Westmoreland's Way - Brenda Jackson [50]
“I’m fine, but I was wondering if you could help me.”
“Sure thing. What do you need?”
“Dillon Westmoreland’s home number. I know he stayed at the hotel for a few days last week and I need to reach him. He left something here when he visited,” she said.
“Hold on. Let me check my records.”
It didn’t take Mr. Davis but a few moments and he was back on the phone reading off a phone number to her.
“Thanks, Mr. Davis.”
“You’re welcome, Pamela.”
As soon as she disconnected the call she quickly dialed Dillon’s number. The phone was picked up on the third ring. “Hello?”
Pam’s breath caught in her throat and her hands trembled as she hung up the phone. A woman had answered.
“So now, when are you going home?” Dillon asked the woman who was sprawled on the floor in front of his television set watching a movie.
He had come out of the shower a few moments before to find her there. Ramsey had warned him that he would regret the day he’d given Megan a key to his house. His twenty-six-year-old cousin Megan was an anesthesiologist at one of the local hospitals. She was okay to have around until she got underfoot. Like now.
“And why aren’t you at your house watching your own television?” He walked through his living room on his way to the kitchen.
“It’s a scary movie and I don’t like watching these types alone.”
He rolled his eyes. “Did I hear the phone ring a few moments ago?”
“Yes, a wrong number I think,” she said, not taking her eyes off the television. “Do you mind if I crash here tonight?”
“Nope. I’ll probably be gone when you wake up anyway,” he said, opening the refrigerator.
That got her attention and she turned away from the television and glanced across the breakfast bar at him. “But you just got back.”
“And I’m gone again. This time to Laramie. I have business to take care of there.”
Dillon took a drink of orange juice right out the carton while thinking about his business in Laramie. He couldn’t help but think about Pam. He missed her like hell. He had been tempted to call her but because Fletcher was probably back he had decided against it. He didn’t want to make waves just yet. He hoped she trusted him enough so she could tell Mallard that she wasn’t going to marry him at all. Dillon had promised to give her an alternative. An option in which she wouldn’t feel compelled to marry for anything less than love. In a way he wished he’d never left Gamble or, better yet, had asked her to come home with him and be his date at the ball. But he had promised the sheriff that he would escort his sister. He’d felt obligated to keep his promise. He had pretended he had been having a good time, but had been missing Pam the entire time, which hadn’t been fair to Belinda.
Then he’d really gotten ticked off to find his picture plastered on the front page of this morning’s paper with a caption suggesting there was something between them. The last thing he needed was for Belinda to get any ideas, especially since he was in love with Pam. That’s why he was determined to be able to offer an alternative solution to Mallard’s marriage proposal, so that he could go to work to capture her heart the same way she had captured his.
Pam woke up early the next morning and, before she could talk herself out of doing so, she dialed Dillon’s number again. Just like the night before, a woman answered. This time in a sleepy voice.
And again Pam quickly hung up the phone.
She felt a tug at her heart and knew she could not depend on Dillon to come through with an alternative solution any longer. He was back home and back into the arms of a woman who undoubtedly meant something to him. She had to remember that he had not promised her anything. He gave. She took. No regrets. But that still didn’t stop every bone in her body from aching with the strain of heartbreak.
At least she had gotten a taste of passion that was so rich and delicious, she would savor it in her memories for years to come and they would be there to help her through the years ahead.
She drew in a deep breath. Her decision was made. She