Taming Clint Westmoreland - Brenda Jackson [52]
Thirteen
T he days passed so quickly that a part of Alyssa wished there was some way she could slow things down. But then she looked forward to each night that she spent in Clint’s arms. Neither of them spoke about the short time they had left, although they were both aware that in less than a week their days together would end.
Everyone was looking forward to Clint’s sister and her husband’s visit. Chester was already preparing what he knew to be Casey’s favorite foods.
“You’re going to like Casey,” Chester had said to Alyssa one day while she helped him prepare lunch for the men. “I’m glad she has McKinnon. He has definitely made her happy.”
Chester seemed so sure of what he said that Alyssa couldn’t help but be happy for Casey. She would be able to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved. Alyssa knew that she wasn’t to be so lucky. But at least she would have plenty of memories to sustain her.
She smiled. Clint had already warned her not to even think about not sharing his bed during his sister’s visit. She knew Cole and some of Clint’s cousins and their wives would also be visiting. Even Clint’s father and stepmother were coming. They all were coming to attend the charity ball that would be held in the governor’s mansion that weekend. To say the house would be filled to capacity was an understatement.
She knew that Cole and Casey already knew why she was there, but she couldn’t help wondering how many of Clint’s other relatives knew the reason for her presence. Had he talked to them about it? Did his father know she and Clint were married? She tried not to consider their circumstances as an embarrassing situation any longer. Besides, a part of her didn’t want to worry about what other people thought about her relationship with Clint. Why should they hide their love affair? she wondered. They were lovers. She couldn’t help but shake her head at the absurdity of it all. They were a married couple who were also lovers.
And on top of everything else, they were becoming close friends. Good to his word, Clint took her riding every day and now she no longer feared riding on a horse alone…as long as Clint was close by.
She glanced at the folder on the desk as she sat in Clint’s office. The proposal she had worked up for the foundation was complete and ready to present to Clint and his siblings when they arrived.
If they liked her proposal and accepted it, she and Clint would still be in contact with each other, at least until she had the site up and running. After the site was operational, she would be available to maintain it. It was a service she offered to all her clients. She didn’t relish the thought of having a continuing business relationship with Clint after their marriage was annulled. It would open her up for heartbreak if Clint decided to begin to date again.
She closed her eyes, not wanting to think of such a thing happening, although she knew that eventually it would. Clint was too good-looking a man not to have a permanent lady in his life. But then, according to Clint, his uncle Sid had died a carefree bachelor, although Chester was convinced Sid had an offspring out there somewhere. He recalled a woman once writing Sid telling him she had given birth to his son, but stating she didn’t want or need anything from him. She’d merely felt it was the right thing to do to let him know. However, she hadn’t provided a return address, which eliminated the chance of Sid finding out if the claim was true, or establishing a relationship with his child.
“Alyssa?”
At the sound of her name she immediately came out of her reverie and discovered the sound was coming from the intercom system. It was Clint. She stood and quickly crossed the room to the box on the wall and pressed