It Happened One Week (14 page)

“I’d hoped that was the case.”

“I’ve already informed the partners that you’d be terrific at the job. But after receiving my daily faxes, they’ve instructed me to offer you another position.

“You also know that all the recent mergers and downsizing has created a great deal of anxiety.”

“Of course.”

“Your Portland office is not unique. Janzen, Lawton and Young has been experiencing the same problems with all its new worldwide acquisitions. Which is why the partners have come up with the idea of creating the post of ombudsman. Which is where you come in.

“If you decide to accept the position, you’ll achieve upper-management status and be required to travel between offices, creating the same good feeling and teamsmanship you’ve managed with this group.”

“I’d rather have a root canal than repeat this challenge week.”

Kelli grinned. “After that fishing trip, I’m in your corner on that one. Actually, the partners think the challenge week was overrated and undereffective. They believe that you could achieve the same results simply by visiting each office and employing your diplomatic skills to assure the employees that the mergers are in everyone’s best interests.”

“Even if I don’t believe they are?” Amanda dared to ask.

“You’re in advertising,” Kelli reminded her with one of her perky trademark smiles. “Surely you’re not averse to putting a positive spin on things. As you’ve done to get Marvin and Julian working together this week. You weren’t lying when you stressed how important it was for the creative people and the accounting people to work together, were you?”

“Of course not, but—”

“Take some time to think it over,” Kelli suggested. She went on to offer a salary that was more than double what Amanda was currently making. “Of course, you’ll have a very generous expense account. Since image is important in advertising, all upper-level employees travel first-class.”

“It sounds tempting,” Amanda admitted. She thought about what her father would say when she called him with the news.

“Believe me, you’ll earn every penny.”

“If I decide not to accept—”

“The job of creative director for the Northwest region is still yours.”

“How much time do I have?”

“The partners would like your answer by the end of next week. Sooner if possible.”

With that, Kelli flashed another self-assured grin and turned to leave. She was in the doorway when she looked back. “I’d appreciate you not saying anything about this to Greg.”

“Of course not,” Amanda murmured, still a bit stunned by the out-of-the-blue offer. It was more than she’d dared hope for. More than she’d dreamed of. So why wasn’t she ecstatic?

T
he rock cliffs towered above the beach, looking cold and gray and forbidding.

“Who’ll take care of my kids when I die?” Laura asked, her lack of enthusiasm obvious.

“No one’s going to die,” Dane assured her.

“This isn’t fair to the women,” Nadine complained. “I’ve seen rock climbers on the Discovery channel, and they’re mostly all men.”

“It’s true that some climbing—like overhangs—requires strength in the shoulders and arms. But the fact that women aren’t usually as strong in those areas isn’t as important as you’d think,” Dane said. “Since women tend to be smaller than men, they don’t need as much strength. In fact, on the average, smaller people have a better strength-to-weight ratio, which is what’s important in climbing.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Nadine muttered, casting a disparaging glance at Dane’s muscular arms.

“It’s true. Climbing is done primarily with the legs and feet because they’re stronger. You can stand for hours at a time on your feet, but even the strongest man can only hang from his arms for a few minutes. The most essential element of climbing is balance.”

While the group eyed the cliff with overt suspicion, Dane explained the basics of rock climbing. “One of the most important things to remember,” he told the team members,
“is that although the tendency is to look up for handholds, you should keep your hands below your shoulders and look down for footholds.

“Balance climbing, which is what you’ll be doing, is like climbing stairs, although today you’ll be climbing more sideways than vertically. You find a place for your foot, settle into a rest step, then make a shift of your hips and move on to the next step, always striving to keep your body poised over one foot.

“You can pause, or rest supported by both feet. You can also lift your body up with both legs, but never advance a foot to the next hold until you’re in balance over the resting foot.”

“What about ropes?” Laura, still unconvinced, asked.

“There’s an old adage—’It’s not the fall that hurts, it’s the sudden stop.’ If a rope stops a fall too fast, you can end up with a broken body. Or, a rope can pull loose and let you continue to fall. So, although you’ll be equipped with a rope harness, since there are plenty of ledges and handholds, you shouldn’t need to use the rope on this climb.”

“We’re not going to rappel?” Luke asked.

“Not today.” Dane’s assurance drew murmurs of relief.

After more explanation of terms and techniques, Dane climbed up the side of the cliff to set the woven climbing rope while the others watched.

“He makes it look so easy,” Laura said.

“Michael Jordan makes hoops look easy, too,” Luke added. “But I wouldn’t be stupid enough to play one-on-one with the guy.”

“It’s tricky,” Kelli allowed. “But this cliff is only a grade one.”

“What does that mean?” Julian asked. “And how do you know so much about it?”

