Lost in His Arms (6 page)

“Have you guys had lunch? I thought I'd take us into town to the café.” He looked from Elizabeth to Andrew.

She knew it was time to lay some ground rules. These days were about Richard and Andrew, not about the three of them spending time together. She didn't want to confuse Andrew in any way, didn't want him to start to think that maybe this was the beginning of the three of them being a family again.

She loved Richard, but not in the way a wife loves a husband. She could never be married to him again. “Why don't you and Andrew go? Is Rose still here?” When Richard nodded, she continued. “I'd love to have some time just to sit and visit with her.”

“Okay,” Richard agreed easily. “Ready, partner?”

“Ready,” Andrew replied, and the two of them
hurried down the hallway with barely a backward look.

Elizabeth sighed in relief. Richard's easy acceptance lay to rest her concerns about his motives for inviting her here. It was really only to make Andrew more comfortable.

The room Richard had put her in was attractive, done in soft pastel colors that instantly soothed her. She walked over to the window and pulled aside the peach-colored gossamer curtains to peer out.

From her vantage point, she had a perfect view of the nearby stable and the corral area. Several horses were in the pasture, their tails flicking as they dipped their heads to the lush grass.

A soothing room and soothing scenery. So why did she feel as if all the nerves in her body were stretched taut. Why was her stomach so twisted in knots? She refused to consider what the answer might be.

She left the room and headed for the kitchen. The minute she stepped into the large, cheerful room, she found herself in Rose's warm embrace.

“Oh, mercy, it's been too long!” Rose declared. “Let me look at you.” She held Elizabeth at arm's length, her brown eyes warm and welcoming. “Ah, just as lovely as ever.”

“I've missed you, too.” Elizabeth gave the old woman one last hug.

“Sit down,” Rose commanded. “I was just about
to fix me a meat-loaf sandwich for lunch. Will you join me?”

“I'd love to.” Elizabeth slid into a chair at the table and watched as Rose prepared the two sandwiches. She and Rose had gotten close during the first year of Elizabeth's marriage.

At seventeen, Elizabeth had known little about cooking and caring for a household. She'd often called Rose for the recipes of Richard's favorite foods and tips on keeping house. And in those phone calls, the two women had developed a friendship.

But, as often happened with divorces and changes, when Elizabeth had moved to Kansas City, the two had lost touch.

“I was going to make a sandwich for Talbot, but he left to go into Topeka just before you got here,” Rose explained as she set plates on the table. “I guess work piled up while you two were lost in the woods.” She shook her head ruefully. “You were mighty lucky to escape with your lives.”

“Don't remind me,” Elizabeth replied with a wry grin. “I've never been so scared in my life as the moment when Talbot said we were going down.”

As the two ate lunch, they chatted about everything from new stores in town to the people Elizabeth had known when she'd lived here.

They spoke of Andrew, whom Rose adored. “He's got his father's looks and energy, and thankfully your good sense to temper it,” she said.

The stress Elizabeth had momentarily felt upon arriving melted away beneath the warmth of Rose's smile and the easy conversation between them.

This won't be so bad, she thought. She'd been worried about having to spend too much time around Talbot, but odds were good that they would rarely see each other in the weeks ahead. He had his work, and she had brought a handful of books to read.

Besides, she was an adult, and she'd spent ten years of her life fighting the attraction she felt for him. She could continue to fight the attraction for another couple of weeks.

Once Richard's surgery was behind him and he was on the mend, they would return with their usual visitations, and Elizabeth would have no reason to interact with Talbot. As long as she didn't think about that kiss, she'd be fine.

When they'd finished lunch, Elizabeth went back upstairs. She didn't want to wander the house, not knowing when Richard and Andrew would return, but more importantly not knowing when Talbot would return.

In Andrew's room, she unpacked his suitcase, putting away clothes in the closet and drawers, then setting out the items he'd thrown into the suitcase, items he claimed he couldn't live without.

