Orchard Valley Brides (11 page)

 

“How is she?”

Valerie's voice drifted through the cubicle door. Norah could have answered for herself. She'd been emotionally devastated, but she was much better now.

Although Norah had returned to the emergency room, she wasn't in any condition to work. Not knowing what to do, her supervisor had called Colby, who was on duty.

Colby had tried to listen, but hadn't been able to understand her, she was crying so hard. Her incoherent attempts to explain had merely frustrated him. Apparently he'd phoned Valerie, and she'd rushed to the hospital.

“She should go home, but I don't think she's in any shape to drive,” Norah heard Dr. Adamson tell her sister.

Everyone was making it seem far worse than it was, Norah thought grumpily. Okay, so she was a bit weepy when she got back from lunch. And it was true that she hadn't been able to speak too clearly, which made her cry even more with frustration. But everything was under control now—well, almost everything.

“Norah?” Valerie knocked on the door of the emergency-room cubicle before letting herself in.

“Hi,” Norah said, raising her right hand limply. “I'm doing much better than Dr. Adamson would have you believe.”

“Colby's the one who's so concerned. He's never seen you like this.”

“I don't think I have, either,” she said, making an effort to smile. A pile of crumpled tissues lay on the gurney beside her. “I'm sorry everyone was worried about me, but really I'm fine. Or at least I will be in a little while.”

“Do you want to tell me what happened?”

Norah shrugged and reached for a fresh tissue, clenching it tightly in her fist. “There's not that much to tell. Rowdy dropped in unexpectedly and asked me to marry him. I…didn't feel I had any option but to refuse.”

Valerie looked as if she suddenly needed to sit down. “Let me see if I've grasped this correctly. Rowdy—Rowdy
Cassidy
—actually proposed to you?”

Norah nodded.

“He asked you to
marry
him?” Valerie asked incredulously.

Again Norah nodded. “I don't know why—he doesn't have time for me in his life. He…he wanted me to pick out my own engagement ring.”

“I don't get it,” Valerie said, frowning. “I thought you were in love with him.”

“I am, and I'm sure he loves me—as much as Rowdy's capable of loving anyone.”

It was as though Valerie hadn't heard her as she began to pace the tiny cubicle. “Every single person who saw you and Rowdy at Steffie's wedding was convinced your engagement would be next.”

“He's already married—to CHIPS,” Norah whispered sadly.

“So?”

“Don't
you
understand?” Norah cried, disappointed in her sister. She'd expected sympathy from Valerie, not censure.

“I guess I don't,” Valerie admitted reluctantly. “What do you expect him to do—resign from the company, give up everything he's worked so hard to achieve all these years?”

“No…of course not.” Norah felt shaken. All along she'd assumed she was right, but Valerie was forcing her to question her own actions.

“Now isn't the time to worry about it,” Valerie said soothingly. “Dr. Adamson asked me to drive you home. You're much too upset to work.”

“But what if—”

“Don't worry, Colby said he'd get someone to cover for you.”

Norah didn't even get a chance to finish. She'd started to say
What if Rowdy calls and I'm not here?
But he wouldn't phone. Norah would have staked her career on it. He was much too angry—he'd told her their goodbye was final.

 

Someone must have called her father, because David was standing at the door waiting when Valerie pulled into the driveway in front of the house. He poured Norah a stiff drink, told her to sip it slowly and then advised her to nap.

Norah did so without argument. She must have been more exhausted than she realized; she didn't awaken until late the following morning.

Valerie was speaking to her father when Norah walked down the back staircase into the kitchen. They stopped talking when she appeared. It didn't take a genius to figure out what they were discussing.

“Well,” Norah said casually, “what did you two decide?”

“About what?” her father questioned.

“Me. And Rowdy.”

“There isn't anything for me to decide,” David said, exchanging a knowing smile with Valerie. “You've got a good head on your shoulders. You'll sort out what's best for you.”

