Hot on Her Heels (20 page)

“Land rich and cash poor,” he said with a heavy sigh. “A rancher's lot for generations. What about borrowing on Glory's Gate?”

“Don't do it,” Brock told him. “I've been your friend for over forty years, Jed, and I'm telling you not to do it.”

“You saying I couldn't raise the cash?”

“You could get plenty, but it would be too risky. You really want to put the last of the Titan land on the block?”

“It's a loan, Brock. I'm not selling.”

“And if you have to default?”

“I'm winning this fight.” He always won. This time was taking a little longer than he was used to, but the outcome would be the same. “Find me some fool with money.”

Something flashed across Brock's face.

Jed raised his eyebrows. “You have someone already?”

His friend hesitated. “I've been approached. There's an offer on the table.”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“Because it's a bad deal. The interest rate is reasonable, as is the price, but the note…it's callable.”

Jed nearly laughed. “It's Garth,” he said gleefully. “He thinks he can trap me the way he nearly trapped Lexi. A callable note. What are the terms? No, wait. Let me guess. Minimal payments for as long as I want, but the note is callable with sixty days' notice.”

Brock swallowed. “Seventy-two hours.”

Jed's humor faded. “Sonofabitch. That's armed robbery.”

“That's the offer. And there aren't any payments. He's just giving you the money. But when he calls it, the principle and interest are due at the same time.”

It was like a giant game of poker, Jed thought, hating Garth Duncan with every fiber of his being. If it were up to him, he'd take the man out back and horsewhip him to death.

“He said you'd never do it,” Brock said. “He's challenging you. It's a taunt.”

A damn good one. But if he could take the money and trick Garth into thinking he was more desperate than he was…Yes, Jed thought slowly. Turn the game around.

“Do it,” he growled.

Brock stared at him. “No, Jed.”

“Do it,” he repeated. “Take the offer. Let him think he's got me where he wants me. Let him get cocky. We'll only buy what we need to push up the stock. Let word leak out there's in-fighting in the family for control. That will get people thinking there's a reason we all want control. The price will go up, we'll sell and I'll pay him back.”

Brock looked unhappy. “I don't think this is a good idea.”

“There isn't another choice. Don't worry, I have a good idea of what to do next. I plan to win it all back in one big hand of poker. Then I'll crush Garth and my daughters along with him. I'll teach them all not to screw with Jed Titan.”

 

D
ANA HAD THOUGHT
shopping hell would be defined as the fancy boutique Lexi had taken her to a few weeks
before. She'd been wrong. True pain and suffering came in the form of a well-lit, beautifully furnished wedding salon. Not even a store or a boutique…no, this was definitely a salon.

Here, tasteful music played quietly in the background. The carpet was plush, the mirrors carefully polished, the chairs well-padded and covered in some kind of tapestry. Those buying were clients, not customers, and gowns had names instead of inventory numbers. First names. You didn't ask for Vera Wang. Just Vera was enough.

“It helps if you keep breathing,” Izzy whispered, grinning over her fancy teacup. “And remind yourself to bring a flask next time.”

“I would have brought a flask this time if I'd been thinking,” Dana muttered, shifting on her too-soft chair and wishing she could fast-forward through the next hour.

She loved Skye. She would even take a bullet for her, but sitting quietly while her friend tried on wedding dresses was a new and uncomfortable form of torture. Still, when Skye had asked, she'd been unable to say no.

Until Skye had e-mailed her the address, she hadn't known this place existed and she could have died happy without the knowledge. She didn't know what dresses here cost and she wasn't going to ask. Still, the sisters seemed happy. Lexi had been ushered to a plush chaise where she half reclined, sipping herbal tea and having
her feet massaged by the in-house masseuse. At least she was having a good time if the groans were anything to go by.

Skye walked out of one of the big dressing rooms and stepped onto the round platform in front of the half circle of mirrors. She smoothed the narrow cream-colored skirt.

