Angels Don't Cry Read online

  Down the hall, her father’s room remained the same as it had years ago. Ann hadn’t intentionally kept them as shrines, but she wondered now if that had been her unconscious motive. Changing their rooms might somehow seem disloyal to them, as if she was trying to wipe away the memory of them in her life. Ann knew that was irrational thinking, but her feelings for her father and Aiden—especially Aiden—were too deep-rooted and complex for self-analysis. She only knew that this room disturbed her now in a way it never had before.

  Ann took a tentative step inside. If she concentrated hard enough, she could almost see her sister sprawled across the satin bedspread, headphones covering her ears, a dozen fashion magazines spread around her. If she closed her eyes, she could almost smell the scent of Aiden’s perfume, spicy and exotic. A crystal flacon of Shalimar still sat atop Aiden’s dressing table, and inside the glass swan jewelry box was her wedding ring.

  Ann crossed the room and picked up a glass-framed photograph from the dresser top. Light from the window sparked the edge of the crystal, reflecting dozens of tiny rainbows against her hands as she stood studying the photograph.

  She and Aiden had just turned sixteen when the picture had been taken. Their arms were around each other as they stared into the camera—Aiden laughing, her long, red hair lifted away from her face by a stray breeze; and Ann, a paler, dimmer copy of her sister with her short cap of hair and her reserved smile.

  Ann set the photograph down in distaste and turned away.

  Her gaze rested briefly on the crystal swan. Perhaps, she thought fleetingly as she moved toward the door, the time had come to start thinking about redecorating. Perhaps, just perhaps—she paused at the door and stared into the room for a moment—it might be time for some changes.

  Then she left the room and closed the door behind her.

  Four

  The days slipped by, hot and humid and without so much as a sprinkle of rain to cool the air—or the tempers—as the debate raged on.

  Drew had been in town two weeks and still Crossfield remained a town divided. For the past several days, most of his time had been occupied with meetings. The individuals and groups he’d spoken with had all treated him cordially, some even enthusiastically. Others gave indications of slowly coming around to seeing his point of view.

  Earlier, Drew had had lunch with Bernice Ballard, Wilma Gates, and some of the other ladies of the Historical Society, whose primary concern was the preservation of several turn-of-the-century houses along the waterfront. Drew’s suggestion for renovating the old houses for use as specialty shops and restaurants along a riverwalk had greatly appealed to the ladies. By the time lunch had ended, they’d all made plans to meet on Riverside Drive one day next week to discuss his plans further.

  One on one, the meetings were going exceptionally well. But as a whole, the factions were even more bitterly discordant than they had been when the town council meeting had gotten so out of hand that first night. It was as though the development project was no longer the main issue, but a catalyst for differences in personalities, morals, life-styles and everything else to become the hub of conflict.

  What concerned Drew most was the rash of vandalism in Crossfield in the past week. A couple of houses along the river had been defaced with spray paint, and the air had been let out of Wilma Gates’s tires in the parking lot of the local discount store while she and Bernice were shopping.

  The shots that had been fired on Ann’s property the other day still nagged at him, too, although she had casually shrugged off the incident. Drew had taken it upon himself to speak with Sheriff Hayden, but he’d merely agreed with Ann’s theory about poachers. That seemed the logical conclusion, Drew had to admit, but he still worried that Ann might be the target of the vandals. Something had to be done—and quickly—to stop the violence before it escalated beyond the point of pranks.

  Sitting in the tiny office in city hall that the mayor had given him for the duration of his stay, Drew loosened his tie and yanked open the top button of his shirt. The tiny window unit air conditioner put out about twice as much noise as air. The office was like a sweatbox. He swiveled the cracked leather chair toward the opposite window and stared thoughtfully out into the shaded alley beyond.

  Towering thunderclouds, dark and unmoving, piled up in the west as they had every afternoon for well over a week. But the rain remained elusive. The air crackled with electricity, and Drew suspected the mounting tension of the weather played an important role in the flare of tempers in town.

