Monkey Wrench (16 page)

Nice guy.

Susannah didn't wait for him to get out of the truck and open her door. When he appeared at her side of the vehicle, she was already standing on the pavement, shivering slightly.

“Thanks for a very nice evening,” she said, holding her ground and determined not to allow him to see her to the door of the house. “I enjoyed myself very much.”

He took her arm without ceremony and guided her up the sidewalk. “My pleasure. I always jump at the chance to introduce someone to the joys of opera.”

“And the hamburgers were wonderful. I'd forgotten how good they are at Marge's.”

He gave her a grin. “You're a woman of mixed tastes, Miss Suzie. I like that.”

Their gazes met, and Susannah stumbled on the sidewalk. Joe steadied her instinctively, turning her body so that they stood face-to-face at the bottom of the porch steps. His hands were firm on her arms.

“You're shivering, Miss Suzie.”

His voice would have warmed the bones of any woman alive, but Susannah couldn't seem to control the trembling of her limbs. “It's a cold night.”

With one hand, he pulled the scarf from around his own neck and draped it loosely around Susannah's shoulders. His long fingers brushed through her hair for an instant.

“Better?”

“I should...I'll just go inside. I'll be warm in a few moments.”

“I can think of a faster way.”

Susannah wasn't sure how it happened. One minute she
was a perfectly sensible woman standing at the bottom of her grandmother's porch steps, and the next minute she could hardly breathe for the tautness in her chest, the pounding pressure building in her throat, the dizzy sensation in her head as Joe bent closer.

“Joe...”

He brushed his lips along her hairline—so gently that Susannah went weak in the knees. “Yes, Miss Suzie?”

“Joe,” she said again, then found she couldn't say anything more.

He murmured her name again and lowered his head until their lips were a scant inch apart. Susannah sensed his smile—a very sexy smile—and she couldn't resist. In another heartbeat, her fingers crept up his chest. That touch communicated her willingness, and Joe gave a low laugh. Susannah tilted her face up to his and found the velvety warmth of his gaze on hers. She let out a shaky sigh, then closed her eyes. An instant later, their mouths met in a soft, warm kiss.

Susannah's mind seemed to fill with a wonderful, sensual fog. She clung to his tall frame, taking pleasure in the strength of his arms and the powerful muscle that tightened beneath her caress. Joe's body felt alive and manly, and his kiss communicated a kind of hunger that was very exciting.

As if some other woman had suddenly come alive inside her, Susannah found herself kissing Joe back with all her heart. She reveled in the sensations evoked by the press of his belly against her own. The powerful hardness of his thighs radiated through their clothing, and Susannah savored their contour. Was there a sexier man on earth? She doubted it.

But what about Angelica?

Her inner voice interrupted with a mental shout that made Susannah jerk in Joe's embrace. The kiss ended abruptly, and Susannah's heart began to pound anew.

Yes, what about Angelica? She wanted to ask him then and there.

But she didn't. She pushed her way out of Joe's yielding
embrace and tottered up the steps. Although afraid to look back, Susannah knew Joe was watching her.

“Sweet dreams, Miss Suzie.”

That voice. So rich and vibrant. He could turn a woman's bones to butter with it. Hastily, Susannah let herself into the house, hoping she'd heard the last of that voice for one night.

But, of course, she'd probably dream about it all night long.

* * *

T
UCKED IN HER BED
upstairs, Rose heard the front door close quietly and quickly reached across her nightstand to snap off the light.

But Susannah appeared at her door a few minutes later and tapped lightly. She whispered, “I saw your light, Granny Rose. I know you're still awake.”

Rose flipped on her light again and sat up in bed. “I wasn't waiting up for you, Suzie. Honestly, I wasn't.”

Susannah stepped into the room, smiling. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” Rose said at once. “I dozed for a while, but woke up again and decided I might as well sleep in my bed as on the parlor sofa. So I came up here and put on my nightgown, but suddenly I'm wide awake.”

Susannah looked at her askance. “And you couldn't wait to hear how our evening went, could you?”

