The Player. Part 2

Thoroughly intrigued now, Audrey closed the back gate and climbed into the driver's seat. "And what exactly is the reason for his visit?"

"He lost a good friend eight months ago," the Colonel said somberly. "Let's just say that he's having a hard time getting through it."

Audrey's heart squeezed. "That's certainly understandable."

Her grandfather cleared his throat. "Right. Well, it would probably be better if you didn't mention it to him. He just needs some TLC and no one can give him that quite the way that you can, Audie. You have a rare gift for making people feel better."

Gift or curse? Audrey wondered, more often feeling like it was the latter. She'd always been a very empathetic person, to the point that she often absorbed so much of another person's pain that she made herself physically ill. Even as a little girl she'd managed to attract the downtrodden, the kids everyone picked on. In her teens, things had pretty much stayed the same-the rebels, the outcasts, the shy and withdrawn. Basically anyone with a problem.

But with maturity came a different set of issues, bigger obstacles, and she found herself staying emotionally wrung out. She'd given so much to other people-usually, and to her detriment, to a significant other-that she hadn't had anything left for herself. Unwind had been the perfect solution because it had afforded her the opportunity to capitalize on her strengths, but enabled her to share the load, so to speak.

"What was his name again?" she asked. She wanted to make sure to look for the paperwork when she got back to camp.

"Major Jamie Flanagan. He was a Ranger in a special forces unit of mine. A d.a.m.n fine one," her grandfather added with obvious pride.

"Was a Ranger?" a Ranger?"

"Er...He and a couple of other friends left the military a few months ago."

Audrey paused. She didn't understand. If he'd left the military, then how could her grandfather order order him into Unwind? "But-" him into Unwind? "But-"

Accurately following her line of thinking, the Colonel chuckled. "What?" he joked. "You think a soldier who leaves the military automatically leaves my command, Audie?" She could almost see him shaking his head. "Surely you know me better than that?"

One would think so, Audrey thought. Her grandfather...you had to love him.

"Anyway, enough about Flanagan. He'll be arriving Monday and I've made sure that I've listed activities which should-" he cleared his throat of a distinctly wicked chuckle "-appeal to him. All I ask is that you keep a close eye on him. Spend as much time with him as possible. I'll call for regular updates on his progress." to him. All I ask is that you keep a close eye on him. Spend as much time with him as possible. I'll call for regular updates on his progress."

This conversation was getting weirder and weirder by the second. One minute her grandfather sounded genuinely concerned, the next he sounded downright...gleeful. She'd better take a look at that questionnaire, Audrey thought with a curious sense of foreboding. Something definitely wasn't right.

"So tell me what's happening with you?" he asked briskly, effectively ending that line of conversation. "Still seeing David?"

"It's Derrick," Audrey replied, repressing a smile. Her grandfather knew this perfectly well. He just couldn't stand the guy. "And yes, I am."

"More's the pity," her grandfather said glibly, never one to mince words. And unfortunately he had many where Derrick was concerned.

Audrey exhaled a long-suffering sigh. "Gramps," "Gramps," she chided. she chided.

"You could do so much better, you know. You're a smart, pretty girl. Why you'd want to shackle yourself to that self-absorbed blowhard for the rest of your life is a mystery to me."

A frown wrinkled her brow. She hadn't told her family that Derrick had proposed. "Who said I was getting married?"

"No one," he said. Almost too easily, Audrey thought, wondering if she was being a tad paranoid. "I just a.s.sumed that since you're still together, marriage has to be on the horizon. What's the point of a prolonged relations.h.i.+p if you aren't moving toward a more permanent arrangement? If there's no goal, there's no point, right?"

For someone who didn't like Derrick, her grandfather had an alarmingly similar thought process. Derrick had used the same argument just last week when he'd issued his ultimatum-marry him or break up.

Quite frankly, she didn't want to do either.

