Challenging Andie (9 page)

A technician unclipped the tiny radio mike from the lapel of the jacket.

Was she a complete hypocrite? She’d never watched Emily’s bulletins on television; never read any of her articles. Even though she was telling everyone else to. Ryan had brought all her mother’s papers, and she hadn’t even been planning to read them.

The anchorman rose. Freed from the mike, Andie placed a hand on his jacket sleeve.

“Joe, I wonder if you could do me a favor.”

He listened intently as she asked for something she should have asked for years ago. The chance to learn more about Emily.

*****

“So, I heard you were here.” The words were accompanied by a solid thump on the back.

Ryan turned to see the head of the network, his friend, Ben Fitzgerald.

“Nothing gets past you.” He smiled. “You have spies everywhere.”

“Hey, it’s in the job description. Got a minute?”

Ryan glanced through the glass. Andie was chatting with Joe—she probably wasn’t even aware he was watching, and wouldn’t miss him for a while. “Sure.”

In Ben’s corner office, the sun streamed through the floor to ceiling windows overlooking a patch of London’s green. Ben sat on one of the large black leather chairs in a casual area, and gestured to another. “So, what’s up?”

“I brought Andie in for a segment.”

“Good idea. I appreciate you giving us an exclusive.”

Ryan stretched out his legs. An exclusive for the station hadn’t even crossed his mind. It had just seemed important to get the whole thing finished. To move everything on to the next level. It was too difficult to explain all that, so he brushed it off. “No problem.”

“You want a drink?”

“I’m fine.” Ryan’s gaze flicked to the clock on Ben’s wall.

“I wanted to talk to you, so I’m glad you’re here.” Ben linked his hands behind his head. “There’s a shake-up on the cards. The head of foreign news handed in his resignation. He wants to retire.”

Ryan felt his eyebrows rise. “I didn’t see that coming.”

“Neither did we.” Ben’s hands dropped to rub his thighs. “To be honest, it’s left us in a difficult position. There aren’t many people with the experience to take on the job.” He watched Ryan intently. “Present company excepted, of course.”

Head of Foreign News. A job tailor-made for a war correspondent. The perfect solution for a man who’d become tired and jaded after long years in the field. Not for him.

Ryan met Ben’s gaze evenly. “I still have work to do in Bekostan. I want to interview Arnat.”

Ben nodded. “I know. It’s right that you should, it would be the perfect final interview before leaving Bekostan. I want you to do it, but I also want you to take on the new job. I can give you a couple of weeks to think about it, then I’ll need your answer.”

Being in one place had always seemed like a death sentence, but the thought of running the news team, deciding what elements should be investigated further, and masterminding the foreign news approach was one that was too attractive to dismiss without giving it long and hard consideration. In the beginning, the job had been all about the buzz being ‘on the ground’ provided, but lately… “I’ll let you know the moment I’ve done the interview.”

Ben smiled. “In that case, we’ll make contact with Arnat, and try to set up the interview as soon as possible.”

They stood.

“Keep your phone on.”

Back in the hallway, Andie was shrugging into Bri’s lacy sweater. She pulled her hair out of the neckline, flicking it with one hand so that it swept in a blonde ribbon down her back. She clutched a collection of DVDs in her other hand. A dazzling smile shone out as she saw Ryan, and his heart did a funny little flip.

“Ready to go?”

“Yes.” She clutched the DVDs to her chest. “I think that went well.”

“You were great.” Ryan kissed her cheek, breathing in the scent of lemony shampoo. “How about we get an early dinner before we head back?”

They walked to a nearby restaurant. He’d only been back in England for a couple of days—it felt so much longer.

Ben would organize the interview with Arnat. A plane ride to Bekostan was only days away. For the first time in years regret curled around Ryan’s insides at the thought. There was so much left unexplored. The relationship blooming to life between them for one. Brianne knew he was in the country, contact would have to be made there too, before he left.

“You’re very quiet.”

She was so open. So caring. Conflicted emotions raced through Ryan. The first time they’d met he knew he didn’t have what she needed. He should do the decent thing, and walk away.

The black circle of Andie’s pupil expanded to swallow the brilliant blue. The soft bow of her upper lip tempted, and his whole body rioted with the urge to taste it again.

A waitress arrived with menus, then left them alone.

“It will be safe for you to go back home tonight.” He didn’t want her to go. He wanted to spend every moment before he returned to Bekostan with her. In bed and out of it. The urge to tell her was strong, but he held back. The decision to stay had to be hers. He squared his shoulders. “The press will leave you alone, once the segment airs.”

Andie steepled her fingers. “Do you want me to go back home?”

He leaned close, stroked a finger down her cheek. “No. I want you to stay with me.”

