Falling for the Texas Tycoon

His words lingered as she went to the kitchen to find Timothy. Alan sounded as if he understood. He sounded as if he knew the importance of being a father.

One more reason to keep her past a secret.

During dinner, Alan’s gaze kept going back to Lisa again and again, in spite of his intentions to have a pleasant meal with Brian and Carrie and ignore the young woman who’d been in and out of his thoughts all afternoon. Damn it, she had a pretty face. Yes, she had glossy hair he’d love to run his hands through. Yes, she had a curvy figure that looked wonderful in low-slung jeans. And those boots—

He stabbed a bite of cake as if it might run away from him. He wanted a few questions answered. He and Brian weren’t close friends—not yet, anyway—but he’d been here for dinner before and there had never been any talk about Lisa Sanders. Yet here she was, acting as if she was a relative of some kind.

“So, Lisa, have you always lived in Portland?”

After a quick glance at Brian, she wiped her mouth with her napkin and seemed to consider an answer carefully. Finally she revealed, “I lived in Seattle with an aunt for a couple of years. But I was born in Portland and I always considered it my home.”

“She’s a friend of the family,” Carrie added casually. “We watch out for her.”

So they weren’t related. “You’re very good with Timothy,” Alan remarked. “I thought maybe Carrie had hired you to help out so you could earn extra money for college.”

The two women exchanged a look.

“I help out because we’re friends,” Lisa answered quietly.

There was an uncomfortable silence that Alan didn’t understand. Then Carrie focused her attention on Lisa. “Speaking of being friends, I have a favor to ask you.”

Lisa grinned. “Uh-oh. Let’s see. You want me to help with the spring charity auction.”

“Hmm, that would be great if you could, but that wasn’t what I had in mind right now. I’m in a pickle. My guest for Saturday canceled.”

Alan was aware that Carrie hosted a live Saturday morning talk show in the area. About Portland usually consisted of human interest stories or timely events.

“How can I help with that?” Lisa asked.

“I’d like you to come on and be my guest. You’re intelligent and well-spoken, and I’d like to talk about the opportunities available for young women in Portland who are fresh out of college, settling into the job market now. You’d be great to interview. What do you think?” Carrie was quick to add, “We’d be concentrating on your present job, what you’re doing at Summers Development, where you want your future and career to go.”

Was that relief he saw on Lisa’s face? What did she expect Carrie to interview her about?

“Sure, I can do that. I can even wear one of my new suits.”

“You say it’s this Saturday?” Brian asked his wife.

“Yes, why?”

“Because Lisa will be traveling to Texas with me and Alan next week. We might be gone the following Saturday. In fact, I was going to ask if you wanted to come along. Alan has room on the plane.”

“And there are plenty of guest rooms at the ranch,” Alan said encouragingly.

Carrie thought about it, then shook her head. “I’d have to miss the show. I promised Mom I’d take Timothy up to see her and Dad next week. In fact, if you’re going to be gone, I could just stay overnight. They’d love that. I think this time it’s better if I stay here.”

Alan made eye contact with Brian. “What she’s really saying is that she knows you’re going to be tied up working most of the time we’re gone, and that won’t be any fun.”

“A man who understands women’s subtext,” Carrie said with a laugh.

“I’ve learned a few things in thirty-eight years,” he replied.

Why had he stated his age? So that Lisa knew exactly how old he was? So that she realized they were from different generations? Whether there was chemistry between them or not, their age difference probably couldn’t be easily bridged.

Probably. Why was he even questioning it?

Lisa pushed her coffee away and laid her napkin on the table. “I’d better collect those things from the attic and load my car. It’s getting late and I have laundry to do tonight.”

Carrie frowned. “I don’t think everything’s going to fit in your car. What do you think, Brian?”

“I’ll stuff the rest of it in ours and follow her.”

“Where do you live?” Alan asked.

“On Chestnut.”

“My condo’s out that way. And I have an SUV with a back seat that folds down. Whatever doesn’t fit in your vehicle can go in mine. I don’t mind following you, and it will save Brian a trip.”

Alan wasn’t exactly sure why he’d offered. Maybe because he wanted to see her place…see if she was paying for it herself, or if it was much too nice for an office manager’s salary. Something told him she wasn’t exactly what she seemed. On the other hand, his sixth sense could just be on alert because she unsettled him.

“I don’t have to take everything tonight,” she said, a bit anxiously.

“I really don’t mind following you.” Alan checked his watch. “Besides, I should be going, too. There are some maps and statistics I’d like to go over this evening.”

“On the San Diego resort?” Brian asked with a smile.

“That’s the one.” Standing now, he said to Lisa, “Just point me to the attic.”

Forty-five minutes later, Lisa glanced in her rearview mirror, wishing she could get her life back under control. For the past three years she’d let Brian and Carrie help her, mainly by letting them put her through college, although she’d worked all she could for spending money, books, insurance and anything else she needed. They’d wanted to pay it all, but she’d already owed them way too much—they’d given her baby a home.

At school, she’d felt as if she were putting in time, preparing, but not really living the life she wanted to lead. With graduation, she’d felt on the verge of her future. Today, when she’d read the anonymous note, “You owe me, don’t think I’ve forgotten…”

Whom did she owe what to?

She’d intended to go home, rearrange some furniture and think, but now, with Alan Barrett following her…

This was her life and she made the decisions in it. If she didn’t want Alan to stay, she could ask him to leave. Simple, right?

No, not so simple. She had to work with him.

She practically groaned. Yesterday, her life had been easy, moving along its intended course. Today, she didn’t know what the next minute was going to bring.

Lisa drove down the tree-lined street of the old neighborhood, pulling up in front of a Victorian that had been divided into two apartments, one downstairs and one upstairs. She had the upper apartment. The rent was modest. Her kitchen linoleum had a crack, and she really should paint her bedroom. There was a stain on the ceiling from when the roof had leaked before she moved in. The grandmotherly lady who owned the property insisted the roof had definitely been fixed. The house brought in income for her, and her grandkids helped with the repairs. The past couple of weekends, Lisa had found a few furnishings and wall decorations at a public sale and at an antique fair. But she still had a way to go and she wasn’t keen on Alan seeing the apartment the way it was now.

What did it matter?

She hadn’t wanted to impress a man since she’d met Thad Preston during her senior year in high school. He’d been the football team’s quarterback, headed for the NFL. She’d learned the hard way that he’d intended to let nothing get in the way of that dream.

When she’d told him she was pregnant, he’d insisted she have an abortion. She could never have done that. And knowing that Aunt Edna would probably kick her out when she learned of the pregnancy, Lisa had saved her the trouble. She’d never wanted to live in Seattle, anyway…never liked Seattle. Portland was where she’d grown up, with parents who’d loved her. So that’s where she’d returned. She’d gotten a job waitressing, but her morning sickness had soon turned into all-day sickness, forcing her to cut back her hours. Working less, she couldn’t afford the room she’d rented. She was out on the streets. Craig, who had managed a local deli, often slipped food to her and her friend Ariel, who’d camped out in vacant buildings with her. He’d also supplied food while they were sleeping at the homeless shelter. But then one day, Lisa had passed out on the street, Ariel had called 911 and she’d been taken to the hospital. The Children’s Connection had gotten involved, and that had led to Carrie and Brian.