Christmas Diamonds (2 page)

“Oh, right,” Chase said, glad she’d brought that up. “I’ve looked them over, and everything seems in order.”

“Good.” Monica paused as if distracted.

“Anything else?” he asked, suspecting she had more on her mind.

“Since you mentioned it, there are several new diamond consignments that need your approval pronto.”

“I’ll get right on it.” He turned onto Orchard Lane. “Is that all?”

“For now.” She laughed. “Just don’t be too surprised if I have a lot more stuff that requires your attention before the day is through.”

Chase chuckled. “Oh, I won’t be. Comes with the territory.” He didn’t always like it, but overall felt he was in command of the situation and wouldn’t complain. “See you soon.”

“That’s what they all say,” she kidded. “Then I never hear from them again.”

Chase reflected on Monica’s merry-go-round of love interests, including three divorces and at least one engagement broken off. He couldn’t imagine such in his life, as he took marriage commitment seriously.

“You’ll get it right one of these days,” he tried to assure her.

“Uh-huh. I’ll believe it when I see it, or maybe I should say
him
.”

Chase smiled faintly. “Wish I could offer you some advice, but since my love life isn’t exactly flourishing these days, I can only wish you the best of luck.”

“You, too,” Monica offered poignantly. “I know you haven’t found a good match since Rochelle’s death, but don’t stop trying to find one. She’s out there somewhere.”

“I know,” he muttered, imagining Rochelle scolding him for setting the bar too high in meeting a new woman to become the center of his life. The truth was, Rochelle was a hard act to follow, and, though Chase wasn’t about to let the few women he had gone out with unsuccessfully dissuade him, he wouldn’t settle for anyone less than he deserved.

Chase neared his house. Glancing at his dashboard clock, he noted it was a quarter to three, giving him a little time to work with before his meeting.

Paula got into her white Subaru Legacy sedan. She listened to her favorite Alicia Keys CD as she drove through Silver Moon, Washington, which was located nearly one hundred miles east of Seattle. She’d lived in Silver Moon since she was a child. The city was noted for its hospitality, laid-back lifestyle, clean parks and marvelous views of Mount Rainier.

Self-employed as an interior decorator, Paula had reached a comfortable point at this stage of her career. Due to the clien
tele she’d established, all of her appointments now came strictly by referral and word of mouth.

Such was the latest instance, in which a man had expressed an interest in having his great room modernized. She was always ready and willing to put her talents to work in beautifying any space, big or small. Satisfying her clients was not always easy, since individual tastes and needs varied. As long as she did her best every time, Paula was confident her clients would be happy and more than satisfied with the result, including the newest person to pursue her services.

She pulled up to the gated entry of the house. After identifying herself via the speaker, the gates opened. Paula drove around a circular driveway and parked behind a luxury vehicle. She got out and stood on a cobblestone pathway. Her burgundy pumps matched her designer business suit with a vented-cuff jacket and pants. One look at the house, and Paula was instantly impressed before even setting foot inside.

The multistory Georgian Colonial sat on a hill and was surrounded by western hemlocks. With a brick facade and white columns, it had paired chimneys, nine small windowpanes in each sash window and a beveled-glass front door.

Very nice. I can’t wait to see the great room
.

Paula stepped onto the porch and rang the bell. A moment later, the doors were opened by a fortysomething woman wearing a housekeeping dress.

“Hi, I’m Paula Devine,” she said, trying to maintain her cool.

“Mr. McCord is expecting you. Come in.”

Paula entered a ceramic-tiled entranceway, noting a hand-painted console table. Above it was a beautiful oil painting of yellow roses. She was led into a grand great room with a vaulted, wood-beamed ceiling and French-vanilla plaster walls. Two octagon olefin area rugs offset each other on the bamboo floor. There was a freestanding stone fireplace and custom-built walnut cabinetry. The window treatments were elegant swags and jabots.

As any interior decorator would do, Paula took it all in. For the most part, she liked what she saw.

“Mr. McCord will be right with you,” the woman said. “Feel free to have a seat if you like.”