  Just over a week until the vote, he thought gloomily, and Ann was doing everything in her power to avoid him. He hadn’t seen nor heard from her since that morning he’d seen her at the river. He suspected she was hiding out, waiting for him to slowly sink into oblivion.

  In a way, he could understand her wariness toward him. Facing the truth, admitting to himself that he still wanted her after all these years, had unsettled him, too. For years his life had been totally predictable, planned mostly around his work. Looking back now, he could see that his ambition, his quick rise up the corporate ladder, had been his own way of hiding, of running from the past that was still very painful to him.

  But he’d known when he’d first seen Angel at Aiden’s memorial service that his feelings for her were still with him, as deep and consuming as ever. So he’d gone back to Dallas, and made his pitch to his superiors concerning the location of Riverside Development’s latest project; from that moment on, he’d been biding his time. Until now.

  Drew tipped his chair back, and rested his head against the cracked leather. He might get kicked in the teeth one more time for trying what he was thinking, but he was tired of fighting his feelings, tired of the guilt, tired of wasting time.

  He was just plain tired of waiting. And before this day was over, Angel would know it.

  With new determination, he got up and strode out of the room, turning down the hall toward the council chambers. He smiled to himself. He hadn’t felt this good in years.

  * * *

  Why was he smiling at her like that? Ann wondered nervously, toying with her pencil as Mayor Sikes presided over the council meeting. Ever since she’d walked into the room and taken her seat, Ann had been aware of some kind of current passing between her and Drew every time she looked up. His blue eyes were darkly intense each time he met her gaze, and his lips curved in a smile that could only be called enticing.

  And Ann found she couldn’t keep from glancing up again and again. Her heart began to hammer as they stared at each other across the table. Drew steepled his fingers beneath his chin and regarded her with smoldering admiration. The pulse in her throat throbbed, harder and faster, as his gaze slowly slid over her, caressing her every feature but lingering longest on her mouth.

  Unconsciously, Ann’s tongue darted out to moisten lips that had been dried by the heat of his stare. Drew’s eyes narrowed. She saw him shift slightly in his chair, and her face flamed with the realization of what they had been doing.

  “What do you think of the fireworks, Ann?”

  “Wh-what?” Her gaze veered to the head of the table, where Mayor Sikes eyed her expectantly over the rim of his spectacles.

  “The fireworks. What do you think of the fireworks?” he asked impatiently.

  “I...like them,” she said lamely.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Drew’s mouth twitch, saw the amusement dancing in his blue eyes at her discomfort. Without quite knowing how it happened, she found herself speaking out in protest.

  “But do you honestly think a picnic will fix what’s wrong in this town? I’ve never seen Crossfield like this. You can hardly walk down the street without being caught up in an argument. I’m afraid the citizens of this town won’t be pacified by a barbecue supper and a few firecrackers.”

  “If you have a better suggestion, we’d be glad to listen,” Drew said quietly from the other side of the table. His voice, deep and sensual, sent a shiver of awareness flooding through her, thre
atening to strip her of the precious few defenses she’d managed to marshal since that day in the woods. She glanced toward him only to be caught once more by his intense gaze. He smiled openly, that slow, sexy smile she remembered only too well, and her heart thumped almost painfully against her chest.

  She set her mouth in a firm line of defiance. “You could stop the development project,” she offered. “Everything was fine until you...your company moved in here.”

  “If you call soaring unemployment and a stagnant economy fine,” Drew countered, his tone still one of polite indulgence, which ruffled Ann’s feathers even more.

  “You tell her, Drew,” Nate Bennett chimed in from the back of the room where he’d been sprawled in a folding metal chair listening to the meeting. Slowly he got to his feet, weaving slightly as he stared through bloodshot eyes at Ann. “I think a barbecue supper is a fine idea. No one around here ever turns down free eats. Might be just the ticket to loosen up a few of those uptight, closeminded, old biddies causing all the trouble. ’Course, I don’t lump you in that category, Ann. You sure ain’t old.” His slightly out-of-focus gaze raked her up and down, bringing hot color to Ann’s cheeks.