“What do you think?” she asked, looking hopeful, but not sure.

Dana studied the tasteful, tailored suit. It was silk, a fact she knew only because she'd overheard the saleswoman describing the fabric as she'd picked it out. There was lace on the lapels and a pretty scalloped hem, if one was into that sort of thing.

“You look great,” Lexi said, through half-closed eyes. “It fits you great.”

“One of the advantages of being a size ten,” Skye said with a sigh. “Getting married in a month means buying a sample. So at least they fit. It's pretty.” She sounded more doubtful than sure.

“Very elegant,” Izzy said. “It's great.”

Dana studied the suit. It was beautifully made and probably cost a whole lot of money. It even suited Skye's curves and coloring, but it wasn't the dress of her friend's dreams.

“You hate it,” Dana said. “Why are you trying on suits? You wear suits to the office, not to a wedding.”

Skye bit her lower lip. “It's a second wedding,” she said. “At home. The dress shouldn't be anything, you know, too much.”

“Why not?” Dana asked. “It's your wedding. Wear what you want. Who's going to complain? Plus, what is Mitch going to think when he sees you in a suit? Skye, you're into princess dresses. Not this.”

“But I shouldn't…”

“Yes, you should,” Lexi said. “Dana's right. This is your wedding to Mitch. Go try on something that will make you happy.”

Skye's mouth turned up at the corners. “Really?”

“Don't make us have Dana get violent,” Izzy said. “As long as we're not bridesmaids, I totally support you covering yourself in tulle and fluff. Go for it.”

Skye grinned, then hurried back to the dressing room. Seconds later two salespeople went scurrying into the back, no doubt to drag out a dozen or so dresses for her to try on.

Dana set down her herbal tea and stood. While she wanted her friend to be happy, the afternoon already seemed endless. She wasn't sure she could sit through more of the fashion show.

She headed outside, then stood on the sidewalk, under the awning, as a light misting rain chilled her. Izzy came out after her.

“You all right?” she asked.

“Yeah. I just needed some air.”

Izzy's eyes darkened with concern. “Want to talk about it?”

The fact that it had been a week since Dana had gone back with Garth? A week of sleeping in a separate
room, which he apparently didn't notice because he hadn't said a word. Hadn't tried to change her mind. Not that he was ever home, she thought grimly. She'd barely seen him. She knew he was avoiding her, what she didn't know was why.

Was he missing Fawn? Did he regret breaking up with her? Was he angry with himself? With Dana? Or was he just busy at the office? She couldn't bring herself to ask him. Mostly because she was afraid of the answer.

“Dana?”

She looked at her friend. “Sorry. I'm not feeling well.”

“Flu sick or man sick?”

Dana shook her head. “Tell me the difference.”

“That bad?”

“It's not bad, it's just…confusing.”

Izzy touched her arm. “Lexi told me about what happened at that party. With Fawn and all.”

Dana wasn't surprised. Lexi had been worried about her. She didn't mind Izzy knowing, even if she disliked being the object of concern. Or worse, pity.

“He has a past,” she said firmly. “We all have pasts, right? His happens to be a little more complicated than most. It happens to have a problem with stealing, but what does that matter?”

“Are you afraid he's still in love with her?”

Trust Izzy to cut to the heart of the matter, Dana thought. “Maybe,” she admitted.

“Because he's important to you.”

“I don't want him to be. I tell myself he's just a guy. No better or worse than the others.”

“Garth is many things, but he's not just a guy.”

That's what terrified Dana the most. That he was different. So different that she couldn't protect herself from him. What if he hurt her and she couldn't ever recover?

Dana drew in a breath. “She was so beautiful. Seriously, alien beautiful. As if she wasn't completely human. I'll never be that. I'll never be anything like her.”

“Do you want to be?” Izzy asked.

“No. But then I think I should wear makeup or dress better or cook. It's horrible. I'm turning into someone weak.”

