call, as much as she wanted to. She hadn’t told her father she was going away or told anyone where she planned to travel. If she didn’t explain her whereabouts her father, the head of a powerful conglomerate would have an APB put out on her.
“Where are you?” he demanded. She crossed her arms over her chest as she faced the wall, her back to Josh’s anger. The voice across the line brought back all her insecurities. She wanted to pull the blanket from the bed over herself, but it was already sticky enough.
“I’m with a friend. On a trip,” she hedged. Behind her Josh grunted. What did he want from her? Her father would go ballistic if he knew who she was with. Eventually, she’d have to deal with his reaction to Josh, but she didn’t want to taint her time with Josh any more than this phone call already would.
“Where? How dare you disappear without telling anyone,” her father railed.
“Dad…”
“Where are you? I’ll come and get you.”
“No,” she exclaimed. She’d been through that before. She wouldn’t be dragged from Josh’s presence by her father again. No one needed to live through a scene like that more than once. Besides, she wasn’t a teenager anymore. She’d outgrown the necessity of obeying him. He just didn’t get that.
“Why not? Who are you with?”
“It’s…Dad, it’s not really your business.”
“Not my business?” he repeated, his tone taking on a lethal edge that could cut his adversaries to the bone. “Young lady—”
76
Gentle Control
Oh great…
“What has gotten into you—”
She almost giggled hysterically at the thought of what exactly had gotten into her.
“You haven’t behaved this way since…that boy,” he continued, unaware of her irreverent thoughts. “Tempest, who exactly are you with?”
Uh-oh.
“You’re with him, aren’t you?” her father continued before she could answer.
Bingo.
“It doesn’t matter,” she defended herself. She turned back to Josh. He leaned against the headboard of the bed, one leg bent up, the other dangling to the floor. He’d thrown an arm across his eye. His displeasure over this call couldn’t be any more evident. His silence spoke to her far louder than if he had a fit right now. Strength and confidence emanated from him. He knew that eventually he’d win this battle.
“Look, I’m a grown up, not a kid,” she muttered into the phone.
“How could you? You’re marrying Phillip—”
“No, I’m not,” she protested vehemently. “I’ve told you both that. Over and over.
I’m not marrying him.”
Josh’s arm dropped from his face and his eyes narrowed. Tension revved within him, evident from the suddenly taut cords in his neck and the throb of a tiny muscle high on his cheekbone. His lips turned white around the edges. He didn’t like the talk of another man. The hand on the arm draped over his thigh fisted. He looked away without a word.
She had a feeling she’d hear a whole lot of words about this later. Or perhaps just one. Mine.
“Tempest—”
“No! I’m safe. I’m healthy. I’ll call you when I get home—”
“I need you home now,” her father interrupted.
77
Brynn Paulin
“What?”
“The Miracles and Hope benefit is the day after tomorrow. You’re the company’s liaison. I need you home. I need you to be there.”
She sighed, irritated with his apparent helplessness when it came to the company’s charity work. He’d agreed to field anything that came up until she returned later this month. “Dad, we’ve talked about this.”
“This last time, Tempest. Please.”
She sighed, some of her anger dissipating. She wasn’t returning to Grand Rapids early. “You’ll need to do it.”
“I need you to,” he insisted, taking on a much softer tone.
Her brows drew together at his about-face. “Why?”
“I don’t want to worry you while you’re away from home.” He cleared his throat.
“It’s a little thing. I’m sure my doctor will schedule
“Where are you?” he demanded. She crossed her arms over her chest as she faced the wall, her back to Josh’s anger. The voice across the line brought back all her insecurities. She wanted to pull the blanket from the bed over herself, but it was already sticky enough.
“I’m with a friend. On a trip,” she hedged. Behind her Josh grunted. What did he want from her? Her father would go ballistic if he knew who she was with. Eventually, she’d have to deal with his reaction to Josh, but she didn’t want to taint her time with Josh any more than this phone call already would.
“Where? How dare you disappear without telling anyone,” her father railed.
“Dad…”
“Where are you? I’ll come and get you.”
“No,” she exclaimed. She’d been through that before. She wouldn’t be dragged from Josh’s presence by her father again. No one needed to live through a scene like that more than once. Besides, she wasn’t a teenager anymore. She’d outgrown the necessity of obeying him. He just didn’t get that.
“Why not? Who are you with?”
“It’s…Dad, it’s not really your business.”
“Not my business?” he repeated, his tone taking on a lethal edge that could cut his adversaries to the bone. “Young lady—”
76
Gentle Control
Oh great…
“What has gotten into you—”
She almost giggled hysterically at the thought of what exactly had gotten into her.
“You haven’t behaved this way since…that boy,” he continued, unaware of her irreverent thoughts. “Tempest, who exactly are you with?”
Uh-oh.
“You’re with him, aren’t you?” her father continued before she could answer.
Bingo.
“It doesn’t matter,” she defended herself. She turned back to Josh. He leaned against the headboard of the bed, one leg bent up, the other dangling to the floor. He’d thrown an arm across his eye. His displeasure over this call couldn’t be any more evident. His silence spoke to her far louder than if he had a fit right now. Strength and confidence emanated from him. He knew that eventually he’d win this battle.
“Look, I’m a grown up, not a kid,” she muttered into the phone.
“How could you? You’re marrying Phillip—”
“No, I’m not,” she protested vehemently. “I’ve told you both that. Over and over.
I’m not marrying him.”
Josh’s arm dropped from his face and his eyes narrowed. Tension revved within him, evident from the suddenly taut cords in his neck and the throb of a tiny muscle high on his cheekbone. His lips turned white around the edges. He didn’t like the talk of another man. The hand on the arm draped over his thigh fisted. He looked away without a word.
She had a feeling she’d hear a whole lot of words about this later. Or perhaps just one. Mine.
“Tempest—”
“No! I’m safe. I’m healthy. I’ll call you when I get home—”
“I need you home now,” her father interrupted.
77
Brynn Paulin
“What?”
“The Miracles and Hope benefit is the day after tomorrow. You’re the company’s liaison. I need you home. I need you to be there.”
She sighed, irritated with his apparent helplessness when it came to the company’s charity work. He’d agreed to field anything that came up until she returned later this month. “Dad, we’ve talked about this.”
“This last time, Tempest. Please.”
She sighed, some of her anger dissipating. She wasn’t returning to Grand Rapids early. “You’ll need to do it.”
“I need you to,” he insisted, taking on a much softer tone.
Her brows drew together at his about-face. “Why?”
“I don’t want to worry you while you’re away from home.” He cleared his throat.
“It’s a little thing. I’m sure my doctor will schedule
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