Her Secret Valentine

She wreathed her arms about his neck and leaned over to kiss him. “This is without a doubt the sweetest thing you’ve ever done for me.”

His lips moved warmly on hers. To her relief…and disappointment, he didn’t try to take the caress further. “I’m glad you like it,” he whispered, holding her close as she snuggled against him.

“I more than like it, Cal. I love it.” Ashley splayed her hands across the solidness of his chest. As she looked at him, her heart felt lighter than it had in ages. “But you know what this means, don’t you?”

Cal shook his head, still holding her eyes with all the tenderness she had ever wanted to see.

“I still owe you a Valentine’s Day present. And it’s going to have to be a whopper to live up to the gift you’ve given me.”

“Ah, Ashley, don’t you understand?” Cal chided her gently, pulling her close yet again for another long, soulful kiss that ended much too soon. He threaded a hand through her hair. “Just coming home with me and spending the month with me in Carolina is present enough.”

THE NEXT MORNING, Cal woke at his usual time of 6:00 a.m. Congratulating himself for going against his baser instincts to seduce Ashley back into his bed the night before, he rose and headed downstairs to put on the coffee. And then waited. And waited. And waited.

When Ashley still hadn’t stirred five and a half hours later, he went up to check on her. She was curled up on her side, sleeping soundly, one hand tucked beneath her pillow. Knowing she’d never get on Eastern Standard Time unless she made an effort to adapt to the five-hour time difference, he opened the drapes and let the January sunshine pour across the guest bed. “Rise and shine!”

Ashley moaned and burrowed deeper in the covers. “What time is it?” she asked without opening her eyes.

“Almost noon,” Cal leaned against the brass railing at the end of the double bed. She appeared to be going back to sleep. He nudged her foot. “Want to go for a run with me?”

Ashley opened one eye. “Mmm.” She made a soft, sexy sound low in her throat. “Maybe later?”

Cal was about to coax her further when he heard a car in the drive. He crossed to the window and saw Ashley’s father’s Mercedes coming up the lane. This was…unexpected. “Ashley, I think your dad’s here,” Cal said.

Ashley scoffed and put one of the pillows over her head. “Get real,” she mumbled.

Cal plucked the pillow away from her ear. “I mean it, Ash. I’m not kidding. Your dad just drove up to the house.”

Ashley started, and ran a hand through her “bed-head” hair. As usual, she looked more apprehensive than pleased when confronted with a meeting with her parents. “I’ll keep him company while you get dressed,” Cal promised, aware he wasn’t much more comfortable with his father-in-law than Ashley seemed to be.

By the time Cal made it downstairs, Harold Porter was standing on the front porch of the farmhouse. Cal hadn’t seen Harold for nearly a year but he looked the same as always. His impeccably cut silver hair was brushed away from his forehead in a suave, sophisticated style that didn’t move even in the stiffest breeze. His skin bore the perennial suntan of a man who played golf, sailed and skied. Not that those activities were pleasure-oriented. Cal knew that everything Harold Porter did revolved around his work. And sometimes the only place a business meeting could be worked in was on the slope, the deck of a boat or a superbly manicured green. Hal Porter did whatever was necessary to get the job done, which was how he had risen through sales and marketing departments to become CEO of a prominent pharmaceutical company that was headquartered in the Research Triangle Park.

“Sir.” Cal shook his father-in-law’s hand and escorted him inside. Despite the fact it was a Saturday morning, Harold Porter was decked out in an expensive suit and tie.

“I can’t stay.” Harold shrugged out of his cashmere overcoat and handed it to Cal. “I’ve got a flight to Chicago later this afternoon, but I wanted to drop in and see you and Ashley before I headed to the airport.”

Cal wasn’t surprised. Harold traveled at least five or six days every week. Many weekends, he didn’t make it back to North Carolina at all.

Cal hung up Harold’s coat. “Ashley will be down in a minute. She’s just waking up.”

Harold frowned and glanced at his Rolex in obvious disapproval.

“She’s still on Hawaii time,” Cal explained, wishing Ashley’s father wasn’t so hard on her. “Can I get you some coffee or juice?”

Harold waved off the offer and regarded Cal soberly. “Actually, I’d like a word with you privately, if I may.”

Aware this couldn’t possibly be good, Cal led the way past the unfurnished rooms at the front of the house, to the family room at the rear. After Harold sat on the leather sofa, Cal took an easy chair and waited. The curt admonition wasn’t long in coming. “I thought I had explained this to you when you asked her mother and me for her hand in marriage,” Harold began sternly.

