A Woman's Touch Read online

  “Have it your way. I’ll be back in two hours.” Which would still be only eleven-thirty, but Toby didn’t linger to argue. “We can talk about that computer malfunction then.”

  Alone again, Jeff stared at the carpet, thinking – not for the first time – that Paige’s eyes were the same gray-blue shade.

  He should have chosen a different color for his office.

  With a sigh, he pushed to his feet and walked to the desk. The faxed job offer lay where Toby had dropped it and Jeff frowned with a nagging disquiet.

  Edward certainly hadn’t made any effort to personalize the offer. The Randall Company logo was the only personal touch. And that was just policy.

  There was nothing that hinted of the once-close working relationship between the sender and the recipient.

  There was nothing, in fact, to indicate Jefferson Lawrence had had any prior connection with Randall Electronics at all.

  Unfortunately, memory provided all the connection necessary. From his first nervous interview for a part-time job to the day he’d finished college and stepped into his own private office, through each promotion and every achievement, he could reminisce at will.

  He remembered the day Charles Randall had died.

  And he remembered the day Edward Glendenning had become company president.

  Oddly, he didn’t remember his first introduction to Paige. It had slipped past, unnoticed, until later.

  Before he realized what he was doing, the paper lay crumpled in his fist.

  Paige.

  No matter which way he turned, she was there.

  It should have stopped hurting.

  The regrets should have faded.

  He should have grown indifferent.

  And he certainly shouldn’t give serious consideration to accepting any position with Randall Electronics. No matter how temporary.

  Saying he intended to do so had seemed a good way to twist the conversation with Toby into a less personal vein. Toby knew the circumstances under which Jeff had left the company, but he didn’t know the part Paige had played in the disillusionment. There were times, weak moments, when Jeff wondered if Paige realized her contribution to the irreconcilable differences that had ended their marriage.

  Maybe she had. Maybe that had prompted the job offer. The thought made him uncomfortably aware of emotions he’d tried hard to forget.

  What did she want?

  And if he went back, could he be objective?

  Jeff sat on the corner of his desk, pleating his doubts into the wadded paper in his hand.

  If he went back, it would be for one reason – to find out who had stolen the NaeComp spec sheets and why.

  It might be too late. Two years was a long time.

  But then so was a lifetime of regret, and this opportunity wouldn’t come again.

  In all probability, he would eventually have decided to return to Tulsa and the unanswered questions on his own. Paige had simply offered both the opportunity and a legitimate cover for his presence within the company.

  Deliberately? Did she hope he could prove his innocence?

  An old injustice stirred his anger. He would prove it. But not for her. He owed this to himself. At first he had just wanted to get away, to put as much distance as possible between himself and Paige. The mileage between Oklahoma City and Tulsa wasn’t that great, but it had proved to be far enough.

  Until now.

  Going back would place him in a vulnerable position. Everyone would be watching him, taking note of his actions and wondering, always wondering how he’d done it. If he’d done it.

  But that was all right. He’d be doing a lot of watching and wondering himself.

  Paige, though, was the unknown factor, the risk he couldn’t define. She was a part of all he wanted to forget and of all he had to remember.

  With sudden decision, he smoothed out Edward’s fax and reached for the phone. “Let’s go to lunch,” he said when Toby answered. “There are a few things we need to talk about.”

  “What? Now?”

  Jeff chuckled, feeling oddly lighthearted. “Of course, now. There’s no time like the present. Haven’t you heard?”

  Chapter Two

  “It’s my pleasure to present this engraved plaque to the Business and Professional Men’s CEO of the Year – Edward Glendenning!”

  Paige joined the applause and shared a proud smile with her mother across the room. Mary Glendenning added a touch of springtime to the somber white and silver decor of the head table. In lavender blue, with a broad-brimmed hat that no other woman in the room could have worn with such style, she was an intangible cut above the rest.

  As a child, Paige had wanted to be a carbon copy – blond hair, green eyes, that cool aura of mystery. Instead she looked like her father – dark-haired, blue-eyed, and hardly ever mysterious.

