“You don’t believe me?” She was talking down to him, as she had in the hospital, amazed that he worked for the town, as if he were an ignorant hick. “I have a business degree, Tara. I did an accelerated online program for working professionals. At Ryland Engineering, I’m the business manager. Second in command.”
“Sorry. I didn’t know.”
She seemed honestly sorry, so he gave her an out. “That stands to reason. You haven’t been back in...years.”
“I have a life and a business,” she snapped.
“I know that. I didn’t mean to say—”
“That I’m a selfish brat who abandoned her family?”
“Right. And I’m sure you weren’t implying that I’m a clueless rube whose world ends at the town limits.” Joe Banes had nothing on them when it came to edgy.
“Sorry. I guess I’m sensitive about that.”
“I guess I am, too.”
“So you manage your father and Wharton. That’s a tall order. Your father’s impossible and my family owns the town.”
“I wouldn’t put it that way,” he said, irritated that she was still mocking him.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that. We chose different paths, but we both got what we wanted, right?”
“Right.” He could see in her eyes she didn’t quite buy it. Her views about Wharton were entrenched, as burned into her soul as their time together was in his. She would never see his life—or the town—the way he did. He wasn’t about to tell her his development plan. She’d never stop mocking him.
The silence hung, tension humming in the air between them like the wings of the birds zipping from flower to flower before them.
Finally Tara sighed. When she spoke, her tone was conciliatory. “The contract between the two companies, our fathers making peace... You did that, didn’t you? I don’t see either of them backing down.”
“Yes, I did.”
“How’d you manage it?” She looked straight at him, blue eyes digging in. She really wanted to know.
“To start with, when the lawsuit failed, I convinced Dad to reopen Ryland Engineering. That got him moving forward. I tracked what Wharton was up to through engineers who used to work for us and made sure we moved in a direction that dovetailed with Wharton’s ventures. We had parts Wharton needed at the right price, so it all came together.”
“It wasn’t that simple. Not with our fathers’ attitudes.”
“They both wanted to make peace. I just gave them a way that made business sense and let them keep their pride.”
“You’re being modest. I know what you faced. The hardest part of working out conflicts between employee groups is restoring trust. You did an amazing thing.” Her gaze held respect.
“It was important to me to repair the rift between them. I knew it would restore my father’s faith in himself.” It felt good to have his achievement recognized by the one person who truly knew the people involved. He’d love to talk about his next steps—leaving the company, building up the town—but it wasn’t worth the risk. Deep wounds stayed tender and he didn’t trust her not to jab at him again.
“So that’s me,” he said. “What about you? How’s your business going?”
“Reasonably well for eighteen months on my own. In this economy, corporations see consultants as a luxury, so I have to prove that what I do impacts the bottom line.”
“I’m sure you’re convincing.”
“I have to be. My survival depends on it.” He liked the fire in her eyes, the determination in her voice. He’d bet she was a formidable force on the job.
“This is nice,” she said, smiling softly. “Talking to you. I feel almost normal.” She inhaled deeply, then blew it out. “I can even breathe again. I suppose that means I should get back inside,” she added reluctantly, standing.
He stood with her.
She looked at him, her gaze appreciative. “You always were a good listener. You never tried to fix me. You just let me talk it out.”
“You always knew the answer. You needed to convince yourself.” They stood too close together, but he didn’t want to step away. Not yet.
She smiled and leaned past him for her jacket, brushed against him, her breast against his arm. She wobbled and he caught her. Their eyes met and a current passed between them, making the air seem to crackle. He’d forgotten the power of their physical connection, the way it took down all his walls, pushed past any caution, any sense.
He was so close he could see the flecks of navy blue in the sky-blue of