For reasons she knew better than to explore, marrying him right now was out of the question...But she didn't want to break up either. Sure Derrick had his faults. He spent too much time on his hair, he laughed too hard at his own jokes and, the biggest turnoff of all, he screamed like a girl when he came. This high-pitched, rupture-your-eardrums screech would be right at home in a bad B-movie. Honestly, it was awful.

In addition, he was a bit a bit self-absorbed, but that only meant that he wasn't dependent upon her to fill him up, right? After a succession of life-suckers, that had certainly been a welcome change, one that she'd desperately needed. self-absorbed, but that only meant that he wasn't dependent upon her to fill him up, right? After a succession of life-suckers, that had certainly been a welcome change, one that she'd desperately needed.

While she could admit that his confidence might get on other people's nerves, most of the time it didn't bother her at all. Really. She told herself that it was refres.h.i.+ng, that confidence was an admirable trait and Derrick...She grinned in spite of herself. Well, Derrick had that particular characteristic in spades.

Which is why her grandfather hated him.

Her lips curled with wry humor. Evidently her grandfather didn't think Derrick had the necessary qualities to back up the confidence. But it didn't matter what her grandfather thought. It only mattered what Audrey thought, and most of the time Derrick's somewhat exaggerated ego didn't bother her at all. There was something to be said for a guy who wasn't dependent on her opinion. Compared to her other relations.h.i.+ps, Derrick was a walk in the park. He was easy.

Was she in love with him? Probably not. Her heart didn't skip a beat when he touched her hand-or any other part of her, for that matter-and, though he traveled frequently with his job, she couldn't exactly say that she'd ever truly missed him.

But there was a consistency and predictability to their relations.h.i.+p which she found quite comfortable, for lack of a better explanation. And she had no desire to change the status quo. Hopefully by the end of next week she'd be able to come up with a convincing argument for her cause. That was the plan, at any rate, as far as she had one.

"Well, you know what I think of him," her grandfather said. "He's a-"

Audrey chuckled softly. "Yes, Gramps, I certainly don't have to wonder about that." Ever. In fact, she could confidently say that not many people ever ever had to wonder what the Colonel thought. It was part of his charm. had to wonder what the Colonel thought. It was part of his charm.

"Don't be fresh, young lady," he scolded. "I only have your best interests at heart. And he's not one deserving of yours," he added gruffly.

Affection swelled, making Audrey smile. Now how could she stay mad at him when he said things like that? "I know you do."

"Yeah, well, always be sure and keep that in mind," he muttered darkly, causing a momentary premonition of dread.

Audrey scowled. "Why would I need to keep that-"

"Gotta go, sweetheart," he said briskly. "Your grandmother's got dinner on the table and you know how she gets if the roast gets cold. I'll talk to you next week. Take good care of my boy." A resounding click echoed into her ear, signaling the end of their bizarre conversation.

Baffled, Audrey stared at her cell before closing it, then gave her head a little shake. Men, she thought. Even the older, so-called wiser ones were incomprehensible.

In future, keep that in mind, he'd said. Clearly he intended to give her a reason to do just that. he'd said. Clearly he intended to give her a reason to do just that.

The question was...what?

3.

"LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT," the young Halle Berry look-alike on the other side of the reception desk said. "You're the Colonel's friend?" She had an "oh-h.e.l.l-no" look on her face, as if she couldn't quite believe him. the Colonel's friend?" She had an "oh-h.e.l.l-no" look on her face, as if she couldn't quite believe him.

Jamie smiled awkwardly. "I am," he repeated, verifying the fact.

Her dark brown eyes widened in what could only be described as shocked disbelief, then her gaze turned consideringly crafty and a secret smile curled her lips. "That sly old dog," she muttered under her breath, flipping through a stack of large white envelopes. "He said he had an ace up his sleeve, but I never dreamed..." She trailed off.

"I'm sorry?"

