan answered with a remarkable air of assurance. He reached around her and picked up a tray of glasses filled with eggnog. 'I'll take these in before they send a search party for us.'

Jennifer stared after him blankly, a sinking feeling of depression stealing through her, as he walked out of the kitchen. She was sure that Dirk loved her sister very deeply. But could Logan's love be even greater since he had practically said he was willing to step aside if it meant Sheila's happiness? Just the thought made her heart constrict painfully until her hand reached up to clutch her dress and thus tear away the ache. A vision of Logan and Sheila in an embrace flitted across her mind, sending waves of nausea to her stomach.

Too late Jennifer recognized the true reason behind her betrayal of her sister to Dirk's side. She had fallen in love with Logan Taylor herself! For her it had gone much deeper than a mere physical attraction such as Logan had once suggested. No, not when she could be shaken to her very bones with jealousy towards her own sister and this heart-rending pain at the discovery that Logan loved Sheila to the exclusion of his own happiness. Could she be as unselfish as Logan? Jennifer wondered, blinking at the tears that were threatening to overflow down her cheeks. One thing was certain—she must never let Sheila or Logan know her true feelings.

The rest of the evening would be her first test. Dipping down into her now almost depleted reserve of willpower, Jennifer inhaled deeply, fixed a smile on her face, and began the long walk into the living room, determined that no one would know the secret that haunted the depths of her soul.

Chapter Seven

JENNIFER had made it through Christmas Eve and Christmas and the four days that followed them, but the morning of the fifth day seemed to bring with it a prediction of all the days to come.

The holiday vacation had brought with it an increase in guests taking advantage of their free time to indulge in the facilities at the ski slopes. Logan had been ever-present at the Lodge, never usurping Sheila's position as manager, only assisting to ease her workload. Jennifer had taken precautions to avoid being near him whenever possible, hiding in Dirk's shadow, if he was available, trying to erect a barrier against Logan's magnetism. But she couldn't cease the fluttering of her heart when his gaze rested on her, nor could she wash away the acrid taste of jealousy from her mouth when she saw him with Sheila.

Oh, she had erected a very elaborate façade of gaiety, but she knew exactly how brittle it was, and how easily it could be shattered. The arrival of DeeDee Hunter, the platinum blonde Jennifer had met at the airport with Logan, had very nearly put a crack in it this very morning. Just watching the mild flirting between Dee-Dee and Logan had filled her with a mixture of envy and jealousy. If only she could meet his eyes as easily as DeeDee and feel the warmth of his virility directed at her! But she couldn't. Jennifer had too much pride to hang on his arm as others did, grateful for whatever crumbs were thrown her way, nor would she compete with her own sister who had known so much heartache in her short life.

At last, Jennifer's afternoon replacement arrived, and she was freed of her front desk duties to go home. Quickly she shrugged into her suede coat, conscious of the giggling voice of DeeDee Hunter approaching the lobby. Her sixth sense told her that Logan was most probably with her. She hurried across the lobby, seeing with a sinking heart the airport limousine unloading at the front door. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Logan stop with DeeDee and two others from her party, at the front desk. Jennifer stood at the front door, tapping her foot impatiently, nodding and smiling to the new arrivals as they filed through. One of them stopped suddenly in front of her. His face gradually separated itself from the rest of the strangers as the familiarness registered.

'Jennifer?'

She stared numbly into a pair of dark eyes, blinking disbelievingly back at her before two hands reached out to imprison her shoulders. A black lock of hair fell forward across his forehead.

'Jennifer! I can't believe it's really you!'

'Brad,' Jennifer finally whispered incredulously. 'What are you doing here?'

'What are you doing here?' he laughed. His grasp tightened momentarily on her shoulders as if to draw her into his arms, before his expression sobered. 'You don't know what hell I've put myself through wondering where you were, if you were all right. And then fate sends you right in front of me!'

'How did you know I was here?' Her lips were compressed in a forbidding line, her eyes burning with an angry fire at the almost forgotten humiliation she had suffered in this man's hands.

'I didn't know! I wanted to get away. It was a last-minute decision, and since I couldn't get reservations anywhere in Colorado, I came here,' he replied in that familiar flattering tone. 'Don't look at me like that, Jennifer. I know what happened was practically unforgivable.'

'I don't want to talk about it.' Jennifer twisted out of his arms, her scowling face glancing up just in time to see Logan walking towards them.

'You're wrong. We've got a lot to talk about,' Brad replied firmly.

'Excuse me.' Logan glanced politely at Brad before addressing himself to Jennifer. 'Your sister wondered if you would pick up the children for her. She can't get away right now.'

'Of course,' Jennifer nodded, feeling the blood rush out of her cheeks under his sardonic gaze.

Logan looked expectantly towards Brad, then back to Jennifer, anticipating an introduction that Jennifer was loath to make. But one look at his determined expression told her that if she didn't, he would.

'This is Mr. Taylor, Brad, the owner of this Lodge.' Jennifer barely suppressed her irritation from creeping into her words. 'Bradley Stevenson, a friend from Minneapolis.'

Brad accepted Logan's handshake, hiding his impatience with professional politeness.

'We're glad to have one of Jenny's friends staying at our lodge,' Logan said smoothly. 'How long did you plan to be here?'

'Only three days. I'll have to leave on Sunday's flight. I hope to see as much of Jennifer as possible while I'm here. Since you're her employer now, I might as well forewarn you that I'm going to do everything in my power to persuade her to return with me and take her old job back.'

Jennifer's eyes flew to Brad in alarm at the same moment that Logan's voice rang out with deceptive curiosity.

'Old job?'

'Yes, Jennifer was my secretary as well as,' Brad hesitated suggestively, eyeing her warmly, 'other things.'

Logan's eyes narrowed as he studied her flushed cheeks below downcast eyes.

'It's unfortunate that Jenny didn't tell me you were coming.' He didn't hide the arrogance and censure in his voice. 'I could possibly have arranged for her to have some free time. But this is the height of our season. As it stands it's quite impossible to spare her.'

'I understand,' Brad drawled, meeting the challenge of Logan's gaze with his usual self-confidence. His hand reached out for Jennifer's arm and he pulled her possessively to his side. 'Now, if you'll excuse us?'

Logan nodded a silent agreement, his penetrating gaze resting briefly on Jennifer before he walked away.

'Let's go somewhere where we can talk,' Brad suggested the minute Logan was out of hearing.

'I-I can't. I have to pick up the children.' Jennifer stalled. 'And Sheila won't be home until late tonight, which means I'll have to babysit.'

'I'll come over to the house, then.'

'No!' Her reply was quick and sharp, but she qualified it in a quieter voice. 'Two children hardly allow for any private discussions.'

'Tomorrow, then.'

'I'll be working.'

'Jennifer, I'm going to talk to you alone. You are not going to think up a bunch of excuses to avoid me while I'm here. You have got to give me a chance to explain,' Brad argued. 'After that—well, if you don't want to see me, I won't bother you.'

'All right,' Jennifer sighed. Who would have thought a month ago that she could be so indifferent to Brad today? At this moment she didn't care if she never saw him again. 'Tomorrow night the Lodge is giving a New Year's Eve party. As Sheila's sister and an employee, I have to attend, but I'm sure that later in the evening I can spend some time with you.'

'You'll be glad you did.' Brad gazed down at her with that winning smile that used to enchant her so.

'I have to go now,' she replied, completely unmoved by his attempt.