A baseball cap and a ball, a handheld video game, a sketch pad and his colored pencils, and a woolly
bear he insisted he didn't
have
to sleep with, but always did. She lined up the items across the top of the dresser, then stepped back and looked at them.

Her son. He was a terrific kid. Easygoing, he rarely pouted or threw fits. Andrew was the one thing Elizabeth and Richard had got right. And although he had easily adjusted to the divorce, adapted to the sporadic visitations with his father, Elizabeth knew the loss of Richard in his life would devastate him.

When she finished unpacking Andrew's things, she went back into her bedroom and started on hers. Noticing a clock radio, she turned it on and found an easy-listening station, then got busy with the music playing softly.

She had brought mostly casual clothing, which she folded neatly and placed in drawers. The two dresses she'd brought, she hung in the closet. Like Andrew, she had packed several things that had nothing to do with clothing.

She'd brought paperback books by favorite authors, several textbooks so she could study for the classes she intended to take next summer. She piled these on the nightstand and moved her hips to the beat of the rhythmic music.

“Elizabeth.”

She gasped and whirled around to see Talbot standing in the doorway. “Talbot!” A blush
warmed her cheeks. “How long have you been there?”

“Long enough to know you obviously don't need hip-replacement surgery.” One corner of his mouth curved into a smile. Her blush intensified. “I'm glad you and Andrew got here okay.”

She nodded. “We arrived about an hour ago.” Why was it that the air in a room always seemed to get displaced the moment he appeared?

Had he always been as handsome as he appeared at the moment? Clad in a worn pair of jeans and wearing a black ribbed shirt and a pair of loafers without socks, he looked casual yet elegant and utterly masculine.

“It appears you've fully recovered from our adventure,” he said, and his gaze momentarily flickered down the length of her. Heat suffused her in response to his gaze.

“I'm fine. What about you? How's your knee?” Go away, she wanted to scream. Go away. Don't look at me like that. Don't talk to me. Please, make these days here easier on me by staying away from me.

“Still a bit sore, but all right,” he replied. “Are you finding everything you need?”

“Everything is fine. We'll be just fine.” Her voice sounded higher-pitched than usual.

He stepped closer to her and she realized he held a small paper bag in his hand. “I've made arrange
ments for a tutor to begin working with Andrew first thing tomorrow morning. He'll work with him from eight to eleven every day while you're here.”

“Thank you.” Her mouth was uncomfortably dry, and she just wanted him gone.

“I better get back to work,” he said. “Oh, this is for you, to make your stay here more comfortable.” He handed her the small paper bag, then turned on his heel. “I'll see you at supper.” He disappeared from sight and she heard his footsteps carrying him down the hallway.

She drew a deep breath and slowly released it, then sat on the edge of the bed. She'd hoped she would have no reaction to seeing him again. She'd hoped the odd yearnings that had affected her during the course of their three days together had been an anomaly that had nothing to do with reality.

But now she had to face the fact that something drew her to Talbot—the same something that had been at work during the course of her marriage to Richard. Although for the course of her marriage she had remained one hundred percent committed to her husband, she had always been aware of a tension, a chemistry, a desire, at work between her and his brother.

She'd handled it during her married years by rarely placing herself in a position where she had to be around Talbot. And in all those years she had
never ever put herself in a position of being alone with him.

Until the plane crash. Until they'd talked for long periods of time, shared tiny pieces of themselves. Until all those crazy feelings had returned with a vengeance.

This is about Richard, she reminded herself firmly. Richard wanted his family around for support and love. He certainly didn't need his ex-wife lusting after his brother. She was certain that would only add additional tension, additional stress on a man who faced a huge challenge.

Besides, it wasn't as if she loved Talbot. Deciding that whatever it was she felt for him was just some sort of craziness that would pass, she reached into the bag he'd handed her.

Her fingers closed around the object. She pulled it free and stared at it.

A night-light.

It was shaped like a pretty flower with a hummingbird drinking from the center. Talbot had bought her a night-light.

Her heart contracted in a way that nearly evoked tears of wonder as she continued to stare at the unexpected, thoughtful gift.

