No Place Like Home (7 page)

She stood on the balcony outside the master bedroom, staring off across the tree-lined valley. Just now it was blanketed with snow, and it was beautiful. But in summer, she thought, it would be perfect here. There would be birds to watch, and squirrels to feed, and something new to notice every day.

The house was empty, which meant they could start to work as soon as the paperwork was done, and they could set an early wedding date.
Graham will be pleased about that,
she thought.

The wind sweeping up through the valley was cold, but she didn’t notice it until Brendan came out on to the balcony beside her. It wasn’t until she felt his warmth that she started to shiver, and then she began to laugh at herself.

“
And I thought I couldn’t be happy with anything but an old house,” she said. “Brendan, thank you. This is it.” She gestured toward the valley. “It’s perfect.”

“
The setting is wonderful, isn’t it? Of course, there are some things to be done, but with three full levels it’s got space for you to work with.”

“
Can I sign the papers?” she asked. “I’d hate for someone else to come along and buy it, now that I’ve finally found it.”

“
Don’t you think Graham should see it first?”

“
Oh—of course. How silly of me.” She shook her head in confusion. “Perhaps tomorrow? “I know it’s Saturday, but it’s hard for him to get away from the office during the week.”

“
Fine,” Brendan said. “I don’t mind working weekends in a good cause.”

“
And a new BMW would be a very good cause,” Kaye murmured innocently. “We’re going to look at rings right after lunch tomorrow—could we meet you here at the house at two?”

“
That’s fine with me. Now, shall we lock up and go have a drink to celebrate?”

She smiled up at him, a child’s happy grin. “Let’s!”

“
Where would you like to go?”

“
Not anywhere close to the plaza,” Kaye said. “I feel guilty enough about not rushing straight back to work for the rest of the afternoon.”

Brendan grinned. “One of many advantages of selling property,” he said. “I can set my own hours, and no one complains.”

“
Including weekends and evenings,” Kaye pointed out. “Doesn’t your family mind?”

“
No family. Just a neighborhood tomcat who keeps an eye on me, and lets me know when I’m late coming home.”

She twisted around in her seat. There was no stuffed animal in the back of the car. “I would have sworn that you were hauling a teddy bear around last time I rode with you.”

“
Oh, that. It was my niece’s—she left it here last weekend. I understand it caused something of a storm in Lakemont, Wisconsin when it turned up missing. I had to send it back to her by express mail.”

Kaye giggled.

“
Don’t laugh,” he recommended. “You’ve never met a young lady as determined as my niece. So, let me get this straight—from one teddy bear, you deduced that I had a wife and a couple of kids?”

“
More like half a dozen,” she said demurely. “It was a
very
battered teddy bear. Not that I have anything against large families, you understand.”

“
I should hope not, since you are buying a five-bedroom house.”

The reminder sobered her a bit. She had enjoyed this week, and she realized for the first time that it was really over. She had found her house, and now there would be no more adventures with Brendan.

“
One thing about a house that size,” he went on. “You won’t be lacking for something to do, even without your job.”

She looked at him in astonishment. “I’m not planning to give up my job,” she said.

“
You amaze me.”

The tone of his voice was calm enough, but it aggravated her, because it seemed to be the same attitude that Emily had shown. “I suppose you mean that because Graham has plenty of money, I’m not planning to work.”

“
The thought had crossed my mind.”

“
Well, the paycheck isn’t the only reason to hold a job. There’s self-satisfaction, and independence, and the feeling of being a useful part of society.”

“
Then, by all means,” he said mildly, “you have my permission to continue working.”

It was so matter-of-fact that her irritation vanished like a wisp of fog, and she started to laugh. “I must have sounded a bit radical, didn’t I?”

“
Rather. Do you like the travel agency so well?”

“
Yes, I do. I might not always do that, but for right now, I like it.”

“
Have you worked there long?”

She shook her head. “Only for about a year. I started there as soon as I was out of college, but I did lots of other things before that.” She had lost count of her part-time jobs, as a matter of fact. It seemed she had always had a job of some sort, from babysitting the neighbors’ kids to waiting at tables. There had never been enough money, and so, from the time she was old enough, Kaye had tried to help out.

He didn’t ask any further questions, and something deep inside her was just a little disappointed that he didn’t want to know more. That was silly, she told herself. She really knew very little about him, either, and it was only idle curiosity that made her want to know more.

As they passed the Aynsley house, she shuddered. “And to think that Andy Winchester wanted me to buy
that
,” she said.

“
Cliff Aynsley’s house? Not your style at all, I should think. I always had the impression that the architect who designed it had been hitting the firewater a little too hard at the time.”

Kaye blinked in confusion. His tone was casual, as if he knew the house well. “You’ve seen it?”

He nodded. “We had it listed last year. We must have shown it a thousand times, but we didn’t get a single offer. I thought they were trying to sell it themselves now—but you say they’ve listed it with Winchester?”

“
It’s not exactly listed.” So that was what the truth was, Kaye thought. She could hardly wait to tell Graham about this—how his favorite real estate agent had been trying to sell him a turkey that no one else wanted, and not a mansion so exclusive that no one else even knew it was for sale!

Graham had been so certain that Brendan couldn’t possibly know about the sort of house they would want to buy. He’d been wrong about that, too, Kaye thought triumphantly. She was looking forward to proving it to him tomorrow, when he saw their new house for the first time.

*****

It was without a doubt the most stunningly elaborate engagement ring Kaye had ever seen. It must have cost Graham a fortune, she thought weakly as she stared down at the huge emerald winking on her finger. On each side of the big square-cut stone was a fan of baguette diamonds, and the band itself was lined with tiny emeralds, perfectly matched and cut.

