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Sliding out of her shoes, she approached their host. “It’s so nice to meet you, Mr. Westerbourne.”
“Believe me,” he said in a crackly voice, “it’s far nicer to have such a lovely young woman in my living room. Particularly when she appreciates the work I’ve done on my grounds.”
“Dane sends his regrets. He had a crisis at his new resort and had to fly to England at the last second, so he asked me to come in his place.” At last, she turned to Cal and said, “Hello, Cal.”
Though he smiled and said, “Hello,” in an easy voice, inside he was anything but easy.
No one had called him about the change, though he assumed Dane thought Lyssa had. But he couldn’t be upset. Not when he could guess why she’d come without warning him.
Clearly, she wanted to have it out about the helicopter he’d chartered to get off Catalina Island mere minutes after they’d been together.
And though his heart was galloping, seeing her was a breath of fresh air. Cal realized he hadn’t truly been able to breathe since the moment he’d left the island on Thanksgiving Day. The sight of her wrapped around his heart, squeezed, and all he wanted to do was grab her up and hold her close.
“I’m not sure how much of the presentation the two of you have already gone through, but I hope you don’t mind my joining you.” Her smile pulled him closer.
“Your associate only beat you by a few minutes, so we haven’t yet started. Would you like tea or coffee, my dear?” Despite his initial gruffness, Westerbourne was as dazzled by Lyssa as everyone else. And no wonder—she was the very definition of the word.
“I’d love coffee,” she replied. “I haven’t had my first cup. Although I should warn you, be prepared to watch me bounce off the walls as soon as I’ve had a few sips.” She gave the other man a cheeky smile that lit up the room.
Cal was amazed to see that Westerbourne looked more than a little cheeky himself as he poured her a cup. Especially given that the man seemed to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed during the few minutes Cal had been alone with him.
Half an hour later, Cal was in complete awe of her. He didn’t even need to be there. Lyssa told Westerbourne about her parents, how hard they’d worked when they were young, how they’d raised five sons, four of them foster sons, who’d grown up to work their fingers to the bone so that they could afford to move their parents out of that seedy Chicago neighborhood.
It turned out that Westerbourne had come from a similar neighborhood in London. Susan and Bob’s story was remarkable, their generosity awe-inspiring, the Mavericks’ story equally incredible. But it was the way Lyssa told it, her heart in each word, that Westerbourne fell in love with.
“Normally,” he said, “I would never do this. But your story—and the foundation you’re representing—both sound extraordinary.”
He proceeded to send a massive wire transfer through to Lean on Us that very minute.
“Please, be my guests and stay here at my estate for the night,” he said once he’d sent the money. “There’s no need for you to drive all the way back to Harrington’s resort.”
“I so appreciate your lovely invitation,” she said, “but all my things are at Dane’s resort, and I would hate to impose.”
Westerbourne looked a little gruff again. “You wouldn’t want to disappoint an old man, would you?”
“Of course not,” she replied with a grin. “Okay, I’ll stay. But only if you promise to give me a personal tour of your gardens.”
“You have a deal. And don’t worry about your things. I’ll send my driver.”
“That’s so kind of you, Mr. Westerbourne.”
“Please, call me Clyde.”
It was no wonder she had him eating out of her hand. She was a million times more magnificent than any garden could ever be.
* * *
After an entertaining lunch during which Clyde told them stories of his youth that kept them laughing, he said, “Thank you for humoring an old man. Now it’s time for you young people to go off and enjoy yourselves while I take a rest.”
“Thank you, again, Clyde,” Lyssa said. “For everything. But especially for making me laugh so much my stomach hurts.” Though a little prickly at first, he was a sweet man, and he’d totally related to her parents’ story. “And don’t forget, you still owe me a garden tour.”
He kissed her hand gallantly before he wheeled himself off, leaving Lyssa and Cal alone at last.
Seeing Cal again after what happened on Catalina Island had been a shock to her system. She’d felt a powerful jolt of awareness, remembering his kiss, the feel of his hands on her, his admission that he’d run away from her because he couldn’t resist her.