  Drew felt his own blood start to boil at the insulting way Bennett was addressing Ann. He started to rise, but Mayor Sikes put a restraining hand on his shoulder.

  “Nat, if that’s all you have to add, why don’t you go on out and call Wanda to come get you. I don’t want to see you out on the road in your condition.”

  “Just tryin’ to offer an opinion,” Nate slurred, spreading his hands in the air in acquiescence. “One more thing I wanna get straight with Drew here. If Ann keeps refusing to sell, is that gonna mess up the deal for me and Sam McCauley, her property being right between ours and all?”

  “I discussed this with you the other day, Nate,” Drew said coolly, holding onto his temper by a thread. “The plans for the outlying properties have not yet been finalized. No deals have been made, and won’t be, until I have the chance to speak with the property owners along the river and determine where we stand with all of them. That’s the only answer I can give you right now.”

  Nate stood silently for a moment, looking as though he wanted to argue. Finally, with one last glare at Ann, he nodded and ambled out of the room, letting the door slam with a jarring bang behind him.

  Ann sat down, feeling completely humiliated by Nate Bennett’s open animosity. She could feel Drew’s eyes on her, and the color rose to her face once more under his scrutiny. But she wouldn’t look up. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing how upset she really was. She would do nothing to make him think he had the upper hand.

  “You’d better ride out and talk to him tomorrow, Drew,” Mayor Sikes advised, staring at Drew over the rim of his bifocals. “He could get to be a real problem. He’s seeing dollar signs every time he starts drinking, and I don’t want him causing any trouble. Talk to him, see if you can pacify him for a while. I want this project to succeed as much as anyone, but I don’t condone what’s been going on around here.”

  “Neither do I,” Drew said, his mouth a hard, grim line. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  The meeting went on for a few minutes longer, but as soon as Mayor Sikes adjourned, Ann made ready her escape. Drew got up, too, his purpose abundantly clear as he started around the table toward her.

  “Hold on there a minute, Drew. I need to talk to you before you skedaddle.”

  Ann was already at the door when she heard Mayor Sikes waylay Drew. She looked back, and for a moment, their gazes clashed. Drew smiled slightly, letting her know that she might have won the battle but the war was far from over. She turned and made good her retreat.

  * * *

  Ann emerged from the steamy bathroom and sat down on the side of her bed as she smoothed lotion onto her damp skin. The movement of her hand slowed as she looked up with a frown. There was a noise, a tiny poing against her bedroom window. At first she thought she had imagined the sound, but there it was again, louder this time, as though something had been tossed insistently against the pane.

  She crossed the room and stood staring down at the garden for a moment before shoving up the sill. All was still and silent below. The air was hot and thick and heavy with the fragrance of flowers, and the trees and bushes in the garden were motionless.

  The stars were out, thousands and thousands as only a country sky can boast. They cast a muted glow among the topiary, and it took Ann a few seconds to realize that one of the shadows had moved.

  Her heart leaped to her throat as she stood staring down at the dark silhouette that moved into the strip of light spilling from her window. “Drew?”

  “I didn’t wake you, did I? I saw your light was still on.” His features were dark and indistinct in the faint light. “I rang the bell a couple of times, but I guess you didn’t hear it.”

  “I was in the shower.” She paused, biting her bottom lip. “What are you doing here?”

  “I need to talk to you. Could I come in for a minute?”

  “I’ll come down,” she said quickly, turning away from the window and realizing for the first time that she’d been standing in the window, backlighted by her bedroom light, wearing nothing but a bath towel. She grabbed a pink silk robe from her closet and whipping off the towel, quickly belted the robe around her waist. The soft fabric billowed around her legs as she dashed down the stairs and across the foyer.

