My Name is Nell. Laura Abbot

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СКАЧАТЬ you count the reward in dollars and cents.”

      “You don’t?”

      He stared over the tops of the shelves. “Not anymore.” After an awkward silence, he took a step toward her. “At this point I have more questions than answers, but this much I know. I’m due for a change. Sticking around here for starters.”

      The intensity of his gaze caused her skin to tingle. “You could do worse.”

      “Yeah,” he said thoughtfully. “There’s lots to like. For instance, you’re here.”

      Nell didn’t know how to take his remark. Surely he wasn’t going to make some life-altering decision based on her. That would be ludicrous. She screwed up her courage. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

      He gave a crooked smile. “That didn’t come out right, did it? What I meant to say is that you’ve succeeded in helping me think about rejoining the human race.”

      She hugged two books to her chest, then responded thoughtfully, “Believe me, I know how hard that is to do, but, Brady, it’s worth the effort. You have a lot of tomorrows left.”

      “Tomorrows?” Slowly he shook his head. “Yeah. I like the sound of that.” He paused. “Especially from you.”

      Before Nell could process her reaction to his last words, she sensed the approach of someone and looked beyond Brady. Lily. Her sister’s timing was as flawless as her carefully sculpted hairdo and perfectly understated makeup.

      “There you are, Nell.” Lily sailed into the area. “When I couldn’t find you in your office, I thought I’d find you here.” With an assessing smile aimed straight at Brady, she said, “And you are—”

      “Brady Logan.” He extended his hand and shook Lily’s.

      Lily turned to Nell. “Your friend?”

      Lord, now Brady would think she’d been talking about him to her family. “Yes. We met here about a week ago.” Nell’s voice box didn’t seem to be working properly. “This is my sister, Lily Roberts.”

      Brady nodded acknowledgment.

      “The way you were talking, so seriously and all, I figured you weren’t just another library patron.” Lily indulged in a tinkling laugh that to Nell’s ears was replete with sisterly innuendo.

      Brady took command. “I am that, too. I’m trying to learn about the Fayetteville area and Nell’s been kind enough to assist me.”

      Lily cocked her head. “In the children’s section?”

      Nell prayed the floor would swallow her. She knew her sister. Beyond that flirtatious facade, Lily was determined to pump Brady for information.

      Brady gestured toward the library table where he’d been sitting. “It seems I strayed a bit. I volunteered to help Nell.”

      “How kind,” Lily said, ignoring the pleading look Nell was telegraphing her. “I understand you’ve only been in town a short time.”

      “That’s right.”

      Lily laid a hand on his arm. “Then you need to get better acquainted, and I have the perfect solution. Evan and I are hosting a barbecue Saturday night for family and some close friends. I dropped by the library to invite Nell, but this is even better. Of course you’ll come, too. All our guests will look forward to meeting Nell’s new friend.”

      Nell couldn’t be sure, but it sounded as if Lily had put special emphasis on the word friend. She couldn’t stand by while her sister organized her life. “Lily, Brady may have other plans—”

      She didn’t get out any more words before she heard Brady say, “Thank you, Lily. I’d like to come.”

      Lily smiled triumphantly at Nell. “Well, that’s settled, then. Six o’clock.” Turning to Brady, she sprang her trap. “Since you’ll be coming with Nell, she can show you where we live.”

      “Sounds great.” Brady handed Nell his page of the book list. “Guess I’d better get back to my research.” Smiling at Lily, he added, “Nice to have met you.”

      He’d gone only a few steps when Lily grabbed Nell’s arm and purred sexily, “Do many of your customers look like that?”

      Nell gritted her teeth. “Do I kill you now or later, sister dear?”

      “Kill me? Unless I’m mistaken, which I’m not, I just did you a big favor.”

      “I’ll tell you what I’ve already told Mother and Abby. Brady and I are just friends.”

      Lily shot her an incredulous look. “Right.”

      “It’s not like that.”

      “But it certainly could be.” Lily faced her with that trust-me expression that set Nell’s nerves on edge. “So you’re just friends? Okay. I’ll buy that for now.”

      “Good. He’s a grieving widower, Lily. I doubt he’s ready for what you have in mind.”

      “I didn’t know. I’m sorry. But still, what’s the harm in bringing him to the barbecue?”

      Trapped. “Nothing, I guess.” She swallowed her trepidations.

      Eyeing her up and down, Lily said, “I’ll be calling you to set a time to go shopping for your new outfit. You’ll want to dazzle him.”

      Lily quickly back-pedaled toward the door, giving her a ta-ta wave of the fingers. Nell was too angry to move. Hadn’t her sister understood a word she’d said?

      A new outfit?

      She couldn’t remember the last time she’d dazzled a man.

      And she wasn’t about to start now.

      WHEN BRADY RETURNED to his condo, the message light on his answering machine was blinking. He kicked off his shoes, padded to the refrigerator for a cold soda, then settled in the overstuffed chair staring at the offending light. It had to be Carl. Some crisis.

      He swigged from the can, then rested his head against the back of the chair. He wished he could care. But he didn’t. What used to be as important to him as the air he breathed, now affected him not in the least. He’d always heard you weren’t supposed to make any major decisions within a year following a spouse’s death. But it had been months. Shouldn’t he be feeling something about his company? But pride, status, power—none of it meant a thing.

      Hell, he’d worked up more energy about the idea slowly forming in his head to develop an upscale conference and resort center on Beaver Lake than he had about any of Carl’s importunings. It wasn’t about money, although he wasn’t so far gone that he didn’t want his money to work for him. It was about intangible rewards, permanence. Only with Brooke had he found that.

      He closed his eyes and tried to bring her into focus—her long silky hair, her tanned shoulders, but the image kept shifting in his memory. Instead, he pictured the willowy body of Nell Porter topped by her СКАЧАТЬ