“I don’t think that’s fair, Chad.” Honor tossed her long dark braid behind her shoulder. “Spring’s my friend and I—”
“Whether it’s fair or not, go to bed!”
“It’s all right, Honor.” Spring laid a consoling hand on the girl’s arm. “Perhaps you should go on to bed. You have that math final first thing tomorrow and need to sleep. Nothing drastic is going to happen tonight. We’ll smooth things out.”
“Chad?” Honor’s gaze implored his compliance.
“Okay, okay. I promise I won’t clobber your friend here, or eat her alive.”
Honor visibly relaxed and let out a sudden giggle, dimples flashing. “Okay. But you won’t fire her or anything, will you? Please?”
Chad took a deep breath and swung his chair away from the table before answering. “I won’t take any action concerning Spring without discussing it with you first, is that all right? Now will you go to bed?”
Still, Honor hesitated, and he added, “We’ll let you know in the morning if there’s any change in the current, uh, living arrangements.”
“Well, I think I should have a vote in what that is. In what happens now.”
Chad seemed to gather whatever remnants of patience he had left as he answered one last argument. “I’ve heard your vote, Honor. I’ll consider the matter from your viewpoint as well as my own, I double promise you, okay? Now scoot.”
Spring turned her back and finished wiping the counter. After stacking the teacups into the small dishwasher, she closed the door and listened to Honor’s footsteps fade. Behind her, Chad rose, and she glanced over her shoulder.
No longer angry, he appeared only exhausted.
“I’m going to take a quick shower and change. Do you mind staying up a while longer so we can have our little chat?”
“Of course not,” she agreed. “But are you sure you’re up to it? I mean, we can talk tomorrow morning just as well.”
“I’d rather not put it off. I’ll meet you in the living room in twenty minutes or so.”
Spring waited as instructed, curled up in a deep chocolate-colored leather chair. The twenty minutes stretched to thirty, then forty.
She was ready for sleep, too, she thought, and yawned. A morning person, she usually turned in when Honor did.
He reappeared finally, wearing cutoff sweats. His hair was still damp. It was nearing midnight, and he hadn’t bothered to shave.
Her first thought was that he appeared far less formidable in a more relaxed state. Then her heart beat picked up ten paces, and she changed her mind. Masculine and sexy, his broad chest and strong arms showed a body used to regular workouts, and he’d been somewhere recently to maintain a healthy tan.
She felt a bit wary at her own response, and hugged a bright melon-hued pillow against her chest.
He let out a gusty sigh as he sat down on the leather couch, leaned back, and simply stared at her for a long moment. She felt the force of his gaze all through her body.
It was all she could do to sit still and remain silent.
“All right,” he said finally, and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
The red pillow became a real shield. She tugged at its corners.
“I’ve checked with Walter. He’s happy with your references, and since he knows this minister and his wife that you and Honor think walk with the angels, I’m willing to let you stay on in the capacity of housekeeper. For a while. If things work out, maybe we can come to a more permanent agreement. But I still have questions…”
“That’s fair enough. Fire away.”
“How long have you been in New York?”
“Not quite three months. I came in April.”
“What brought you here? Job? Family? Ambition?”
“Oh, I guess you could say all three.” Her fingers became more sensitive to the pillow stitching, and she imprinted the corner against them. “I want to study dress design with a lead designer if I can, and perhaps go on to Paris someday. Even Italy, maybe. But New York…” She waved a hand, letting her excitement show. “Oh, I just wanted to spend time here. I love American designers, and sure hope to find a niche with one. For a year or two, anyway.”
She dared to meet his gaze momentarily, wondering what lay beyond the tired depths, wondering how much he was really interested in hearing of her plans. But he didn’t interrupt, and she didn’t know what to do but keep on chattering.
“But it’s hard to get a decent appointment, you know? Oh, I could get a job as support personnel, I suppose, and maybe I’d be smart to do that, get my foot in the door and all that. But I’d like to find someplace where they appreciate my designs, too. Where they’ll give me a chance.”
Glimpsing his face, she abruptly hushed. He drew a deep breath.
“Okay… And you did say ‘family’? You have family in New York?”
“No. I mean, I have family. A twin sister, Autumn. But not in New York. She lives in Kansas City. She, um, didn’t want to come.”
“I don’t follow. Why would that bring you to New York?”
“Well, you see, Autumn and I have never lived apart. Except for a few minor choices, we’ve always done things as a twosome and rarely been separated.
We thought it time for each of us to, uh, sorta find our own identity.”
“And you had to come to New York to do that? Wasn’t that a little drastic?”
“Mmm, my goodness, yes. Er, no, not drastic in that sense. But I have a better chance at finding my place in the design world here, and Autumn’s a hometown girl through and through.”
He looked a little weary.
“Got that. But why would a young single woman, who’s after a career of any kind, want to hire on as a housekeeper, of all things? Away from the singles’ scene. And further, with the limitations and responsibility that looking after a young girl would bring? I’d think it would cramp your…ambitions.”
“Well, not all that much. I mean, I don’t feel confined. Not yet, anyway. We’ve had too much fun doing the tourist thing to hurry, both of us being new to the city. I haven’t pushed it. Up until now…well, I’ve had time during the day to make a few rounds while Honor attends school. But lately we’ve been talking about summer plans, and that will change our routine.”
She glanced at him with sudden inquisitiveness. “You do know she completes her classes this week? The private school is on a little different schedule than the public system.”
“Actually, that’s one thing I did know. That’s the main reason I returned early.”
“Oh.”
“So tell me, Spring. How and why did you take the job here? If you moved to get away from always pairing with your sister, haven’t you merely changed the person and the locale if you and Honor are always together?”
“It really isn’t the same. I am nine years older than Honor, and we aren’t viewed as a set. Here, there’s only one of me.”
“Ah, I see. Well, what is this bargain you and Honor Suzanne have both mentioned?”
“Oh, that.” She traced the pillow stitching, back and forth. “As you must know, New York apartments are very expensive, and while my Uncle William left me enough money to live modestly for a year or two without worry, he also taught Autumn and me to live rather frugally when we could and not to squander money.”
He raised a brow. “The