Second Summer Read online

  They walked to the restaurant in silence. The normal small talk could wait until they were seated. For some reason Heath was edgy, couldn’t seem to clear his head and relax. It had been that way since his conversation, or lack of one, with Annie.

  His first thought after the hand-shake this morning, sealing the proposed deal, was to call Annie. He’d worked three months on the final aspects of the partnership to expand a center that MacLaren Properties owned in north Phoenix. Long nights, weekly trips to the city, unending phone conferences, and hard negotiations had finally paid off.

  He’d grabbed the phone from his pocket and began to punch her number, then stopped. The realization that Annie might not pick up the call, wouldn’t be the first to congratulate him, be excited for his accomplishment, twisted something in his chest. It was as if a vise gripped him and squeezed. It made no sense. They were good friends, nothing more. Why did he feel this acute sense of loss?

  “I’ll have a glass of white wine, Peter,” Heath heard Diana tell the waiter.

  “Jameson, on the rocks.”

  “I’ll get your drinks then take your order,” the waiter said and left them alone.

  “How does it feel to finally settle a deal you’ve worked so hard to win?” Diana asked with a gleam in her eyes.

  “Good.” Not great, just good.

  “So, what’s next on your agenda? Other deals in Phoenix or somewhere else?”

  “Nothing specific. I have a few vague ideas but they need to be fleshed out a little more to see if they make sense.”

  “Here you are, one white wine, and your whiskey, sir.” The drinks were placed before them.

  They ordered and picked up their glasses.

  “To your success today, Heath,” Diana toasted.

  They touched glasses, Diana taking a small sip, Heath drinking half of his amber liquid. Somehow he didn’t feel like a success.

  ******

  “We’re looking forward to this partnership, Heath. Will you be available sometime next week to go over the drawings and review the numbers?” Tom Elliott was the senior partner he’d worked with over the last three months. Diana worked for Tom and was on the fast-track from what Heath had heard.

  “Next week is fine, Tom. Let me know when and I’ll make myself available.”

  “You heading north tonight or staying over?”

  Heath glanced at Diana. She’d been less than thrilled when he’d told her he needed to return to Fire Mountain that evening. He still could change his mind, but he felt the need to return, finish his conversation with Annie.

  “I’ll be driving back this evening. I’m taking Diana to dinner, would you care to join us?” A sharp look from Diana warned him he’d made another error.

  “I’d like to but I have other plans. Count me in for next week.”

  The men shook hands and Heath walked out, signed agreement in hand, with Diana following a few steps behind.

  “Diana,” Tom called. “Do you have a moment?”

  “Of course.” She looked at Heath. “I’ll meet you in the lobby.”

  “That’s fine. I have some calls I need to make.”

  He settled into a large, leather chair in the reception area and dialed Annie’s number. No answer. He left a short message, letting her know his deal had gone through and asking if her schedule had any openings. After two more calls he slid the phone into his pocket and waited. Thirty minutes passed before Diana came around the corner. She walked up and stood before him.

  “What’s that smile about?” Heath asked.

  “Tom gave me some pretty exciting news. I’ll tell you over dinner.”

  They drove his car to a small Italian restaurant on the way to her townhome in Scottsdale. They had ridden in together that morning. After dinner he’d drop Diana off at her place then head north toward home. He was ready to get back.

  They were shown to their table, ordered, then Heath waited for Diana’s big news.

  “The reason Tom wanted to speak with me was to say the board was pleased with the way the negotiations went with MacLaren Properties.” Excitement poured from her as she spoke.

  “That’s wonderful. Does it mean a promotion?”

  “No, nothing like that yet, but at least I’ve had a chance to show them a little of what I can do. Perhaps if I continue like this I’ll be offered my own office and staff.”

  “How many offices does the company have?”

  “Twelve across the country. One in each of their major target areas.”

  “So a promotion would mean a move outside of Arizona. When it comes, it will be a big decision.” He sipped the Jameson, not at all sure what this meant as far as trying to build something with her, but it was too soon to turn his back on this yet. A promotion might not come for months, or years, if at all.

