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“I did, and met eighteen of her closest friends.” He looked across the table to Charity and smiled, showing his dazzling white teeth. “I’m Tyler,” he said, extending his hand, introducing himself.
“Charity,” she said, giving his hand a shake. “The middle Wright sister.”
“The clothes designer sister,” he said. “Amanda wore one of your dresses last night.”
Charity blushed, but looked pleased. “I just sketch them. Mandy sews them.”
“You did the cuffs and buttons,” Mandy protested. “I still can’t get my buttonholes perfect.”
“That’s because you get frustrated and give up.” Charity turned to Tyler. “Mandy has the temper in the family. You don’t want to make her mad.”
Amanda rolled her eyes. “I don’t have a temper.”
Charity grinned and shrugged. “Just saying, don’t make her mad.”
“Noted,” he answered.
The waitress came around and they all ordered a beer and sat talking for the next hour, the conversation easy, particularly as Charity and Tyler hit it off, almost a little too well, Amanda thought, battling envy. It was just that Charity was normally the shy one in the family, but tonight she was positively gregarious, and glowing as if she was that famous Farrah Fawcett poster from the 70s, the one of Farrah wearing nothing but a red swimsuit, her thick tousled golden mane, and a perfect smile showing white perfect teeth.
Amanda silently scolded herself for being jealous. There was no reason to be insecure. It wasn’t as if she had feelings for Tyler, nor was she invested in him in any way. Bette had asked her to be nice to him, and show him Marietta, and she had. She was. If Tyler and Charity wanted to flirt, that was their business, not hers.
But after an hour of listening to Tyler and Charity talk and laugh, Amanda felt ready to call it a night. If Charity was going to fall in love with Tyler, she didn’t want to be here to watch it happen.
“I think I’m good,” she said when the waitress came by to see if they’d like another round. “Tomorrow is my long day, and I should head home and get some sleep.”
“I should head home, too,” Charity said, stretching. “I’m reading a great book and I’m dying to find out what’s going to happen next.”
“Oh? What are you reading?” Tyler asked, handing the waitress his credit card to cover the bill.
“Please don’t pay for us,” Amanda said, fishing in her purse for cash. “Let’s each take care of our own.”
“Yes,” Charity agreed, pulling out her wallet.
“I’ve got this one, one of you can buy next time,” he answered, before looking at Charity. “So what book did you say you were reading?”
“Taming His Fierce Forbidden Heart.” Charity gave him an innocent look. “Have you read it?”
For a moment Tyler looked nonplussed, and then he smiled crookedly. “No, no I haven’t.”
“It’s a romance,” Amanda murmured dryly.
“I gathered,” he answered.
“A very good romance, too,” Charity added, eyes bright with silent laughter. “I can loan it to you when I’m finished. It’s very romantic, and quite sensual.”
“I do think that’s my cue to leave,” he said, rising from the booth.
“Mine, too,” Amanda agreed, sliding out as well.
“Anyone need a ride?” he offered as the three of them walked toward the door.
“I have my car,” Charity said, holding up her keys.
Amanda zipped up her down coat. “I’m on foot, but I like the walk.”
“I’ll walk you home then,” Tyler offered.
“It’s one block over, Ty. I’ve got this.”
“I know, but my grandmother would never forgive me if she found out I let you walk home alone.”
“That is a valid point,” she conceded, smiling. As they started down the street she glanced at him. “What’s Austin like? I hear it’s a great city.”
“I’m still getting to know it, but it has lots of great restaurants and music scene. Sadly, I haven’t been out as much as I would have liked.” He grimaced. “I have a tendency to spend all my time at work, but the office downtown is nice. Big building, lots of windows, very modern.”
She shook her head. “A workaholic.”
“I do work a lot, but I love it.”
“So why did you sell your company to someone else?”
“I knew the only way for my company to reach the next level was to have more money, and I could take it public, or, I could sell it to a company already public. In the end, I decided that TexTron made the most sense.”
“Is it everything you hoped it’d be?”
He hesitated. “Sometimes we have to make hard choices. I don’t have the control I used to, but Justice Games can leverage its power and position in a way it couldn’t before.” He glanced at her. “I confess I have an ulterior motive for walking you home. There was something Gram said that I wanted to ask you about, if you don’t mind.”
The moon was full and bright in the sky, and their footsteps echoed on the pavement. “I don’t mind,” she answered. “What did you want to know?”
“Gram mentioned yesterday she was your business partner, and I was just wondering who you used as your attorney when you drew up your business papers.”
She shot him a confused glance. “Excuse me?”
“Gram said she’d gone into business with you—”
“No, she didn’t,” Am
anda said firmly. “Bette’s not my business partner. It would have been fun if she had become my partner, because she’s a great lady, and I enjoy her very much, and admire her even more, but she isn’t my partner in any size, shape, or form.”
“Why would she say she was your partner then?”
“Because she enjoys being around the salon, and likes being a part of things?”
He was silent as they crossed the street. “How much do you know about her finances?” he asked as they approached Church Street.
“Only what she’s chosen to tell me.”
“Which is…”
“That your grandfather left her comfortably well-off.”
“She didn’t show you any numbers, bank statements, savings statements, nothing like that?”
“No, nor would I want to see her financials. It’s none of my business.”
“But you’re aware that my grandmother is wealthy.”
“I see where this is going, and I don’t like it.” Amanda stopped in front of her gate, arms folding over her chest, indignation warring with hurt. “I have not befriended your grandmother for financial gain. She has been my client from the very beginning, which is nearing nine years now. I care for her, and enjoy her company immensely, and I would never exploit her friendship in any way. Good night.”
Chapter Five
Amanda had gone to bed outraged, and had woken up still upset, and hurt. It really bothered her that Tyler would think she’d take advantage of Bette in any way. They’d spent time together. Had dined together. Run together. Laughed together.
How could he still think so poorly of her?
Normally she didn’t run on Thursdays, but today she ran, going north on Collier, past the elementary school and junior high, passing the community park until she reached the high school track, where she’d run the stairs in the small stadium. She hadn’t run stairs in months but it was exactly what she needed today. Up and down, up and down she went, until her heart was pounding and her quads burned and she’d burned out the negative emotions.
Amanda wasn’t just calm, when she returned home, she was feeling cheerful, even buoyant, and after coffee and scrambled eggs, was ready for whatever the day would bring.