“Wanting to please someone isn't a sign of weakness—it's a sign of caring.”

“I'm not changing my life for a man,” Dana snapped.

“No one's asking you to.”

“I know.” She sighed. “It's me. The voices in my head saying I should nest and bond. What if I want to buy an apron? It'll be the death of hope.”

Izzy grinned. “You'll never want to buy an apron.”

“I want to buy eye shadow.”

“You want to be pretty. You want Garth to think you're pretty.”

All true, but still hard for her to hear. “I can't be who I am with him.”

“Sure you can. Maybe you'll even figure out who you were supposed to be, if you hadn't spent so much time trying to make sure no one hurts you.”

“Ouch.”

Izzy's humor faded. “You know I love you.”

“So that's your excuse for playing hardball?”

“It's okay to care about Garth.”

“No, it's not. Caring means being vulnerable.” It meant opening herself up and risking everything. She glanced back at the etched glass door. “Tell Skye I had to go, okay?”

She didn't wait for an answer. Instead she stepped into the rain and hurried toward her truck.

D
ANA RODE THE ELEVATOR UP
to the penthouse, then unlocked the door. Before she'd put her purse on the table in the entryway, she knew she wasn't alone. Someone else was in the condo.

Silently, she pulled out her handgun, then eased the door closed behind her. She moved toward the hall, using the wall as cover. Deep breaths kept any apprehension at bay, while adrenaline sharpened her senses. Was it Jed? Or had he sent someone else?

“Dana?”

Garth's voice surprised her. She frowned at her watch. It was barely two in the afternoon. She shoved her gun into her purse and walked toward the living room. He stood by the window, facing the room.

“You're home early,” she said. “Is everything all right?”

“No.”

With the light behind him, it was difficult to see his face or read his expression. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. Not that she usually could.

“What happened?” she asked. “Is it Jed?”

“It's not Jed.”

There was something strange about his voice. The tone was off, or maybe it was more the clipped way he formed the words. Uneasiness swept through her, making her stomach hurt.

She took a step toward him, then stopped. If she'd been someone else, she would have admitted he was scaring her. Not in a dangerous way but in an “I don't want to hear this” way.

“How long are you going to be mad at me?” he asked. “It's been a week and you're still pissed. Tell me how to fix that.”

She blinked at him. He thought
she
was pissed? “You've been going to work early and staying late. You're barely talking to me.”

“I was giving you space.”

“For what?”

“To work out your feelings. You were mad.”

She'd never been mad—not in the way he meant. She'd been hurt. Not that she would tell him that.

“I was upset,” she admitted. A nice, neutral word. Not much risk there. “You asked me to come back, then you disappeared. I didn't know what to think.”

He swore and moved toward her. When he stepped away from the window, she saw the concern in his eyes and maybe a little worry.

“I know this is complicated,” he growled as he approached. “We're dealing with Jed and all he's doing. You're here against your will. There are—”

She put her hand on his arm. “I'm not here against my will.”

“You didn't like the idea of moving in.”

“Maybe, but that's very different than saying it's against my will.”

His dark gaze locked with hers. “So you want to be here?”

Oh, God. Why did he have to ask that?

“I don't
not
want to be here.”

“What the hell does that mean?” he demanded. “Dammit, Dana, do you think this is easy for me? I started this. If someone gets hurt, it's my fault. I didn't care before. It was easy. Bring down the Titans. But now it's different. Complicated. I have to worry about my sisters and you. Jed's come after you. What if he hurts you? What if something happens?”

He sounded almost panicked, which was oddly comforting.

“We'll deal,” she told him.

“That's not good enough. And you've been mad.”

“I'm not mad. I was giving
you
space.” She sucked in a breath and risked a piece of the truth. “I thought you were upset about seeing Fawn again. That you had regrets about letting her go.”

He grabbed both her arms and stared into her eyes. “I was never in love with Fawn.”

