Drive and Determination (26 page)

            Elyssa felt that all too familiar sense of heartache flood through her as she looked at the beautiful drawing. She knew this would be a place the children would immensely enjoy. As tears began to pool in her eyes, however, she realized they were tears of joy and not pain. She could actually take delight in what Will was telling her.
            As Elyssa looked at every detail in the drawing, Will pulled out pictures of the playground equipment that had been ordered for the children.
            Elyssa stared at everything in front of her. What an oasis this would be for the children in that neighborhood! She let her tears of joy spill down her face as she thought how much Janet would have appreciated this.
            She swallowed hard and whispered a very soft, “This will be so wonderful! Thanks so much, Will.”
            “Is there anything else you can think of that it should have?”
            Will looked over at Elyssa and she turned to meet his gaze. With a smile that lit up her face, she answered, “Yes! Children!”
            As Will watched her, he became more convinced that he could not live without this woman. His ploy had brought her to Chicago and now his mind scrambled as to how he should best garner her affections. He also had the monumental task of figuring out when and how he should tell her the truth about the job that brought her here.
            Suddenly a man burst through the door, prompting Will to abandon all reflection.
            “Will, I’m sorry to interrupt, but we need a decision in there before we can proceed any further.”
            Will stood up. “Sure.” He glanced back and forth between the gentleman and Elyssa as he made introductions.
            “Richard, this is Janet Blakely’s sister, Elyssa Barnett. Elyssa, this is my cousin, Richard Fi…”
            “Hi!” the other man interrupted and walked toward her with an extended hand. “I am so pleased to meet you. You have my deepest condolences. Chad and Janet were so well liked around here.”
            “Thank you, and it’s a pleasure to meet you too, Richard.”
            He turned back to Will and the two men exchanged guarded looks. “I hate to interrupt, but we have kind of a stand-off in there, Will, that requires your perceptive finesse and diplomatic hand.”
            Will narrowed his eyes at his cousin and told him, “I’ll be right in. I was just showing Elyssa the plans for the park.”
            “Ahh!” Richard exclaimed as he turned to Elyssa. “You would not have believed this man when we went out looking for everything to put in the park. He had to try out each of the pieces of playground equipment! He was having too good a time, but was quite undignified, if you ask me!”
            Will gave his cousin a look of mock disgust. “I’m sure Elyssa doesn’t believe one word you’re saying.”
            Richard smiled at Elyssa and then said, “It was a pleasure meeting you, Elyssa. I must get back to the men.” He winked as he said to her, “They’re not used to being left to their own devices!”
            “I’m sorry, Elyssa,” Will said. “I do have to get back in there, too. I’d offer to take you home, but I wouldn’t want you to have to wait the two to three hours we have left. Can I have a driver take you home?”
            “Oh, no! It is too beautiful outdoors! I love to walk and I’ve quite mastered the transportation system.”
            “Are you sure?”
            Elyssa nodded. “Unless, of course it’s Manuel. I’d love to talk to him, again.”
            “No, it’s not Manuel.”
            Elyssa chuckled. “I didn’t think so.”
            Will was determined that before she left today, he would make some plans to see her again.
            “Elyssa,” he said, somewhat apprehensively. “Do you think it would be possible for me to come by and see the house you’re working on? I’d really like to see it.”
            “Oh,” Elyssa could barely contain her pleasure. “Certainly, but it’s not anywhere near finished. I’ve only just begun working on the living room.”
            “I’d like to see it anyway.”
            “I’m sure that will be fine. I’m usually there Monday through Friday unless I go out to some of the designer stores.”
            “Then I’ll come by the house one day this week to see you,” Will said as if to confirm it with Elyssa. As he turned to go out the door, he looked back and said, “I’m glad you came by today.”
            Elyssa smiled and Will stepped out.
            “But don’t you want to know where it is?” Elyssa asked suddenly.
            Will stopped abruptly and gave a nervous laugh. “Yes, I suppose that will help.”
            Will walked back to his desk and picked up a scratch piece of paper, giving it to Elyssa along with a pen.
