Now she wondered about that, although she wasn’t at all thrilled with the notion that a silly, certainly unsolicited message about sweet talk on a florist’s card could actually make her rethink all that she’d made of her life. She did know, however, that an element she’d never expected to intrude upon her peace of mind was now doing exactly that. Behind conversations, tasks, almost every single thing that took place all day, lay the knowledge that instead of throwing that ridiculous little card in the trash last night, she had buried it under some filmy garments in a drawer of lingerie in her bedroom. Why hadn’t she stuck the damn card in a drawer of sweaters?
Around three that afternoon her strength gave out. Exhausted, she asked Jim to please take over; she had to go to the house and lie down for a few minutes.
He agreed at once, of course, and Val told him to call the house should an emergency arise that required professional attention. Again he agreed, then he watched her leave with a concerned and caring frown on his weathered face. Val had become like a daughter to him and Estelle. The two of them had talked about their mutual affection for Valerie Fairchild many times. They liked Jinni, as well, but Jinni could take care of herself. There was something about Val that tugged at their heartstrings. She had never explained her past to them, but they felt certain something bad had happened to cause that bleak look to appear in her beautiful eyes every so often.
They had each seen it, discussed it, surmised all sorts of scenarios and worried themselves half to death over it. But they really knew nothing concrete about Val’s past, and they didn’t let themselves count on knowing more in the future, as their dear Val was a very private woman.
Heaving a sigh, Jim left to get some work done.
Val walked from the clinic to her house and went in through the back door. Estelle had left early; she had done so much in the house yesterday there’d been no reason for her to stay today. Val went directly to her bedroom, took off her shoes and fell across her bed. She was truly done in, and she closed her eyes and breathed a long sigh of relief just because it felt so good to be lying down.
Then she thought of Reed’s card again, and her eyes flew open. Something told her that when he’d decided to deliver the flowers himself, he hadn’t realized that the card he’d written earlier was attached to the bouquet. It hadn’t been in plain sight, or Estelle would have seen it. Since her sharp eyes hadn’t spotted it, it seemed sensible to conclude that neither had Reed’s.
Val realized that she was thinking of that man by his first name. He had succeeded in burrowing into her psyche deeply enough to make himself a real person to her, a real male person!
She groaned, got off of the bed and went to her lingerie drawer, where she pulled out the card, stared daggers at it for a moment, then stuck it in the bottom drawer of the dresser, underneath some old sweatpants and tops. That damn card didn’t belong next to her panties, bras or pretty nightgowns. She really should rip it to pieces and toss it in the trash.
But she didn’t. She returned to the bed, lay down again and did her best not to think of that discomfiting card or of the man who had written it.
She wasn’t very successful. It had been ages since she’d dwelled on a man’s looks, but in her wild and woolly youth she had always been drawn to men with dark hair. Not too many of them had had green eyes, though. Black hair and green eyes…and a handsome face and a remarkable, trim body and long legs and a terrific smile and…
“Damn it, that’s enough!” she shouted, glad that she was alone in the house so she could shout. She was not attracted to Reed Kingsley. She wasn’t! He’d just better stay away from her or she was apt to lose her temper and embarrass both of them.
Besides, there had to be something wrong with a man who didn’t comprehend blatant hints. How rude would she have to be before he finally figured out she wasn’t interested and gave up for good?
On Friday afternoon Jinni came barreling into Val’s office wearing a new designer outfit and a smile as big as all outdoors. Val got out of her chair and hurried around her desk. They hugged and Jinni delivered a big smooch to her sister’s cheek.
“It’s so good to see you. Mind you, I didn’t miss you—much—while Max and I were in California. Hardly had time to think of anything but Max, and I guess I shouldn’t apologize for that, should I? Poor Max had Guy on his mind a lot, but I expected that. The Cantrells are terribly torn up over Guy having been arrested for murder, and who can blame them? They all believe he’s completely innocent, you know.
“Oh, Val, you really must give yourself a treat sometime and go to that resort Max took me to. It’s truly fabulous…as posh as any resort I’ve ever visited. What a honeymoon! Every woman should be so lucky. Val, you look a bit peaked. Are you all right?”
“Heavens, you can talk fast when you want to. I’m fine, and I don’t want you hovering and worrying because I look peaked, which I don’t.”
“Oh, really? I think I know if you look peaked or not, and you look peaked. What’ve you been doing, working day and night in this place?”
“I have not been overdoing it, Jinni. Ask Jim, if you don’t believe me.”
“All right, I believe you. But you could use a few pounds and some color in those cheeks. And I want a straight answer to one question. Are you still having those weak spells?”
“Only once in a while. They’re going away, just as the doctor said they would. Sit down and tell me about your honeymoon.”
“I can’t today. I have a ton of luggage to unpack…we only got home an hour ago. But I promise to tell you everything—” Jinni grinned devilishly “—or almost everything next week. How about lunch on Monday?”
“Sounds wonderful. At the Rooftop Café? If this weather holds, we could eat outside.”
“The Rooftop it is. I’ll pick you up around one on Monday. Okay, I must be off. I just had to see you, if only for a minute.”
The sisters hugged again and Jinni left in a flurry of chatter and expensive perfume. Smiling to herself, very glad that her sister was back in Rumor, Val returned to her desk. Before the wedding, Jinni had told her that the honeymoon was going to be short and sweet; Max was too concerned with Guy’s situation to be away for very long. Val suspected that Jinni and Max were so much in love that their honeymoon would go on for a very long time right here in Rumor, and if there was any true happiness in her system these days, it was all for Jinni.
Val knew one thing for certain: Jinni could do all the talking during their lunch at the Rooftop Café on Monday. Val would enjoy hearing about California and Jinni’s honeymoon, and she was not going to talk about Reed Kingsley or his peskiness or that silly note. Jinni already knew everything else going on in her life, except for all the phone calls she’d received. Reed was the only controversial subject Val had to talk about, if she was so inclined. Which she wasn’t. She actually shuddered at the thought, as putting Jinni on that scent would only cause relentless torment. Jinni had stated clearly, more than once, that Val had lived a celibate existence for far too many years. Val didn’t want to hear it again, or even worse, discover to her chagrin that her sister had decided to play matchmaker.
Heaven help her if that should happen, Val thought with another shudder. When Jinni got on the trail of a cause she deemed worthwhile, she moved full steam ahead and got the job done.
So, no, Val would not be mentioning Reed Kingsley to her sister. Not at lunch on Monday, not ever.
Reed drove to Billings to have dinner with Derek Moore, Attorney-at-Law, an old college buddy. Derek was in Billings on business and had called Reed early Friday morning.
“I flew in late last night. I’ll be taking depositions all day and