David knew his parents had loved each other in their own way. He often wondered—if their lives hadn’t been cut short in a car accident three years ago, would they have found some measure of peace in their later years?
David set the mug of cocoa on the table and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
Christy had filled the void in his life that had been there since his parents had died. His house felt like a home again. At the end of the day he found himself looking forward to coming home. And that anticipation didn’t have one thing to do with a hot meal on the table or a clean house. It had to do with the fact that Christy was there, waiting for him.
He hadn’t been given the woman he thought he needed, but he’d been given the woman he needed to make his life complete.
Christy had been right all along. They could work this out.
Christy stared at David out of the corner of her eye and picked up her pace.
It was still hard to believe that the handsome man running at her side was her husband.
Since that night in the church, something had changed. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but David had been more relaxed, more loving lately. A couple of times she’d wanted to ask him if he still thought of their marriage as temporary, but she’d held back, not wanting to rush things.
“Want to go a little farther today?” They were nearing the end of their normal five-mile route and almost home, but after trying on a skirt she hadn’t worn in a few months, she’d decided she’d better kick her exercise regime to the next level.
“How much farther?” David wiped a thin layer of sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.
“I don’t know. Couple more miles. Maybe three,” Christy said. “We can play it by ear.”
“I’d like to,” David said. “But I need to go into the office a little earlier than usual. We’ve got some consultants coming in from New York.”
“I’ll see you later, then,” Christy said. “Go ahead and lock the door when you leave. I have a key with me.”
“Don’t you think five miles is enough?”
“Normally, yes,” Christy said. “But today I tried on one of the pencil skirts Tom insisted I buy last year. I couldn’t even zip it up. So it’s less food and more exercise for this girl.”
David eased his pace down a notch and Christy slowed her gait momentarily to match his.
“You’re beautiful, Christy,” he said, his gaze firm and direct. “Don’t let Tom tell you differently. I like you just the way you are.”
“Thank you.” Her heart warmed at the sincerity in his tone. “Unfortunately, Tom won’t see it the same way. He’s got some big things in the works and you know how he is about projecting a certain image.”
The turnoff to their street loomed ahead and it took all of Christy’s willpower not to change her mind and follow David. Instead she gave him a wave and a smile and picked up the pace.
Unwavering dedication to her goals had served her well in the past. She could demand nothing less of herself now.
Chapter Fourteen
“Mr. Warner?”
David lifted his gaze from the computer screen. His administrative assistant stood in the doorway to his office, her normally cheerful face serious.
“I’d like to leave a couple of hours early tomorrow. If that’s okay with you, that is.” Joni’s words came out in a rush.
David lifted a brow. “Caleb have another field trip?”
Joni didn’t have a lot of vacation built up and lately all her requests for time off had been to attend her son’s school events or to accompany him and his classmates on various outings.
“Not this time.” Joni smiled. “This is for me. I’ve been thinking. Getting off at five only gives me a few hours to get ready for the gala. I need some breathing room. I don’t want to have to rush.”
The gala started at eight, which to David seemed like more than enough time for anyone to shower and pull on some clothes. But it was Joni’s vacation time and he didn’t have to approve the reason, only the time off. Normally he’d have said yes without a second thought. But the Granger proposal had to be ready to go by Monday. Joni hadn’t even begun to add the graphics to his written report.
David hesitated, trying to think if he had any other staff that could pitch in and help. He couldn’t think of a single person.
Joni’s gaze searched his, and for an instant he had the uncanny feeling she could read his mind.
“If it’s about that proposal, I could take it home this weekend,” Joni said. “Or come in and do it.”
David thought for a moment. “If you want to do that, you can forget about taking vacation time. We can just exchange hours.”
“Sounds good to me.” Joni grinned. “Caleb’s dad will have him this weekend, so I’ll have plenty of time to work on those graphics.”
“We have a deal,” David said. “Leave whenever you want tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Mr. Warner.” Joni flashed him a bright smile and pulled the door shut behind her.
David sat back in his chair and glanced at the clock. A little over an hour remained until his next meeting. Barely enough time to run out for a quick sandwich. He picked up the phone intending to call Christy and see if she was up for some quick Chinese-to-go when he remembered that Tom was back in town.
David heaved a disappointed sigh, hung up the phone and shifted his attention back to the computer screen. Rows of endless numbers had him rubbing the bridge of his nose in a matter of minutes.
Always more of a people person, David loved meeting with clients, finding out their needs and convincing them Warner Enterprises was the company for them. But since he’d taken over as CEO, the focus of his job had shifted to reports and meetings.
If he were a paper pusher like Blake, with a degree in accounting and a penchant for sitting behind a desk, he’d be set.
David wondered idly if Blake really had changed his mind and no longer favored dismantling the company. Though David hoped that was the case, he couldn’t help but be skeptical. Blake was smart enough to say whatever it took to stay on the old man’s good side.
“A penny for your thoughts.”
David’s gaze shot up at the familiar voice.
“Or maybe I should raise that amount.” Lauren sauntered into the room, looking like a breath of spring in a yellow print dress. “Inflation, you know.”
“Lauren, hello.” David couldn’t keep the surprise from his voice. Though she used to pop in and see him all the time, this was the first time since he’d gotten married that she’d stopped by. “I didn’t expect to see you today. Have a seat.”
She looked especially pretty today. Her green eyes sparkled and a rosy pink flushed her cheeks. The pale yellow of the dress accentuated her tan and the cut enhanced her soft curves. She sat down gracefully in the leather wing-back and crossed one long tan leg over the other.
“Joni was on her way out the door for a hot lunch date,” Lauren said with a smile. “I told her I’d let myself in.”
“I didn’t even hear you.”
“Making an entrance is my forte,” Lauren said with an impudent grin. “Remember that time at the club?”