said, too softly, “You want me to tell you what happened this afternoon, to trust you with something that’s private to someone I care about, but you won’t even tell me honestly whether you’re thinking of buying out the resort or not.”
He took his napkin from his lap, wiped his mouth, and slid it in beside his plate. “All right, Tori.”
“All right, what?”
“I can see this is an ultimatum.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to. It’s all over your face, clear in your voice.”
“Look. The word is out that you’re sniffing around the resort. People aren’t blind around here. And if I’m going to be spending more time with you, I want to know the truth. I can live with this thing between us ending when the fall comes. But I can’t live with you lying to me.”
“I haven’t lied to you.”
“By omission, yes. You have. I want to know for certain. I need to know—at least, I do if we’re going to keep dating.”
“Why do you need to know? What possible good will the information do? “
She considered his question. And she answered truthfully. “It’s about honesty, Connor. It’s about basic trust. Are you hoping to buy out the resort, yes or no?”
A silence. A long one. And then, finally, “I would need to know ahead of time that you would keep what I tell you to yourself.”
“Uh-uh. No way. Is there some reason it has to be a secret—especially considering that everybody already knows anyway? I mean, come on. You talk about how you want to change things in your life, with your son. With your sister. Maybe being straight in your business dealings wouldn’t be such a bad idea, either. I’m not saying you have to tell me all the diabolical details of your takeover plan. I’m just saying why deny what you’re after when everyone knows your denial is a big, fat lie anyway?”
He arched a brow. “Diabolical?”
She waved a hand. “Sorry. That was a little over the top. But still, you know what I mean.”
He refused to give in. “As a rule, it’s not a good idea to show your hand, even if the player across from you already knows you have aces.”
“We’re talking about people’s lives, Connor, not a card game.”
He pushed back his chair and stood. “This conversation is going nowhere.”
She knew he was right. They were arguing in circles. She said gently, “Yeah. I guess so.”
“Good night.” His voice was soft, his eyes troubled.
“Good night, Connor.”
He went out through the great room. She heard the front door open and close. And a minute or two after that, she heard the SUV start up and drive away.
She sat there at the table for a long time after he left her, feeling sad and weepy—but refusing to cry. Connor McFarlane was not the man for her. She had to accept that. It was better that he had left, that his thing between them went no further. Getting into it with him would only lead to hurt and heartbreak.
Alone at the table, she nodded to herself and swallowed down the lump of tears that clogged her throat. Yes. Really. It was better that he was gone.
Chapter Five
Connor was halfway back to his rented house, feeling like crap, trying to come to grips with the fact that his enjoyable summer with Tori Jones was over before it had even begun, when he realized that he’d left her without canceling their plans for tomorrow.
At the house, after spending a few minutes in CJ’s room, watching him play his endless video game, he went to his own room. He took a shower and sat in front of the television, channel-surfing with the sound down, paying very little attention to the images that flashed in front of his eyes.
He kept reliving what it felt like to hold her in his arms. He’d been really looking forward to doing that again, and frequently. And he’d done some serious fantasizing over what it was going to be like the first time they made love. It would probably be really good, if the chemistry between them was any indication.
Maybe she would call and tell him formally that she wouldn’t be coming to the picnic tomorrow. Maybe he ought to call her.
But the phone didn’t ring. And he decided it would be easier just to go ahead and proceed as planned tomorrow. At worst, she would call it off when he and CJ came to pick her and Jerilyn up. He could live with that.
And if she decided to go through with it, well, he could stand that, too. It would be awkward, yes, but at least CJ would be happy to have some time with the girl he liked.
In the morning, Connor had breakfast with CJ and then went to his study to look over some paperwork from the main office. The phone rang at eleven. He jumped at the sound.
But it was only his father, making the usual demands, that he come back to Philly immediately, to stay. That, if he insisted on doing the resort deal, he get on it and get it over with.
Connor made noncommittal noises and told his dad to give his mother his love.
An hour later, he and CJ left the house.
“You okay, Dad?” CJ asked him as they drove the quiet Sunday streets on the way to Tori’s house.
Connor almost ran a red light. It was the first time in the past year or so that his son had expressed the slightest interest in him or anything he might be doing or thinking.
It was a clear sign that he was actually making progress with the boy. He should have been ecstatic.
And he was. But the thrill was muted by the knowledge that whatever progress he was making with CJ was mostly due to the excellent advice of a certain strawberry-blonde schoolteacher. And then there was also the possibility that whatever gains he’d made would be lost if Jerilyn was not at Tori’s house when they got there, if Tori had decided to call the afternoon off.
Really, he should have discussed the picnic with her before he walked out on her last night. Or called her later.
But he hadn’t. And now he was stuck with having no clue what would happen when they got to her house.
Bright move, McFarlane.
He pushed his dark thoughts away and sent his son a warm glance. “Thanks, I’m okay.”
“You’re really quiet.”
“Just … thoughtful, I guess.”
At Tori’s house, the bicycle that had been on the front walk the evening before was propped up on the porch. But other than that, everything looked just as it had last night. He still had no clue whether Tori and Jerilyn were coming with them, or not.
CJ jumped out of the car and was halfway up the walk before Connor got out and followed him.
