When at last he raised himself above her and peered into her eyes, now slumberous with passion, he asked, “Will you kiss me now?”
“Yes.” Consent sounded like supplication. “Yes, Tyler. Kiss me.”
His mouth fused with hers. They allowed themselves no unnecessary movement, savoring the taste, the feel, the essence of the other while they drank thirstily. When at long last they indulged themselves in play, their tongues battled in a sexual skirmish.
It was while his tongue was exploring the fragile skin behind her ear that he murmured, “Now, aren’t you sorry you wasted all that precious time on hostility?”
If he had slapped her, she couldn’t have been brought up more sharply. What had happened? When had she lost control? My God! she thought. Had she forgotten the reason behind all his fervent pseudo-lovemaking? Her resolve had been to scorn the man, to spurn his romantic tricks. Instead, she was lying naked beneath him, begging him with every fiber of her being to take her, to use her.
She put the heels of her hands against his shoulders and shoved with all her might. Taking him completely off-guard, she sent him rolling off her and onto his back on the floor. She bolted to her feet, yanking the terry cloth closed over her feverish body. “Is this the way you pay all your baby-sitters?”
J
ust before she whirled toward the door, she had the pleasure of seeing him completely dumbfounded. He sat staring up at her with blinking, uncomprehending eyes. She reached the door connecting the two rooms just as Faith turned off the taps in the shower. She closed the door behind her with emphasis.
Quickly she gathered her things together. She wasn’t about to spend the evening in the company of that man, even at the risk of hurting Faith’s feelings.
Faith stepped out of the bathroom clad only in her underwear. “Hailey, are you ready to French-braid my hair? You said we should do it before it dried too much.”
Inwardly Hailey groaned, but she answered brightly. “Of course I’m ready.”
She settled Faith on the bed and combed through the straight, wet strands. Sectioning it off, she began to weave the hair into two French braids that started close to Faith’s hairline and ended at two ribboned pigtails at her shoulders.
“Gee, it looks so neat. I wish I could learn to do it.”
“It’s almost impossible to do on oneself. I learned by doing Ellen’s hair.”
While still admiring her new hairdo in the mirror over the dresser, Faith said, “You’d better hurry and get ready. I don’t think Daddy likes having to wait.”
Hailey took Faith’s shoulders gently under her hands and turned the girl toward her. “Faith, would you be too terribly disappointed if I begged off tonight? I’m very tired and I need an evening at home to catch up on my laundry—things like that. You understand, don’t you?” When she could see that Faith didn’t understand and was about to object to the change in plans, she rushed on. “Besides, it’s been almost a week since your daddy has seen you. I think he’d enjoy an evening spent exclusively with you.”
Faith cast a quick glance toward the connecting door. “You really think so?”
“Yes. The two of you probably have a lot to talk about since you haven’t seen each other for several days.”
“I don’t know.” Faith didn’t sound at all convinced. “He likes talking to you, too. You’re closer to his age.”
If Hailey hadn’t been so shattered by what had happened just minutes before, she could have laughed at Faith’s naive observation. “I still think it would be better if I left now.”
Putting action to words, she got into her clothes. Picking up the dress she had planned on wearing to dinner and the oversized handbag she had taken to the pool, she went to the door. “Your father already knows I’m not coming with you.” It was a blatant lie, but if Tyler could use deceptive tactics, so could she. She knew he wouldn’t reveal her lie to Faith. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay,” Faith mumbled dispiritedly. Then she brightened and looked at Hailey hopefully. “Do you think Daddy will like my hair this way?” Her appeal was so pitiable that Hailey leaned down and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
“He’ll think you’re stunning. Have a good time, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Hailey didn’t breathe deeply until she was halfway home. Any second she expected to see the Lincoln looming up in her rear-view mirror, but apparently she had made good her escape. On the other hand, Tyler probably didn’t care if she went to dinner with them tonight or not. His romantic advances had been thwarted, and a man as virile as he certainly wouldn’t waste his time and trouble on anyone who put up a fight. He’d find a more cooperative woman.