“But she's so beautiful.”

“Sure. If you don't mind waiting a couple of hours for her to get ready, it's a great show. But she also has a lot
of problems and while I feel sorry for her, I'm not interested in spending the rest of my life worrying with her. I'm not that sensitive a guy. I'd screw it up. I need someone tough and strong and smart and determined. I need someone who can take me on and give as good as she gets.”

Hope filled Dana. Dangerous, growing hope that made her want to believe he was talking about her.

“Good luck with that,” she whispered.

“I don't need luck. I have you.”

Maybe it was real or maybe it was just a line. She couldn't be sure, but for now, hearing was enough. She reached up to hug him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her hard against him.

They'd made love before, had kissed and touched and played in bed, but nothing they'd done had ever been this intimate. They hung on to each other for a very long time, as if neither wanted to be the first to let go. Finally she shifted back enough to be able to look into his eyes.

“I missed you,” she whispered, exposing her heart one word at a time.

“I missed you more,” he murmured, and then he kissed her.

 

“M
AYBE NEXT TIME YOU
could surprise me with something good,” Dana muttered as she followed Lexi back into the bridal boutique.

“Like an afternoon on the shooting range?” Lexi asked.

“That would work.”

Izzy was waiting for them inside, already sipping tea and looking both happy and beautiful. “Maybe I should have a big wedding,” she said. “Get all fancy. Invite people I barely know, get presents.”

Lexi patted her shoulder. “You're not really a wedding kind of person.”

“I know, but every now and then I like to talk about a big ceremony. Just to watch Nick sweat.”

“You have a mean streak,” Dana murmured. “That makes me like you more.”

“Then you shouldn't mind being here,” Izzy said. “Because you like Skye, too.”

“The things I do for my friends,” Dana grumbled.

The manager of the salon rushed over and greeted them. She smiled vaguely at Dana before fawning over Lexi and Izzy. Lexi was immediately shown to a plush chaise and urged to relax.

“Does she get another foot massage?” Izzy asked. “I'd love a foot massage.”

“You're not pregnant,” Lexi said, relaxing into the soft cushions and sighing. “This is how I want to live my life.”

“It
is
how you are living your life,” Dana said.

“Lucky me.” Lexi turned to Izzy. “Why don't you show her what we picked out? Then she can choose the least offensive one.”

“Don't you want a say?” Dana asked, almost meaning it. She would actually prefer getting the final choice, but it seemed polite to offer the choice to Lexi.

Lexi put her hand on her belly. “All the ones she picked will do a great job covering this, so I'm good.” She smiled at the petite dark-haired woman who approached. “Eva, I've missed you. And my swollen ankles have missed you more.”

Izzy grabbed Dana's arm. “Come look. You should be happy. I went with black rather than red or green. I know it's a Christmas Eve wedding, but seriously, that color of green doesn't flatter anyone over the age of eight.”

Although Skye had said no one had to dress up as her bridesmaid for her second wedding, all of them knew that she would love to have her sisters and Dana as part of the ceremony. Izzy had come up with the idea of surprising her at the wedding in matching dresses. Dana thought that idea was right up there with a root canal, but they were talking about Skye, whom she loved very much. Sacrifices would have to be made.

“Erin's dress is adorable,” Izzy continued, leading Dana into a large dressing room and pointing at the dresses hanging along the wall. “I saw it earlier and chose elements for our dresses that would complement the style. I also picked what would look good with Skye's gown.”

Dana pushed down a flash of guilt. The gown she hadn't stayed to see. So she wasn't really in a position to know which dress worked best.

Fortunately all the dresses Izzy had chosen looked pretty nice, considering they were bridesmaid dresses. They were long and simple. One had more ruffles than
the other, one had lace, but none of them would make Dana gag.

Izzy pointed to the one on the left. “That one has the best shot at a second life,” she said. “Chop it off at the knees, shorten the sleeves and you have a fancy cocktail dress.”

