“He can visit his parents. He doesn’t need to visit our job site.” As a matter of fact, he didn’t need to show up anywhere that Toni might be, as far as she was concerned. He could simply have his assistant or his PR person contact the mayor’s office when the community center was finished.
The sooner, the better. The Christmas parade was this Saturday, followed by the chili dinner, and then the events started happening really fast. The holiday would be over before they knew it. Toni didn’t want the whole season ruined by Wyatt’s jabs and innuendos.
“I’m getting the crew in here to finish the demo. The faster we get this started, the faster we’ll be finished and on our way to a nice profit.”
“I’m all for that,” Leo said. “I’ll get out of your way.”
Toni hoped that everyone would stay out of her way. Especially annoying eligible bachelors who thought they were just too funny.
“Just a few more days,” she told herself as Leo left for the hardware store and the crew got started undoing years of bad decorating and poor maintenance.
And then she remembered that she had to attend the McCalls’ dinner party tomorrow night. And see Wild Wyatt again. And if she knew his mother, who was a stickler for boy-girl-boy-girl protocol, she’d probably have to sit next to Wyatt at their dining table.
She wasn’t ready for social engagements with him. There was no telling what he would do or say, and heaven help her, she seemed to have little restraint when it came to her responses.
But, she had one and a half days to get herself ready. Mentally and physically. She’d need every minute.
WYATT LOOKED AT HIS PITIFUL display of lighted figures in disgust. He’d driven by last night, after dinner at his parents’ house, to see the reindeer, Christmas trees and gifts at night. They looked terrible. He hadn’t arranged them well, and they looked lost in the big yard surrounding the community center. There were lots of trees on the property, and they distorted rather than enhanced the scene of reindeer in the forest.
Not that lighted white reindeer in any way looked natural. Not to mention the spiral lighted artificial Christmas trees. Especially not now, in the light of day, in the clarity of the afternoon.
Darn it, Myra Hammer was right.
Wyatt sighed. He’d hoped his sentence would produce something worthwhile for the citizens of Brody’s Crossing, but they couldn’t possibly like this mess. He wasn’t artistic. His creativity came out in user-based communications, with a strong emphasis on the “wow” factor. He could visualize new applications for existing technology, but bobbing reindeer had him totally baffled.
“I need help. I need a professional,” he said to Cassie.
“What do you mean? They’re all lighted.”
“I don’t mean an electrician. I mean a designer. A person who specializes in holiday displays, like maybe at malls or public facilities.”
“I’ll call someone. Do you have any ideas for local contacts?”
“No.” He hadn’t lived here in fifteen years, and even when he did live here, he hadn’t been concerned with the design of Christmas displays. Unless, of course, there was a way to mess them up. Now, he had people who did this sort of thing at his corporate headquarters.
“Call my mother, and if she can’t help call the mayor. And if that doesn’t work, call a display company in Dallas or Fort Worth and ask them to get out here and put something up that will have a real wow factor.”
“Any idea on budget?”
“I don’t care. Whatever it takes. I want people to see this display and feel as if they’re looking at Macy’s windows in New York City. Or one of those gaudy light shows at private homes that I’ve seen on television.”
“Major store windows are started a year in advance, and those people who put up lights all over their homes begin in October at the latest.” Cassie smiled crookedly and shrugged. “I watch a lot of decorating shows on TV.”
“All I know is that with enough people and money, we can get this done by Saturday.”
“It’s already Wednesday!”
“Okay, get on the phone.” He paused a moment, then said, “On second thought, you call my mother and the display companies in Dallas or Fort Worth. I’ll go see the mayor.”
“Um, I can call her, too.”
“I know, but—” He stopped and narrowed his eyes at Cassie. “Why don’t you want me seeing the mayor?”
Cassie looked down at her PDA. “Oh, she just doesn’t seem to like you much, and I thought perhaps she’d be more helpful if I called her.”
Wyatt scoffed. “She just thinks she doesn’t like me.”
Cassie frowned. “What’s the difference? Either way, she might not cooperate.”
“She’ll cooperate. You forget the McCall charm factor.”
“I’m not sure it’s working on her.”
“Oh, it’s working.” She wouldn’t be so testy around him if it wasn’t working. The high points of his trip so far had all involved getting Toni riled up. And he didn’t even feel guilty. She wouldn’t admit it, but she was enjoying herself. She was actually living. According to everyone he’d asked—discreetly, of course—Toni didn’t have much of a personal life. She wasn’t dating. She devoted all her time and energy to her business and her public responsibilities. And she did a damn fine job of both.
Still, she needed a personal life. At least for a little while. He’d be gone soon and she could go back to being Miss Conscientious. A little verbal sparring with a bad-boy former boyfriend wasn’t going to ruin her work ethic.
“Well, you’re the boss,” Cassie finally said.
“Exactly,” Wyatt said with a grin, looking at the reindeer. Your days are numbered, he told them silently, and headed for his Hummer.
“WE CAN’T POSSIBLY GET RID of the reindeer,” Toni told Wyatt as he sat in her office. She was still dusty and tired from this morning’s tear-out at the hotel, which her crew was continuing to work on. She’d taken out some of her aggression and frustration on a rickety banister leading to the second floor, but the physical labor hadn’t helped much. Once again faced with Wyatt McCall, she wanted him out of her life.
Not so much wanted as needed, she corrected herself. He brought too much…turmoil. Yes, that was the word for Wyatt. Tumultuous. Wild and unpredictable.
She liked predictable. She needed order. “Why would you want to get rid of perfectly good Christmas decorations?”
“Why? Because they’re not enough. They’re not very convincing, as far as Christmas displays go. Wouldn’t you rather have something really spectacular?”
“It doesn’t matter what you or I want. Those decorations were a gift from the local Scout troops. They got together, raised money and presented the reindeer and trees to the city. If we toss them out, it will be a personal affront to every Scout and every family who participated in the bake sales and car washes that earned money for their generous purchase.”
She watched a range of emotions move across Wyatt’s face. He wasn’t the most expressive person she knew. He usually kept his face in a steady mildly pleasant or devilish mode. Rarely did anyone know when he was genuinely angry or concerned. At least, the Wyatt she’d known fifteen years ago was that way, and she suspected he hadn’t changed all that much. Right now, he appeared frustrated.
“You’re right. We can’t diss the Scouts.”
“We aren’t considering dissing the Scouts. You’re the one who doesn’t like the decorations. I never