“I’ve been climbing since my teens,” she answered the second question first. “As for the rating, climbs are divided
into grades from one to six. A grade one, like this one, will only have one to two pitches. A grade six, like some of the routes on El Capitan, can have more than thirty pitches.”

“Terrific,” Julian muttered. “The red team’s brought in a ringer.”

“I’ve already decided to take myself off the team,” Kelli revealed, as Dane came back down the rocks with a deft skill that Amanda admired, even as her heart leaped to her throat.

“That’s not necessary,” Marvin said. “I’ve been climbing since college. And while I haven’t done El Capitan, I think I can do my bit for the blue team.”

With the competitive balance restored, the final challenge event began. To everyone’s surprise, the climb went amazingly well. Even Laura, who’d sworn that she wouldn’t be able to get past the first rest stop, managed to make her way to the top, then back down again.

The final participant was Julian, who was making record time when, eager to reach the top of the cliff, he leaned too far into the slope, pushing his feet outward, causing him to slip. Sensing he was about to slide, he grabbed for a handhold, causing a small avalanche of pebbles.

Everyone watching from below breathed a united sigh of relief as the rope looped around his waist held.

“There’s a ledge six inches to the left of you,” Dane called out. “Just stay calm. You can reach it with no trouble.”

Dangling against the cliff, Julian managed to edge his left foot sideways until it was safely on the ledge.

“That’s it,” Dane said encouragingly. “Now, put the heel of your right foot on that outcropping just below where it is now.”

Although he was trembling visibly, Julian did as instructed.

“It’s going to be okay,” Dane assured Amanda and the others. “He’s not in any danger.” He lifted his cupped hands again. “Now, all you have to do is come back down the way you went up and you’re home free.”

Later, Amanda would decide that the next moment was when Julian made his mistake. He looked down, viewed the . gathered team members far below, realized exactly how close he’d come to falling—and literally froze.

Dane was the first to realize what had happened. He cursed.

“I’d better go bring him down.”

“No,” Marvin said. “He’s my teammate. I can talk him the rest of the way up.”

“It’s just a game,” Amanda protested. “Winning isn’t worth risking anyone’s life.”

“I know that.” Marvin gently pried her fingers off his arm. “But there’s more at risk than winning, Amanda. Julian will never forgive himself if he gives up now.”

That said, he repeated the ascent path he’d worked out the first time he’d scaled the cliff. Within minutes he was perched on a rock horn beside the art director and although it wasn’t possible to hear what they were saying, it was obvious the two men were engaged in serious conversation.

When Julian looked down again, Amanda drew in a sharp breath, afraid that he’d panic and lose his balance again. But instead, he turned his attention back to the rock wall and began slowly but surely moving upward, with Marvin right behind him, offering words of encouragement and pointing out possible paths.

When Julian reached the top of the cliff, cheers rang out from the team members below.

“Talk about teamwork,” Kelli murmured to Amanda. “You’ve definitely pulled it off, Amanda. I hope you’re seriously considering the partners’ offer.”

“How could I not?” Amanda answered.

As Julian and Marvin made their way back down the cliff, Dane came over to stand beside Amanda. “I couldn’t help overhearing Kelli. Congratulations. You’ll be great.”

She looked up at him with confusion. “You know?”

It was Dane’s turn to be confused. “Know what? I assumed you’d been offered Parsons’s job.”

“I was.” She glanced around, not wanting the others to hear. “But it’s turned out to be a bit more complicated.”

She didn’t want to discuss the amazing offer with Dane until they were alone and she could attempt to discern how he felt about her possibly moving to New York.

If he asked her to stay, she would. Already having missed one opportunity with this man, she was not about to blow another.

Something was wrong.
Dane felt it deep in his gut. He was going to lose her again.

The ride back to the inn was a boisterous one. Although the blue team had won the week’s event on points, even their opponents were fired up by Julian and Marvin’s cooperative team effort. By the time the van pulled into the parking lot of the inn, everyone had decided to go into Satan’s Cove to celebrate having ended the week on such a high note.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” Kelli asked an hour later, after the trophies had been handed out.

“It’s been a long day,” Amanda demurred. “I have a lot to think about. I think I’ll just stay here.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.”

Kelli glanced at Dane, who’d come into the room during the awards ceremony, then back at Amanda. “It’s a fabulous offer, Amanda.”

“I know.”

“But then again, men like Dane Cutter don’t come into a girl’s life every day.”

“I know that, too.” She’d had two chances with Dane. How many more would she be lucky enough to be given?

“Well, I don’t envy you your choice, but good luck.” Kelli left the room to join the others, who were gathering in the reception foyer for their trip to town.

Unbearably nervous, Amanda stood rooted to the spot as Dane walked toward her.

“Your hands are cold,” he said as he took both of them in his.

