Reluctant Deception - Cambria Smyth Page 0,23

her now.

"What's up, Mr. D.?" she asked with motherly concern. "You have a headache or something?"

"'Or something' about sums it up, Edwina. I'll take those aspirin now, please, if you don't mind." He moaned softly, then swore under his breath at the pain each step brought.

"Too much dancing this weekend?" she inquired and continued before he could answer. "Here, sit down while I get you a glass of water."

"No, really, I'll get it myself. I'm not an invalid," he protested mildly, “yet.”

"Christopher Darnell, I've known you since you were eighteen, so I know when you've overdone it. Now sit. And that's an order." She turned and headed to the adjoining kitchen, only to hear footsteps behind her.

Never could keep that one down, she thought, filling a glass with cold tap water. Always so darned independent, even from the day he first started working for Bob Darnell, the man who later became his adopted father.

She was Bob Darnell's secretary then, handling the correspondence and phones for his already large and successful construction company in Philadelphia. Christopher Darnell showed up in the office one day, responding to their ad for experienced carpenters. She chuckled, remembering how Chris convinced Bob Darnell to hire him even though he'd never pounded a nail in his life. There was something about Chris's determination to learn the trade that convinced Bob Darnell to take a chance on him. Darnell later confided to Edwina that Chris reminded him of himself as a young man, desperate for a job and looking to be given an opportunity, no matter how small.

So Darnell put him on the crew and proceeded to teach him everything he knew about the construction business from the ground up, from pouring basements to laying roofs. He found Chris to be a quick learner who only had to be shown once how to do something. He also discovered that Chris was an astute businessman, capable of bidding jobs accurately, bringing them in on time and near, or under, budget. Edwina had watched in amazement as the scrawny eighteen-year-old blossomed into a confident and capable young man with a body honed to chiseled perfection from the years of physical labor.

Nor was she surprised when Bob Darnell announced to her one day that he was going to adopt Chris. Their working relationship had evolved into a true father-son relationship filling a huge void for both of them. Darnell and his wife were unable to have children and they came to love Chris as the son they never had.

When Bob Darnell died, Chris inherited the construction company along with several choice building lots "Pops" had invested in.

On one of the lots Chris built his first success, a twenty-store strip mall full of glass and polished steel. It instantly established his credibility as a builder and real estate developer, providing the less-than-humble beginnings of a career that quickly expanded to include office buildings, hotels, and high-rise condominiums.

Edwina smiled to herself and looked with pride at the young man before her. She had been delighted when he asked her to stay on as his secretary and even though she had grown children of her own, she felt a parental affection for him.

Now if he would only stop limping around their "office" and either get some work done or cease hounding her with petty requests. So far he'd done neither.

Now that she'd seen him walk, she wondered again what David had conquered her Goliath. She'd never seen him this sore from physical exercise, except when he first started throwing a hammer and climbing scaffolding. Edwina chuckled. Maybe he got into a friendly game of tag football yesterday, but somehow she doubted it. He was already in great shape and could easily handle that. His mood was too gruff to blame on a bunch of guys slogging it out in a contact sport.

Chris accepted the aspirin and glass of water with a nod.

"I understand Courtney Blair found you at the Chesterfield Inn the other night," Edwina commented while he took the pills.

"Word sure travels fast in these parts," Chris drawled with a trace of annoyance.

"With her parents living next door to me, I always seem to get an unsolicited description of her many social activities. Especially since you gave me a ride home a few weeks ago and accidentally got to meet her." Edwina regarded Chris speculatively.

"Frankly, Mr. D., I think the woman has a crush on you. Her mother practically hinted as much. And...well...I'm sorry. I think you have me to blame for