Нора Робертс - Key of Knowledge

“I dont nag.” There were equal parts venom and insult inZoes response.

Dana gave Jordans arm a tug. “You go referee the Irritable Twins,” she whispered. “I need to talk to Malory.”

“Why cant I talk to Malory?”

“A real man wouldnt be afraid to—”

“Oh, stop that.” He hunched his shoulders, jammed his hands in his pockets, and strode off in the direction of the spat.

Dana buffed her nails on her jacket. “Works every time.” Then she huffed out a .breath, squared her own shoulders, and headed in the opposite direction to swallow her serving of crow.

The walls in what would be Malorys main showroom were finished. And looked, Dana decided, just swell. She could hear the music from the radio jingling out from the room beyond, and Malorys singing along with BonnieRaitt .

She was also, Dana noted as she stepped in, grooving. As Malory swiped the roller up and down, her hips bumped to the jumpy Delta beat.

“You got that up so loud just to keep up your rhythm, or to block out the sexual tension from across the hall?”

Malory turned, set down her roller to give her arms a rest. “A little of both. Howre you doing?”

“How do I look?”

“Better.” Malory took a closer study. “In fact, you look pretty damn good.” “I feel pretty damn good. First, Im sorry. I was feeling miserable and I took it out on you. You were only trying to help.”

“Friends do that. Take their moods out on each other, and try to help. Both of you looked so unhappy, Dana.”

“Well, we were. We had reason to be. Whatever Kanes motives, he showed me the truth. I couldnt just bury what happened before, all that hurt. It had to be dealt with, taken out, looked at. Understood, at least.”

“Youre right.”

“No, you were right.” She peeled off her jacket, tossed it on the window ledge. “I wasnt dealing with it, not by starting things up with Jordan again, or cutting them off. I just had it buried in a very shallow grave. We both did.”

“You needed time together first, to get to know each other again.”

“Youre right. Youre batting a thousand today.”

“Though Ive never understood exactly what that means, let me see if I can keep it up. You went to see Jordan, you talked some of this out, and you reached the understanding, at last, that youre in love with each other.”

“Sign her up. He loves me.” When Danas eyes filled, Malory whipped the kerchief off her head and rushed over to offer it. “Thanks. He said things to me he didnt say before. Couldnt say, or wouldnt. I dont guess it matters. He wasnt ready, and if Im going to be honest about it, we werent ready. I loved him, but that wasnt enough to let me see what he was going through, what he needed. What I needed, for that matter. It was blinding, so all I could see was „I want Jordan. Period. I never thought about what wed do together, or be together, what either of us needed to do separately to make it strong. It was all just right that minute.”

“You were young, and in love.” Malory took the kerchief back and dried her own eyes.

“Yeah, I was. I loved him with everything I had. But I have more now. And its so amazing, really, to be able to take one step back and look at the man he is, the man hes made of himself and realize hes more. To know it was worth the wait.”

“Dana.”

Her damp eyes went wide on Malorys face, then she blinked rapidly before turning to where Jordan stood in the doorway. “This is girl stuff here.”

“Dana.” He said her name again, then crossed to her. She saw the emotion swirling in his eyes, blazing in the blue before his arms banded around her. He hitched her up to her toes as his mouth swooped down to hers.

“Oh.” Undone, Malory buried her face in the kerchief.

“Okay, Id just like to say—”Zoe stormed halfway into the room before she skidded to a halt. Staring at the couple wrapped in each other, she pressed a hand to her heart. “Oh.” She reached back to dig the bandanna out of her pocket, but Brad stepped up beside her, pushed his into her hand.

“Thanks.” She sniffled into it. “But I did have my own.”

“Shut up,Zoe .”

Because the moment was too precious to spoil, she did.

Jordan eased back. “Theres something I have to do.”

Her eyebrow winged up, and her smile was quick and wicked. “Right here? In front of all our friends?”

“Cool,” was Brads response, which earned himZoes elbow in his belly.

“This isnt the time for gutter thoughts.”

“Its always the time.”

“Ignore them,” Jordan murmured and pressed his lips to Danas forehead.

“I am.”

“Theres something I have to do,” he said again. “So I have to renege on giving you a hand around here today.”

“But—”

“Its important,” he interrupted. “Ill explain it tonight.”

“We all need to get together tonight and go over what you wrote. Im running out of time.”

“Why dont we meet at Flynns? Its the most central.” He glanced over. “Is that okay with you, Malory?”

“Sure. The kitchens not finished yet, so we wont get food like we did at Brads. Actually, even with the kitchen finished we wouldnt get food like we had at Brads.”

“Pizza and beer works for me,” Dana said. “Thats my girl.” Jordan kissed her again. “Ill see you there.”

“Youve got something up your sleeve.” Dana narrowed her eyes. “I can see it. If youre thinking about messing with Kane—”

“Hes got nothing to do with this. Ive got to go, or Im not going to get it all done. Brad, youre coming with me.”

“I havent finished here.”

“You go. Take him,”Zoe said, pointing at Brad. “Leave the sander. All will be well here.”

“Youre not hauling that thing upstairs by yourself.”

“Its not that heavy, and Im not that weak.”

“Youre not carrying it up those stairs.”

“Jesus, Vane, cart the thing up and be done with it.” Grinning, Jordan slung his arm around Danas shoulder. “Dont you know how to handle a woman?”

“Kiss my ass.” Brad turned on his heel and strode away.

“I can do it myself,”Zoe began.

“Zoe.” Basking in the glow of love rediscovered, Dana shook her head. “Stop being a jerk.”

