Chapter Nine

Austin walked out of his boss’s office grinning from ear to ear and couldn’t stop. He wondered if too much smiling could hurt your face.

“It’s Monday.”

Sitting behind her desk, Kay looked up at him with a twinkle in her eyes. “Am I supposed to know what that means?”

Not much happened here at Traub Oil that she didn’t know about, working as closely as she did with Ethan. So she probably knew what he’d just found out about.

“It means that I just got the best news of my life. News like this is supposed to happen on Friday because a guy needs the weekend to absorb the awesomeness of it and celebrate properly on Saturday, which is his day off.”

“But it’s only Monday,” she agreed.

“The best first day of the work week ever,” he agreed. “I will never, ever again say anything bad about Monday.”

“I’m going out on a limb here.” Kay stood and walked around her desk. “Ethan just broke the good news about your promotion.”

“So you were in the loop.”

She smiled. “I knew it was in the works even before he increased your budget. But I didn’t have a clue when he was going to tell you.”

“It was a good surprise.”

“Again, going out on a limb… You’re happy about it.”

“Happy?” He shook his head. “Such a bland word for what I feel. Ecstatic, maybe. Thrilled. Elated. Delighted. Humbled.”

Kay gave him a hug. “It’s well-deserved, Austin. You’re brilliant and you work so hard.”

“From someone I respect as much as I respect you, that means a lot to me,” he said sincerely. “But what’s so cool is that it doesn’t feel like work.”

“Now you’re starting to scare me.”

He laughed. “I just love what I do.”

“It shows.” She leaned a hip on her desk. “I know it’s Monday and you have to be back here bright and early tomorrow morning to earn your keep, but what are you going to do tonight to mark this momentous occasion?”

How he celebrated wasn’t nearly as important as with whom. All he could think about was telling Rose.

“I’m not sure about the details, but champagne and dinner at the best place in town will definitely be at the top of the list.”

“Good for you,” Kay approved. “Ethan was wise not to share this information until quitting time. He knew you’d be walking on air and too distracted to get more work out of you today.”

Austin’s smile faded and he got serious. “He’s given me a lot of power and with that comes a great deal of responsibility. I know that. He won’t regret this decision. I won’t let him down.”

“Of course you won’t. He knows that. Other than my late husband, Ethan Traub is the best judge of character I’ve ever known. If he didn’t think you could handle the job, he wouldn’t have given it to you. There’s enough time to be serious. Tonight is for soaking up the reality of this career success and festivities to make it as memorable as possible. The good things don’t seem to happen nearly often enough.” There was a wistful sort of sadness in her eyes even as she was nudging him to live it up.

And that was probably what she meant. She’d lost someone too soon and was encouraging him to enjoy the moment and make it last as long as possible.

“Darn right I’ll make it a night to remember,” he promised, the grin back on his face. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, you will. And I want details on tonight’s carousing, so take notes.”

He tapped his temple. “All stored up here in the memory bank.”

Back in his office, Austin plucked the cell phone from the case on his belt, then found Rose’s number and hit Talk. She was the first person he wanted to share the good news with. Haley and Angie would be happy for him, but they could wait. It was best not to examine the emotional dynamic of that thought process too closely.

There was ringing on the other end of the line and it went on so long that he was sure the call would go to voice mail. When she finally answered, he figured this was the cherry on top of a really good day.

“Hello?”

She was breathless and the sexy sound scraped over his skin, then burrowed inside and settled in his chest. He got an instant mental image of her naked and running his fingers through her red hair as he spread it over his pillow.

“Rose?” The effort to keep his voice neutral took a toll. “Is this a bad time?”

“No, not at all. I just walked in the door. At home. With groceries I lugged upstairs. Then I couldn’t find my purse, let alone my phone.”

“So you’re okay?”

“Yes, fine. You?”

“Good. Really good.”

“You sound happy. What’s up?”

There was genuine warmth in her tone, as if she was glad to hear from him. He wasn’t sure after last night’s kiss. He’d never know where the willpower to pull away had come from, but breaking a promise to her wasn’t an option. The gesture bought him more time with her because she’d stayed to help finish decorating. If he had any positive credit left, he was hoping it would buy him time with her tonight.

