Third Time's a Charm (5 page)

Ryan centered the nail on the bottom plate and began a rhythmic hammering. The familiar echo answered his efforts,
pound-tap
,
pound-tap
. Before he’d finished the second nail, a shout mingled with the sounds.

“Dad! Hey, Dad!”

He looked up to see his nephews racing around the edge of the cornfield from the direction of the trailer. Seven-year-old Cody trailed his older brother, spindly legs pumping hard to keep up. Even from this distance, and in the waning sunlight, Ryan recognized the fierce determination in the younger boy’s face. How often had Ryan nearly killed himself to keep up with Walt? Though with five years difference in their ages, he’d never had a chance. Cody, only sixteen months younger than Butch, might one day actually be a match for his brother.

Ryan tossed the hammer to the deck as the pair tore across the grass, Butch in the lead. His oldest nephew leaped up on the subfloor, and Ryan braced himself just before Butch tackled him like a linebacker. Even so, he was knocked backward on his rear.

Walt’s roar echoed like the hammer had done moments earlier. “Boy, what have I told you about running up here? There’s nails and tools laying around all over the place. If we have to take another trip to the emergency room, your mother will have my hide.”

Butch immediately rolled off his uncle. “Sorry, Dad.” The impudent grin he shot Ryan was anything but repentant.

Ryan pulled himself upright and gave the scamp a good-natured shove just as Cody arrived and climbed up onto the platform.

“Mama says it’s time to quit.” He high-stepped quickly through the studs they’d nailed in place as though they were tires on an obstacle course. “Uncle Ryan, she says for you to come have a piece of pie.”

Nine-year-old Butch gave him a grin full of oversized permanent teeth. “It’s cherry, from real cherries. Grandma brung it to us.”

“Grandma
brought
it.” Ryan ruffled the mop of dark red hair that the boy got from his mother’s family. It still amazed him that Walt was a
dad
. A good one too, even though the boys came along when he was younger than Ryan was now. Ryan couldn’t even imagine carrying the weight of responsibility for a pair of scamps like his nephews, and soon another baby too.

But Ryan and Walt were living different lives. Walt never wanted to do anything except farm, just like Pop. He didn’t seem to mind having his life controlled by the seasonal cycles of planting and harvesting or his income dependent upon the vagaries of the weather and the market price of livestock. Nor did Loralee. They both loved the life of the farmer, just like Mom and Pop. Whereas, as far back as Ryan could remember, he’d itched to discover something different, something
better
.

“Yeah, come on in for a piece of pie.” Walt slapped him on the back as they walked toward the edge of the platform.

Ryan caught a gleam in his brother’s eye. No doubt he couldn’t wait to get inside with news of Ryan’s date. Nerves twitched in his stomach.
If
he managed to actually get a date with Tori, which he didn’t think all that likely. He really didn’t feel up to his sister-in-law’s cross-examination tonight. Because if Tori said no, which she probably would, he didn’t want to look like a loser in front of his family.

“Thanks, but I think I’m just going to head on home.” He hopped down to the grass. “I’ll see you tomorrow after church.”

Walt gave him a shrewd glance, then shrugged. “Suit yourself. See you around one, one thirty?”

Ryan nodded, and lifted a hand in farewell as Walt and the boys headed for the trailer. He opened his car door and stood for a moment, watching their retreating figures. Walt, in the center, rested a hand on each of his sons’ shoulders as they made their way along the edge of the field’s dark soil toward Loralee and a thick slice of cherry pie. Yeah, Walt was one lucky guy. He was living the life he’d always envisioned.

Not for the first time, Ryan envied his brother. It would be nice to know what you wanted out of life. Someday maybe he’d figure out what he wanted to be when he grew up.

Tori guided her car into the parking garage and zoomed up to the row of reserved spaces. She slipped into a visitor space close to the building’s elevator with a thrill of satisfaction. A choice parking spot was little enough reward for giving up her Sunday morning.

Of course, the closest space was already occupied by a familiar silver Lexus. Kate’s car.

“I’ll be there for dinner, Mom.” She switched the cell phone to her left ear, freeing her right hand to shift the car into Park and turn off the engine. “Kate said the meeting should only last a couple of hours. If we get out early, I might even be waiting for you when you get home from church.”

Possible, but unlikely. Meetings with Kate usually ran over, not under. Still, she could hope for the best. Since her boss was leaving town in the morning, maybe she’d want to get out of the office quickly today.

Yeah, right.

“That would be good.” Mom’s voice sounded pinched, a sure sign of worry. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in months.”

Tori tossed the keys into her purse. “We saw each other yesterday.”

“That doesn’t count. There were too many people around to have a real conversation.”

“Like about selling Gram’s house and buying a condo?” She tried to keep the irritation out of her voice, but failed.

Mom’s sigh sounded in her ear. “Joan said they told you after I left the party yesterday. She said you seemed upset. I’m sorry, honey. I wanted to talk to you about it myself in person, but you’ve been working so hard lately there hasn’t been a good time.”

Tori’s irritation evaporated and she wilted against the seat. Mom was too nice to say it was her own fault for ignoring her family. “I know. It’s hard to have a conversation with me when I’m never around.”

“I’m worried about you. You’re working too hard. You need to find a balance.”

A yawn took Tori by surprise. Through sleepy eyes, she stared up at the concrete ceiling where, six floors up, Kate was already in her office. Balance? Tori had worked until after five in the morning to finish the Harmon report. “I don’t think there is such a thing as balance in marketing, Mom.”

A movement drew her eye to the rearview mirror. Another familiar car had just pulled into the parking garage. Mitch had arrived.

“I’ve got to go. Tell Joan and Allie not to be mad at me for skipping church.”