  They made small talk through dinner, passing on dessert. When the check came she grabbed it. “This one’s on me, Heath.”

  They drove in silence to her place. He opened the door of her townhome and stood aside so Diana could pass in front of him. Heath closed the door and turned to see that Diana had already removed her jacket and was unbuttoning her blouse while moving towards him. In an instant he knew this wasn’t what he wanted, at least not tonight.

  “How long do we have before you need to leave?” Her voice was low, seductive. She opened the front of her blouse and let it fall to the floor. Next she unclasped the front of her bra. It followed her blouse. She reached behind her drawing the zipper to her skirt down and letting it pool at her feet. She stood before him, all legs and black lace panties, tempting him.

  He watched her, getting hard despite his efforts to stay in control. She took two steps, stopping inches from his chest. “See anything that makes you want to stay for a while?” She splayed her hands on his chest before undoing the top button of his shirt, then the next button, and the next. She pulled it open to reveal course, dark hair, then leaned forward to place kisses on his chest.

  He leaned back against the door and took a deep breath. Her hands had moved to his pants. He felt a button release and heard the rasping of a zipper.

  Heath placed a hand under her chin lifting her face to his. He lowered his mouth to hers and took control, plundering, and driving them both to the edge before lifting her into his arms.

  An hour later he lay in her bed, feeling sated yet hollow. She had everything he thought he wanted, yet offered nothing he needed. He rolled off the bed, dressed, and grabbed his keys. Bending down he placed a kiss on her cheek.

  “I’ll call you,” he whispered.

