Tarzan & Janine (17 page)

Losing her heart, and a bagel wouldn’t cure that. The answer came unbidden in her thoughts. No, it couldn’t be that. Janine hadn’t planned on ever losing her heart as her mother had. That choice had only landed them in the poor house with unfulfilled dreams and a hundred regrets. Love wasn’t worth it. It was a gamble that never seemed to pay off. Someone would fall out of love and she’d be left paying the debt the rest of her life.

No, love was not for Janine. The emotion wasn’t in the plan. Ever since she could remember, she’d had stars in her eyes. There wasn’t a time she didn’t have her goals set to make it to the stage or film.

Janine glanced up, her eyes narrowing with determination. She couldn’t, wouldn’t let a little thing like falling in love stop her.
Be strong, don’t sway
. Then she saw Tanner pushing his way through the crowd toward her. Her resolve melted in that instant, and she did the only thing she could.

She turned and ran.

* * *

“Okay, Monty, I’ll fly out for the audition a week from Monday. I have a commercial to shoot this Friday, the sale on Saturday, then I can be on a plane Sunday night. That sound all right?”

“Peachy, just peachy. You won’t regret this, I promise. It’s only the beginning of a fabulous career,” Monty said in his usual flamboyant style.

“Yeah, okay, whatever you say.” Her mind on Austin and the Tarzan who’d walked away with her heart, she barely paid attention to her agent. “Look, Monty, I’ve got to get some rest. Can we discuss the details later?”

“Sure thing. Give me or my secretary a call any time this week, and we’ll have everything you’ll need.”

“Great. And Monty?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks,” she said.
Thanks for getting me out of here.
Janine pressed the off button on her phone and flopped down on her couch. For a woman with the opportunity to move to the city she’d always longed for, she sure wasn’t jumping up and down in excitement. What was wrong with her? Here was a legitimate chance to start fresh and pretty darn close to her dreams. Why couldn’t she muster more enthusiasm?

Hugging a flowered throw pillow to her chest, she closed her eyes and envisioned Tanner as he’d been last night in nothing but a pink fuzzy bathrobe. Damn even in that, he’d been sexy. How could she resist such a man? She sank sideways on the couch and half-heartedly punched the pillow.
I’m doomed
.

When had it happened? When had she actually fallen in love with a used car salesman? How could she let herself do that? Hadn’t she learned anything from her mother’s miserable life? Janine felt a lump invade her throat.

* * *

I love her. Oh, my god, I love her
.

The thought came to him when he saw the determined look on Janine’s face cascade into desperation just before she’d hightailed it off the car lot.

What was that all about? She sure was acting strange and it was about time he got to the bottom of her behavior.

Surrounded by customers, salesmen and his new fan club, Tanner couldn’t break through to reach her in time. She’d gotten away. Every fiber of his being screamed to follow her. He’d been in the process of disengaging from the people surrounding him when his father arrived.

Tanner watched in amazement as the crowd seemed to part for the commanding presence of Joe Peschke.

“Tanner, my boy, let’s go inside where we can talk.”

“I’d love to Dad, but can it wait?” Tanner asked, glancing around for a glimpse of golden hair, but she was already unlocking her car.

“No, son, I have a few things to get off my chest. No time like the present.”

Tanner gave one last look in Janine’s direction. She was in her car and headed off the lot. He’d never catch her. But he’d find her after this meeting with his father.

As he followed his father through the showroom into the back offices, his mind strayed to the woman driving away. He had the sinking sensation that the farther away she drove, the less chance he had of getting her back. But that was absurd. Where would she go? To her apartment on the west side of Austin? Not so far he couldn’t get there in under thirty minutes. Taking a few deep breaths, Tanner braced himself for the four-hundredth lesson in the Tanner series.

“Now, son, I can’t argue with the sales figures. The other part of the business is maintaining a professional presence in the local car sales circles,” Joe Peschke began.

“Yes, Dad.” Tanner settled into a seat beside his father’s desk. At least from this location, he could look out the window. He’d learned that trick long ago in a similar meeting. In an attempt to get comfortable, he shifted in the chair. This could go on for a long time, and he’d much rather be in pursuit of one beautiful woman.

“I understood the need to save the monkey and the girl from the boa constrictor. But this latest bit with the elephant only left you looking like a fool.”

“Yes, Dad.” Tanner nodded at the appropriate points to indicate he was listening, even when he wasn’t.

“It might be all right for the marketing manager of the dealership,” Joe swiveled his chair. “But the president and owner can’t go around acting like a clown on television without becoming the laughing stock of the town.”

“But Dad, we’ll be laughing all the way to the bank.”

“Quite so, quite so, but that doesn’t erase the impression this dealership is being run by a bunch of clowns. If you ever want to expand and possibly go into the new car market, the manufacturers’ll be lookin’ at the whole package. They’ll wanna know their products are bein’ taken seriously and sold by competent dealers.” He waved a hand toward the window. “Do you see where I’m goin’ with this?”

“Yes, Dad,” Tanner said, automatically, then thought again. “I mean no, Dad. What are you sayin’? You want me to take over and build this business into something bigger than it already is?

“That’s always been my dream, son. And if you start out in the right direction, you can make it happen.”

Tanner had to take a moment or two to get a grip on the rampaging thoughts racing through his head. His father wanted him to take over the dealership some day. That was a given. Having been brought up with that thought drilled into his head since he was old enough to say
Have I got a deal for you
, Tanner knew this was the plan his father had for him.

But expanding the dealership into selling new cars and possibly opening more locations? The noose around his neck tightened, and he reached up to loosen his necktie. “Whoa, Dad. Wait just a minute. Who said anything about building this business bigger? I’m not so sure I want to do that.”

