“That I don’t believe.”
Anna narrowed her gaze on him and asked, “Are you trying to make me quit before I’ve even started?”
“Nope, just waiting to see how long you could hold on to your temper.”
“Not much longer,” she admitted. Taking a breath, she said, “If it’s all right with you, I’ll start tomorrow.”
“Fine. I’ll expect you at eight.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
“Well,” she said after a simmering few seconds, “this is childish.”
“I’m sort of enjoying it.”
“Color me surprised,” she told him. “But believe it or not, some of us have other, more important things to do.”
He grinned and Anna took a breath. Why was it this man who got to her so easily? Where was the indifference she’d felt for his brother? Why did the wrong brother feel so right?
If this was some sort of test of her morals, Anna thought, she was already failing badly. It was taking every ounce of will she possessed to keep from finding more mistletoe and dragging this man under it. She didn’t want to be interested, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.
How was she ever going to be able to hold her ground against Sam Hale?
She had It’s a Wonderful Life playing on the TV, and the lights on the tree were the only illumination in the room. Anna took a sip of her cold, white wine and told herself to relax already.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t working. Her mind kept turning to Sam Hale and what he might be up to. Since leaving his house that afternoon, she’d been trying to figure him and his plan out. So far, she had nothing.
When the doorbell rang, she groaned, pried herself off the couch and went to answer it. One glance through the peephole had her briefly resting her forehead against the door. Then she surrendered to the inevitable and opened it. “Hi, Clarissa.”
Her father’s wife scurried inside, fingers clutching at her shoulder bag. She glanced around the room, frowned, then reached over to flip the light switch. Anna blinked at the sudden blast of light.
“Oh, Anna,” Clarissa said, “I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am for behaving so foolishly at the party. I didn’t mean to embarrass you or anything.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
“I know you do, dear.” The older woman patted her hair as if searching for a strand out of place. She was doomed to disappointment. Clarissa’s short, bright red hair was, as always, perfect. “I’m just so worried about your father.”
Which was the only reason Anna was willing to overlook Clarissa’s panicky attempts at matchmaking. “Dad will be fine. The company’s had rough times before.”
“Not like this.” Clarissa reached out, snagged Anna’s wineglass from her hand and downed what was left of it in one long gulp before handing it back. “Thank you. But now that I know you’re actually interested in Samuel Hale, I’m resting easier.”
Here it comes, she thought. “Clarissa, there’s nothing going on between-”
“No, no, I don’t want to invade your privacy,” she said with a careful shake of her head. “I just wanted you to know that I understand completely. It was so wise of you to move from Garret to Sam. After all, it’s his company. Garret’s just the younger brother.”
Anna felt a headache coming on and wished for more wine to drown it. “I’m not after either of them. Sam…”
“Oh, we all saw the kiss,” Clarissa assured her, letting her gaze sweep around the small living room of Anna’s bungalow cottage. She stared at the brightly lit tree for a moment and smiled before adding, “Your father is pleased, too. Though he does want to talk with Sam.”
“No,” Anna said quickly, imagining her father asking Sam’s “intentions.” “No talking. Clarissa you have to tell Dad that I’m not dating Sam.”
“Why ever would I do that?” Clarissa smiled conspiratorially. “He only wants to know that you’re happy, dear.”
“Clarissa…”
“Oops,” she said, with a quick check of her watch. “I really have to run. I’m meeting your father for an early dinner before we go to the community theater. They’re doing A Christmas Carol.”
“Clarissa,” Anna tried again, but her stepmother was already halfway out the door. “It’s not what you think. Honestly, there’s nothing between Sam and I.”
She laughed. “Darling, I saw that kiss. Along with half the town, I might add. Whether you want to admit it or not, there’s definitely something between you!” She leaned in, brushed a kiss on Anna’s cheek and said, “Your tree’s lovely, by the way!”
Then she was gone and Anna was left alone with her disturbing thoughts and an empty wineglass.
Five
She wasn’t going to be painting in that wonderful room she had seen the day before.
Anna drove around to the back of Sam’s house, following the long, wide driveway around the house to a sprawling lawn and what looked like a five-car garage. Trees lined one side of the property and the lawn sloped down toward the cliff and the ocean below. A white rail fence meandered along the cliff’s edge and boasted a few late blooming chrysanthemums at its base.
Storm clouds hovered on the horizon, looking as though they were gathering strength to make a rush toward shore. A cold wind rattled through the boughs of the pines and snatched a few orange leaves from a huge maple tree. Winter in coastal northern California didn’t mean snow after all. It meant fall-colored trees long into January.
It really was lovely, but why she was back here, she didn’t have a clue. The housekeeper had directed her to the back of the house and now, she wasn’t sure what to do next. Anna got out of her car and looked around, pushing the wind-twisted tangle of her hair out of her eyes.
She walked back to the trunk of her small SUV and lifted the hatch, displaying all of her tools. Yardsticks, paints, transfer papers, charcoal sticks and painter’s tape. Her brushes were standing straight up in empty coffee cans and she used a plastic caddy to hold a selection of pencils along with painters’ rags and tightly closed jars of clean water.
Movement at the corner of her eye caught her attention and Anna turned to look. She hated the fact that her heartbeat jumped in her chest at first sight of Sam Hale striding from the garage toward her. Faded blue jeans hugged his legs, and he wore a dark green sweater and black boots.
She hadn’t expected to have to deal with Sam while working here. Didn’t he have things to do? Cars to build? Universes to run?
“What are you doing here?”
“I live here, remember?”
“Yes,” she said on an irritated sigh, “I meant…”
“I know what you meant.” He glanced into the trunk of her car. “You need all of this to paint a picture?”
“It’s a faux finish, not just a picture,” she told him, then added, “and yes, I do.”
One corner of his mouth lifted and Anna hated to admit even to herself what kind of impact even that tiny half smile of his had on her.
“Okay, then,” he said, reaching into the trunk to pick up most of her equipment. “Follow me.”
She didn’t have much choice, Anna thought, trotting behind him in an attempt to keep up with his long-legged stride. He led her toward the garage and headed directly for an open doorway. She followed him inside and glanced down the long open space at the cars parked in separate bays. There were two of them and they were really just shells. No tires, no engine, no window glass.
“You couldn’t afford one with an engine?”
He grinned at her and the solid slam of that smile hit her hard enough to momentarily dissolve her balance.
“Those are great cars,” he pointed out after he set her supplies down onto a neatly organized workbench.