eyes unfathomable. “This is the living room,” he stated needlessly.
Dutifully, Charley turned to look. He
obviously wasn’t going to answer her question.
Even though she’d seen the room from
outside, her gaze swept over it again, taking in details she’d missed before.
It was perfect. Too perfect, she decided. It looked as though someone had taken
a picture from a magazine and transferred it directly to this house. There was
nothing personal, nothing that indicated a real person lived here.
If it were hers, she would add dozens of pillows
and multi-colored throws to give it warmth. Maybe lots of small pictures over
the kiva. Family pictures. “It’s beautiful,” she said.
The tour of the second level was short,
since Cole didn’t want to intrude on Kristy and Mrs. Paulson’s space. He just
pointed out the four bedrooms and the patio. On the third level, Charley
stopped and looked over the balcony. She had to admit, the house was even more
spectacular than she’d ever dreamed possible.
Cole waited until she was done, and then
directed her through another door. “This is the master bedroom.”
Charley stumbled at his words, her
attention focused on the king-sized bed in the center of the room. She wasn’t
having any trouble at all picturing Cole in it, and the image shook her all
over again. With an effort she tore her gaze away and looked at the rest of the
room.
Unlike the southwestern motif that
dominated the rest of the house, this room was entirely Cole’s. Blues
dominated, all the way from a silvery blue to a deep royal. The furniture was
modern, a sleek black headboard with three dark blue leather panels centered on
its sensuous surface graced the massive bed. Scooted up against the footboard
was a matching bench, its square lines complementing the dresser and chest. And
evidence of his occupancy was everywhere, ranging from a set of cuff links on
the dresser to the scent of his aftershave, which lingered in the air. A
picture of his mother with an obviously happy man rested on a table to one
side. Charley picked it up and examined it. “Your mother looks wonderful. City
life must agree with her.”
Cole came and looked over her shoulder.
“Jim agrees with her. I’ve never seen her so happy. If ever two people were
meant to be together, they are.”
“I can see where Kristy gets her looks. Her
father is a handsome man.”
“It’s not only looks, either. Kristy is
just like Jim. Both of them are energetic, outgoing, and stubborn as mules.” He
shrugged. “Maybe it’s because he raised her alone. Her mother died when she
born.”
Charley put the picture back on the table
and turned. “How did you meet them?”
For a second, she thought he wasn’t going
to answer. Then he took a deep breath. “When I left, I didn’t even have enough
money to buy gas for my truck, so I sold it and used the money to get to Los
Angeles. I thought in a city that size it would be easy to get a job. My first
stop was at the employment agency. What I didn’t realize is that you can’t get
a job without an address and phone number.
“I was on my way out of the agency,
wondering what the hell I was going to do, when I literally ran into Jim
McIntire. The next day was Kristy’s fourteenth birthday, and he was loaded down
with packages. They flew everywhere. I helped him pick them up, and then helped
carry them to his office, next door.”
Cole paused. “To this day, I don’t know
what Jim saw in me, but it must have been something. He gave me a job and a
place to live. And more importantly, he gave me a family. He cared about me,
and my background didn’t seem to matter to him at all. With Jim’s help, I started
Jordan Enterprises. It wasn’t long before I paid him back every cent he’d
loaned me, with interest. But everything I am, I owe to him. That’s something
I’ll never be able to pay back.”
Confusion swept over Charley as she stared
up at him. It almost sounded as though his leaving had
Dutifully, Charley turned to look. He
obviously wasn’t going to answer her question.
Even though she’d seen the room from
outside, her gaze swept over it again, taking in details she’d missed before.
It was perfect. Too perfect, she decided. It looked as though someone had taken
a picture from a magazine and transferred it directly to this house. There was
nothing personal, nothing that indicated a real person lived here.
If it were hers, she would add dozens of pillows
and multi-colored throws to give it warmth. Maybe lots of small pictures over
the kiva. Family pictures. “It’s beautiful,” she said.
The tour of the second level was short,
since Cole didn’t want to intrude on Kristy and Mrs. Paulson’s space. He just
pointed out the four bedrooms and the patio. On the third level, Charley
stopped and looked over the balcony. She had to admit, the house was even more
spectacular than she’d ever dreamed possible.
Cole waited until she was done, and then
directed her through another door. “This is the master bedroom.”
Charley stumbled at his words, her
attention focused on the king-sized bed in the center of the room. She wasn’t
having any trouble at all picturing Cole in it, and the image shook her all
over again. With an effort she tore her gaze away and looked at the rest of the
room.
Unlike the southwestern motif that
dominated the rest of the house, this room was entirely Cole’s. Blues
dominated, all the way from a silvery blue to a deep royal. The furniture was
modern, a sleek black headboard with three dark blue leather panels centered on
its sensuous surface graced the massive bed. Scooted up against the footboard
was a matching bench, its square lines complementing the dresser and chest. And
evidence of his occupancy was everywhere, ranging from a set of cuff links on
the dresser to the scent of his aftershave, which lingered in the air. A
picture of his mother with an obviously happy man rested on a table to one
side. Charley picked it up and examined it. “Your mother looks wonderful. City
life must agree with her.”
Cole came and looked over her shoulder.
“Jim agrees with her. I’ve never seen her so happy. If ever two people were
meant to be together, they are.”
“I can see where Kristy gets her looks. Her
father is a handsome man.”
“It’s not only looks, either. Kristy is
just like Jim. Both of them are energetic, outgoing, and stubborn as mules.” He
shrugged. “Maybe it’s because he raised her alone. Her mother died when she
born.”
Charley put the picture back on the table
and turned. “How did you meet them?”
For a second, she thought he wasn’t going
to answer. Then he took a deep breath. “When I left, I didn’t even have enough
money to buy gas for my truck, so I sold it and used the money to get to Los
Angeles. I thought in a city that size it would be easy to get a job. My first
stop was at the employment agency. What I didn’t realize is that you can’t get
a job without an address and phone number.
“I was on my way out of the agency,
wondering what the hell I was going to do, when I literally ran into Jim
McIntire. The next day was Kristy’s fourteenth birthday, and he was loaded down
with packages. They flew everywhere. I helped him pick them up, and then helped
carry them to his office, next door.”
Cole paused. “To this day, I don’t know
what Jim saw in me, but it must have been something. He gave me a job and a
place to live. And more importantly, he gave me a family. He cared about me,
and my background didn’t seem to matter to him at all. With Jim’s help, I started
Jordan Enterprises. It wasn’t long before I paid him back every cent he’d
loaned me, with interest. But everything I am, I owe to him. That’s something
I’ll never be able to pay back.”
Confusion swept over Charley as she stared
up at him. It almost sounded as though his leaving had
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