lifestyle with him. Ginny would probably never
forgive Brad if he succeeded in driving off her new husband.
"You want me to take him for a whole summer?"
"Why not?" Ginny said grimly. "Let him see what his father is
really like. Let him see what a failure you are now. It might be
more effective than all the expensive therapy in the world. Come
and get him, Matt. I really can't take any more." She hung up the
phone without waiting for an answer.
Slowly Matt replaced the receiver, absorbing the ramifications of
the three A.M. call. It changed everything. He knew that tone in
Ginny's voice. She was at the end of her tether and she was
struggling to hold on to the financial and emotional security she
had found with Paul Martin. She'd established her priorities and
Brad was now second on the list.
There had been several years during which the boy had ranked
higher. Brad's birth had brought with it the vast approval of
Matt's parents along with a considerable flow of cash from them.
At the time of the divorce Colonel and Mrs. August had made it
clear they sided with the mother of their grandson. And after
Matt's career disaster their sympathies had grown even more
entrenched. Matt had made little effort to change the status quo.
He couldn't even remember the last time he'd called his folks.
Ginny's marriage had apparently realigned everyone's priorities,
including her own. Brad was apparently no longer an asset.
Matt sat naked on the edge of the rumpled bed and studied the
lights of the cruise ship down in the harbor. It was a different
ship from the one that had been in port the night he had met
Sabrina, but it made him think of her.
A lot of things had made him think of her during the month since
she had left.
Getting to his feet, Matt walked over to the window. There was no
option. He would have to go to Houston and collect Brad. He'd seen
Ginny when she got close to the edge emotionally. She would
convince herself that her first priority was to protect herself.
And maybe she was right.
Coyne wasn't going to be pleased, Matt thought. He'd said he'd
wait a month for the answer to his offer of a job, and Matt knew
he'd fully expected that answer to be in the affirmative. Until
this morning he'd had every reason to assume that.
Matt wasn't altogether certain why he had been on the brink of
accepting Coyne's offer. It had something to do with priorities,
with proving himself. Getting his life back in focus had become
increasingly important since Sabrina Chase, tourist, had gone back
to Dallas, Texas. The need to do so had been eating at him,
prodding him, pushing at him. Coyne's offer had been dangling out
there, a possible beginning point.
Priorities.
Until three this morning Matt had assumed he would have to work
at figuring out if he even had any. Now he knew he did.
Brad was waiting for him in Houston. Matt moved away from the
window, frowning into the darkness. Brad was his reason for going
to Texas. But there was someone else in Texas. Someone who ran a
shop with a stuffed bull in the window. What would Sabrina say if
he looked her up before he headed back to Mexico?
***
"Tacky, Alex. Very tacky." Sabrina eyed her assistant with
misgivings as he sauntered into work one minute after nine. Alex
Kyle had strong feelings about having to be at work on time. He
asserted his independence by consistently being one minute late.
Sabrina accepted his small rebellion because he was incredibly
good at selling brass cowboy-boot paperweights and silver belt
buckles. And because she completely understood his need to assert
himself against her power as his boss. She'd done it often enough
with bosses in the past.
"You don't like the outfit?" Alex contrived to look hurt. He
glanced down at the skin-tight leather jeans, leather vest, and
high-heeled cowboy boots he was wearing. A watermelon-colored
Western-style yoked
forgive Brad if he succeeded in driving off her new husband.
"You want me to take him for a whole summer?"
"Why not?" Ginny said grimly. "Let him see what his father is
really like. Let him see what a failure you are now. It might be
more effective than all the expensive therapy in the world. Come
and get him, Matt. I really can't take any more." She hung up the
phone without waiting for an answer.
Slowly Matt replaced the receiver, absorbing the ramifications of
the three A.M. call. It changed everything. He knew that tone in
Ginny's voice. She was at the end of her tether and she was
struggling to hold on to the financial and emotional security she
had found with Paul Martin. She'd established her priorities and
Brad was now second on the list.
There had been several years during which the boy had ranked
higher. Brad's birth had brought with it the vast approval of
Matt's parents along with a considerable flow of cash from them.
At the time of the divorce Colonel and Mrs. August had made it
clear they sided with the mother of their grandson. And after
Matt's career disaster their sympathies had grown even more
entrenched. Matt had made little effort to change the status quo.
He couldn't even remember the last time he'd called his folks.
Ginny's marriage had apparently realigned everyone's priorities,
including her own. Brad was apparently no longer an asset.
Matt sat naked on the edge of the rumpled bed and studied the
lights of the cruise ship down in the harbor. It was a different
ship from the one that had been in port the night he had met
Sabrina, but it made him think of her.
A lot of things had made him think of her during the month since
she had left.
Getting to his feet, Matt walked over to the window. There was no
option. He would have to go to Houston and collect Brad. He'd seen
Ginny when she got close to the edge emotionally. She would
convince herself that her first priority was to protect herself.
And maybe she was right.
Coyne wasn't going to be pleased, Matt thought. He'd said he'd
wait a month for the answer to his offer of a job, and Matt knew
he'd fully expected that answer to be in the affirmative. Until
this morning he'd had every reason to assume that.
Matt wasn't altogether certain why he had been on the brink of
accepting Coyne's offer. It had something to do with priorities,
with proving himself. Getting his life back in focus had become
increasingly important since Sabrina Chase, tourist, had gone back
to Dallas, Texas. The need to do so had been eating at him,
prodding him, pushing at him. Coyne's offer had been dangling out
there, a possible beginning point.
Priorities.
Until three this morning Matt had assumed he would have to work
at figuring out if he even had any. Now he knew he did.
Brad was waiting for him in Houston. Matt moved away from the
window, frowning into the darkness. Brad was his reason for going
to Texas. But there was someone else in Texas. Someone who ran a
shop with a stuffed bull in the window. What would Sabrina say if
he looked her up before he headed back to Mexico?
***
"Tacky, Alex. Very tacky." Sabrina eyed her assistant with
misgivings as he sauntered into work one minute after nine. Alex
Kyle had strong feelings about having to be at work on time. He
asserted his independence by consistently being one minute late.
Sabrina accepted his small rebellion because he was incredibly
good at selling brass cowboy-boot paperweights and silver belt
buckles. And because she completely understood his need to assert
himself against her power as his boss. She'd done it often enough
with bosses in the past.
"You don't like the outfit?" Alex contrived to look hurt. He
glanced down at the skin-tight leather jeans, leather vest, and
high-heeled cowboy boots he was wearing. A watermelon-colored
Western-style yoked
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