  “Hmmm. Make it soon.” Diana’s sleepy voice followed him as he left for the drive to Fire Mountain.

  ~~~~~

  Chapter Eight

  “Have you heard from her?” Jace asked the Saturday after Heath had returned from Phoenix.

  “Nope.” Heath concentrated on the paperwork in front of him.

  “Did you leave her a message about the board meeting?”

  “I did. I’m sure she’ll be there. Annie told me last weekend that she had several deadlines and wouldn’t be available much this week.”

  “And dinner tonight at our place? Caroline mentioned that Annie’s coming.”

  Heath looked up. “Has she spoken with Annie this week?”

  “Don’t know, why?” Jace strolled over to a sideboard and filled his coffee cup.

  Heath walked over to join his brother and top off his own cup. “She mentioned she couldn’t make the dinner. Something had come up.”

  “Well, I’ll leave that between the two of them. Caroline’s buried with so many projects right now that she’ll snap my head off if I bring up one more thing.”

  Heath chuckled at the thought of Caroline in a huff. She had more energy than three women and a sweet disposition, except when she committed herself to too much—which she often did.

  “If we’re done here I have that new colt to work. He’s a smart one. You ought to come check him out when you have time.” Jace wal
ked to the office door and pulled it open. “You bringing someone tonight?”

  “No, I’m coming solo.”

  Jace nodded. Something was up but he didn’t have time right now to push his brother. “All right. See you later.”

  Heath watched Jace close the door. He tossed the pen on the stack of papers he’d been studying and wondered if he’d ever find a relationship like Jace and Caroline’s. He thought back on eight years ago and the hell Jace had put Caroline through. No one believed their marriage would survive, but it did, and now they were the strongest couple he knew. Heath envied them.

  He looked at the cell phone in front of him. After three messages and no return call he was hesitant to try again. Annie would get back to him. She wasn’t ignoring him, just busy.

  The ringing of his desk phone brought Heath back to his work.

  “MacLaren,” he said into the phone.

  “What do you mean she’s not coming?” He could hear the frustration in Caroline’s voice. It was obvious Jace had rethought his previous decision and mentioned that Annie had bowed out of dinner.

  “Hasn’t she called you?” Heath asked.

  “Not a word. I’ve left her a couple of messages but haven’t heard back.” Caroline paused. He could hear her soft breathing on the other end. “What’s going on, Heath?”

  Heath didn’t want to talk about Annie with Caroline. “Don’t know. She hasn’t returned my calls either.”

  “Well, maybe you should go over there, make sure she’s all right.”

  Heath had thought the same thing, then discarded the idea.

  “I don’t have the time today. If no one hears from her by Monday I’ll stop by, make sure she’s all right.” Before Diana, he would have already been in his car.

  The silence on the other end told Heath just what Caroline thought of his comment.

  “I see.”

  “You see what?”

  “Something is going on between you two but you’re not ready to talk about it, right?”

  “Look, Caroline. I appreciate your concern but there’s nothing going on. We’re both just busy.” He loved his sister-in-law, and normally he might even mention his conversation with Annie, tell her about Diana, but not today. “I need to get back to my work. I’ll see you and Jace tonight.”

  He hung up knowing that his evasive answer would only fuel Caroline’s suspicions. She was one of the most intuitive people he knew.

  Heath had spent the last few days reconsidering his eagerness to leave Diana Monday night. He’d overreacted, he was certain. Theirs was a new relationship and it would take time to build anything meaningful. He’d decided to continue seeing her, give them a chance.

  He’d come to the conclusion he’d have to tell Jace and Caroline about Diana. Even though he wasn’t certain of their future it might be wise to schedule something so Jace and Caroline could meet her. Heath was certain everyone would love her. Like they did Annie.

  ******

  Caroline dialed Annie’s number once more, hoping she’d pick up. If not, she’d feel compelled to drive over, make sure her friend was all right. One ring turned to five before Annie’s voice mail picked up.

  “Annie, this is Caroline. Where the heck are you? I’ve left two other messages. Call me.” She hung up and slipped the phone back into her purse, grabbed the car keys, and dashed out the back door. Caroline was worried. Busy was one thing, but Annie had never stayed silent for this long.

  Twenty minutes later she stood outside her friend’s door. Caroline could see Annie’s SUV through the garage window, knew she was inside.

  She could hear movement inside and heard the lock slide back.

  “Hi, Annie. What’s going on?”

  Annie was dressed in sweats, her hair in a ponytail, and a ten pound weight in one hand. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Please. We’ve been friends long enough that I can tell when something isn’t right. May I come in?”

  Annie pulled the door open all the way knowing it was pointless to avoid this conversation any longer.

  “You want something to drink? Soda, water, tequila?”

  “Nothing. I just want to know what’s going on. Are you upset with me? Did I do something?” The distress in Caroline’s voice made Annie realize how selfish she’d been by not returning her calls.

  “God, no. You’ve done nothing.”

  “Then what is it? I know you’re busy, but you’ve never just shut me out.”

  Annie paced a few feet away then plopped down onto her sofa, letting out a deep breath, but didn’t respond.

  Caroline sat beside her and placed a hand on Annie’s knee. “What is it? Let me help.”

  Annie leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees, and covering her face with both hands.

  “It’s Heath.” Annie dropped her hands and looked at Caroline. “He’s met someone. A woman in Phoenix. It sounds serious.”

