The Nephew's Wife Page 5

  Ellen blushed. “I hadn’t been taking care of myself.”

  “You had Paul to think about. I understand. Actually, your appearance was fine. I hired you didn’t I?” His attempt at humor worked. Ellen laughed.

  “Yes, you did!”

  “Come, I’ll show you the gazebo.” He put a hand to her elbow and led her across the spacious grounds. A flurry of butterflies erupted in Ellen’s stomach at his touch. Ellen fought them by concentrating on the immaculate yard that seemed to go on forever. Just when she was sure they’d become lost, they reached a crooked stoned pathway. It led to a round white, architectural wonder underneath a gathering of majestic magnolia trees. Neatly trimmed rose bushes bloomed around the Victorian inspired structure. Beyond the tall trees, down a grassy slope, the bay sprinkled with moonbeams. Even at night, Ellen could tell the view from that vantage point was spectacular.

  “It’s lovely, Rand.” Ellen gasped. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “I had it built for Aunt Dolly for her birthday one year,” Rand boasted. “It’s so hard to give her anything. She has so much and doesn’t want anything. This surprised her. I had it built while she was away, visiting friends. When she was well, she’d come out here almost every day to do her Bible reading. She said she felt closer to God out here more than in the big house.” Rand stepped inside first and flipped a switch. The whole place lit up.

  Ellen entered the round space, breathless and wide-eyed. White wicker furniture decorated the interior. The valances, rugs, and cushions brightened the room with their tropical colors and prints. All the windows were opened to let in a breeze, perfumed by flowers and the water. It ruffled Ellen’s hair. She lifted wayward strands away from her eyes.

  “Don’t be afraid to sit. It’s kept spider and bug free.” Rand pulled out a chair for her.

  “I’m not afraid of spiders and bugs.” Ellen laughed as she sat down.

  Rand took a chair opposite her and lifted a brow. “Really, most women I know, my aunt included, are terrified of spiders and any bug no matter how small.”

  “Don’t make me out to be tough. I have my fears. Bees, snakes, and lizards make me squeal.”

  “I’ll make sure there are none around when you come out here.” Rand spoke his heart. He wanted desperately to protect her.

  Ellen trembled at the underlying message in his words and the warmth in his voice.

  Don’t get close to me, Rand. You’ll only get hurt.

  A few moments of awkward silence settled between them. Ellen gazed toward the water and the rim of lights, twinkling across the bay. This was a part of the Tampa area she’d never seen until moving to the Powers’ estate. Pristine mansions with their fancy docks and yachts lined the waterfront.

  “Tell me about your work, Rand.” Ellen prodded to break the ice. She hadn’t carried on a conversation with a single man her age in nine years. If memory served her right, it was the same topic that got things started with Paul. How many times since Paul’s accident had she regretted the day she’d met Paul? Ellen had just started as a clerk in the law firm where Paul was an up and coming divorce lawyer. She’d been assigned to help research a case he was involved in. One thing had led to another, and before Ellen knew it, they were dating.

  “Did you even hear anything I said?” Rand asked. “You look miles away.”

  Ellen shook herself. “I’m sorry Rand.”

  “It’s okay. I’ve been wandering off myself lately. I guess we both have a lot on our minds.”

  “What did you say about your work?”

  “That it would bore you.” He chuckled. “I guess it did.”

  Ellen squinted at him. “I’m sorry I gave that impression. I’m actually hungry to learn new things about people and the world. I feel like I’ve been out of the loop for so long. I don’t even know how to work any of the latest gadgets. Please, tell me about yourself.”

  I promise I won’t get attached to you, Rand.

  Rand dangled an ankle over the top of the opposite knee. He picked at the hem of his pants while gathering his thoughts. In a cut and dried voice, he gave Ellen the condensed version of his life. “My great-grandfather started the business with Dolly’s great-grandfather. It was passed down to my great-uncle who married Dolly. My father was set to take over after my Uncle Harold, but he and my mother died in a private plane crash. I was barely three so I have no real memories of my parents. I was raised by Aunt Dolly and Uncle Harold. My uncle died unexpectedly when I was still in college. I finished school while running the company. That’s pretty much it in a nutshell.”