“What’s up?” He sat on the corner of his desk. “I’ve just had a great day. Possibly the best one ever.”

“Care to share?”

“Celebrating was more what I had in mind.” He took a deep breath. “I’d like to take you to dinner.”

“What are you celebrating?”

“Why don’t I tell you all about it at dinner?” he suggested.

“I’d really love to, but—”

He knew what was coming. “What?”

“The date-free month isn’t up yet, Austin. I’m halfway to the finish line and I’d hate to risk losing the bet now.” Her voice was definitely filled with regret which was something at least.

“Who’s going to see us?” he asked. “It’s Monday.”

“What does that have to do with anything? Is all of Thunder Canyon deaf, dumb and blind on the first day of the week?”

“No, of course not.” He laughed. It didn’t take much to make him laugh, what with his good mood, but she could do that even when he was crabby. Just seeing her sweet face and basking in her even sweeter nature was all it took to snap him out of crabby. “The thing is, human behavior patterns would support the theory that more people are out to dinner on weekend nights. Therefore, it’s statistically less likely that anyone who would rat you out to your brothers would see us.”

“That might be true if we went to dinner anywhere on the planet but Thunder Canyon.” There was rustling in the background, probably from unloading shopping bags. “So just tell me what this big news is. I’m dying of curiosity.”

“Nope,” he said. “It’s so good that it must be shared in person. A basic rule.”

“Is it that fantastic or are you that mean?”

“Both.”

Good and fantastic didn’t do the news justice. Ethan had given him more responsibility. More money. He could support a family, buy a house, have kids and put them through college without breaking a sweat. All of that was something he hadn’t let himself think about for a long time. Not since Rachel.

“I can’t believe you’re doing this to me,” she groaned. “I could call Angie.”

“She doesn’t know,” he teased. “And before you say anything, Haley doesn’t either.”

“Oh, Austin.” The “aw” in her voice said she got it that he was telling her before his family. “I’d really like to go out to dinner, but I can’t take the chance that Jackson will hear about it. And before you say anything, not even a disguise would change my mind.”

That had been his next strategy. Now he was down to his last option. “How about if I just drop by your place with a bottle of champagne. If you happen to be cooking dinner, I wouldn’t mind an invitation.”

There was a long silence on the other end of the line. He could almost see the wheels in her head turning, weighing the consequences of seeing him.

Finally she said, “You are too charming for your own good.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

He ended the call before she could tell him he was wrong. This was turning into his best day ever and not because of his upward career mobility.

If that was all he cared about, he would avoid Rose Traub. If word got out that Austin lusted after the boss’s sister, his career could hit a big speed bump.

But he couldn’t bring himself to avoid her.

When Rose answered the knock on her door, she saw Austin standing there with a bottle of champagne and a bouquet of flowers. A man who showed up with champagne and flowers was romantic not mean. And the look of excitement on his face said more than anything that he was really excited about something.

It was so good to see him and her smile was automatic. “Hi. Come in out of the cold.”

“Thanks. These are for you.” He held out a bouquet of rust-colored mums and yellow daisies. “I stopped at Un-Wined for the champagne and got these on a whim.”

“Thanks. They’re beautiful. I’ll put them in water.”

Her apartment’s living room had a fireplace and she’d arranged two love seats and a chair into a conversation area in front of it. A flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall above the mantel, courtesy of her brother Jackson. Like the rest of the place, the eat-in kitchen had light beige walls and white crown molding. The stainless steel sink matched the other appliances. Above the stove was a rack with copper pots hanging, again courtesy of her brother.

She wasn’t sure what she’d have done about the manly things if he hadn’t been there for her. Respect and gratitude for her brother’s opinion might have factored into her taking the dating bet. If Jackson thought she needed a break, maybe she did. But it was awfully good to see Austin and it had been only twenty-four hours since she’d last seen him.

She filled a pitcher with water and put the flowers in, all the while watching Austin look around and wondering what he was thinking.