She looked up and handed him a packet. "Oh, nothing." She smiled warmly. "Welcome to Unwind. I'm Tewanda. If you have any questions, you can reach me by dialing zero from the phone in your cottage. Here's your welcome information as well as your itinerary and key. You're in number eight, a nice secluded little hideaway with a beautiful view of the lake. It's also got a pier, should you decide you'd like to swim or fish." She leaned forward and pointed to a laminated map attached to her desk. "You'll find a map of the property in your packet as well, but things are clearly marked so you shouldn't have any problems. We'll have an informal meet and greet in the lodge at six. It isn't mandatory, but we urge you to come. In the meantime-"

Jamie sensed movement behind him and watched Tewanda's warm brown gaze turn frosty. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a man strolling toward them across the room.

"Where's Audrey?" the guy asked, interrupting them rudely. Jamie scowled.

Though he knew it was ridiculous, he instantly disliked the guy.

"I'm with a guest right now, Derrick," Tewanda said coolly. "As I was saying Mr. Flanagan, settle in and-"

"I can see that," Derrick interrupted again. He shot Jamie a condescending look, one that somehow managed to be pitying and patronizing at once. It was a "you-poor-weak-b.a.s.t.a.r.d" look, which made Jamie's blood pressure rise and his right fist involuntarily clench.

"But I'm in a bit of a hurry and I need to see Audrey before I go." He paused. "She hasn't returned any of my calls, which can only lead me to a.s.sume that you haven't pa.s.sed along any of my messages."

Tewanda's nose flared as she drew in a breath. "Oh, I've pa.s.sed them along, all right. Maybe she just doesn't want to talk to you."

He smiled as if the idea was out of the question. "Oh, I doubt that. Page her," he ordered. "I'm pressed for time."

With a tight "excuse me" and a murderous look, Tewanda lifted a walkie-talkie from the desk.

The man leaned over to Jamie, as though he were an ally. "Good help's hard to find these days," he said, shooting a look at Tewanda. "I've tried to tell Audrey that she should let her go, but does she listen to me?"

He certainly hoped not, Jamie thought, sidling away from him. What a p.r.i.c.k.

"Audrey, Derrick is here disrupting a check-in and won't leave until he speaks with you. Could you come up here and get rid of him-Er, I mean talk talk to him, please?" she asked with faux sweetness. to him, please?" she asked with faux sweetness.

"See," Derrick said. "Such impertinence. If I ever have any say-so-and I will," he added with a confident smile, "-then she'll be the first of many changes I make around here."

Tewanda merely rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't worry, Derrick. The day you have any say-so will be the day I quit."

"Where's she at?" he asked, ignoring her comment. He checked his watch again and glanced impatiently toward the door.

"I don't have her on GPS," she snapped. "How the h.e.l.l should I know?"

A startled laugh clogged Jamie's throat and he and Tewanda shared a smile. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"It's all right," he told her, waving it off.

"What are you apologizing to him for?" Derrick asked, seemingly offended. "It's me you were rude to."

She tidied a stack of papers on her desk and grunted. "In a perfect world, you wouldn't exist."

Jamie had only been in the man's company for a total of thirty seconds and found that he whole-heartedly concurred.

Derrick scowled and readied his mouth for a comeback, but before he could utter a sound, the woman from the photo on Garrett's desk walked in.

Sonofab.i.t.c.h, Jamie thought, his suspicions confirmed. Oh, this was not good. Not good at all. Jamie thought, his suspicions confirmed. Oh, this was not good. Not good at all.

As an elite graduate of Ranger School, Jamie had been trained to notice every detail. For instance, the minute he'd walked into this room, he'd noted everything from the exits-doors and windows-to the half-eaten jelly doughnut hidden behind a potted plant on the desk. In a pinch he could describe the pile of the carpet, the picture hanging on the opposite wall and could cite the programs currently running on the computer. It was this very training that enabled him to quickly catalogue Audrey Kincaid's every feature.

