(Long, Tall Texans, #25) Man in Control by Diana Palmer

Author:Diana Palmer [Palmer, Diana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

“She heard me,” he said, almost choking on the words. “Good God, no wonder she looked at me the way she did. No wonder she’s been acting so strangely!”

“She won’t go out to lunch with me, she won’t come here, she doesn’t even want me to call her anymore,” Margie said sadly. “I feel as if I’ve lost my own sister.”

His own loss was much worse. He felt sick to his soul. He’d never meant for Jodie to hear those harsh, terrible words. He’d been reacting to his own helpless loss of control with her, not her hesitant ardor. It was himself he’d been angry at. Now he understood why Jodie was so reluctant to be around him lately.

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It was ironic that he found himself thinking about her around the clock, and she was as standoffish as a woman who found him bad company when they were alone. If only he could turn the clock back, make everything right. Jodie, so sweet and tender and loving, Jodie who had loved him once, hearing him tell Margie that Jodie disgusted him…!

“I should be shot,” he ground out. “Shot!”

“Don’t. It’s your birthday,” Margie reminded him. “Please. All these people came just to wish you well.”

He didn’t say another word. He simply walked into the room and let the congratulations flow over him.

But he didn’t feel happy. He felt as if his heart had withered and died in his chest.

That night, he slipped into his office while Kirry was talking to Margie, and he phoned Jodie. He’d had two straight malt whiskeys with no water, and he wasn’t quite sober. It had taken that much to dull the sharp edge of pain.

“You didn’t come,” he said when she answered.

She hadn’t expected him to notice. She swallowed, hard. “The invitation was all for show,” she said, her

voice husky. “You didn’t expect me.”

There was a pause. “Did you go out with Brody after all?” he drawled sarcastically. “Is that why you didn’t show up?”

“No, I didn’t,” she muttered. “I’m not spending another minute of my life trying to fit into your exalted social class,” she added hotly. “Cheating wives, consciousless husbands, social climbing friends…

that’s

not my idea of a party!”

He sat back in his chair. “You might not believe it, but it’s not mine, either,” he said flatly. “I’d rather get

a fast food hamburger and talk shop with the guys.”

That was surprising. But she didn’t quite trust him. “That isn’t Kirry’s style,” she pointed out.

He laughed coldly. “It would become her style in minutes if she thought it would make me propose.

I’m

rich. Haven’t you noticed?”

“It’s hard to miss,” she replied.

“Kirry likes life in the fast lane. She wants to be decked out in diamonds and taken to all the most expensive places four nights a week. Five on holidays.”

“I’m sure she wants you, too.”

“Are you?”

“I’m folding clothes, Alexander. Was there anything else?” she added formally, trying to get him to hang

up. The conversation was getting painful.

“I never knew that you heard me the night of our last party, Jodie,” he said in a deep, husky, pained sort of voice.

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