He shrugged out of his jacket and set it on the living room chair. “Nice place. You got firewood.”

“Thanks. Yeah, I picked some up at the store but haven’t had a chance to play with it yet.” She set the flowers on the table she’d set for two. “So are you going to tell me the big news, or do I have to starve it out of you?”

After setting the champagne on the tile counter, he grinned. “You’re looking at the engineer just promoted to be in charge of Research and Development for Traub Oil Montana. For the last few months I’ve been the only engineer. Now I get to hire more staff to be in charge of.”

“Oh, Austin—” She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging hard. “Congratulations. That’s so wonderful.”

“And this is why I wouldn’t tell you over the phone.” He pulled her closer and rested his cheek against her hair. “Technology is great, but there’s no substitute for a full-body contact congratulatory hug.”

“That’s true.” She laughed, gave him one more squeeze, then very reluctantly stepped back. “And this just goes to show that my brother Ethan is a lot smarter than he looks.”

“Not going there.” Austin held up his hands in surrender. “That’s a sibling thing and I refuse to get sucked in. He’s my boss.”

“Smart man.” She lifted an eyebrow. “But can you open a bottle of champagne?”

“I’m an engineer.” He made a scoffing sound, then untwisted the wire on the top of the bottle. The foil covering was next, before he pushed the cork with both thumbs. It came out with a loud pop and not a drop spilled.

Rose brought over the two Waterford crystal flutes she’d set out with the plates. On a whim she’d paid a small fortune for them when she moved to Thunder Canyon, thinking of the first toast at her wedding. The excitement and pride in Austin’s face made her glad she had them for now.

He poured some bubbly into each glass, then handed her one. “To promotions.”

She clinked with him and sipped. Then she added, “To continued success. I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more.”

They touched glasses again, then drank.

The timer on the oven dinged and she turned it off, then set her glass by one of the plates on the table.

“If I’d known about the promotion, it would be something better than salad and mac and cheese.” She shrugged. “It’s what I got at the store and I was shooting for comfort food.”

There was a salad in the refrigerator and she pulled it out, then set it on the table. With mitts, she removed the casserole from the oven and set it on the hot plate beside the flowers.

“Dinner’s served.” They sat across from each other and she said, “Help yourself.”

When they both had food on their plates, he said, “So why did you need comfort food?”

“Oh, you know.” The question took her by surprise. “It’s cold. And…”

“What?”

No way would she tell him that the mood had anything to do with him. That the conversation with her coworkers had made her ache with wishing things could be different. Jeannette and Calista were headed home to wonderful men waiting for them. When Rose pictured someone in her life, the man always had Austin’s face. It happened while she’d been food shopping and that’s when she’d reached for macaroni and cheese. If Austin hadn’t called, there wouldn’t be a salad. When a girl wanted comfort, filling up on greens wasn’t going to happen.

“Does this dietary choice for mood alteration have anything to do with the holidays?” Austin ate as he waited for her answer.

“Why would you think that?” She could go with it. Better than telling the truth.

“There’s not a single thing in your apartment to show that Christmas is just a couple weeks away. Talk to me, Red.”

“Well, it’s the first one not in Texas,” she admitted.

He sipped champagne and nodded. “That’s different for you.”

“A change. But even one for the better is hard.”

“And when it’s not for the better, it’s—” He shook his head.

“In your life you’ve had a lot that falls in the ‘not better’ column.”

“Yeah.” He moved the remaining mac around his plate. “When my father walked out on us, I thought it was my fault.”

“What?” Just starting to take a bite, Rose put her fork down. “Why on earth would you think that?”

“I was pretty young for one thing. You know how kids think the world revolves around them.” One corner of his mouth curved up, but his eyes were dark with the memories. “But I remember him yelling at me. There was water everywhere and a nonfunctioning toilet because I’d taken apart the guts to see how it worked.”

“How did you get that heavy lid off?”

“It was broken, I think.” He shrugged.

“What happened?”