In the time it took her to cross the room, Jamie had noted that her hair wasn't black as it had seemed in the picture, but rather a very dark brown just a degree shy of black. Espresso, he decided. Her eyes were the same, a clear intelligent blue that s.h.i.+mmered with wit and warmth. She was pet.i.te-five-four or under, he imagined-but with an athletic build that was surprisingly curvy. She had a small mole just up and to the right of her lush mouth and when she smiled, an adorable dimple winked in her left cheek. She was s.e.xy and enchanting and delicious and he found himself fighting the inexplicable urge to lick her all over.

Which wouldn't be good because she was totally off-limits. Garrett would kill him. After he cut his pride and joy off and force-fed it to him, Jamie reminded himself grimly.

He'd do well to remember that.

"Derrick," she said in a softly chiding voice. "I thought you'd be on your way to the airport by now."

Derrick grinned, gathered her into an awkward hug and said, "I couldn't leave without giving you a proper goodbye." He nuzzled her cheek and, though it could have only been wishful thinking on Jamie's part, she winced as if she didn't particularly care for his attention. Looking ready to retch, Tewanda rolled her eyes.

"You didn't have to do that," she said, disentangling herself from him. "You, uh...You don't want to miss your flight."

"No, no, of course not. I just wanted to give you a reason to miss me."

Audrey smiled, rather weakly, it seemed, but didn't say anything.

He ran a finger down her nose. "And I also wanted to remind you to think about what I'd asked you."

This time she chuckled, but there was almost a sick-sounding quality to it that Jamie was certain both he and Tewanda had heard, but that had completely gone unnoticed by Derrick. In fact, he got the distinct impression that Derrick missed a lot.

"Er...no worries," she told him. "I'm not likely to forget."

"I guess not," he said, smiling smugly. "All right then. I'd better be off." He bent down and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you Sunday...and I'll expect an answer," he added ominously. Without so much as a backward glance to the rest of the occupants in the room, he strode out.

"Want me to give him an answer?" Tewanda offered hopefully when the door closed behind Derrick.

Audrey's shoulders sagged with a sigh of obvious relief. "No," she told her. "That won't be necessary." She pushed a hand through her hair, then looked up and for the first time her gaze landed on Jamie. "Oh," she said, her eyes widening in obvious embarra.s.sment.

Tewanda grinned. "This is our newest guest-Jamie Flanagan," she said. "The Colonel's friend," she added significantly.

Impossibly, her eyes widened further, then another "oh" slipped from between her lips. Three beats pa.s.sed, then she gave her head a small shake. She smiled and hurried forward to offer her hand.

Against his better judgment he took it and, to his immediate chagrin, his palm tingled where it touched hers. Heat detonated in his loins and a curious warmth expanded in his chest.

Now that was novel, Jamie thought, somewhat startled by the singularly disturbing reaction. His d.i.c.k had stirred the instant he'd seen her-no surprise there because it nodded at almost every woman of the right age with a halfway decent rack-but this was the first time he'd ever gotten a charge out of merely touching a woman's hand. While the picture of her might have been compelling, seeing her in the flesh was nothing short of magnetic. Jamie gritted his teeth as more prophet-of-doom musings rolled through his head.

"It's a pleasure, Mr. Flanagan."

"Jamie, please," he told her, smiling, as a litany of curses reeled through his head.

"Jamie, then. I'm Audrey. Welcome to Unwind."

h.e.l.l more like, Jamie thought, because guarding this woman without seducing her was going to be an exercise in restraint which would result in the most perverse sort of torture he could imagine.

Unwind h.e.l.l.

He'd be lucky if he didn't come un-glued, unhinged, un-wound, or un-manned by the time this week was over.

"SINCE M MR. FLANAGAN IS a special guest, why don't you show him to his cottage personally?" Tewanda suggested sweetly. a special guest, why don't you show him to his cottage personally?" Tewanda suggested sweetly.

Unable to tear her gaze away from the man in question, it took Audrey a few seconds to respond. "Er...sure. I'd be happy to. If you'll just come with me," she said trying to sound more professional than the half-wit she'd undoubtedly just appeared to be.