“I cant help it.”Zoe lifted her hands, let them fall. “He brings out the jerk in me.” She heard him cursing under his breath as he carried the sander toward the steps, and folded her arms over her chest. “Im not going to say anything. Im not going to do anything.”

“Good plan. Why dont you grab a roller?” Malory suggested. “We can finish in here, then start upstairs.”

“Can I just say you women are doing a hell of a job with this place?”

“There, see?” Delighted,Zoe walked over and gave Jordan a loud kiss on the cheek. “Heres a secure man who has respect for a womans abilities.”

“Absolutely. Nothing sexier than a self-sufficient woman.”

“Lap it up, Hawke, lap it up.” Dana nudged him aside. “Now take your playmate and run along. Weve got work to do.”

She waited until Jordan and Brad had gone out, then dashed to the window to spy on them. “Whats he up to? Yeah, yeah, Brads asking him what gives right now. I can tell. But hes not saying. Hes not saying because he knows Im standing here watching. Damn it!”

She jerked back with a laugh as Jordan looked straight at her through the glass. “You just cant pull one over on Jordan. God, I love that about him.”

“Im so happy for you.” Malory sighed. “And if were not careful, were going to start another weep-o-rama.”

“Since Ive leaked more in this one day than I have the entire past year, lets paint.” Dana turned, gave her biceps an exaggerated flex. “Hes right, you know. Were doing a hell of a job with this place.”

THEY worked downstairs until the walls were done, then took a coffee break, sitting on the floor to admire them. “The floors in Danas section need to be damp-mopped. You need a clean surface before theyre sealed.”

“I dont know how the sealing part goes.”

“Its easy,”Zoe told her. “Ill show you. Once theyre sealed, dried good and hard, you can start moving stuff in.”

“Wow!” Since Danas stomach jumped, she pressed a hand to it. “It gets more real every day. I ordered the shelves. If they get here when theyre supposed to, along with the other stuff I ordered—and the first shipments of books—I should be setting up in a couple of weeks. Maybe less. And I have a potential employee.”

“You didnt say anything about that.”Zoe punched her lightly on the arm. “Who is it?”

“Its a woman I met when I was working in the library. I ran into her at the grocery store, and one thing led to another. Shes personable, presentable, likes to read, wants a job, and isnt looking for a big salary. Shes going to come by sometime and get a look at the place. If she doesnt run screaming, I think Ive got myself a bookseller.”

“Zoe, how soon do you think I can start moving stock in?” Malory asked.

“I think next week.”Zoe sipped coffee, glanced around the room. “Its all coming together so well, I dont want to jinx it, but I really think next week. Its going to take me a little longer. Theres more to set up in a salon. And we still have to replace some of these windows. Plus theres going to be a good, long list of punch-out work.”

“I love it when she talks the manly talk,” Dana commented. “Now lets go up and play with the sander like men.”

“First,”Zoe said in a fair imitation of Brads most clipped tone, “its not a toy.”

“Jeez.” Dana laughed her way to her feet. “You slay me.”

YOU sure about this?” Brad studied Jordan, and the square-cut ruby ring in his hand. “Yeah. I think. Shed like this better than the traditional diamond.”

“I dont mean the ring. I mean what youre buying the ring for.”

“Im sure. A little queasy, but sure.”

“Im not going to take offense,” Flynn decided. “I could take offense that asking my sister to marry you makes you queasy, but I wont.”

Jordan smiled a little as he turned the ring under the light. Hed wanted them both with him when he took this step. A kind of circle, he supposed, just as the ring was a circle. He couldnt say either of them had been thrilled to be hauled off to Pittsburgh and into a jewelry stone, but theyd come through.

They always did.

“I think this is the one. I know she is.” He offered the ring to Brad. “You know more about this stuff than either of us. Give me an opinion of the rock.”

Behind the counter, the jeweler began to make noises.

“Yeah, yeah.” Jordan waved him off. “I know the spiel. Id rather hear what my pal here has to say.”

“I can assure you that stone is an excellent quality. Burmese ruby at three carats, set in eighteenkarat gold. The craftsmanship of the—”

“Why dont you get me a loupe?” Brad suggested pleasantly. “The guys buying an engagement ring. Its a moment.”

He might not have been happy, but the potential sale had him producing a jewelers loupe and offering it to Brad.

Playing it out, Brad hemmed, hawed, andhmmmed before setting both the ring and the loupe on the black velvet pad. “Youre buying yourself a hell of a rock,” he said. “It hits the three Cs— color, cut, clarity, and at three substantial carats, rounds it out nicely. Shell love it.”

“Yeah, thats what I thought. Wrap it up,” he told the jeweler.

“We should go get a beer now, right?” Flynn glanced warily at the other rings in the glass case. “And Jordan should buy, in a symbolic gesture of… oh, hell with all that. I just want a beer.” “All in good time, my pretty.” Jordan pulled out his wallet, dug out his credit card. “Weve got another stop to make on the way back.”

THE way he looked at it, he was going to make a clean sweep. A kind of romantic hat trick. He got the girl, hed bought the ring. Now, he thought as they pulled through the gates of Warriors Peak, he was going to see if he could finesse the house.

“This is wild,” Flynn said from the backseat where Moe snored beside him, exhausted by the thrill of the car trip. “I think Im in some sort of shock.”

“Pretty wild,” Jordan agreed. “But the fact is, I always wanted this place. Even when I was a kid.”

“Okay, before you go in there and make some sort of insane offer, lets just take one more pass through the routine.” Brad shifted. “Let me point out, once again, that this place is enormous.”

“I like big.”

“Its isolated.”

“I like isolated.”

“You havent asked Dana if she wants to live up here.”