  Drew met her at the front door, and the only thing that stood between them for a moment was the screen door. But even that shield was gone when Ann pushed it open and stepped out onto the porch.

  “What are you doing all the way out here this time of night?” she asked again as she moved a few steps away from him and perched on the edge of the porch railing.

  “I happened to be in the neighborhood,” he said with a grin, leaning his shoulder against a post. At her dubious look, he held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

  “You were never a Boy Scout, Drew.”

  “Maybe I should have been,” he said ironically. “Look, I’m sorry about the way Bennett acted earlier at the meeting. I just came from his place. I don’t think you’ll be having any more trouble from him.”

  Ann frowned slightly. “I appreciate that, but you don’t have to fight my battles for me. I’m a grown woman.”

  I gave up looking for heroes a long time ago. Her bitter words that first night came floating back to Drew, leaving him with a curious feeling of regret.

  “You’re definitely a grown woman,” he said softly, letting his gaze linger over her. The silky fabric of her robe clung to her curves, molding her exact shape in a way that was far more erotic than any flimsy bit of lingerie could ever be. He could see just a hint of leg where the material separated at the bottom, just a shadow of cleavage where it joined at the top. But it was enough to leave him wondering whether or not she wore anything underneath.

  The scent of her perfume, a light, flowery, thoroughly provocative fragrance, seemed to emanate from the very essence of her. She tossed her head slightly, and starlight rippled through her hair.

  “Was that the only reason you drove out here?” Ann asked bluntly, doing her best to break the spell.

  “No.” He paused for a moment, his eyes never leaving her face. “As a matter of fact, I came to ask you to dinner.”

  “Dinner? I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” Ann’s frown deepened as she shifted on the railing. The slit in her robe slid higher, drawing Drew’s gaze like a bee to honey.

  Reluctantly he lifted his eyes. “It’s a great idea. I’ve had lunch or dinner, breakfast or tea with almost everybody in town except you. How can I ever convince you of my good intentions if you won’t talk to me?”

  A pool of light spilled from the front window and highlighted a moth that clung to the screen. Ann let her gaze focus on that rather than on Drew. “I’m not sure you can do that anyway,” she said finally.

  “You’ll never know unless you hear me out,
will you? As an elected official, it’s your duty—”

  “I wasn’t elected,” she corrected him dryly. “Mayor Sikes convinced me to serve the rest of my father’s term. He neglected to tell me, until I’d already agreed to serve, that Dad had just been elected to another six-year term. I still have four more years to go.”

  “You could always resign.”

  “No, I couldn’t. I made a promise—”

  It was a struggle, an almost superhuman feat, to keep the exasperation from his tone. She had always been so damned single-minded. Drew permitted himself only a tiny sigh. “And you always keep your promises, I know. So why not promise to have dinner with me? I would really like to see you.”

  “About business?”

  He paused only marginally. “Of course. I’m driving back to Dallas tomorrow night, but we could have an early dinner. I’ll pick you up at six.”

  “I haven’t said I’d go,” Ann reminded him quickly, but she could feel herself weakening. His voice was like liquid velvet, warm and soft, flowing over her in a seductive wash of textures and feelings. “It’s late. I’m going in now,” she said in a rush as she stood and made to brush by him. His hand shot out and caught her arm.

  “Not quite yet.”

  She stiffened beneath his touch as her heart began to hammer in earnest, shortening her breath. The heat from his touch sent rays of excitement spiraling through her. His hands moved up her arms, grasping her shoulders as he held her before him. Their gazes locked in combat, but Ann could feel the onslaught of desire threatening her defenses. The walls were crumbling around her heart with every moment they stood so near.

  Oh, God, how could this be? she despaired inwardly. How could she despise him and want him at the same time? After everything he had done to her, how could she crave with a near physical ache, the touch of his hands against her skin, the caress of his lips against her own? He had chosen her sister over her. He had married Aiden. She should want nothing from this man.