  Caroline fell back against the sofa. She’d known Annie had feelings for Heath. Now she realized that the feelings were much deeper than she’d thought.

  “Did he tell you that?”

  “When he brought me home from the picnic last Saturday he told me he’d met someone. Her name’s Diana.” She felt her chest squeeze but pushed the pain aside. “He’s never done that before. Normally he just says he has a date and leaves it at that. This is the first time he’s made it sound as if he’s met someone special, a woman he wants to build a relationship with.” Annie stopped, her gaze moving to the tall pines in the back yard. “I think he may be in love.” She walked into the kitchen and stood by the counter.

  The pain Caroline saw surprised her. She had no idea the extent of Annie’s feelings for Heath. “So he may be in love with this Diana woman, and you’re in love with him, right?”

  “How did I let this happen? How could I have been so stupid? I’m a grown woman, with grown children. This wasn’t supposed to be more than a friendship. How could I be so blind?” She slapped both hands on the counter and hung her head.

  Caroline walked over and touched a hand to hers. “This isn’t something within our control, honey. Never has been. You can’t direct your heart to love or not love, it just doesn’t work that way.”

  Annie glanced up, a tear making its way down her cheek. She swiped at it in frustration and at her total ignorance of her true feelings. “What am I supposed to do? He thinks we can carry on just like before, as close friends. He wants me to meet her. Oh, God, Caroline, I don’t think I can do it.”

  Caroline squeezed her hand then stepped back. “You’re a strong woman, Annie, one of the strongest I know. I realize how hard this is for you, but there’s a reason you can’t just let your friendship collapse. Heath cares about you a great deal. He may not realize it now, and he may need to work through this relationship with Diana to figure it out, but the man is not stupid. He will come around, figure out his feelings. And when he does, you have to be there for him. There’s no doubt in my mind, or Jace’s, that Heath will be lost without you. You don’t need to be at his beck-and-call any longer, but don’t completely walk away. Meet new people, date, have fun, let Heath see what he’s missing.”

  “You’re expecting a lot of both of us. There are no guarantees that Heath’s relationship with Diana will fall apart.” She paused to take a breath and calm the confusion that had gripped her since his announcement. “He’s never once shown any interest in me sexually. I have to accept that there is nothing about me that interests him in that way, as more than a friend.”

  “You know he may not have thought of you that way because you’ve never presented yourself as being available, interested in him as more than a friend. Perhaps you’ve been sending the wrong message.”

  Annie thought on this a moment even though she believed it wasn’t the issue. “You have no idea how much I appreciate your support, but I truly don’t believe that’s it. The man is focused on women much younger, not on someone two years his senior.” She stepped to the wind
ow to look out. “The other fact is that no man has approached me in months about dating. I’ve connected myself so totally to Heath that other men believe we’re a couple even though we’ve both told our friends we’re not. And the worst part? The worst part is that the thought of spending time with a man other than Heath holds no appeal for me. None.”

  Caroline saw the pain in Annie’s face. Anger swelled, directed at her brother-in-law. “First, there are no guarantees on anything. I know that as well as anyone.” She leaned against the counter and folded her arms across her chest. “There are some people that are so special that it’s worth the risk.”

  Caroline moved back around the kitchen counter into the spacious family room and lowered herself onto the sofa. “You know about the affair Jace had several years ago.” Annie nodded. Even though Caroline and Jace had worked it out, stayed together, it was still a painful memory to her friend. “My first reaction was to tell him to leave, go to her if she was who he wanted. I’m glad he walked out before I said a word. It gave us both time to sort out our feelings, decide what we truly wanted.”

  “I don’t know how you did it. If Kit had told me he’d had a one night stand, I don’t know what I would’ve done.”

  “That was the point. He felt so horrible that he felt compelled to tell me.” She leaned forward and placed her arms on her knees. “The truth was, after the miscarriage, I locked him out of my life. I blamed myself, him, anyone else for the fact that I’d lost the baby. Months went by and we hardly spoke, there was no sex. He tried everything, was willing to go through counseling, anything I wanted, but I still refused his love and his friendship.”

  “You told me he’d gotten drunk at some party and wound up with a young woman you knew. It must have been horrible.”

  “I refused to go to the party. Shut myself in the guest room, where I’d moved, and told him to go and have as much fun as he wanted. The point is, I was as much to blame as him. He broke promises but so did I by pushing him out of my life. Jace was a mess the next day. I didn’t even know he’d stayed out all night until he walked in while I was in the kitchen. He sat down and it just all flowed out. When he was through, he calmly walked into his room, packed some things, and left. Jace didn’t call or try to see me for weeks. He came to the ranch, spent time with our boys, worked, met with Heath, but never made any effort to see me. It was brutal, Annie. I finally called him and asked him to stop by. He was living with an older couple in town, hadn’t seen the woman again. Jace was as miserable as me, but we realized we were still in love and had to find a way to not only get past his affair but also my blaming him for the miscarriage. It took a long time, but I thank God every day that we worked through it.”