certainly couldn’t tell him now that she’d never actually accepted How ard’s proposal. “Um, we haven’t set a date.”
Howard reached them and pulled out his chair. “That was Justin,” he announced. “He’s glad we decided to have this little business meeting.” The hard stare he shot Jenny left no doubt he now consid ered this dinner to be of utmost importance and wanted her to behave.
His next words, however, had her wanting to hide under the table. “He’s called The Sentinel and they’re sending over a photographer. He wants the picture in tomorrow’s paper.”
Horrified, Jenny started to shake her head. “I don’t think—”
“Publicity will be good for business,” Jake inter rupted smoothly. “Great idea.”
Their meals arrived. Grateful, Jenny busied herself with her crisp salad, though everything seemed to taste like ashes now. Things couldn’t get much worse, she reflected glumly. At least the two men seemed to have dropped the subject of her touring Malvoran house.
Still, she wished they would hurry up and finish so she could take them home.
Jake watched as Jenny picked at her salad and sipped water, the second beer she’d ordered all but forgotten. His Jenny was his no more. And she cer tainly wasn’t his pumpkin. He couldn’t allow himself to think of her with that old endearment any longer. Beautiful, warmhearted Jenny, who now hid her true nature behind a facade as brittle as ice.
The photographer arrived and they all posed, How ard draping his arm possessively over Jenny’s rigid shoulders. Jake smiled and nodded, but he really wanted to knock the other man’s arm off and hustle Jenny out of there.
Stupid, he knew. He kept telling himself he wanted her to think of him as her friend, but his heart said otherwise. Watching her fall all over this guy was a sort of torture. Not only was Howard all wrong for her, but Jake sensed Jenny knew it as well as he did.
It’s none of your business, Durham, he told himself. He and Jenny hadn’t married; she was free to live her life however and with whoever she chose.
Howard, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to any problems. He seemed to regard J ake as a business client, nothing more. Certainly not a threat to the woman he loved.
There was the crux of it They didn’t act like a couple in love.
Ah, if he let himself, he could remember. How he and Jenny couldn’t stand to be apart, how they couldn’t get enough of each other. But then, of course, he’d have to remember the agonizing pain when they’d been separated. Duty, Jake had found, was a poor substitute for Jenny’s arms. He’d had no time to tell her, no way to tell her without putting her life in danger.
Duty called, and he went where he was needed. Knowing that she would hate him for it had made things even worse.
“Jennifer.” Howard led the way to the car, walking on Jake’s right side and letting Jenny walk by herself on Jake’s left. “I am on the way back. I think you should drop me off first, then run Jake home.”
Howard, for some mysterious reason, seemed determined to push them together.
Jake glanced at her to see how she was taking it Jenny, her expression grim, said nothing. He’d be willing to bet she hated being called Jennifer. He wondered why she didn’t say anything.
They piled into the car, Howard still taking the front passenger seat. As soon as J enny pulled out from Applebriar’s parking lot, he leaned the seat back and closed his eyes. The only sound was that of the car’s motor and the soft croon of some country singer on the radio.
Since Jenny didn’t seem inclined to talk, Jake said nothing. He wondered if she would do as die other man had asked and take Howard home first.
That would leave Jenny alone with Jake. Something she had made quite clear she had no desire to be.
They turned off Avenue L on to Howard’s street. Jenny pulled up in front of a well-lit large brick house. The manicured lawn and circular drive spoke of
Howard reached them and pulled out his chair. “That was Justin,” he announced. “He’s glad we decided to have this little business meeting.” The hard stare he shot Jenny left no doubt he now consid ered this dinner to be of utmost importance and wanted her to behave.
His next words, however, had her wanting to hide under the table. “He’s called The Sentinel and they’re sending over a photographer. He wants the picture in tomorrow’s paper.”
Horrified, Jenny started to shake her head. “I don’t think—”
“Publicity will be good for business,” Jake inter rupted smoothly. “Great idea.”
Their meals arrived. Grateful, Jenny busied herself with her crisp salad, though everything seemed to taste like ashes now. Things couldn’t get much worse, she reflected glumly. At least the two men seemed to have dropped the subject of her touring Malvoran house.
Still, she wished they would hurry up and finish so she could take them home.
Jake watched as Jenny picked at her salad and sipped water, the second beer she’d ordered all but forgotten. His Jenny was his no more. And she cer tainly wasn’t his pumpkin. He couldn’t allow himself to think of her with that old endearment any longer. Beautiful, warmhearted Jenny, who now hid her true nature behind a facade as brittle as ice.
The photographer arrived and they all posed, How ard draping his arm possessively over Jenny’s rigid shoulders. Jake smiled and nodded, but he really wanted to knock the other man’s arm off and hustle Jenny out of there.
Stupid, he knew. He kept telling himself he wanted her to think of him as her friend, but his heart said otherwise. Watching her fall all over this guy was a sort of torture. Not only was Howard all wrong for her, but Jake sensed Jenny knew it as well as he did.
It’s none of your business, Durham, he told himself. He and Jenny hadn’t married; she was free to live her life however and with whoever she chose.
Howard, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to any problems. He seemed to regard J ake as a business client, nothing more. Certainly not a threat to the woman he loved.
There was the crux of it They didn’t act like a couple in love.
Ah, if he let himself, he could remember. How he and Jenny couldn’t stand to be apart, how they couldn’t get enough of each other. But then, of course, he’d have to remember the agonizing pain when they’d been separated. Duty, Jake had found, was a poor substitute for Jenny’s arms. He’d had no time to tell her, no way to tell her without putting her life in danger.
Duty called, and he went where he was needed. Knowing that she would hate him for it had made things even worse.
“Jennifer.” Howard led the way to the car, walking on Jake’s right side and letting Jenny walk by herself on Jake’s left. “I am on the way back. I think you should drop me off first, then run Jake home.”
Howard, for some mysterious reason, seemed determined to push them together.
Jake glanced at her to see how she was taking it Jenny, her expression grim, said nothing. He’d be willing to bet she hated being called Jennifer. He wondered why she didn’t say anything.
They piled into the car, Howard still taking the front passenger seat. As soon as J enny pulled out from Applebriar’s parking lot, he leaned the seat back and closed his eyes. The only sound was that of the car’s motor and the soft croon of some country singer on the radio.
Since Jenny didn’t seem inclined to talk, Jake said nothing. He wondered if she would do as die other man had asked and take Howard home first.
That would leave Jenny alone with Jake. Something she had made quite clear she had no desire to be.
They turned off Avenue L on to Howard’s street. Jenny pulled up in front of a well-lit large brick house. The manicured lawn and circular drive spoke of
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