He would have had no way of knowing she always packed a night-light with her, that she would never risk leaving home to stay in a strange place where the night might be too dark.

He had remembered her fear and gone out and bought her a night-light.

As she plugged the light into a socket near the bed, she wondered if in agreeing to come here, she hadn't made the biggest mistake of her life.

“M
om, get up!”

Andrew bounced on her bed with the enthusiasm of a natural early riser. Elizabeth groaned and tried to burrow deeper beneath the blankets. “I've been up for an hour, and Rose let me help her make biscuits. She said to tell you breakfast will be ready in about twenty minutes.”

Elizabeth rolled over on her back and squinted open an eye to look at her son. He was already dressed, and besides his blue jeans and red sweatshirt, he wore a bright, eager smile that gladdened her heart.

“Do I really have to get up?”

“Yes!” He grabbed her by the hand and tried to pull her from the bed.

She laughingly gave in. “Okay, okay, I'm getting up!”

Andrew jumped off her bed and headed for the door. “Now I'm going to go wake up Dad,” he announced, and hurried away.

Elizabeth grinned, knowing there was only one person in the world who hated getting up early more than she—and that was Richard.

She remained in bed for another few moments, then got up and padded into the bathroom. She covered a yawn with the back of one hand as she turned on the water for a shower.

She felt as if she could sleep another ten hours and knew it was because she had slept so restlessly the previous night. She quickly stepped into the shower and tilted her head up to meet the warm spray.

Talbot had not joined them for supper last night. It had been just the three of them. After dinner, Richard and Andrew had gone for a walk, and Elizabeth had returned to her room, not wanting to accidentally bump into the man who spent far too much time in her thoughts.

When she'd finally gone to bed, the night-light he'd bought for her had cast a reassuring glow not only in the room, but in her heart.

As she dried herself, she steeled herself for whatever the day ahead might hold. If she tried to spend every minute of every day in the bedroom, by the
end of her visit she would be completely insane. She had to get out a little, even if it meant running into Talbot.

Moments later, dressed for the day in a pair of jeans and a navy sweatshirt, she headed downstairs for the kitchen. Before she reached the bottom of the staircase, she heard the sound of male laughter coming from the kitchen.

It was easy to identify the high-pitched giggles of her son, the uninhibited laughter of Richard and the low-pitched rumble from Talbot.

“Ah, there she is,” Richard said as she entered the kitchen. “Sit down.” He pointed to the chair between him and Talbot. “It's all on the table.”

“I'm sorry if I kept you waiting,” she said as she slid into her chair. Beneath the smells of fried bacon and buttery, baked biscuits, she could detect the familiar fragrance of Talbot's aftershave.

“Did you sleep well?” Talbot asked.

“Yes,” she replied, although it wasn't true. “Thanks,” she added softly, knowing he would know what she was thanking him for.

He nodded and averted his gaze.

“We were just having a discussion on who can make the best pizza,” Richard said. “I say it's me.”

Andrew rolled his eyes and grinned at his mother. “I told Dad I could probably make a better pizza than him. The last time he tried to make me pizza,
he burned the crust black. Besides, he makes his from a box.”

“That's because we started playing catch in the yard, and I forgot all about it baking,” Richard protested. “And what's wrong with a box?”

“You all know I'm the master pizza maker around here,” Talbot said, joining in the fun. “Several pizzerias in different cities around the world are always trying to buy my old family recipe.” His dark eyes glittered with humor and his lips curved into a smile.

That smile. That killer smile that was so rarely used, and yet, whenever she saw it, her heartbeat became just a little faster than normal. She suddenly felt as if the air was too thin to breathe and quickly busied herself by buttering one of the flaky, golden biscuits.

“Really?” Andrew asked dubiously.

“Andrew, your Uncle Talbot is full of baloney,” Richard said with a laugh. “Besides, if his recipe was an old family recipe, I'd have it, too.”

“I have never been full of baloney,” Talbot protested. “I don't even like baloney.”

Andrew giggled with delight at the good-natured banter.