            Elyssa quickly did some scribbling and then handed it back to him. “There! I’ve also included my cell phone number in case you need to reach me. Do you think you’ll be able to find it?”
            “Sure,” he said as he looked at the address. “No problem. Thanks, Elyssa.”
            Will walked out, chiding himself for the two times he almost slipped up. He was not used to this kind of pretense and he wasn’t good at it at all!
            Elyssa turned back to give one last glance around his office. She let out a sigh of relief and delight. She didn’t think her meeting with him could have ended any better. He was actually going to come out to see her!

Chapter 25

            As the board members walked out of the office conference room, Richard Fitzpatrick thanked each one for the excellent input and direction they always give to the company. When the last one stepped through the door, Richard closed it and turned around, his hands casually tucked inside his slacks pockets.
            Sauntering back toward Will, he said, “So that was the legendary Elyssa Barnett, the one woman who finally has been able to find the chink in the Denton armor.” He let out a few huffs as he added, “Quite unknowingly, I must add.”
            Will stood alongside the large conference table, placing some papers inside his briefcase. As he closed the lid, his eyes lifted to his cousin who had come to stand directly opposite him.
            Will looked back down. “I know what you’re thinking.”
            Richard took his hands out of his pockets and braced them on the tabletop in front of him. “No, my most respected and honorable cousin. You have
no
idea what I am thinking!”
            Will let out a groan. “Go on. Get it out of your system.”
            Richard leaned across the table toward Will. “As Vice-President of Pemberleo Coffee, I find it necessary to exert a heavy hand upon you for this act of deceit and pretense which I have recently become informed about. Now, if the President, William Denton, were
truly
here, the task would fall to him, but since I have no idea where
that
man is, I must step into his shoes.”
            Will grimaced as he listened to Richard’s mocking words. “I know it seems out of character for me, but…”
            Shaking his index finger firmly at his cousin, Richard continued. “Will, first of all, you almost blew it back there when you started to introduce me. You were not made for this kind of thing, ol’ man! It’s not in your fabric to be deceitful.”
            Will swallowed. “Offering her the job under your name was the only way I knew to get her here. If she knew the house was mine, she might never have come.”
            “You can’t be serious! You pride yourself on the integrity of the company, the honesty and loyalty of the employees, and yet you choose to carry off this conniving scheme! You are the one who abhors any sort of disguise. You do realize, don’t you, that if you discovered that someone in your employ had done something of this magnitude, you would have come down harshly on them?” 
            “You’re right,” Will said softly.
            “And why you had to drag my name into this whole thing, I’ll never know.”
            “When I gave your name, I had no idea that she’d even come.”
            “And so you didn’t think beyond that.”
            “I only hoped she would.”
            Richard shook his head. “I still don’t understand how you got her to come out here for a design job.”
            “While we were in Guatemala, Elyssa told me that her friend, Charlene, hands out her business cards to people in the hopes of getting her clients.”
            “And you’ve met this Charlene and were given one of Elyssa’s cards?”
            Will forced a smile. “No, I don’t have one of her cards, but she doesn’t know that. She only thinks Richard Fitzpatrick --
you
-- were given one. I arranged to have Emily work with me on this since she works for a reputable company. I didn’t want Elyssa to worry about accepting a job from some guy she’s never met.”
            “Boy, you thought of everything.”
            Will shrugged his shoulders sheepishly.
            “Except,” continued Richard, “What happens when she finds out you own the house. I suggest you inform her of the truth of the situation before she discovers it on her own.”
            “I intend to, but just not yet.” Will collapsed in the chair and leaned over the table, his fingers raking through his hair. “It’s too soon.”
            Richard threw his hands up in the air. “Too soon for what? To be truthful?” Richard turned around and leaned against the table, his back to Will. “Let’s see, what was that word you said she accused you of being? I believe it started with an ‘M’.”
            Will grunted.
            Richard abruptly stood up and began walking around the room, rubbing his jaw as if he were trying to remember. “I don’t believe it was
marvelous.
No, that doesn’t sound right. Perhaps it was
mediocre
.  No, that’s not it either. Let’s see…” He came up alongside Will and leaned over, looking him squarely in the eye. “I believe it was…
manipulative.
