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“Only when you thought it was for my own good.”
“OnlyuntilI had all the answers,” he replied quietly.
“And do you?”
He closed his eyes and sighed. “Oh, woman, if only I did!”
When he opened his eyes to look at her again, some of his hostility seemed to have melted. His gaze traveled from her windswept chestnut hair, down the column of her throat and past the swell of her breasts, draped loosely in a soft blue dress.
“Then why did you want to see me?”
“A few things have changed around here,” he responded cryptically.
“Because of Ben’s illness?”
Noah nodded and his eyes grew dark. “He’s in the hospital again, and the doctors are concerned that he won’t get out.”
“I’m sorry. . . .”
Noah waved her condolences aside. “Maybe it’s better this way.” His dark expression didn’t falter.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s a long story. Basically, the doctor in charge of my father, Dr. Carson, has ordered Ben to give up working. Not only must he step down as president of Wilder Investments, but Ben’s got to give up even going into the office.”
“And that would kill your father?” she asked, trying to follow Noah’s line of reasoning.
“Ben’s not the kind of man to sit idle.”
“I suppose not.”
“He likes to be in the middle of things. Anyway,” he continued with an expression of indifference, “the old man asked me to take over as head of the business, sell out my operation in Portland to Betty Averill and move to Seattle. I wasn’t too hot for the idea.”
Sheila tried to hide her disappointment. “Then you are moving back to Portland,” she surmised.
“I thought so, but things have changed.” Sheila’s heart turned over, and her throat went dry. “Anthony Simmons’s report was invalid.”
“What?”
Sheila didn’t know that she was shaking until Noah placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. “What are you saying?” she asked in a hoarse whisper.
“Pac-West Insurance Company continued with its investigation on the fire.” Sheila held her breath. “You were right about your father, Sheila; there is no evidence that he started the fire.”
“How do you know this?’ Tears once again began to slide down her cheeks.
“Because the insurance company found out that Ben hired Simmons to start the fire. Ben’s confirmed all this and he’s cleared your father’s name. Therefore the insurance company is refusing to pay the claim.”
“But the money . . . in my account.”
“I took it from Wilder Investments to rebuild the winery, as I’d promised. And as far as I’m concerned, the note against the winery has been satisfied. Within a few weeks you should get the legal papers that will acknowledge and guarantee that you are sole owner of the winery.”
“Oh, Noah,” she whispered hoarsely, her emotions strangling her.
“It’s all right, Sheila,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head. “I’m just sorry that my family had anything to do with your father’s death or his financial worries.” His voice had lowered. “Ben even admitted that he had been behind the tampered bottles in Montana, in a move to force your father out of business. It looks as if he will be prosecuted for the arson and involuntary manslaughter.”
“Oh, God, Noah . . . but he’s ill. . . .”
“That’s no excuse for the things he’s done.”