Her hands were shaking as she let herself through the front door. Why should the thought of Tyler with another woman cloak her with a stifling depression? The idea of his kissing someone else with the same passion, touching someone else with the same familiarity as he had kissed and touched her, filled her with desperation.
Deciding to work it off and to salve her conscience for lying to Faith, she did her laundry, her hair, her nails, and paid bills. Stacking the sealed, stamped envelopes on the table near the door where she would see them in the morning and put them in the mailbox, she decided she might just as well go to bed. Her chores hadn’t rid her of her earlier depression.
Indeed they had only pointed out the tedium of her life. She found herself wondering where Tyler and Faith had eaten. Surely their dinner had been more exciting than her bowl of canned soup. What had Tyler said and done when he learned she had run out? Had he been irritated? Had he cared?
She was switching out the lamp on her bedside table when the telephone rang. Her heart jumped, skidded, then began beating wildly. Would it be—could it be—Tyler? Did she want to hear his voice? Denying that she did, she prayed that she would as she picked up the receiver.
“Hailey? Harmon here.”
She sagged with disappointment. “Hello, Harmon.”
“Sorry if I woke you up, but I just heard from the head honcho. He’s back from wherever he went and is on a rampage. He’s called a department heads’ meeting for eight o’clock tomorrow morning. Set your alarm an hour early. I’m advising everyone not to be late. I don’t think he’s in a forgiving mood.”
She swallowed. “D … do you know what got him upset?”
“Upset is putting it mildly. I only hope it wasn’t something I did that got him so bent out of shape. See you in the morning.”
He hung up, and for a long moment Hailey didn’t even realize he had. Worriedly, she gnawed her bottom lip. Unlike the general manager of Serendipity, she
knew
what had made Tyler Scott angry. She only hoped none of her colleagues would find out.
It was a tense group that sat around the long, wide conference table in the room adjacent to Harmon’s office. Anxiety hung over them like a pall. Nancy had made coffee, but few were availing themselves of it. They were all executive-level employees, but they were nervous. It was unnerving that an employer who had remained a mystery for years had suddenly become actively involved in Serendipity’s daily operations. Didn’t he trust them to run the park anymore? Who had made a mistake? Was Tyler Scott going to fire them all this morning?
Tyler swept through the door and went directly to the head of the table, where no one had had the temerity to sit. Hailey kept her gaze on the American flag standing in the corner of the room, though out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tyler’s clothing and was surprised. She had expected a business suit. Instead he had on a pair of jeans and a sport shirt. The soft yellow color contrasted with his darkly tanned features and the shirt revealed the hard muscles that she was coming to know all too well. She swallowed around the lump in her throat and kept her eyes resolutely on the flag.
“Good morning,” he said with the enthusiasm of a judge saying, “You’ve been found guilty.” He was answered by a chorus of cautious replies.
“We have a problem,” he said as he slapped a thick folder of papers on the polished surface of the table. No one moved. “Serendipity is making me too much money.”
Twelve pairs of eyes swept the length of the table. Disbelief was registered on each face. When each had confirmed that he hadn’t heard incorrectly, all heads turned back to the man at the head of the table. He was smiling. The nervous laughter of relief rippled through the room.
“Thanks to all of you, Serendipity has done well this past season. I’ve made a hefty profit, which the IRS is ready to pounce on unless I turn it back into the company. I’m looking for ways to spend money,” he said, tossing the pencil he had been playing with onto the table and leaning back in his chair. “Get creative.”
“Do you mean ways to spend it in addition to the new rides we discussed, Mr. Scott?” the Director of Operations asked him timidly.
“You’re off the hook, Davis,” Tyler said, smiling. “For the benefit of you others I’ll announce the purchase of three new rides from a German company. They’ll be installed and ready to go by the opening of our next season. Davis and I have already taken care of that. Harrison,” he turned toward the Director of Grounds Maintenance, “we expect the rides to be delivered in January. As soon as they’re set up, you’ll landscape them. Check out the sites now, go over the plans for their layout, then start charting your landscaping. Order whatever you want. Be extravagant.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And in the meantime, embellish existing landscaping wherever you see fit.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Okay, let’s hear from some of you others.”