“Nonsense. You can’t halt progress. In order to make a livin’ at this, you’ve gotta think big and expand or be taken over by the competition.”

Tanner stood and paced the length of the room. “Dad, we have a hard enough time makin’ a profit at this location. How in the heck do you think I have what it takes to make a go of even more locations?”

“I’m convinced you can do it, son. Just look how you turned yourself around in just a few short weeks. I know you can expand with a little guidance in the management arena.”

“Dad, I appreciate that you have confidence in me.” And Tanner really did like that his father now believed in his abilities, but…”I need to think about what I want out of the business.”

“Well, don’t think too long. I’m really considerin’ handin’ over the business soon, and I want to know your heart is in it.”

“Like I said, Dad, I want to think about this. Give me some time.”

“Take some.” His father swept his arm wide, then ended with a finger pointing Tanner’s direction. “But not too long. In this business, if you snooze, you loose...millions.”

His father’s words followed him enroute to Janine’s apartment. Spotting a flower shop, Tanner swerved into the parking lot and bought a beautiful bouquet of red roses. On his way out, he noticed a pet store with a white fuzzy kitten pawing at the window as if waving to get his attention. That’s all it took was one wave of the kitten’s paw and he had to have it for Janine. The puffy thing reminded him of her, all soft and feminine just made to be loved and cuddled.

Once in the car, he removed the bright red bow from the vase of roses and tied it around the kitten’s neck. “There, can’t have you goin’ to a new home without a welcoming ribbon.” As he drove the rest of the way to Janine’s apartment with his carload of bribes, he scratched the fur ball behind the ears. How could a woman turn away a man bearing such gifts? And he really wanted her to let him in. More than anything he’d ever wanted in his entire life. More even than his father’s approval.

Chapter Twelve

Janine tossed and turned, deep in the throes of a bad dream. She’d been riding along a dark road with sheer drop-offs on both sides. As she topped a steep incline, she strained to see over the crest, discovering she couldn’t see because nothing was on the other side. Before she could stop herself she was falling, falling, falling into a black abyss with no hope of ever being found.

“Tanner!” Janine reached out, hoping he’d find her and save her before she was lost forever.

Thunk.
Pain shot through her head and hip, meaning she’d hit the ground and she was still alive, not lost in an abyss. Janine opened her eyes to stare up at her coffee table. She wasn’t on a rickety highway or falling into a bottomless pit. Instead, she was lying on the floor next to her couch, clutching a wrinkled throw pillow.

A strange scratching sound came from the direction of her door.

She hauled herself to her feet, mentally counting the bruises she’d just acquired.
Who could be at my door in the middle of the n—
Janine glanced at the clock on the mantel
—day? Wow, was it only five o’clock in the evening
? Disoriented and cranky, she wasn’t in any mood to entertain, nor buy anything from some persistent salesman. “Go away,” she called through the door.

The scratching stopped, and she thought her entreaty had worked its magic. Good. She turned toward her kitchen and a cup of tea, when...

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Janine dragged her fingers through her hair and swung back toward the door to peek through the peephole. The little bit of hallway she could see was empty.

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Leaving the chain in place, Janine unlocked the door and looked out. “Whoever’s scratching on my door better quit it. I’ve got 9-1-1 on speed dial, and I’m not afraid to use it.”

The hallway was as empty as it had appeared in the peephole. Then she felt something soft curl against her ankle, and she almost jumped out of her skin. “Yeek!!!!”

She leaped to the chair situated next to the table in the entryway and stared down at the floor, expecting to see a huge rat or snake or something equally horrifying. Instead, a fluffy white face looked up at her, its head tipped to the side.

“A kitten? What the heck were you doing out there?” Janine stepped down off her perch, scooped the kitten into her arms, unlocked the chain, and stepped through the doorway.

Standing against the wall was a pair of jean-clad legs with a bouquet of roses for a face. Then Tanner Peschke peered around the flowers and smiled. “I see you found Rocky.” He gestured toward the kitten.

“Rocky?” Janine cocked an eyebrow at the purring fuzz ball licking her fingers. “Oh, the kitten?”

“Yeah. I thought it only fitting that a male kitten that looks like a powder puff should have a tough name. You know, to keep all the other cats in the neighborhood from pickin’ on him. Don’t you think so?”

His eyes widened like a little boy, so hopeful. Janine had mixed signals from her mind and body. On the one hand, how could she resist a good-looking man wielding flowers and a kitten? On the other hand, where did her dreams and career goals fit in with the Tanner picture? Her pulse rate quickened with one glance at his lips and breathing became more difficult. Memories of their last kiss assailed the feminine hormones taking control of her body. She pressed the kitten to her face to hide the warm flush spreading through her cheeks. “What do you want, Tanner?”

His smile slipped a little, but then returned in full force. “Is that any way to treat the rescuer of small animals?”

“You rescued this kitten?” she asked.

“Yes, from a cold display window or possibly some family with mean little boys.” His grin stretched his firm mouth. “A fate, I’m sure that’s worse than death. So you see, I’m a hero.”

Janine rolled her eyes.

“Rocky thinks I am, anyway. Don’t you, Rocky?” Tanner stepped closer to tickle the kitten’s furry neck. The gesture brought his hand close enough to brush against Janine’s breast.

Her indrawn breath was a borderline gasp and alerted him to her awareness. He looked up to gaze into her eyes. The flames of desire leapt in his, searing her with their heat.

Janine stumbled backward, putting distance between her and Tanner. But the space wasn’t enough. As she stood inside her apartment with him on the threshold, she felt trapped. “I can’t do this, Tanner.”