Norah wished she shared her father's confidence. Rejecting Rowdy's marriage proposal was the right thing to do—wasn't it? Good grief, he didn't even have half an hour to look for an engagement ring with her! Their marriage would be a continual battle of wills. She could fight another woman for his affections, but she was defenseless against a company he'd built from the ground up, a company that was his whole life. She had no choice but to make a stand now or be miserable later.

 

Ten days passed, and Norah lived with a constant sense of expectation. But she wasn't sure what she was waiting for. Rowdy had made it plain that she wouldn't be hearing from him again.

Her father, too, seemed stricken with a feeling of hopefulness. More times than she could count, Norah saw him sitting on the porch, his gaze focused in the distance as if he was waiting for someone to come barreling down the long driveway.

“He isn't coming, Dad,” Norah said one evening after dinner. She brought him a cup of coffee and sat down on the front step near him.

“You're not talking about Rowdy, are you?”

“Yes, Dad, that's exactly who I'm talking about.”

“I don't expect he'll come. He's got too much pride for that. Can't say as I blame him. Poor fellow's head over
heels in love, and he doesn't know what to do about it. I feel sorry for the poor chap.”

“He was furious with me. He might have loved me at one point, but he doesn't now.” She was sure that Rowdy had completely blotted her from his mind.

“Isn't he going to be out of his cast soon?”

Norah had to stop and think. She tasted the coffee, hoping its warmth would chase away the chill she felt whenever she thought about Rowdy. Her life seemed so lonely, so cold without him.

“If I remember right, he should've had the cast removed on Monday.” She didn't envy his physical therapist. Rowdy Cassidy would be a cantankerous and difficult patient.

As they were talking, Norah noticed a thin trail of dust rising from the driveway. Her father saw it, too, and Norah watched him relax, as though a long-awaited visitor had finally arrived. But Norah didn't recognize the car—or the driver.

Not until Earl Robbins climbed out of the car did Norah remember who he was. Rowdy's employee. The one who was heading up CHIPS Northwest.

“Hello again, Norah,” he greeted her, closing his door and walking toward the porch.

“Hello,” she said, trying to disguise her puzzlement. She introduced her father, and as she did so, tried to imagine what had brought Robbins to see her. A sense of panic filled her when she realized something must be wrong with Rowdy.

“Is Rowdy all right?” she asked, hoping he didn't hear the near-hysteria in her voice. “I mean, he's not ill, is he?”

Robbins glanced toward David and shook his head. “I'm here because of Rowdy, but I don't want you to worry. To the best of my knowledge, he's in fine health.”

“Take the young man into my den,” her father instructed. “I'll see about getting some iced tea, unless you'd prefer coffee or something stronger.”

“Iced tea would be fine,” Robbins said with a grateful smile.

Norah directed him into her father's den and closed the door, leaning against it with her hands behind her as she tried to compose herself.

“Valerie suggested I come and talk to you,” he explained, pacing as he spoke. “To be honest, I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing. I do know that Rowdy wouldn't approve of my being here. He'd have my job if he knew I was within fifty miles of this place.”

If Earl Robbins didn't feel the need to sit down, Norah did. She sank onto the ottoman and clenched her hands. “How is he?” she asked, hungry for news of him.

Robbins ceased pacing. “Physically I'd say he's on the mend. The cast is off, and he's walking with the aid of a cane. He's more mobile than he was, which helps—but not much.”

“You didn't come here to tell me how well his leg is mending, did you?”

Robbins grinned wryly. “No, I didn't.” He walked over to her father's desk and turned to face her. “It isn't any of my business what went on between you and Rowdy. In fact, I'd rather not know.

“I realize he's in love with you. Both Kincade and I saw it happening. We sort of enjoyed watching the transformation. I'm certainly no expert on love. I'm not
married myself. But it seemed to me that you felt just as strongly about Rowdy.”

“I do,” Norah admitted. “Oh, I do.”

“From the minute he was discharged from the hospital, all he thought about was you. He drove the staff crazy. It's a miracle that group of stockholders didn't walk out on him in San Francisco. Ms. Emerich told me he bolted upright in the middle of the conference, as if he didn't know where he was, then sat down and mumbled something no one heard.”