The Director of Personnel, whose sense of humor was well known, said, “We could all stand a raise.”
Everyone laughed, including Tyler. “You’ve got it. Fifteen percent, retroactive from the first of the season.” The audible gasp around the table was followed by spontaneous applause. Tyler managed to look humble. To the Director of Personnel, he said, “And raise the minimum wage, too. We want only the most able kids running our park. I’m willing to pay more to get them. Screen them carefully when you begin hiring next year.”
“Yes, sir.”
To Hailey’s vast relief, Tyler had studiously ignored her since opening the discussion. Now she came under the piercing scrutiny of his gray eyes. “We haven’t heard from you, Miss Ashton. Any ideas?”
She wasn’t about to cower under his incisive tone. She was ready for him. “Yes, Mr. Scott. I do have an idea.” He indicated with a wave of his hand that she was to continue. “From all the surveys my department takes, from every questionnaire it gets back, the main complaint concerns the long waiting lines for the most popular attractions.”
“We can’t help the waiting lines. It stands to reason that the better the attraction, the longer the line.”
“No, we can’t eliminate the lines, but we could alleviate the boredom.” She had everyone’s attention. “I suggest having a live band—country perhaps, or Dixieland—which would go from ride to ride entertaining the people standing in line. I’m talking about ten or twelve costumed musicians who could ride on a small wagon or even walk through the park. I’ve also thought that a clever magician could work the crowds, or maybe a fortune-teller. Someone who could easily banter with the public and hold their attention away from their long wait for the ride.”
“Where does one find such traveling troubadours these days?” Tyler asked. He propped his elbows on the table as he leveled his eyes on her. Was he thinking about her desertion last night?
“You have a live show department. I would think the band, magician, etc., would fall under its auspices.”
The director of that department shifted uncomfortably in his chair as all eyes in the room, including Tyler’s, swung to him. “What about it, Newell? Do you think you can get such acts together?”
“Yes, sir. I think it’s a good idea.”
“Consult with Miss Ashton before doing anything. I want her to be involved on the project.”
And so it went for the next half hour. Every department—Wardrobe, General Maintenance, Advertising and Public Relations, Food and Beverage, Gifts and Souvenirs—was pressured for ways to improve, enlarge, and enhance.
Just before concluding the meeting, Tyler said, “Let’s go out with a bang. As you can see, I’m here to work.” He indicated his casual clothes. “I intend to go over every inch of the park before we close for the season. This last week of operation will be busy, especially this weekend. I want each of Serendipity’s guests to have a good time. Thank you for a successful season.”
Hailey was hoping to slip out of the conference room without attracting notice, but she was halted at the door. “Miss Ashton, I’d like to see you for a moment. Excuse me,” Tyler said, shouldering through the others on their way out. He clasped the upper part of her arm and ushered her through the door. “I’ll walk with you to the Guest Relations Office and we can talk on the way,” he said for the benefit of the others.
It was a half hour before opening and the only foot traffic on the paved walkways was an occasional employee scurrying to his post. The pavement was still wet from the overnight washing it had gotten from the maintenance men. The glory of the summer flowers in the well-tended beds was waning, but the chrysanthemums were brilliant in their shades of copper and gold.
Hailey was stonily silent as she marched at Tyler’s side, matching his long stride. She didn’t want to think about how well his tight-fitting jeans suited the hard length of his legs. Or how the morning breeze, a brisk harbinger of fall, ruffled the dark hair falling on his forehead.
“I want to check this out,” he said, taking her arm once again and leading her to the entrance of one of the attractions. It was an observation tower built to resemble a frontier stockade. It captured the flavor of historic Tennessee, but was thoroughly modernized, complete with an elevator.
“I have to get to work,” Hailey objected, pulling uselessly on her arm.
“You are at work,” Tyler growled. “Good morning,” he said to the young man operating the elevator, effectively cutting off Hailey’s chance to argue with him. The young man was dressed in a costume made to look like the fringed buckskins of a frontiersman.