”
            Will fisted his hand and pounded his chin as Richard continued. “Now this couldn’t be an accurate description of William Denton, could it? My good cousin and President of Pemberleo? Let’s see, has he ever been manipulative?”
            “Richard…”
            Richard sat down in the chair next to Will. “Look. She seems like a fine lady and I couldn’t be happier that you think you’ve found the woman of your dreams. But why, in heaven’s name, are you carrying on this charade? What do you think she’s going to do when she finds out?”
            “She’ll be angry.”
            “Yeah!” Richard laughed sarcastically. “But you have this lame-brained scheme to win her over with deceit.”
            “I’m not trying to win her by deceit. The only deceit is in what brought her here.”
            “Well, far be it for me to tell you how to live your life. Goodness knows you run an impeccable company…” He poked his finger at Will for emphasis as he continued, “that prides itself on its integrity and honor.”
            Will let out a breath he had been holding. “You’ve said that already. I just can’t tell her yet.”
            “Would you be so kind as to tell me why?”
            “If I tell her the house is mine right now, she’ll have one of two responses, both of which are not what I want.”
            Richard peered at his cousin through squinted eyes, shaking his head slowly. “That just reeks of manipulation. So what do you think she’d do?”
            Will brought up a hand and rubbed his forehead, before looking at his cousin. “If I tell her now, she would either get very angry and leave immediately…”
            “That’s the only thing you’ve said about this whole thing that rings true!’ Richard folded his arms across his chest. “Or?”
            “Or she will have fallen so madly in love with the house that she’d accept my attentions and want to marry me just to have the house of her dreams.”
            “And no, you wouldn’t want to have her love based on material things.”
            “I could have any woman’s love based on material things.”
            “Well, maybe that wouldn’t be too bad. Perhaps she’d grow to love you, too.”
            Will slouched in his chair. “No, because she’d never do that. Marrying for material things is not in Elyssa’s makeup.”
            “So that leaves only the possibility that she’ll get angry at you and leave… just like she did in Guatemala!”
            “That’s right.”
            Richard laughed. “Well, I am so glad you have that all figured out, because I am totally clueless as to what you think is going to happen when you finally tell her.”
            Will leaned his head back and stared off into space. “My hope is that if I can spend some time with her that she may begin to like me for me. Then, by the time I tell her, she will not see it as manipulation but as giving us another chance.”
            “Look, Will. I give you credit for pursuing this relationship when she completely lambasted you at the airport.
I
wouldn’t be so gracious to a woman who did that to me. Goodness knows I’ve been waiting for the day when you find someone you can love and trust. You deserve someone great!”
            Will looked up at his cousin. “Elyssa
is
great!”
            Richard unfolded his arms and grasped Will’s shoulder, giving it a gentle shake. “Look, Will. I’m only saying this because you’re my cousin and I love you! I’m concerned about you. I can’t forget, though, what you were like when you returned from Guatemala. I’d never seen you so miserable. I don’t want to see you go through that again. Do you truly believe there is even the remotest chance she will ever return your affections?”
            Will nodded his head. “There was a connection between us in Guatemala. Once she got over blaming me for Chad and Janet’s deaths, we really enjoyed ourselves.”
            “You do realize, don’t you, just how much you have going against you?” Richard laughed. “She blamed you for their deaths and yet you think there is a remote possibility that her feelings toward you will change?”
            “I’m willing to give it a try.”
            “You’re sure of this?”
            Will lifted up his head and looked at his cousin. “For the first time in my life I felt as though there was something more important to me than Pemberleo.”
            “Yeah, you had people wondering what happened to you when they suddenly couldn’t reach you by cell phone down there.”
            “I just came to realize that when I was around her, I didn’t want to be interrupted.”
            “It also helped that Manuel gave you a heads up that Elyssa didn’t take too kindly to all your cell phone calls.”
            Will looked sharply up at his cousin. “Where did you hear that?”
            “Manuel told me when I was in Guatemala a while back. The man isn’t blind. He could very easily see what was going on in both yours and Elyssa’s heads.”
