High-Powered, Hot-Blooded(26)

"Me, too." He pulled free and shifted on his seat. "About what I said. I'm sorry."

"I know."         

     



 

"I can't believe I stole that money. What an idiot. I really appreciate  the deal you made with my boss. Anyone else would have let me go to  jail."

"I couldn't do that."

"It's what I deserved."

"But not what you needed."

"I know. I've been in touch with Mr. Patrick. He says I can have my job  back." Tim smiled self-consciously. "Sort of. I won't have access to any  of the bank accounts. I'll have to earn his trust again, but I will. We  worked out a payment plan for me to reimburse him."

Tim had talked to Duncan? Annie wanted to ask how he was. She missed him  more than she had ever imagined, and she'd known it would be bad.

"I'm glad," she said.

"I want to pay you back, too," Tim told her.

"You don't owe me anything."

"Sure I do. Look what you did for me, Annie."

"I went to a bunch of parties. It wasn't work."

She'd also fallen in love and gotten her heart broken, but that wasn't  anything Tim needed to hear right now. She would tell him later, when he  was stronger.

"I'll make it up to you," Tim promised.

"All I need is for you to get your life back together," she said. "Be happy. That's enough."

Her brother stood and pulled her to her feet, then hugged her.

"You're the best," he said. "Thank you."

She hung on, willing him to heal. Because if he was all right, then this  had been worth it. As for herself, and the aching emptiness inside,  there was nothing to be done except hope that eventually she, too, would  find her way back.



Duncan walked into the crowded Westwood restaurant. The hostess smiled at him. "Sir, do you have a reservation?"

"No."

"I'm sorry, we're booked. It's Christmas Eve and we're only having service until seven."

"I'm not here for dinner," he told her, looking into the dining room. "I  want to see one of your servers. Jenny." He spotted her. "Never mind.  There she is."

"Sir, you can't disturb our guests."

Duncan forced himself to flash her a smile. "Don't worry. I won't."

He wove through tables until he was next to Jenny. "We have to talk," he told her.

She barely glanced at him. "No, we don't."

She headed for the kitchen. He followed, grabbing her arm before she could disappear behind the swinging doors.

The restaurant hummed with conversation. Christmas carols played over  the speakers. In the kitchen came the call for more turkey, as waiters  and cooks battled for space.

Jenny glared at him, her blue eyes so much like Annie's. They were about the same height, too.

"I've been looking for her," he said. "I've been everywhere I can think of. Jenny, you have to help me."

The college student glared at him. "No way. You're nothing but a  soul-sucking bastard. Do you know she cries every night? She doesn't  want us to know, so she waits until she goes to bed. But we can hear  her. She loved you and you hurt her."

"I know. I let her go and I'll regret that until the day I die. I was  wrong. She's amazing and beautiful and so much more than I deserve. I  love her, Jenny. I swear, I just want to take care of her. So please,  tell me where she is."

Jenny hesitated, as if trying to decide.

"It's Christmas," he said. "A time for miracles. Can't you believe that I've changed?"

"I don't know," she admitted.

He stared into Jenny's eyes. "I love that she would sell her soul to  save her brother. And when she's really stressed, she goes for  M&M's. I love that she's never quite mastered the art of walking in  high heels, so sometimes she has to grab the wall to keep from  stumbling. I love how she sees the best in everyone, even me, and  believes that everything is possible."

He cleared his throat. "I love how she let you and Julie and Kami live  with her and that she would accept a new freezer because it would feed  the three of you, but fought me on new tires that would keep just her  safe. I love how she smiles at her students, how she worries about being  a role model. I love how she takes care of the world. But who takes  care of her? Who watches out for her and looks after her? Who takes over  so she can rest? I want to be that guy, Jenny. I want to be the one."

He stopped talking, only to realize the restaurant had gone quiet. He  glanced around and saw everyone was staring, listening. A couple of the  men looked embarrassed, but the women were all smiling and nodding.         

     



 



Jenny drew in a breath. "I swear, if you hurt her again … "

"I won't." He pulled the jewelry box out of his jacket pocket. "I want to marry her."

"Okay," she breathed. "She's at church. They called earlier and needed  someone to help with the decorations. Apparently everyone has the flu  and there's a midnight service." Jenny gave him the address. "Don't  screw this up," she warned.

He kissed her cheek. "I won't. I promise."

Annie carried pots of poinsettias until her arms ached. When they were  all in place, she adjusted the white lights, then plugged them in. The  soft glow made the leaves seem to glisten. She'd already distributed the  special booklets of Christmas carols, and attached beautiful sprays of  roses and pine to the end of each pew. The candles were in place.

"You've done enough for twenty," Mary Alice, the minister's wife, told  her. "Get along home, Annie. You need to rest a little or you'll be  nodding off during the midnight service."

"All right. If you're sure."

"Thank you for answering my call for help. I hated to bother you, but I  knew my old bones would keep me from getting everything done on time and  Alistair is visiting with a member who's in the hospital. Everyone  else … " Mary Alice smiled. "You were a blessing. Thank you."

"You're more than welcome. See you soon."



Annie turned to leave, telling herself she liked being able to help. And  as everyone else had been busy in her family, it was a good thing she'd  been home to receive the call. It was nearly Christmas. She refused to  be sad. Or feel alone. She was lucky. Her brother was healing, her  cousins were doing well. She had a great job and friends and so much to  be thankful for. If there was an empty place inside, well, it would  heal. By this time next year she would be her old self again.

She walked out a side door to the parking lot. It was already dark but  still warm. This was going to be another Christmas with seventy-degree  weather. One day she would spend the holidays where it was cold. A white  Christmas. But for now, she would enjoy the fact that she didn't even  need a coat.

She headed for her car, but before she got there, someone moved out of the shadows. A man. Duncan.

She came to a stop. Her heart pounded hard and fast, her chest got  tight. She wanted to cry and laugh and throw her arms around him. She'd  missed him so much.

"Annie," he said, then smiled at her.

And she knew. It was there in his warm gray eyes. The truth, the love.  How he'd realized what was important, how he knew she was the one.  Warmth and happiness flooded her. She felt as if she could float or even  fly.

Without thinking, she threw herself at him. He caught her and pulled her against him, holding on as if he would never let go.

Home, she thought. She was finally home.

"Annie," he said again. "I love you."

"I know."

He laughed. "You can't know. I have a whole speech prepared. I have to  tell you what I've learned and how I've changed and why you can trust  me."

He slowly lowered her to the ground. Her feet hit the pavement, but she  didn't let go. Instead she stared into his face, feeling the love  spilling out of him.

"I already know all that."

He touched her cheek. "Valentina was in it for the money. Not that it  matters. I was never interested in being with anyone but you."

"I want to say I'm sorry it didn't work out, but I'm really not." She laughed. "I guess that's bad, huh?"

"No. I feel the same way. Do you want to hear the speech?"

"Maybe later." Right now she just wanted to be with him, to feel him  close and know that he loved her. This was perfect. She'd been given  Duncan for Christmas.

"At least let me do this part." He pulled a small box out of his jacket  pocket, then right there in the church parking lot, dropped to one knee.

"I love you, Annie McCoy," he said. "I will always love you. Please say  you'll marry me. I'll spend the rest of my life making your dreams come  true."

He opened the box and she gasped when she saw the huge diamond nestled there.

"Duncan? Really? You want to marry me?"

"Don't doubt me, Annie. You're the one. Now that I've found you, I'll never let you go."



She didn't know how or why she'd gotten so lucky, but she was grateful. She bent down and kissed him.