  Jeff hadn’t seemed to mind, she remembered. He’d told her time and again that all gentlemen did not prefer blondes.

  In fact, Jeff had thought she was pretty near perfect. Once.

  Paige sighed. Why couldn’t she forget all the things he’d once said to her or thought about her? It was so futile to remember.

  As Mary’s smile turned to Edward, who now stood at the podium accepting his plaque, Paige’s thoughts turned with distracted curiosity to the people around her.

  Practically every person she knew was in the white and gilt ballroom of the Mayo Hotel. Certainly, every person who held a place in her heart was present.

  Except one.

  Her eyes scanned the tables, looking for Jeff as she always seemed to be looking for him.

  He wasn’t there, of course.

  She’d verified his absence with a visual check upon first entering the room.

  Not that she’d expected him to come. He’d been in Tulsa a full week, and in that time she hadn’t caught a single glimpse of him. Even the one morning he’d been at the plant, Jeff had managed to avoid her.

  Or perhaps he’d simply managed to forget her.

  This isn’t going to work, she thought. The idea of bringing Jeff back within talking distance had been an outside shot at best. She’d known that all along, but already she was too emotionally involved, too hopeful. The odds weren’t on her side. A gambler would bet against her.

  With a frown, Paige reached for her water and sipped.

  Who was she kidding? The world’s greatest chump would bet against her.

  Edward’s words of acceptance were said and Paige joined the applause again as he resumed his seat at the head table. In a matter of minutes, the reception was over and the crowd began its slow progress toward the exit. Paige stood, pushed in her chair, and said a preliminary good-bye to the friends who had shared her table. Glancing at the group of well-wishers surrounding her mother and Edward, Paige decided to wait for them to join her.

  “Hey, sweetheart, let’s slip out the back and find a place with some action.”

  She turned to look up at Mitchell Brewer, speculating on just how much action he had in mind. Not that it required a vivid imagination. “You slip out the back, Mitch. I’ll take my chances here.”

  His hand went to her shoulder and stayed there as his lips rolled into a practiced smile. “You’re wasting your time.”

  She stood, moving her shoulder out of reach with a careless shrug. “Ah, well, live and learn.”

  “I keep trying, but ...” Mitch glanced past her and finished the thought with a raised eyebrow. “Now I’m beginning to get the picture. And my opinion stays the same – you are definitely wasting your time.”

  Paige tightened her lips in annoyance. “Then don’t let me take up any more of yours.”

  “Hello, Brewer.” The voice was Jeff’s. Behind her, just to the left.

  Everything froze – the noisy hum of conversation, the restless movements of a crowd too long confined, the clatter of dishes and the bustle of the cleaning crew.

  It all stopped.

  The only sound she could hear was her thundering heartbeat, the only movement was her slow-motion pirouette.

  It couldn’t be Jeff. Not now. She’d wanted time to think, a moment to know he was near before facing his perceptive brown eyes.

  But there wasn’t time. He was here. Now. And her throat closed with emotion as she stared up at him.

  He was still tall. An inane observation, she thought, but somehow endearing. Just reminiscing on the times they’d endured “Mutt and Jeff” remarks began a melting warmth in her stomach.

  “Hello, Jeff.” Her greeting was no more than a whisper. He wasn’t even looking at her. He was watching Mitch, listening to the subtle hostility in the other man’s voice, bracing himself for either an insincere handshake or a right hook to his left jaw.

  But despite that, he heard her soft hello and was aware – in all his most vulnerable places – of a stirring emotion. He glanced in her direction and looked quickly away, not allowing his eyes to linger, not permitting himself to fully appreciate the special combination of beauty and charm that was uniquely Paige.

  Mitchell Brewer was apparently still deciding whether or not he should shake the hand Jeff offered.

  But it wasn’t an open-ended invitation and Jeff brought his hand back to his side, belatedly realizing he had yet to acknowledge Paige.

  “Hello, Paige,” he said with a bare nod of his head. “How are you?”