“Do you blame me? You two aren't exactly kindred spirits.”

“Then why are you trying to get us together?” Susannah sat down on the edge of the bed, looking genuinely puzzled as well as amused. “I don't understand, Granny Rose. We're complete opposites.”

“But do you like him?”

“Well, yes, he's very nice, I suppose—”

“And he likes you?”

“Yes, but that doesn't make up for everything else, you know.” Susannah's pretty brow puckered in a frown. “He's...I'm...we're... Oh, I don't know how to say it without sounding like a snob. We're just different, that's all.”

But meant for each other,
Rose wanted to say. But she kept quiet. She couldn't explain her desire to see Susannah settled and happy. She couldn't describe the sudden urge within herself, as if someone had started a clock ticking and there wasn't much time left. Rose had always wanted everything for Susannah, and there seemed to be only one thing left for her talented granddaughter to achieve—a happy home and family to go along with the career and busy life.

Rose reached out for Susannah's hand, remembering the many nights during her granddaughter's teenage years that they had sat exactly this way—with Rose in bed and Susannah coming home from a date looking lovely and a little windblown. She asked, “Did you have a good time with Joe tonight?”

“Yes.”

“Care to tell me about it?”

Susannah made a fuss of smoothing the bedclothes and didn't answer.

“Oh-ho,” said Rose when the silence stretched. “It was that good, was it?”

Susannah blushed. “It was fine. It wasn't bad, I mean, but it...oh, I'm not sure how it was.” She gave a flustered sigh. “We saw a wonderful movie—an opera—and he explained things as it went along. He's quite an expert—something I didn't expect, I guess. We had a hamburger at Marge's afterward, and we got along very well. He told me a lot about himself.”

“And?”

Susannah turned her head to avoid meeting her grandmother's eyes. Her voice tightened. “What he didn't tell me about was his girlfriend. Gina told me about her.”

That news struck Rose like a lightning bolt. For a moment, she was dazed. “What girlfriend?”

“A woman by the name of Angelica something. Gina said Joe has been seeing her for quite some time.” Judging by the way Susannah suddenly leaned forward and began rearranging
the clutter on the nightstand, Rose guessed she wasn't the least bit happy to have learned about Joe's love life.

Rose frowned, thinking. “Angelica? There's nobody in Tyler by that name.”

“No? Well, she must be from Belton or Bonneville then.”

“Could be.” Rose frowned. “Well, that changes things, doesn't it?”

“Not really,” Susannah said curtly. She got up and began to pace the small bedroom. “I don't really care. I don't care whether or not Joe Santori is married to Elizabeth Taylor or Betty Boop.”

“Right. And the moon is made of green cheese.”

“Granny Rose!”

“Well, I'm not blind,” Rose protested. “Any fool can see the two of you are perfect for each other.”

Susannah threw up her hands. “He's already got a steady friend—if Gina is to be believed, that is. Besides, I'm certainly in no position to start any kind of relationship.”

“Oh, stop sounding like a guest on a talk show. Be honest. Joe's just what you need—steady and responsible, yet full of fun and very sexy, if you ask me. Don't laugh! I know what I'm talking about. And you're both consenting adults who've reached a certain level of maturity....”

Susannah started to laugh. “Is that a polite way of saying we're both getting on?”

“You're only as old as you feel. It's a cliché that happens to be true. Do you feel old when you're with Joe?”

“No,” she admitted. “But you can't go around matchmaking for him, Granny Rose, because he's not free. At least, that's the way it sounds.”

Rose contemplated the situation and decided she needed more time to think. An unexpected wrinkle never stopped her for long, and Rose had come to the conclusion that she wanted to see her granddaughter spend more time with Joe Santori. A lot more time.

But she needed to think things through first.

“Well,” she said briskly, “let's not settle this business tonight.
You must be tired, and we've got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.”

“All right, I'll leave you alone.” Susannah headed for the door again, then turned back. “You're truly feeling all right, Granny Rose? I felt very bad about leaving you alone tonight.”