  Ellen made a face. “You make it sound easy when I know it couldn’t possibly be.”

  “I have exceptional employees. Many are capable of running the place themselves.”

  “I’m aware of your past illness, Rand,” Ellen said after a moment of silence.

  Rand squirmed. “I don’t like to talk about that. It’s in my past. God healed me.”

  “That’s a blessing.” Ellen’s words were heartfelt.

  “It was a miracle,” Rand muttered under his breath. His memory of the time would be fonder if Lana’s cruel words didn’t haunt him. Her reaction to his diagnosis had devastated him. Envy overpowered him as he caught Ellen’s fragrance in the night air. Paul had been a very blessed man to have known the kind of love Ellen gave. She’d remained faithful and devoted to the very end of his life. Lana had tossed him out like a wilted plant when she heard the word cancer. He’d never forget that day as long as he lived.

  “Cancer! You have cancer?” The look of disgust and disappointment on her face had shocked Rand. Her voice screeched like nails on a blackboard. “I can’t marry you, Rand. This isn’t the life you promised me.”

  “Calm down, Lana,” he’d told her. “It’s treatable.”

  “What if it comes back?” She’d flared at him. “You can’t guarantee that it won’t. I’m not a nursemaid, Rand. I won’t watch my husband die.”

  “I’m not going to die, Lana. I’ll recover from this, and we’ll have the life we planned.” Rand’s pleas had gone nowhere.

  “You can’t promise me that, Rand!” Lana had balked. “I’m sorry for not being nice and comforting. I’m sure this isn’t what you want to hear, but I have to be honest. I don’t want to marry a sick man. I won’t. I can’t believe this is happening after all the planning I did for this wedding. God must really hate me!”

  Rand hadn’t seen Lana since and didn’t want to. He’d heard she married a Tampa realtor, but the marriage was in trouble. According to the papers, divorce attorneys had been hired.

  Rand glanced at Ellen. Her baffled gaze was pinned on him.

  “For a man who experienced a miracle, you don’t seem too happy,” she observed out loud.

  “I’m eternally grateful for my good health.” Rand bristled at her assumption. “I don’t take it for granted. I work out and eat right. Sometimes, you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s taken from you.”

  Ellen recognized the flash of sadness behind Rand’s eyes. The subject matter had probably conjured up ugly memories of the fiancée who had left him. Ellen felt badly for him. It was clear Rand still harbored pain from the woman’s cruel rejection. She couldn’t imagine being that heartless and selfish.

  “We should go inside,” Ellen said, standing.

  They kept their conversation light as they strolled back to the patio. When they came to the staircase off the foyer, they parted ways. Ellen went to her room while Rand disappeared inside his office.

  The next morning, Ellen rose rested and ready for the day. Thoughts of Rand had floated in and out of her dreams during the night. She’d slept better than she had in ages. As she showered, Ellen wondered how Rand’s ex could have treated him so cruelly? Rand was perfect in so many ways. He was the kind of man she’d dreamed of marrying. The idea made her queasy in both good and bad ways. She’d love for Rand to fall for her, but she knew he wouldn’t and shouldn’t. Rand was determined to remain
single, and she protected a secret she knew he’d disapprove of.

  A girl can dream though, Ellen told herself, fluffing her hair dry.

  Ellen dressed in one of her better outfits. Black slacks and a red, button-up blouse with three-quarter length sleeves. Except for the black sheath she’d worn the night before, they were the only other things she owned that were stylish. She slipped her feet into her black flats and bebopped downstairs with the energy of a teenager.

  Ellen had missed breakfast the day before, but Rand had explained what to expect during the tour her first day there. Celeste set up a buffet by six in the morning. It was ten after.

  “You’re up early.” Rand stood when Ellen half skipped into the dining room. He’d been reading the paper. “You must have had a good night. You’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning.”

  “I slept very well, thank you.” Ellen went directly to the buffet. She poured herself a cup of coffee and doctored it with cream and sugar. Rand’s gaze warmed her back. She glanced over her shoulder. The amusing smile he wore did more than enhance his GQ good looks. It tickled her heart.

