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Jen nodded and Luke scrunched his face into a worried frown.
“I’m not at all sure she’ll say yes.” He shrugged and emitted a heavy sigh, earning a giggle from Jen. “So, will you help me win her over?”
“Sure. What are we going to do?”
Sally choked on a snicker at the secretive conversation going on within inches of her. Just one more indication of how messed up her life was. Was she living in some kind of alternate universe? Wasn’tshesupposed to find out first that the hero loved her and wanted to marry her? He was right about one thing: She was nowhere close to saying yes. It wasn’t even twenty-four hours since Luke had decided to grace her life again. Forget for a moment she’d loved this man a year ago. Put aside the fact she went weak in the knees every time he got close enough to breathe the same air she did. Proposals were serious business—and marriage…was forever.
Luke and Jen laughed conspiratorially, and Sally wondered if she should have been paying attention. Oh well. Let them plan. She hadn’t completely wrapped her head around his declaration of love yet, but knowing how much he cared about her daughter made her heart go all soft and gooey. Though she might be unsure of many things, without a doubt Luke would protect Jen with his life.
Signaling the end of the conversation, Luke swung his door open. “Ready? Oh, one more thing.” He looked directly at Sally this time. “So we don’t draw attention to ourselves inside by arguing, let’s get this settled right now. Pick out everything you need for two or three days. There’ll be a washer and dryer at my friend’s place.” He stopped abruptly.
“Why would we argue about that?” Sally waited for the rest of his speech.
“We wouldn’t. After you’ve got what you want, give it to me.” Luke tensed, apparently in anticipation of her argument, and suddenly she understood what he was trying to say.
She wagged her head from side to side. “You’re not paying for our things, Luke. I have a credit card because you were kind enough to rescue my wallet. I’ve got it covered.” His offer was generous, but being in debt to someone was no way to maintain a relationship. She pulled the handle and opened her door.
Luke’s hand landed on her knee, and his frown was stern as his intent gaze pinned her to the seat. “This isn’t about my possessive nature, although I admit I have one, and it’s not about your pride. If this Brennan guy happens to have connections, he may be able to trace your credit card activity. And for damn sure Lambert can. If you think it’s necessary, you can pay me back later any way you’d like, but for right now, I pay the bills.” He paused and the hint of a smile appeared. “Now, come on. This’ll be fun.” He stepped out, leaving Sally no one to hear her rebuttal.
Okay. He’s probably right. And he did say I can pay him back…any way I want.Sally felt only a little guilty for the erotic ideas that popped into her head. Pushing the door open, she slid down, carefully holding the hem of her shirt, and turned to catch Jen as she jumped off the seat.
Though Sally had been hoping for a Target or a Walmart, the mall held neither. It did, however, have everything they needed, as long as they were willing to pay the price. She and Jen had absolutely nothing except the clothes they’d been sleeping in when the fire broke out, so she was dismayed by the staggering amount ofstuffthey needed. Besides pants, shirts, underwear, a pair of shorts for Jen, and a bra for her, jackets, shampoo, a hairbrush, a new charger for her cell phone—everything right down to feminine hygiene products and toothbrushes. When they’d tried on their finds, at Luke’s insistence, replacing his oversized garments with jeans and long-sleeved pullovers, and piled their selections on the counter in front of an excited salesclerk, he made her go back for lotion and cologne.
“Women like lotion,” he’d said, his easy smile assuaging her guilt somewhat. After a few minutes, they’d both returned to the counter at the same time. Glancing toward Jen, where she was peering into the jewelry case, Luke tossed down a couple of shirts, a pair of jeans and an extra-large package of condoms. Sally was sure her face turned candy-apple red even while trying to contain her laughter at his snarky grin.
She was about to declare they were finished when he grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the apparel aisles, calling to her daughter over his shoulder. “Jen, come help us pick out something for your mom to wear out on a date.”
Sally tried to extricate her hand, overly conscious of the cost of the articles already littering the counter. Luke was unrelenting, however, tugging her along until they reached a rack of skirts and dresses. He started sliding the hangers along the rack, looking at each new selection as it was revealed.
Sally shook her head and stepped between him and the row of apparel. “I’ll take it from here, Harding.”
He chuckled. “Whatever you say, sunshine.” A wink made his agreement seem suggestive—or was that just her overactive imagination? “Why don’t you try something on, and meanwhile, I’ll take Jen to the arcade next door. I’ll leave you my card and tell the clerk you’re authorized to use it, although something tells me she’s looking forward to a big commission and wouldn’t do anything to kill this sale.” Luke dug his credit card from his wallet and handed it to Sally. “Meet us at the arcade when you’re done. We’ll come back and get the bags later.”
After Jen and Luke left, Sally found a skirt she liked and wandered the store searching for an appropriate top. He was spoiling her. What’s more, he seemed to be enjoying himself. Far be it from her not to let him. It might take her forever to repay him, but maybe there was merit to that idea. Only time would tell.
Sally picked two silk blouses, draped them over her arm, and followed the short hallway toward the back until she came to the dressing rooms. She closed the door behind her and hung the articles carefully on pegs against the wall before she started to undo her belt.
A sudden staccato knock startled her. “Occupied,” she said as she reached toward the button to lock the door. Not quickly enough, however. The door flew inward. Sally flung herself back to keep from being hit by the approaching plywood on hinges. She lost her balance and slammed into the wall behind her, headfirst with mind-numbing force. Dazed, her legs gave out, and she slid to the floor with a thump.
Sally shook her head and tried to focus on the looming figure who appeared in the opening where the door had been, but her vision blurred with the stabbing pain behind her eyes. It was obviously not Luke, so that left few possibilities in her mind. Only one man she knew of was looking for her. Only one trying to kill her. How in the hell had he found her?
She forced her gaze upward to where the huge apparition’s face should have been. “Who are you and why are you here?” Damn. She couldn’t keep her voice from shaking. A couple more blinks and her fuzzy vision began to clear.
“Sally, darlin’, I’m here to thank you for the scintillating night you so graciously arranged for me.”
She recognized that voice. Nothing about its scornful tone sounded grateful in the least. Squeezing her temples, she dragged her gaze back to his face, and this time she saw enough.
It was ex-boss and lousy date, Emmett Purnell.
Chapter Ten
Sally leaned her head gingerly against the wall and squeezed her eyes closed.With her thoughts scattered in a dozen directions and her head throbbing with every beat of her runaway heart, she couldn’t come up with one good scenario for Emmett forcing his way into her dressing room.Like there could be a good reason.
The man had slapped her around last night because she refused to become his whore. She sported black and blue bruises on her right jaw and cheekbone as proof he wasn’t a nice man. He’d obviously been hauled into the sheriff’s office in Huntington and grilled about the explosion that destroyed her house. That had to be what he meant by thanking her for the evening she’d arranged. This time his sarcasm wasn’t lost on her.
He intended to thank her, all right, no doubt with bodily harm. If he’d gone to all the trouble of tracking her down hundreds of miles away from home, he was obviously determined to have his pound of flesh. She struggled to swallow around the lump in her throat. Was he going to kill her?
Sally peeped through nearly closed eyelids when Emmett stepped farther into the tiny room and shoved the door closed.
