The Texas Christmas Gift

“But the annual sales award...”

“I’ll see we still get it,” Eve promised gently.

Still, Marjorie fretted. “I have a new client, that Houston oilman, Red Bloom, coming in soon to see the Santiago Florres‒designed home.”

Eve smiled. “Not to worry, Mom. I’ll take care of that, too.”

“You have Derek McCabe....”

Eve had had plenty of time to regret her foolhardiness. “I’ll handle his sale, too,” she reassured her mother. At least I hope I will.

“You’re sure?” Marjorie started to relax, as the meds finally kicked in.

She nodded. Her mother had done so much for her over the years. It was now her turn to be the caretaker. “Just rest now.” She bent and kissed Marjorie’s temple. And then, hoping like hell it wasn’t too late to undo the damage, Eve went to make good on her vow.

* * *

“WHAT DO YOU mean, it didn’t work out?” Derek’s ex-wife said over the phone late the next afternoon. “Marjorie Loughlin is the best Realtor in Dallas!”

“I didn’t get her. I was assigned her daughter.”

Carleen paused. The sounds of their infant daughter and Carleen’s lively household could be heard in the background. “I haven’t met Eve Loughlin, but she’s supposed to be good, too.”

She was beautiful, Derek mused, that was for sure. Temperamental, too. A knock sounded at his door. Aware that his assistant had already left for the day, he said, “Can you hang on a minute?” He walked across his private office and opened the door.

On the other side was the show-stopping beauty who had sent him packing. In a long cashmere coat, vibrant blue business suit and suede heels, Eve Loughlin was the epitome of Texas elegance and style. Around five feet seven inches tall, she was slender and lithe, with great legs and even more spectacular curves. From her full breasts to her narrow waist and hips, there wasn’t an inch of her left wanting. And despite his irritation with her, his attraction didn’t end there. Her skin was fair and utterly flawless, her nose pert, her cheekbones high and sculpted. Her shoulder-length golden-brown hair was so lush and thick he wanted to sink his hands into it. Most mesmerizing of all, though, were her intelligent, wide-set amber eyes, which seemed to hide as much as they revealed.

Derek swallowed around the sudden dryness of his throat, and tore his eyes from her plump, kissable lips. No good could come of this. “Listen, Carleen, I’ve got to go.”

As always, his ex understood. “I’ll see you at five-thirty. Craig and I will have Tiffany ready to go.”

“Thanks. See you then.” Derek ended the call.

Meanwhile, Eve Loughlin waited with a patient, angelic smile.

Not about to make it easy on her, after the way she had summarily dismissed him the afternoon before, Derek lifted a brow. Waited.

Her smile only became more cordial and determined. “I’m sorry to interrupt.”

If that was the case, Derek thought, she already would have left. “What brings you here?”

“I wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday.”

She looked as if she actually might be regretting her actions, if the shadows beneath her eyes—shadows that hadn’t been there the day before—were any indication. Derek’s attitude softened just a little, even as the rest of him remained wary as all get-out. “I’m listening.”

She held her red crocodile briefcase in front of her like a shield. “If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I’d like to retain your business for Loughlin Realty.”

Maybe it was the way his marriage had turned out, or the experiences he’d suffered through with women he had dated since, but he’d had enough fickle women to last him a lifetime. Regarding her skeptically, Derek lounged against his desk, his arms folded. “If that’s the case, then why did you fire me as a client in the first place?”

* * *

TIME TO GROVEL, Eve thought, setting her briefcase on the seat of the armchair beside her. Not her favorite thing, but in this case, extremely necessary if she was to make good on her promise to her mother. Eve noted the spacious office matched him well. Done in varying shades of gray, with large masculine furniture befitting a man of his physical stature, the executive suite had a beautiful view of downtown Dallas.

Gathering her courage, she looked into Derek McCabe’s vivid blue eyes. “Let’s just say it was an all-around bad day.” Bad time of year, actually. Christmas always made her feel out of sync and vaguely depressed. “I took my frustrations out on you,” she admitted, “and that was definitely not the right thing to do.” She lifted her palms apologetically. “I wasn’t brought up that way, and as a real estate agent, I certainly wasn’t trained to behave like that.”

Derek looked her up and down, then paused, his broad shoulders relaxing slightly. “I wasn’t brought up that way, either.” An awkward silence ensued, and then he slid her a long, thoughtful look. “I probably shouldn’t have kept you waiting outside your office for a good half hour while I handled other calls.”

Understanding flowed between them, as tangible as their previous frustration. Eve easily met him halfway. “Thanks for acknowledging that.”

His eyes twinkled. “So maybe we were both at fault yesterday?”

“Maybe.” And there it was, she thought as his rueful smile broadened, the legendary McCabe charm.

“Well, good.” He came forward and briefly shook her hand to seal the truce. “Then we have something in common.”

Eve’s skin tingled as they broke contact and politely stepped away from each other. He inclined his head. “So what’s next?” he murmured.

She drew a deep, bolstering breath, then took a seat in the armchair and opened her briefcase. “I’m ready to meet your demands.”

His phone chimed. He peered down at it, then set it aside. His full attention on Eve once again, he asked, “What stopped you yesterday?”

Watching him take a seat behind his desk, Eve sensed sugarcoating the situation would get her nowhere with the accomplished businessman. “I didn’t want to proceed because I felt selecting a property for you, without knowing anything about you or your specific needs, would be a disservice to us both.”

He pressed his fingertips together. “In what way?”

“If you end up purchasing a home you’re unhappy with, that dissatisfaction will eventually be heaped on Loughlin Realty. And more specifically, me.” Hesitating for a moment, Eve crossed her legs and discreetly tugged her skirt a little lower over her knees. “My reputation depends on being able to find the exact right home for my clients. If I can’t do that, I may as well not continue as an agent.”

His dark brows furrowed. “That’s why you wanted me to fill out the forms?”

Finally, they were getting somewhere! “I don’t even know how old your daughter is. Or if she lives with you full-time or part-time, or simply visits.”

“Tiffany lives with me fifty percent of the time. My ex and I share custody.”

“Do you want her to go to public or private school?”

“Probably public, if we’re in the Highland Park district, but we’re not there yet. She’s just turned one.”

What was it about this man that had Eve losing her equilibrium? Usually, she was much better at maintaining a casual, inscrutable demeanor. Blowing out a breath, she attempted to rein in her reaction. “You must be very recently divorced.”

“It was final last summer. We were separated for a year and a half before that,” he related mildly.

And his child was one now, Eve thought, doing some quick calculations.

* * *

“AREN’T YOU GOING to say it?” Derek asked, something akin to disappointment on his handsome face. He studied her bluntly. “What a terrible person I must have been to have left a pregnant wife?”

This felt like some kind of a test. Deliberately, she held his gaze. “I’m sure you had your reasons.” Her manner matter-of-fact, she continued, “In any case, it’s none of my business.”