Deep Dixie (16 page)

“
You may stand here and
whistle
Dixie for all I care, Mr...
”
She dropped her gaze to the wide eyed child standing  just behind Riley.
“
Mr. Wendy
’
s father.
”

He opened his mouth to introduce himself.

She never gave him the chance.
“
Because we are not going to be working together and I am not going to my office to talk to you about anything.
”
She pushed the door open, or as much as she could then gave Riley a glare that would have sent most men ducking for cover.

Riley held his ground.

She managed to tug the door open a fraction more despite that.
“
I am heading straight over to Howard Greenhow
’
s office and put an end to this absurdity right now.
”

“
Go right ahead.
”
The afternoon sunlight bathed her in heavenly brilliance, but Riley had no pretensions. This woman would happily give him the devil if she got the chance. So he just had to make sure he didn
’
t give her that chance.
“
March yourself over to Greenhow
’
s office, but he
’
s not in his office the rest of the day.
”

“
Then I
’
ll just go and
find
him.
”
She gave the door a shove.

Riley stretched his arm out, his hand up, and caught the door by its metal frame, physically cutting her off and undermining any hope for her flamboyant exit.
“
I hate to be rude—
”

“
And yet you seem so practiced at it.
”

The kindness he had seen displayed toward her elderly companion was obviously not indicative of this woman
’
s general nature. If Wendy hadn
’
t been standing by he
’
d have thrown a laugh right in the woman
’
s beautiful face then showed her an all-new meaning of rude by taking this boondocks belle down a notch or two.

But Wendy was there, watching wide-eyed, so he drew a deep breath.
“
Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot the other day but we
will
be working together so the least we can do is try to be civil to each other.
”

“
No, the least you can do is to get out of my way. That
’
s advice you
’
d be wise to remember where I and my family
’
s business are concerned, Mr...
”

“
Walker. Riley Walker.
”
He offered his hand, even though he had to grit his teeth to make himself do it.

The door fell shut, ushering in a cool gust of March wind.

Dixie shivered.

Riley stuck his hand out just a tiny bit further and waited.

She hesitated. She seemed to want to say something, and then again she seemed to want to say nothing at all. Finally, her gaze darted to the side and down.

Riley followed the line of vision and found Wendy staring up at them both, her mouth hanging open, in awe at their exchange, no doubt. Gently, he reached over, put one fingertip under his sweet baby girl
’
s chin and urged her to shut her mouth. He gave her a wink to let her know everything was all right then extended his hand toward Dixie again. This time, when he looked at the troublesome woman, there was something different about her.

Her perfect white teeth sank into the full center of her lower lip. Her head angled down just enough to show her shame at acting so badly toward him in front of his little girl, but not bowed so much that he might think she was giving in to him on any of this. She slipped her hand in his.

Her skin felt so soft against his roughened palm that he marveled when she didn
’
t pull away in disgust. Instead, she clamped her hand solidly in his and gave a firm shake that he suspected did both her genteel upbringing and her daddy
’
s uncompromising standards proud.

“
I apologize for my abruptness, Mr. Walker. I
’
ve been under a strain lately and...
”

“
Of course, I should have mentioned right off how sorry I was to hear about your father.
”
He placed his other hand over their clasped ones. To lend comfort and show his support, he told himself, despite the fact that he could have done both those things without prolonging their contact at all, much less intensifying it.
“
I didn
’
t hear of his passing until yesterday, otherwise I
’
d have at least gone to the visitation to pay my respects. He was a good man.
”

“
You knew my father?
”
Her big eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

Suddenly Riley felt like a world-class jerk for the assumptions he
’
d made about the woman. She
’
d just lost her own father, for crying out loud, a man whom she obviously loved and depended on. To top it off, she
’
d inherited a business along with a family not suited to or interested in helping her manage things. If she was short tempered at having his little surprise thrust upon her, who could blame her?

She had no way of knowing yet that many of her problems handling the business were about to be solved—by none other than him.
“
I met your father once. We had a nice, long talk about... well, just about everything. I left with the feeling that he and I were a lot alike in many ways.
”

“
Oh?
”

“
Your father sure thought you hung the moon, you know.
”

Looking into those guileless eyes, Riley could begin to understand why.