            “I guess I need to have a talk with Manuel.”
            “Ha!” Richard laughed. “He tells me everything! I pay him off, you know.”
            Will barely smiled at his cousin’s teasing. “I have never felt strongly enough about any woman to put all my work aside when I was in her presence. When I first arrived in Guatemala, I tried to dismiss my feelings for Elyssa. She was so angry at me I thought it was useless. But the longer I was with her, the more I wanted her to shed that anger she had toward me. I thought if I could show her in just this one way that she was important to me, perhaps she’d notice.”
            “There is hope for you yet!”
            “She accused me of being consumed by my job and she was correct. Pemberleo
had
become my whole life, and now I’m ready for a change.” Will turned and looked intently at his cousin. “I want more than just coming home to an empty house and continuing my workday there every night.”
            Will paused and took in a deep breath, his eyes growing soft. “I felt so much pain and anguish when I returned from Guatemala. I’ve never felt so much
anything
in my life. I didn’t know how to handle it.”
            “Well, you certainly had Gina and me worried.”
            Will shook his head somberly. “I don’t know what I’d do without Gina. She sat me down and refused to budge until I told her everything that happened.”
            “So you poured out your heart to Gina?”
            Will nodded. “She encouraged me to try to fight for what I wanted. I guess I really didn’t even know how to go about doing that.”
            Richard walked over and sat down at the table next to Will. “So was it your idea or hers to send her to see Elyssa?”
            Will tapped his fingernails against the table. “Well, I needed to let Elyssa know about the memorials. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for Gina to pay her a visit to tell her since she left soon after for California.”
            “And it didn’t hurt that she idolizes you and would put in some good words about you to her.”
            “I didn’t tell her what to say to Elyssa.”
            “But you did tell her how you wished you could have a second chance with Elyssa.”
            “Something to that effect.”
            Suddenly Richard started laughing.
            “What?” Will asked as he looked suspiciously at his cousin.
            “Boy, you know how protective Gina is of you? If she hadn’t liked Elyssa, she could have very easily influenced her the other way.”
            “I knew that was a possibility, but I also knew Elyssa. I was fairly certain they’d get along nicely.”
            “So, fortunately for you, Gina thought Elyssa was wonderful and ran interference for you. And what did she report back to you about Elyssa?”
            Will clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them. “She felt Elyssa was no longer angry at me and saw some things in a different light.” Will paused and his jaw tightened. “Especially when it came to George Westham and the things he told her.”
            “Blast that George! How he can ruin so many lives and have no remorse is beyond me!”
            “Fortunately, Gina was able to convince Elyssa of George’s true nature.” He tilted his head at his cousin. “I know she must have trusted Elyssa, because she told me that she confessed everything to her. You know how shy Gina is. I didn’t think she’d ever share that with anyone!”
            “She told Elyssa everything?”
            Will nodded. “I believe she did.”
            Richard pursed his lips together. “That is surprising.”
            He slapped his hands against the table and stood up. “Well, cousin, I don’t know about you, but I’ve got to get going.”
            “Wait,” Will reached out his arm. “I have a slight dilemma that I just became aware of earlier today.”
            “Only a slight one? I’d say you have a major dilemma, but what is it?”
            “Emily told me that Elyssa would really like to meet the owner of the house and wants her to set up a time for you to come meet her.”
            “Oh, great! Now that she has met me, what are we to do? I can’t show up at the house. She’d figure it out right away!” Richard turned around and threw his hands up in the air. “Good grief! Now I sound just like you!”
            Will swallowed. “We’ll simply buy some time. I’ll tell Emily to let Elyssa know you’re planning to come by on a particular day and then you can call and say something came up.”
            “All right, Will. You have this whole scheme planned out, but I have one question for you.” He leaned in to his cousin. “What is your strategy for winning Elyssa’s heart? What are your plans to make her fall for you?”
            “What do you mean?”
            “Look, I do love you like a brother, but I hate to tell you, when you’re around people, you’re rather stiff and boring. Elyssa didn’t seem like the type that would be naturally drawn to the strong, brooding, silent type.”