It felt as if she were wearing a searchlight.

But that’s just because I’ve never had anything really glamorous before,
she told herself. Her jewelry had always been plain and simple, mostly because she couldn’t afford anything else. It would just take her a little while to get used to having things like this.

“
It’s beautiful,” she told Graham. “But I thought you said we were coming to the jewelers today just to look.”

He beamed. “That’s what I intended. But I stopped in earlier this week to let them know the sort of thing I wanted you to have, and as soon as I saw that stone, I knew it was yours. It’s just the color of your eyes, you know.”

“
It’s very rare,” the jeweler agreed, “to find an emerald that size, and so perfect. Of course, we’ve had a bit of a rush getting it ready for you by today.”

“
I designed the setting myself,” Graham said modestly. “We had to guess at the size. Is it all right?”

“
It feels just a little tight.”

The jeweler nodded, but said, “I’d recommend you try it for a day or two first. You may want a snug fit to keep it from slipping—it is quite a heavy ring.”

He could say that again, Kaye thought. She felt as if it took conscious effort to keep her left hand from dragging on the pavement as they left the shop.

“
Now that’s taken care of,” Graham said, with satisfaction in his voice, “let’s go and look at this house. If you’re right, and it really is satisfactory, we can set a date. Tell me, Kaye, would you like to be a June bride?”

June, she thought dreamily. Warm weather and sunshine—an organza wedding gown trimmed in delicate lace—the soft scent of daisies and summer roses...

“
I’ll be glad to have a date set,” she said. “It’s a little embarrassing to keep getting congratulations from people before the announcement’s even been made. Angela Warren came into the travel agency this week to wish me well, and just yesterday she asked if we’d set a date yet.”

She swallowed the rest of that statement; having a drink with Brendan in the middle of the afternoon to celebrate had been aboveboard and perfectly acceptable, but she wasn’t quite sure how Graham would take it – especially if he found out that they had run into his lawyer’s wife at that quiet little bar. Angela Warren had looked quite intrigued herself. It had made Kaye nervous, and she’d been a little clumsy when she introduced Brendan. Angela hadn’t missed that, either, Kaye was sure.

“
Has that been happening to you, too? There will be a lot of interest in us, I’m afraid. But the time will go by before we know it. You said the house was in good shape, though?”

She nodded. “Of course there are things I’d like to change, but nothing that has to be done. We could actually move into it right away, if we wanted.” She couldn’t resist a jab. “Unlike the Aynsley house, which would have taken a year of work.”

She had told him over lunch what Brendan had said about the Aynsley house. Graham had shrugged off the story. Now he said calmly, “I doubt Andy knew all the details. He was only doing it out of friendship, anyway.”

“
Friendship for whom? You or the Aynsleys? It looks to me as if you would have been left holding the bag.” She leaned forward in her seat. “Look, Graham. You can catch just a glimpse of the house there on the hillside.”

“
Where? I didn’t see anything.”

“
That’s one of the beauties of it, I think. It’s so private that unless you know exactly where to look, you can’t see it at all. The driveway is up the next hill and off to the right, and Brendan should already be there.”

“
You’re on a first-name basis?”

“
Yes,” she said mildly. “Do you object?”

“
I don’t suppose it makes any difference.”

“
What did you find out about Brendan?” She was relatively sure of the answer, or she wouldn’t have asked the question. Graham had had nearly a full week to make his enquiries, and it seemed to her that if he had found anything to discredit Brendan McKenna, he would have told her about it within the hour.

“
He seems to be reputable.” It was stiff, almost grudging, and Kaye interpreted it to mean that everything Graham had heard was glowing. “He only sells houses, though. Nobody seems to know why, but it’s a little short-sighted, I’d think. The big money is in commercial property, and it’s a whole lot less bother, too.” He parked beside a brand-new dark blue car in the driveway. Brendan’s car was nowhere to be seen.

Kaye glanced at her watch in irritation.
This is no time to be late, McKenna,
she thought.

But Brendan greeted them at the door. “Hello, Kaye. Mr. Forrest.” His hand was extended.

Graham shook hands politely and turned to his left, into the formal living room. He stood in the center of the room for a moment.

“
I didn’t think you were here yet,” Kaye said. “Your car isn’t...” Suspicion edged into her voice.

“
Do you like it?” Brendan asked.

“
You borrowed it while yours is being fixed, right?”

He shook his head. “No. I decided I’d had the old one long enough, so I rewarded myself.”

“
You told me you’d given up the idea.” She was furious.

“
Of a BMW, yes. I never said I wasn’t going to buy a car, Kaye, and why you think it’s any of your business—”

“
You idiot,” she said, and her voice was taut with anger. “You’re a damned fool, Brendan McKenna!”

He looked stunned, as if she had slapped him, and Kaye stopped short, her face burning. Just why did she think it was any of her affair?

Besides, she told herself harshly, he hadn’t done anything so very irresponsible. She and Graham were going to buy the house, weren’t they? He’d get the commission; there was no doubt about that.

And you,
she lectured herself,
have no business to be telling him what to do with his money!

She turned on her heel, followed Graham into the living room, and slipped a trembling hand through his arm to steady herself.

Brendan paused in the doorway for an instant. Kaye saw a frown of puzzlement creasing his forehead as he watched them. Then, with a long breath that sounded almost like a weary sigh, he came across the room. His shoulders seemed to sag a little.

Graham paced thoughtfully down the length of the room, up a step and into the attached dining area, which was set off from the living room with a wrought-iron railing. His eyes were on the carpet.