“Nonsense, dear. I'm accustomed to being on my own. Sleep well.”

Susannah smiled, but Rose detected a hint of sadness in her eyes before she turned away and slipped out of the room. Perhaps, Rose guessed, Susannah had begun to recognize her need for a life outside the television studio. Joe Santori had given her a glimpse of what happiness could be.

Rose turned off her light again and nestled down in the bed, listening to the small sounds Susannah made as she prepared for the night.

Before I die, I want to be sure Susannah is happy,
she thought just before she went to sleep.

In the morning, Rose woke up late and felt decidedly sluggish. She wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, but she heard noises in the kitchen and eventually worked up the energy to go downstairs. She found Susannah already preparing breakfast for the two of them. Her granddaughter had made tea in a big pot and fussed over Rose as she sat down at the table in her bathrobe. No mention was made of Joe Santori, and Susannah seemed content to bustle about the kitchen chatting.

“What about your vacation plans?” Rose asked as she sipped tea from the cup Susannah had poured for her. “Have you talked to Roger?”

“I'll call him later today,” Susannah promised. “He likes to sleep in on Sundays. In the meantime, I'd like to help you get ready for the holidays. What can I do?”

Party preparations were one of Rose's favorite pastimes. She warmed to the subject eagerly. “Well, after church, I was hoping you'd come up to the attic with me and go through the Christmas decorations.”

Susannah laughed. “That sounds like an all-day expedition. Of course, I'll do it. You shouldn't be climbing around up there.”

“I do it all the time. And tomorrow, if you're still in town, how about getting me a Christmas tree? I can't start decorating the parlor until I have a proper tree. Would you take me shopping for one?”

“Of course!”

Susannah finished making breakfast, then sat down at the table. As they ate, they made more plans. When she'd washed the dishes and wiped off the countertops, they both went upstairs to dress for church.

The rest of the day passed peacefully enough, and Rose decided Susannah was enjoying getting back into the swing of life in Tyler. At the church service, she chatted with several of Rose's friends from the Quilting Circle and received warm welcomes back to town. After church, she drove her grandmother home for a light lunch of leftover tuna salad on toast.

The afternoon was spent rummaging in the attic for Christmas decorations. And once Susannah had carried the boxes downstairs, it was impossible not to open them and start spreading Christmas cheer all over the house. Rose loved seeing her home swathed in its Christmas finery.

The house was particularly suited to the Christmas season because of its large windows, handsome woodwork and long staircase. With pleasure, Rose helped Susannah place candles in all the windows and hang a red-wreathed hunting horn on the front door. Later she'd make a garland of evergreen bows, laden with fruit and nuts, to twine around the staircase railing.

Around three o'clock, the telephone rang, and Rose picked up the receiver to hear Joe Santori's voice on the other end of the line.

“Hi, Mrs. A.,” he said cheerfully. “How are you feeling?”

“Why is my health suddenly so interesting to everyone?” she growled. “Was my picture on the front page of the newspaper this week or something?”

Joe laughed. “I must have missed that issue.” He made
conversation for a while and finally got around to asking about the house repairs. He listened to Rose's wishes and gave her some ballpark prices for certain items. Then he asked after Susannah.

“Is she still there?” he asked Rose.

“Why? Did you think you scared her out of town last night?”

He chuckled. “It would take more than me to chase Miss Suzie out of anywhere she wanted to be. She's quite a woman.”

“I agree,” Rose declared. “Would you like to talk to her?”

“Please.”

Rose called Susannah to the phone and left the kitchen so her granddaughter could have some privacy. Judging by Susannah's bright eyes as she accepted the receiver, however, Rose guessed she didn't mind talking to Joe.

But Rose didn't get a chance to find out what transpired during their call. Mrs. Dahlstrom appeared at the front door with a plate of warm cookies, saying she'd been baking that day and wanted to share her new recipe. Rose ended up talking with her friend for nearly an hour, and Susannah joined them without commenting on her talk with Joe. Then they finished decorating, and ate a light supper sitting in front of the television, watching “60 Minutes.”