Cal was beginning to think of that conversation as the Devil’s Bargain. One he never should have made in order to get their blessing for the union.

“Ashley is very much like her mother and me,” Harold continued matter-of-factly. “She will never be happy unless she is free to be all she can be professionally. I know, because for the first six months after Ashley was born Margaret tried to give up her career goals and aspirations and be a full-time mother because she thought that would please me. She was never more miserable, nor was I.”

Which meant Ashley couldn’t have been happy, either. Cal knew that to have a happy baby—and a happy family—you had to have happy parents.

“I would hate to see you and Ashley walk down that same path, even for a short while.”

Resenting the implication that he had behaved less than honorably in any instance, Cal held up a silencing palm. “Sir, with all due respect,” he said angrily, “I resent what you are implying here. I assure you I have never done anything to hold Ashley back professionally.” Even when that meant biting his tongue when it came to her leaving him for a good two-and-a-half years. “In fact, I’ve done everything possible to help and encourage Ashley to follow her dreams.” At considerable cost to our marriage. Cal was sure the time apart had contributed to the emotional distance between them.

Harold lifted a skeptical brow. “Then I don’t understand what she’s doing here for a month, lazing around and sleeping ’til noon, when she doesn’t have a job yet.”

Thinking of the emotionally and physically exhausted woman upstairs, Cal’s patience waned. “She’s earned some time off.”

Harold frowned and cast a glance at the doorway, as if he didn’t want them to be overheard. “She can take that once she’s secured a position worthy of her education and training.”

“Thanks for the advice, Dad.” Ashley stood in the doorway. The expression on her face indicated she had caught the last of what Harold had said, but no more. And that was good, Cal thought, because he never wanted Ashley to know about the stipulations her parents had put on their blessing for Cal and Ashley’s marriage. It was enough that he knew that their concern had not been that he love her with all his heart and soul, but rather that he wouldn’t interfere with the stellar career achievements they expected of their only daughter.

Still moving tiredly, Ashley came farther into the room.

She was wearing a pink plaid flannel robe over her nightshirt, and slouchy pink sweat socks covered her feet. Her face was still bare of makeup, but she had brushed her hair and fastened it in a sleek chignon at the nape of her neck. She looked vulnerable and repressed—not at all like the carefree young bride who had been driving a Mustang convertible around country roads at midnight. Cal’s heart went out to her once again.

Ashley had no trouble being her own woman when she was away from her parents. But when she was in their presence, she always seemed to shrink a little and fade into some stressed-out realm where Cal could not always reach her.

“Ashley.” Harold stood, embracing her in a warm, paternal hug.

Cal noted with some relief that Harold looked genuinely glad to see his daughter. Ashley looked happy to see her father, too. But she was also wary. Nervous. On edge. Which was how she always acted around both her parents, no matter what the situation.

“I take it you haven’t accepted the job in Maui,” Harold said.

“No,” Ashley said simply. Her glance cut over to Cal briefly before she turned her gaze back to her father. “I haven’t.”

“Well, it’s probably a good idea to scout around first,” Harold said, his tone gentling amiably as they all took a seat once again. “So where else are you looking?” Harold pressed.

Ashley folded her hands primly in her lap and sat with her back perfectly straight. “I haven’t gotten that far yet, Dad. It was enough to finish my fellowship.”

Her father frowned, making absolutely no effort to hide his disapproval about that. “I gather you are planning to job-hunt from North Carolina, then.”

Ashley hesitated and this time she didn’t look at Cal at all. “Yes.” He reached over across the sofa and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“Makes sense.” Harold nodded thoughtfully after a moment. “Travel arrangements would certainly be easier from the mainland.” Harold chatted on for several minutes. He gave Ashley a list of potential contacts who might know of suitable positions. Then he rose. “Well, I’d better get going. Don’t want to miss my flight to Chicago. I’ve got a business dinner there this evening.”

“Where’s Mom?” Ashley asked, also standing.

“She’s still in Boston. She won’t be home for another seven to ten days. A new semester is a very busy time for the university. As chancellor, she can’t afford to be away.”

“Right,” Ashley said.

If Ashley was disappointed her father had so little time to spend with her, she was not showing it. “Well, travel safely, Dad.” Ashley rose on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. Harold hugged her again, even more warmly this time, shook Cal’s hand and was off.

Ashley and Cal stood watching until Harold had driven away.