“He was really ticked off. Threw something. Said he wanted to be anywhere but there. The next day he was gone.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Rose put her hand on his and tightened her grip when he tried to pull back. She remembered his telling the inquisitive girl on “Santa’s” lap not to ever stop asking questions. “You do know he probably didn’t leave because of you? That there was more to it? That it was about him and not a curious little boy?”

“I do now.” He turned his hand over and linked his fingers with hers. “My mother explained things to me. I remember her saying that she was glad I’d said something so she could make sure I knew it wasn’t my fault. She didn’t want me to blame myself.”

Tears stung her eyes. What an intuitive mom she’d been. “And then you lost her—” Emotion choked off the words.

“Myself, too, for a while after she died in that car accident. Haley had just started college and came home to take care of Angie and me. I didn’t appreciate her sacrifice at the time, not until I went to school.”

“It must have been especially sweet to see her and Marlon get married. Family is really important.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” He released her hand and picked up his fork. “So that begs the question, why are you not going to Texas for Christmas?”

She chewed thoughtfully for several moments, then swallowed. “For one thing, everyone is here except my brother Jason, my mother and stepfather.”

“Your mother will miss you for the holidays,” he said.

“I’m not so sure.” She met his gaze. “When my father died, it was as if I lost both parents. My mother had to take over running the business, but I only knew she wasn’t there for me. Gosh, that sounds selfish and self-centered.”

“Not if it’s the truth. And you were a little girl. But if I learned anything from my mother, it’s to get your feelings out there.” He put his hand over hers and wouldn’t let go when she tried to pull it away. “What happened to your father?”

“He died in an oil rig accident when I was two. I don’t remember him at all, but my brothers do. Talk about your misdirected anger.” She laughed and heard a trace of bitterness. “They talk about him as if he was an action hero in the movies and it just makes me mad that I have no memory of him and never will.”

“What about your stepfather?”

“Pete Wexler,” she said. “He married my mother when I was four and is the only father I’ve ever known. A good man. He’s always been there for me.”

“But?”

How did he know there was a but? It was as if he could see into her heart, mind and soul. Was that crazy? Or stupid? Or both?

“I’ve always felt as if there was something missing in my life,” she explained. “That sounds so dumb. I’ve never wanted for anything, in material terms. It feels so greedy to want more. Is the crown too tight? Are the jewels too heavy? But there are things money can’t buy. At father-daughter dances, my friends had their dads, but I had to put ‘step’ in front of the title.” She sighed. “Go ahead and laugh.”

“I’m not laughing.”

“Not even on the inside?” she asked.

“Especially not on the inside. I can’t help thinking—” He shook his head. “Forget it. None of my business.”

“What?” She leaned forward. “I really want to know what’s going through your mind.”

“Okay.” Intensity darkened his eyes. “This thing you’ve got about age, the reason dating older men is so ingrained in you, could have a lot to do with not knowing your real father.”

Maybe, she thought. The more that idea rattled around, the stronger it took hold. “That’s an interesting theory.”

“It’s worth what you paid for it.” He shrugged.

“And yet, there could be something to it. I never really thought in those terms before.”

“Not surprising. Just very human.” His thumb moved softly back and forth across her knuckles. “It’s a lot harder to see things in ourselves because we’re too close, too emotional.”

“And the whole world revolves around us?” she teased, thinking about him as a little boy.

He smiled. “Something like that.”

“It occurs to me that you’re a lot like your mother.”

“Why do you say that?”

“It sounds like she was very intuitive and I can see for myself that you are.”

Rose realized that he had the wisdom of a man far beyond his years. She stared into his eyes and saw an old soul looking back at her.

“I take that as the highest of compliments,” he said.

She smiled. “I’m glad.”

“And to thank you for that flattering remark, I’m going to take you to get a Christmas tree.”

“Now?”

He laughed. “Too cold. And dark.”

“I’ll grant you it’s really cold, but the tree lots are lit up like— Well, like a Christmas tree.”

“We’re not going to a lot. Too civilized.”

And the opposite was uncivilized. Rugged. That’s when a shiver started deep inside that had nothing to do with cold and everything to do with this man. Man.

He was full of surprises and Rose could hardly wait for the next one.