The Fairest of Them All

Russ shook his head. “No. Carly’s tired of being treated like a child. She’s ready to stand on her own two feet.”

“Yeah, but she’s a girl,” Troy said.

“Do you remember how you felt when people kept calling you a boy after you turned twenty?” Russ asked. “Do you remember what you did to prove you weren’t a boy?”

They all remembered. Russ could read it on their faces. He remembered the struggle for manhood himself, the taking of a woman not out of love, not even out of respect, but out of an empty search for proof.

The atmosphere in the room grew thoughtful.

Daniel cleared his throat. “You’re trying to tell us something.”

“Nothing you don’t already know,” Russ said gently. “Carly’s a woman. She still needs you, but not in the same way she used to.”

Troy shifted his stance. “But if we don’t look after her, who will?”

Russ wanted to say that he would, that they needn’t worry. But that wouldn’t solve the problem. She didn’t want to be taken care of. “I think Carly wants to look after herself. If she doesn’t get some space, she might decide she needs to prove herself. And you don’t want that.”

They all muttered their agreement.

The men grew uncomfortable with the serious discussion and found excuses to leave the room. Garth, however, hung back and when the others had left, he turned to Russ.

“You want her,” he said bluntly.

Russ’s lip curved grimly. “You know me well.”

Garth shook his tousled dark head and sighed. “I don’t know if she’s ready for this, Russ.”

“I’m not waiting any longer. I’ve been planning this for two years.”

Garth’s eyes widened in surprise. “Two years? I guess this isn’t just one of your flings, then.”

Russ understood the question. After all, when they had roomed together in college, Garth had seen the number and variety of females that had paraded in and out of his life. “I mean business,” Russ assured him. “Cut me some slack. Between you and your brothers and Carly’s drive for independence, this summer is going to be pure hell.”

Garth chuckled and gave Russ a commiserating pat on the shoulder. Russ shoved his hands into his pockets and sighed. He was determined to remain clearheaded and objective. With painful accuracy, he recalled the one time he’d acted impulsively and the disastrous results. He’d made a complete fool of himself during his brief ill-fated marriage, and it wouldn’t happen again. Russ prided himself on his ability to extricate himself from emotionally volatile situations. As a matter of fact, he’d given Carly’s brothers a tip or two on the subject.

Shaking his head, Russ thought back to Carly’s parting comment. He hadn’t counted on the full scope of her feminine pride. He’d tried to make his request as nonthreatening as possible. In trying to reassure her, he’d obviously botched his plan. Now he had to figure out how to get things back on track.

The next morning, Carly was late for church. She scooted in the last wooden pew, not wanting to draw attention to her tardiness. It was those crazy erotic dreams. She’d tossed and turned a good part of the night, then overslept this morning. And it was all Russ Bradford’s fault.

The ushers took the offering, and the choir sang a soothing hymn. The quiet setting had just begun to calm her when Russ appeared beside her pew. Carly tensed, but moved over.

She kept her gaze fixed straight ahead at the pastor, although she couldn’t hear a word he said.

Russ leaned over and murmured in her ear, “To err is human.”

She remained silent.

“Are you ever going to speak to me again?” he whispered.

Giving up her pretense of paying attention, Carly sighed. “I haven’t decided. I’m torn between wringing your neck and apologizing for telling you to go to—” She broke off, remembering she was in church. Even though God knew what she’d said to Russ, she didn’t think she needed to refresh His memory.

“Let me take you to lunch,” Russ murmured.

She cut her eyes at him and started to shake her head.

“No strings,” he whispered.

The older woman in front of them turned around and frowned. Carly pointed at Russ. The woman’s frown turned to a smile. Carly looked at the ceiling.

“Lunch,” he murmured again.

“Be quiet,” Carly said.

“Lunch.”

Carly was caught in a dilemma. She wanted her easy friendship with Russ back, but she had to get rid of this new awareness first. It was making her do crazy things, think crazy thoughts.

“It’s not like I’m asking you to go to bed,” Russ whispered.

Her heart jumped. Shocked, Carly’s head whipped around. He couldn’t possibly know she’d dreamed that very scenario this morning.

She studied him carefully. His brown eyes held the same lazy humor as always. His body appeared relaxed, with one ankle propped across the opposite knee, and one arm resting behind her on the top of the pew. If she were just a little closer, his big hand might be on her shoulder or back. Her stomach fluttered.

Something about the set of his mouth told her he wasn’t going to give up.

“Will you be quiet?” she asked in her softest voice.

“Lunch.”

“Yes,” she whispered tersely.

Chapter Two

Carly was relieved Russ didn’t begin a discussion about the pastor’s sermon. Since she’d spent the rest of the service mentally rehearsing all the logical reasons why she couldn’t be his summer escort, she could only guess what the pastor had talked about.

Russ had suggested the Davy Crockett Diner. She politely agreed. He ordered steak. She ordered chicken.

She expected him to begin negotiations any minute.

Russ loosened his burgundy-print tie. “I met your new assistant last night. She told me you’re looking for new entertainment.”

Carly nodded and relaxed. “For the cruises with meals. I think it would draw more customers, but I don’t want to spend a lot of money.”

He smiled at the waitress as she served their iced tea and tossed salads.

“Have you thought about a disc jockey?”

“Yes, but they’re so loud.” Carly took a sip of her drink. “I don’t know what I want. Just something different.”