“I will, honey. See you this afternoon.”

“Bye.”

Tori slipped the phone into her purse and gathered her briefcase. The heels of her new boots touched the pavement as Mitch’s car glided to a stop beside her. His head appeared over the roof almost immediately, and a low whistle cut through the June warmth.

“Look at Miss Victoria Sanderson, all dressed up for a Sunday meeting.” His admiring glance traveled the length of her new slacks and blouse.

Tori paused in the act of punching the lock button on her remote to turn a dimple his way. Mitch flirted outrageously and without partiality, but at least he appreciated an attractive outfit when he saw one. They’d hired on at the firm within a month of each other two years ago and performed the same function, though for different clients. He was extraordinarily handsome, and she’d seen enough of his work to know he was smart, but both attributes were spoiled by an ego that blotted out all else the moment he opened his mouth.

He fell in beside Tori on the walkway, his hands swinging freely at his side. “Any idea what this meeting is about?”

She glanced at him sideways. “I was about to ask you the same question. It must have something to do with her trip tomorrow.”

Mitch shook his head. “She’s going to a conference, not a client meeting. This is something else.” They walked on a few steps. “Since she wants us both there, I figure it must be a new account with a tight deadline.”

That made sense. On a few occasions, Kate had assigned Tori and Mitch to work on a rush project together. They worked well in partnership, especially when the work required long hours at the office when the rest of the staff had gone home and Mitch had no audience but her. After a few hours alone, she’d actually seen that smirky mask slip once or twice as he got into a project.

“Great.” Tori aimed a winsome scowl at him. “And to think, I was looking forward to a week without a boss breathing down my neck.”

“Are you kidding?” They arrived at the door, and he leaped ahead of her to open it. “You know Kate can breathe through the phone just as well as in person. Even her emails reek of Tic Tacs.”

Tori giggled as she swept by him through the doorway.

The hum of the elevator motor began the second Tori pushed the button. Another good thing about working on Sunday: no waiting for the world’s busiest elevator.

Mitch followed her inside and pressed the button for the sixth floor. As the doors closed, he leaned a shoulder casually against the polished metal wall. His gaze swept her once again, and the admiring gleam returned to his eye. “So, after we’re let out for recess, you want to go out and play with me?”

His tone held just enough insinuation to be flattering without being offensive. Tori’s stomach gave a delicious flutter in response. She never really knew how to take Mitch. Was he seriously asking her out, or just flirting like he always did? They’d grabbed the occasional lunch together, but only as co-workers. She always wondered how he’d respond if she accepted one of his playful invitations. She’d even gone so far as to check the policy manual for rules about dating, and discovered that as long as one of them didn’t report to the other, nobody cared. A relationship between the two of them would probably cause tongues to wag, but at least neither of them could lose their job.

On the other hand, Mitch always made insinuating comments like that, and not just to her. Best not to stick her neck out and be embarrassed by him backing off.

She turned her dimple grin toward him as the doors slid open. “Sorry, but my play date calendar is full for the rest of the day.”

They passed the empty reception desk with the shiny metallic logo for Connolly and Farrin on the front, and wound their way around a row of cubicles. Tori slipped inside her own cube long enough to drop her purse in the bottom desk drawer and pull the Harmon report out of her briefcase. She took an extra moment to glance through the neat stack of papers, careful not to bend the edges beneath the paper clip. The colorful pie charts the client liked didn’t give enough detail to make a financial decision, in Tori’s opinion, so she’d supplemented the analysis with a couple of line graphs and summarized the supporting data in easy-to-read charts that had taken her hours in front of the computer screen. Kate would appreciate the extra effort when she discussed the results with the Harmon people.

Kate’s office was one of the few that overlooked Triangle Park, the beautiful wedge-shaped grounds nestled in the heart of downtown Lexington. Every time she entered the room, Tori’s gaze was drawn to the stunning site of the cascading fountains that curved along Vine Street. This morning the sunlight sparkled on the line of water that shot high into the air and plummeted to the churning pool beneath while cars circled the park on all sides of the triangle. One day, Tori intended to have an office with a view like this.

Apparently the view was lost on her boss. Kate sat facing her computer on the heavy credenza against the wall, her back to the wide desk with the neat piles of papers and magazines placed evenly across its surface. Mitch stood in front of the desk, trying to look casual as he strained his neck to read the screen over Kate’s shoulder. He jerked when Tori stepped up beside him, then gave her an unrepentant cocky grin.

“Close the door and have a seat,” Kate said without turning. “Be with you in a minute.”

An odd request. Typically a closed door at Connolly and Farrin indicated a confidential conversation was taking place, but they were the only three in the entire office. There was nobody out there to overhear. But Kate was like that—overly paranoid when it came to discussing client information. Tori did as requested and then slid into one of the two padded chairs while Mitch took the other. The
tap-tap-tap
of Kate’s keyboard filled the room.

After what seemed an eternity, the printer on the corner of the credenza hummed to life. A series of papers emerged from the front, and Kate snatched each as soon as the machine released it. When she had six in her hands, she swiveled the chair around.

Made up to perfection, as usual. She’d pulled her dark hair back this morning, the line of her white scalp stark where she’d parted it in the center. She laid the papers face down in the center of her desk.

Tori held her report toward her boss. “Here’s the Harmon analysis you asked for.”

Kate took it and tossed it on the top of a pile to her right without a glance. Tori swallowed a flash of resentment. After she’d stayed up all night to get the thing done, the least Kate could do was look at it.

Instead, her boss planted her elbows on the desk and entwined her fingers. She slid a sharp blue gaze from Tori to Mitch. “Dan handed me a new prospect on Friday.”