Change of Heart Read online

“You here with Frank?” he asked.

  “I am. I was hired to be his nurse. That turned out to be a joke, but I’m still here because . . .” She trailed off, not wanting to explain something so private. With her hand shielding her eyes, she watched the helicopter disappear over the horizon, then looked back at the man.

  “Mike. Or was it Kane?” he asked.

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “If a joke was played on Frank, it would have to be either Mike or Kane.” When she didn’t respond, he held out his hand. “I’m Julian Wales. Frank’s assistant. Or actually, glorified gofer. And you are?”

  She put her hand into his large warm one. “Miranda Stowe. I’m a nurse, but I’m also the cook-housekeeper.”

  He gave her a look that made her blush. “Perhaps I’ll find myself becoming ill and have need of your services.”

  She withdrew her hand from his—after two tugs. “Mr. Taggert is in there, and I have pumpkin scones for breakfast.”

  “Gorgeous, and you can cook too. You wouldn’t like to marry me, would you?”

  Feeling like an eighteen-year-old, she laughed. “Frank’s already asked.” She was horrified at what she’d revealed. “I shouldn’t have said that.” She had no idea how to cover herself, so she went back into the cabin. Julian, his eyes wide in disbelief, stared after her for a moment before following.

  Frank’s only greeting was “You’re early.”

  Julian’s reply was to remove the briefcase from his wrist, unlock it, and turn it over to Frank.

  “Unfortunately,” Julian said, “I arranged for the ’copter to pick me up tomorrow morning. I’d planned to stay and do a little fishing, but I didn’t know you had a guest. If it’s not suitable for me to stay, I can walk out.”

  Buried in the papers, Frank didn’t look up. “Take the couch.”

  “Yes, sir,” Julian said, then winked at Miranda as she put a plate of scones and scrambled eggs in front of him.

  “Have you had breakfast, Miranda?” Julian asked. When she shook her head no, he said, “How’d you like to join me outside? A morning like this is too beautiful to waste in here.”

  She looked at Frank but he was absorbed by the papers. Smiling, plate in hand, Miranda followed Julian out the door.

  He put his plate on a stump and began to remove his suit jacket and tie. “Hallelujah!” he said, unbuttoning the top of his shirt. “Twenty-four hours of freedom.” Sitting on the stump, the plate on his lap, he looked up at her. “There’s room for two.”

  She smiled graciously but sat down on a rock a few yards away.

  “Did Frank actually ask you to marry him?”

  She nearly choked. “I truly should not have told you that. Sometimes I have an inability to keep my mouth shut. It wasn’t a real marriage proposal, just sort of a business arrangement.”

  Julian cocked one blond eyebrow. “I see what he gets, but I can’t see what you get. Except the money, of course.”

  His attitude and his words sent anger coursing through her veins. Miranda stood up. “You know, Mr. Wales, I think you and I are going in the wrong direction. I find Mr. Taggert to be a very likable man, and I won’t allow you or anyone else to disparage him.”

  For a moment Julian looked too shocked to speak. He too stood up. “I apologize. It’s just that you are such a surprise that I don’t know how to react. Please stay and finish your breakfast. I promise I won’t be offensive.”

  When she sat back down, he did too, but she didn’t say anything.

  “You and Frank get along, do you?”

  “Quite well,” she said and could feel herself blushing.

  While he was eating, Julian couldn’t take his eyes off her. “Please forgive me for staring, but you aren’t what I’m used to seeing with Frank.”

  The man was beginning to annoy her. “Mr. Wales, I am well aware that I’m not some romantic heroine from a novel. I am rapidly approaching middle age, I’m overweight, I’m a single mother, and I’m sure that suit you have on cost more than I earned last year. If any other woman on earth were here, I’m sure neither of you men would notice me.”

  He was smiling at her. “Miranda, you know what you are? You’re real. I knew it the moment I saw you. Usually, the women near Frank are so perfectly beautiful they look as though they were manufactured. And you know that if he lost his money, they’d never look at him again.”

  “Really, Mr. Wales, I—”

  “Julian.”

  “Julian, I am a perfectly ordinary woman.”

  “Oh?” He took a big bite of his scone. “Ever been married?” When she nodded, he said, “When you divorced your husband, did you take him to the cleaner’s?” He didn’t wait for her answer. “No, of course not. Looking at you, I’d say you ‘understood’ his need to run off with some empty-headed Barbie doll.”

  She looked down at her food. “You seem to be rather good at figuring out people.”

  “That’s what Frank pays me for: to look into people’s eyes and keep the deadbeats and con artists away from him.”

  At that moment, the cabin door opened and Frank came outside, a fishing rod over his shoulder. “I’d like to do some fishing myself. Shall we go?”

  Miranda stood up. “I think Julian should change his clothes, and I’ll need to pack a lunch for you two. You can’t leave without something to eat.”

  Frank turned his back to Julian. “Mrs. Stowe, I’d like for you to come with us, as you’re rather good with fish.”

  His words were cool, even businesslike, but he was smiling at Miranda and once winked at her. She knew that he didn’t want his employee seeing what was between them.

  With his face again serious, Frank looked back at Julian. “Sort out what is needed and follow us.” Turning away, Frank started walking down the trail, Miranda inches behind him.

  Julian stood where he was, staring in openmouthed astonishment after his boss. He’d worked with Frank Taggert for over ten years. During that time Frank had never once told Julian—or anyone else for that matter—about himself, but Julian had been able to piece together a great deal. He knew his boss very, very well.

  “He’s in love with her,” Julian whispered as he watched them walk away. By all that’s holy, he’s madly in love with her. Only deep love could make Frank leave corporate merger papers and go fishing. Julian watched as they disappeared down the trail. Of course Frank knew so little about women that he’d mess this up—as he’d destroyed every relationship he’d ever had with a woman. But Julian had to admit that Frank had never thought any woman was worth missing a meeting for or even postponing a call. And when the women’s complaints become intolerable, it was always Julian who had the task of telling them to leave. He’d had dishes thrown at him and heard curse words in four languages as he removed women from Frank’s life.

  It was this part of his job that was making him begin to wonder if there was more to life than just doing whatever Frank Taggert wanted done.

  Julian went into the cabin to change his clothes. But now Frank had asked a woman to marry him. And knowing him, he’d presented the proposal as he would present something to a corporate board. No passion, no fireworks, no declarations of undying love. Just “I have a proposition to make you: Will you marry me?” As usual, everything Frank acquired came easily to him.

  As Julian changed into jeans and a sweater, he couldn’t stop thinking. While it was true that Frank kept rigid control over himself, his loyalty was unbreakable.

  When Julian had smashed a Ferrari, it was Frank who’d flown in doctors from London and New York. When accounting’s Mrs. Silen’s husband had nearly taken her children away from her, it was Frank who’d secretly stepped in and got the decision of the court reversed. Frank often helped people; he just hated anyone knowing he’d done it. He liked his image of ruthless negotiator.

  In his dealings with his employees an