“Thanks.” Paula watched her walk away and then studied the furnishings. They were a combination of contemporary and traditional with floral fabrics and handcrafted accent pieces. In many respects it was as if she had stepped into a museum where everything was perfect, maybe too perfect for a room that should be open and fun.

I almost hate to sit down for fear of tarnishing the sofa
.

She wandered over to the gourmet kitchen and found it just as impressive, with slate flooring, state-of-the-art appliances, including a Wolf range and glass-front Sub-Zero refrigerator, marble counters, a center island and a breakfast nook. If Paula had any complaint, it would have to be the orange walls, which seemed a bit outdated, and window treatments that failed to bring in enough light.

“Ms. Devine?”

The voice had a vaguely familiar ring to it. Paula turned around and saw the handsome man she’d encountered at the coffee shop. Her mouth dropped.

“You’re—?”

“I’m afraid so.” He looked equally surprised. Or perhaps somewhat amused. “Chase McCord.”

Chapter 2

“I
didn’t realize at the coffee shop you were the person I had an appointment with—” Paula’s soft voice broke, and she looked as if she wanted to run and hide.

“Would that have mattered?” Chase gazed down at the woman who had unjustly given him the cold shoulder. Again he was taken by her good looks, glowing oaklike complexion and the silky, flowing blond hair. He liked how her clothing fit snugly on her taut body. He caught a whiff of her perfume, a mixture of lavender and vanilla that was pleasing. “Or do you act differently toward potential clients than you do when meeting other men?”

She pursed her lips. “I try to treat all people the same way.”

“Oh, really?” Chase raised a brow. “If that’s how you treat
all
people, then—”

“Now wait just a minute,” Paula said, coloring.

“Seems to me that once you make up your mind about someone, it’s set in stone,” Chase suggested.

She sucked in a deep breath. “I obviously misinterpreted things. If I offended you, I’m sorry.”

“Are you?” Chase found himself uncharacteristically enjoying watching her grovel now that a job was clearly on the line. He supposed it was time to cut the lady some slack.

Her mouth opened slightly. “Look, why don’t we just start over?”

“You think we should?”

Paula frowned. “Do you always respond to a question with a question?”

Chase chuckled. “No, not always. Only where it concerns business. I happen to judge people who work for me by how they present themselves.”

She tensed. “I can assure you that you will find me the consummate professional.”

Chase studied her and definitely liked what he saw. Apart from her obvious physical beauty, she was sexy as hell, though he suspected the lady was trying hard not to present that side of her while she was in business mode. As a man who had by and large put his profession first since he became a widower, Chase respected that much in the interior decorator. Nothing said they had to see eye to eye on a personal level, not to mention on a romantic and intimate level.

“Then let’s start over,” he told her.

Paula’s lips curved upward at the corners. “I’m sure you won’t regret it.”

Chase liked the way she smiled, displaying straight, tight white teeth and dimpled cheeks. This notwithstanding, her work still had to stand on its own merits. He was not one to spend his hard-earned money frivolously, even if the interior decorator was extremely easy on the eyes.

“You come highly recommended,” he noted.

She nodded. “Yes, your father, right?”

Chase grinned. “You did a nice job on his recreation room earlier this year.”

“Thanks,” Paula said sincerely. “It was fun turning the
room into a place where people could just relax and play games, leaving the outside world behind.”

“I’d say you accomplished your objective.” It was his father’s favorite place to hang out at home. Chase also found himself spending a lot of time there playing pool and checkers.

Paula looked up at him. “You have a beautiful house, Mr. McCord.”

“I’m pretty happy with it for the most part,” he said. “And please, call me Chase.”

“All right, Chase. And I prefer Paula.”

He met her bold eyes. “So tell me what you think of this great room.”

She took a sweeping glance and returned her gaze to him. “I think it’s wonderful. Maybe a bit too pristine for my tastes, but it’s certainly a room to admire.”

“I’ve been told that often,” he said. “My late wife chose everything you see in here. It was her passion to make this the dream house she’d envisioned.”

Paula’s brows lowered respectfully. “I’m sorry about your wife.”