“It sounds to me like there's only one way to settle the matter,” Elizabeth said, finding their high spirits contagious, despite her unease.

“And what's that?” Richard asked.

“A pizza bake-off. Right here in this kitchen tonight.” The three males stared at her, then slowly they all began to smile.

“I'm in,” Richard said.

“Me, too,” Andrew said.

“I wouldn't miss it for the world,” Talbot said with a lazy grin. “And Elizabeth will be the judge.”

Elizabeth laughed. “I must warn you all. I'm a tough pizza critic.”

“The tougher, the better,” Richard said enthusiastically.

“But if we win, what do we win?” Andrew asked. “There has to be a prize or something if it's going to be a real contest.”

“I'll pick up something in town,” Elizabeth offered. “I'll get something really special. And I'll be happy to do any grocery shopping that needs to be done for the big event. Just make me a list, each of you, of what you need to create a masterpiece pizza. I can make the trip into town this morning while Andrew is with his tutor.”

Andrew made a face, indicating what he thought of the tutoring deal. “I think it would be more educational to go to town with you.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Nice try, kid.”

“I'll take the ride with you,” Richard said. “If you don't mind, there're a few things I need to take care of.”

“That's fine,” she agreed hurriedly, grateful it wasn't Talbot who had offered to go with her.

Throughout breakfast, she was far too conscious of Talbot. She tried not to notice how he seemed to possess not only the chair he sat on, but also the immediate space surrounding it.

Even in the mere act of eating, he appeared powerful and in control. Sexy. Twice their legs brushed under the table, and each time Elizabeth jerked away as if she'd encountered fire.

Fortunately Richard and Andrew provided entertainment and conversation, and the details of the pizza contest were hashed out, making the meal pass swiftly.

Immediately upon finishing his meal, Talbot excused himself and left the kitchen, and Elizabeth found herself relaxing.

When the rest of them were finished eating, Rose appeared to clear the table and shooed away any offers from Elizabeth to help.

Elizabeth was on her way back to her bedroom when Talbot appeared at the bottom of the stairs. “The tutor is here. I thought you might want to meet him.”

She nodded and followed him into his office. As she walked behind him, she couldn't help but notice how his shoulders filled out and stretched the material of his T-shirt. His jeans fit him as if they'd
been made exclusively for him, molding to his slim hips and well-shaped buttocks.

Lordy, she was having problems thinking of him as a man she'd never really liked, a man who had intimidated her and been cool and distant with her throughout her marriage to Richard.

All she seemed to be able to think about was those strong arms holding her through the dark, scary night, of his lips lightly pressed against hers in a kiss she'd wanted to go on…and on.

In the office a pleasant-looking, sandy-haired young man sat in a chair before the large desk. He stood as they entered the room.

“Elizabeth, this is Todd Green. He comes highly recommended and with impeccable references,” Talbot said.

“Hi, Todd.” She held out her hand, and the young man gripped it firmly. She wasn't sure whose hands were sweaty, Todd's or hers.

“How do you do,” he replied. “I'm looking forward to working with your son. Mr. McCarthy has told me he's a great kid.”

Elizabeth flashed a quick smile at Talbot, then looked back at Todd. “He
is
a great kid, and I'm sure the two of you will work very well together.”

“I'm ready to get started whenever he is,” Todd said.

“I thought I'd let them work in here where they won't be disturbed,” Talbot explained.

Elizabeth frowned. “But what about your work?”

“I don't plan on doing a lot over the next couple of weeks. If problems arise at the company, I have responsible men in charge who will call me.”

Elizabeth nodded, oddly disturbed by the knowledge that he didn't intend to work during the time she and Andrew were in the house. Somehow this knowledge made Richard's condition more frighteningly real than it already was.

“I'll go find Andrew so you can get started,” she said to Todd, then turned and left the office.

It had been almost easy to look on this time in the McCarthy household as a vacation of sorts. But Talbot never took vacations. He'd always been obsessed about the family business and controlling his life with precise efficiency. He rarely took time off for anything or anyone.

