The Last Groom on Earth (13 page)

Tears sprang into Angela’s eyes again, but she smiled tenderly at Bryce while the tears rolled down her cheeks. Bryce walked over to her and wiped her tears away with his hand, then kissed her lightly on the forehead.

“Anyway, I had called Tim to get Kelly’s address and tell him the situation. I expected him to meet me at Kelly’s. Instead he must have seized the opportunity to come over here and get rid of some incriminating evidence.”

They both turned to look back at Tim.

He sighed wearily. “No, I knew it was up when you told me you thought Kelly did it. I had gotten rid of the payment orders in accounting when you said you were looking into those companies. But that didn’t stop you—it just incriminated Kelly. I knew once the three of you started talking, it wouldn’t be long before you figured out that it was really me. I came over here to get some of my things, then I was going to get out of the country.”

“Tim!” Angela exclaimed, her face falling into lines of disillusion. “You mean you were going to leave Melanie and the kids here to face it alone? And what if Kelly hadn’t remembered that you authorized it? Or nobody would believe her?”

“Come on, Ange, that wouldn’t happen. As soon as I disappeared, everybody would know it was me. Besides, I was going to mail a letter confessing when I got on the plane. And Melanie and the kids will be better off without me. If I wasn’t here, they wouldn’t have to face all that trial and everything. The publicity would have blown over in a few days, and they could have gone back to normal.”

“With the IRS impounding your assets?” Bryce said sarcastically. “I don’t think so. You’re obviously into fantasy big time. But for once, Tim, you’re going’to have to face the music. The only way you can help your family or H & A Enterprises is to stay right here, get a good lawyer and see what kind of deal you can work out with the government.”

Bryce gave him a smile that was more a baring of teeth and added, “Anyway, I’m here to see that that’s what you do whether you want to or not. It’ll mean the least publicity and hurt for Angela, too.”

He walked across the hallway and grasped Tim firmly by the arm. Hauling him to his feet, he said, “Come on, let’s call your tax attorney and see if he knows any good
criminal
lawyers.”

Angela turned and shot an anguished glance across the hall at Kelly. Kelly shook her head. She looked as stunned and disbelieving as Angela felt.
How could she have been so deceived by Tim?
Angela had never before felt this kind of hurt and betrayal.

She turned on her heel and walked back through the kitchen, grabbing her car keys from the table where she had dropped them when they came in. She hurried down the back steps and across the graveled lot to her car. Tears were forming in her eyes, blurring her vision. Quickly she got in and turned on the engine, blinking the tears away. Then she backed out of the driveway and into the street. She knew that Bryce would wonder where she was. He probably had wanted her to stay there to help the police with the investigation.

But she could not bear to be around when the police came. Tim had been her good friend and business partner for eight years. They had laughed together, dreamed together, sweated out those first few months of their business together. He was more like a brother than a friend. It tore at her insides to think of him being handcuffed and hauled off to jail, subjected to the trial and prison.
And poor Melanie!
Sobs welled up in Angela’s throat at the thought of Tim’s wife. It would be a nightmare for her and the children.

Yet at the same time that she felt almost sick with sorrow for Tim and his family, she also was bitterly hurt and disillusioned. Tim had betrayed her and their
business. He had cheated her, lied to her, broken the bond of friendship that she had thought was so firm. It left her empty and angry and shocked.

At first Angela drove aimlessly through the streets of Raleigh, but soon, without her even being aware of it, she was on the highway going north toward Lake Gaston. It was where she always went when she was in need of peace and healing. She drove, wiping away the tears that streamed silently down her face, her mind a jumble of thoughts and emotions.

When she finally reached the lake, she sat down in her favorite chair and gave way completely to her tears. Sometime later, she got up and washed her face, grimacing a little at her blotchy face in the mirror, then made a cup of coffee and went out onto the deck to watch the sun sinking in the west. It was soothing to sit there, sipping the hot liquid and watching the sky blaze with gold and red, then gradually settle into monochrome.

Finally, when the spring air grew too cool, she went back inside and made a fire to take away the chill of the evening. But it wasn’t enough to take away the chill inside her. The lake was not doing its usual job of removing her problems. There was an aching emptiness inside her. She realized that she wished Bryce were there. Nothing would seem as bad with his arms around her.

Angela dozed on the couch, mesmerized by the flames. She was awakened an hour later by the bright lights of a car flashing through the window. She sat up in confusion; it took a moment to remember where she was and what had led her to be there.

Outside the car lights went off and the engine died. A moment later, there was a knock on the door. An
gela thought of Bryce, and she jumped up eagerly and hurried toward the door. Peeping out the side window, she saw that it was indeed Bryce, and she swung open the door with a cry of delight.

“Bryce!” She flung herself against him.

