Promoted to Wife (Destiny Bay) (24 page)

She played it again, listening closely, analyzing her
own response. A part. Something she could sink her teeth
into. And Craig was asking to hear from her. Why wasn't her pulse racing? Why wasn't her excitement growing?

Because she didn't care. It was long over with Craig,
and she had no desire to try to relight that fire. As for
acting—the bloom was off that rose as well. She'd enjoyed running a house and she'd done it well. Pursuing
that type of career seemed much more interesting.

But for now, she just wanted to sleep. And sleep she
did, for the next twelve hours, waking when it was almost noon the next day. The very first thing she did was check
her cell phone, just in case.
...
nothing.
And then she hated herself for having checked it.

“It's over,” she whispered to herself. “Face it, Terry
Yardley. Today is the first day of the rest of your life, and
it can't do anything but get better from here on in.”

She spent the day cleaning her apartment and then
went out and stocked up on groceries to fill the shelves. Coming home, she cooked up a huge kettle of spaghetti sauce, as much to have the aroma fill her home with
familiar smells as from hunger. But as she cooked she
remembered that first spaghetti dinner with Rick and
the children, and she wished she'd picked another meal.

She decided to call her father to come join her, but first
she ran out to the corner bakery to pick up garlic bread
to go with the spaghetti. She'd planned to be gone only a
moment, but the lady behind the counter had to catch
her up on all the local gossip, so it took longer than she'd expected. When she got back the first thing she saw was the slinky red Ferrari parked in front of her apartment
building.

Her heart was in her throat and she ran up the two
flights of stairs without stopping. She burst into her
apartment, and there he was, serving up spaghetti into
the two plates he'd set on the table.

“You're just in time,” Rick said cheerfully. “Hope
you're hungry.”

He looked cool and confident, but inside he was terrified of what she was going to say. This was the most important night of his life. What Terry decided to do
would determine his future.

He never thought of his ex-wife when he looked at
Terry, but her rejection of him during their marriage had left a scar. He'd delayed pushing his relationship
with Terry because he'd been afraid to. Now he knew he
had nothing to fear but his own hesitancy. He would make her his, no matter what. He had to.

Terry went into the kitchen, staying as far away from
him as she could, not looking into his eyes. She had to
remember how much he'd hurt her. She had to hold those memories up like a shield.

Putting down her bread, she turned to face him at last.
“What do you want?” she asked coldly.

He put down the ladle and looked at her. “You,” he
said simply.

“Me?” She pretended to laugh. “Why? Isn't Percy
working out?”

His weight shifted from one foot to the other. She
looked at him, surprised. He actually seemed ill at ease.

“You know why I hired Percy. And it certainly wasn't
to take your place.”

“No?” She pulled the bread out of its paper wrapper
and began cutting it with a serrated knife, hacking with a
vengeance. “Just what was my place, Rick? I don't
think we ever did make that clear. Maybe that's why you
weren't satisfied with my performance.”

“I was never dissatisfied with you in any way.”

“That's nice.” Words were all right, but they didn't
mean much if they weren't backed by actions. She
stacked the bread in her bread server. “Now will you
please make your point and get out of here? I'm having
company for dinner.”

He didn't move a muscle. “The only company you're
having tonight is me,” he said calmly.

She glared at him. She'd been planning to invite her
father, but Rick didn't have to know that. Let him think she had a male friend coming.

“What are you going to do, bar the door when he gets
here?” she asked scathingly.

“If I have to.” His eyes darkened stormily and his jaw
tightened. “Okay, you're angry because of what hap
pened last night at the ball. I was upset that things weren't right for my grandfather, and I took it out on you. I apologize.” He waited for a moment, but she didn't respond. He sighed unhappily. “I want you to
come back with me, Terry,” he said. “I need you.”

She swallowed hard, fighting her attraction. She
wanted to run into his arms, but that would be crazy.

“Sorry,” she snapped, looking about her kitchen for something to keep her from having to look at him. “I've
had a better offer.”

“Terry.” He held out his hands. “Terry, come here
to me.”

Every muscle, every nerve ached to obey him. She turned away, reaching blindly for the Parmesan cheese. She was dying to be caught up in his arms. But she didn't
dare. Once he touched her...
 

“No,” she whispered.

“Come over here,” he demanded.

Her chin rose. “I'm not your servant any longer, Rick. I don't have to do as I'm told.”

With two quick strides he was at her side. His arms came around her and he said huskily, “Tell me what to do, Terry. I'll do it. Anything you say. Tell me what I
can do to prove to you that I love you.”

“Love me?” Her eyes opened wide. “Do you love me?”

His exasperation was so great that he almost shook
her. “Of course I do, you little idiot! I've loved you from
the moment I found you hiding in my closet.”

She gazed at him with wonder. “I love you too,” she
admitted.

His arms tightened around her. “Thank God,” he said.
“Then you'll come back with me?”

Slowly she shook her head. “I can't.”

“The children need you,” he said. “I need you.”

Didn't he see how impossible it was? “My
...
my
father will be there on Monday,” she told him. “He'll take better care of you all than I ever could.”

“Your father is already at Mar Vista,” Rick told her. “He arrived in the nick of time last night, said he'd come
to surprise you, to help you out, but he ended up saving the night.”

She dropped her gaze. “The ball was a mess, wasn't it?”

“Hardly.”

She looked up quickly at his laugh. “What do you mean?”

“The fund-raising committee said they had the best haul they've ever had at one of these things. Everyone said it was the most exciting night we'd had in the bay area for years. I'd say it was a smashing success.”