It wasn't until Andrew was in the office with Todd that Elizabeth and Richard left to drive into town for groceries.

“Thanks, Elizabeth,” Richard said as they pulled away from the house.

“Thanks for what?” she asked.

“For letting this happen. For coming here and letting me spend extra time with Andrew.” He stared out the passenger window for a long moment. “I want— I need to make memories for him…just in case something goes wrong.”

“Nothing is going to go wrong,” Elizabeth said firmly. “I refuse to consider any other outcome.”

Richard laughed, and she cast him a quick glance.

“What's so funny?” she asked.

“Me, you. When we were married, one of the things that drove me crazy about you was your strength. I always got the feeling that you were fine if I was there, and just as fine if I wasn't. You always had things under control, no matter how much chaos I brought into our house.”

Elizabeth didn't know how to reply, wasn't sure what he expected her to say. In any case, he gave her no opportunity to reply, but instead, continued. “Your strength, which I couldn't handle in our marriage, is now what I need from you. I need you to believe that everything is going to be okay, and I need you to make me believe that, too.”

“You know I'll do whatever I can to help you get through this, Richard,” she promised.

She tightened her grip on the steering wheel. He had no idea just how strong she would have to be in order to put aside the craziness she felt when she was around Talbot. It was a craziness of wanting Talbot to kiss her again, then utter madness of wanting Talbot to kiss her again, the utter madness of wanting Talbot to hold her not just for a minute, not just for an hour, but through the rest of the nights left to her on earth.

 

A pizza bake-off. He must have been out of his mind to agree to such a thing. Talbot stood in his office peering out the window where Richard and Andrew were playing catch. He knew Elizabeth was upstairs, waiting for the contest that would take place in a little while.

As he stared at his brother, his mind flashed over the years that he'd tried to be a parent to him. There had been a lot of laughter in those years—and a lot of tears.

Richard had been more than a handful, and Talbot had spent many a sleepless night wondering if he was doing too much or too little to guide his brother through adolescence and into well-adjusted, responsible adulthood.

Richard had never been a particularly demonstrative child, not given to easy displays of affection. But as Talbot watched his brother and his nephew play catch, he noticed how often Richard breached the distance between them and give his son a clap on the shoulder or a quick hug. It was as if Richard was trying to store up a lifetime of touches and hugs in case something went wrong during the surgery.

He'd noticed during the infrequent visits with Elizabeth and Richard during their marriage that the two of them rarely touched. He'd never seen his brother plant an absent kiss on Elizabeth's forehead, stroke her back unconsciously or take her hand while they walked.

Talbot would find it impossible not to be a toucher with Elizabeth. If she belonged to him, he'd want to touch her silky hair every chance he got, run his fingers down her smooth cheek, put his arm around her slender shoulders.

But she doesn't belong to you, a small voice reminded him. She belongs to Richard. Family ties still bind her to him and will forever make her off-limits.

He turned away from the window as Richard and Andrew finished playing catch and ran toward the house. The loneliness that had plagued Talbot in the past several years hit him square in the heart. He sank down behind his desk and leaned back in the chair.

Surely the feelings he was experiencing for Elizabeth had to do with the fact that he'd been without a woman in his life for a very long time. Before Richard's surprising marriage to Elizabeth, there hadn't been time for Talbot to maintain any sort of relationship with a woman. Richard and the business had sucked him dry every minute of every day.

After Richard had married and moved into town with Elizabeth, Talbot had dated off and on, though he'd never found a woman with whom he could imagine spending the rest of his life.

Casual movie dates, occasional dinners, a variety of women passing in and out of his life, but nobody who had touched him profoundly. Nobody who had
managed to ease the loneliness that had become his constant companion.

Of course he would have strong feelings for Elizabeth. She was beautiful and sexy and here in his home, here where he smelled her sweet fragrance in every room, felt her very presence. But for all he knew, he'd be having these same feelings for any woman who was temporarily staying in his house.

This thought made him feel better.

“Uncle Talbot?” Andrew called through the office door. “It's time to make pizza.”