The Other Side - J. D. Robb [123]
“What are you doing?”
“Breaking us out of here.” He began tapping the pins inside the hinges until both slid out of place.
Lifting the door from the hinges, he set it aside and made a sweeping motion with his hand. “After you.”
Watching them make their exit, Vanessa chuckled at the scowl on her husband’s face. “It was a good idea, darling. And certainly not your fault that our hero knows how to use a carpenter’s tools.”
“That’s all right.” Ted’s brow was furrowed in thought. “At least that little experiment proved one thing. For one quick moment there, Christina became aware of Jake Ridgeway.”
“And how would you know that? Are you a mind reader now?”
“A father. And I could see her heart in her eyes. It’s a start. Now to find a way to force those two together until they really connect.”
Christina was having trouble concentrating. Despite a successful teleconference with her staff and the acquisition of a new and very influential client, she couldn’t seem to keep her mind on business. Instead, she had a burning desire to walk across the room every few minutes to check on the progress of the bookshelves.
This was her third time in less than two hours, and this time they were complete.
“Oh, Jake.” She clasped her hands together as she admired the way they looked in the afternoon sunlight. “They’re perfect.”
“I’m glad you like them.”
She glanced at Tyler, who was proudly wearing a smaller version of Jake’s tool belt. “Oh, Tyler. Look at you.”
The little boy actually smiled.
She turned to Jake. “Where did he get that?”
“I made it. I figured, if he was going to be my helper, the little guy deserved his own tools.”
“That’s so sweet.” Without thinking, she opened her arms and hugged him.
At that moment, Mark stepped into the room. His eyes narrowed on the couple as Christina abruptly stepped away.
“Mark. I wasn’t expecting you.”
“Obviously.” He forced a thin smile to his lips and made an attempt at a lame joke. “If that’s how you thank all your workmen, where do I sign up?”
Jake walked to the doorway. “If you don’t need me for anything else, I’ll be upstairs taking some measurements.”
When he was gone, Mark turned to her with a puzzled frown. “Upstairs?”
“I’ve decided to have some work done in my sitting room.”
Mark surprised her with a wide smile. “I guess that means that the carpenter’s going to be hanging around for a while.” Ignoring Tyler, he put a hand to her elbow. “I asked Mrs. Mellon to bring our lunch to the library.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “With all the people underfoot, it’s the only place I can have some private time with my fiancée.”
“You know I like to have lunch with Tyler.”
“Yeah.” His smile faded. “I’d think you could miss just one afternoon in order to spend it with me.” When they reached the library, he led her inside and closed the door.
While she walked to the window, he crossed the room and opened a chilled bottle of champagne, filling two glasses.
When he handed her one, she merely stared at him. “Are we celebrating something?”
“I hope so. I spoke with an old friend of mine, Judge Mc-Clelland, and he’s agreed to clear his calendar to witness our marriage tomorrow afternoon.”
“Tomorrow.” Her hand shook, causing some of the liquid to spill over the rim of the glass.
“This isn’t the reaction I was hoping for. I thought you’d be thrilled. I expected to hear you say, ‘Oh, Mark, darling, what a happy surprise.’ ”
“It’s certainly a surprise. But I’m not ready, Mark.”
“You were ready a month ago.”
“That was before . . . ”
“Chris, you know this is what your parents would have wanted. You and Tyler need me. I need the two of you. Let’s help each other. Let me into your life.”
Spilling more champagne, she set the glass aside to mop at the front of her dress with a handkerchief.
Just as Mrs. Mellon knocked and entered, Christina gave a firm shake of her head. “I’m sorry, Mark. I know you mean well. But I’m not ready to marry you tomorrow. Or the day after. Right now I can’t