Dana studied the dress in question. The black lace sleeves looked three-quarter. The top was beaded, but there wasn't any lace and the skirt hung fairly straight. No ruffles, no flounces.

“Can Lexi get into that one? Where would her stomach go?”

Izzy crossed to the dress and held out the sides. “There's a lot of material here and the empire waist means it's more flattering than most.”

Dana would have agreed, had she known what an empire waist was. “Let's try it on,” she said.

Five minutes later she stood in front of the big mirror in the main room. Lexi raised her herbal tea in salute. Eva had apparently worked her magic and left.

“You look nice. I like it. Can they get them here in time?”

Izzy nodded. “They're not custom. It's just a matter of calling other stores and getting them here. So what do you think?”

Dana stared at her reflection. Apparently an empire waist was one that sat up higher, just below her breasts. The dress was pretty and not so girly that it made her want to run screaming from the room.

“I like it. Are you sure Skye won't mind us wearing black?”

“She'll love it. Then we're agreed?” Izzy asked. “We'll get this and surprise Skye right before the wedding.”

“Uh-huh.” Lexi sipped her tea, her gaze intent. “Dana, are you all right?”

“Fine.”

“You don't look fine. You look…tired. But not in a happy, I've-been-having-sex kind of way.”

“Maybe I need a new moisturizer,” Dana said. “Or highlights.”

Lexi wrinkled her nose. “Don't toy with me. You'd never get highlights. But I think they'd look nice. Is something wrong?”

Dana glanced at Izzy, who shrugged. Dana didn't know if that meant Izzy hadn't told Lexi about their conversation the last time they'd been in the salon or if Izzy didn't know how to distract Lexi.

“Not wrong, exactly,” Dana mumbled. “Just…confusing.”

“How?” Lexi asked, lowering her voice. “This is about Garth, right?”

Dana shrugged. “Mostly.”

“Because you're not running this time?” Lexi asked.

“I don't run.”

“You don't stay,” Izzy said. “It's practically the same thing. You pick guys who aren't interesting to you, then leave when you get bored. You go safe. Garth is
anything but safe. Of course it's uncomfortable. You're stepping into the unknown.”

“This is a good thing,” Izzy said, coming up next to her. “The other guys were never what you wanted.”

Dana really didn't like being the center of attention. “How do I know Garth is?”

“He's a step closer,” Lexi said.

“And you know that how?”

Lexi smiled. “Because your eyes light up when you talk about him. Because he makes you crazy and you can't wait until you see him again. Because when the phone rings, there's only one person you want it to be.”

Dana swallowed. She would never have thought to explain her relationship that way, but when Lexi said it, everything made perfect sense.

She leaned against the gilded chair by the chaise. “I'm confused,” she admitted. “Some things are clear. I know he'll do whatever it takes to get the revenge he wants. But at the same time, I don't think he'd hurt any of you, anymore. So that's good, right? But it means he changed and I don't believe people change.”

“Maybe you've been wrong,” Izzy told her. “Stranger things have happened.”

Dana nodded. “Maybe. I just…” She cleared her throat. “How much of what's going on is about me and him and how much of it is just about keeping me safe? Are we together or is it convenient?”

“Have you tried talking about this?”

Dana stared at her.

“Right,” Lexi said. “Why would you do the rational thing?”

“Oh, please.” Izzy rolled her eyes. “Because you discussed everything with Cruz while you were pretending to be engaged. There were no surprises, no misunderstandings.”

Lexi sniffed. “I have no idea what you're talking about and that isn't the point. Dana, you should talk to Garth. Ask some of these questions.”

“What if I don't like the answers?”

“What if you do?”

That almost scared her more, she thought, not wanting to admit it even to herself. “I'll wait until this is over,” she said. “Right now he's too distracted. I wouldn't want to get in the way.”

Izzy made a clucking sound.

Dana turned and glared at her. “You
so
want to take that back.”