“He was probably worried about his stock,” Norah said.

“I don't think so. My guess, and that of everyone else who's close to him, is that it was you he was thinking about in San Francisco. The same way he has ever since you two met.”

“He isn't thinking about me anymore,” Norah said.

“Don't kid yourself. I'm not here for my health, Norah, and if Rowdy ever found out, he'd have my hide as well as my job. He's miserable.”

“I suppose he's making everyone else miserable, too.”

“No, and that's what's got us worried. I've never known Rowdy to be so…nice. He's keeping his unhappiness to himself. He's polite, cordial, thoughtful. No one knows what to make of it.”

“I—I'm sure it'll pass.”

“Perhaps,” Robbins agreed, “but I can't help thinking it might not. No one's ever seen Rowdy like this. We don't know how to help him. You've got your family, but Rowdy doesn't have anyone.”

“He's got CHIPS,” she said, not meeting the man's direct gaze.

A knock sounded on the door, and her father came in,
bringing Robbins a glass of iced tea. David glanced from him to Norah and back again, then edged out the door.

“Thank you.” Robbins took a sip of tea and set the glass aside. “I came because Valerie seemed to think it was important for you to know what's happening to Rowdy. She wants you to understand how much he misses you…how lonely and lost he is. That's all. Now I won't take up any more of your time.”

“Thank you for telling me.” Although Norah was aware that Valerie had encouraged him to come, she was grateful. Earl Robbins had given her a lot to think about.

He nodded. “Listen, if it wouldn't be too much to ask, I'd appreciate if you didn't say anything to Rowdy about my stopping in.”

“Of course,” Norah agreed.

Robbins looked significantly relieved.

It took Norah about two minutes to decide what to do with the information Robbins had given her, and two days to make the arrangements.

She kissed her father on the cheek late Thursday afternoon, picked up her suitcase and headed down the porch steps to Valerie's car. Her sister was waiting to drive her to the airport.

“You call, you hear?” her father shouted after her.

“Of course I will,” Norah promised. “Although he just might throw me out on my ear.”

David chuckled. “That isn't likely. That man needs you—the same way I needed your mother. Be gentle with him. The poor guy doesn't have a clue what's about to happen.”

Norah found his parting words a bit odd. She didn't have a clue herself. All she could do was hope for the best.

Early Friday morning, Norah arrived at CHIPS dressed in a new suit. The seventeen-floor headquarters was an impressive piece of architecture, designed in smoky black glass and glistening steel.

The first thing that occurred to Norah was how far from Orchard Valley she'd come, but that didn't deter her from her purpose. Armed with Valerie's directions and an elevator code, Norah entered the top floor that housed Rowdy's office.

“Ms. Bloomfield,” Rowdy's assistant said softly when she saw Norah. The middle-aged woman slowly stood up and beamed her a wide smile.

“Hello, Ms. Emerich,” Norah said uncertainly. She was having a difficult time taking everything in. She'd had no idea CHIPS was so big.

“Oh, my heavens, I'm so glad you're here.” Ms. Emerich hurried from behind the desk and hugged Norah enthusiastically. “It's what we've all been praying would happen—your coming, that is. Rowdy isn't in the office just yet… I never know when he's going to show up these days. Would you like to wait for him?”

Norah nodded and followed her into Rowdy's private office.

“I'll get you some coffee,” the older woman said, hands fluttering in her eagerness. “Sit down, anywhere you like. Just make yourself at home.” She turned to leave. “Oh, Norah, I'm so glad you've come…”

Perhaps it was a bit presumptuous of her, but Norah chose Rowdy's chair. She sat in the plush black leather and whirled around to face the window, with its dramatic view of Houston.

Hearing someone step into the room, she turned
around again and smiled, expecting to see Rowdy's assistant. Only it wasn't Ms. Emerich who'd entered, it was Rowdy Cassidy himself. And he didn't look pleased.

“What the hell do you think you're doing in my office?” he demanded.