“It’s the weather.” Rain streaked down the windows, echoing her mood. “It’ll be good when you get the new furnace installed.”

“Yes.” It wasn’t the chill outside that had turned her fingers to ice, but a nervousness inside, Dane decided.

“Would you like to talk about it?” he asked quietly.

Amanda swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Actually,” she said, her voice little more than a whisper, “I would. But first I’d like to make love with you.”

Dane needed no second invitation.

Alone in the tower room, Dane and Amanda undressed each other slowly, drawing out this suspended time together with slow hands and tender touches.

The candles she’d lit when they’d first entered the room burned low as they moved together, flowing so effortlessly across the bed, they could have been making love in an enchanted world beneath the sea.

Whispered words of love mingled with the sound of rain falling on the slate roof; soft caresses grew more urgent, then turned gentle again as they moved from patience to urgency, returning to tenderness, before continuing on to madness. All night long.

The candles stuttered out. The rain stopped, the moon began to set. And despite their unspoken efforts to stop time, morning dawned. Gray and gloomy.

Amanda lay in Dane’s arms, feeling more loved than she’d ever felt in her life. And more miserable.

“Are you ready to talk about it?” he asked quietly.

As his thumb brushed away the errant tear trailing down her cheek, she squeezed her eyes tight and helplessly shook her head.

“We have to, Amanda.” His voice was as calm and selfcontrolled as it had been ten years ago, making her feel like a foolish, lovestruck fifteen-year-old all over again. “We can’t put it off any longer.”

“I know.”

With a long sigh, she hitched herself up in bed. Dane wondered if she realized how beautiful she was, with her face, flushed from making love, framed by that tousled dark gold cloud of hair. Her eyes were wide and laced with more pain than a woman who’d spent the night making mad, passionate love should be feeling. She dragged her hand through her hair. “I don’t know where to start.”

He sat up as well and put his arm around her shoulder. “How about at the beginning?”

This wasn’t going to be good. Dane’s mind whirled with possibilities, trying to get ahead of the conversation so he could supply an argument to any reason she might try to give for leaving.

“Kelli
is
a company spy. But not for Greg.”

“She works for the home office.” All the pieces of the puzzle that had been nagging at him finally fell into place.

“Yes.”

“When did you find out?”

“Right before the rock climb. She told me Greg was going to be fired. And that his job was mine, if I wanted it.”

“Which you do.” Dane decided there were worse things than commuter marriages. Portland wasn’t that far away, and if her job made her happy…

“I thought I did.” Her fingers, plucking at the sheets, revealed her nervousness. Dane waited.

“She offered me another position.”

“Oh?” His heart pounded hard and painfully in his chest. “In Portland?”

Her words clogged her throat. Amanda could only shake her head.

“The job’s in Manhattan,” Dane guessed flatly.

“Yes.” She shook her head again. “No.”

“Which is it? Yes? Or no?” An impatience he’d tried to control made his tone gruff.

“My office would be in Manhattan. But I’d be traveling most of the time. In an ombudsman position.”

It made sense. Having watched her in action, Dane knew she’d be a natural. And Lord knows, if the lack of morale the employees of the former C.C.C. agency had displayed when they’d first arrived at Smugglers’ Inn was indicative of that of the international firm’s other acquisitions, they were in desperate need of an effective ombudsman.

“That’s quite an offer.”

“Yes.” Her voice lacked the enthusiasm he would have expected. “I think I could be good at it.”

“I know you’d be great.” It was, unfortunately, the absolute truth.

“And the salary and benefits are generous.”

When she related them to Dane, he whistled. “That would definitely put you in the big leagues.” Which was where her father had always intended her to be.

“I’ve dreamed of ending up on Madison Avenue, of course,” Amanda admitted. “But I never thought my chance would come this soon. My parents would probably be proud of me,” she murmured, echoing his thoughts.

“They’d undoubtedly be proud of you whatever you did.” It wasn’t exactly the truth. But it should be.

Her crooked, wobbly smile revealed they were thinking the same thing.

“When do you have to give the partners your answer?”

“By the end of next week.”
Tell me not to go,
she begged him silently.

Dane wanted to tell her to turn the offer down. He wanted to insist she stay here, with him, to make a home during the day and babies at night, as they’d planned so many years ago.

But, just as he’d had to do what was right for him, Dane knew that Amanda could do no less for herself.

“It’s a terrific opportunity,” he forced himself to say now. “I’m sure you’ll make the right choice.”

Because he feared he was going to cry, Dane drew her back into his arms, covered her mouth with his, and took her one last time with a power and a glory that left them both breathless.

Not wanting to watch Amanda walk out of his life for a second time, later that morning Dane went down to the beach, seeking peace.

In the distance, he heard the bus taking the corporate team—and Amanda—away.