He looked weary in the porch light, but he smiled at her greeting and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

“Hello, sweetheart. How are you?”

“I’m okay.” She kissed him and stepped back, taking his hand and leading him inside. Everything seemed much more cheerful now that he was here with her. “How did you know I was out here?”

He shrugged. “I figured this would be where you’d go when you were upset.”

“You’re right. I had a good cry.”

“Did it help?”

“I don’t know. I guess so.” Angela sighed. “Oh, Bryce, I still can’t believe that it’s true.”

“It’s true, all right,” Bryce replied grimly.

They walked over to the couch and settled down upon it, his arm looped around her shoulders.

“I’m sorry I left. I just couldn’t stand to stay there and see it.”

“I know. It was fine. Kelly went home, too. Tim was very cooperative.”

“What’s going to happen to him?”

“I don’t know. They usually don’t go as hard on white-collar crimes, and it’s his first offense. Plus, he turned himself in, and he had a good lawyer with him. My guess is he’ll pay the money back to the company and plea-bargain down to a fine and a little time in jail, maybe even probation.”

“But where will he get the money? You heard him, he needed it. I’m sure he’s spent it already.”

“He has plenty of assets. That house, primarily—an estate like that’ll bring plenty. And cars, etc.”

“Poor Tim. Poor Melanie.”

“Don’t feel too sorry for him. He put you and Kelly and your company through a lot of hell.”

“I know.” Angela sighed. “Well, that’ll mean we can pay the taxes we owe. They won’t prosecute us, will they, since Tim was defrauding the company? I mean, we didn’t realize those charges weren’t legitimate expenses.”

“I don’t imagine so. Payment, plus late fees and interest will probably satisfy the bloodsuckers.”

Angela hesitated, then said, “I’m sorry for those things I said to you earlier today.”

A corner of his mouth lifted. “I’ve heard them before.”

“Maybe. But I shouldn’t have said them. And you were right—I was naive and stupid.”

“No. Maybe you shouldn’t have trusted Tim so easily, but you had every reason to. And you were absolutely right about Kelly. I was wrong. She hadn’t done anything criminal, and you stuck by her. You believed in her. Your loyalty and faith are wonderful qualities. I shouldn’t have said what I did. And I didn’t mean it. I was angry.” He paused, then said quietly, “You didn’t believe me, and that hurt. I felt as if you were choosing your friend over me.”

“No! I would never do that. I just thought you were wrong. It didn’t mean anything about who I love the most. I mean, I love Kelly and Tim… we’ve been friends for years. But it doesn’t compare to how I feel about you.”

Bryce turned sideways so that he could look into her face. “Do you really mean that? You haven’t told me.”

Angela gave him a wry smile. “I didn’t think you’d want to hear it. I mean, I’m romantic and emotional, you’re practical and logical. I know that our being together made you uneasy. Just because I felt certain of my feelings didn’t mean that you did. I was afraid you’d run for the hills if I dumped that load on you.”

“Oh, Angela.” He took a strand of her hair and began to wind it around his finger. The look on his face made the blood begin to pulse faster in Angela’s veins. “I love you. I’ve just been too hardheaded and scared to admit it. I’ve gotten through life by telling myself I didn’t need emotions…logic was everything. I didn’t need love. I didn’t need a family. But you made me see the truth. I need love. I need you…desperately. When I realized you must have gone to confront Kelly and I thought that she might hurt you, it scared me to death. I knew how empty life would be without you. And I wondered why in the world I had fought so hard to keep you out of my life.”

“’Cause you’re hardheaded,” Angela told him with a chuckle, taking his hand and raising it to her lips. She kissed his palm and rubbed her cheek sensuously against it. “But I love you anyway.”

“I may be hardheaded,” Bryce said, taking her by the shoulders and pulling her onto his lap, “but I’m not a fool.” He kissed her lingeringly, then asked, “Angela, will you marry me?”

Angela looked up at him, flushed and a trifle dazed, her lips soft and moist from his kiss. “What? Are you serious?”

“Of course I’m serious. Don’t you remember? I’m the man with no sense of humor.”

She smiled. “Of course. How could I forget?”

“Well? Do you think you could live with a serious, practical, logical old stick-in-the-mud?”

“Yes! Oh, yes, I could live with one, as long as it’s you.” Angela threw her arms around his neck and kissed him all over his face, punctuating each kiss with a decisive, “Yes.”

She drew back suddenly, frowning a little. “But where are we going to live? Your business is in Charlotte, and mine’s here, and how—”

“Don’t worry, we’ll work it out.” He grinned and pulled her back into his arms. “Don’t be so damn practical.”

Angela chuckled, melting into his arms. “If you insist.”

*    *    *    *

eISBN 978-14592-7864-6

THE LAST GROOM ON EARTH

Copyright © 1996 by Candace Camp

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