reached out, touched his hand and shook her head. “What’s the matter?” he asked. “You don’t want dessert?”
She drew in a deep breath, made an attempt to speak once more and was glad when sound came out. But to be absolutely sure he understood, she held up her hands in the shape of a T. “Time out.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Time out?”
She nodded. “Yes, time out. You lost me between the flight on Thursday and Sydney, Australia. Are you saying this house that you want me to decorate is in Sydney, Australia?”
“Of course. Where else would it be?”
She fought hard not to glare at him; after all, he was a potential client. “I thought possibly in the Denver area,” she said in what she hoped was a neutral tone.
“Why would you think that?”
She couldn’t hold back her glare any longer. “Well, you’ve been in this country for almost three years now.”
“Yes, but I’ve never said or insinuated to anyone that I wouldn’t return home. I was here helping Ramsey out and now that he has the hang of things, I’m no longer needed. Now I can get back home and—”
“Get married,” Gemma supplied.
He chuckled. “As I said earlier, I don’t plan on staying single forever.”
“And when do you plan on marrying her?”
“Her who?”
Gemma wondered why some men suddenly went daft when their girlfriends were mentioned. “The woman waiting for you back in Australia.”
“Umm, I didn’t know there was such a creature.”
Gemma stared at him in disbelief. “Are you saying you don’t have a fiancée or a sweetheart back in Australia?”
He smiled. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Where did you hear something like that?”
Normally Gemma wouldn’t divulge her sources, but typically, Jackie knew what she was talking about, and that wouldn’t be anything the woman would have made up. “Jackie Barnes. And everyone figured she got the information from you.”
Callum shook his head. “She didn’t get that from me, but I have an idea where it came from. Your brother, Zane. I complained about Jackie making a nuisance of herself and he figured the best way to get rid of a woman like Jackie was just to let her believe I was already taken.”
“Oh.” She could see Zane doing something like that. If for no other reason than to shift Jackie’s interest from Callum to him. Her brother was a womanizer to the nth degree. And Derringer wasn’t any better. It was a blessing that the twins, Adrian and Aidan, were away at college, where the only thing on their minds was making the grade. “I assume Zane’s plan worked.”
“It did.”
“In that case you were lucky,” Gemma decided to say. “Some women would not have cared that you were spoken for. They would have taken it as a challenge to swing your interest their way.”
Callum couldn’t help but think of just where his interest had been for the past three years and knew no one could have succeeded in doing that. The woman sitting across the table was the one he intended to marry.
“And you actually assumed I have someone of interest back home?”
She shrugged. “Hey, that’s what we all heard and I had no reason to assume differently. As far as I knew, you weren’t dating anyone and whenever we had events you always came alone.”
And tried hanging around you every chance I got, he thought.
“You were almost as much of a loner as Ramsey,” Gemma added. “If your goal was to keep the women away, then it evidently worked for you.”
He took a sip of his drink, wondering if the reason she had yet to pick up on his interest in her was because she figured he was already taken.
“Callum, about this trip to Australia?”
He knew where she was about to take the discussion and was prepared with a spiel to reel her in. “What about it? If you’re having second thoughts, I understand. No sweat. I’ve already contacted a backup in case you couldn’t do it. Jeri Holliday at Jeri’s Fashion Designs has indicated she would love the job and will have her bags packed for Australia before I can blink an eye.”
Over my dead body, Gemma thought as she sat up straight in her chair. Jeri Holliday had been trying to steal clients from her for years.
“I think she liked the fact that I’m offering $50,000, and half of that upfront.”
His words froze her thoughts. “Come again?”
He smiled. “I said, considering that I’m asking the decorator to give up at least six weeks, I’m offering $50,000, just as a starting price.”
Gemma could only stare at him once again in disbelief. She leaned closer to the table and spoke in a hushed tone, as if anyone sitting in close range could overhear their top-secret conversation. “Are you saying that you’re paying $25,000 on acceptance of the job and the other half on completion; and that $50,000 does not include any of the materials? That’s just for labor?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”
Gemma began nibbling on her bottom lip. The $25,000 would definitely boost her bank account, replacing what Niecee had stolen. And then to think there would be another $25,000 waiting when she completed everything. However, as good as it sounded there were a few possible conflicts.
“What do you see as the time line for this project, Callum?” she decided to ask him.
He shrugged wide shoulders. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Jeri. I think it will take a month to six weeks to take down all the measurements and get things ordered. I’d also like that person there to coordinate the selection of all the furniture. However, there’s no rush on that.”
Gemma began nibbling on her lips again. “The reason I asked is because there are two babies who will be born within a few months of each other and I’d like to be here for both births. If I can’t make it back at the time of delivery then at least within a few days.”
“No problem. In fact, I’ll spring for the flight.”
Gemma couldn’t help but wonder why he was being so generous and decided to ask him.
“I’ve always believed in being fair when it came to those who worked for me,” he said.
“In any case, I’m going to need to return myself to help out because Ramsey will be busy with Chloe and the baby,” he continued. “I don’t want him to worry about the ranch during that time, so I’ve already promised him that I would return. And although Dillon probably won’t need me to do anything, he and Pamela are like family and I want to be here for their baby’s arrival, too.”
Gemma felt relieved. But still—Australia? That was such a long way from home. And for a month, possibly six weeks. The only other time she’d been away from home for so long was when she left for college in Nebraska. Now she was considering trekking off to another country. Heck, it was another continent.
She was suddenly filled with an anticipation she’d never felt before. She’d never been a traveler, but if she took Callum’s job offer, she would get to see a part of the world she’d only read about. That was exciting.
“So are you still interested or do you want me to go with Jeri Holliday?”
She didn’t hesitate. “I don’t have a problem traveling to Australia and will be ready to fly out on Thursday. I just need to get my business in order. I’ll be gone for a while and I’ll need to let my family know.”
It then occurred to her that her family might not like the idea of her going so far