  How are you? They had been married, desperately in love, and after two years of separation he said, how are you, as if there had been nothing between them?

  Nothing.

  But then what had she expected? Their marriage had dissolved in anger, their love had melted with the heat of too many disagreements.

  Maybe she simply should be grateful that he’d spoken to her at all. Paige stared at his hand
some features—the toasty gold hair, the dark-lashed brown eyes, the strong, stubborn jaw—she knew him so well. Yet she knew so little about him.

  “I’m fine,” she said, but the words were lost in Mitch’s swaggering drawl.

  “I’ve been out of the office, but I’d heard you were back, Lawrence. Not that I believe every rumor I hear, you understand.”

  The air fairly bristled with antagonism, but Jeff didn’t allow his composure to falter. “That’s good to know, Brewer. Shows what a discriminating listener you are.”

  Mitch’s response was just as cool, just as wary. “Oh, absolutely. I keep my eyes and ears open at all times.”

  “Not to mention your mouth.” Paige took a verbal step into the ring and dared Mitch to take a swing at her. “Excuse us, please. I know Jeff will want to say hello to Mother and Edward.”

  “Oh, of course. This is, after all, a family affair, isn’t it, Paige?”

  She would have planted a heel full-square on his instep if Jeff hadn’t grabbed her arm and steered her away. “Forget it, Paige,” he said in an undertone. “Brewer isn’t worth it.”

  “No.” It was not an agreement, but a protest against the wave of sensation spreading through her. It was just a touch—his hand on her arm. There was even a silky sleeve of material in between, but she was beginning to tremble with the contact. This wasn’t the reaction she had planned. Calm, composed, that’s what she’d intended to be. Not this nervous, tip-to-toe tingle of excitement and apprehension.

  “I see he still has plans for you,” Jeff continued as he maneuvered around cloth-draped tables and the few remaining groups of the dwindling crowd. “He doesn’t discourage easily, does he?”

  Paige slipped free of his touch. “Maybe I don’t try to discourage Mitch anymore. Maybe I have plans for him.”

  “Like hell you do.” Jeff moved ahead of her, then slowed his steps as a corner of his mouth lifted in wry apology. “We’ve had this discussion before, haven’t we?”

  “Many times.” And she remembered each one. Some had been her fault, some had been his. But all had been angry clashes based on unfounded jealousy and the insecurity that had shadowed the last year of their marriage. “We couldn’t seem to reach a satisfactory conclusion then either.”

  His grin came easily and held a reminiscent tenderness. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. As I recall, there were moments of deep satisfaction.”

  She dipped her chin in reluctance to share the memory and Jeff wished he hadn’t mentioned it. He wished he didn’t remember the passion that had flared from their anger to span the intangible distance between their hearts. But he couldn’t forget. Even now, with so many bridges burned, he felt the low throb of desire and knew he wasn’t completely past wanting her. Not quite. “Two years hasn’t been all that long, has it?” he asked, hoping to bring her eyes back to him.

  “I suppose time is a matter of perspective.” Paige lifted her gaze to his with disquieting honesty. “It’s been the longest two years of my life.”

  What could he say to that? He’d be damned if he’d apologize. He’d be damned if he knew what to apologize for. The divorce had been no-fault only in theory. She could have stopped it if she’d wanted.

  But then, he supposed, he could have stopped it too.

  And what did it matter now?

  He turned, looking for a familiar face, a change of tension.

  “Jefferson!” Mary came toward him with a smile, one hand extended. In a moment, he was being hugged as closely as her hat would allow. Maternal instincts died hard, he supposed, but at the moment he was glad that Mary cared more for him than for any legality.

  “I couldn’t believe my eyes when you came through those doors.” Mary laughed as she stepped back and resettled the tilt of her hat. “Why did you hide in the back like that? There were plenty of places to sit.” Pausing again, Mary beamed her approval. “You look wonderful. I’ve been worried that you weren’t taking care of yourself. So many divorced men don’t, you know.” She shook her head. “It’s so good to see you, Jeff.”