The corners of her mouth lifted in a smile. “I want that too,” she whispered, the blue of her eyes darkening to navy. “I’ll have to pick up some stuff from home,” she waved a hand over her clothes, “then I’d like to stay with you in the cottage for a few days.”

“That’s all it can be,” Ryan said. “I’m not the settling down kind. I don’t want to hurt you…” He couldn’t lead her on, couldn’t let her think there would be more.

“I understand.” The truth shone from her eyes. “You have your life, and I have mine. There’s no reason we can’t…” a blush swept her features, “spend time together while you’re here. We’ve only known each other a couple of days and I’m not going to fall in love with you, Ryan. I don’t need forever. Right now, I’d like to stay.”

Warmth spread like heated honey. “I’d like that a lot.”

“Well, it’s sorted then. Can we swing past my place…”

“On the way back to the cottage? Yes.”

Satisfaction settled in Ryan’s chest. They were on the same page. Her desire matched his, and the last barrier to being together had been sailed over, without injury.

“What’s on the DVDs?” He eyed the little pile on the red and white checked tablecloth.

“I asked Joe to copy some of Emily’s broadcasts. I think he threw in a couple of yours for good measure.” Her mouth curved in another one of those smiles that turned him inside out. “I thought maybe I could watch them when we get back. You could give me the background.”

She always called her mother Emily. Never mum, or mother. The first few times she had it had barely registered.

She pushed her swathe of blonde hair back, tucked it behind her ear in what was becoming a familiar gesture.

“I thought you didn’t want to watch your mother on TV?”

She hesitated for a moment; curled a lock of hair around her fingers. “I said I never had, not that I didn’t want to.” The waitress returned to take their order. When she’d gone, Andie continued, “My grandmother never wanted to watch Emily on television, I think she would have worried more with the sights and sounds of Bekostan made real. She didn’t want me upset.”

It made sense. Often when reporting during a conflict he’d hoped Bri wouldn’t see the report and worry.

“Did you always live with your grandmother?”

Andie nodded. “Emily stayed at home for the first three or four years, but then returned to her job. She was a workaholic. I think being at home would have been torture. She needed the stimulation.”

Ryan nodded. He knew how that could be. “It drags you in. How long has it been since your grandmother…”

“She died a year ago after a long illness that left her bedridden. I managed to keep her at home, though. An old friend from the village helped out until I got back from school in the afternoons.”

While her mother had been in Bekostan, reporting on the trauma people were suffering every day, her daughter had been struggling to keep her grandmother from being taken into a home. It couldn’t have been easy, assuming full responsibility for an old lady’s care. His mother hadn’t been old, or infirmed, just heartsick that his father had left to set up house with a new woman. When his father refused to see him and Brianne anymore announcing his mistress’s pregnancy meant he’d have ‘a new family now,’ it had been enough to send his mother straight back into the depression she was just beginning to crawl out of.

“It must have been difficult.” Ryan touched her hand, wishing he could convey sympathy more clearly.

“Sometimes, but my grandmother was a wonderful woman who gave me all her love and care. I’m glad I could be there in her time of need. I loved her. If you love someone, you have to take the pain too, don’t you?” She glanced across the restaurant. “Ah, here’s our dinner.”

The waitress placed a plate full of spaghetti Bolognese before Andie, and fish and fries in front of Ryan.

“Did you ever visit your mother when she was on assignment?”

“Me?” Andie’s eyes opened wide. She shook her head. “God no. Emily wouldn’t have wanted me there. I’ve never even been out of the country, although that’s one of the things on my list.”

“List?” Curiosity spiked.

 “My list of challenges.” Andie twirled spaghetti around her fork. “Didn’t I tell you about that?”

“I’m pretty sure I would have remembered.” Ryan pushed a sprig of parsley aside.
Did anyone ever eat this stuff?
“So, what’s this list about?” He speared a forkful of crispy fish, and chewed.

Andie swallowed a mouthful of food. Sipped at her sparkling water. “Emily was one of the most adventurous women on the planet. On every visit, she took me out on ‘an adventure’ as a special treat.” Her mouth pulled up at the corner in a micro grimace. “Unfortunately, all the things she loved to do were terrifying. Rollercoasters were one of her favorites. I remember being taken on one when I was about five. I was so terrified she had to carry me off.” She tried for a smile, but failed. “Anyway, she wasn’t very impressed. Next, she took me to a ‘tactile zoo’. One where they let you up close and personal with the animals. I was so excited. I thought I’d be petting goats and rabbits.” A flicker of humor lit up her eyes. “Of course, that would be too easy, wouldn’t it?”

“Uh-oh.”

Andie’s nose wrinkled. She looked so cute Ryan battled the urge to grin.

“I didn’t mind the lizards and snakes too much.” She shuddered. “And to be fair, she didn’t know about me and spiders, but she soon found out.”