sat back down. “You never mentioned.”
“I was with a bunch of girlfriends at a nightclub in Dallas, celebrating my twenty-first. He stole my heart the moment our eyes met. We danced all night and when he took me home, he cupped my cheek and kissed me. I thought I would faint for sure.” Misty-eyed, Nita sighed. “I knew it would be him or no one. When he asked me to marry him two weeks later, I said yes.”
Elizabeth was on the edge of her seat. “What happened?”
“He was drafted.” Nita’s mouth tightened and she pushed her glasses back on her nose. “Never made it home.”
Her heart sinking, Elizabeth took the older woman’s hand. “Oh, Nita, I’m sorry.”
“Thing is, I’d rather have those two wonderful weeks than a lifetime as Mrs. Someone Else.” As the faraway look evaporated, she cleared her throat and got to her slippered feet. “Best let you get to bed. Sweet dreams, Beth.”
As Nita left her alone in the big room with its heavy timber furniture and portrait of Grandpa Milton hanging on the wall, Elizabeth leaned back into the cushions. The feelings Nita had for her young man must have been fierce. As fierce as the passion Daniel had coaxed from her tonight?
Bald truth was she wanted to see Daniel again. But given the way he’d left tonight—with an apology for weakening and kissing her when he hadn’t meant to—would he want to see her?
Gnawing her lower lip, Elizabeth’s frown slowly eased into a smile.
Maybe she could help him decide.
Four
The next morning, dying for coffee, Daniel entered the Royal diner. The concierge at the hotel must have passed on the same recommendation to his crew. Rand sat in a corner booth near the jukebox, polishing off a plate of ham and eggs. As Daniel crossed over, the younger man lifted his fork in greeting.
“Hey, we missed you at dinner.”
Sitting down heavily, Daniel suppressed a yawn. He hadn’t slept a wink last night.
“I left a message,” he said, signaling the waitress.
Grinning, Rand finished munching a mouthful of toast. “You had a better offer?”
“Something like that.”
“I’m guessing from that doll in the fur.”
“Her name’s Elizabeth Milton.”
“Whatever her name, from the look, she didn’t take you back to her trailer for soda and chili dogs.”
The waitress brought over a cup and poured a steamy black coffee that smelled like heaven. “What’ll it be, sugar?”
“Coffee’s good,” he said, sliding the menu aside.
He’d been told anything ordered here was tasty and filling, but his appetite was lost, wondering what Nita had whipped up for breakfast this morning. Not to mention his obsessing about whether Elizabeth had tossed and turned all night, too.
He hadn’t been able to get that confounded kiss out of his head.
Of course, that could never happen again, Daniel told himself, scalding his tongue on a long pull from his cup. He was having a hard enough time making this trip a positive experience without throwing a gorgeous heiress held to ransom by her deceased parents into the mix.
Was he ever pleased that part of his past—having no say in where he went, how long he stayed—was well behind him. After the constant struggle of being shuttled between homes, between states, no way could he tolerate Elizabeth’s situation. And while nothing would change the fact that he found Miss Milton beyond attractive and interesting and charming, truth was he’d lost a little respect for her. If his parents had tried to blackmail him like that at her age, he’d have told them to go to hell in a handbag.
Rand was dabbing his mouth with a napkin. “What are you planning to do about the design?”
“Scrap it.”
Reaching for his cup, Rand froze. “You mean everything?”
“You were at the meeting. The black plague was a bigger hit.”
“Personally, I thought that model depicted the Old West at its best.”
“Point is this isn’t the Old West. Not anymore.” Daniel finished his coffee and signaled for another. “Abigail’s a friend but maybe I ought to retract my offer to submit.”
Hell, he should be home, preparing for next month’s visit from a client who needed a design for a new supermall, not downing coffee in a diner that looked like a reject from the fifties.
Leaning over the table, Rand dropped his voice. “You don’t need this job, boss. Your friend will understand.”
Understand? Abigail would most likely kick her heels if he suggested she might like to try someone else. The jet was fueled, ready to shoot them back to New York the moment he gave the word. Daniel took in the red-and-white upholstered booths, the diner’s sleepy clientele.
What the hell was he doing wasting his time here?
Across the table, Rand nudged his chin at the entrance. “Look who just walked in.”
A shiver running up his spine, Daniel spun around. Elizabeth Milton was sashaying inside like she’d been doing it all her life, which she had. Daniel told his heart to quit pounding. He didn’t know how she did it, but the woman looked even hotter this morning than she had last night. A pale pink dress with a matching short-sleeved jacket and pumps that drew the eye up over the splendor of those long, shapely legs. Tiny waist. Ample bust. Every line, every crest and valley was perfection. Then there were those lips …
When a throb kicked off low in his belly, Daniel panicked and pushed to his feet. He’d pretty much made up his mind to pull up anchor. That Elizabeth Milton had strolled in now made no difference. They’d already bade each other goodbye and good luck. They had nothing more to say.
While he slapped a few bills on the table, Elizabeth stopped to speak with a woman by the counter. From her relaxed body language, it was someone she’d known a long time. Daniel shoved his wallet in his back pocket while Rand collected his laptop and sidled out of the booth, too. Elizabeth had her back to them. If he hurried, he could save them both an awkward moment and duck out before she was any the wiser.
He headed for the door, Rand hot on his heels.
“I can make myself scarce,” Rand said, “if you want to, you know, say hi.”
Still striding, Daniel glared over his shoulder. “We’re leaving here together, packing up and saying goodbye to Royal for good.”
Rand’s mouth swung to one side. “You can tell Elizabeth Milton that. She’s on a crash course, headed this way.”
Daniel realigned his vision at the exact moment he plowed into something … someone. On reflex, his arms shot out and caught Elizabeth’s upper arms as she emitted