  Paige loved her mother all the more for welcoming Jeff as the son she’d always considered him. Yet deep in her heart, Paige also resented the circumstances that left her on the outside of this affectionate reunion.

  “You’re looking as beautiful as ever, Mary.” Jeff reverted to a charming deference to which Paige could never remember being treated. But then, he’d never had to try very hard to charm her.

  “It is good to see you,” Mary repeated. “Edward will be delighted that you came to the reception.”

  Edward, who joined them in a moment, didn’t appear delighted.

  In accepting the position with Randall Electronics, Jeff had expected a certain amount of displeasure. He’d been prepared, in fact, to answer a lot of questions from his former in-law. After all, Edward was protective of his family and of the company.

  But in a week’s time, there had been no questions, no personal conversation. Only a formal kind of communication that allowed them to discuss the Tri-Star contract and other related business matters.

  “Glad you could come,” was Edward’s only comment other than a “thank you” when Jeff congratulated him on winning the professional award.

  An older couple, bridge partners of the Glendennings, stopped to admire Edward’s plaque and to suggest a nightcap in the hotel clubroom. Mary and Edward accepted and promised to join their friends in a few minutes.

  “Come with us,” Mary urged Jeff when the other couple had left. “You, too, Paige. It will give us a chance to catch up.”

  “Mother.” Paige made the protest under her breath. Didn’t Mary realize she was creating an impossibly awkward situation? “I’m sure Jeff doesn’t want to join us for drinks.”

  “I’d like that. Thank you.” Jeff avoided visual contact, knowing he would see irritation in Paige’s eyes. She didn’t want him included in the invitation, no matter how rude it might be to exclude him. That was why he’d accepted. To show Paige he was no longer affected by her wishes. But, of course, the very thought showed how affected he still was.

  Where was all the careful indifference he’d nurtured before entering the ballroom – before seeing Paige again?

  “It’s been a long day. I think I’ll just go home.” Despite her best intentions, Paige glanced at Jeff as she made her excuses.

  Home.

  Did he ever think about all the times the two of them had gone home together? Hundreds of evenings when home had been theirs. Not just hers. Or his.

  “Good night, Mother, Edward.” She paused, remembering, wondering if he was remembering too. “Good night ... Jeff.”

  His throat closed around a knot of emotion. He couldn’t explain it. There was no logical reason for him to feel anything. She’d only said goodnight. It was just a formality. It meant nothing. But the memories it brought ...

  “Be careful, darling.” Mary tapped Paige on the cheek. “Lock the doors before you start the car. And check the back seat. You can’t be too careful, you know. Even in an attended parking area.”

  “Mother – ”

  “I’ll walk you to your car.” Now why had he said that? Jeff would have liked to believe it was merely courtesy. He wanted to ensure her safety, protect her from imaginary fears as he had done in the past. It had been his responsibility, his privilege, then.

  It was not his responsibility anymore.

  Her eyes, more gray now than blue, assessed his motive with surprise and suspicion. “No,” she said evenly. “It isn’t necessary.”

  “Oh, Paige.”

  Leaning forward, Paige stopped her mother’s protest with a kiss on the cheek. “Have a good time, Mother.” She moved to kiss her stepfather, too. “I am proud of you, Edward.”

  Purposely turning away from Jeff, Paige walked to the doorway, knowing his gaze followed, wondering if he felt even a shadow of the empty regrets that trailed her.

  * * * *

  Balancing on one stockinged foot, Paige reached down to slip the remaining navy-blue pump from her heel. Lifting it absently, she looked around the room. The bedroom she had shared with Jeff. Once she’d thrown a shoe, very much like the one she now held, at him. There had been a small tear in the wallpaper for several months afterward. She had refused to apply the mending dot of glue, wanting him to make the concession.

  She dropped the pump and left it with its mate just where it had fallen. Jeff had done that, too, leaving shoes, clothes, towels, wherever they happened to be when he was finished with them. For the first few months of their married life, she’d lovingly ignored the clutter. But after a while, she’d suspected he did it just to annoy her.