Trading Christmas - Debbie Macomber [113]
No matter what she did, Cait couldn’t stop thinking about Joe and the kisses they’d exchanged Christmas evening. Nor could she forget his tortured look as he’d sat in his car after she’d gone into her apartment. Even now she wasn’t certain why she hadn’t immediately run back outside. And by the time she’d decided to do that, he was gone.
Cait was so absorbed in her musings that she barely heard the knock at her office door. Guiltily she glanced up to find Paul standing just inside her doorway, his hands in his pockets, his eyes weary.
“Paul!” Cait waited for her heart to trip into double time the way it usually did whenever she was anywhere near him. It didn’t, which was a relief but no longer much of a surprise.
“Hello, Cait.” His smile was uneven, his face tight. He seemed ill at ease and struggling to disguise it. “Have you got a moment?”
“Sure. Come on in.” She stood and motioned toward her client chair. “What can I do for you?”
“Nothing much,” he said vaguely, sitting down. “Uh, I just wanted you to know how pleased I am that you’re here. I’m sorry you canceled your vacation, but I appreciate your coming in today. Especially in light of the fact that Lindy will be leaving.” His mouth thinned briefly.
No one, other than Joe and Martin, was aware of the real reason Cait wasn’t in Minnesota the way she’d planned. Nor had she suggested to Paul that she’d changed her plans to help him out because they’d be short-staffed; obviously he’d drawn his own conclusions.
“So Lindy’s decided to follow through with her resignation?”
Paul nodded, then frowned anew. “Nothing I say will change her mind. That woman’s got a stubborn streak as wide as a…” He shrugged, apparently unable to come up with an appropriate comparison.
“The construction project’s nearly finished,” Cait offered, making small talk rather than joining in his criticism of Lindy. Absently she stood up and wandered around her office, stopping to straighten the large Christmas wreath on her door, the one she and Lindy had put up earlier in the month. Lindy was her friend and she wasn’t about to agree with Paul, or argue with him, for that matter. Actually she should’ve been pleased that Paul had sought her out, but she felt curiously indifferent. And she did have work she needed to do.
“Yes, I’m delighted with the way everything’s turned out,” Paul said, “Joe Rockwell’s done a fine job. His reputation is excellent and I imagine he’ll be one of the big-time contractors in the area within the next few years.”
Cait nodded casually, hoping she’d concealed the thrill of excitement that had surged through her at the mention of Joe’s name. She didn’t need Paul to tell her Joe’s future was bright; she could see that for herself. At Christmas, his mother had boasted freely about his success. Joe had recently received a contract for a large government project—his most important to date—and she was extremely proud of him. He might have trouble keeping his books straight, but he left his customers satisfied. If he worked as hard at satisfying them as he did at finding the right Christmas tree, Cait could well believe he was gaining a reputation for excellence.
“Well, listen,” Paul said, drawing in a deep breath, “I won’t keep you.” His eyes were clouded as he stood and headed toward the door. He hesitated, turning back to face her. “I don’t suppose you’d be free for dinner tonight, would you?”
“Dinner,” Cait repeated as though she’d never heard the word before. Paul was inviting her to dinner? After all these months? Now, when she least expected it? Now, when it no longer mattered? After all the times she’d ached to the bottom of her heart for some attention from him, he was finally asking her out on a date? Now?
“That is, if you’re free.”
“Uh…yes, sure…that would be nice.”
“Great. How about if I pick you up around five-thirty? Unless that’s too early for you?”
“Five-thirty will be fine.”
“I’ll see you then.”
“Thanks, Paul.” Cait felt numb. There wasn’t any other way to describe it. It was as if her dreams were