A Texan Returns

“I don’t mean an electrician. I mean a designer. A person who specializes in holiday displays, like maybe at malls or public facilities.”

“I’ll call someone. Do you have any ideas for local contacts?”

“No.” He hadn’t lived here in fifteen years, and even when he did live here, he hadn’t been concerned with the design of Christmas displays. Unless, of course, there was a way to mess them up. Now, he had people who did this sort of thing at his corporate headquarters.

“Call my mother, and if she can’t help call the mayor. And if that doesn’t work, call a display company in Dallas or Fort Worth and ask them to get out here and put something up that will have a real wow factor.”

“Any idea on budget?”

“I don’t care. Whatever it takes. I want people to see this display and feel as if they’re looking at Macy’s windows in New York City. Or one of those gaudy light shows at private homes that I’ve seen on television.”

“Major store windows are started a year in advance, and those people who put up lights all over their homes begin in October at the latest.” Cassie smiled crookedly and shrugged. “I watch a lot of decorating shows on TV.”

“All I know is that with enough people and money, we can get this done by Saturday.”

“It’s already Wednesday!”

“Okay, get on the phone.” He paused a moment, then said, “On second thought, you call my mother and the display companies in Dallas or Fort Worth. I’ll go see the mayor.”

“Um, I can call her, too.”

“I know, but—” He stopped and narrowed his eyes at Cassie. “Why don’t you want me seeing the mayor?”

Cassie looked down at her PDA. “Oh, she just doesn’t seem to like you much, and I thought perhaps she’d be more helpful if I called her.”

Wyatt scoffed. “She just thinks she doesn’t like me.”

Cassie frowned. “What’s the difference? Either way, she might not cooperate.”

“She’ll cooperate. You forget the McCall charm factor.”

“I’m not sure it’s working on her.”

“Oh, it’s working.” She wouldn’t be so testy around him if it wasn’t working. The high points of his trip so far had all involved getting Toni riled up. And he didn’t even feel guilty. She wouldn’t admit it, but she was enjoying herself. She was actually living. According to everyone he’d asked—discreetly, of course—Toni didn’t have much of a personal life. She wasn’t dating. She devoted all her time and energy to her business and her public responsibilities. And she did a damn fine job of both.

Still, she needed a personal life. At least for a little while. He’d be gone soon and she could go back to being Miss Conscientious. A little verbal sparring with a bad-boy former boyfriend wasn’t going to ruin her work ethic.

“Well, you’re the boss,” Cassie finally said.

“Exactly,” Wyatt said with a grin, looking at the reindeer. Your days are numbered, he told them silently, and headed for his Hummer.

“WE CAN’T POSSIBLY GET RID of the reindeer,” Toni told Wyatt as he sat in her office. She was still dusty and tired from this morning’s tear-out at the hotel, which her crew was continuing to work on. She’d taken out some of her aggression and frustration on a rickety banister leading to the second floor, but the physical labor hadn’t helped much. Once again faced with Wyatt McCall, she wanted him out of her life.

Not so much wanted as needed, she corrected herself. He brought too much…turmoil. Yes, that was the word for Wyatt. Tumultuous. Wild and unpredictable.

She liked predictable. She needed order. “Why would you want to get rid of perfectly good Christmas decorations?”

“Why? Because they’re not enough. They’re not very convincing, as far as Christmas displays go. Wouldn’t you rather have something really spectacular?”

“It doesn’t matter what you or I want. Those decorations were a gift from the local Scout troops. They got together, raised money and presented the reindeer and trees to the city. If we toss them out, it will be a personal affront to every Scout and every family who participated in the bake sales and car washes that earned money for their generous purchase.”

She watched a range of emotions move across Wyatt’s face. He wasn’t the most expressive person she knew. He usually kept his face in a steady mildly pleasant or devilish mode. Rarely did anyone know when he was genuinely angry or concerned. At least, the Wyatt she’d known fifteen years ago was that way, and she suspected he hadn’t changed all that much. Right now, he appeared frustrated.

“You’re right. We can’t diss the Scouts.”

“We aren’t considering dissing the Scouts. You’re the one who doesn’t like the decorations. I never realized that you were such a holiday design…enthusiast.”

“You make that sound like something bad. Or tawdry.” He shook his head. “I’m not an expert on design. That’s why I want to hire someone to help make the community center really fantastic. You may not realize it, but I care about this town.”

Toni shrugged. “You may care, but you don’t spend much time here.”

“My parents come to visit me in California. They enjoy the travel, and I have been a little busy with my business.”

“And your social activities,” Toni added, feeling somewhat testy as she remembered all the photos she’d seen of Wyatt attending this big function or that one, with a gorgeous woman on his arm or gazing adoringly at him.

“Jealous?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. I’m just commenting that you had plenty of time to run around Hollywood or Seattle or New York City, but you’ve barely visited your hometown since you left. The hometown that you care so much about that you want to hire a design firm to install new decorations at the community center you’re supposed to be fixing up for the holidays.”

“I think you’re jealous.”

She pushed herself out of her chair so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. “I am not jealous! I’m…I’m angry.”

“Why are you angry at me? For having fun? For having money to spend on the community center if I want to?”

She felt as if her head might explode. Arguing with Wyatt had always affected her this way. “Yes! I scrape every dime out of our town’s budget, haggle with our city manager for needed projects and get threatened with being voted out of office when I suggest boosting revenue. Then you roll into town in your outrageous vehicle to complete a sentence that is just another publicity scheme for you. So, yes, I’m angry!”

His expression changed from frustration to devilment in an instant. “You’re so sexy when you’re mad,” he said, pulling her the rest of the way across the desk and locking his mouth over hers.

She was so startled that she couldn’t respond, couldn’t think, for a moment. This was Wyatt, kissing her. She tried to push him away, but she was off balance and only managed to grab his shirt. She tried to protest, to tell him to stop, but the moment her lips parted he pushed his tongue into her mouth and deepened the kiss.

Her head swimming, she moaned and resisted, torn between breaking free and hauling him across the desk to have her way with him, right on top of her monthly planner.

“Um, Mr. McCall?”

Cassie’s voice cut through the tension in the office, a strident sound in contrast to Toni’s heavy breathing. Wyatt’s hands tightened on Toni’s arms and she couldn’t move.

“We have an appointment with the reporter and photographer from the Graham newspaper. Er, at the community center. Now.”

Breathing hard, Toni stared at Wyatt. He looked nearly as stunned as she felt. Finally, he released her arms and stepped back. She practically collapsed into her desk chair.

“I guess we’d better continue our conversation later,” he said, pulling his flannel shirt closed and buttoning it low, near his waist. Only then did Toni realize he was concealing the effect of their sudden kiss from Cassie’s eyes.

Toni felt her cheeks heat as her embarrassment grew. Wyatt had done it again! Made her revert to her teen years, seem silly and weak in front of someone else. She was sure Cassie believed that the kiss was mutual.

“There’s nothing to talk about. Nothing of consequence, anyway.”

“We’ll see about that, babe.”