The Cowboy's Temptation Page 0,54

think you’re doing?” she demanded, stifling the tears in her eyes.

Elissa smiled fondly. “I’m going back to New York to sell my condo, pack up my office and quit my job. Then I’m moving out here. I don’t know what I’ll do, but I love this country life.”

Veronica just stared at Elissa for several heartbeats. “Wow!” she said. Then with more excitement, “Oh, how wonderful! You and Jake are going to get married and have babies and we’ll live right next door to each other and our kids will grow old together. I can’t believe it! It’s too good to be true!”

Elissa shook her head. “Yes, it is probably too good to be true. Jake hasn’t said anything about settling down and I don’t want to pressure him into anything he doesn’t want to do. I’m coming out here yes, but I’ll probably live in town somewhere. I was thinking about starting an accounting firm out here. I enjoyed doing Jake’s books and there are probably some other small businesses out here that might need some bookkeeping help. That would be enough to keep me busy with a small enough income. My investments will do the rest. I don’t need a lot anymore.”

Veronica’s mouth dropped open. “What do you mean Jake isn’t going to settle down? That man is in love with you, have no doubt about that,” she said confidently.

Elissa laughed. “That’s just your romantic heart talking. And too many romance novels,” she added. “But the reality is that Jake is his own person. He doesn’t need me around,” she said, trying to keep the sadness out of her voice. “He’s even said he wanted to talk when he gets back from a business trip.”

Veronica was having none of that. “You obviously are still thinking about the men in New York. Jake isn’t like them. I’ve been telling you that all along and you still don’t believe me, do you?”

Elissa shook her head. “He’s a wonderful man, I know that. I think he’s the most wonderful man I’ve ever met.”

“Or ever will meet,” Veronica added.

“Okay, so he’s perfect in an imperfect way.”

“Perfect for you.”

“Anyway, I’m going out to New York to close down my life there. I should be back in a few days, hopefully only two. I’ll definitely be back before Jake gets back. I promised him that much.”

Veronica shook her head. “You shouldn’t leave. Just do everything by phone and have your stuff shipped out here.”

“I need to do some things personally. I don’t like Jim Tillman and I want to tell him to his face what an awful person he is and shove his job right back at him.”

“Isn’t he the one that was trying to pressure you into an affair right before you came out here.”

“One of them.”

“Yeah, but Tillman’s your boss. That’s not fair,” she said.

“No, but not a lot of things are fair in that world. That’s why I want to get out of it.”

Veronica’s shoulders drooped in defeat. “Okay. I still think this is a really bad idea, but I can’t think of anything to say that will change your mind. But hurry back. Me and the twins need you. Jake needs you too.”

Elissa hugged Veronica. “I need to hurry if I’m going to make my flight. I’ll call you as soon as I get to New York.”

Elissa was on a flight out of Texas two hours later. She boarded the flight and almost started crying as the plane took off. She’d fallen in love with this area in so short a period of time. If it weren’t for Veronica and her pregnancy, she would still be back in New York, slaving away making inane deals that made rich people richer, slowly killing herself in the name of the almighty dollar.

Once in New York, she caught a cab to her apartment. She had a meeting in one hour with a real estate agent who was going to sell her condo to the highest or fastest bidder. Elissa cleaned up the dust that had settled over the sparse furniture over the past month and arranged with a moving company to have the furniture moved out to Texas. She was sure Veronica could help her find a storage company that would hold her furniture until she could find someone who would buy it or she could find a place to live.

The real estate agent rang her doorbell right on time. Elissa opened the door and let the woman enter. “Hello!” Marissa Lyle said, introducing