  “Something wrong?” Ellen asked, stirring her coffee. “Did I use too much sugar?”

  “No.” Rand blushed. He folded the paper and put it down on the table beside his plate. “I’m still dazed by your influence on my aunt. She hasn’t wanted to go shopping since the stroke. You’ve awakened her in a way I didn’t think possible in such a short amount of time.”

  Ellen turned her attention back to the food. She filled a plate with a bran muffin, fresh fruit, and a boiled egg then started to carry it with her coffee to the table.

  “Let me help you.” Rand appeared at her side before Ellen had even heard him move from the table. He took her plate and showered her lungs with his cologne at the same instant. The subtle, spicy fragrance made Ellen woozy. How did women work around him all day, she wondered on the way to the table.

  “I wasn’t expecting anyone to be up or dressed at this hour.” Ellen pulled her head from the clouds as she sat across from Rand.

  “I usually leave the house by six-thirty.” Rand watched Ellen break open her muffin. Her fingers were long and delicate. No polish hid her short, practical nails. His gaze traveled up her slender arm to her exposed neck then over the fringes of light brown hair, scalloping the collar of her shirt, before landing on her deep set brown eyes. Thankfully, Ellen was absorbed in her food, unaware of his bold appraisal of her. It lasted mere seconds, but Rand was sure the visual planted in his head would remain with him all day.

  Suddenly, Rand remembered his aunt’s warning the night before. Ellen was grieving and probably would be for a while. A shadow past over Rand’s heart. Too bad, he mused, somberly. Ellen stirred a good feeling in him, one he hadn’t felt in a long time, but she was unavailable.

  Of course, she’s unavailable, Rand! She works for you. Remember that!

  “I’ve got to go.” Rand had to get away from Ellen before he caved to his emotions and asked her out. “Would you like the paper?” He asked, holding it up. The society section fell loose, and Ellen gasped.

  “What?” Rand followed Ellen’s line of vision. A photo of Ellen was plastered on the front page of the section under the headline Where is the Suffering Fiancée? He quickly folded it and stuck it back inside the rest of the paper.

  Ellen dropped her head in her hand. “Why won’t she leave me alone?” She knew without reading the byline that the article was written by Robin Davenport.

  Rand came around the table and sat beside her.

  “I know people at the paper. Would you like me to talk to them about this reporter, see if they can convince her to drop this sensational storyline?” The frustration in Rand’s voice matched Ellen’s.

  “No, but thank you.” Ellen shook her head. “I’m just going to keep a low profile.”

  “All this attention really bothers you.” Rand sympathized with Ellen. He’d been the target of a curious press after Lana had left him. Reporters dogged him everywhere.

  Ellen nodded. “I never asked for it. I just hope my working here doesn’t bring trouble to you and Dolly.”

  “What trouble?” Rand scoffed at her worry. “You haven’t done anything criminal, which reminds me. Nothing showed up on your background check.”

  Rand’s announcement didn’t relieve Ellen. The trouble she had referred to was the kind that erupted out of deception, lies, and secrets like a three-headed monster.

  “Maybe I should call off this shopping trip today,” Ellen said, suddenly feeling down in the dumps. “I’d hate to cause a scene with Dolly.”

  “Aunt Dolly would be miffed if you cancelled today,” Rand replied with a lopsided grin. “Besides, you don’t look anything like that photo in the paper. I don’t think you’ll be recognized. Aunt Dolly will only take you to the exclusive shops where the employees and clientele are discreet. Go and enjoy yourself.”

  Ellen accepted Rand’s encouragement with a smile, but she didn’t share his confidence. Her new look resembled her younger days when she and Paul had dated. She’d have to be very careful.

  Rand glanced at his watch and clicked his tongue. “I really have to go.”

  “Thanks for the support, Rand,” Ellen said, following him to the entrance hall. “It means a lot to me.”

  “Any time,” Rand replied. “I’ll see you at dinner tonight.” He smiled as he rushed out. “Have fun,” he called out over his shoulder.