Chase felt her sincerity and also his own pain that resurfaced every time he went down memory lane. He pushed the issue away, not wanting to backpedal on the decision to redecorate he’d made for all the right reasons.

“She was a wonderful woman.” His voice cracked with emotion. “Anyway, as much as I love this room, I think a change is definitely in order in here.”

“Just how much of a change are we talking about?” Paula asked, her voice lifted a notch.

“I’d like a complete makeover. All of the current furnishings can be donated to a charitable organization.” Chase faced Paula. “Do you think you could help me out?”

She grinned. “Yes, I’d love to.”

“Great!” Chase said, grinning back at her.

“Is there any theme in particular that you’re looking for?” she queried. “Perhaps one to complement the kitchen?”

“Not that I can think of,” he admitted, having given it little thought other than wanting something different. “Rochelle, my late wife, gave each room its own individual style. Since you’re the decorator, I’ll trust you to use your discretion in here.”

Paula’s eyes lit up enthusiastically, and Chase could tell that ideas were beginning to form in her mind. That was exactly what he’d hoped for, as this was outside his area of expertise.

“Do you have a budget in mind?” she asked. “I certainly wouldn’t presume that cost is no object, since it usually is with most people. I can pretty much work within any set amount you give me.”

Chase appreciated her frankness, indicating her willingness to put the client first. This was in stark contrast to the woman he’d met at the coffee shop, who seemed to have a chip on her shoulder toward any man she felt had stepped over the line.

“Whatever it takes to get the job done satisfactorily,” he said, knowing that his income afforded him the means. “Just draw up an estimate.”

Paula nodded. “I’ll put together a plan and run it by you. If you agree, we’ll implement it.”

Chase pulled out his card and handed it to her. “My home, work and cell numbers are all there.”

She studied the card. “So you’re in the diamond business like your father?”

“Yeah,” he uttered proudly. “Seemed like a smart move after I graduated from college.”

“I’m sure it was.”

Chase wondered if she really believed that. The one thing he never wanted a woman to think was that he merely followed in his father’s footsteps with no vision of his own. The truth was, he could have done anything with his MBA, but chose a dual major in gemology not only to keep the family business alive, but to put his stamp on it. He had done just that, and Chase had no doubt he’d taken the right career path.

Paula put his card in her wallet and took out hers. “Here’s
all my contact info. Feel free to call me any time you have a question or concern about the project.”

Chase thought it was unbelievable that an hour ago the same woman had no desire whatsoever to give him the time of day, much less her number. Now he had direct lines of communication with her and vice versa.

He stuck the card in his pocket. “I’ll do that.”

Paula dug in her purse. “I need to take some measurements and a few pictures of the room.”

“Be my guest.” Chase watched her methodically put a measuring tape to work and then use a digital camera to capture the room from different angles. Clearly she was in her element. He was as much fascinated with her body language as the process she went through to get a feel for the spatial dimensions and lighting. She moved gracefully and with an unassuming sexuality, making him almost wish he could just stand there and watch her all afternoon.

Paula turned to him. “Once I transfer these to my computer, I’ll be able to play around with some different concepts until I find the one I think works best.”

“I have no doubt you know what you’re doing,” Chase told her. “I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product.” Even if that meant losing what Rochelle had poured her heart and soul into. Deep down inside, Chase believed that her efforts would never truly die and Rochelle’s presence would be part of the house for as long as he lived there. With its great location and comfort, he saw no reason to move.

“I can’t wait, either.” Paula put away her camera and stuck out her arm. “I look forward to working with you.”

Chase shook her hand, finding it very soft, warm and inviting. “Ditto for me.”

He saw her out the door and couldn’t help but think that it would be a good thing to have Paula here to spruce up his favorite room. This also meant they would have to get past their differences from the coffee shop and work in conjunc
tion toward a common goal. She was obviously willing to meet him halfway, which was all he could ask for.

Chase went back inside and approached Jackie, the housekeeper he’d hired to come in three days a week to do the things Rochelle had once done. At first he’d tried to go it alone but quickly realized he was only making a bigger mess of things.