Of course, any father might be fiercely protective and utterly adoring of his only little girl. But to have that little girl grow up to be a woman like Dixie, a fighter who defended her own against suspected interlopers, yet was sweet enough to have made a connection with a child she had just met? That kind of daughter, that kind of
woman
, was something special.

Riley had realized that the very first time he
’
d clashed with her. He smiled.
“
The day I met with your father was the day you and I, um, crossed paths, as a matter of fact.
”

“
Really?
”

“
Yeah.
”
He nodded.
“
And I spoke with him over the phone a time or two after that. He was the one who laid the groundwork for this new business relationship of yours and mine.
”

“
We don
’
t
have
a business relationship, Mr. Walker.
”
She pulled her hand free of his.

“
We will, Miss Fulton-Leigh.
”
He leaned close to her, not to intimidate her but more to insinuate his very real presence in her world.
“
By the end of the day I
’
ll have the stock papers that confirm it.
”

“
By the end of the day I
’
ll have all this straightened out and the only papers you
’
ll have, I
’
m sorry to have to tell you, will be your walking papers.
”
No animosity colored her words.

In fact, if forced, Riley might have called the simple statement conciliatory, even sincere, as if she really were sorry it had come to this.

“
Oh, no.
”
He stepped back from her.
“
You
’
re not going to get me again with that soft spoken charm of yours. You
’
re not one bit sorry to tell me that or anything else you think might help your cause. Sorry, lady, you
’
ve found one man you can
’
t trick or manipulate. Like it or not, you and I will be working together.
”

“
Trick?
Manipulate
?
”
Fire flashed in those eyes but her cool expression remained unchanged. She fixed her gaze on his.
“
Those are awfully ugly words, not to mention surprising considering they come from a sneak thief who has crept into the business my family has owned since before I was born and tried to grab a piece of it before my daddy is even cold in his grave!
”

“
Your daddy is the reason I am here, Miss Dixie Fulton- Leigh.
”
His matched her intensity breath for breath, tightened muscle for tightened muscle but where anger fueled her response, responsibility and something he couldn
’
t quite name lit the fire in his words.
“
He wanted to bring me on board because he feared something might happen to him and that you—
”

“
That I wouldn
’
t be able to handle it?
”
The quiet in her tone was like the stillness before the storm. But no storm came. Her chin trembled. Her arms untwined.
“
I don
’
t believe you. My father had faith in me, Mr. Walker.
”

“
Yes, he did, but he also was a realist and a man who wanted to do everything he could to make sure his daughter
’
s future was secure.
”
Riley put his hand on Wendy
’
s thin shoulder. He swallowed to wash away any telltale traces of raw emotion.
“
That
’
s something I can certainly understand.
”

“
I
’
d like to believe you.
”
She smiled down at Wendy then gave him a skeptical look.
“
But the mere fact that you
’
ve gone through Howard Greenhow to accomplish whatever it is you think you
’
ve pulled off—
”

“
He
’
s the one who contacted me, not the other way around, if that makes any difference.
”
Her posture relaxed just enough to let Riley know it did matter.
“
Either way, it
’
s a gigantic waste of time for us to stand in the doorway of a drugstore and try to go over the particulars of this.
”

“
You
’
re right, of course.
”

“
Of course.
”
The concession warmed him way more than it should have.

“
I
’
ve wasted too much time here already. I have to track down a certain weaselly lawyer of our mutual acquaintance.
”
She gave Wendy an endearing little wave then brushed past him to
open the door again.

“
Talk about a waste of time.
”
Riley jerked his thumb in Dixie
’
s direction as he spoke to Wendy loud enough to ensure the woman stepping over the threshold heard him.
“
It
’
s a done deal. She
’
ll find out for herself soon enough, I guess.
”

He took Wendy
’
s hand and twirled her around, smooth as any practiced swing dancer, to set her facing the door. Pressing his palm to the glass, he held the thing open wide even after Dixie had let go of it.

“
Don
’
t think you
’
re going with me, now.
”
Dixie did something of a sashay herself, pivoting just enough to give him a scalding look.
“
The sheriff is an old high school pal of mine, and I
’
d hate to have to call him to run you in on a stalking charge.
”

“
That shows how much she knows, doesn
’
t it, Wendy-girl?
”
He let the door fall shut.
“
I don
’
t even wear stockings.
”