  Ellen returned to the dining room to finish her breakfast even though her appetite was gone. She’d not waste the food Celeste had prepared. Swallowing around the mopey feeling weighing inside her was difficult. Ellen shifted her thoughts to the day before. It’d been so pleasant, she’d almost forgotten about Robin’s persistence. Ellen closed her eyes around a silent plea for help.

  Dear Lord, I can’t go through life running from the truth. It’ll wear me down and make me good-for-nothing. Please help me find a way to put this all behind me. I need the kind of help only you can give—”

  “Are you okay, Miss Todd?”

  Ellen glanced up to see Celeste clearing up Rand’s dishes. “I’m fine, Celeste.”

  She rose and handed Celeste her dishes. It was too early to fix Dolly’s breakfast tray. Ellen strolled to the library to pray for guidance in her new position. Dolly and Rand counted on her being capable. She couldn’t give a hundred percent to her job if her own problems got in the way.

  When Ellen finally stopped praying and opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a stream of golden sunlight. It lifted her spirits. The enthusiasm she’d greeted the day with when she woke that morning had returned. She bounded to the kitchen to prepare a tray for Dolly then set off upstairs.

  “Good morning, Dolly.” Ellen greeted her charge with a cheery smile that didn’t give away her worries. “Are you ready for our adventure?”

  “You betcha!” Dolly was scooting up in bed. Ellen was glad to see she looked rested.

  They left the house at nine-thirty with Edward at the wheel of Dolly’s old Town Car. It was five after ten when they pulled into the mall. Edward assisted Ellen with Dolly’s wheelchair then got back in the car and drove off to have the car serviced then washed. They’d call him when they were ready to return home.

  Ellen pushed Dolly to her favorite dress shop. The owner and sales associates dropped everything to welcome Dolly as she came through the door.

  Dolly returned the greetings, but got right down to business. True to Rand’s words, Ellen was treated cordially and discreetly. Ellen forgot her worries and had fun, selecting flattering outfits, but it all changed at their third stop.

  Ellen noticed a woman around her age, staring at her. The scrutiny made Ellen nervous. The woman acted as if she recognized Ellen, but wasn’t sure from where. When Ellen took a handful of items to the fitting room, the woman followed closely and chose the stall next to hers. Ellen waited long enough for the woman to be in the midst of changing then hurried out and aske
d Dolly if they could come back later.

  “I think we should have lunch,” Ellen answered Dolly’s befuddled expression.

  Instead of going to the food court, Dolly suggested a pricey restaurant away from the high traffic areas.

  “The broccoli-cheese soup is delicious,” Dolly said as Ellen pushed the chair along with her head down. No one else seemed particularly interested in her, but Ellen remained on high alert.

  “Would you like a window table?” The hostess asked when they entered the posh eatery.

  “No,” Ellen answered quickly. “The back would be nice.”

  “What’s the matter, Ellen?” Dolly asked after they were seated. “You seem nervous.”

  Ellen mentioned the lady in the last dress shop.

  “Maybe she was just checking out your flattering hairstyle.” Dolly attempted to soothe Ellen.

  “I don’t think so, Dolly.” Ellen turned pale. The woman had followed them into the restaurant and was sitting alone at a nearby table. “She’s here. Don’t turn around. I don’t want her to know I’ve spotted her.”

  They took their time, hoping the woman would leave before them, but she seemed to be pacing her movements with theirs. Ellen’s appetite had dissipated, but she ate the soup to please Dolly.

  “I’m sorry the day has been ruined,” Dolly said.

  “It hasn’t been, Dolly.” Ellen forced a lift in her spirits. “This may all be a coincidence. I’m just being overly suspicious.” Ellen told Dolly about the newspaper article that morning. Dolly whipped out her phone and called Edward. She told him where to pick them up.

  “We’ll go somewhere else to shop.” Dolly put her phone away. “I know a few out-of-the way places.”

  “Thank you, Dolly.”

  After paying, they made their way to the exit where Edward was to meet them. Ellen was moving quickly.

  “Calm down, Ellen,” Dolly said. “You don’t know if that woman recognized you. Your imagination is playing tricks on you. I’m sure she was just curious and will forget the whole matter once the day’s over.”