“You're kidding.” She almost smiled. “What did your grandfather say?”

“He calmed down and had a wonderful time dancing with all the ladies.” He touched her cheek. “But who cares about him, Terry? I love you and you love me and that's all that counts.”

But that
wasn't
all. “I can't go back to Mar Vista, Rick,” she said sadly. “I can't go back to hiding in linen closets—”

“Neither can I, Terry. I'm not talking about Mar Vista. I'm talking about the ranch. After we're married—”

“Married!”

“Of course, married. What did you think I was talking about?”

“I ... I don't know. More butlering?”

He laughed. “I'll admit you made a darn good butler,” he said. “But I can't use a butler at the ranch.” He took her chin in his hand. “But I could use a wife to help me manage the place. What do you say?”

She pulled out of his arms and backed away from him. In her wildest dreams she had never really thought he would ever want her to marry him. Rick Carrington, playboy
extraordinaire,
just didn't do things like that. And now that he had asked her—a whole new set of problems arose.

“Oh no, Rick,” she muttered, confused. “We can't get married. We're so different. My father is your butler...”

He followed her, not letting her get away from him. “Not
my
butler, lady. My grandfather's.”

“Yes, but it's in your family.” She shook her head. “No, what you're suggesting is impossible. It would never work.”

He took hold of her shoulders as she backed against the wall and he held her prisoner where she stood. His eyes were troubled as they searched hers. “What are you saying, Terry? That you don't want to marry me?”

“No, I...” She was so confused—how could she explain to him why she couldn't marry a Carrington?

“Do you love me?” he demanded.

“Yes. Oh yes!”

“Do
you
care what anyone else says about us?”

She shook her head.

“Why do you think I care, then?”

“I... your grandfather ...”

“Means a lot to me. But he doesn't run my life.” He lowered his head, kissing her lips softly. “If I had to choose between the two of you, lady-butler, there'd be no contest. I hope you believe that.” He kissed her again, nuzzling her mouth, her cheek, her ear, and she sighed with the pleasure of his touch.

“This isn't fair, Rick,” she murmured, but she raised her arms and clasped her hands behind his head, arching her soft body against him.

Joy was surging through her. She could hardly believe
that she could go so quickly from such misery to such happiness. For the first time, it seemed possible. Maybe he really did love her. Maybe it would work. Was she
gambler enough to try it?

“What do you say, Terry?” he whispered between
kisses. “Will you come with me?”

“I say yes,” she said breathlessly, going for broke. “Oh, yes, Rick, yes!”

He pulled her close and laughed with delight. “Good. I
wouldn't have dared go home without you. The kids
would have me strung up.”

“They know?”

“I told them I was going to bring you back and we'd
all live at the ranch.”

“And they liked the idea? Even Erica?”

“Even Erica.”

She didn’t believe him. He was just using everything he could think of to convince her to say “yes”. But the way things were going, she really didn’t care.
 

Suddenly she remembered Anatole’s warning. “Butlers don’t get promoted to wife, you know”, and she laughed. Wrong again!

Rick sighed and nipped at her earlobe. “Aunt Julia
called it from the day she met you, you know.”

“What do you mean?”

“She told me I'd be a fool to pass you up. And she was
the one who suggested I get you jealous with Caren to
speed things, along.”

Terry's jaw dropped. “She didn't!” A frown creased her brows. “What do you mean, to speed things along?”

He grinned down at her. “I wanted you to marry me
the first time we made love. But I could see you weren't
ready. You needed more time.”

She didn't believe him for a moment, but she loved him
anyway. “You're crazy,” she said.

“That's right. Crazy about you.”

And he pulled her into an embrace that didn't allow
for any more talking, an embrace that lasted so long, the spaghetti burned. But
nothing, not even hunger, was going to tear them from Terry's apartment that night.

“I'll marry you on one condition,” Terry told him drowsily later that night, wrapped in his arms, sated with lovemaking. “Angelina has to go.”

He chuckled. “She's already left. Johnny took her with him when Grandfather kicked him out again. Johnny thought he might be able to find a more suitable home for her.”

“I'll bet.” She giggled and stretched in his arms. “Will you love me forever?” she murmured.

“Forever,” he murmured back, covering her body with his again. “And ever and ever.”

An hour later, they were eating burned spaghetti when the doorbell rang. They looked at each other, eyebrows raised, and then Terry went to the door and looked out the viewer.
 

“It’s Erica,” she whispered, turning and staring at Rick. “What is she doing here?”

He shook his head, as startled as she was.
 

“Go hide. Quick.” She motioned toward the bathroom.
 

He frowned. “Why?”

She looked at him sitting there in his underwear and grimaced. “Because…I don’t know. I think we should find out what she’s here for before we… .”

“Gotcha.” He jumped up and slipped into the bathroom without further ado.
 

She pulled her robe more tightly around herself and opened the door. “Erica,” she began, and then she saw Charles standing behind her. “What…?”

Erica’s usual cool reserve had melted away. “Terry!” she cried, tears in her eyes. “Please come back! You’ve got to come back.” She threw herself into Terry’s arms, sobbing loudly.

Terry held her close but looked questioningly at the chauffer. He came on in and shut the door behind himself, but shrugged grandly.
 

“She’s been like this all day,” he told her. “I finally grabbed her and threw her in the car and brought her down here to find you. It seemed the only way to stop the blubbering.”

Erica raised her tear-stained face. “Do you hate us? Do you hate my Dad? You have to come back. I don’t think we can be a real family without you there.”